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The aim of the present study was to investigate the benefits of combining contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and strain elastography (SE) for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules with non-diagnostic fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) results. Between October 2013 and March 2017, CEUS and SE were performed in 226 patients (236 thyroid nodules) with non-diagnostic FNAC results prior to thyroidectomy. The diagnostic value of CEUS, SE and their combination (CEUS+SE) in distinguishing malignant from benign thyroid nodules was evaluated, using surgical pathology as a reference. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic performance of CEUS, SE and CEUS+SE in determining malignant thyroid nodules. Subsequently, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of CEUS, SE and CEUS + SE were calculated. The malignancy rate in patients with thyroid nodules and non-diagnostic FNAC results was 26.3% in the present study. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, accuracy and area under the curve in predicting malignant thyroid nodules were 80.6, 85.6, 66.7, 92.5, 84.3 and 0.831%, respectively, using SE alone; 59.7, 95.9, 84.1, 86.9, 86.4 and 0.778%, respectively, using CEUS alone; and 83.9, 89.1, 73.6, 94.5, 88.1 and 0.865%, respectively, using the combination of CEUS and SE. Overall, the combination of CEUS with SE resulted in higher sensitivity, NPV and accuracy in the diagnosis of cytologically non-diagnostic thyroid nodules compared with CEUS or SE alone.

To study the effects of Tongbi Mixture 2, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA), on immunoregulation of T lymphocytes in rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group, untreated group, Tongbi Mixture 2-treated group, methotrexate (MTX)-treated group and Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside (TWP)-treated group. Except for the rats of the normal control group (injection with normal saline), rats of the other four groups were subcutaneouly multipoint-injected with collagen protein II to induce CIA. The rats were treated with normal saline, Tongbi Mixture 2, MTX tablets and TWP tablets respectively for 36 days. The expressions of CD28 and CD152 were detected by flow cytometry, while the content of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The expression of CD28 among the three drug treated groups had no statistical difference (P0.05), while significantly higher than that of the normal control group (P0.01) and lower than that of the untreated group (P0.01). The expression of CD152 in the Tongbi Mixture 2 treated-group was lower than those of the MTX- and TWP-treated groups (P0.05, P0.01), but had no statistical difference as compared with the normal control group (P0.05). There were no statistical differences in content of TNF-alpha between the drug treated groups and the normal control group (P0.05), but the content of TNF-alpha of the drug treated groups was lower than that of the untreated group (P0.05 or P0.01).Tongbi Mixture 2 can inhibit T lymphocytes through down-regulating the expressions of CD28 and CD152 and the content of TNF-alpha, which may be the major mechanisms in treating RA.

To study the anti-fertility effect of maximum-dose Tongbi Composition and its reversibility in male rats.Thirty-six male SD rats were equally randomized into a control group and a medication group, the former given normal saline at 10 ml/(kg x d), while the latter treated with Tongbi Composition at 10 g/(kg x d), both for 60 days. Half the rats of each group were sacrificed randomly at the cessation of treatment, and the rest killed at 72 days after it. The relative testis weight, testis volume, sperm concentration and sperm motility were measured, and the pathological changes in the testicular tissue observed under the optical microscope.After 60 days of treatment, no statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in the relative testis weight, testis volume and sperm concentration (P0.05) , and the sperm motility of the medication group dropped to zero, but it was restored to normal at 72 days after drug withdrawal. Almost no lesions were observed in the testis tissue of the medication group.The short-term use of Tongbi Composition at the maximum clinical dose has an obvious anti-fertility effect, but it is reversible.

To investigate the effect of the overall alkali of Traditional Chinese Medicine tongbiling(TBL) which comprises brucine and strychnine alkaloids on collagen induced-arthritis(CIA) and study its paharmacological mechanisms of cellular immunity.Bovine CII was emulsified in Freund's incomplete adjuvant. Wistar rats were injected with Type II collagen intradermally at the base of the tail. After swelling, CIA groups were, randomly divided into physiological saline group and treatment group. Then the swelling of the rats' hindlimbs was evaluated. The whole body of the rats treated on 35 th days was photographed by mammography X-Ray. 96 joints in erosion scoring system and 100 joints in joint spacing narrow(JSN) scoring system were used to observe the joint destruction of CIA from X-Ray comprehensively and objectively. After the rats were killed, the third proximal claw pad of the right hindlimb and left forelimb were stained by HE dying, Neutrophil, lymphocyte, plasmacyte infiltration and hyperplasia of synoviocytes were assessed. Then MTT and Western blot were used to determine the effect of the overall alkali of TBL on proliferation of Jurkat cells and ERK1/2 phosphorylation of Jurkat cells, respectively.Inflammation of CIA joints was aggravated quickly. The swelling of CIA rats treated by MTX and overall alkali of TBL for 35 days was relieved (P0.05). MTX and overall alkali of TBL inhibited the hyperplasia of synoviocytes. Overall alkali of TBL inhibited the infiltration of lymphocyteS and plasmacytes. Overall alkali of TBL inhibited the proliferation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation of Jurkat cells.Overall alkali of TBL could relieve joint inflammation and destruction of CIA rats by blocking the MAPK cell signalling pathway to inhibit the activation and proliferation of T cells. Our study might provide an experimental basis for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with overall alkali of TBL.

To study the effects of total alkaloid of Tongbiling prescription(TBL) on Th1 type cytokine expression in T cells in order to elucidate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of TBL.The lymphocytes were isolated from mouse mesenteric lymph nodes and cultured in-vitro. Various concentrations of TBL were added to the culture followed by phorbol ester and inomycin treatment and then incubated for another 4 hours. The expressions of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha in the lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry.200 mg/L and 100 mg/L TBL could obviously inhibit IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha expressions in T lymphocytes.Inhibiting Th1 cytokine expression may be one mechanism by which TBL can treat rheumatoid arthritis.

To investigate the effect of overall alkali of Tongbiling(TBL) on CD69 expression on activated mouse T lymphocytes and its possible mechanism.Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate(PDB) or concanavalin (ConA) were added successively into mouse lymphocytic culture with various concentration of overall alkali TBL. After 24 hours, CD69 expression rate on mouse T lymphocytes activated with PDB or ConA was analyzed by flow cytometry.Overall alkali TBL could significantly down-regulate CD69 expression in a dose-dependent manner.Overall alkali TBL can significantly inhibit CD69 expression on activated mouse T lymphocytes. This study provided an experimental basis for application of overall alkali TBL to treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.