Dermatological Condition after Spinal Cord Injury: A Retrospective Study / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of skin diseases in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods:From January, 2012 to December, 2016, all the inpatients with SCI were collected through hospital information system, in which, the patients with skin problems referred to the dermatologists were screened. Their general demographic characteristics, the time of skin onset since SCI, segment of SCI, level of SCI, the distribution of skin lesion, and the dermatological diagnosis were all recorded. The number of skin diseases in each SCI patient was counted. Results:A total of 3152 inpatients with SCI were included, out of whom, 554 patients were referred to the dermatologists, and 785 person-times dermatological conditions were diagnosed. Among the 554 patients, the consultation rate of male patients was significantly higher than females (χ2 = 13.284, P < 0.001); the consultation rate of aged 18~35 years and aged 36~50 years groups was higher than aged less than 18 years and aged more than 35 years groups (χ2 = 15.994, P < 0.01); the appearence of the skin lesions within six months post-SCI was significantly higher than more than six months post-SCI (χ2 = 123.725, P < 0.001); the consultation rate of patients with cervical SCI was higher than those with thoracic and lumbosacral SCI (χ2 = 10.482, P < 0.01), and the consultation rate of tetraplegic patients was higher than paraplegia patients (χ2 = 9.172, P < 0.01). A total of 385 patients suffered one dermatological condition, while 169 patients suffered two or more dermatological conditions. Among them, men (χ2 = 6.108, P < 0.05), patients with cervical SCI (χ2 = 8.592, P < 0.05) and tetraplegic patients (χ2 = 8.592, P < 0.05) were more likely to suffer two or more dermatological conditions. Allergic (252 cases), infectious (186 cases) and sebaceous gland related (169 cases) skin diseases were the most common skin problems. Conclusion:Male, cervical SCI and tetraplegic patients are more likely to suffer two or more skin diseases. It is necessary to strengthen the prevention of skin diseases common in SCI patients.

Roles of Myeloid-derived Suppressor Cells in Breast Cancer Metastasis / 中国医学科学院学报

Breast cancer patients with bone,liver and lung metastases tend to have a poor prognosis.According to Paget's "seed and soil" theory,metastatic cancer cell "seeds" must fall on congenial target organ "soil".Studies have shown that myeloid-derived suppressor cells(MDSCs)can be recruited at the site of breast cancer metastasis in advance and play a role in the metastasis of breast cancer cells.This paper reviews the biological characteristics of MDSCs,the roles of MDSCs in peripheral circulation,prometastatic niche,and metastatic site during breast cancer metastasis,as well as the research progress of MDSCs-targeted treatment of breast cancer metastasis.

A network meta-analysis of the short-term efficacy of five chemotherapy regimens based on cisplatin and fluorouracil for esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the short-term efficacy of different cisplatin and fluorouracil-based chemotherapy regimens in the treatment of patients with esophagogastric junctional adenocarcinoma (EGJA) using a network meta-analysis (NMA). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to chemotherapy regimens based on cisplatin and fluorouracil for EGJA were included from the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library electronic databases (from inception to June 2016). Direct and indirect evidence were combined to calculate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) as well as to draw the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) curves. This NMA finally enrolled ten eligible RCTs with the following five regimens: cisplatin plus fluorouracil (cisplatin+fluorouracil), cisplatin+fluorouracil-based chemotherapy (cisplatin+fluorouracil+docetaxel/epirubicin/irinotecan), fluorouracil-based chemotherapy (fluorouracil+docetaxel/doxorubicin/methotrexate/irinotecan), cisplatin-based chemotherapy (cisplatin+docetaxel/epirubicin/irinotecan/capecitabine/s-1) and other drug-based chemotherapy (docetaxel/irinotecan/capecitabine). These results revealed that compared with a cisplatin+ fluorouracil-based chemotherapy regimen, the fluorouracil-based chemotherapy regimen had a lower overall response rate (ORR) and partial response (PR) for EGJA patients (ORR: OR=0.43, 95% CI=0.22–0.86; PR: OR=0.46, 95% CI=0.23–0.91). Cluster analyses suggested that the cisplatin+fluorouracil-based chemotherapy regimen had the best short-term efficacy for EGJA in terms of the complete response (CR), PR, ORR, stable disease (SD) and progression disease (PD). Our results indicated that cisplatin+fluorouracil-based chemotherapy regimens may have the best short-term efficacy in the treatment of EGJA.

Effects of laser irradiation on Trichophyton rubrum growth and ultrastructure / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) is the most common causative agent of dermatophytosis worldwide. In this study, we examined the effect of laser irradiation on the growth and morphology of T. rubrum.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Colonies of T. rubrum were isolated (one colony per plate), and randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups: Q-switched 694 nm ruby laser treatment, long-pulsed Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser treatment, intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment, 308 nm excimer laser treatment and the blank control group without treatment. Standardized photographs were obtained from grown-up fungal plates prior to treatment. Colonies were then exposed to various wavelengths and fluences of laser light. To compare the growth of colonies, they were re-photographed under identical conditions three and six days post-treatment. To investigate the morphology of T. rubrum, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images were obtained from specimens exposed to 24 hours of laser treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Growth of T. rubrum colonies was significantly inhibited following irradiation by 694 nm Q-switched and 1064 nm long-pulsed Nd:YAG lasers. Other treatments exerted little or no effect. Q-switched laser irradiation exerted a stronger growth inhibitory effect than long-pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation. Following treatment by the Q-switched ruby laser system, T. rubrum hyphae became shrunken and deflated, and SEM images revealed rough, fractured hyphal surfaces, punctured with small destructive holes. TEM images showed that the hyphae were degenerating, as evidenced by the irregular shape of hyphae, rough and loose cell wall, and obscure cytoplasmic texture. Initially high electron density structure was visible in the cell; later, low-density structure appeared as a result of cytoplasmic dissolution. In contrast, the blank control group showed no obvious changes in morphology.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Q-switched 694 nm ruby laser treatment significantly inhibits the growth and changes the morphology of T. rubrum.</p>

A case of systemic amyloidosis beginning with purpura / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Primary systemic amyloidosis is a relatively rare disease, caused when abnormal extracellular deposition of fibrillary protein builds up in a variety of target organs, such as heart, kidneys, lungs liver, and so forth. The symptoms of the disease are usually vague, while many kinds of auxiliary or laboratory examinations especially pathologic biopsy can provide a clue for the diagnosis. Here we described a case who had purpura-like lesions in the initial stage, followed by progressive malfunctions in the kidneys, the heart, the lungs, as well as the liver. The final diagnosis was primary systemic amyloidosis determined by skin pathologic biopsy. And the disease led to a fatal outcome within three months after the diagnosis.