bjectiveTo observe the effecacy of immunosuppressive agents on modulation of the disorders of inflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines in acute pancreatitis, and to investigate the mechanism of treatment of acute pancreatitis with immunosuppressive agents. MethodsSD male rats were divided into 6 groups: group 1, the normal control group (n=6); group 2, acute pancreatitis induced by ductual injection of 5%sodium cholate sulfur at the volume of 1.0 ml/kg without treatment (n=8). After the pancreatitis were induced, the rest rats were injected intravenously with 5Fu 40 mg/kg (group 3, n=6); or methylprednisolone 30 mg/kg (group 4, n=6); or cyclophosphamide 20 mg/kg (group 5, n=6); or methotrexate 1.2 mg/kg (group 6, n=6). Twentyfour hours afteroperation, the animals were killed, the blood samples were taken for measurement of TNFα, IL1, IL6 (by bioassay), and IL10, TGFβ (by ELISA) as well as amylase. ResultsThe inflammatory cytokines (TNFα,IL1,IL6 ) and the antiinflammatory cytokines (IL10 and TGFβ), in blood of acute pancreatitis were increased significantly. After treated with immunosuppressive agents, both the inflammatory and antiinflammatory cytokines were decreased in different degrees. Some indexes of the severity of acute pancreatitis, such as amylase and pancreatic weight were improved obviously.ConclusionImmunosuppressive agents can regulate inflammatoryassociated cytokines increased remarkably in the acute pancreatitis. Therefore, improvement of acute pancreatitis can be achieved through rectifying the abnormal immunity and relieving the pathophysiological disorders of the acute pancreatitis by immunosuppressive agents.
ObjectiveTo compare the curative effect of three therapeutic strategies for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP).
MethodsBetween January 2009 and December 2013, 208 patients with CSP underwent intramuscular methotrexate alone (group A, n=72), transvaginal ultrasound monitoring after embryo sac strangulation after injection of methotrexate (group B, n=70) and uterine arterial chemoembolization therapy monitoring after hysteroscopy surgery (group C, n=66). We studied their clinical data retrospectively. The preoperative treatment interval, the hospitalization days, intraoperative bleeding, time of blood β-HCG to normal level and hospitalization costs were compared between the groups.
ResultsThe preoperative treatment interval, hospitalization days, intraoperative bleeding, and time of blood β-HCG to normal level of group C were significantly better than those of group A and B (P<0.05), while the hospitalization cost of the three groups were not statistically signficant (P>0.05).
ConclusionAs a treatment for CSP, uterine artery chemoembolization is a safe and effective method, and it has the advantages of short hospitalization time, less intraoperative bleeding and high fertility preservation. It is worth application in clinical medicine.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of time-related administration of methotrexate (MTX) on neural cell apoptosis in rats after spinal cord injury (SCI) so as to investigate its potential neuroprotective mechanism and appropriate administration time.
MethodA total of 120 male Sprague Dawley rats, 247-286 g in weight, were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=30) :sham group (group A), control group (group B), MTX treating group (group C), and MTX prophylaxis group (group D). The SCI model was established in the rats of groups B, C, and D by improved Allen method, and just laminectomy was performed in group A. MTX (0.5 mg/kg) was administered with tail vein injection at 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after injury in group C, and at 30 minutes before injury and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after injury in group D; the equivalence saline was injected at 1, 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours after injury in groups A and B. Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) score was used to evaluate the neural function at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after injury, HE staining to observe histological changes, immunohistochemical staining and TUNEL method to measure the expression of Caspase-3 and neural cells apoptosis, respectively.
ResultsTen rats died during the experiment in groups B, C, and D; 25 rats in each group were included into the experiments at last. BBB score of group A was significantly higher than that of groups B, C, and D at all time points after injury (P<0.05) . BBB score of groups C and D were significantly higher than that of group B at 3, 7, 14, and 21 days (P<0.05) , and BBB score of group D was significantly higher than that of group C at 3, 7, and 14 days (P<0.05) . The histological observation showed normal structure of spinal cord at all time points after injury in group A. While the degree of SCI in group D was lighter than that in groups B and C, and group C was lighter than group B. At 14 days after injury, the degree of SCI in groups B, C, and D tend to keep the same. The number of Caspase-3 and TUNEL positive cells of groups B, C, and D was significantly more than that of group A at all time points after injury (P<0.05) , group B was significantly more than groups C and D (P<0.05) . The number of Caspase-3 positive cells of group C was significantly more than that of group D at 3, 7, and 14 days (P<0.05) . While the number of TUNEL positive cells of group C was significantly more than that of group D at 3 and 7 days (P<0.05) . And the number of Caspase-3 positive cells and TUNEL positive cells was positively correlated in groups B, C, and D (P<0.05) at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after injury.
