Tetrandrine slows the radiographic progression of progressive massive fibrosis in pneumoconiosis: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the clinical effect of Tetrandrine (Tet) on progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) of pneumoconiosis. METHODS: This retrospective study collected 344 pneumoconiosis patients with PMF, and 127 were eligible for the final analysis, including 57 patients in the Tet group and 70 patients in the control group. The progress of imaging and lung function were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After 13 months (median) of treatment, the size of PMF was smaller in the Tet group than that in the control group (1526 vs. 2306, p=0.001), and the size was stable in the Tet group (1568 vs. 1526, p= 0.381), while progressed significantly in the control group (2055 vs. 2306, p=0.000). The small nodule profusion and emphysema were also milder than that in the control group (6.0 vs. 7.5, p=0.046 and 8.0 vs. 12, p=0.016 respectively). Pulmonary ventilation function parameters FVC and FEV1 improved in the Tet group (3222 vs. 3301, p=0.021; 2202 vs. 2259, p=0.025 respectively) and decreased in the control group (3272 vs. 3185, p= 0.00; 2094 vs. 1981, p=0.00 respectively). FEV1/FVC was also significantly higher in the Tet group than that in the control group (68.45vs. 60.74, p=0.001). However, similar result was failed to observed for DLco%, which showed a significant decrease in both groups. CONCLUSION: Tet has shown great potential in the treatment of PMF by slowing the progression of pulmonary fibrosis and the decline of lung function.

First description of males of Ensiferothrips wallacei Mound amp; Tree (Thripidae: Dendrothripinae) with variation in fore wing setae.

The genus Ensiferothrips now includes four described species, it is similar to Dendrothrips in the structure of the abdominal tergites and hind coxae, also the position of the fore wing cilia, but the wing apex bears a stout seta, and the costal setae are very stout. It was originally known from New Caledonia based on a single species, E. primus Bianchi, but subsequently E. secundus Mound was described from Lord Howe Island on Smilax australis [Smilacaceae](Mound 1999). More recently, Mound and Tree (2016) described two further species, E. lamingtoni from Queensland, Australia on Quintinia sieberi [Grossulariaceae] and E. wallacei from Indonesia without host plant information. A single specimen of the later species has also been recorded from Hainan, China (Zhang et al. 2018). The genus is clearly tropical in distribution, from south China to northern Australia, revealing the strong connection between south China, southeast Asia and northern Australia. Little biological information is known of these species, though they seem to live on hard mature leaves (Mound Tree 2020). In this study, a series of specimens of E. wallacei was found from Hainan on Smilax sp. The first description of the male of this species is presented here, together with interesting variation in the chaetotaxy of the fore wings.