Biomedical subjects

P C Leung

Publications and source records attributed to P C Leung.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Acupuncture for stroke rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Western society; in China it is the second most common cause of death in cities and the third in rural areas. It is also a main cause of adult disability and dependency. Acupuncture for stroke has been used in China for hundreds of years and is increasingly practiced in some Western countries. OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for patients with stroke in the subacute or chronic stage. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (November 2005), the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field Trials Register (November 2005), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to November 2005), EMBASE (1980 to November 2005), CINAHL (1982 to November 2005), AMED (1985 to November 2005), the Chinese Stroke Trials Register (November 2005), the Chinese Acupuncture Trials Register (November 2005), the Chinese Biological Medicine Database (1977 to November 2005), the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Register (November 2005), and the National Institute of Health Clinical Trials Database (November 2005). We handsearched four Chinese journals and checked reference lists of all papers identified for further trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Truly randomised unconfounded clinical trials among patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, in the subacute or chronic stage, which compared acupuncture involving needling with either placebo acupuncture, sham acupuncture or no acupuncture. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed quality, extracted and cross-checked the data. MAIN RESULTS: Five trials (368 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was considered inadequate in all trials. Although the overall estimate from four trials suggested the odds of improvement in global neurological deficit was higher in the acupuncture group compared with the control group (odds ratio (OR) 6.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.89 to 22.76), this estimate may not be reliable since there was substantial heterogeneity (I(2 )= 68%). One trial showed no significant improvement of motor function between the real acupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group (OR 9.00, 95% CI 0.40 to 203.30), but the confidence interval was wide and included clinically significant effects in both directions. No data on death, dependency, institutional care, change of neurological deficit score, quality of life or adverse events were available. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Currently there is no clear evidence on the effects of acupuncture on subacute or chronic stroke. Large, methodologically-sound trials are required.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

PubMed2006

Influence of an anti-diabetic foot ulcer formula and its component herbs on tissue and systemic glucose homeostasis.

Complications of diabetes impose major public health burdens worldwide. The positive effect of a Radix Astragali-based herbal preparation on healing diabetic foot ulcers in patients has been reported. Formula 1 is also referred as the 'Herbal drink to strengthen muscle and control swelling'. This formula contains six Chinese medical herbs, including Radix Astragali, Radix Rehmanniae, Rhizoma Smilacis Chinensis, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, Radix Polygoni Multiflori Preparata, and Radix Stephania Tetrandrae. Three of these herbs (Radix Astragali, Radix Rehmanniae, Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) are commonly used in different anti-diabetic formulae of Chinese medicine. The objective of the current study is to use an interdisciplinary approach to test the hypothesis that Formula 1 and its components influence tissue and systemic glucose homeostasis. In vitro and in vivo models have been established including: (1) glucose absorption into intestinal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV); (2) gluconeogenesis by H4IIE hepatoma cells; (3) glucose uptake by 3T3-L1 adipocytes and Hs68 skin fibroblasts; (4) normalization of glycaemic control in a diabetic rat model. The results of in vitro studies indicated that all herbal extracts can modify cellular glucose homeostasis. Since Formula 1 and Rhizoma Smilacis Chinensis extracts demonstrated potent effects on modifying glucose homeostasis in multiple tissues in vitro, they were further studied for their anti-diabetic activities in vivo using a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model. The results showed that Formula 1 and Rhizoma Smilacis Chinensis extracts did not significantly improve oral glucose tolerance or basal glycaemia in diabetic rats. In conclusion, the anti-diabetic foot ulcer Formula 1 contains ingredients active in modifying tissue glucose homeostasis in vitro but these biological activities could not be associated with improved glycaemic control of diabetes in vivo.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2006

Effectiveness of a Chinese herbal medicine preparation in the treatment of cough in uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection: a randomised double-blinded placebo-control trial.

