BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and recurrent autoinflammatory disease, imposes a substantial burden on patients and society. Awareness of GPP in China remains limited. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2023 across 14 hospitals in China, included GPP patients of all ages and disease phases. Data collected encompassed demographics, clinical characteristics, economic impact, disease severity, quality of life, and treatment-related complications. Risk factors for GPP recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 127 patients (female/male ratio = 1.35:1), the mean age of disease onset was 25 years (1st quartile [Q1]-3rd quartile [Q3]: 11-44 years); 29.2% had experienced GPP for more than 10 years. Recurrence occurred in 75.6% of patients, and nearly half reported no identifiable triggers. Younger age at disease onset ( P  = 0.021) and transitioning to plaque psoriasis ( P  = 0.022) were associated with higher recurrence rates. The median diagnostic delay was 8 months (Q1-Q3: 2-41 months), and 32.3% of patients reported misdiagnoses. Comorbidities were present in 53.5% of patients, whereas 51.1% experienced systemic complications during treatment. Depression and anxiety affected 84.5% and 95.6% of patients, respectively. During GPP flares, the median Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 19.0 (Q1-Q3: 13.0-23.5). This score showed significant differences between patients with and without systemic symptoms; it demonstrated correlations with both depression and anxiety scores. Treatment costs caused financial hardship in 55.9% of patients, underscoring the burden associated with GPP. CONCLUSIONS The substantial disease and economic burdens among Chinese GPP patients warrant increased attention. Patients with early onset disease and those transitioning to plaque psoriasis require targeted interventions to mitigate the high recurrence risk.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Psoriasis/pathology* ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Child ; Young Adult ; Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of Chinese medicine (CM) Lianhua Qingwen Granule (LHQW) and Jingyin Gubiao Prescription (JYGB) in asymptomatic or mild patients with Omicron infection in the shelter hospital. METHODS: This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted in the largest shelter hospital in Shanghai, China, from April 10, 2022 to May 30, 2022. A total of 56,244 asymptomatic and mild Omicron cases were included and divided into 4 groups, i.e., non-administration group (23,702 cases), LHQW group (11,576 cases), JYGB group (12,112 cases), and dual combination of LHQW and JYGB group (8,854 cases). The length of stay (LOS) in the hospital was used to assess the effectiveness of LHQW and JYGB treatment on Omicron infection. RESULTS: Patients aged 41-60 years, with nadir threshold cycle (C_T) value of N gene <25, or those fully vaccinated preferred to receive CM therapy. Before or after propensity score matching (PSM), the multiple linear regression showed that LHQW and JYGB treatment were independent influence factors of LOS (both P<0.001). After PSM, there were significant differences in LOS between the LHQW/JYGB combination and the other groups (P<0.01). The results of factorial design ANOVA proved that the LHQW/JYGB combination therapy synergistically shortened LOS (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS Patients with a nadir C_T value <25 were more likely to accept CM. The LHQW/JYGB combination therapy could shorten the LOS of Omicron-infected individuals in an isolated environment.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Hospitalization ; COVID-19 Drug Treatment ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Length of Stay ; Young Adult ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: Huachansu injection (HCSI), a promising anti-cancer Chinese medicine injection, has been reported to have the potential for reducing the toxicity of chemotherapy and improving the quality of life for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The objective of this study is to explore the synergistic and detoxifying effects of HCSI when used in combination with irinotecan (CPT-11). METHODS: To investigate the effect of HCSI on anti-CRC efficacy and intestinal toxicity of CPT-11, we measured changes in the biological behavior of LoVo cells in vitro, and anti-tumor effects in LoVo cell xenograft nude mice models in vivo. Meanwhile, the effect of HCSI on intestinal toxicity and the uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) expression was investigated in the CPT-11-induced colitis mouse model. Subsequently, we measured the effect of HCSI and its 13 constituent bufadienolides on the expression of UGT1A1 and organic anion transporting polypeptides 1B3 (OATP1B3) in HepG2 cells. RESULTS: The combination index (CI) results showed that the combination of HCSI and CPT-11 exhibited a synergistic effect (CI < 1), which significantly suppressing the LoVo cell migration, enhancing G2/M and S phase arrest, and inhibiting tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, the damage to intestinal tissues was attenuated by HCSI in CPT-11-induced colitis model, while the increased expression of UGT1A1 in HepG2 cells and in mouse was observed. CONCLUSION The co-therapy with HCSI alleviated the intestinal toxicity induced by CPT-11 and exerted an enhanced anti-CRC effect. The detoxifying mechanism may be related to the increased expression of UGT1A1 and OATP1B3 by HCSI and its bufadienolides components. The findings of this study may serve as a theoretical insights and strategies to improve CRC patient outcomes. Please cite this article as: Jiang B, Meng ZY, Hu YJ, Chen JJ, Zong L, Xu LY, Zhang XQ, Zhang JX, Han YL. Huachansu injection enhances anti-colorectal cancer efficacy of irinotecan and alleviates its induced intestinal toxicity through upregulating UGT1A1-OATP1B3 expression in vitro and in vivo. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):576-590.
