Objective To investigate the role and potential mechanism of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1)⁺ macrophages in the formation of chronic renal allograft fibrosis. Methods The expression features of SPP1⁺ macrophages in renal allografts of chronic allograft dysfunction (CAD) patients were analyzed based on single-cell transcriptome data of renal tissues from patients with CAD. Transcription factor VIPER analysis and DoRothEA transcription factor activity analysis were performed on the single-cell transcriptome data. Renal tissue samples were collected from kidney transplant recipients, including the CAD group (n=5) and the non-renal allograft fibrosis group (CTL group, n=5). A mouse model of chronic allograft rejection was established and divided into the allogeneic kidney transplantation group (CAD group, n=3) and the syngeneic kidney transplantation group (SYN group, n=3). Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to detect renal tissue injury in mice, and Masson staining was used to detect renal tissue fibrosis. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect SPP1 expression in renal tissues of transplant recipients and mouse renal allografts. Bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were extracted from mice and subjected to hypoxia stimulation. The expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and SPP1 was detected by Western blot, and SPP1 expression was detected by flow cytometry. BMDMs were transfected with HIF-1α overexpression plasmid and HIF-1α small interfering RNA (siRNA) followed by hypoxia intervention, and the expression of HIF-1α and SPP1 was detected by Western blot. Mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs) were co-cultured with the supernatant of BMDMs, and the expression of endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT)-related markers was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. Results Single-cell transcriptome analysis showed that the proportion of SPP1⁺ macrophages in renal allograft tissues was significantly higher in the CAD group than in the CTL group (P<0.05). The renal injury score and the percentage of interstitial fibrotic area in the CAD group were significantly higher than those in the SYN group (both P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that the proportion of SPP1⁺ macrophages was increased in the CAD group compared with the CTL group, and also increased in the CAD group compared with the SYN group (both P<0.05). VIPER analysis and DoRothEA transcription factor activity analysis revealed activation of the hypoxia pathway and upregulated expression of transcription factors such as HIF-1α in SPP1⁺ macrophages. SPP1 expression was elevated in BMDMs under hypoxic conditions. Knockdown of HIF-1α inhibited hypoxia-induced SPP1 protein expression, whereas overexpression of HIF-1α upregulated SPP1 protein levels. After co-culture of hypoxia-induced BMDMs with MAECs, the expression levels of EndMT-related markers were increased. Conclusions SPP1⁺ macrophages differentiated under hypoxia are significantly infiltrated in the formation of chronic renal allograft fibrosis, and may promote renal allograft fibrosis by inducing EndMT in renal vascular endothelial cells.

HBV DNA integration （iDNA） is the core barrier that must be overcome to achieve functional cure for chronic hepatitis B （CHB） and to prevent the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. During reverse transcription， 5%　—　10% of viral genomes are converted into double-stranded linear DNA that is randomly inserted into host chromosomes， generating stable iDNA and continuously producing HBsAg， thereby driving B- and T-cell immune exhaustion and locking the host in an immune-tolerant state. The process of iDNA runs throughout the entire natural history of HBV infection， and the viral enhancers it carries can promote clonal hyperplasia of indeterminate potential， accumulate pre-neoplastic mutations， and ultimately lead to HCC. Although long-term nucleos（t）ide analog or interferon therapy can suppress viral replication and reduce the formation of new integrations， existing therapies still fail to eliminate existing iDNA. Therefore， there is an urgent need for innovative strategies that can precisely target integration breakpoints， epigenetically silence iDNA， or eradicate integrated clones， so as to significantly increase the functional cure rate of CHB and fundamentally reduce the risk of HCC.

