Search

Anti-programmed cell death 1 (anti-PD-1) immunotherapy features a durable response and improved survival in a small subset of patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC). The association between plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA titer dynamics and efficacy of anti-PD-1 monotherapy has been reported, while its value in predicting long-term outcomes and monitoring disease progression is unclear for patients with RM-NPC who are receiving anti-PD-1 monotherapy.To evaluate the role of plasma EBV DNA titers in prognosis prediction and surveillance of disease progression for patients with RM-NPC who are receiving anti-PD-1 monotherapy.Patients with RM-NPC from the POLARIS-02 prospective clinical trial, the largest cohort to receive anti-PD-1 monotherapy, were included in this study. From December 22, 2016, to February 19, 2019, 17 participating centers in China screened 279 patients with RM-NPC; 190 patients were enrolled and followed up until February 19, 2020. Plasma EBV DNA was detected before treatment and every 4 weeks until disease progression.Plasma EBV DNA as a predictor for progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), durable clinical benefit (defined as PFS of ≥6 months), and disease progression.Of 179 patients with RM-NPC receiving anti-PD-1 therapy, 148 (82.7%) were men, and the median age was 46 years (range, 22-71 years). A higher baseline EBV DNA titer was associated with shorter median OS (hazard ratio, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.22-2.89; P = .004). Patients with a ratio of the EBV DNA titer at week 4 to that at baseline (W4 to baseline ratio) greater than 0.5 had shorter median OS (hazard ratio, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.30-3.65; P .001) than those with a W4 to baseline ratio of 0.5 or less. Patients with higher baseline EBV DNA titers had a lower durable clinical benefit rate than those with lower baseline EBV DNA titers (19 of 97 [19.6%] vs 27 of 71 [38.0%]; P = .01). Similarly, patients with a W4 to baseline ratio greater than 0.5 had a lower durable clinical benefit rate than those with a W4 to baseline ratio of 0.5 or less (9 of 86 [10.5%] vs 32 of 54 [59.3%]; P .001). In addition, a significant EBV DNA titer increase was present at a median of 2.6 months (IQR, 0.9-4.5 months) prior to radiographic progression.This study of plasma EBV DNA in patients with RM-NPC who are receiving anti-PD-1 monotherapy suggests that plasma EBV DNA could be a useful biomarker for outcomes and monitoring disease progression.

Background. Cardiovascular diseases have been always the most common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Health monitoring of high-risk and suspected patients is essential. Currently, invasive coronary angiography is still the most direct and accurate method of determining the severity of coronary artery lesions, but it may not be the optimal clinical choice for suspected patients who had clinical symptoms of coronary heart disease (CHD) such as chest pain but no coronary artery lesion. Modern medical research indicates that radial pulse waves contain substantial pathophysiologic information about the cardiovascular and circulation systems; therefore, analysis of these waves could be a noninvasive technique for assessing cardiovascular disease. Objective. The objective of this study was to analyze the radial pulse wave to construct models for assessing the extent of coronary artery lesions based on pulse features and investigate the latent value of noninvasive detection technology based on pulse wave in the evaluation of cardiovascular disease, so as to promote the development of wearable devices and mobile medicine. Method. This study included 529 patients suspected of CHD who had undergone coronary angiography. Patients were sorted into a control group with no lesions, a 1 or 2 lesion group, and a multiple (3 or more) lesion group as determined by coronary angiography. The linear time-domain features and the nonlinear multiscale entropy features of their radial pulse wave signals were compared, and these features were used to construct models for identifying the range of coronary artery lesions using the k -nearest neighbor (KNN), decision tree (DT), and random forest (RF) machine learning algorithms. The average precision of these algorithms was then compared. Results. (1) Compared with the control group, the group with 1 or 2 lesions had increases in their radial pulse wave time-domain features H2/H1, H3/H1, and W2 ( P < 0.05 ), whereas the group with multiple lesions had decreases in MSE1, MSE2, MSE3, MSE4, and MSE5 ( P < 0.05 ). (2) Compared with the 1 or 2 lesion group, the multiple lesion group had increases in T1/T ( P < 0.05 ) and decreases in T and W1 ( P < 0.05 ). (3) The RF model for identifying numbers of coronary artery lesions had a higher average precision than the models built with KNN or DT. Furthermore, average precision of the model was highest (80.98%) if both time-domain features and multiscale entropy features of radial pulse signals were used to construct the model. Conclusion. Pulse wave signal can identify the range of coronary artery lesions with acceptable accuracy; this result is promising valuable for assessing the severity of coronary artery lesions. The technique could be used to development of mobile medical treatments or remote home monitoring systems for patients suspected or those at high risk of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease.

