Serum anti-Mullerian hormone levels during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women with polycystic ovaries with and without hyperandrogenism

BACKGROUND: Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is expressed in pre- and small-antral follicles. High serum levels are found in women with polycystic ovaries (PCO), accordant with their increased content of small follicles. To evaluate the relationship between AMH, folliculogenesis and hyperandrogenism, we compared serum AMH levels between women with PCO with and without hyperandrogenism and normal controls during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). METHODS: Nineteen women with PCO and hyperandrogenism (group A), 10 women with PCO but no hyperandrogenism (group B) and 23 ovulatory women with normal ovarian morphology (group C, controls) underwent COH with the long protocol. Serum levels of AMH, estradiol, androstenedione and follicular tracking were determined before gonadotropins treatment (day 0) and every 2-4 days up to the day of HCG administration. RESULTS: AMH levels declined gradually throughout COH in the three groups, but remained higher in groups A and B compared with the controls. Significantly higher levels were found in group A compared with group B, despite comparable numbers of small follicles. Multiple regression analysis revealed that both the number of small follicles and serum androgens were correlated to AMH. CONCLUSIONS: Women with PCO have higher serum AMH levels during COH than controls. Hyperandrogenism is associated with an additional increase in AMH. It is conceivable that hyperandrogenism may reflect more severe disruption of folliculogenesis in women with PCO or may affect AMH secretion.     

Vasectomy techniques for male sterilization: systematic Cochrane review of randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials

BACKGROUND: The review aimed to compare the effectiveness, safety and acceptability of vasectomy techniques for male sterilization. METHODS: We searched five computerized databases and reference lists of relevant articles and book chapters for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) comparing vasectomy techniques. Two reviewers independently extracted data from eligible articles. RESULTS: Two poor-quality trials compared vas occlusion with clips versus a conventional technique, and four poor-quality trials examined vas irrigation with water versus no irrigation or irrigation with euflavine. No significant differences regarding the primary outcome of time to azoospermia were found. However, one trial reported fewer median number of ejaculations to azoospermia with euflavine rather than water irrigation. An interim report of a high-quality trial comparing vasectomy with and without fascial interposition found more azoospermia with fascial interposition but also more surgical difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: No conclusions can be reached regarding the effectiveness, safety and acceptability of vas occlusion techniques or vas irrigation since only low-quality, underpowered studies were available. Fascial interposition had improved vasectomy success but also increased surgical difficulty. High-quality, adequately reported RCTs are required. More work is also needed in the standardization of follow-up protocols, evaluation of vasectomy success and failure, recanalization and analytical methods.     

Electronic patient-provider communication: will it offset office visits and telephone consultations in primary care?

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Electronic patient-provider communication promises to improve efficiency and effectiveness of clinical care. This study aims to explore whether a secure web-based messaging system is an effective way of providing patient care in general practices. METHOD: We conducted a randomised controlled trail and recruited 200 patients from the waiting area in one primary clinic in Norway. Participants were randomised to either the intervention group, which received access to a secure messaging system, or the control group receiving standard care without such access. Primary outcome measures were number of online consultations, telephone consultations and office visits in the two groups. Data were derived from patient records and collected 1 year prior to (baseline), and 1 year after the intervention. RESULTS: Forty-six percent of the patients who were given access to the messaging system (n=99) used the online communication system on at least one occasion (ranging from 1 to 17 messages per patient per year). A total of 147 electronic messages were sent to six general practitioners during a 1-year trial period. Eleven percent of the messages were to schedule an appointment. In 10% of the messages, the GP was unable to respond adequately and recommended an office visit. The reduction in office visits over time was greater for the intervention group than for the control group (P=0.034). There was however no significant difference in the number of telephone consultations between the groups during the study (P=0.258). CONCLUSION: The use of a secure electronic messaging system reduced the number of office visits at the general practice, but not phone consultations.     