Objective:To explore the mechanisms of action of Huanglian Jiedu decoction combined with Xijiao Dihuang decoction (HLJDT-XJDH) in regulating fibroblasts in the treatment of psoriasis. Methods:A mouse model of psoriasis was established by topical application of imiquimod 5% cream on the shaved back; HLJDT-XJDH at different doses of 7.7 and 30.6 g/kg was administered via gavage for intervention, and methotrexate (2 mg/kg) served as a positive control; after 7 days, the severity of skin lesions was assessed using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), while histopathological changes of skin tissues were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Baker scoring. For in vitro experiments, fibroblasts were divided into a control group, a model group, a low-dose (5% drug-containing serum) intervention group, and a high-dose (20% drug-containing serum) intervention group; cells in the control group were cultured with 20% normal rat serum for 24 hours; in the model group, cells cultured with 20% normal rat serum were stimulated with 5 ng/ml tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α and 50 ng/ml interleukin (IL) -17A for 24 hours to mimic fibroblasts during the occurrence of psoriasis; cells in the low- and high-dose intervention groups received the same stimulation as the model group, and were cultured for 24 hours with 5% and 20% HLJDT-XJDH-containing serum, respectively, but not with the 20% normal rat serum. After the above treatment, these cells were co-cultured with keratinocytes (HaCaT cells) using a Transwell system. In addition, on the basis of the control group, fibroblasts were divided into the model group, 20% drug-containing serum intervention group, and 20% drug-containing serum intervention + OE-SFRP2 group; TNF-α and IL-17A were used to stimulate the cells to simulate the psoriatic state; the treatment in the 20% drug-containing serum intervention group was carried out as previously described; in the 20% drug-containing serum intervention + OE-SFRP2 group, cells were transfected with the vector for 48 hours to establish an overexpression model, followed by culture with 20% drug-containing serum for 24 hours, without co-culture with HaCaT cells.. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was performed to assess cell viability, flow cytometry to measure apoptosis rates, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) as well as chemokine ligand (CXCL) 1 and CXCL12 in mouse serum or cell culture supernatant, qPCR to determine the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, cell cycle- and proliferation-related factors, as well as SFRP2 in mouse skin tissues or cells, and Western blot analysis to determine the protein expression of SFRP2, Wnt3a, and β-catenin in fibroblasts. One-way analysis of variance was employed for intergroup comparisons, and post-hoc analysis was conducted using Tukey's test. Results:In vivo mouse experiments showed that compared with the normal control group, the model group exhibited typical psoriatic characteristics in skin morphology, including significant inflammatory infiltration in skin tissues and marked epidermal thickening; compared with the normal control group, the serum levels of TNF-α (531.16 ± 28.27 pg/ml vs. 239.58 ± 10.39 pg/ml), IL-1β (111.40 ± 5.16 pg/ml vs. 80.35 ± 3.87 pg/ml), and IL-6 (109.17 ± 4.84 pg/ml vs. 71.73 ± 2.04 pg/ml) significantly increased in the model group, along with their mRNA expression levels in mouse skin tissues (all P < 0.001) ; compared with the model group, the treatment group showed alleviated psoriatic manifestations, and significant reductions in the levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α (low-dose, high-dose, and positive control groups: 420.80 ± 29.30 pg/ml, 322.33 ± 9.40 pg/ml, 322.97 ± 12.16 pg/ml, respectively), IL-1β (98.69 ± 4.49 pg/ml, 89.02 ± 1.56 pg/ml, 88.88 ± 2.08 pg/ml, respectively), and IL-6 (94.07 ± 3.76 pg/ml, 80.54 ± 3.30 pg/ml, 83.21 ± 3.18 pg/ml, respectively), as well as in their mRNA expression levels (all P < 0.001). In in vitro fibroblast experiments, compared with the control group, the model group exhibited a significant elevation in the supernatant levels of IL-1β (126.42 ± 3.56 pg/ml vs. 34.81 ± 0.44 pg/ml), IL-6 (459.44 ± 9.35 pg/ml vs. 115.51 ± 7.26 pg/ml), CXCL1 (2 434.88 ± 127.63 pg/ml vs. 762.85 ± 30.60 pg/ml) and CXCL12 (3 542.14 ± 35.86 pg/ml vs. 2 095.86 ± 45.12 pg/ml), the expression levels of their mRNAs (all P < 0.001), as well as the protein expression levels of SFRP2, Wnt3a, and β-catenin; after intervention with HLJDT-XJDH-containing serum, all the above indices significantly decreased (all P < 0.001). However, when 20% drug-containing serum intervention was administered simultaneously, the expression of inflammatory factors and chemokines in fibroblasts was significantly higher in the SFRP2 overexpression group than in the non-overexpression group (all P < 0.01). When fibroblasts were co-cultured with HaCaT cells, the model group showed significantly increased cell viability but a decreased apoptosis rate of HaCaT cells compared with the control group, while the low- and high-dose intervention groups showed significantly decreased cell viability but increased apoptosis rates of HaCaT cells compared with the model group (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:HLJDT-XJDH may exert therapeutic effects in psoriasis by downregulating the SFRP2/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting fibroblast activation and inflammatory process, which subsequently suppresses the proliferation of keratinocytes and the activation of inflammatory cells.