BACKGROUND: Rigorous scientific and well-designed clinical trials to evaluate the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is lacking. We, therefore, designed this study to evaluate the effectiveness of a commonly used TCM preparation in treating acute cough of uncomplicated URTI in adults and to search for a safe, effective and affordable alternative treatment for this common condition. METHODS: A randomised, double-blinded, placebo-control study comparing this TCM preparation with a placebo was conducted in 82 patients who attended the Family Medicine Training Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong between November and December, 2003. The TCM herbal preparation includes nine commonly used TCM herbs for cough such as chuanbei, fangfeng, jiegeng, gancao and baibu (see Table 1). The treatment lasted for 5 days and patients were followed-up for another 6 days. Patients were asked to fill in a cough score and validated Leicester cough questionnaire (LCQ). RESULTS: 62 patients (75.6%) had completed the trial and no adverse effects were reported. Both intervened and control groups had improved in cough score and LCQ in the follow-up period, despite no overall statistical significance was observed in the differences of scores between the two groups. Women taking TCM had significantly fewer problems with sputum production (p = 0.03) and older subjects (>35 years of age) reported a significant improvement in hoarseness (p = 0.05) when compared to those using placebo. CONCLUSION: TCM was well-tolerated and received among the Hong Kong Chinese population. This TCM preparation appeared to have some benefits in the treatment of cough. Future research on TCM should concentrate more on commonly encountered conditions such as UTRI and cough. Our experience on the sensitivity of assessment tools used in detecting subtle differences in an otherwise self-limiting illness and clinical trial methodology when applying the underlying theory of how TCM works in disease management was invaluable.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Antibiotic resistance and plasmid profile of environmental isolates of Vibrio species from Mai Po Nature Reserve, Hong Kong.

In this study, three environmental isolates of Vibrio species were isolated from water and sediment samples of Mai Po Nature Reserve, Hong Kong SAR. They were identified to be Vibrio cholerae MP-1, Vibrio aestuarianus MP-2 and Vibrio vulnificus MP-3 by both biochemical test and subsequent full-length 16S rDNA sequencing. Both disc diffusion susceptibility test and microplate dilution technique were used to investigate the antibiotic resistance profile of these three bacteria. Results from both assays were in generally good agreement. All three isolates were strongly resistant to beta-lactam family of antibiotics while susceptible to tetracycline, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid and streptomycin. In addition, V. cholerae MP-1 was very tolerant to high concentration of vibriostatic agent O/129 to 40 microg/ml, at which the growth of V. aestuarianus MP-2 and V. vulnificus MP-2 was completely inhibited. A small naturally occurring plasmid was found in V. cholerae MP-1 while no plasmid was detected in the other two bacteria. This study suggests that Mai Po Nature Reserve harbors bacteria of unique characteristics that warrant further investigation.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed2006

Medical illnesses are more important than medications as risk factors of falls in older community dwellers? A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have confirmed the contribution of various medications towards falls in the older population. Recently questions were raised as to whether the chronic illnesses or drug use was more important. OBJECTIVE: We attempt to test the hypothesis that underlying medical illnesses are the cause of falls rather than medications. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Urban community in Hong Kong. SUBJECTS: 4,000 Ambulatory community-dwelling men and women aged 65 years or over. METHODS: Demographic data, fall history in the previous 12 months, medical diagnoses, current medications and self-rated health were recorded. Body measurements and neuromuscular function tests were performed. Medical diagnoses and their corresponding medications were tested simultaneously in a multivariate model. RESULTS: 789 (19.7%) Subjects reported at least one fall and 235 (5.9%) experienced two or more falls. After adjustment for age and sex, medications associated with any falls were aspirin, diabetic drugs, nitrates, NSAIDs, and paracetamol, and those associated with recurrent falls were calcium channel blockers, diabetic drugs, nitrates, NSAIDs, aspirin and statins. Only anti-diabetics and nitrate showed moderate and borderline significance in multivariate analyses for recurrent and any falls respectively (OR 2.9, P = 0.01; OR 1.5, P = 0.027). Other medications failed to show significant relationship with falls, while eye diseases, heart diseases and musculoskeletal pain showed variable associations. CONCLUSION: The apparent association between many medications and falls was mediated through the underlying medical diagnoses and neuromuscular impairment. Anti-diabetics agents were associated with falls.

Accidental Falls↗

PubMed2006

Flavonoids derived from herbal Epimedium Brevicornum Maxim prevent OVX-induced osteoporosis in rats independent of its enhancement in intestinal calcium absorption.

