Multicenter, randomized controlled, open label evaluation of the efficacy and safety of arbidol hydrochloride tablets in the treatment of influenza-like cases.

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy and safety of arbidol hydrochloride tablets as a treatment for influenza-like diseases. METHODS: In this multicenter, randomized, controlled, open label study, a total of 412 influenza-like cases were collected from 14 hospitals in seven regions of Hebei Province from September 2021 to March 2022. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n = 207) were administered oseltamivir phosphate capsules for five days and the experimental group (n = 205) were administered arbidol hydrochloride tablets for five days. The primary endpoint was the time to normal body temperature, and the secondary endpoints included the time to remission of influenza symptoms, incidence of influenza-like complications, and incidence of adverse reactions. RESULTS: Before treatment, there was no significant difference between the two groups in general conditions, blood routine, body temperature, or symptom severity. After treatment, there was no significant difference between the groups in the mean time to fever remission (59.24 h ± 25.21 vs. 61.05 h ± 29.47) or the mean time to remission of influenza symptoms (57.31 h ± 30.19 vs. 62.02 h ± 32.08). Survival analyses using Log-rank and Wilcoxon bilateral tests showed that there was no significant difference in fever relief time or influenza symptom relief time between the two groups. Regarding the incidence of complications and adverse events, there was only one case of tracheitis, one case of nausea, one case of vomiting, and one case of dizziness in the control group. In the experimental group, there was one case of nausea, one case of vomiting, and one case of drowsiness. In addition, one patient in the control group was hospitalized for urinary calculi. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference between the patients with influenza-like cases treated with arbidol hydrochloride tablets and those treated with oseltamivir phosphate capsules. Further, the patients treated with arbidol hydrochloride tablets had fewer adverse reactions, and thus, the tablets were safe to use.

Diagnostic Value of Model-Based Iterative Algorithm in Tuberculous Pleural Effusion.

Although there are several diagnostic modalities for tuberculous pleurisy, there is still a lack of easy, cost-effective, and rapid methods for confirming the diagnosis. In order to facilitate clinicians to diagnose patients with tuberculous pleurisy at an early stage, help patients to obtain treatment early, and reduce lung damage, it is hoped that new techniques will be available in the future to help diagnose tuberculous pleurisy rapidly in the clinic. To this end, this paper investigates the problem of bidirectional consistency based on event-triggered iterative learning. Firstly, a dynamic linearized data model of TB pleurisy intelligent system is established using compact-form dynamic linearization method, and a parameter estimation algorithm of TB pleurisy data model is proposed; then, based on this data model, an output observer and a dead zone controller are designed, and an event-triggered distributed model-free iterative learning bidirectional consistency control strategy is constructed by combining with signal graph theory. In this paper, 112 patients with pleural effusion were collected, including 76 patients with confirmed or clinically diagnosed tuberculous pleural effusion and 36 patients with nontuberculous pleural effusion. Pleural effusion T-SPOT.TB, blood T-SPOT.TB, pleural effusion Xpert MTB/RIF, and pleural effusion adenosine deaminase (ADA) tests were performed before treatment in the included patients. The sensitivity of pleural effusion T-SPOT.TB was higher than that of peripheral blood T-SPOT.TB (76.32%, 58/76), pleural effusion Xpert MTB/RIF (65.79%, 50/76), and pleural effusion ADA (28.95%, 22/76); the differences were statistically significant (x 2 = 14.74, 25.22, and 76.45, P < 0.01). The specificity of the Xpert MTB/RIF test for pleural effusion (100%, 36/36) was higher than that for pleural effusion T-SPOT.TB (77.78%, 28/36), peripheral blood T-SPOT.TB, and pleural effusion T-SPOT.TB. The sensitivity of the combined Xpert MTB/RIF test (64.47%, 49/76) was lower than that of the pleural effusion T-SPOT.TB alone (97.37%, 74/76).

Impact of matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene variations on risk of acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: This case-control study was conducted to investigate whether genetic variations in the matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene promoter were related to risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). DESIGN AND METHODS: 222 patients with ACS and 191 normal controls were examined by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULT: A significantly higher frequency of AA genotype of -519A/G polymorphism was observed in ACS patients than in the controls (P<0.001). The relative risk of ACS in patients carrying A allele of -519A/G polymorphism was 1.33 [P<0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.12-1.57]. Linkage disequilibrium test and haplotype analysis indicated that the AT haplotype significantly increased the risk of ACS (P=0.004, 95% CI=1.14-2.04, odds ratio=1.53). Compared with the AT haplotype, the GT haplotype was associated with a reduced occurrence of ACS (P<0.001, 95% CI=0.36-0.70, odds ratio=0.51). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that genetic variations in the matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene promoter may contribute to interindividual variability in risk of ACS, and help predict susceptible individuals.