透皮给药研究的新进展

透皮给药安全可控，是无创给药的新途径，有着广阔的市场前景。现有的透皮药物限于小分子和低浓度，角质层屏障使大多数药物难以通过或难以达到有效浓度和有效速率。透皮给药的关键在于促进药物渗透，使药物透皮吸收进毛细血管。促渗手段有：使用化学促渗剂；对药物进行化学修饰制成前体药物；使用物理方法；将药物载入载体。这些方法的原理大致分为三种：改变角质层结构；外力驱动药物；将药物进行修饰或包裹。简要地介绍了增强药物透皮的物理方法和载体方法研究的新进展。     

基于扩展Infomax ICA的ERP少次提取方法研究

事件相关电位(event related potential,ERP)提取是脑电研究的重点之一,目前临床上主要通过相干平均的方法来获取.由于脑电的非平稳性,使其需要大量重复刺激才能获得,对于受试者极不方便,也不利于ERP的实时检测.本文以反映大脑稀少认知事件的相关电位P300为例,采用扩展Infomax(extended informationmaximization)独立分量分析(independent component analysis,ICA)算法,先滤除眼动、工频干扰,再重构脑电数据,最后经少次叠加即可得到与通常需多次相干平均结果相近的比较满意的P300波形.说明ICA算法在ERP的峰值和潜伏期模式识别上具有较为明显的效果,具有潜在的临床工程应用价值.     

睡眠信念与态度量表在失眠患者健康教育中的应用

目的: 采用睡眠个人信念与态度量表探索患者睡眠障碍与哪些歪曲的信念有关,针对歪曲的信念进行睡眠实践教育,达到促进睡眠的目的.方法: 连续收集62例以失眠为主诉的患者,随机分成试验组与对照组,各31例,两组均在药物治疗及心理治疗基础上进行睡眠健康教育.试验组针对患者自身存在的歪曲信念态度进行健康教育,而对照组只进行常规的健康宣教.入组前及入组后每周,应用睡眠个人信念与态度量表(Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep Scale,DBAS)、匹茨堡睡眠指数量表(Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index,PSQI)对两组进行测评,同时让患者评价睡眠时间、睡眠质量、睡眠效果和对健康教育接受程度.结果: 健康教育4周后试验组和对照组DBAS得分均高于人组时[(111.0±8.7)vs.(88.9±12.3)、(93.5±17.2)vs.(81.3±19.2),P:0.001、0.010],而PSQI得分均低于入组时[(5.5±2.1)vs.(10.9±4.4)、(9.0 ±2.1)vs.(11.5±3.6),均P=0.001];健康教育4周后对照组的DBAS得分低于实验组,而PSQI得分高于实验组.健康教育后试验组对睡眠时间、睡眠质量、睡眠效果满意的比例均明显提高,睡眠时间满意的比例由18/31到30/31,对睡眠质量满意比例由8/31变为23/31,对睡眠效果满意比例由8/31到21/31(均P＜0.05).试验组对睡眠时间满意的比例明显高于对照组(30/31 vs.14/31,P＜0.01),对健康教育的接受程度也明显高于对照组(18/31 vs.5/31,P＜0.05).结论: 试验组健康教育后患者的睡眠信念有了明显的改善,睡眠质量有了提高.     

拉米夫定联合胸腺五肽治疗慢性乙型肝炎疗效观察

目的：探索抗病毒药物联合免疫调节药物治疗慢性乙型肝炎的疗效。方法：采用拉米夫定联合胸腺五肽治疗慢性乙型肝炎，同期单用拉米夫定或胸腺五肽作对照，动态观察血清HBV复制指标及肝功能。结果：治疗结束时联合组血清HBeAg阴转及抗HBe阳转率明显优于拉米夫定组（P＜0．05），与胸腺五肽组比较差异无显著性（P＞0．05）；联合组的HBV DNA阴转率优于胸腺五肽组（P＜0．05），与拉米夫定组比较差异无显著性（P＞0．05）。治疗结束后6个月、12个月的病毒复制指标变化与治疗结束时无明显变化。联合组的显效率及总有效率均高于其他两组，且ALT复常率保持在85％以上。结论：拉米夫定联合胸腺五肽治疗慢性乙型肝炎，可达到有效而持续的抗病毒作用。亦有利于ALT持久复常。     

Direct infant UV light exposure is associated with eczema and immune development

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Intravenous and intracoronary fibrinolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction: Overview of results on mortality, reinfarction and side-effects from 33 randomized controlled trials

