Efficacy of acellular fish skin graft in the management of chronic ulcer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The wounds failing to heal through a timely and orderly standard of care (SOC) treatment are considered as chronic wounds, which add significant burden to healthcare systems around the world. SOC treatment has been commonly applied for management of chronic wounds, but SOC alone may not be adequate to heal all ulcers effectively. Fish skin graft (FSG) is a xenogenic skin substitute which could be used for accelerating skin healing. The current study was performed with the view of evaluating the effectiveness of FSG as an adjuvant treatment of SOC for chronic ulcer treatment. METHODS: Two authors independently searched the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL, using keywords including "diabetic foot ulcer," "fish skin graft," and "wound healing." Clinical studies that evaluated the clinical outcomes of FSG in treatment of chronic ulcers were included in this meta-analysis. Random- or fixed-effect modeled meta-analyses were performed according to the heterogeneity test result (i.e., I2), to analyze the clinical outcome of FSG. RESULTS: A total of 8 studies were included in qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis, with 145 patients treated by SOC and 245 patients treated by SOC plus FSG. There was no significant difference between two groups for time to healing (MD = 1.99, 95% CI: -3.70~7.67, p = 0.493). The complete healing rate was significantly higher in FSG group compared with SOC alone (OR = 3.44, 95% CI: 2.03~5.82, p < 0.001***). Mean percentage area reduction (PAR) was reported in six studies, with a range of 71.6~97.3%. However, many of these studies did not report the value of standard deviation (SD), so we could not pool the data. No significantly different ulcer recurrence rate (RR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.07~5.27, p = 0.645) and severe adverse events (SAEs) risk (RR = 1.67, 95% CI: 0.42~6.61, p = 0.467) were found between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The application of FSG treatment for patients with chronic ulcers that do not respond well to SOC management could significantly increase the complete healing rate compared with SOC alone, without increased recurrence rate and SAEs risk.

[Metabolomic changes of neonatal sepsis: an exploratory clinical study]. / æ–°ç”Ÿå„¿è´¥è¡€ç—‡çš„ä»£è°¢ç»„å­¦æ”¹å˜ï¼šä¸€é¡¹æŽ¢ç´¢æ€§ä¸´åºŠç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To study the metabolic mechanism of neonatal sepsis at different stages by analyzing the metabolic pathways involving the serum metabolites with significant differences in neonates with sepsis at different time points after admission. METHODS: A total of 20 neonates with sepsis who were hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, from January 1, 2019 to January 1, 2020 were enrolled as the sepsis group. Venous blood samples were collected on days 1, 4, and 7 after admission. Ten healthy neonates who underwent physical examination during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used for the metabonomic analysis of serum samples to investigate the change in metabolomics in neonates with sepsis at different time points. RESULTS: On day 1 after admission, the differentially expressed serum metabolites between the sepsis and control groups were mainly involved in the biosynthesis of terpenoid skeleton. For the sepsis group, the differentially expressed serum metabolites between days 1 and 4 after admission were mainly involved in pyruvate metabolism, and those between days 4 and 7 after admission were mainly involved in the metabolism of cysteine and methionine. The differentially expressed serum metabolites between days 1 and 7 after admission were mainly involved in ascorbic acid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: The metabolic mechanism of serum metabolites varies at different stages in neonates with sepsis and is mainly associated with terpenoid skeleton biosynthesis, pyruvate metabolism, cysteine/methionine metabolism, and ascorbic acid metabolism.

[Application of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging in bilirubin-induced neurological dysfunction in neonates].

OBJECTIVE: To study the value of fractional anisotropy (FA) of regions of interest (ROI) on magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in bilirubin-induced neurological dysfunction in neonates. METHODS: A total of 91 neonates with hyperbilirubinemia who were hospitalized from January 2017 to January 2018 were enrolled. According to the peak level of total serum bilirubin, they were divided into three groups: mild/moderate increase (n=45), severe increase (n=35), and extremely severe increase (n=11). According to the presence or absence of abnormal neurological manifestations, they were divided into two groups: neurological dysfunction (n=20) and non-neurological dysfunction (n=71). Ten healthy full-term infants were enrolled as the control group. Head DTI was performed for all neonates to measure the FA values of the bilateral globus pallidus, the anterior limb of the internal capsule, the posterior limb of the internal capsule, and the cerebellar dentate nucleus. RESULTS: The extremely severe increase group had significantly lower FA values of the globus pallidus than the control, mild/moderate increase, and severe increase groups (P<0.05). The severe increase group had significantly lower FA values of the globus pallidus than the control group (P<0.05). The extremely severe increase group had significantly lower FA values of the posterior limb of the internal capsule than the control, mild/moderate increase, and severe increase groups (P<0.05). The neurological dysfunction group had significantly lower FA values of the globus pallidus and the posterior limb of the internal capsule than the non-neurological dysfunction group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum bilirubin level combined with the changes in the DTI FA values of the globus pallidus and the posterior limb of the internal capsule can be used to predict the injury of cerebral nuclei and white matter fibers.

