RESUMO
Hemiphragma heterophyllum Wall. is commonly used in traditional Yi herbal medicine for treating bellyache and toothache. In the current study, an unreported monoterpene glucoside, (S)-thymoquinol O-(6-O-oleuropeoyl)-ß-d-glucopyranoside (1), together with 11 known glucosides were obtained from the whole herb of H. heterophyllum. Their structures were determined based on a detailed analysis of spectroscopic data and acid hydrolysis and methanolysis reactions. Bioassay results showed that compounds 1 and 10 at 40 mg/kg exhibited significant antinociceptive activity in the acetic acid-induced writhing model, with inhibitions of 59.80% and 64.07%, respectively. Moreover, five of the isolates showed moderate anti-α-glucosidase activities with IC50 values ranging from 5.67 to 46.16 µM.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The importance of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been studied extensively in Japan, where hepatitis C virus is the predominant aetiology of HCC. The clinical profiles of HCC regarding the state of AFP and DCP in a hepatitis B virus epidemic area have not been comprehensively investigated, and the value of these tumour markers in evaluating the response to treatment and the detection of recurrence has yet to be determined. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 4792 patients treated in our centre were continuously analysed regarding accessible AFP and DCP data pre- and posttreatment. Baseline characteristics were summarized, and comparisons of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were made independently. The prognostic significance of each factor was tested with the Cox proportional hazards model. Patients who had AFP and DCP data pretreatment, pre- and posttreatment, and those who were continuously monitored more than twice were analysed separately. RESULTS: A total of 2600 patients (53.4%) were positive for AFP and DCP; 362 (7.6%) and 1211 (25.3%) patients were AFP- or DCP-positive, respectively, and 619 patients (12.9%) were negative for both AFP and DCP. Patients in the AFP single-positive or double-negative groups had the best OS (P<0.001). Patients with less than 50% responses in AFP and DCP after treatments suffered from worse prognostic survival (P<0.001). In the multivariate analysis, elevated AFP and DCP were identified as independent prognostic factors of PFS and OS. In addition, different tumour markers were related to different clinical and pathological traits. CONCLUSION: The present study comprehensively explored the clinical value of classical tumour markers for HCC using the "point-to-line" method. Positivity of pretreatment AFP and DCP or less than 50% treatment response rates exhibited more aggressive HCC, resulting in poor PFS and OS in HCC patients.
RESUMO
Positive nucleic acid (NA) results have been found in recovered and discharged COVID-19 patients, but the proportion is unclear. This study was designed to analyze the recurrent positive rate of NA results after consecutively negative results, and the relationship between the specific antibody production and positive NA rate. According to Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines, data of inpatients in Sino-French New City Branch of Tongji Hospital between Jan. 28 and Mar. 6, 2020 were collected. A total of 564 COVID-19 patients over 14 years old who received the examinations of NA and antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were included. Days of viral shedding and specific antibodies were recorded and assessed. Among NA tests in respiratory samples (throat swabs, nasopharyngeal swabs, sputum and flushing fluid in alveoli), the patients with all-negative NA results accounted for 17.20%, those with single-positive results for 46.63%, and those with multiple-positive results for 36.17% respectively. Besides, the recurrent positive NA results after consecutively negative results appeared in 66 patients (11.70%). For multiple-positive patients, median viral shedding duration was 20 days (range: 1 to 57 days). Of the 205 patients who received 2 or more antibody tests, 141 (68.78%) had decreased IgG and IgM concentrations. IgM decreased to normal range in 24 patients, with a median of 44 days from symptom onset. Viral shedding duration was not significantly correlated with gender, age, disease severity, changes in pulmonary imaging, and antibody concentration. It is concluded that antibody level and antibody change had no significant correlation with the positive rate of NA tests and the conversion rate after continuous negative NA tests. In order to reduce the recurrent positive proportion after discharge, 3 or more consecutive negative NA test results with test interval more than 24 h every time are suggested for the discharge or release from quarantine.