BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of nivolumab(PD-1 inhibitor)in combination with lenvatinib and FOLFOX regimen[5-fluorouracil(5-FU),oxaliplatin(L-OHP),and calcium folinate(LV)]in the treatment of intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)via hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy(HAIC).Methods A total of 160 patients with intermediate and advanced HCC admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University from January 2021 to January 2023 were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group,with 80 patients in each group,using a random number table.The control group received once-daily oral lenvatinib and intravenous carrizumab infusions for 12 weeks as part of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)therapy.The observation group was administered with FOLFOX regimen via HAIC chemotherapy,plus intravenous infusion of carrizumab for 12 weeks and once-daily oral lenvatinib.All the patients were followed up regularly.The clinical efficacy was evaluated using the mRECIST criteria.The objective response rate(ORR),disease control rate(DCR),overall survival(OS),progression-free survival(PFS),and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results There were no significant differences in the objective response rate and incidence of adverse reactions between the groups.The disease control rate,overall survival,and progression-free survival in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusions The FOLFOX-HAIC regimen in combination with nivolumab and lenvatinib is safe and effective for the treatment of intermediate and advanced HCC,without adverse reactions.It can prolong the overall survival and progression-free survival,and improve the patient's quality of life.

Objective To explore the value of blood inflammatory load in predicting overall survival of elderly patients with epithelial ovarian cancer(EOC).Methods Elderly patients with EOC were selected,and their clinical data and peripheral blood parameters were collected.We constructed an inflammation-related blood scoring system using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.We used Cox proportional hazards analysis to identify the independent prognostic factors.A nomogram model was constructed based on independent prognostic factors,and the receiver operating characteristic curve,C-index,and calibration curve were used to evaluate the model.Results Patients with high blood inflammatory load had worse prognosis(P=0.002).Compared with the low inflammatory load group,patients with high inflammatory load had later clinical stages and larger ascites volume(P<0.05).Cox regression analysis showed that ACCI,CA125,residual lesions,and blood score were independent factors affecting overall survival(P<0.05).Conclusion The blood inflammatory load is the biomarker for the prognosis of elderly patients with EOC.Scoring the inflammatory load in the blood can assist in efficacy monitoring and treatment intervention of ovarian cancer patients.

Objective To investigate the distribution and clinical characteristics of TCM syndromes in infertility patients with autoimmune thyroiditis(AIT).Methods By referring to the relevant literature on the distribution of TCM syndromes of AIT and infertility in women of childbearing age,the TCM Syndromes Survey of Infertility Patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis was formulated.256 cases of infertility patients with AIT who underwent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer(IVF-ET)at the Reproductive Center of The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China from June 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.The data of basic information,TCM syndromes,basic thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH),thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPO-Ab)and thyroglobulin antibody(TG-Ab)were collected.By means of frequency analysis and systematic cluster analysis,the distribution regularity of TCM syndromes in infertility patients with AIT were concluded.Results After analysis,the following 5 common syndrome elements were obtained,namely,qi deficiency,liver depression,spleen deficiency,kidney deficiency and blood stasis.In addition,it was concluded that this disease was more common in complex syndromes.Through systematic clustering analysis,main TCM syndromes of this disease were obtained,which were qi deficiency and liver depression syndrome(69 cases,26.9%),spleen and kidney deficiency syndrome(45 cases,17.6%),spleen qi deficiency syndrome(38 cases,14.8%),qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome(36 cases,14.1%),kidney deficiency and liver depression syndrome(32 cases,12.5%)and other syndrome types(36 cases,14.1%).The basic TSH level was higher in patients with qi deficiency and liver depression syndrome,spleen qi deficiency syndrome,qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome than other syndrome types,with statistical significance(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in TPO-Ab and TG-Ab titers among different syndromes(P>0.05).Conclusion TCM syndromes of infertility patients with AIT can be clustered into qi deficiency and liver depression syndrome,spleen and kidney deficiency syndrome,spleen qi deficiency syndrome,qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,kidney deficiency and liver depression syndrome and other syndrome.The main element of syndrome is qi deficiency,and the pathological sites involved spleen,kidney and liver.Stasis blood is a main pathological product.It is required to pay close attention to the thyroid function in AIT patients with qi deficiency.