To observe the effect of acupoint catgut embedding on levels of prostaglandin FForty female SD rats were randomly divided into normal, model, acupoint catgut embedment and medication groups, with 10 rats in each group. The PD model was established by subcutaneous injection of estradiol benzoate (0.5 mg on the 1Compared with the normal group, the levels of PGFThe analgesic effect of acupoint catgut embedding may be related to its effects in down-regulating the expression of p-NF-κB and the levels of COX-2 and PGF

To observe the effect of acupoint catgut embedding on the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in the uterine tissue of primary dysmenorrhea (PD) rats, so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in improving PD.Forty female SD rats were randomly divided into control, model, acupoint catgut embedding and medication groups (The body writhing times were notably more in the model group than in the control group (The acupoint catgut embedding can significantly alleviate the symptoms and pathological damage in PD rats, which may be related to its effect in inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in the uterine tissue.

Prenatal intake of choline has been reported to lead to enhanced cognitive function in offspring, but little is known about the effects on spatial learning deficits. The present study examined the effects of prenatal choline supplementation on developmental low-protein exposure and its potential mechanisms. Pregnant female rats were fed either a normal or low-protein diet containing sufficient choline (1.1g/kg choline chloride) or supplemented choline (5.0g/kg choline chloride) until delivery. The Barnes maze test was performed at postnatal days 31-37. Choline and its metabolites, the synaptic structural parameters of the CA1 region in the brain of the newborn rat, were measured. The Barnes maze test demonstrated that prenatal low-protein pups had significantly greater error scale values, hole deviation scores, strategy scores and spatial search strategy and had lesser random search strategy values than normal protein pups (all P

Background: Psychiatric patients appear to be at lower risk of cancer. Some antipsychotic drugs might have inhibitory effects on tumor growth, including penfluridol, a strong agent. To test this, we conducted a study to determine whether penfluridol exerts cytotoxic effects on tumor cells and, if so, to explore its anti-tumor mechanisms. Methods: Growth inhibition of mouse cancer cell lines by penfluridol was determined using the 3- (4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Cytotoxic activity was determined by clonogenic cell survival and trypan blue assays. Animal tumor models of these cancer cells were established and to evaluate penfluridol for its anti-tumor efficacy in vivo. Unesterified cholesterol in cancer cells was examined by filipin staining. Serum total cholesterol and tumor total cholesterol were detected using the cholesterol oxidase/p- aminophenazone (CHOD-PAP) method. Results: Penfluridol inhibited the proliferation of B16 melanoma (B16/ F10), LL/2 lung carcinoma (LL/2), CT26 colon carcinoma (CT26) and 4T1 breast cancer (4T1) cells in vitro. In vivo penfluridol was particularly effective at inhibiting LL/2 lung tumor growth, and obviously prolonged the survival time of mice bearing LL/2 lung tumors implanted subcutaneously. Accumulated unesterified cholesterol was found in all of the cancer cells treated with penfluridol, and this effect was most evident in LL/2, 4T1 and CT26 cells. No significant difference in serum cholesterol levels was found between the normal saline-treated mice and the penfluridol-treated mice. However, a dose-dependent decrease of total cholesterol in tumor tissues was observed in penfluridol-treated mice, which was most evident in B16/F10-, LL/2-, and 4T1-tumor-bearing mice. Conclusion: Our results suggested that penfluridol is not only cytotoxic to cancer cells in vitro but can also inhibit tumor growth in vivo. Dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis by penfluridol may be involved in its anti-tumor mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE To explore the impedance characteristics of ear acupoints in stroke patients with excess or deficiency syndrome, and to provide basis data for objective study of the syndromes of stroke. METHODS The data of electrical characteristics of ear acupoints in stroke patients and healthy people were collected, and excess syndrome and deficiency syndrome of stroke were identified by quantifying the syndromes of stroke using scales. The differences in impedance characteristics of ear acupoints between stroke patients and healthy people were analyzed, and the differences in impedance characteristics of ear acupoints between stroke patients with excess syndrome and stroke patients with deficiency syndrome were analyzed too. The correlation among impedance characteristics of ear acupoints, stroke and the syndromes was also analyzed. RESULTS There were significant differences in impedance characteristics of ear acupoints between stroke patients and healthy people (P

OBJECTIVE To observe the changes of tongue and pulse parameters in lung cancer patients after combined treatment with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and to probe into the application of the tongue and pulse parameters in evaluation of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy on lung cancer patients. METHODS Electropulsograms and tongue pictures of 50 lung cancer patients were examined by TP-I digital electropulsography. The tongue and pulse parameters of the patients, including the indexes of moistness and dryness, thinness and thickness, fissure, swollenness and emaciation, greasiness and likeness of curd, and power spectral ratios (PSRs) 1, 2, 3, 4 and cepstrum spectral ratios (CSRs) 1, 2, 3, 4, were observed after 1-month and 2-month treatment with Yifei Kangliu Oral Liquid (a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine) plus chemotherapy, respectively. The above parameters of the lung cancer patients were compared before and after the treatment. RESULTS PSR1 increased, while PSR2 decreased significantly after 1-month and 2-month treatment as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). PSR1 decreased, while PSR2 increased after 2-month treatment as compared with after 1-month treatment (P < 0.05). PSR4 after 1-month treatment was lower than before treatment (P < 0.05). The tongue parameters including the indexes of moistness and dryness, and greasiness and likeness of curd increased significantly after 1-month and 2-month treatment as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). The index of thinness and thickness decreased, while the index of fissure increased significantly after 1-month treatment as compared with before treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Tongue and pulse parameters can be regarded as one of reference indexes in evaluation of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy on lung cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore microcosmic information in chronic gastritis dampness syndrome by using serum proteomics of patients with chronic gastritis dampness syndrome. METHODS: Serum proteomics of 18 dampness syndrome cases, 17 non-dampness syndrome cases in chronic gastritis patients and 8 normal controls were analyzed by surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (SELDI-TOF) protein-chip. RESULTS: There was a high expression trend in three ratios of charge (of an electron) to mass (M/S) of 3.2 kD, 6.4 kD and 8.1 kD of protein expression spectrum from patients with chronic gastritis dampness syndrome, and the wave peak value was over 10 units. There was a low expression trend in above-mentioned sites of protein expression spectrum from patients with chronic gastritis non-dampness syndrome and normal group. The wave peak value of patients with chronic gastritis non-dampness syndrome was about or below 10 units, and the wave peak value in normal group was below 5 units. CONCLUSION: There exists a certain significance to explore biologic theory basis of chronic gastritis dampness syndrome by analyzing the serum proteomics.

To consummate the standard of macroscopic syndrome differentiation for diagnosis of dampness syndrome in patients with chronic gastritis (CG), based on the essentials of syndrome differentiation in TCM diagnostics and combined with the multivariant mathematical statistic method. And try to find out the methods and approaches for establishing standard for TCM syndrome differentiation.Clinical investigation on CG patients was carried out adopting clinical epidemiological method.The meaningful symptoms for making diagnosis of Pi-Wei damp-heat syndrome in frequency order, were red tongue with yellow and greasy fur, sticky and greasy sensation in mouth, brown urine, constipation, dry stool, flushed face and ponderous extremities. Those for Pi deficiency with damp retention syndrome were swollen tongue with teeth-print, greasy fur, sticky and greasy sensation in mouth, tastelessness, and poor appetite.By combining the integrative medical theory with multivariant statistic method, the meaningful essentials for diagnosis of dampness syndrome can be screened out.

OBJECTIVE To explore the immunological mechanism of exfoliative tongue fur in children with asthma. METHODS Thirty-nine children with asthma, twenty-eight children with repetitive respiratory tract infection (non-asthma) and eleven healthy children were divided into five groups, which were asthma with exfoliative fur or with non-exfoliative fur groups, non-asthma with exfoliative fur or with non-exfoliative fur groups and normal control group. The concentrations of keratin 13 and bcl-2 in cells exfoliated from tongue fur were detected by immunohistochemical method. The expression levels of blood cell chemokine receptor-3 (CCR-3) and CD4(+) were examined by flow cytometry, and the levels of serum cortisol and IgE were detected by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS The levels of blood CD4(+) and CCR-3 of children with asthma and exfoliative fur were higher than those in the asthma with non-exfoliative fur group and the normal control group (P

To explore the effect of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and asthma.Forty-two patients with asthma who underwent ESS and control group were investigated. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) and soluble CD23 (sCD23) levels in culture supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Of these 42 patients 32 (76%), their asthma was relieved greatly after ESS comparing with that before ESS. 14 of 21 patients (67%) taken regular medication for asthma before ESS reported that less medicine was used after operation.This study demonstrates that ESS has a favorable effect on asthma in patients with symptomatic chronic sinusitis.