AIM: Factorial design was used to test our hypothesis whether a group of flavonoids (FE) derived from herbal Epimedium Brevicornum Maxim exerted its preventive effects on estrogen-deficiency-induced osteoporosis mainly through an enhancement in intestinal calcium absorption. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five 12-month-old female Wistar rats were used and randomly assigned into sham-operated group and four ovariectomy (OVX) subgroups, i.e. OVX with vehicle (OVX group), OVX with FE (FE group), OVX with calcium supplement (CS group), and OVX with FE and CS (FE + CS group). Daily oral administration of FE (10 mg/kg/day) and/or CS (56 mg/kg/day) started on day 4 after OVX for 12 weeks. Before sacrificing the animals, urine and serum samples were collected for assaying indicators related to intestinal calcium absorption, regulator for calcium homeostasis, and markers of bone turnover. The left proximal femur was dissected for evaluation of the primary end-point (failure force), the second end-points (pQCT-quantified densitometry, geometry, and micro-CT-quantified 3-D trabecula micro-architecture), and pQCT-defined cross-sectional envelope. RESULTS: FE was found to be able to prevent OVX-induced reduction in failure force as well as the above second end-points, without resulting in an increased uterus weight. CS had no preventive effect on OVX-induced reduction in failure force. Two-way factorial interaction analysis between FE and CS showed that the un-enhanced suppression of parathyroid hormone for calcium homeostasis did not provide link between the enhanced intestinal calcium absorption and the enhanced inhibition of bone resorption in the present study. Furthermore, the discrepancies between the enhanced intestinal calcium absorption and the un-enhanced end-point measures as well as anabolic effect were also revealed by the interaction analysis. CONCLUSION: The present study suggested that FE inhibited bone resorption, stimulated bone formation, and accordingly prevented osteoporosis without hyperplastic effect on uterus in the OVX rat model, which was however independent of an enhancement in intestinal calcium absorption.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Risk of depression in patients with chronic respiratory diseases: results from two large cohort studies in Chinese elderly from Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVE: Although it has been suggested that depression is common in patients with chronic respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), few studies on the association between chronic respiratory diseases and depression have been conducted in the community. METHOD: Data from the baseline examination of two cohort studies, Mr and Ms Os, Hong Kong were used. Three thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight Hong Kong men and women aged 65 to 92 were recruited. Depression was assessed by face-to-face interview, using the short-form of a validated Chinese version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Chronic respiratory disease was assessed by subjects' self reports of chronic respiratory disease (chronic bronchitis, emphysema and asthma) diagnosed by medical doctors. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for depression among subjects with chronic respiratory diseases relative to those without (controls) were calculated, after adjustments were made for potential confounders. RESULTS: Chronic respiratory disease was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive disorders with an odds ratio of 1.58 (95% CI = 1.12-2.13) after adjustment was made for age, sex, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and history of cardiovascular diseases when compared with controls. For those subjects with self report of chronic respiratory disease and who screened positive for depression (n = 44), none were on antidepressants. Among subjects who screened positive for depression without self-report of chronic respiratory disease (n = 328), only 2.74% (n = 9) were on antidepressants. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that chronic respiratory disease is independently associated with depression in Chinese elderly. Moreover, depression in the elderly is under-treated in those with and without chronic respiratory disease. Clinicians, especially primary care physicians in the community, should be more aware of increased prevalence of depression in patients with chronic respiratory disease.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

In vitro immunomodulatory activities of a newly concocted traditional Chinese medicine formula: VI-28.

Previous studies have suggested that Vigconic VI-28, an anti-aging traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula containing Radix Ginseng and Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum, possesses immunological efficacy. This in vitro study further investigated the immunomodulatory effects of the hot water extracts of VI-28. The study included (1) colorimetric 5-bromo-2'-deoxy-uridine proliferation ELISA for estimating mitogenicity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), (2) immunofluorescence staining for measuring the expression of IL-2 receptor alpha (CD25) on lymphocytes, (3) cytometric bead array (CBA) for quantifying cytokine liberation from PBMC, and (4) intracellular immunophenotyping for macrophage phagocytosis and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) production from monocytes. The results demonstrated that VI-28 (1) could dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of unstimulated and lipopolysaccharide-activated PBMC but enhanced the proliferation of phytohemagglutinin-activated PBMC at concentrations of <1 mg/mL, (2) significantly augmented the expression of CD25 on lymphocytes at concentrations of 0.4 mg/mL or above (p < 0.05), (3) dose dependently (0.1-1.0 mg/mL) activated macrophage phagocytosis and monocyte synthesis of H(2)O(2) and (4) significantly increased the production of cytokines IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-1beta at various concentrations of VI-28 (p < 0.05). The results suggest that VI-28 is a potential immunomodulator which probably acts through the activation of lymphocytes and monocytes.

