Diagnostic value and safety of medical thoracoscopy under local anesthesia for unexplained diffuse interstitial lung disease: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the safety and diagnostic value of medical thoracoscopic lung biopsy in patients with unexplained diffuse interstitial lung disease (ILD) in a single center pilot study. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed clinical and pathological diagnostic data from 52 patients with diffuse ILD undergoing medical thoracoscopic lung biopsy. RESULTS: Forty-four cases of diffuse ILD were confirmed pathologically, giving a diagnostic rate of 84.6%. Among these 44 patients, 11 patients were diagnosed with cancer, including eight patients with lung adenocarcinoma, three patients with metastases; two from a gastrointestinal malignancy, and one from a granulosa cell tumor of the ovary. There were 17 cases of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, including nine cases of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP), four cases of non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), three cases of cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP), and one case of acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP). There were 12 cases of rare interstitial pneumonias, which included six cases of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, one case each of pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) and pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis, two cases of nodular sarcoidosis, and two cases of chronic eosinophilic pneumonia. We recorded various complications, including bleeding, infection, and pneumothorax. A total of 28 patients (53.8%) experienced at least one of the above complications, but there were no deaths associated with biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Medical thoracoscopic lung biopsy appears a safe and effective method for diagnosing diffuse ILD of unknown cause but further prospective studies, with larger numbers, including comparison with other established techniques are required.

Relationship between serum IL-1ß and insomnia and liver depression in patients with perimenopausal non-organic sleep disorder.

The aim of the study was to detect the expression of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) in serum of patients with perimenopausal non-organic sleep disorder (PNSD) and to study the relationship between IL-1ß and the severity of insomnia and liver depression, so as to benefit the prevention of PNSD. A total of 268 cases of perimenopausal patients from the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Fujian Provincial Hospital and the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Jinshan Branch of Fujian Provincial Hospital were selected from March 2014 to June 2017. Among them, 182 patients developed non-organic insomnia (observation group). The remaining 86 patients were included in the control group. Serum levels of IL-1ß were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Scores of liver depression were determined and graded. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess the severity of insomnia. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between PSQI, IL-1ß and liver depression grade. Scores of liver depression in the observation group were significantly higher than those in control group (p<0.05). In the observation group, and PSQI scores in patients with different grades of liver depression are significantly different (p<0.05). Average level of IL-1ß in the observation group was significantly higher than that in control group (p<0.05). With the increase of liver depression grade, the expression level of IL-1ß was also increased (p<0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis showed that PSQI was positively correlated with liver depression score, and the level of IL-1ß was positively correlated with the liver depression grade in patients with PNSD. (r=0.724, p=0.012; r=0.765, p=0.008). Expression of IL-1ß in women with PNSD is significantly upregulated, and different degrees of liver depression also exist. Higher expression level of IL-1ß is accompanied by more serious liver depression and higher degree of insomnia.

Anti-NDV activity of baicalin from a traditional Chinese medicine in vitro.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-Newcastle disease virus (NDV) activities of baicalin from Scutellaria baicalensis, a Traditional Chinese Medicine in vitro. Chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEFs) were infected with NDV, and quantitative analysis of apoptotic cells was performed using flow cytometry. Cytotoxicity and anti-viral activities of baicalin were studied using the MTT method. The results showed that the maximal safe concentrations of baicalin to CEFs was 1 × 2(-2) mg/ml. Baicalin could directly kill NDV, inhibit the infectivity of NDV to CEF and block intracellular NDV. It inhibited the apoptosis of NDV-infected CEFs and suppressed the spread of NDV. These results indicate that baicalin has strong anti-NDV activity and has the potential for use as components of an antiviral drug.

[Clinical Observation on Therapeutic Effect of Red-hot Needle Therapy for Spastic Hemiplegia in Stroke Patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the curative effect of fire needle treatment on spastic hemiplegia in patients with stroke. METHODS: A total of 80 stroke patients with spastic hemiplegia who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into routine acupuncture (control) group and red-hot needle group (n = 40 cases in each group). Patients of the red-hot needle group were treated by pricking unilateral Jianyu (LI 15), Binao (LI 14), Quchi (LI 11), Shousanli (LI 10), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Xuehai (SP 10) , etc. with a cauterized needle, once every other day for 30 days; while those of the control group were treated by acupuncture stimulation of unilateral Jianyu (LI 15), Quchi (LI 11), Shousanli (LI 10), Huantiao (GB 30), Fengshi (GB 31), Yanglingquan (GB 34), etc. with filiform needles, once daily for 30 days. The muscular tension was evaluated using modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and, the limb motor function evaluated using Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale (FMA). RESULTS: After the treatment, the muscular tension of both upper and lower limbs in the red-hot needle and routine acupuncture groups was significantly reduced (P < 0.05), exhibiting an appearance of the stroke patients with MAS grade 0 (upper and lower limbs: 7 and 6 cases, 15 and 12 cases in the control and red-hot needle groups). The FMA scores of both upper and lower limbs were remarkably increased in both control and red-hot needle groups after the treatment (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), suggesting an improvement of the patients' motor function. The improvement of the muscular tension and motor function of upper limbs in the red-hot needle group was superior to that in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the two groups in both MAS grades and FMA scores of lower limbs after the treatment (P > 0.05). Of the two 40 cases in the control and red-hot needle groups, 5 and 13 were basically cured, 11 and 8 had marked improvement, 10 and 14 were improved, 14 and 5 ineffective, with the effective rates being 65.0% and 87.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Red-hot needle therapy is effective in reducing muscular tension and improving motor function of the limbs in hemiplegia patients.