Risk of Active Pulmonary Tuberculosis among Patients with Coal Workers'Pneumoconiosis: A Case-control Study in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

The aim of this study was to estimate the association between occupational, environmental, behavioral risk factors, and active pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) among coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) patients. A matched case-control study was conducted in 86 CWP patients with active PTB and 86 CWP controls without TB. A standardized questionnaire was used for risk factors assessment. Conditioned logistic regression analysis was used to identify associations between the risk factors and active PTB among CWP patients. The results showed that the stage of CWP, poor workplace ventilation, family history of TB, and exposure to TB were independent risk factors for active PTB in patients with CWP with which recommendations for improving work environments, and for case finding activities in patients with CWP could be made.

Effect of xunxi no.1 intervention and radiotherapy on Ia-IIb stage cervical cancer with high-risk human papilloma virus infection / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical value of Chinese medical intervention and treatment of high-risk human papilloma virus (HR-HPV) infection in patients of cervical cancer (CC) during radiotherapy (RT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty CC patients of the Ia-IIb stage receiving primary RT were assigned to two groups. RT and local intervention by Xunxi No. 1 was given to patients in the test group for 20 days, while patients in the control group were treated with RT alone. Expression of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV, HPV16/18 infection) was detected by in-situ hybridization (ISH) before and after treatment. The 5-year disease free survival rate and pelvic lymph node metastasis rate (with the lymph node diameter >0.9 cm shown by CT) in patients were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After treatment, the HR-HPV positive rate was lowered from 67.5% (27/40) to 37.5% (15/40) in the test group (P<0.05), while it was lowered from 72.5% (29/40) to 65.0% (26/40) in the control group (P>0.05). By follow-ups, the 3-year disease free survival rate in the test group was better than that in the control group (33/40 vs 27/40), showing insignificant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Significant difference was shown in the 5-year disease free survival rate and the pelvic lymph node metastasis rate (65.0% vs 42.5%, 7.5% vs 25.0%) between the two groups (both P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>In early RT of CC, combined application of Xunxi No. 1 could obviously lower the HPV positive rate. The 5-year disease free survival rate was superior to that in the control group, with lower pelvic lymph node metastasis rate. Xunxi No. 1 had better clinical value in clinical application.</p>