[Dyspnea and ventilator dependence after birth in a full-term female infant].

A female infant, aged 43 days, had shortness of breath, cyanosis, groan, and dyspnea since birth. Physical examination showed cyanosis of lips and three-concave sign, and multiple lung imaging examinations showed diffuse ground-glass opacities in both lungs. The girl was given anti-infective therapy and continuous mechanical ventilation but there were no significant improvements in symptoms. Gene testing confirmed a compound heterozygous mutation, c.1890C>A(p.Tyr630Ter)+c.3208G>A(p.Ala1070Thr), in the ABCA3 gene, with the former from her father and the latter from her mother. Pathological examination of the lungs indicated pulmonary interstitial disease. The girl was diagnosed with infantile diffuse pulmonary interstitial disease caused by mutations in the ABCA3 gene. When full-term neonates experience shortness of breath and dyspnea after birth, pulmonary imaging suggests diffuse ground-glass changes, and conventional treatment is not effective (ventilator-dependent), congenital pulmonary surfactant metabolism defects needs to be considered. Gene testing, which can provide a basis for early intervention, prognostic evaluation, and genetic counseling, should be performed as early as possible.

[Twin girls infected with SARS-CoV-2].

This article reports the diagnosis and treatment of twin girls who were diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Hunan Province, China. The twin girls, aged 1 year and 2 months, were admitted on January 29, 2020 due to fever for one day and cough and sneezing for two days respectively. Both recovered after symptomatic treatment. The two girls had mild symptoms and rapid recovery, suggesting that children with SARS-CoV-2 infection may be mild and have a good prognosis. There were differences in the clinical symptoms and imaging findings between the twin girls, suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 infection has diverse clinical features in children.

[A multicenter survey of antibiotic use in very and extremely low birth weight infants in Hunan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of antibiotic use for very and extremely low birth weight (VLBW/ELBW) infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) of Hunan Province. METHODS: The use of antibiotics was investigated in multiple level 3 NICUs of Hunan Province for VLBW and ELBW infants born between January, 2017 and December, 2017. RESULTS: The clinical data of 1 442 VLBW/ELBW infants were collected from 24 NICUs in 2017. The median antibiotic use duration was 17 days (range: 0-86 days), accounting for 53.0% of the total length of hospital stay. The highest duration of antibiotic use was up to 91.4% of the total length of hospital stay, with the lowest at 14.6%. In 16 out of 24 NICUs, the antibiotic use duration was accounted for more than 50.0% of the hospitalization days. There were 113 cases with positive bacterial culture grown in blood or cerebrospinal fluid, making the positive rate of overall bacterial culture as 7.84%. The positive rate of bacterial culture in different NICUs was significantly different from 0% to 14.9%. The common isolated bacterial pathogens Klebsiella pneumoniae was 29 cases (25.7%); Escherichia coli 12 cases (10.6%); Staphylococcus aureus 3 cases (2.7%). The most commonly used antibiotics were third-generation of cephalosporins, accounting for 41.00% of the total antibiotics, followed by penicillins, accounting for 32.10%, and followed by carbapenems, accounting for 13.15%. The proportion of antibiotic use time was negatively correlated with birth weight Z-score and the change in weight Z-score between birth and hospital discharge (rs=-0.095, -0.151 respectively, P<0.01), positively correlated with death/withdrawal of care (rs=0.196, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotics used for VLBW/ELBW infants in NICUs of Hunan Province are obviously prolonged in many NICUs. The proportion of routine use of third-generation of cephalosporins and carbapenems antibiotics is high among the NICUs.