Objective By population survey,to explore the epidemiological characteristics of gastric precancerous lesions in Lishui District of Nanjing and provide objective basis for the prevention and treatment of early gastric cancer.Methods From July 2021 to December 2022,21 977 patients who received endoscopy and/or 13C-UBT in Lishui District People's Hospital and 6 medical community units in Nanjing City were retrospectively analyzed for demography characteristics,detection rate of gastric precancerous lesions,and H.Pylori infection rate.Results(1)590 cases of gastric precancerous lesions were detected(detection rate 2.68%);(2)The total detection rate of precancerous lesions and three pathological types in males were all higher than those in females(all P<0.001);(3)The minimum age for the total detection rate of precancerous lesions in males and the mini-mum age for each pathological type were lower than in females(P<0.001,0.009,0.005,0.002);(4)The popu-lation total H.pylori infection rate was 23.10%,the H.pylori infection rate in patients with precancerous lesions was higher than that in non-precancerous lesions(P<0.001),both H.pylori infection rate of male and female in precancerous lesions were all higher than those of non-precancerous lesions of the same sex(all P<0.001),in addition,the H.pylori infection rate of male whether in precancerous or non-precancerous lesions was higher than that of female(all P<0.001);(5)The precancerous lesions detection rate in male,female,and the overall age range of 20～29 to 70～79 years is positively correlated with age growth(P<0.001),and rapidly decreases after the age of 79,the of H.pylori infection rate was also positively correlated with age growth(P<0.001),and the trend of age change(P<0.001)was parallel to the precancerous lesions detection rate.Conclusions The detec-tion rate of gastric precancerous lesions in this region is above the average level in China;the total H.pylori infec-tion rate is at a relatively low level in China;the H.pylori infection rate is parallel to the age trend of the detection rate of gastric precancerous lesions,and increases with age.

Background and Aims:Postoperative intra-abdominal infection(PIAI)is a common postoperative complication in abdominal surgery and a challenging issue worldwide,with a treatment failure rate of 68.3％and an in-hospital mortality rate as high as 40.8％.The key to managing this condition is early control of the infection source,debridement and adequate drainage.Delayed control of the infection source is an independent risk factor for predicting treatment failure.Many PIAI lesions are located deep within the abdominal cavity,lacking optimal routes for percutaneous drainage,and the risks and difficulties of reoperation are significant.Thus,controlling the infection source in PIAI is a difficult task.Here,the authors report the management of 4 PIAI patients treated with nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract,aiming to provide clinical insights and references. Methods:The clinical data of 4 patients undergoing nephroscopic debridement,catheter irrigation and drainage for PIAI from October 2020 to September 2022 in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University were retrospectively analyzed.Key techniques of nephroscopic management of PIAI were summarized and contextualized with relevant literature. Results:The 4 PIAI cases included a right-sided retroperitoneal abscess after catheter drainage for severe acute pancreatitis,a hepatic abscess at the liver raw surface after right hemihepatectomy,bile leakage and secondary duodenal fistula after laparoscopic choledocholithotomy and T-tube drainage,and a pancreatic abscess at the pancreatic raw surface after distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy.All patients underwent nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract:guidewires were inserted into the drainage sinus tract,followed by a minimally invasive expansion drainage kit and nephroscopy;pus was irrigated out,and pus moss was clamped out with foreign body forceps under nephroscopy.Then,irrigation drainage tubes were placed under the guidance of the guidewire,and continuous irrigation and drainage were performed.The 4 patients underwent a total of 5 nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage procedures,with one case requiring two operations.The preoperative catheterization time ranged from 14 to 58 d,with an average of 38.4 d.One patient concurrently underwent choledochoscopy for stone extraction and biliary drainage via the T-tube sinus tract.The operative time ranged from 30 to 115 min,with an average of 67.4 min.Aside from one case of minor intraoperative bleeding,which stopped after injecting diluted norepinephrine solution into the sheath and blocking the sheath,there were no surgical complications in the other three cases.The postoperative drainage tube duration ranged from 7 to 30 d,with an average of 20.75 d.After treatment,all PIAI lesions disappeared,and no recurrence was observed during follow-up,which ranged from 16 to 40 months. Conclusion:Nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract for PIAI is simple,feasible,and safe,allowing for direct visualization to avoid organ damage.It is effective in removing pus and necrotic tissue,replacing drainage tubes,and can be repeatedly performed with high efficiency and remarkable results.This method is particularly suitable for patients with postoperative abdominal drainage tube obstruction combined with encapsulated intra-abdominal fluid collections.

