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Background: Antithyroid drug (ATD)-induced agranulocytosis is a rare but life-threatening disease. Clinical features of ATD-induced agranulocytosis and outcomes remain incompletely understood. Method: Patients with clinically diagnosed ATD-induced agranulocytosis were retrospectively studied, involving 9690 patients who were referred for radioiodine treatment during a 15-year period (2000-2015) in China. There were 114 cases of agranulocytosis attributable to ATD included, and their clinical characteristics and therapy outcomes were analyzed. Results: The female-to-male ratio of ATD-induced agranulocytosis was 10.4:1. The mean age (±standard deviation) of the patients with ATD-induced agranulocytosis was 41.7 ± 12.3 years. The methimazole and propylthiouracil doses given at the onset were 22.9 ± 8.0 mg/day and 253.6 ± 177.5 mg/day, respectively. ATD-induced agranulocytosis occurred in 45.1%, 74.3%, and 88.5% of patients within 4, 8, and 12 weeks of the onset of ATD therapy, respectively. Fever (78.9%) and sore throat (72.8%) were the most common symptoms when agranulocytosis was diagnosed. The mean recovery time of agranulocytosis was 13.41 ± 7.14 days. Recovery time in the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-treated group (12.7 ± 6.0 days) did not differ from that in the group not treated with G-CSF (16.4 ± 10.6 days; p = 0.144). Treatment with 131I was successful in 87/98 patients (88.8%). The success rate of 131I was equivalent (p = 1.000) between the groups receiving methimazole (88.2%, 75/85) and propylthiouracil (92.3%, 12/13). Conclusions: This largest single-institution study in China shows that ATD-induced agranulocytosis tends to occur within the first 12 weeks after the onset of ATD therapy. For patients with ATD-induced agranulocytosis, G-CSF does not improve the recovery time of agranulocytosis, and 131I is an optimal treatment approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary pulmonary amyloidosis is an uncommon manifestation, characterized by amyloid deposition in the lungs and other associated tissue. The clinical presentation of amyloidosis is variable, with non-specific symptoms. The current study reports the case of a 59-year-old female presenting with primary pulmonary amyloidosis, indistinguishable from lung malignancy based on 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) accumulation on dual-time-point (DTP) FDG-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging and the similarities in morphological changes. A percutaneous CT-guided thoracoscopic biopsy was subsequently performed. Histological examination revealed that the specimens contained amorphous, homogeneous material with a number of polyclonal plasma cells, lymphocytes and giant cells. A diagnosis of primary nodular parenchymal pulmonary amyloidosis was determined, and the patient was discharged without chemotherapy. The patient remained in good clinical condition during follow-up. The present case indicated that localized nodular amyloidosis with increased FDG uptake on DTP FDG PET must be considered in the differential diagnosis of growing lung nodules, and that a histological examination must be conducted to distinguish this condition from malignancies of the lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an experiment was designed to optimize the synthesis of seleno-Capparis spionosa L. polysaccharide (Se-CSPS) by response surface methodology. Three independent variables (reaction time, reaction temperature and ratio of Na2SeO3 to CSPS) were tested. Furthermore, the thermal stability, particle size, shape and cytotoxic activity of Se-CSPS in vitro were investigated. The optimum reaction conditions were obtained shown as follows: reaction time 7.5 h, reaction temperature 71 °C, and ratio of Na2SeO3 to CSPS 0.9 g/g. Under these conditions, the Se content in Se-CSPS reached 5.547 mg/g, which was close to the predicted value (5.518 mg/g) by the model. The thermal stability, particle size and shape of Se-CSPS were significantly different from those of CSPS. Additionally, a MTT assay indicated that the Se-CSPS could inhibit the proliferation of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells in a dose-dependent manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capparis spionosa L. is a traditional medicinal plant in China and central Asia. In this study, an experiment was designed to investigate the optimization of the extraction of anti-tumor polysaccharides from the fruit of Capparis spionosa L. (CSPS) by response surface methodology (RSM). Four independent variables (extraction temperature, extraction time, ratio of water to sample and extraction cycles) were explored. Meanwhile, the in vivo anti-tumor activity of CSPS was investigated. The results showed that the experimental data could be fitted to a second-order polynomial equation using multiple regression analysis. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: extraction temperature 92 °C, extraction time 140 min, ratio of water to sample 26 mL/g, and three extraction cycle. Under these conditions, the yield of polysaccharides reached 13.01%, which was comparable to the predicted yield (12.94%, p > 0.05). This indicated that the model was adequate for the extraction process. Additionally, CSPS could prolong the survival time of H22 bearing mice in vivo. The anti-tumor activities of CSPS were dose-dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]