[Current status and perspective on research against Fusarium head blight in wheat].

Wheat is one of the most important food crops in China and worldwide. Wheat production is facing the stresses of different diseases including Fusarium head blight (FHB) which is more and more serious recently and leading to highly concerns. Unremitting efforts have been made on Fusarium head blight resistance breeding and comprehensive control technology development. Rapid progress has been achieved on discovering of resistant genetic resources, mapping of resistant QTL/genes, resistant QTL/genes cloning, gene functional research and molecular breeding. In this review, we summarize the current status of the research against FHB in wheat and discuss the issues of FHB resistance investigation to date. We also suggest emphasizing on gene cloning, developing more powerful functional markers, using haplotype-assisted selection (HAS) and marker-set-assisted selection (MSAS) for further deep FHB resistance study and breeding.

Efficacy of combined orthodontic-periodontic treatment for patients with periodontitis and its effect on inflammatory cytokines: A comparative study.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficacy of combined orthodontic-periodontic treatment in the treatment of patients with periodontitis and its effects on the levels of inflammatory cytokines. METHODS: A total of 117 patients with periodontitis were randomly assigned to the basic group (receiving basic periodontic treatment, n = 58) and the combined group (receiving combined orthodontic-periodontic treatment, n = 59). In addition, 52 healthy people without periodontal disease were selected as the normal group. Probing depth, tooth mobility, plaque index, clinical attachment level, and sulcus bleeding index were recorded. ELISA was applied to detect gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines. A 2-year clinical follow-up was conducted. RESULTS: Before treatment, the periodontal parameters (probing depth, tooth mobility, plaque index, clinical attachement level, and sulcus bleeding index) and GCF and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-1ß, interleukin-5, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, and prostaglandin E2) in the combined and basic groups were higher than those in the normal group. After 6 and 18 months of treatment, the periodontal parameters and GCF and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines decreased in the combined and basic groups. The periodontal parameters and the GCF and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines in the combined group were significantly lower than those in the basic group after 18 months of treatment. The combined group had a lower recurrence rate compared with the basic group. CONCLUSIONS: Combined orthodontic-periodontic treatment had good clinical efficacy in the treatment of periodontitis and could effectively decrease the levels of inflammatory cytokines.

Facilitating terminal discharge: fulfilling the hospitalised patient's wish for home death in the final hours.

BACKGROUND: Terminal discharge (TD) is the rapid discharge of a hospitalised patient when death is imminent. Its time-limited nature makes it challenging, particularly for ward nurses. AIM: To report the development of a structured TD framework, and determine if the framework can expedite TD processes and improve nurses' experience in conducting TDs. METHODS: A 3-phase audit was carried out in a Singapore hospital. The baseline and post intervention audits evaluated the time taken for TD, incidence of prescription errors, continuity of care, and timeliness of equipment arrangement. Nurse satisfaction was assessed through a written survey. Interventions encompassed the implementation of workflow changes and a TD guide. RESULTS: The mean time taken to complete TDs was shorter in the post-compared to pre-intervention phase (2.9±1.4 vs. 4.6±2.3 hours respectively, p<0.01). Approximately 89% of nurses who used the TD guide were satisfied that it made TDs easier. CONCLUSION: A structured TD framework is effective in expediting TDs and improving nurse satisfaction.

[Risk factors for congenital anal atresia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for the development of congenital anal atresia in neonates. METHODS: A total of 70 neonates who were admitted to 17 hospitals in Foshan, China from January 2011 to December 2014 were enrolled as case group, and another 70 neonates who were hospitalized during the same period and had no anal atresia or other severe deformities were enrolled as control group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the risk factors for the development of congenital anal atresia. RESULTS: The univariate analysis revealed that the age of mothers, presence of oral administration of folic acid, infection during early pregnancy, and polyhydramnios, and sex of neonates showed significant differences between the case and control groups (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that infection during early pregnancy (OR=18.776) and male neonates (OR=9.304) were risk factors for congenital anal atresia, and oral administration of folic acid during early pregnancy was the protective factor (OR=0.086). CONCLUSIONS: Infection during early pregnancy is the risk factor for congenital anal atresia, and male neonates are more likely to develop congenital anal atresia than female neonates. Supplementation of folic acid during early pregnancy can reduce the risk of congenital anal atresia.

The CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphism and risk of urinary system cancers.

The cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) gene plays a key role in the metabolism of various carcinogens. The CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphism leads to leucine to valine substitution at codon 432. A lot of studies have shown that the CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphism was associated with urinary system cancers, especially prostate cancer. However, the results were still inconclusive. In this meta-analysis, by searching online databases and references of related reviews, we identified 17 eligible studies to assess the relationship between CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphism and urinary system cancers, including 7,783 cancer cases and 7,238 controls. By pooling all eligible studies, we found that the CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphism was not associated with overall urinary system cancers. However, in subgroup analyses, we found that the variant 432Val allele significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer (Val vs. Leu, odds ratio (OR) = 1.064, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.981-1.154; Pheterogeneity = 0.002), while no association was found for bladder cancer (Val vs. Leu, OR = 0.942, 95% CI 0.853-1.041; Pheterogeneity = 0.504). No evidence of publication bias was found (Begg's test, P = 0.053; Egger's test, P = 0.073). In conclusion, based on 17 eligible studies, we found that the CYP1B1 Leu432Val polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer, while no association of bladder cancer was observed.

A novel prescribed performance controller for strict-feedback nonlinear systems with input constraints.

This paper is devoted to the prescribed performance control (PPC) for a class of strict-feedback nonlinear systems with input saturation constraints. With the help of an improved tuning function, the system can achieve the desired steady-state and transient performance in the pre-designed time. A new error transformation function is introduced, which has inherent robustness, so it does not need to use any approximation technique or calculate the analytical derivative. Compared with the relevant results, the proposed scheme has the same lower complexity, but better transient and steady-state performance, although there exists uncertain nonlinearity and uncertain disturbances in the system. Finally, the correctness of the above algorithm is verified by simulation experiments.

Association between serum PCSK9 and coronary heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is considered a new biomarker for atherosclerosis, but its ability to predict cardiovascular outcomes has been controversial. This study aimed to address the lack of data on PCSK9, coronary heart disease (CHD) severity, and major cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: A total of 2984 T2DM patients underwent selective coronary angiography, and their serum PCSK9 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlation and logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between PCSK9 expression and CHD severity. This study used Cox regression analysis to assess the association between circulating PCSK9 levels and the risk of MACEs. RESULTS: Circulating PCSK9 levels were significantly higher in the CHD group than in the non-CHD group [554.62 (265.11) ng/mL vs. 496.86 (129.05) ng/mL, p < 0.001]. Circulating PCSK9 levels positively correlated with CHD severity (diseased vessels: r = 0.35, p < 0.001; Gensini score: r = 0.46, p < 0.001). Elevated PCSK9 levels are an independent risk factor for CHD risk and severity (CHD group vs. non-CHD group: OR = 2.829, 95% CI: 1.771-4.520, p < 0.001; three vessel disease group vs. one vessel disease group: OR = 4.800, 95% CI: 2.387-9.652, p < 0.001; high GS group vs. low GS group: OR = 5.534, 95% CI: 2.733-11.208, p < 0.001). Through a six-year follow-up and multivariate Cox regression analysis, elevated circulating PCSK9 levels were found to be independently associated with MACEs in all participants (HR: 3.416, 5% CI: 2.485-4.697, p < 0.001; adjusted HR: 2.780, 95% CI: 1.930-4.004, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Serum PCSK9 levels were positively correlated with multi-vessel CHD and Gensini score. Elevated circulating PCSK9 levels are an independent risk factor for CHD and increased incidence of MACEs in T2DM.

Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of prophylactic antibiotics in the prevention of postoperative complications after tension-free hernioplasty.

BACKGROUND: Previous reviews of the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxis for elective inguinal hernia repair were not conclusive owing to the limited number of patients enrolled in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, since new RCTs involving patients undergoing tention-free hernioplasty have been published in recent years, we performed a new meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of antibiotic prophylaxisin the prevention of postoperative complications after this procedure. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of RCTs studying the use of antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent postoperative complications in patients undergoing tension-free hernioplasty. RESULTS: We included 6 RCTs conducted around the world in our analysis. Compared with the control condition, antibiotic prophylaxis was associated with a lower incidence of incision infection (odds ratio [OR] 0.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.77, p = 0.004). There were no significant differences in risk for incision hematoma (OR 1.57, 95% CI 0.60-4.10, p = 0.35), respiratory infection (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.17-5.79, p > 0.99) or urinary tract infection (OR 1.81, 95% CI 0.38-8.52, p = 0.45) between the 2 conditions. CONCLUSION: Antibiotic prophylaxis use in patients undergoing tension-free hernioplasty decreases the rate of incision infection by 55%.

