OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism by which Cuscuta chinensis flavonoids （CCF） promote decidualization and improve recurrent spontaneous abortion （RSA）. METHODS HTR-8/SVneo cells in logarithmic growth phase were randomly divided into blank group， lipopolysaccharide （LPS） group， CCF group， SGK2 inhibitor （GSK650394， abbreviated as “GSK”） group and CCF+GSK group. Each group was treated with the corresponding agents accordingly. HTR-8/SVneo cells with SGK2 knockdown were randomly divided into small interfering RNA of SGK2 （siSGK2） group and siSGK2+CCF group； additionally， blank group and LPS group were established； each group was treated with the corresponding agents accordingly. The cell survival rate， expression levels of WNK signaling pathway- and decidualization-related proteins and mRNAs， as well as mitochondrial membrane potential levels， were assessed in each group before and after SGK2 knockdown. RSA mice model was constructed and randomly divided into model group， CCF low-dose group， CCF high-dose group， GSK group， and combined dosing group， with 4 mice in each group. Other 4 normal pregnant female mice were selected as the control group. The number of implanted embryos， viable fetuses， and lost embryos in mice was recorded. The morphological changes of endometrium and decidualization were observed， and WNK signaling pathway- and decidualization-related proteins and mRNAs expressing levels as well as mitochondrial membrane potential levels were all detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， the cell survival rate， as well as the protein and mRNA expression levels of SGK2， WNK1， WNK4， prolactin， insulin-like growth factor- binding protein-1， oxidative stress responsive kinase 1， and Ste20-like proline-/alanine-rich kinase were significantly reduced in the LPS group （P＜0.05）； compared with the LPS group， the cell survival rate and the expression levels of the above- mentioned proteins and mRNAs were significantly increased in the CCF group， while the cell survival rate and the expression levels of the above-mentioned proteins and mRNAs were significantly decreased in the GSK group （P＜0.05）； compared with the CCF group， the cell survival rate and the expression levels of the above-mentioned proteins and mRNAs were significantly reduced in the CCF+GSK group （P＜0.05）. After knocking down SGK2， compared with the LPS group， the cell survival rate， red/green fluorescence intensity ratio， and the expression levels of the above-mentioned proteins and mRNAs were significantly reduced in the siSGK2 group （P＜0.05）； compared with the siSGK2 group， the cell survival rate， red/green fluorescence intensity ratio， and the expression levels of the above-mentioned proteins and mRNAs were significantly increased in the siSGK2+CCF group （P＜0.05）. The in vivo experimental results showed that CCF treatment can significantly improve the number of implanted embryos and viable fetuses in RSA model mice and reduce lost embryos， the expression levels of the above-mentioned proteins and mRNAs in endometrial tissue were significantly increased， and the red/green fluorescence intensity ratio was significantly increased （P＜ 0.05）； the combined dosing group could reverse the effect of CCF （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS CCF can activate SGK2， up- regulate the WNK signaling pathway， promote endometrial decidualization， and improve RSA.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics, disease spectrum, and laboratory characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus/cytomegalovirus (HIV/CMV) co-infection, to provide references for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. Clinical information of 544 HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients who underwent CMV-DNA tests in Beijing Ditan Hospital in 2023 was collected. Participants were categorized into CMV-infection group (126 cases) and non-CMV-infection group (418 cases). The prevalence of CMV infection was analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors for CMV/AIDS co-infection. The disease spectrum, laboratory characteristics, serum CMV-DNA load changes, treatment prognosis and outcomes in the CMV-infected group were evaluated. SPSS 27.0 was used for statistical analysis including the χ 2 test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results:The CMV infection rate among HIV/AIDS patients was 23.16% (126/544). Multivariate analysis identified low CD4 +T-lymphocyte count [<50 cells/μl; OR=27.962, 95% confidence interval( CI) 11.957-65.389] and high HIV RNA load (>1×10 5 copies/ml; OR=2.057, 95% CI 1.237-3.420) as independent risk factors for CMV co-infection in HIV/AIDS patients. Among the 126 HIV/CMV co-infected patients, CMV viremia was the most common manifestation (38.10%, 48/126), followed by CMV pneumonia (33.33%, 42/126) and CMV retinitis (11.90%, 15/126), which were mainly observed in patients with CD4 +T-lymphocyte counts <50 cells/μl. Of the patients receiving anti-CMV therapy, 80.70% (46/57) exhibited reduced CMV-DNA loads compared with baseline. Totally 29.82% (17/57) of those patients initiating antiretroviral therapy alone achieved CMV-DNA reduction compared with baseline. Overall, 80.16% (101/126) of patients achieved favorable prognosis. Conclusion:CMV co-infection is high in HIV/AIDS patients. Disease spectrum of HIV/CMV co-infection are dominated by CMV viremia and CMV pneumonia. Timely anti-CMV therapy is pivotal for reducing CMV-DNA loads and improving prognosis.