Cells, Cultured↗

PubMed2006

Immunomodulatory effects of a traditional Chinese medicine with potential antiviral activity: a self-control study.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for prevention and treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Hong Kong during the outbreak in spring 2003. We investigated the immunomodulating effects of an innovative TCM regimen derived from two herbal formulas (Sang Ju Yin and Yu Ping Feng San) for treating febrile diseases. Thirty-seven healthy volunteers were given the oral TCM regimen daily for 14 days. Peripheral venous blood samples were taken on days 0, 15 and 29 for hematology, biochemistry and immunology tests, including the measurement of blood lymphocyte subsets and plasma T-helper lymphocyte types 1 and 2 cytokines and receptor. After 3 months, 23 of the volunteers participated in a control study without TCM treatment for the same time course of blood tests. Two volunteers withdrew on day 2, due to headache and dizziness. All others remained well without any side effects. No participants showed significant changes in their blood test results, except that the T-lymphocyte CD4/CD8 ratio increased significantly from 1.31 +/- 0.50 (mean +/- SD) on day 0 to 1.41 +/- 0.63 on day 15 (p < 0.02), and reduced to 1.32 +/- 0.47 on day 29 (p < 0.05). In the control study, there were no changes in the CD4/CD8 ratio. The transient increase in CD4/CD8 ratio was likely due to the TCM intake. We postulate that the administration of the innovative TCM may have beneficial immunomodulatory effects for preventing viral infections including SARS.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor use is associated with higher bone mineral density in elderly Chinese.

Hypertension and osteoporosis are two major chronic diseases affecting the elderly. A cross-sectional study of 3887 Chinese men (n = 1958) and women (n = 1929) was used to explore the association between angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) use and bone mineral density (BMD). The participants were aged 65 years and above, and were recruited using a combination of private solicitation and public advertising from community centers, housing estates, and the general community in Hong Kong. Demographic, medical, and lifestyle information was obtained from face to face interviews using standardized questionnaire, and physical examination measurements included anthropometry, tibial, and brachial systolic blood pressures, femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine BMD. In multiple regression analyses, after adjusting for age, weight, height, thiazide, beta-blocker, calcium channel blocker, statin, corticosteroid, and calcium supplement use, history of diabetes, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and physical activity level, ACEI use was associated with higher femoral neck BMD (+0.015 g/cm2, P = 0.035) in women, and higher femoral neck (+0.015 g/cm2, P = 0.017), total hip (+0.016 g/cm2, P = 0.021), and lumbar spine (+0.043 g/cm2, P < 0.001) BMD in men. Thiazide use was associated with higher BMD at all three sites in general, although associations with BMD increase at the total hip (P = 0.07) and femoral neck (P = 0.09) were weak in men. Calcium channel blocker use was only significantly associated with BMD increase at the lumbar spine (P = 0.03) in women, and beta-blocker use did not have significant associations with BMD at any site. This study suggests that in addition to thiazide diuretics ACEI may have possible benefits in treating not only hypertension but also osteoporosis among older Chinese.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

The determinants of bone mineral density in Chinese men--results from Mr. Os (Hong Kong), the first cohort study on osteoporosis in Asian men.

Mr. Os (Hong Kong) is the first study to address the risk factors for osteoporosis in Asian men. A standardized, structured interview and dual X-ray densitometry (DEXA) were performed on 2,000 Chinese men aged 65-92. By multiple regression, the following factors were found to be positively associated with BMD at both the total hip and the spine: body weight, grip strength and a history of diabetes mellitus. The following factors were found to be negatively associated with BMD at both the total hip and spine: cigarette smoking, a history of gastrectomy or bowel resection, current use of inhaled steroid and a history of fracture after 50 years. Moreover, a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was negatively associated with BMD at the total hip, and age, the use of an alpha-blocker, thiazide diuretic and nitrate were associated with a higher BMD at the spine. A total of 21.8% of the variance in total hip and 31.5% of the variance in total spine BMD was accounted for in the multivariate analysis.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

