Chalcone hybrids and their antimalarial activity

Malaria, one of the most striking, re-emerging infectious diseases caused by the genus Plasmodium, places a huge burden on global healthcare systems. A major challenge in the control and eradication of malaria is the continuous emergence of increasingly widespread drug-resistant malaria, creating an urgent need to develop novel antimalarial agents. Chalcone derivatives are ubiquitous in nature and have become indispensable units in medicinal chemistry applications due to their diverse biological profiles. Many chalcone derivatives demonstrate potential in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity, so chalcone could be a useful template for the development of novel antimalarial agents. This review covers the recent development of chalcone hybrids as antimalarial agents. The critical aspects of the design and structure–activity relationship of these compounds are also discussed.     

浅谈新型冠状病毒肺炎合并基础病的中医药防治策略＊

2019年12月始，新型冠状病毒肺炎（Corona Virus Disease 2019，COVID-19）以湖北武汉为中心向全国各地蔓延。目前数据显示，COVID-19合并糖尿病、高血压、肿瘤等基础病的患者病情较为严峻，病死率相对较高。该类患者的临床治疗策略有待进一步深入研究。在此次疫情防治过程中，中西医结合治疗手段于COVID-19的防治及患者基础疾病的兼顾治疗方面展现出了一定的特色及优势。本文结合中医“未病先防，既病防变，瘥后防复”思想，拟从COVID-19合并糖尿病、高血压、肿瘤三个方面，探讨COVID-19爆发形势下合并基础病患者的中医药防治策略。     

乳腺弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤临床特点及预后分析

目的:探讨乳腺弥漫大B细胞淋巴瘤（DLBCL）患者的临床特征及预后。方法:回顾性分析2014年5月起至2018年12月我院收治的18例乳腺DLBCL患者的临床特点及预后。结果:在18例患者中，17例为女性，中位年龄为57岁，病变主要累及右侧乳腺（11/18，61.1%）。将其分为原发性乳腺DLBCL（PB-DLBCL）和继发性乳腺DLBCL（SB-DLBCL）两大类。11例（57.6%）PB-DLBCL与7例（42.4%）SB-DLBCL相比，其具有Ann Arbor分期多为Ⅰ-Ⅱ期（P＜0.01）、B症状少（P=0.013）、相对更高的白细胞计数（P=0.041）、骨髓未累及（P=0.043）、完全缓解（CR）率高（P=0.049）等特点。生存分析发现PB-DLBCL患者5年总生存期（OS）显著长于SB-DLBCL患者（P=0.013）。本研究以非生发中心B细胞型（non-GCB）居多，生发中心型（GCB）与non-GCB型之间OS无显著差异（P=0.885）。所有获得CR患者的生存期均显著延长（P=0.008）。结论:乳腺DLBCL多见于中年女性，以右侧乳腺肿块为主要临床表现，分子分型多为non-GCB型。与SB-DLBCL患者相比，PB-DLBCL患者具有Ann Arbor分期早、B症状少、相对更高的白细胞计数、骨髓未累及、CR率高等特点，并且生存期显著延长。无论是PB-DLBCL和SB-DLBCL，还是GCB型和non-GCB型，获得CR提示预后良好。     

常见植物药对结肠癌的防治作用及其作用机制

植物药对结肠癌具有良好的防治作用。姜黄素、多糖(苹果多糖、香菇多糖)、皂苷(重楼皂苷、人参皂苷)、白藜芦醇、槲皮素等植物药可通过不同信号通路抑制结肠癌细胞的增殖,促进细胞凋亡。此外,植物药还具有抗炎、抗氧化、抗血管生成、减轻化疗药物不良反应、逆转肿瘤细胞耐药等作用。了解植物药对结肠癌的防治作用及其可能的作用机制,能为结肠癌的临床防治提供更多的理论依据及治疗思路。     

Risk of Stroke-Associated Pneumonia With Acid-Suppressive Drugs: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Acid-suppressive drugs, including histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), are common medications used for treating upper gastrointestinal tract disorders. However, acid-suppressive drugs have been reported to increase the risk of pneumonia in numerous disease populations. However, the relationship between acid-suppressive drugs and stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) remains controversial.The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between acid-suppressive drug usage and pneumonia among patients with stroke by using a nationwide data set.A population-based cohort study was conducted using a data set from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database. Data on patients with new-onset stroke from 2010 to 2011 were collected. Patients with and without acid-suppressive drug usage were followed up to identify the occurrence of any type of pneumonia. We estimated the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) by using the Cox proportional hazards model.The study cohort comprised 7965 patients with new-onset stroke. The incidence of pneumonia was 6.9% (552/7965) and more than 40% (225/552) of patients developed pneumonia within 3 months after an acute stroke. Acid-suppressive drug usage was an independent risk factor of pneumonia. The adjusted HR for the risk of pneumonia in patients with new-onset stroke using acid-suppressive drugs was 1.44 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18–1.75, P < 0.01). Only PPI usage increased risk of chronic SAP (adjusted HR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.04–2.05).Acid-suppressive drug usage was associated with a slightly increased risk of SAP. Physicians should exercise caution when prescribing acid-suppressive drugs to patients with stroke, particularly at the chronic stage.     

Elevated serum levels of Interleukin‐37 are associated with inflammatory cytokines and disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis

Interleukin‐37 (IL‐37) is closely associated with several inflammatory diseases. However, the role of IL‐37 in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the associations between serum levels of IL‐37 and disease activity, inflammatory cytokines, and bone loss in patients with RA. Serum cytokines levels were examined by Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Radiographic bone erosion was assessed using the van der Heijde‐modified Sharp score and bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using DXA. Serum IL‐37 levels in RA patients were significantly higher than those in HCs (p < 0.001), and were significantly positively correlated with clinical parameters of disease activity and serum levels of IL‐17 and IL‐23. In addition, serum IL‐37 levels were significantly higher in patients with stage IV of radiographic bone erosion than those with stage III and stage I–II, and they were significantly higher in those with osteopenia and osteoporosis than in those with normal BMD. Our results suggest that serum IL‐37 levels were increased in patients with RA and were positively associated with disease activity, IL‐17/IL‐23 and bone loss in RA, suggesting that IL‐37 may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of RA.