Irinotecan/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Glucuronosyltransferase/genetics* ; Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Nude ; Mice ; Up-Regulation/drug effects* ; Male ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Hep G2 Cells ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Intestines/drug effects* ; Amphibian Venoms

Objective To explore whether renal denervation (RDN) could improve the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of patients with heart failure (HF) on the basis of guideline-directed management and therapy (GDMT). Methods From January 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024, HF patients diagnosed as dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) who underwent RDN in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were retrospectively enrolled, all patients had received GDMT for at least three months but the LVEF remained below 55%. Parameters of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) at baseline, during GDMT, and after RDN were compared to analyze whether RDN can further improve the LVEF of patients on the basis of GDMT. Results A total of 7 HF patients diagnosed with DCM were enrolled, the mean age was (52.86±9.86) years old, and 5(71.4%) were male. After an average of (9.29±8.06) months of GDMT, LVEF significantly increased from baseline (34.86%±10.22%) to (44.57%±5.59%, P=0.024).Three months after RDN, LVEF was further significantly improved (54.43%±9.05%, P=0.026). The average follow-up after RDN was (11.00±4.12) months. The LVEF remained stable (54.86%±7.10%, P=0.805), and no adverse events occurred in the patients. Conclusions RDN can further enhance the LVEF of HF patients on the basis of GDMT.

Objective: To analyze the use of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among male students who had sex with men (MSM) with different sexual behavior patterns using potential categories, so as to provide evidence for determining the use patterns of PrEP consistent with MSM. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted by proportional sampling method on MSM in 31 provincial administrative regions in mainland China from 20 October to 30 December 2021, a total of 1 040 students were selected for the study. Latent variable analyses were conducted on a total of seven sexual behavioral characteristics, including knowledge of sexual partner HIV infection, frequency of condom use, number of sexual partners, engaging in group sex, provision of commercial sex, use of sex aids, and history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the past year. And demographic characteristics were analyzed by Logistic regression analysis. The rates of PrEP awareness, willingness to use and usage rate in different sexual behavior risk groups were investigated. Results: Student MSM could be divided into two potential category groups:a lowrisk behavior group (82.4%) and a highrisk behavior group (17.6%). The PrEP usage rate (15.8%) was higher in the highrisk behavior group, and the difference was statistically significant compared to the lowrisk behavior group (7.2%) (χ2=13.43, P<0.05). Student MSM residing in the northeast, south, and northwest of China, in the pilot city, and with a sex role of "0.5" (possible acceptance and insertion of sexual behavior) were more likely to be in the highrisk behavior group (OR=3.13, 3.07, 3.87, 2.22, 1.66, P<0.05). Conclusion Student MSM in highrisk and lowrisk sexual differs in the behavior of PrEP, and targeted interventions should be implemented to promote the use of PrEP and reduce HIV infection in this population.

【Objective】 To investigate the reasonable serological detection method by analyzing the characteristics of anti-K and anti-Wr^a from a patient who received treatment with daratumumab. 【Methods】 Unexpected antibody screening and identification were performed by saline method, polybrene, cardioagglutinin, dithiothreitol (DTT) treatment, trypsin treatment and papain treatment in the patient's plasma and acid elution solution. Heat elution test was detected after absorbing patient serum with K antigen negative red blood cells. The characteristics of antibodies were analyzed and their titer was continuously detected. Cross matching was performed after excluding interference of daratumumab. 【Results】 Anti-K and anti-Wr^a were detected in saline and polybrene in the patient's plasma. The patient's elution solution contained daratumumab. DTT or trypsin treatment excluded interference of daratumumab but papain treatment did not. DTT treatment destroyed K antigen and missed the detection of IgG antibodies in the Kell system. Trypsin treatment did not affect K antigen and can detect IgG antibodies of Kell system(anti-k)in the serum of the patient treated with daratumumab. Anti K was IgM and the titer was 4 by saline method and it decreased to no agglutination in room temperature after 39 days. Anti-Wr^a was IgG and the titer by polybrene method was 4, and it decreased to 1 after 39 days. After 76 days, neither anti-K nor anti-Wr^a could be detected. Transfusions of K and Wr^a antigen negative red blood cells were safe and effective. 【Conclusion】 DTT treatment can exclude interference of daratumumab, but attention should be paid to missed detection of anti-K. To avoid interference of daratumumab and identify unexpected antibody, multiple methods such as DTT treatment, polybrene and trypsin treatment in combination are recommended.

Objective: To investigate the current situation and related factors of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV infected male students engaging in men who have sex with men (MSM), so as to provide the reference data for HIV prevention and treatment. Methods: In November 2021, 137 MSM students from 31 provincial administrative regions in China were recruited. An online survey was conducted to collect data on demographic characteristics, ART status, CD4 count, and HIV viral load before treatment. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors related the effectiveness of ART in MSM. Results: Among the included research subjects, 14.6% had late detection of HIV,97.1% of participants were currently undergoing ART. Among those whose ART duration was less than 6 months, while 76.9% were undergoing ART. Logistic regression indicated that HIV infected students who received ART for more than 24 months ( OR =5.28, 95% CI =1.38-20.22) had a higher rate of successful HIV suppression. HIV infected students who reported physical sensory side effects ( OR =0.08, 95% CI =0.01-0.71) and cognitive side effects ( OR =0.28, 95% CI =0.09-0.90) were more likely to experience failure of ARI inhibition ( P <0.05). Conclusions There is still room for improvement in the efficacy of ART among MSM students. Strategies to improve treatment adherence must consider individual variances among HIV infected patients and the side effects of medications when designing treatment plans.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ivabradine in the treatment of chronic heart failure （CHF） in the context of “Quadruple Therapy” from the perspective of the health system. METHODS Based on real-world cohort data， the Markov model was constructed according to the natural progression of CHF， with a cycle time of 3 months， a study timeframe of 20 years， and a discount rate of 5%. Using quality-adjusted life year （QALY） and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios （ICER） as the output indexes， the cost-utility analysis was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of ivabradine in combination with the “Quadruple Therapy” regimen， compared with the “Quadruple Therapy” regimen for the treatment of CHF， and the robustness of the results of the base analysis was verified by univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis. RESULTS The results of the base analysis showed that the ICER of ivabradine combined with the “Quadruple Therapy” regimen was 165 065.54 yuan/QALY， compared with the “Quadruple Therapy” regimen， which was lower than the willingness-to-pay （WTP） threshold （257 094 yuan/QALY） based on 3 times of China’s gross domestic product （GDP） per capita in 2022. The results of the univariate sensitivity analysis showed that the discount rate had the greatest impact on the robustness of the model. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the probability that the ivabradine combined with the “Quadruple Therapy” regimen was cost-effective under the WTP threshold in this study was 59.50%. CONCLUSIONS When using 3 times China’s 2022 GDP per capita （257 094 yuan/ QALY） as the WTP threshold， the combination of ivabradine and the “Quadruple Therapy” regimen for treating CHF is cost- effective.

Objective To investigate the infection of Chlamydia pneumoniae and mycoplasma pneumoniae in adults and their association with atherosclerosis,and to provide theoretical guidance for the prevention of such diseases. Methods A case-control study was used to collect 362 patients who were diagnosed with atherosclerosis from January 2019 to December 2021 in Department of Sichuan Bazhong Central Hospital, and 370 cases who were admitted to the hospital during the same period of physical examination without any cardiovascular disease were selected as the control group, and whole blood samples of the two groups of study subjects were collected, and the infection of Chlamydia pneumoniae and mycoplasma pneumoniae was detected by PCR. Results The infection rate of Chlamydia pneumoniae was 35.49%, the infection rate of mycoplasma was 40.37%, and the co-infection rate was 11.37%；The infection rate of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the control group was 12.04%, the infection rate of mycoplasma was 15.83%, and the coinfection rate was 3.14%, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ²=10.926, P=0.023). The effects of mycoplasma, chlamydia, and co-infection on atherosclerotic patients have sex differences, mainly manifested as higher infection rates in men; In addition, the effects of mycoplasma, chlamydia, and co-infection on atherosclerosis patients varied by age, mainly in the 55-70 years age group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression results showed that Chlamydia pneumoniae infection was a risk factor for atherosclerosis (OR=1.303, 95%CI: 1.043-1.677) in the whole population, and chlamydia pneumoniae (OR=1.472, 95% CI: 1.037-1.556), mycoplasma (OR=2.003, 95%CI: 1.637-3.842) and co-infection in men (OR=1.937, 95%CI: 1.380-2.184) were risk factors for atherosclerosis, while co-infection in women (OR=1.699, 95%CI: 1.263-1.765) was a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Conclusion Chlamydia pneumoniae and mycoplasma infection are risk factors for atherosclerosis, and their impact on male groups is greater, and more attention needs to be paid to them.

Objective: To explore the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness, willingness, uptake patterns, barriers and needs among Chinese student men who have sex with men (MSM), so as to provide relevant evidence for targeted interventions with PrEP. Methods: A proportional sampling method was used to conduct a cross sectional survey of MSM aged 16 years and older residing in 21 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in mainland China between October 20 and December 20, 2021, to collect information on demographic and sexual behavioral characteristics, and 923 students of them were selected as the subjects of this study. The chi-square test and Fisher s test were used for univariate analysis, followed by multivariate Logistic regression to analyze the influencing factors of PrEP awareness and uptake. Results: According to the cascade analysis method, the awareness, willingness, uptake and adherence rates of PrEP among the student MSM were obtained as 88.95%, 67.36%, 13.20% and 45.21 %, respectively. HIV testing more than once in the last 3 months, and all of them were aware of the HIV test results of their sexual partners, and those with high frequency of condom use had a higher rate of awareness ( OR =2.32, 1.79, 1.69, P <0.05). Willingness rates were higher for those from the pilot city, using substances, and HIV testing more than once in the last 3 months ( OR =2.13, 1.65, 1.69, P <0.05). Higher rates of uptake were found among those from high risk and pilot areas, presence of commercial sex, substance use, and high literacy ( OR =5.60, 3.54,2.81, 1.92, 4.54, P <0.05). Adherence rates were higher among those who used one pill per day or both ( OR =12.77, 13.26, P <0.05). The barriers and needs faced by student MSM were primarily personal concerns about medication side effects, preventative effects, and confidence in sexual behavioral styles, and the high cost of medication and related service costs. Conclusions The student MSM population in China is characterized by high awareness, low willingness, low uptake, and low adherence to PrEP. Targeted interventions should be considered and tailored by the departments to facilitate PrEP promotion among student MSM.