Isolation of anti-VEGF monoclonal antibodies with neutralizing effects from an Astragalus-induced immune antibody library.

The Astragalus membranaceus polysaccharides (APS) can improve immunity and enhance treatment reactions. This study analyzed the effects of effective antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) antibody production in mice treated with APS. After APS treatment, the serum of mice produced the antibody reactions that can cross-validate VEGF. The isolated single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibodies could neutralize VEGF and inhibit in vivo tumor growth. Of the scFvs, scFv 4E can significantly compete the interaction of bevacizumab with VEGF. In cell experiments, scFv 4E effectively inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by VEGF in vitro. In a matrix gel-assisted angiogenesis model, scFv 4E significantly inhibited angiogenesis reactions. In addition, in a xenograft model established in the colorectal cancer cell strain HCT116, scFv 4E treatment inhibited tumor growth by up to 52.7%. Finally, molecule docking was performed to simulate the complex interactions of scFv 4E and VEGF, the main driving forces of which involve the hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds of Tyr108 and Tyr 109 of the complementarity-determining region H3 loop with VEGF. The results help in establishing antibody library with high diversity for selecting antibodies with specificity. In addition, this study indirectly expounded the correlations of APS enhancing immunity regulation in vivo.

Can a 10-Minute Questionnaire Identify Significant Psychological Issues in Patients With Temporomandibular Joint Disease?

PURPOSES: For patients with disc displacement disorders (DDDs), psychiatric illness increases the risk of worsening postsurgical pain, postoperative delirium, postoperative incomplete recovery, and worse postoperative life quality. This study provides a fast and practical protocol to evaluate psychological conditions of patients with DDDs of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in clinical care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The populations under investigation in this cross-sectional study included patients with DDD who received treatment from October 2012 through June 2016. Variables included age, gender, education level, and TMJ (Axis I) and psychological (Axis II) evaluations. The 13-item protocol of Axis II evaluations contained a 5-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS-5), a pain visual analog scale (VAS; 1 item), major life events (3 items), suicidal risk (3 items), and substance use (1 item). Analysis of variance, χ2 test, and multivariate logistic regression were used for analyses. RESULTS: Of 177 patients, 75.14% were women (mean age, 37.46 ± 14.06 yr). Pain VAS scores clearly supported the following ranking of psychosocial discomforts: disc displacement without reduction with limited opening (DDWORWLO) > disc displacement without reduction without limited opening > disc displacement with reduction. Pain VAS and BSRS-5 correlated with 5 variables in Axis I (trismus, acute TMJ pain, chronic awake bruxism, chronic sleep bruxism, and deep bite). The DDD study indicated that 9.6% of patients required urgent referrals to mental health resources (MHRs) for their moderate and high suicidal risk DDD and 77% required nonurgent referrals to MHRs for their psychiatric morbidity. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that patients with DDD showed a prevalence of suicidal ideation and mean BSRS scores that were higher for anxiety, hostility, depression, interpersonal hypersensitivity, and insomnia than in the general population. Patients with trismus or acute TMJ pain could have a higher pain VAS score; chronic awake bruxism could involve greater hostility and lower depression; chronic sleep bruxism could increase sensitivity to interpersonal interactions; and deep bite could involve a higher anxiety level. DDWORWLO produced the highest pain VAS score in patients with DDD. The 13-item Axis II evaluations can offer useful clues for oral and maxillofacial surgeons and other specialists to collaborate with MHRs.

Comparison Between Acupuncture and Biofeedback as Adjunctive Treatments for Primary Insomnia Disorder.

Context • Insomnia affects from 5% to 35% of the general population worldwide. Primary insomnia disorder is the most frequently diagnosed, sleep-related disorder. Pharmacological treatments remain the most widely used treatments for insomnia. Nonpharmacological treatments for primary insomnia disorder have been found to be effective. Objective • This study intended to determine the appropriateness of acupuncture and biofeedback as adjuncts to medication for primary insomnia disorder. Design • The research team designed a randomized, controlled study. Setting • The study took place in a psychosomatic clinic at a regional general hospital in southern Taiwan. Participants • Participants were patients at the clinic with primary insomnia disorder who had never received prior hypnotic medication or alternative treatments. Intervention • All participants received 10 mg of zolpidem. The participants were divided into 3 groups: (1) acupuncture adjunctive to zolpidem (AAZ) group- 18 patients received 1 acupuncture session weekly; (2) biofeedback adjunctive to zolpidem (BAZ) group- 17 patients received 1 biofeedback session weekly; and (3) control (OZ) group-14 patients received only zolpidem. Patients visited the clinic 1 ×/wk for 4 wk, at baseline and on days 7, 14, and 21 of the intervention. Outcome Measures • The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to measure outcomes. Treatment success was defined as a final PSQI score of ≤5. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used for statistical analysis. Results • Using analysis of variance, the reduction in the PSQI scores were (1) 3.72 for the AAZ group, (2) 2.00 for the BAZ group, and (3) 2.29 for the OZ group (P = .28). The GEE analysis indicated no differences in the therapeutic effects among the 3 groups: P = .37 for the AAZ group vs the OZ group and P = .07 for the BAZ group vs the OZ group, when the PSQI of the OZ group was set to 0. The AAZ group had a significantly higher score than the OZ group for the sleep duration domain (B = 3.01, P < .001), whereas the BAZ group had a significantly higher score than the OZ group on the sleep disturbance domain (B = 6.78, P < .001). Higher scores indicate more difficulty in a domain. Conclusions • The change in the PSQI score and the success rate were better in the acupuncture group. The heterogeneity in primary insomnia disorder might mean that different therapeutic compositions are needed.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis after sun-exposure probably due to lamotrigine and chlorpromazine.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis is a life-threatening disease. It may be induced by many kinds of drugs especially anti-epileptics such as lamotrigine, but less sun-exposure related. Lamotrigine has been effective for partial complex seizure and bipolar disorder and caused serious side effects such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis. We reported a case of the patient who developed the manic episode and received lamotrigine and chlorpromazine drugs. After combination of lamotrigine and chlorpromazine, the patient developed skin rash to toxic epidermal necrolysis after sun-exposure. We had discontinued both drugs, given supportive treatment, and let him prevent sun-exposure greatly. The disease process got subsided nearly 4 weeks later. Clinicians should carefully prescribe mood stabilizer and photo-toxic or photosensitivity medications with higher drug-eruption rate.

Purple urine bag syndrome in nursing homes: ten elderly case reports and a literature review.

Purple urine bag syndrome (PUBS) is a rare occurrence, in which the patient has a purple-colored urine bag following urinary catheterization for hours to days. Most of authors believe it is a mixture of indigo (blue) and indirubin (red) that becomes purple. Previous study showed that PUBS occurred predominantly in chronically catheterized, constipated women. We collected 10 elderly patients with PUBS in two nursing homes. The first two cases were identified by chart review in 1987 and 2003, and then later eight cases (42.1%) were collected among 19 urinary catheterized elderly in the period between January 2007 and June 2007. In the present report, PUBS probably can occur in any patients with the right elements, namely urinary tract infection (UTI) with bacteria possessing these enzymes, diet with enough tryptophan, and being catheterized. Associations with bed-bound state, Alzheimer's, or dementia from other causes are reflections of the state of such patients who are at higher risk for UTI, and hence PUBS occurred. Although we presented PUBS as a harmless problem, prevention and control of the nosocomial catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTIs) has become very important in the new patient-centered medical era. Thus, we should decrease the duration of catheterization, improve catheter care, and deploy technological advances designed for prevention, especially in the elderly cared for in nursing homes.