ConclusionsLow-dose MTX may effectively reduce the degree of the secondary injury of spinal cord by reducing the nerve cell apoptosis. Better effect can be obtained when MTX is used as prevent method than as a way of treatment.
Objective To explore the clinical effect of intramuscular injection of methotrexate on hysteroscopic treatment of endogenous cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Methods A prospective analysis was conducted on 94 patients diagnosed with endogenous CSP who visited the Department of Gynecology in Liuzhou Workers’ Hospital between January 2013 and January 2018, and they were randomly divided into two groups, the intramuscular injection of methotrexate followed by hysteroscopic surgery group (the methotrexate group, n=39) and the direct hysteroscopic surgery group (the non-methotrexate group, n=55). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, surgical complications, length of hospital stay, hospitalization expenses, the recovery time of blood human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and treatment outcomes of the two groups were compared. The normally distributed data were expressed as mean±standard deviation, and the non-normally distributed data were expressed as median (lower quartile, upper quartile). Results There was no statistically significant difference in age, gestational sac diameter, uterine scar thickness, number of cesarean sections, time from cesarean section to present, time of menopause, or preoperative blood HCG value between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative blood loss [75 (35, 120) vs. 65 (35, 130) mL, P=0.821], incidence of complications (5.1% vs. 5.5%, P=1.000), postoperative blood HCG recovery time [(5.22±2.17) vs. (4.96±1.81) weeks, P=0.559] or the effective rate of treatment (94.9% vs. 90.9%, P=0.747) between the two groups. The methotrexate group had longer operation time [43 (34, 55) vs. 32 (28, 35) min, P=0.001], longer length of hospital stay [(10.89±1.42) vs. (5.82±1.47) d, P<0.001], and higher hospitalization cost [(8596.46±3336.59) vs. (7058.84±2638.49) yuan, P=0.014]. Conclusion For patients with endogenous CSP, intramuscular injection of methotrexate before hysteroscopic surgery is not necessary, for it has no significant impact on the treatment effect, instead, it may prolong the operation time and length of hospital stay, and increase the hospitalization cost.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness, safety and cost-effectiveness of leflunomide for rheumatoid arthritis, and formulate an evidence-based treatment plan for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods We searched the ACP Journal Club, The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2007) and MEDLINE (1990 to 2007), and critically appraised the available evidence. Results The available Level A (high quality) evidence showed that the efficacy and adverse events of leflunomide were comparable to those of methotrexate. The total cost of treating patients with leflunomide was significantly higher when compared to methotrexate. The combination of leflunomide and methotrexate in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis unresponsive to methotrexate monotherapy was less costly and more effective than the strategy excluding leflunomide. Given the current evidence, together with our clinical experience and the patient’s preference, methotrexate was administered to the patient. There was an inadequate response after 6 months of treatment. And then, adding leflunomide to methotrexate attained a remarkable response 3 months later. The patient is still being followed up. Conclusion treatment with leflunomide and methotrexate in RA patients can improve the clinical outcomes. Long-term efficacy and toxicity remain to be established.
Primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL) represents the most prevalent subtype of primary intraocular lymphoma, predominantly exhibiting diffuse large B-cell lymphoma histopathology. This malignancy is characterized by poor prognosis and frequent central nervous system involvement. Current therapeutic strategies for PVRL are diverse, including local chemotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and autologous stem cell transplantation, yet marked by significant therapeutic heterogeneity and lack of standardized protocols. In recent years, clinical advancements have been achieved with local therapies (e.g., intravitreal methotrexate and rituximab and systemic treatments (e.g., Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors). However, the absence of standardized treatment protocols remains a significant clinical challenge. Recent years have witnessed notable progress in both local and systemic treatment modalities. Nevertheless, existing evidence is primarily derived from small-scale retrospective studies with inherent limitations, including suboptimal study designs, therapeutic heterogeneity, and insufficient patient stratification. These constraints have hindered the establishment of evidence-based treatment consensus. Future research should focus on conducting multicenter prospective studies, establishing international collaborative networks, and implementing long-term follow-up protocols to facilitate precision medicine approaches. Concurrent exploration of novel therapeutic targets and pharmacological agents is imperative to transform PVRL management from empirical practice to evidence-based personalized medicine, ultimately improving clinical outcomes.