Objective To detect the expression of acrosin binding protein(ACRBP)in serum and tumor tissue of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer(EOC),and to investigate the relationship between the expres-sion of acrosin binding protein(ACRBP)in serum and tumor tissue of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer(EOC)and first-line chemotherapy effect and prognosis.Methods The expression and prognostic effects of ACRBP mRNA in OC were analyzed using data obtained from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis Database.Then,tissue specimens and serum samples were collected from 95 patients with EOC who under-went surgery at the hospital between October 2019 and December 2021.In addition,30 samples of ovarian be-nign tumor tissue were selected as the benign tumor control group and 30 serum samples from healthy volun-teers were selected as the normal control group.The expression of ACRBP was detected by immunohisto-chemical staining.After first-line chemotherapy was completed,solid tumor efficacy evaluation criteria version 1.1 was used to evaluate chemotherapy effects,and the patients were divided into sensitive group and drug-re-sistant group.The sensitive group included complete response(CR)and partial response(PR)patients,and the drug-resistant group included stable disease(SD)and progressive disease(PD)patients.Results In the public database,ACRBP mRNA expression was significantly increased in OC patients(P＜0.05),and its high expression was associated with poor overall survival(OS).In clinical samples,ACRBP was mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of EOC tumor cells,while no ACRBP was detected in the ovarian tissues of benign tumor control group.The expression of ACRBP in first-line chemotherapy resistant group was significantly higher than that in sensitive group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.001).The area under receiv-er operating characteristic(ROC)curve of ACRBP expression for predicting first-line chemotherapy resistance was 0.830(95％CI:0.743-0.916),the cut off value was 8.65 points,and the sensitivity and the specificity were 80.0％and 77.1％,respectively.High expression of ACRBP was an independent risk factor for the prog-nosis of OS and PFS in patients with EOC(P＜0.05).According to the median expression of ACRBP,pa-tients with EOC were divided into low ACRBP expression group(＜8.27 points)and high ACRBP expression group(≥8.27 points).The OS and progression-free survival(PFS)of patients with high expression of ACRBP were significantly shorter(P＜0.05).Conclusion High expression of ACRBP in EOC patients is closely related to first-line chemotherapy resistance and poor prognosis.ACRBP has the potential to be a new biomarker for the prediction of first-line chemotherapy effect and prognosis.

Objective:Pediatric chronic sinusitis （CRS） is a common disease within the field of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Due to the immaturity of sinus development and immune competence in children, its etiology and pathophysiology are complex, and its clinical features and outcomes differ significantly from those in adult patients. Currently, there are issues in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric CRS, particularly in areas such as antibiotic use and surgical interventions, owing to a lack of sufficient attention. In recognition of this, the Chinese Rhinopathy Research Cooperation Group developed this expert consensus based on a systematic review of the latest literatures from both domestic and international sources, with reference to the latest evidence-based medical evidence worldwide, and in combination with their own clinical experience. The consensus covers various aspects including epidemiology, predisposing factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, as well as treatment strategies such as medical therapy and surgical intervention. It aims to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of pediatric CRS, improve clinical efficacy and patient satisfaction, reduce clinical expenditures, and decrease the occurrence of adverse reactions.
Humans ; Sinusitis/therapy* ; Chronic Disease ; Child ; Consensus ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use*