[Clinical value of combined detection of serum human epididymal secretory protein E4 and CA(125) in the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical value of combined detection of serum human epididymal secretory protein E4 (HE4) and CA(125) in the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: From Jan 2010 to Apr 2011, the serum specimens were collected from 124 cases of endometrial carcinoma, 97 cases of benign disease of uterus and 109 cases of healthy women. HE4 levels in the serum were detected by ELISA, and CA(125) levels in the serum were detected by the electro-chemiluminescent immunoassay. Those results were shown with median level. Accuracy of the diagnosis was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC). RESULTS: The median levels of HE4 and CA(125) were 78.09 pmol/L and 33.43 kU/L in serum of endometrial carcinoma group. The median levels of HE4 and CA(125) were 46.37 pmol/L and 18.26 kU/L in serum of benign disease of uterus group. The median levels of HE4 and CA(125) were 31.75 pmol/L and 12.64 kU/L in serum of healthy women group. The HE4 and CA(125) levels in serum of endometrial carcinoma group were significantly higher than those of benign disease of uterus group or healthy women group (all P < 0.05). Compared with that benign disease of uterus group, the ROC-AUC of HE4 and CA(125) in endometrial carcinoma group were 0.913 and 0.801, respectively. When the specificity was 95.0%, the sensitivities of HE4, CA(125), and combined detection of HE4 and CA(125) in endometrial carcinoma group were 41.1%, 22.6% and 46.0%, respectively. The positive rates of HE4 and CA(125) were 31% (27/86) and 12% (10/86) in stage I-II of endometrial carcinoma, while the positive rates were 63% (24/38) and 47% (18/38) in stage III-IV of endometrial carcinoma, in which there were significant difference between patients in stage III-IV and stage I-II (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The combined detection of serum HE4 and CA(125) is helpful to the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma. The sensitivity, specificity and early diagnosis of HE4 are better than that of CA(125). The positive rates of HE4 and CA(125) in endometrial carcinoma are related to the clinical staging.

[Genetic transformation of Pinellia ternata with Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated sHSP genes].

OBJECTIVE: To establish an efficient genetic transformation system of Pinellia ternata. METHOD: With petioles from test-tube seedlings of P. ternata as explants, Agrobacterium tumefaciens mediation method was adopted to explore the effect of phenolic substances, A. tumefaciens's concentration, infection time, pre-incubation time and co-cultivation time on genetic transformation efficiency of P. ternata. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: The genetic transformation efficiency could be effectively enhanced by infecting in A. tumefaciens culture containing AS 40 mg x L(-1) for 15 min for three days. The petioles were put into the differentiation medium containing 150 mg x L(-1) Kan and 350 mg x L(-1) Carb to screening and cultivation. After around 30 days, microtubers could be observed at both sides of the petioles. Gus staining and PCR verification on the regenerated plants showed that the exogenous gene sHSP had been integrated into genome of P. ternata.

[Study on optimization of induction system of test-tube tuberous roots from leaves of Rehmannia glutinosa].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of sucrose and plant growth substances of different concentrations on the induction of test-tube tuberous roots of Rehmannia glutinosa, in order to establish an efficient system for the induction of test-tube tuberous roots from leaves of R. glutinosa. METHOD: Leaves from test-tube seedlings of 85-5 R. glutinosa were used as explants. After rooting induction, they were transferred to medium with orthogonal design for inducing test-tube tuberous roots of R. glutinosa. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: NAA played a significant role in induction of test-tube tuberous roots of R. glutinosa, followed by sucrose and 6-BA. With leaves from test-tube seedlings as the explants, the optimal medium for inducing test-tube tuberous roots of R. glutinosa was MS + BA 3.0 mg x L(-1) + NAA 0.1 mg x L(-1) + sucrose 7%. The study provides an efficient induction system for studies on artificial seeds and secondary metabolism with test-tube tuberous roots of R. glutinosa.