Objective To analyze the effectiveness of conservative medical treatments for ectopic pregnancy (EP): methotrexate (MTX) + mifepristone + Ectopic Pregnancy II decoction (EP-II) vs. methotrexate + mifepristone. Methods A total of 95 patients with EP in Shenzhen Shajing Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 2009 to January 2011 were randomly divided into two groups: 45 patients in the experimental group were treated with MTX, mifepristone and EP II decoction, while the other 50 patients in the control group were treated with MTX and mifepristone. The effectiveness of the two groups was analyzed with SPSS 13.0 software. Results There were significant differences in the time of serum β-HCG return to normal (16.13±8.13 ds vs. 22.05±7.15 ds, Plt;0.05), time of EP mass absorption (30.46±7.56 ds vs. 39.99±18.26 ds, Plt;0.05) and tubal patency rate (80% vs. 75%, Plt;0.05) between the two groups. But there were no significant differences in effective rate (95.56%, 43/45 vs. 94%, 47/50, χ2=0.0809, Pgt;0.05) and side effects. Conclusion The combination of methotrexate, mifepristone and EP II decoction for ectopic pregnancy is more effective than mifepristone and methotrexate in coordinately killing the embryo, shortening the time of serum β-HCG return to normal and the time of EP mass absorption, and improving the function of oviducts.
ObjectivesTo systematically review the efficacy and safety of iguratimod compared with methotrexate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.MethodsPubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, VIP, CBM, WanFang Data and CNKI databases were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the efficacy and safety of iguratimod compared with methotrexate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis from inception to June 2018. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies, then, meta-analysis was performed by using RevMan 5.3 software.ResultsA total of 10 RCTs involving 970 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that: there was no statistical difference between iguratimod and methotrexate in ACR20 (RR=1.06, 95%CI 0.91 to 1.23, P=0.49), ACR50 (RR=0.93, 95%CI 0.73 to 1.19, P=0.55), ACR70 (RR=0.92, 95%CI 0.62 to 1.39, P=0.70), morning stiffness time (MD=0.45, 95%CI –0.26 to 1.16, P=0.22), tender joint count (MD=0.07, 95%CI –2.31 to 2.45, P=0.95), swollen joint count (MD=–0.30, 95%CI –1.44 to 0.84, P=0.61), health assessment questionnaire (MD=0.01, 95%CI –0.05 to 0.07, P=0.73) and the rate of adverse effects (RR=0.66, 95%CI 0.41 to 1.07, P=0.09). Meta-analysis of 2 RCTs using double-blind method showed that, iguratimod was superior to methotrexat in the patient (MD=4.11, 95%CI 0.11 to 8.10, P=0.04) and physician (MD=4.81, 95%CI 0.93 to 8.69, P=0.01) global assessment of disease activities.ConclusionsCurrent evidence shows that the efficacy and safety of iguratimod in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis are similar to methotrexate. And iguratimod is superior in global assessment of disease activities by patients and doctors. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high quality studies are required to verify above conclusions.
We reported one case of MTX-induced aplastic anemia and reviewed related literature to investigate the mechanism of action of MTX, and summarize the clinical feature, diagnostic criteria, risk factor, and interventions. These were hoped to arouse the attention of clinicians and clinical pharmacists, in order to effectively prevent, diagnose, and treat MTX-induced aplastic anemia.
ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of low-dose methylprednisolone combined with hydroxychloroquine and methotrexate in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
MethodsBetween January 2011 and May 2013, 60 RA patients on their first treatment with a disease course of less than or equal to 2 years were randomly divided to control group and treatment group Ⅰ with 30 patients in each. Patients in both the two groups were given hydroxychloroquine and methotrexate therapy, while the control group was treated with meloxicam (7.5 mg/time, 2 times/d) in addition, and the treatment group one was given methylprednisolone (4 mg/time, 2 times/d) in addition. Another 30 RA patients with a disease course of more than 5 years with no standardized treatment were designated into the treatment group Ⅱ. They accepted the same treatment scheme as treatment group Ⅰ. All the patients were evaluated one week after treatment to assess their clinical symptoms. Twelve weeks before and after treatment, the patients were evaluated on their clinical indicators and immunological indicators.
ResultsThe clinical symptoms of patients in treatment group Ⅰ and Ⅱ were rapidly relieved within one week after treatment, and the curative effect was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). Twelve weeks after treatment, the treatment groups were significantly improved compared with the control group in clinical symptoms and DSA28 (P<0.05). The improvement of clinical symptoms and immunological tests in treatment group Ⅰ was more obvious than that in treatment groupⅡ.
ConclusionLow-dose methylprednisolone combined with hydroxyl chloroquine and methotrexate can quickly and effectively relieve the clinical symptoms of the patients with RA, and patients with a shorter course of the disease have better clinical efficacy.