ObjectiveTo investigate the pharmacodynamic characteristics and explore the molecular mechanism of Honghua oral liquid （HOL） in relieving neuropathic pain （NP）. MethodHealthy male SD rats were randomly assigned into sham group， model group， low-， medium-， high-dose （0.5， 1.0， 2.0 mL·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） HOL groups， and a positive drug （pregabalin， 25 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） group， with 6 rats in each group. Spinal nerve ligation （SNL） of L5 was conducted in other groups except the sham group. Drug administration was performed 3 days after the SNL surgery for 2 consecutive weeks， and samples were collected after the end of the administration. During the treatment period， the mechanical pain threshold and cold pain threshold were determined to measure the pain-relieving effect of HOL. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on hippocampal tissue samples from the sham， model， and high-dose HOL groups， and differentially expressed genes between the sham group and the model group as well as the model group and HOL high-dose group were obtained. After pathway enrichment analysis， we selected the targets which were closely related to neuroinflammation for validation， and predicted the specific binding sites of the major active components in HOL with the targets through molecular docking. In addition， the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-10 （IL-10） were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） to evaluate the effect of HOL on neuroinflammation in NP rats. ResultCompared with the sham group， SNL decreased the mechanical pain threshold and cold pain threshold （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， HOL recovered the mechanical pain threshold and cold pain threshold （P<0.05）. The transcriptome data showed that 376 differentially expressed genes （DEGs） were identified between the model group and the sham group， including 124 upregulated genes and 252 downregulated genes， and 194 DEGs between the model group and the high-dose HOL group， including 33 upregulated genes and 161 downregulated genes. Among them， insulin-like growth factor 1（IGF1）， matrix metallopeptidase-2 （MMP-2）， matrix metallopeptidase-14 （MMP-14）， erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 （ERBB2）， and integrin subunit alpha 5 （ITGA5） associated with NP were selected for further validation. The Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） results showed that compared with the sham group， the modeling up-gurelated the mRNA levels of the above five molecules in the hippocampus （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， HOL down-regulated the mRNA levels of these molecules （P<0.01）. The molecular docking results showed that the main active components of safflower， hydroxysafflor yellow A， kaempferol， and quercetin， formed stable hydrogen bonds with the amino acid residues of IGF1， MMP-2， MMP-14， ERBB2， and ITGA5. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） results showed that compared with those in the sham group， the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-10 were out of balance in the model rats （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， HOL lowered the level of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α （P<0.01） and elevated that of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 （P<0.05）. ConclusionHOL exerts analgesic effect on SNL rats by inhibiting neuroinflammation.

Objective : To examine the association between acute exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP) NOX and NO2 and outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases. Methods : Data regarding outpatient visits to Department of Respiratory Diseases of Beijing Children's Hospital from 2015 to 2020 were collected, and the concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOX), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other TRAP were collected from the surveillance sites assigned by the Peking University Health Science Center. A time-stratified case-crossover design was employed, and a conditional logistic regression model was created to examine the association between NOX and NO2 acute exposure and outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases. Results : The daily mean outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases were 571 (interquartile range, 554) person-times among children at ages of 0 to 14 years in Beijing Children's Hospital from 2015 to 2020, and the daily mean outpatient visits for upper respiratory tract infections (URI), bronchitis, and pneumonia were 265 (interquartile range, 282), 143 (interquartile range, 178) and 128 (interquartile range, 120) person-times, respectively. The daily mean concentrations of atmospheric NOX and NO2 were 67.8 (interquartile range, 50.7) and 49.3 (interquartile range, 30.7) μg/m3, respectively. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed the largest lagged effect of NOX and NO2 on pediatric respiratory diseases at cumulative lags of 0 to 7 days. An increase in NOX concentrations by an interquartile range resulted in the excess risks of URI, bronchitis and pneumonia by 6.87% (95%CI: 6.37%-7.38%), 7.25% (95%CI: 6.51%-7.99%), and 5.51% (95%CI: 4.69%-6.33%), and an increase in NO2 concentrations by an interquartile range resulted in excess risks of URI, bronchitis and pneumonia by 5.71% (95%CI: 5.12%-6.31%), 5.32% (95%CI: 4.51%-6.14%), and 4.83% (95%CI: 3.91%-5.75%), respectively. NOX and NO2 presented a more remarkable effect on outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases among children at ages of over 5 years. Conclusion NOx and NO2 acute exposure may increase the outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases.