Alternative therapies in health and medicine最新文献

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors in patients with endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer.

Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 135 ovarian cancer patients admitted to our hospital from January 2016 to January 2018. Based on the presence of concomitant endometriosis (EMs), the patients were divided into two groups: the Endometriosis-Associated Ovarian Cancer (EAOC) group (n=64) and the non-EAOC (NEAOC) group (n=71). We compared the clinical characteristics of the two groups. Additionally, in the EAOC group, we followed up with patients for 5 years, categorized them into the survival group (n=40) and the deceased group (n=24) based on their prognosis, and conducted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify influencing factors.

Results: In comparison to the NEAOC group, patients in the EAOC group exhibited higher rates of menopause occurrence, pathological stages I-II, vaginal bleeding, and history of cesarean section, with statistical significance (P < .05). They also had a lower incidence of dysmenorrhea, lymph node metastasis, and abdominal distension, as well as an earlier age of onset, all of which were statistically significant (P < .05). There were no statistically significant differences (P > .05) between the two groups in terms of parity, gravidity, tumor diameter, abdominal pain incidence, and body mass index. Based on prognosis, the patients were categorized into a survival group (n=40) and a deceased group (n=24). Comparison between the two groups showed statistically significant differences (P < .05) in terms of postoperative residue, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and lymph node metastasis. In contrast, there were no statistically significant differences (P > .05) in terms of tumor laterality, histological type, tumor stage, differentiation degree, and vaginal bleeding. The variables with P < .05 were assigned as independent variables, with the prognosis of death as the dependent variable. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition and lymph node metastasis were independent risk factors for mortality in EAOC patients (P < .05).

Conclusion: Clinical characteristics of EAOC patients show significant differences, with epithelial-mesenchymal transition and lymph node metastasis being identified as independent adverse prognostic factors associated with poor outcomes in EAOC patients. However, this study has limitations such as a relatively small sample size, and further research is therefore necessary.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of cinobufacini capsules in patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC).

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted, and a total of 120 DTC patients were selected. The patients were divided into two groups: a control group receiving standard postoperative treatment (n = 60) and a cinobufacini group receiving cinobufacini capsules in addition to standard treatment (n = 60). Various assessments were conducted, including pain evaluation, lymphocyte subset measurement, as well as the quantification of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), free sulfhydryl (-SH) levels, and lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH) in serum.

Results: Both groups experienced reduced pain levels after one month of treatment, with the cinobufacini group demonstrating a more significant reduction. In comparison to the control group, one month of cinobufacini treatment resulted in substantial increases in NK cell activity, percentages of NK cells, activated NK cells, and CD8+ T-cells. It also led to the mitigation of oxidative stress and inflammation response.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that cinobufacini may serve as an adjunctive therapy for DTC patients, offering benefits in pain management, immune modulation, and reducing inflammation and oxidative stress after surgery.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of Illicium verum extract on the vascularization of osteoporotic fracture in rats, and to elucidate its potential mechanism.

Methods: The osteoporotic fracture model was established in ovariectomized rats. Rats were infused with 0.05 ml/kg extract in the stomach every morning. Eighteen rats are then divided into control group, model group, and Illicium verum extract group with 6 rats in each group. To observe the therapeutic effect of Illicium verum extract on osteoporotic rats. Femoral bone mineral density and elastic segment end-point load were evaluated by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and three-point bending test. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to measure the number and area of callus blood vessels. The serum levels of VEGF and NO were detected by ELISA. Moreover, the expressions of NOX2, NOX4, NRF2, p-PI3K, CyclinD1, VEGF, HIF1α, and eNOS in HUVEC were detected by Western blot. CCK8 and wound healing assay were used to detect the proliferation and migration of HUVEC. Then, the ability of HUVEC to form blood vessels was detected by tube formation assay.

Results: Firstly, control group showed the normal pathomorphology and density of femoral bone, and model group showed significantly decreased bone density and consistent with bone microstructure degeneration, destruction, thinning, and fracture of bone trabecular structure vs control group, and illicium verum extract significantly increased femoral density and maximum load, increased the number and area of callus blood vessels and increased VEGF and NO levels in serum vs model group. Then, Illicium verum extract promoted the expression of NRF2, p-PI3K, CyclinD1, VEGF, HIF1α, and eNOS protein in HUVEC, inhibited the expression of NOX2 and NOX4, and enhanced the cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. However, the effect was reversed by the overexpression of NRF2 and the treatment with LY294002.

Conclusion: Illicium verum extract protects the vascularization of the osteoporotic fracture model in rats.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of total hysterectomy in the surgical management of rare cervical giant tumors and improve patient outcomes. It summarizes the experience in diagnosing and treating clinical cervical giant tumors, focusing on improving the surgical techniques for these cases.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of seven patients who underwent total hysterectomy for rare cervical giant tumors between January 2020 and June 2022 at our hospital. Among these cases, four were diagnosed as super cervical giant tumors, while two were identified as cervical giant sarcomas. The clinical data of these patients were documented and analyzed. The study evaluated the efficacy and safety of total hysterectomy, focusing on minimizing damage to surrounding organs, reducing intraoperative bleeding, and preventing iatrogenic dissemination in patients with cervical giant sarcomas.

Results: Total abdominal hysterectomy was successfully performed in all seven cases. During the surgical procedures, we encountered one case of ureteral injury and two cases of significant bleeding, with a bleeding volume of 800ml. Fortunately, all patients recovered well after surgery.

Conclusions: This analysis highlights the challenges and successful outcomes of total hysterectomy in the treatment of rare cervical giant tumors. It underscores the importance of careful surgical techniques to minimize complications and promote patient recovery. While ureteral injuries and bleeding were encountered, our patients eventually had positive postoperative outcomes.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of low-dose radiotherapy in treating eosinophilic lymphoid granuloma.

Method: This study included a total of 20 patients diagnosed with eosinophilic lymphoid granuloma. All patients underwent low-dose three-dimensional conformal intensity-modulated radiotherapy for their lesions. We analyzed the control status of the lesions and any adverse reactions related to radiotherapy.

Results: The overall effectiveness of low-dose radiotherapy in treating eosinophilic lymphoid granuloma was 90%. The incidence of grade I and grade II adverse reactions induced by radiotherapy was 70% and 30%, respectively. Over a median follow-up period of 23.6 months, all patients showed controlled lesions within the target delineation of radiotherapy. After radiotherapy, four patients experienced occasional pruritus, and one patient had a recurrence outside the target area three years later. No long-term severe adverse reactions related to radiotherapy were observed during the follow-up period.

Conclusions: Low-dose radiotherapy demonstrates an apparent therapeutic effect on eosinophilic lymphoid granuloma with acceptable adverse reactions.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of traditional Chinese medicine analgesic-assisted delivery patches on doula-assisted childbirth.

Methods: We conducted a comparative analysis of two groups of puerperae. The control group consisted of 120 individuals who underwent routine delivery at Haian Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between May 2019 and May 2020. The observation group included 120 puerperae who gave birth between June 2020 and June 2021, and they utilized Chinese medicine analgesic and childbirth-assisting patches in combination with doula-assisted childbirth. We compared both groups concerning childbirth outcomes, duration of labor, pain intensity, and postpartum hemorrhage.

Results: In the observation group, the cesarean section rate was 12.50%, significantly lower than the 25.83% rate in the control group (P < .05). Additionally, the observation group exhibited shorter first and second labor times and total labor time compared to the control group (P < .05). Moreover, the NRS scores in the observation group were lower during both the latent and active phases of labor (P < .05). Furthermore, the observation group experienced reduced postpartum bleeding at 2 hours and 24 hours after delivery compared to the control group (P < .05).

Conclusions: The application of traditional Chinese medicine analgesics and delivery-aiding patches in doula-assisted childbirth significantly reduces the cesarean section rate. It contributes to improved childbirth outcomes, shortened labor durations, alleviation of labor pain, and reduced postpartum hemorrhage.

Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the clinical efficacy of proprotein convertase chymotrypsin 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors in multi-branch lesions in coronary artery disease with substandard lipid-lowering effects.

Methods: This retrospective study collected the clinical data of 100 patients with multiple coronary artery diseases admitted to our hospital between May 2020 and August 2022 for analysis. The eligible patients were assigned to either a PCSK9 inhibitor group or a control group at a ratio of 1:1 by their dosing regimens, with 50 cases in each group. Outcome measures for the clinical efficacy of PCSK9 inhibitors included lipid levels, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) changes, serum concentrations of coronary artery disease-related inflammatory factors, improvement of angina questionnaire scores, adverse reactions, and major cardiovascular adverse events.

Results: PCSK9 inhibitors resulted in significantly lower serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, and ApoB and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels versus conventional lipid-lowering medication (P < .05). The two arms exhibited similar serum concentrations of triglyceride (TG) and ApoA1 after treatment (P > .05). With LDL-C<1.4 mmol/L as the cut-off for desirable blood lipid levels, 47 (94%) patients reached the standard after in the PCSK9 inhibitors group, while no eligible cases were reported in the control group (P < .05). PCSK9 inhibitors provided a marked reduction in the serum concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in the patients. Patients had higher angina stability (AS), angina flare (AF), physical limitation (PL), and treatment satisfaction (TS) scores after PCSK9 inhibitor administration versus after conventional medication (P < .05). PCSK9 inhibitors were associated with a significantly lower incidence of adverse cardiovascular events (10%) versus conventional medication (42%) (P < .05).