Association of connexin 37 gene polymorphisms with risk of coronary artery disease in northern Han Chinese.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the C1019T polymorphism in the human gene encoding connexin 37 (CX37, encoded by GJA4) has been reported to be associated with coronary artery disease (CAD)/myocardial infarction in different racial groups, but no data are currently available in northern Han Chinese. The aim of our study is to investigate the association between 3 GJA4 gene polymorphisms (-1930C/T, C1019T and I1297D) and the susceptibility to CAD in northern Han Chinese. METHODS: 502 CAD patients and 410 controls confirmed by coronary angiography were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis in an independent case-control study. RESULTS: The overall distribution of GJA4 C1019T genotypes among CAD patients and healthy controls was significantly different (p < 0.01). Frequencies of C1019T CC homozygote and C allele were significantly higher in the patient group than those in the control group. Stratification analysis showed that the C1019T C allele significantly increased the risk of CAD only among male subjects (p = 0.006; OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.09-1.74). After adjustment for conventional risk factors, binary logistic regression analysis showed that the C allele carrier (CC + CT) of C1019T was an independent risk factor for CAD (p < 0.05). Further linkage disequilibrium tests and haplotype analysis revealed that the C-C-D haplotype conferred an increased risk of CAD. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that GJA4 gene C1019T polymorphism and/or its related C-C-D haplotype might contribute to an increased risk of CAD and potentially play an important role in the development of coronary atherosclerosis in northern Han Chinese.

[Matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene -519A/G polymorphism and the risk of coronary heart disease in Northern Chinese Han population].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 1 gene -519A/G polymorphism and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in Northern Chinese Han population. METHODS: A total of 517 patients with CHD and 380 healthy adults diagnosed by coronary angiography were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and DNA sequence technology for the -519A/G polymorphism in MMP1 gene. RESULTS: (1) The frequency of AA genotype was significantly higher in patients with CHD than that in controls [67.70% (350/517) vs. 40.26% (153/380), OR = 1.64, P < 0.001, 95%CI: 1.44 - 1.86]. People carrying A allele had increased risk for CHD (OR = 1.49, P < 0.001, 95%CI: 1.33 - 1.69). (2) The frequency of AA genotype was higher in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) than patients with stable angina pectoris [68.81% (278/404) vs. 51.76% (44/85), P < 0.01, 95%CI: 1.04 - 1.27]. The A allele carriers were more likely to develop ACS (OR = 1.11, 95%CI: 1.01 - 1.21, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our data shows MMP1 gene -519A/G polymorphism is associated with the risk of CHD, and A allele carriers are more susceptible for CHD in Northern Chinese Han population.

[Association of C1019T polymorphism in the connexin 37 gene and coronary artery disease in Chinese Han population].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between the connexin 37 (CX37) C1019T polymorphism and the susceptibility to coronary artery disease (CAD) in northern Han population of China. METHODS: A total of 514 CAD patients and 400 healthy controls diagnosed by angiography were genotyped by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: The genotype frequencies of CC, TC and TT in the CX37 C1019T polymorphism was 22.37%, 53.31% and 24.32% in CAD patients, 17.75%, 46.50% and 35.75% in the controls respectively (P = 0.0007). The frequency of the CX37 C allele in CAD patients was significantly higher than that of the control group (49.03% vs 41.00%, OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.15 - 1.66, P = 0.0006). The frequency of the C allele carriers (CC + TC) was 75.68% in the CAD group and 64.25% in the control group (P = 0.0002). Compared with the TT homozygote, the CAD risk was significantly increased in the carriers of C allele (CC + TC) (OR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.30 - 2.30). Subsequent stratified analysis revealed that the frequency of C allele was significantly higher in the male CAD patients than in the male controls (49.37% vs 39.60%, OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.18 - 1.89, P = 0.0009). The CAD risk was nearly two-fold increased in the carriers of C allele (CC + TC) than in the TT homozygote (95% CI = 1.38 - 2.78). However in the female population, there was no difference in the CAD risk between the carriers of (CC + TC) type and the TT homozygote (P = 0.24). CONCLUSION: The C allele in the CX37 gene might be associated with the susceptibility to CAD and potentially plays an important role in the manifestation of coronary atherosclerosis among Chinese.

Relationship of the CAG repeat polymorphism of the MEF2A gene and coronary artery disease in a Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Recently, a mutation in the human myocyte enhancer factor-2A (MEF2A) gene was reported to be responsible for an autosomal dominant form of coronary artery disease (CAD). In addition, missense mutations in sporadic CAD patients were also described. Both results support the disease-causing relationship between MEF2A and CAD/myocardial infarction. On the other hand, conflicting hypotheses have been put forward in other studies. METHODS: We screened exons 7 and 11 of MEF2A through single-stranded conformation polymorphism PCR and direct sequencing to clarify the relationship between MEF2A and CAD in an independent case-control study involving 726 individuals in China. RESULTS: Exon 11 showed a high degree of heterogeneity, which was caused by a polyglutamine (CAG)n polymorphism. Frequencies for the different (CAG)n alleles were not the same between patient and control groups. Of note, the distribution frequency of the (CAG)9 allele was higher in the patient group than in the control group (p<0.001). This effect was independent of age, gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia and smoking in a logistic regression model (p=0.001, odds ratio 1.245, 95% CI 1.095-1.417). It was also observed that the (CAG)9 allele was related to the extent of CAD, which was defined as no CAD, or single-, double- or triple-vessel disease (p trend 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our data, we speculate that the CAG repeat polymorphism is associated with coronary heart disease in the Chinese population and the (CAG)9 allele may be an independent predictive factor for CAD.