Objective:To understand trends and hotspots of TCM research papers published in journals with high IF basing on a bibliometric analysis.Methods:TCM research papers published between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2024 from 80 journals with IF higher than 16.0 were retrieved from medical, life sciences and comprehensive journals in Journal Citation Reports of 2024. CiteSpace 6.3.R1 and Excel 2021 were used to analyze and visualize annual publication volume, research fields, features of clinical study, institutes, funds and keywords.Results:A total of 51 papers were included, showing an increasing trend in annual publication volume; the main research areas were pharmacology, acupuncture&moxibustion and internal medicine. Multi-center randomized controlled trials were the main clinical studies; China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences was the leading institute in terms of publication volume; 84 funds were involved, including National Natural Science Foundation of China. Keywords that appeared most frequently were TCM, efficacy, double blind, electroacupuncture, stimulation and management.Conclusion:The number and quality of TCM research papers are improved simultaneously; future research needs to deepen international cooperation, and pay attention to the integration of TCM diagnosis and treatment characteristics and modern scientific research methods.

Objective:To investigate the expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer and its impact on prognosis, so as to evaluate its value as a potential biomarker.Methods:The TCGA, GEPIA, and UALCAN databases were used to retrospectively analyze the expression differences of BMPR1B-AS1 in gynecological tumors, and prognostic analysis was performed in combination with clinical data. The expression level of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines was verified by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to analyze its relationship with the prognosis of ovarian cancer.Results:Database analysis showed that the expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer was higher than that in the non-tumor group (all P<0.05), and high expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer was associated with better prognosis ( P<0.05). Experimental verification showed that the expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in benign ovarian tissues, and the expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer cell lines was higher than that in normal human ovarian epithelial cells ( P<0.05). Cox regression analysis indicated that high expression of BMPR1B-AS1 was an independent protective factor for the prognosis of ovarian cancer ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer is higher than that in non-tumor groups, and it is an independent protective factor for good prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. It may serve as a new biomarker, providing new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Objective:To investigate the expression of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer and its impact on prognosis, so as to evaluate its value as a potential biomarker.Methods:The TCGA, GEPIA, and UALCAN databases were used to retrospectively analyze the expression differences of BMPR1B-AS1 in gynecological tumors, and prognostic analysis was performed in combination with clinical data. The expression level of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines was verified by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to analyze its relationship with the prognosis of ovarian cancer.Results:Database analysis showed that the expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer was higher than that in the non-tumor group (all P<0.05), and high expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer was associated with better prognosis ( P<0.05). Experimental verification showed that the expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in benign ovarian tissues, and the expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer cell lines was higher than that in normal human ovarian epithelial cells ( P<0.05). Cox regression analysis indicated that high expression of BMPR1B-AS1 was an independent protective factor for the prognosis of ovarian cancer ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The expression of BMPR1B-AS1 in ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer is higher than that in non-tumor groups, and it is an independent protective factor for good prognosis in ovarian cancer patients. It may serve as a new biomarker, providing new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics, disease spectrum, and laboratory characteristics of human immunodeficiency virus/cytomegalovirus (HIV/CMV) co-infection, to provide references for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. Clinical information of 544 HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients who underwent CMV-DNA tests in Beijing Ditan Hospital in 2023 was collected. Participants were categorized into CMV-infection group (126 cases) and non-CMV-infection group (418 cases). The prevalence of CMV infection was analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors for CMV/AIDS co-infection. The disease spectrum, laboratory characteristics, serum CMV-DNA load changes, treatment prognosis and outcomes in the CMV-infected group were evaluated. SPSS 27.0 was used for statistical analysis including the χ 2 test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results:The CMV infection rate among HIV/AIDS patients was 23.16% (126/544). Multivariate analysis identified low CD4 +T-lymphocyte count [<50 cells/μl; OR=27.962, 95% confidence interval( CI) 11.957-65.389] and high HIV RNA load (>1×10 5 copies/ml; OR=2.057, 95% CI 1.237-3.420) as independent risk factors for CMV co-infection in HIV/AIDS patients. Among the 126 HIV/CMV co-infected patients, CMV viremia was the most common manifestation (38.10%, 48/126), followed by CMV pneumonia (33.33%, 42/126) and CMV retinitis (11.90%, 15/126), which were mainly observed in patients with CD4 +T-lymphocyte counts <50 cells/μl. Of the patients receiving anti-CMV therapy, 80.70% (46/57) exhibited reduced CMV-DNA loads compared with baseline. Totally 29.82% (17/57) of those patients initiating antiretroviral therapy alone achieved CMV-DNA reduction compared with baseline. Overall, 80.16% (101/126) of patients achieved favorable prognosis. Conclusion:CMV co-infection is high in HIV/AIDS patients. Disease spectrum of HIV/CMV co-infection are dominated by CMV viremia and CMV pneumonia. Timely anti-CMV therapy is pivotal for reducing CMV-DNA loads and improving prognosis.