During the past 25 years, 24 randomized trials of intravenous(IV) fibrinolytic treatment have been reported, involving atotal of some 6000 patients in the acute phase of myocardialinfarction. Most tested IV streptokinase (SK), but a few testedIV urokinase (UK). In the past 2 or 3 years numerous small randomizedtrials of intracoronary (IC) SK have been started, 9 of which,involving a total of about 1000 such patients have been reported.Because all of these IV and IC trials were small (the largestincluding only 747 patients), their separate results appearcontradictory and unreliable. But, an overview of the data fromthese trials indicates that IV treatment produces a highly significant(22%±5%, (P<0.001) reduction in the odds of death,an even larger reduction in the odds of reinfarction, and anabsolute frequency of serious adverse effects to set againstthis that is much smaller than the absolute mortality reduction.The apparent size of the mortality reduction in the IV trialswas similar whether anticoagulants were compulsory or optional,whether treatment was in a coronary cure unit or an ordinaryward and, surprisingly, whether treatment began early ( <6h from onset of symptoms) or late (generally 12–24 h).In addition, there was no evidence that UK was more effectivethan the less expensive SK, or that, despite their technicalcomplexity, the new IC regimes were more effective than theold IV regimes. Even the IV schedules that have been studied in randomized trialswere, however, quite complex, and the IC schedules were farmore so. Perhaps partly because of this, none of them is widelyused. If so, then some much simpler, and hence more widely practicable,IV SK regimes should be developed and tested. For example, asimple one hour high-dose IV SK infusion, without anticoagulation,will successfully convert virtually all of the available plasminogeninto plasmin. But, it may be several years before the net effectson mortality of any more widely practicable IV SK regimes canbe agreed unless many of the hospitals that do not wish routinelyto use IC regimes or the complex previous IV regimes will collaboratein multicentre randomized trials that can, if necessary, continuerapid intake until some tens of thousands of patients have beenrandomized, and some thousands of deaths have been observedamong the control and treated patients. The same, of course,may be true for any other fibrinolytic regimes (e.g. infusionof tissue plasminogen activator) if their net effects on mortalityare comparable to those of IV SK.     

中药治疗糖尿病肾脏疾病随机对照试验结局指标的现状分析

目的 分析中药治疗糖尿病肾脏疾病（DKD）随机对照试验中结局指标的使用情况和其他试验设计要素,为中药治疗DKD临床试验的设计及核心指标集的构建提供依据。方法 计算机检索知网、万方、维普、中国生物医学等7个医学数据库及2个临床试验注册中心（clinicaltrials.gov、chinadrugtrials.org.cn）近5年收录的中药治疗DKD随机对照试验,运用Cochrance手册对纳入的文献进行偏倚风险评估,对结局指标及其他试验设计要素进行统计与分析。结果 共纳入97项随机对照试验（RCTs）,包含5项试验注册方案,研究发现,97项研究总体偏倚风险较高;DKD Ⅲ期（36项,41.38%）和气阴两虚兼血瘀证（16次,26.23%）为应用最多的DKD分期及中医证型;92项RCTs的疗程最多96周,最少2周,其中52项（56.52%）研究疗程为12周;92项RCTs及5项注册试验共采用152种结局指标,使用1 040次,共分为8大类,实验室检查（血液）、实验室检查（尿液）、临床疗效、中医证候积分、生活质量量表、生命体征、其他指标及其他事件,应用频率较高的依次是血肌酐（68次,70.10%）、临床有效率（55次,56.70%）、空腹血糖（51次,52.58%）、尿素氮（48次,49.48%）、总胆固醇（47次,48.45%）、24 h尿蛋白定量（43次,44.33%）等;56项RCTs及2项注册试验共采用安全性指标53种,频数227次,使用频率较高的依次是,不良反应（49次,84.48%）、肝功能（28次,48.28%）、血常规（24次,41.38%）、心电图（17次,29.31%）、尿常规（14次,24.14%）;10项RCTs及5项注册试验报告了主要结局指标;54项RCTs报告了临床有效率指标。结论 目前中药治疗DKD的RCTs结局指标设计尚不规范,未来应积极构建突显出中医药特色的核心结局指标集,提升临床研究的质量,提高试验结果的应用价值。