Background:Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic immune-mediated disease affecting the sacroiliac joints and the spine, manifesting with new bone formation and osteopenia. Five tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, certolizumab, and golimumab) are available for the treatment of AS, however, the results for the safety of TNF-α inhibitors in the treatment of AS are not consistent.Methods:In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the safety of TNF-α inhibitors compared with placebo in reducing pain, swelling, and inflammation of AS patients. Eight relevant articles including 2049 patients were included for this meta-analysis study. We observed that the incidence of adverse events (RR  =  1.22, 95% CI: 1.12–1.33; P  =  .501, I2  =  0%) and injection-site reaction (RR  =  2.93, 95% CI: 2.02–4.23; P  =  .691, I2  =  0%) in AS patients’ treatment with TNF-α inhibitors was significantly higher than that with placebo.Results:However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of serious adverse event, infection, serious infection, and discontinuations due to adverse event. TNF-α inhibitors may be a promising treatment for AS, but carries an increased incidence rate of adverse events and injection-site reaction.Conclusion:Due to the existence of the unstable factors, further studies need to be done to verify the result of this study.

Background: Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely used to treat knee osteoarthritis (KOA), among which Yanghe decoction (YHD) is one of the commonly used prescriptions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of YHD in the treatment of KOA. Methods: Six databases, including Embase, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database and Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database will be searched from their inception to July 2020. Two researchers will independently select studies, collect data and evaluate the quality of included studies. Statistical analysis will be processed by RevMan V.5.3 software. Results: This study will provide an assessment of the current state of YHD in the treatment of KOA, aiming to show the efficacy and safety of YHD. Conclusion: This study will provide evidence to judge whether YHD is an effective intervention for KOA.

BackgroundAim of the present study was to identify the predictors of ibandronate efficacy in subjects with osteoporosis or decreased bone mineral density (BMD).MethodSeveral electronic databases were searched by using specific keywords for the acquisition of research articles reporting the efficacy of ibandronate in subjects with osteoporosis or decreased BMD. Metaregression analyses were carried out by using changes in the BMD of lumbar spine and total hip following ibandronate treatment as dependent (outcome) variables against several independent (explanatory) variables.ResultsData were extracted from 34 studies (11,090 ibandronate treated subjects) which fulfilled eligibility criteria. A history of previous fracture/s was reported by 46% of these subjects. In overall population, longer treatment duration from 1 to 5 years, increasing age, history of previous fractures, lower baseline T score, and higher baseline levels of C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX) predicted higher ibandronate efficacy in improving BMD of the lumbar spine as well as of the total hip. Lower baseline levels of vitamin D and higher baseline levels of bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) predicted higher efficacy of ibandronate for lumbar spine only. In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis or decreased BMD, in addition to above-mentioned predictors, better efficacy of ibandronate was also associated with increasing time since menopause for both lumbar spine and total hip and lower body weight for lumbar spine only.ConclusionLonger treatment duration from 1 to 5 years, increasing age, lower baseline T scores, and higher serum CTX levels are identified as the predictors of better efficacy of ibandronate in the study subjects with osteoporosis or decreased BMD.

Liquid–liquid equilibrium data (LLE) of ternary systems {water + 1-butanol + 1-hexanol} and {water + 1-butanol + 1-octanol} were investigated at 303.15, 313.15, and 323.15 K at 101.3 kPa. The distribution coefficient (D) and selectivity factor (S) were calculated from experimental LLE data. Meanwhile, the effect of temperature on the two-phase zone of the two systems was discussed. The nonrandom two liquid and universal quasi-chemical activity coefficient models were used to regress experimental data sets and generate the relevant binary interaction parameters. Both thermodynamic models provided similar good descriptions for the studied systems with root mean square deviations between the calculated and experimental values less than 0.3%.

Background: Chinese herbal medicine is a commonly used traditional treatment for ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Among them, Yanghe decoction (YHD) has an obvious effect in relieving the symptoms of AS, but its efficacy is still controversial. The purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and safety of YHD in the treatment of AS patients. Methods: From the establishment to September 2020, we will search a total of 7 electronic databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, VIP, WanFang, and the Chinese SinoMed Database. Two independent reviewers will search the database for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs), extract data, and evaluate the quality of the included RCTs. Data analysis will be processed by RevMan V.5.4 software. Results: The results of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusion: This study will provide evidence for the effectiveness of YHD in treating patients with AS.