Objective To describe the clinical features of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis(PSC)in China based on a nationwide multicenter patient cohort,and to investigate the risk factors for prognosis.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted among the patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PSC based on the electronic medical record system of seven grade A tertiary hospitals across the country,and related data were extracted.The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate liver transplant-free survival,and the log-rank test was used for comparison of survival rate between PSC patients with different features.The Cox regression model was used to identify independent risk factors for the prognosis of PSC patients and the interactions between key factors.Results A total of 107 patients were enrolled,among whom 55.6%(55/99)had large-duct PSC and 29.0%(31/107)had comorbidity with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).The positivity rate of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody(ANCA)was 32.9%(24/73),and 50.0%(40/80)of the patients had an increase in IgG/IgM.The median symptom-to-diagnosis interval was 1 year(<1-4.0),and 38.3%(41/107)of the patients had progressed to decompensated cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis.The median liver transplant-free survival time was 114 months(95%confidence interval[CI]:62-166),with a 5-year survival rate of 65.7%.The multivariate analysis showed that an increase in total bile acid(TBA)(hazard ratio[HR]=1.006,95%CI:1.002-1.010,P=0.001)and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval(HR=1.252,95%CI:1.059-1.480,P=0.009)were independent risk factors for prognosis.The interaction analysis showed that compared with the female patients with TBA<50 μmol/L,both male and female patients with TBA≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(male:HR=16.563,95%CI:2.103-130.449,P<0.001;female:HR=17.009,95%CI:2.113-136.934,P<0.001),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a TBA level of<50 μmol/L,the patients with an age of≥45 years and a TBA level of≥50 μmol/L had a significant increase in the risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=10.729,95%CI:1.325-86.859,P=0.026).Compared with the female patients with an symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the male patients with a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.825,95%CI:1.725-13.644,P=0.003),and compared with the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of≤2 years,the patients with an age of<45 years and a symptom-to-diagnosis interval of>2 years had an increased risk of liver transplantation or death(HR=4.983,95%CI:1.366-18.173,P=0.015).Conclusion Compared with the reports from Western countries,large-duct PSC is also the main type of PSC in China,but with a relatively low proportion,and there is also a relatively low proportion of patients with IBD or positive ANCA.An increase in TBA and a prolonged symptom-to-diagnosis interval are independent risk factors for prognosis,with significant interactions with age and sex.This suggests that early screening and intervention should be enhanced to improve prognosis.

Objective To understand the clinical characteristics of patients with Streptococcus anginosus group(SAG)pulmonary abscess and resistance of SAG.Methods 67 patients with pulmonary abscess admitted to a hos-pital from January 2018 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed,clinical data of patients with SAG pulmonary abscess were analyzed,and the minimum inhibitory concentration of antimicrobial agents to 18 SAG strains was de-tected by microbroth dilution method,the carriage of resistance genes and virulence genes of SAG were detected by high-throughput sequencing technology.Results Among 67 patients with pulmonary abscess,SAG accounted for 29.9％(20/67),out of which 2 were excluded due to bacterial inactivation,and 18 patients were included for fur-ther studies.18 patients with SAG pulmonary abscess were all community acquired,with an average age of(60.9±9.1)years.There were 13(72.2％)male patients,most patients(94.4％)complicated chronic pulmonary disease,with cough(94.4％)and expectoration(88.9％)as the initial symptoms,some patients(44.4％)had chest pain,and more than half(61.1％)didn't have fever.The proportion of neutrophils,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,and C-reactive protein were mostly elevated,while procalcitonin was normal.The resistance rate of 18 SAG strains to erythromycin,clindamycin,and tetracycline was＞65％,out of which 14 strains carried resistance gene ermB,13 strains carried resistance gene tetM,and 1 strain carried both resistance gene msrD and mefA.18 SAG strains were detected virulence gene psaA,out of which 3 strains were detected virulence gene nan A.Conclusion SAG is an im-portant pathogen that causes pulmonary abscess,and the patients'complications are mainly chronic pulmonary di-seases,with non-specific clinical manifestations;Most strains carry ermB and tetM genes,mediating resistance to macrolides,lincosamides,and tetracyclines.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the rules of acupoint selection and compatibility of acupuncture and moxibustion in treatment of chronic cough using data mining. METHODS: The ancient and modern medical record cloud platform, and the databases, i.e. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, EMbase, Web of Science and PubMed, were searched to screen the ancient and modern literature on acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of chronic cough. The prescription database was established for acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of chronic cough, and the analysis conducted on the frequency and use percentage in the aspects of intervention measures, acupoint selection, acupoint distribution, meridian tropism, special points and acupoint combination, as well as the association rules and clustering rules of acupoint selection. The subgroup analysis was performed in accordance with the etiology of chronic cough and intervention measures. RESULTS: A total of 106 articles were included and 158 prescriptions were extracted. The intervention measures were acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medication and the combination of several measures. The high-frequency acupoints included Feishu (BL13), Zusanli (ST36), Dazhui (GV14), Pishu (BL20), Danzhong (CV17), Shenshu (BL23), Lieque (LU7), Dingchuan (EX-B1), Tiantu (CV22), and Fenglong (ST40). These acupoints are mainly distributed on the back, lumbar region, chest and abdomen. The involved meridians were bladder meridian of foot-taiyang, conception vessel, and lung meridian of hand-taiyin. The special points covered back-shu points, crossing points and five-shu point. Regarding the compatibility of acupoints, the combination of upper and lower points, and the combination of front and back points were predominant in treatment. The analysis of association rules found that the support of Feishu (BL13)→Zusanli (ST36) was the highest; the cluster analysis obtained 8 clusters of acupoints. The acupoint compatibility and overall rules were similar when cough variant asthma (CVA) or the mixed reasons were involved, and the local treatment approach was adopted if the etiology of disease was related to upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) and gastroesophageal reflux cough (GERC). The acupoint selection was similar among different intervention measures. When two kinds of measures were combined in treatment, Feishu (BL13), Pishu (BL20) and Zusanli (ST36) were the most common. CONCLUSION In treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion for chronic cough, the acupoints are selected on the affected local area, depending on syndrome differentiation, and focusing on back-shu points. The main acupoints are Feishu (BL13), Zusanli (ST36), Dazhui (GV14), Pishu (BL20), Danzhong (CV17) and Shenshu (BL23). The combined therapy is dominant with acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal medicine involved.
Acupuncture Points ; Moxibustion/history* ; Humans ; Cough/history* ; Acupuncture Therapy/history* ; Chronic Disease/therapy* ; Data Mining ; History, Ancient ; Meridians ; Chronic Cough

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, and clinical outcomes of ventricular electrical storm.Methods:This study was a descriptive cross-sectional analysis. Patients with ventricular electrical storm admitted to the Department of cardiology, General Hospital of Northern Theater command between July 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023 were enrolled. A retrospective analysis was conducted on their demographic data, clinical characteristics, etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome.Results:A total of 20 patients with ventricular electrical storm were enrolled, aged (62.4±12.0) years, including 13 males. There were 11 cases of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), 1 case of previous myocardial infarction complicated with ischemic cardiomyopathy, 4 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, and 4 cases of valvular disease. Electrocardiographic manifestations comprised monomorphic ventricular tachycardia in 3 cases, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in 6 cases, ventricular fibrillation in 4 cases, and polymorphic ventricular tachycardia combined with ventricular fibrillation in 7 cases. Antiarrhythmic therapy primarily involved amiodarone, combined with β-blockers and adjunctive agents such as lidocaine and nifekalant, along with sedation, hypothermia, and anti-heart failure treatment. Ten out of 11 AMI patients underwent successful revascularization, while 1 received medical therapy due to small vessel size. Ten patients met indications for implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy, with 9 receiving ICD implantation during hospitalization and 1 refusing. Three patients underwent radiofrequency ablation. Two in-hospital deaths occurred due to refractory malignant arrhythmias. During a follow-up of (7.36±2.74) months, 10 out of 11 AMI patients remained free from recurrent ventricular tachycardia and ICD discharges, while 1 was hospitalized twice for heart failure. Both ICD-treated patients with DCM had appropriate shocks for ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation confirmed by device interrogation. Two additional deaths occurred during follow-up: 1 AMI patient (who refused ICD implantation) died from arrhythmia, and 1 post-mitral valve replacement patient succumbed to heart failure.Conclusion:Ventricular electrical storm represents a life-threatening emergency with poor prognosis, requiring a comprehensive treatment strategy that includes identification and management of triggers, treatment of the underlying disease, standardized drug therapy, and when necessary, adjunctive interventions such as catheter ablation, ICD implantation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may contribute to reduce mortality and improve prognosis.