[Study on optimization of SRAP-PCR reaction system for Pinellia ternata in Suzhou].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the optimization system of SRAP-PCR molecular marker technology in the analysis on Pinellia ternata. METHOD: SRAP-PCR reaction system for P. ternata was optimized by L16 (5(4)) orthogonal design with five elements (dNTPs, Mg2+, the template DNA, primers, Taq enzyme) and four standards. RESULT: The most suitable forward primer for SRAP for Pinellia ternata was 5'-TGAGTCCAAACCGGAAG-3', while the reverse primer was 5'-GACTGCGTACGAATTACG-3'. The optimized reaction system contained 70 ng DNA template, 0.9 micromol x L(-1) primer, 0.20 mmol x L(-1) dNTP s, 1.5 - 2.0 mmol x L(-1) Mg2+, and 2 U Taq enzyme. CONCLUSION: SRAP-PCR system for P. ternata is established to lay a foundation for future construction of SRAP genetic map of P. ternata.

Meta-Analysis of Preventive and Therapeutic Effects of Ligustrazine on Airway Remodeling in Asthmatic Rats.

Objective: To assess the effect of ligustrazine on airway remodeling in asthmatic rats. Methods: To collect studies on the effects of ligustrazine on airway remodeling in asthmatic rat models, PubMed, Embase, CBM, Cochrane, Chinese Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, and Wanfang data (WANFANG) were searched using a computer. Two investigators independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and assessed the methodological quality by complying with the inclusion criteria. Moreover, a meta-analysis was conducted by adopting Stata 11.0. Results: On the whole, 10 articles were included. As indicated from the meta-analysis, we have the following: ① ligustrazine was capable of reducing the thickness of the airway smooth muscle and inhibiting the proliferation of smooth muscle (WMD = -5.98, 95% CI (-7.75, -4.42), P ≤ 0.001); ② ligustrazine could reduce the thickness of the airway wall and mitigate tracheal stenosis (WMD = 0.12, 95% CI (0.05, 0.20), P ≤ 0.001); ③ ligustrazine could decrease the number of eosinophils in the lung tissue and reduce airway inflammation (WMD = -14.47, 95% CI (-18.09, -10.86), P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: Ligustrazine was demonstrated to be an effective therapeutic drug in asthmatic rats by preventing and treating airway remodeling. Further high-quality experimental studies should be conducted to investigate the mechanism of ligustrazine action in depth.

Elevated lipoprotein(a) and genetic polymorphisms in the LPA gene may predict cardiovascular events.

Elevated lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), but there are few studies on the prediction of future cardiovascular events by Lp(a) and its LPA single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The aim of this study was to investigate whether elevated Lp(a) and its SNPs can predict cardiovascular events. We evaluated whether Lp(a) and LPA SNPs rs6415084 and rs12194138 were associated with the incidence rate and severity of CHD. All participants were followed up for 5 years. Elevated Lp(a) is an independent risk factor for the risk and severity of CHD (CHD group vs. control group: OR = 1.793, 95% CI: 1.053-2.882, p = 0.043; multiple-vessel disease group vs. single-vessel disease group: OR = 1.941, 95% CI: 1.113-3.242, p = 0.027; high GS group vs. low GS group: OR = 2.641, 95% CI: 1.102-7.436, p = 0.040). Both LPA SNPs were risk factors for CHD, and were positively associated with the severity of CHD (LPA SNPs rs6415084: CHD group vs. control group: OR = 1.577, 95% CI: 1.105-1.989, p = 0.004; multiple-vessel disease group vs. single-vessel disease group: OR = 1.613, 95% CI: 1.076-2.641, p = 0.030; high GS group vs. low GS group: OR = 1.580, 95% CI: 1.088-2.429, p = 0.024; LPA SNPs rs12194138: CHD group vs. control group: OR = 1.475, 95% CI: 1.040-3.002, p = 0.035; multiple-vessel disease group vs. single-vessel disease group: OR = 2.274, 95% CI: 1.060-5.148, p = 0.038; high GS group vs. low GS group: OR = 2.067, 95% CI: 1.101-4.647, p = 0.021). After 5 years of follow-up, elevated Lp(a) and LPA SNPs rs6415084 and rs12194138 can independently predict cardiovascular events. The increase of serum Lp(a) and LPA SNPs rs6415084 and rs12194138 are associated with increased prevalence and severity of CHD, and can independently predict cardiovascular events.