Objective:To summarize the clinicopathologic characteristics of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver.Methods:The clinical data of 16 patients with undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver admitted to Shandong Provincial Hospital and Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital from Jan 2000 to Jan 2023 was retrospectively analyzed.Results:The diagnosis of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma in all the 16 patients was established by postoperative pathology. The clinical manifestations of the patients were mainly asymptomatic abdominal mass, abdominal pain and discomfort. The laboratory examination was mostly nonspecific, the image exam showed mostly solid cystic mass. 14 cases underwent radical surgical resection.The minimum survival time was 7 months, maximum survival time was 121 months with median survival time of 35.9 months.Conclusions:Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver is an extremely rare malignant tumor of the liver. The disease lacks specific clinical manifestations. CT examination can assist in the diagnosis of the disease. Diagnosis of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver depends on pathological examination. The prognosis of patients is poor, surgical resection of the tumor is an effective treatment.

Objective:To explore the interplay between tumor microenvironment (TME)-associated genes, cuproptosis, and the prognosis of liver cancer through transcriptome sequencing and functional genomics analysis.Methods:Employing a hybrid approach that integrates bioinformatics with fundamental experimental research, we utilized the TCGA database to acquireexpression profiles and clinical-pathological information from 424 liver hepatocellular carcinoma patients. We evaluated ImmuneScore and StromalScore to categorize patients into high and low groups, subsequently identifying differentially expressed genes (DEG) at the intersection of these groups. Core DEG were identified through univariate Cox regression analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. The association between the expression levels of core genes and the survival time of liver cancer patients was analyzed using the R language and Kaplan-Meier analysis, and verified using the Kaplan-Meier Plotter online database. We established a cuproptosis cell model and performed RNA-seq to examine gene expression alterations during copper-induced cell death, followed by in vitro cell experiments for verification.Results:A total of 1 701 and 2 041 DEG were llinked t ImmuneScore and StromalScore, respectively, encompassing 1 134 commonly upregulated genes and 60 commonly downregulated genes. The top 30 core genes from the PPI network's dominant nodes were cross-referenced with univariate Cox regression results, leading to the identification of the pivotal immune gene CCR7. CCR7 mRNA expression levels were higher in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues than in normal tissues ( P<0.05). Patients with high expression of CCR7 in liver cancer had a longer overall survival compared to those with low expression ( P=0.003). Treatment with elesclomol-CuCl2significantly curtailed the survival of hepatocellular carcinoma cel ( P<0.001). RNA-seq data from the cuproptosis model indicated a downregulation of CCR7 expression during the onset of cuproptosis [|log 2(FC)|=2.27, P<0.001], and downregulation of CCR7 expression enhanced the sensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells to cuproptosis inducers. Conclusion:The TME-related gene CCR7 is implicated in cuproptosis, and its downregulation might facilitate the process in liver cancer.CCR7 holds potential as a biomarker for liver cancer prognosis.

Objective To explore the clinical effect of Zishen Yutai pill combined with beimiheparin sodium in the treatment of recurrent spontaneous abortion(RSA)of kidney deficiency and blood stasis type.Methods A total of 98 RSA patients with kidney deficiency and blood stasis type admitted to Jiangxi Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2021 to June 2023 were randomly divided into observation group and control group,49 cases in each group.The patients of control group were treated with beimiheparin sodium,while the patients of observation group were treated with Zishen Yutai pill.Compare the clinical efficacy,traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score,sex hormone levels,uterine artery blood flow parameters,fetal protection status,and adverse reactions between two groups.Results After treatment,the total effective rate of observation group was higher than that of control group(P＜0.05);Observation group had lower rates of repeated pregnancies,falls,lumbosacral pain,vaginal bleeding,and knee soreness and softness scores than control group(P＜0.05);The levels of progesterone,human chorionic gonadotropin,and estradiol in observation group were higher than those in control group(P＜0.05);The uterine artery resistance index,systolic and diastolic flow velocity ratio,and pulse index in observation group were lower than those in control group(P＜0.05);The success rate and live birth rate of observation group were higher than those of control group(P＜0.05);There was no statistically significant difference in the adverse reactions between two groups of patients(P＞0.05).Conclusion The combination of Zishen Yutai pill and beimiheparin sodium can improve the therapeutic effect of RSA patients,improve their sex hormone levels,facilitate fetal preservation,and increase the final live birth rate.