Objective To investigate the post-intervention experiences in elderly stroke patients who received the group-based acceptance and commitment therapy(ACT)and to provide a reference to improve the group-based ACT intervention strategies for the patients.Methods With the descriptive phenomenological research,the semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 elderly stroke patients who had received the group-based ACT intervention for 6 months in a Tier-IIIA hospital in Hunan Province between May and July 2023.The data acquired from the interviews were analysed using the Colaizzi method.Results The experiences in elderly stroke patients with the group-based ACT intervention were categorised into three main themes and ten sub-themes:(1)The impact of intervention on the psychology and spirit(change cognition and accept oneself;enhance awareness and reflect on oneself;clarify values and adapt to oneself;disengage from suffering and achieve dissociation;understand suffering and discover a sense of meaning in life);(2)Behavioural changes brought by the intervention(change approaches to improve health;engage in rehabilitation exercises and build confidence;enhance social interactions and integrate into life);(3)Suggestions for the intervention program(tailor to the physiological characteristics of the elderly;adapt to the psychological characteristics of the elderly).Conclusion The group-based ACT intervention has a beneficial effect on the psychological,spiritual and behavioural changes in the elderly stroke patients.The intervention programs should be improved according to the physical and mental characteristics therefore to improve the mental health of elderly stroke patients.

This study aims to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of the combined ac-tion of high-fat diet-induced obesity and the aflatoxin B1(AFB1)on hepatic oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.Thirty-six rats of similar weight and 4 weeks old were randomly divided into 4 groups,with 9 rats in each group:the blank control group(basal diet),the AFB1 group(0.4 mg/kg AFB1+basal diet),the HFD group(high-fat diet),and the HFD+AFB1 group(high-fat diet+0.4 mg/kg AFB1).Histological changes and lipid deposition were observed via hematox-ylin-eosin(HE)staining and Oil Red O staining.Levels of oxidative stress and inflammation-relat-ed factors were measured using commercial assay kits.The relative protein expression levels of factors involved in the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway were assessed by Western blot analysis.The HE staining results showed that in the AFB1 group,the liver cells exhibited widespread watery de-generation,with shrunk and ruptured nuclei,inflammatory cells infiltration,and increased fibrosis.In the HFD group,liver cell fatty degeneration was observed,with cytoplasmic lipid droplet infil-tration.In the portal area,liver fibrosis was seen,with liver cell necrosis and inflammatory cell in-filtration in the fibrotic area,accompanied by lipofuscous granules.When HFD was applied to the AFB1 group,the abnormal state of liver interstitial and interstitial spaces was further aggravated,and a large number of lipid droplets appeared.The Oil Red O staining results showed that there were large numbers of dark red lipid droplets in the liver tissue of the HFD group,which were fused in strands.In the AFB1 group,lipid droplets could also be observed in the liver tissue of rats,but the number and degree were significantly less than those in the HFD group.The number and degree of red lipid droplets in the liver tissue of rats in the HFD+AFB1 group were higher than those in the AFB1 group and the HFD group.HFD exacerbated AFB1-induced oxidative stress by elevating ROS,MDA levels,and decreasing the expression of antioxidant stress factors such as CAT,SOD,Nrf2,HO-1,NQO1,and GCLC.Furthermore,the combined effect of HFD and AFB1 further significantly increased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-2,IL-6,TNF-α,and IL-1β in the body.In summary,HFD treatment significantly exacerbated liver oxidative stress and in-flammatory responses in rats exposed to AFB1 through the Nrf2-keap1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To study the risk factors of thyroid nodules in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods:Data of patients with type 2 diabetes with normal thyroid function admitted to the Department of Endocrinology of Heze Municipal Hospital from January to June 2024 were collected. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of thyroid nodules in patients with type 2 diabetes, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of each influencing factor.Results:Among 162 patients with type 2 diabetes, 96 had thyroid nodules, accounting for 59.3%. The incidence of thyroid nodules in women was significantly higher than that in men (χ 2 = 4.56, P = 0.034). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age (≥50 years old), overweight and obesity [body mass index (BMI)≥24.0 kg/m 2], high glycated hemoglobin (≥10%), and high total cholesterol ( > 6.5 mmol/L) were independent risk factors for thyroid nodules in patients with type 2 diabetes ( OR = 1.83, 1.67, 1.08, 3.65, P < 0.05), and men was an independent protective factor ( OR = 0.63, P = 0.039). The ROC curve results showed that total cholesterol and total cholesterol combined with glycated hemoglobin could distinguish patients with thyroid nodules from those without thyroid nodules, with AUC = 0.64 and 0.68, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusions:The incidence of thyroid nodules in patients with type 2 diabetes is relatively high. Age, overweight and obesity, high glycated hemoglobin, and high total cholesterol are independent risk factors for thyroid nodules in patients with type 2 diabetes, and total cholesterol has the ability to distinguish patients with thyroid nodules.