In vitro anti-allergic activities of a newly concocted traditional Chinese medicine--the wheeze-relief formula.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. Western medications such as glucocorticoids are effective therapeutic agents but may be associated with side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for treating allergic diseases with observable clinical benefits. The present study investigated whether a novel TCM concoction, the wheeze-relief formula (WRF), possesses in vitro anti-allergic activities. We measured the effects of WRF on the release of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) by human eosinophils using fluorescence enzyme immunoassay, expression of chemokine receptor CCR3 and adhesion molecule CD49d on eosinophils using immunophenotyping, cytokine induction from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using cytometric bead array (CBA), and the gene expression of cytokines and cytokine receptors using cDNA expression array. Results demonstrated that WRF dose-dependently and significantly: (1) suppressed ECP release from eosinophils activated with granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and platelet activating factor (PAF); (2) inhibited the expression of CCR3 and CD49d on PAF-activated eosinophils; and (3) attenuated the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha and gene expression of IL-2 receptor chain alpha (CD25) on house dust mite (Der p 1) activated PBMC. The above results suggest a possible anti-allergic role of WRF and provide a biochemical basis for further clinical trial on human subjects.

Anti-Allergic Agents↗

PubMed2005

Bone mineral density and the risk of peripheral arterial disease in men and women: results from Mr. and Ms Os, Hong Kong.

Previous population studies have demonstrated an association between peripheral vascular disease and bone mineral density in women, but not in men. In a large prospective cohort of 3,998 Chinese men and women aged 65 to 92 years of age in Hong Kong, the association between peripheral vascular disease and bone mineral density was explored. Demographic and lifestyle information was obtained from face to face interviews using a standardized questionnaire. This included demographic information, medical history and lifestyle factors. Physical examination measurements included anthropometry and tibial and brachial systolic blood pressures. The ratio of the posterior tibial and brachial systolic blood pressures, the ankle/arm index, was used as a measure of peripheral arteriosclerosis in the lower extremities. Bone mineral density (BMD) at the total hip and spine (L1-L4) was measured by Hologic QDR-4500 W densitometers (Hologic, Inc., Waltham, Mass.). In this cross-sectional analysis, the ankle brachial index (ABI) was positively correlated with hip BMD (correlation coefficient=0.27; P<0.001). However, after adjustment for confounders, the correlation became much weaker (correlation coefficient=0.03; P<0.05). This showed that much of the relationship between ABI and BMD could be explained by other confounders. In multiple regression analysis, an increase in ABI of 1 SD of ABI was associated with an increase of 0.5% (95% CI: 0.02%, 0.9%) in hip BMD after adjusting for age, sex, body weight, smoking status, history of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, use of thiazide diuretics, grip strength and physical activity. Although our study shows that peripheral vascular disease in the lower extremities may be associated with decreased bone mineral density, the association is weak especially after adjustment was made for confounders. This indicates that other factors may be contributing to the association between peripheral vascular disease and osteoporosis.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Bone mineral density reference norms for Hong Kong Chinese.

The aim of this study was to establish bone mineral density (BMD) reference norms for Hong Kong Chinese using Hologic QDR 2000 and 4500 densitometers, and to estimate the prevalence of osteoporosis in the population. Altogether, 4,274 subjects (2,415 females and 1,859 males), aged 9-94 years old, were recruited using a combination of private solicitation and public advertising from schools, community centers, nursing homes, housing estates, and the general community in Hong Kong. Among females, BMD increased by 20% at the total hip and 48% at the lumbar spine between ages 10 and 20 but remained essentially constant between ages 20 and 40. Between ages 40 and 70, BMD declined by 17% at the total hip and 23% at the spine. Total hip BMD continued to drop after age 70 but little change in spine BMD was observed. Among males, BMD increased by 45% at the total hip and 77% at the spine between age 10 and 30. Between ages 30 and 80, total hip BMD decreased by 20%. Lumbar spine BMD decrease was milder, showing a loss of 4% between ages 30 to 50 and remaining relatively constant afterwards. The prevalence of osteoporosis was consistently overestimated when using Hologic-supplied Caucasian cutoffs as compared with local Chinese cutoffs. The prevalence of osteoporosis among Chinese women 50 years or older was 37% and 16% at the spine and total hip, respectively, while that among Chinese men 50 years or older was 7% and 6% at the spine and total hip, respectively. Prior studies have been limited by size or restricted to women. This study represents the largest sample of Hong Kong Chinese amassed to date, provides continuous BMD reference values from ages 10 to 85 for both women and men, and yields more reliable estimates of the prevalence of osteoporosis for the population.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

PubMed2005

Reduced bone mineral density in male Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) patients in Hong Kong.

