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Objective: To observe the effect of acupuncture assisted three-step analgesic therapy for cancer pain and its influence to quality of life. Methods: A total of 100 patients with cancer pain who were admitted to Shanghai Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Shanghai Eighth People's Hospital from May 2016 to October 2018 were randomly divided into two groups with 50 cases in each group. Patients in the control group were treated with three-step analgesic therapy. Patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture on the basis of the control group. Patients in the two groups were treated for continuous 7 days. After treatment, the clinical total effective rate of the two groups were compared. Moreover, the pain relief time, digital pain intensity scale (NRS) score, and quality of life (physical function, psychological function, social function, living environment, general feeling) were compared between the two groups. The changes of serum pain mediators [Serotonin (5-HT), endodermin-1 (ET-1), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)] in the two groups before and after treatment were compared. The occurrence of adverse reaction in the two groups were analyzed. Results: In the observation group, the total effective rate was 92% (46/50), which was significantly higher than that of the control group, 78% (39/50). Moreover, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The NRS scores of the two groups after treatment significantly decreased comparing with those before treatment respectively (P < 0.05). Moreover, the decreasing degree of the NRS score in the observation group was more obvious than the control group (P < 0.05). The pain relief time of the observation group after treatment was significantly shorter than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The scores of physical function, psychological function, social function, living environment, and general feeling of the two groups after treatment increased comparing with those before treatment respectively (P < 0.05). Moreover, the increasing degree in each aspect of the observation group was more obvious than the control group respectively (P < 0.05). The 5-HT, ET-1 and PGE2 levels of the two groups after treatment significantly decreased comparing with those before treatment respectively (P < 0.05). Moreover, the decreasing degree in each mediator of the observation group was more obvious than the control group respectively (P < 0.05). There were no significant changes in blood pressure, heart rate, blood routine test, ECG, liver and kidney function in the two groups before and after treatment. The incidence rate of adverse reaction of the observation group was 6% (3/50), which was significantly lower than that of the control group, 24% (12/50). Moreover, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Acupuncture assisted three-step analgesic therapy could effectively inhibit the expression of paincausing substances in the body of patients with cancer pain, improve the analgesic effect, relieve the pain of patients, improve the quality of life of patients, and could significantly reduce the adverse reaction caused by western medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association of lead toxicity with δ-aminolevulinic acid dehy-dratase (ALAD) and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms was examined in 216 workers occupationally exposed to lead. Urinary N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (UNAG) activity and albumin concentration, adjusted by creatinine, were measured as biomarkers of nephrotoxicity. Genotyping was performed using polymerase chain reaction and restricted fragment length polymorphisms. Blood pressure and blood and urinary lead concentrations were measured. No statistically significant difference in blood lead concentrations was observed with the ALAD genotype, although the geometric mean of blood lead concentrations was higher in battery workers with the ALAD-12 genotype (50.95 μg/dL) than in workers with the ALAD-11 genotype (42.95 μg/dL). Battery workers with the vitamin D receptor (VDR)-B allele had higher mean blood lead concentrations (60.54 μg/dL) than did the workers with the VDR-bb genotype (51.65 μg/dL) (p < .05 ). Based on multiple linear regression analysis, the VDR genotype was associated with a blood lead level (p < .021). The ALAD genotype was associated with a urinary lead level (p < .009). Workers with the ALAD-12 genotype who also had blood lead concentrations equal to or greater than 40 μg/dL had higher UNAG activity (4.17 U/mmol.Cr) than the workers with the ALAD-11 genotype (1.27 U/mmol.Cr) (p = .06). Compared with workers with the VDR-bb genotype, workers with the VDR-B allele had higher systolic blood pressure when the blood lead level was equal to or greater than 40 μg/dL (133.06 ± 19.19 mmHg versus 123.12 ± 15.69 mmHg, p = .01). Lead workers with ALAD-12 had larger elevations in UNAG activity and increasing blood lead concentrations compared to lead workers with the ALAD-11 genotype. Lead workers with the VDR-B allele had greater elevations in systolic blood pressure and higher blood lead levels than did workers with the VDR-bb genotype.In... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the possible oxidative stress induced by lead, heparinized whole blood and urine of 66 secondary smelter lead workers (46 for Comet assay) and 28 controls were collected. The concentrations of blood lead (BPb) and urinary lead (UPb) and alpha-aminolevulinic acid (-ALA), indices of lead exposure level of the body, were determined. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of plasma were also measured. Single-cell gel (SCG, Comet assay) was used to measure the DNA damage of peripheral blood cells. There was a positive correlation between the presence of Pb in blood and significant increases in MDA levels and SOD activity. Alcohol consumption and smoking with increased exposure to Pb was associated with enhanced DNA damage. A positive correlation was found between MDA and DNA damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestation of patients with renal injury induced by chronic mercury intoxication and the application of the diagnostic criteria of occupational mercury poisoning., Methods: The clinical data of 8 patients with chronic occupational mercury intoxication were analysed and evaluated., Results: All the observed clinical signs of chronic mercury intoxication correspond with the items of the diagnostic criteria of occupational mercury poisoning. The increasing beta2-MG was one of the clinical manifestations of renal injury induced by chronical mercury intoxication. The renal injury obviously was dose-dependent and reversible., Conclusions: The national diagnostic criteria of occupational mercury poisoning is practically valuable. The renal injury induced by chronic mercury intoxication should not be neglected.

Objective: To investigate the change of indicators of oxidative stress in serum and NF-kappaB in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with silicosis, and explore the mechanism of the development of silicosis., Methods: The subjects were divided into (1) 200 workers exposed to SiO2 for at least 1 years in a foundry served as the dust-exposure group; (2) 130 cases with silicosis (I phase silicosis 64 cases, II phase 46 cases III phase 20 cases) served as the silicosis group; (3) 32 cases with 0+ phase silicosis in the foundry served as the observed group,(4)100 subjects from a hotel served as the control group. The serum including superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO), serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), nitric oxide synthase (NOS), lipid malondialdehyde (MDA) and NF-kappaB protein levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were determined, respectively., Results: Compared with the control group, NO levels in dust-exposed group and silicosis group significantly increased, and SOD decreased significantly (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Compared with the control group and dust-exposed group, T-AOC, NOS, MDA levels in silicosis group significantly increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). GSH-Px in dust-exposed group and silicosis group were (231.164 +/- 36.484) and (270.469 +/- 39.228)U/ml, respectively which were significantly than that [(223.360 +/- 46.838) U/ml] in control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and there was significant difference of GSHPx between the silicosis group and the dust-exposed group significantly (P < 0.01) . GSH-Px level [(290.750 +/- 39.129) U/ml] in III phase silicosis group were significantly higher than those [(256.906 +/- 21.41) and (259.594 +/- 34.79) U/ml] in observation group and I phase silicosis group (P < 0.05). NF-kappaB levels [(72.06 +/- 9.12) and (85.25 +/- 11.64) ng/L] in dust-exposed group and silicosis group were significantly higher than that [(59.71 +/- 9.27) ng/L] in control group (P < 0.01), and there was significant difference of between the silicosis group and the dust-exposed group (P < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between serum GSH-Px level and the silicosis stages (r = 0.507, P < 0.01). Also there was a positive correlation between NF-kappaB level and silicosis stages, age, GSH-Px or NO levels (r = 0.376, 0.243, 0.233, 0.221, P < 0.01)., Conclusion: The imbalance of oxidative and anti-oxidation system and the activation of NF-kappaB are related with the occurrence and development of silicosis. The monitoring of oxidative stress indicators and NF-kappaB is beneficial to the prediction and prognosis assessment of silicosis.