Conclusion: PCSK9 inhibitors significantly improve the LDL-C concentrations of patients with multiple lesions of coronary artery disease who have failed to meet lipid-lowering targets, this enables physicians to more effectively manage patients' cholesterol levels, consequently reducing their cardiovascular risk. Moreover, these inhibitors have the potential to enhance patients' quality of life by alleviating relieve angina symptoms. These findings offer valuable insights into managing multi-branch coronary artery disease.

Purpose: To investigate the therapy effect of minimally invasive fourth-ventricle hematoma removal (MIFHR) for patients with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) casting and the influence of feedback early rehabilitation on post-operative neurological function.

Methods: Eighty patients with IVH casting were enrolled from January 2019 to December 2020 in this retrospective study. Forty patients receiving MIFHR with feedback early rehabilitation were divided into the observational group, while the others receiving bilateral external ventricular drainage with traditional rehabilitation were divided into the control group. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and neurological function before and after operation were compared between the two groups. In addition, hematoma clearance rate three days after surgery, drainage duration, hospitalization time, motor function and activity daily living (ADL) six months after surgery, and incidence of complications were also compared.

Results: No significant differences were observed in GCS score and neurological function before surgery between the two groups (both P > .05). At the same time, there were significant differences GCS score and neurological function after surgery (both P < .05). Hematoma clearance rate three days after surgery, drainage duration, hospitalization time, and incidence of complications in the observational group were lower than those in the control group (all P < .05). In contrast, motor function and ADL six months after surgery were better in the observational group (both P < .05).

Conclusion: MIFHR combined with feedback early rehabilitation is conducive to the recovery of neurological function, motor function, and ADL without increasing the incidence of complications.

Background: Viral diseases are a worldwide concern as some of them are associated with unexpectedly high mortality rates. Common viruses include e.g., Influenza virus, HIV, hepatitis viruses, and recently COVID-19. Many viral diseases are still incurable by conventional antiviral drugs. Moreover, the emergence of resistant viral strains has reinforced the search for other alternatives. In ancient times, herbal therapy was commonly used where medicinal formulations were created from various plants. In recent times, in vitro, in vivo, animal studies, and clinical trials have revealed the antiviral properties of these plants, sparking hope for the treatment of serious viral diseases. The present review aims to summarize studies that focus on medicinal plants available in Egypt with antiviral properties.

Methods: The articles published in English between 1988 and 2022 and available in PubMed and Scopus databases with the relevant keywords were included.

Results: Thirty-two plants in Egypt have met the criteria and possess in vitro or in vivo antiviral activity via different mechanisms. Only five of them; Camellia sinensis, Marine algae, Zizyphus spina-christi L., Trachyspermum Ammi, and Aloe Vera have been proven to be effective in vivo. For COVID-19, thirteen plants have shown efficacy against SARS-Cov-2 via different mechanisms including Camellia sinensis, Cinnamomum Verum, Punica granatum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Zingiber officinale, Curcuma longa, Marine algae, Phlomis aurea oil, Solanum nigrum, Trachyspermum Ammi, Arum palaestinum, Aloe Vera, and Cyperus rotundus.

Conclusion: This review summarizes the current scientific evidence on 32 medicinal plant species cultivated in Egypt that have demonstrated antiviral properties against various DNA and RNA viruses through in vitro and in vivo studies, highlighting their potential as prospective sources for the development of novel antiviral therapies. Further clinical research is still warranted to validate the effectiveness and safety of these plants as complementary treatment options for viral infections.

Background: The use of plant medications in Unani medicine has been suggested to alleviate pain and related symptoms associated with primary dysmenorrhea, thus enhancing the overall quality of life. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of Zarawand Mudaharaj (Aristolochia rotunda L.) and Qust (Saussurea lappa C.B. Clarke) in treating primary dysmenorrhea.

Methods: This single-blind, randomized comparative study was conducted on patients with primary dysmenorrhea aged 18-35 years. The study participants were randomly allocated into Group A and Group B. Group A received Zarawand Mudaharaj 2 g twice daily with 5 mL honey while Group B received Qust 1.5 g twice daily with 5 mL honey from the 1st to the 5th day of their menstrual cycles for three consecutive cycles. The primary outcome measures were changes in pain severity measured on a 10 cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and changes in Verbal Multidimensional Scoring System (VMSS) grades. The secondary outcome measures included changes in Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) measured on short form health survey-12 (SF-12) and changes in the symptoms such as pain during menstruation, low-backache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, giddiness, and headache.

Results: Both groups showed a significant improvement in VMSS grade at all follow-ups compared to baseline (P < .0001). Group B showed better performance than Group A in changing the VMSS grade at the third cycle (P = .02) and the final follow-up (P = .002). Group B also had a more significant reduction in mean ± SD VAS score from baseline (6.43 ± 1.57) to the final follow-up (2.67 ± 1.69) (P < .0001) compared to Group A.

Conclusion: The preliminary findings of the study support the use of Zarawand Mudaharaj and Qust in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea, which is consistent with the traditional knowledge of Unani scholars.