During the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Hong Kong in 2003, patients were treated with very high doses of corticosteroid and ribavirin. The detrimental effects of such treatment on the bone mineral density (BMD) of SARS patients are unknown. To compare the BMD of SARS patients with normal range data, a cross-sectional survey was conducted. The bone mineral density of 224 patients with SARS, who were treated with an average of 2753 mg (SD = 2152 mg) prednisolone and 29,344 mg (SD = 15,849 mg) of ribavirin was compared to normal data. Six percent of men had a hip BMD Z score of < or =-2 (P = 0.057 for testing the hypothesis that >2.5% of subjects should have a Z score of < or =-2). Moreover, there was a negative association (r = -0.25, P = 0.023) between the duration of steroid therapy and BMD in men. We conclude that male SARS patients had lower BMD at the hip than normal controls, and this could be attributed to prolonged steroid therapy.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The use of an herbal formula by hospital care workers during the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic in Hong Kong to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome transmission, relieve influenza-related symptoms, and improve quality of life: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of an herbal formula in the prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) transmission among health care workers. The secondary objectives are to investigate quality of life (QOL) and symptomology changes among supplement users, and to evaluate the safety of this formula. DESIGN: Controlled clinical trial. SETTINGS: Hong Kong during epidemic of SARS. SUBJECTS: Two cohorts of health care workers from 11 hospitals in Hong Kong, 1 using an herbal supplement for a 2-week period (n = 1063) and a control cohort comprising all other health care workers who did not receive the supplement (n = 36,111) were compared prospectively. INTERVENTIONS: Taking an herbal supplement for a 2-week period. OUTCOME MEASURES: SARS attack rates and changes in quality of life and influenza-like symptoms were also examined at three timepoints among herbal supplement users. RESULTS: None of the health care workers who used the supplement subsequently contracted SARS compared to 0.4% of the health care workers who did not use the supplement (p = 0.014). Improvements in influenza-like symptoms and quality of life measurements were also observed among herbal supplement users. Less than 2% reported minor adverse events. CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot study suggest that there is a good potential of using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) supplements to prevent the spread of SARS.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Using herbal medicine as a means of prevention experience during the SARS crisis.

At the peak of the SARS epidemic in Hong Kong, hospital workers were under high risks of contraction of the infection. Herbal preparations had been used historically in China to treat influenza-like diseases. During the SARS outbreak, herbal preparations had been used jointly with standard modern treatment in China. As a means to protect the at-risk hospital workers, an innovative herbal formula was created and consumed by 3160 of them in two weeks. During the two weeks, symptoms and adverse effects were close monitored; 37 of them had their serum checked for immunological responses. The results showed that none of the herb consumers contracted the infection, compared to 0.4% among the non-consumers. Adverse effects had been infrequent and mild. There were hardly any influenza-like symptoms and the quality of life improved. In the group who volunteered to have their immunological state checked, significant boosting effects were found. It was concluded that there might be a good indication for using suitable herbal preparations as a means of preventing influenza-like infection. The mode of preventive effect could be treatment of the infection at its very early stage instead of producing a period of higher immunological ability, as in the case of vaccination.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Symptomatic and pathophysiological observations in a modified animal model of allergic rhinitis.

There are many animal models for studying allergic rhinitis. However, they either need a too long establishment period or fail to show significant late allergic responses. In the model described in this paper, guinea pigs were sensitized and challenged intranasally with ovalbumin according to a modified protocol. As controls, antihistamine-treatment and non-sensitized, non-treatment groups were studied in parallel. Early and late symptoms, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) reaction, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunoreactivities, pathological changes in nasal mucosa and nasal lavage fluid (NLF), and histamine, TXB2 and p-LTs levels in NLF were evaluated. In contrast to the control groups, the model group exhibited typical symptoms, including late phase nasal blockage, and increased levels of IgG1 and IgE. Considerable eosinophil infiltration and eNOS immunoreactivities in nasal mucosa, and increased levels of histamine, TXB2 and p-LTs in NLF were also observed. This model was not only capable of showing satisfactory symptomatic and pathophysiological changes in allergic rhinitis but also showed good responses to antihistamine treatment. The model can be established in six weeks. For the first time, respiratory rate was employed as an index to reflect the nasal blockage of guinea pigs and it proved to be a reliable indicator.

Animals↗