Post-orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is a rare condition characterized by the rapid onset of extreme fatigue, flu-like symptoms, difficulty concentrating, depression, nasal congestion, rhinorrhea, itchy eyes, and other physical and psychological discomforts following ejaculation. This report presents the outcomes of two patients with POIS who underwent a two-year course of autologous seminal plasma subcutaneous cluster immunotherapy. Treatment efficacy was assessed using methods such as the symptom Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Union Physio-Psycho-Social Assessment Questionnaire (UPPSAQ)-70, and the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). The results suggest that autologous seminal plasma subcutaneous cluster immunother-apy may be a safe and effective therapeutic approach for POIS.

This study aimed to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of Colquhounia Root Tablets(CRT) in treating diabetic kidney disease(DKD) by integrating biomolecular network mining with animal model verification. By analyzing clinical transcriptomics data, an interaction network was constructed between candidate targets of CRT and DKD-related genes. Based on the topological eigenvalues of network nodes, 101 core network targets of CRT against DKD were identified. These targets were found to be closely related to multiple pathways associated with type 2 diabetes, immune response, and metabolic reprogramming. Given that immune-inflammatory imbalance driven by metabolic reprogramming is one of the key pathogenic mechanisms of DKD, and that many core network targets of CRT are involved in this pathological process, receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE)-reactive oxygen species(ROS)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT)-nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3) signaling axis was selected as a candidate target for in-depth research. Further, a rat model of DKD induced by a high-sugar, high-fat diet and streptozotocin was established to evaluate the pharmacological effects of CRT and verify the expression of related targets. The experimental results showed that CRT could effectively correct metabolic disturbances in DKD, restore immune-inflammatory balance, and improve renal function and its pathological changes by inhibiting the activation of the RAGE-ROS-PI3K-AKT-NF-κB-NLRP3 signaling axis. In conclusion, this study reveals that CRT alleviates the progression of DKD through dual regulation of metabolic reprogramming and immune-inflammatory responses, providing strong experimental evidence for its clinical application in DKD.
Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies/metabolism* ; Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products/genetics* ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Rats ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Humans ; Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tablets/administration & dosage*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the current status and influencing factors of sleep disorders in school-age children with asthma, providing a scientific basis for improving sleep quality and quality of life of asthmatic children. METHODS: This study selected school-age children with asthma admitted to the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from March 2022 to March 2024 as subjects. A questionnaire was used to assess their sleep conditions, and based on the assessment results, the participants were divided into a sleep disorder group (106 children) and a non-sleep disorder group (181 children). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the influencing factors of sleep disorders in asthmatic children. RESULTS: A total of 287 asthmatic children were included, of which 106 (36.9%) had sleep disorders. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that being older than 10 years, obesity, poor medication adherence, unhealthy family functioning, passive smoking, and participation in only some physical activities were all risk factors for sleep disorders in school-aged children with asthma (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of sleep disorders in school-age children with asthma is relatively high and influenced by multiple factors, including age, obesity, poor medication adherence, unhealthy family functioning, passive smoking, and limited participation in physical activities. To improve the sleep quality and quality of life of asthmatic children, corresponding intervention measures should be implemented targeting these influencing factors.
Humans ; Asthma/complications* ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Sleep Wake Disorders/etiology* ; Logistic Models ; Quality of Life ; Adolescent ; Risk Factors

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), the first rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), is aberrantly activated in multiple types of human cancers, governing the progression of tumor cells as well as the efficacy of anticancer therapy. Here, we discovered that cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) rewired glucose metabolism from glycolysis to PPP in breast cancer (BC) cells by activating G6PD to keep intracellular redox homeostasis under oxidative stress. Mechanistically, CDK5-phosphorylated G6PD at Thr-91 facilitated the assembly of inactive monomers of G6PD into active dimers. More importantly, CDK5-induced pho-G6PD was explicitly observed specifically in tumor tissues in human BC specimens. Pharmacological inhibition of CDK5 remarkably abrogated G6PD phosphorylation, attenuated tumor growth and metastasis, and synergistically sensitized BC cells to poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor Olaparib, in xenograft mouse models. Collectively, our results establish the crucial role of CDK5-mediated phosphorylation of G6PD in BC growth and metastasis and provide a therapeutic regimen for BC treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health concern in northwest China; however, the impact of particulate matter (PM) exposure during sand-dust storms (SDS) remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between PM exposure on SDS days and COPD hospitalization risk in arid regions. METHODS: Data on daily COPD hospitalizations were collected from 323 hospitals from 2018 to 2022, along with the corresponding air pollutant and meteorological data for each city in Gansu Province. Employing a space-time-stratified case-crossover design and conditional Poisson regression, we analyzed 265,379 COPD hospitalizations. RESULTS: PM exposure during SDS days significantly increased COPD hospitalization risk [relative risk ( RR) for PM _2.5, lag 3:1.028, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.021-1.034], particularly among men and the elderly, and during the cold season. The burden of PM exposure on COPD hospitalization was substantially high in Northwest China, especially in the arid and semi-arid regions. CONCLUSION Our findings revealed a positive correlation between PM exposure during SDS episodes and elevated hospitalization rates for COPD in arid and semi-arid zones in China. This highlights the urgency of developing region-specific public health strategies to address adverse respiratory outcomes associated with SDS-related air quality deterioration.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/chemically induced* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Hospitalization/statistics & numerical data* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Spatio-Temporal Analysis ; Adult ; Sand ; Air Pollution

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of compound Wufengcao liquid combined with negative pressure wound therapy with instillation(NPWTi)for the treatment of stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ pressure injury(PI),and to preliminarily explore its action mechanism.Methods(1)Clinical research:from January 2019 to October 2022,60 PI patients who were admitted to the Scrofula Department and Wound Care Clinic at Nanjing Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine were randomly divided into normal saline NPWTi group and compound Wufengcao liquid NPWTi group,with 30 cases in each group.Both groups underwent NPWTi under the premise of systemic basic treatment,before treatment,after removing the negative pressure device in the 1st,2nd and 3rd weeks of treatment,the pressure ulcer scale for healing(PUSH)score,the wound bacterial culture detection rate and the wound healing time were counted,and the vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)content of wound tissue was detected by ELISA method.(2)Animal experiments:24 SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,normal saline NPWTi group and compound Wufengcao liquid NPWTi group,6 rats in each group.PI rat model was established by local tissue ischemia/reperfusion injury method,and the negative pressure device was removed at the end of each day of treatment.Before treatment and 3,7 and 10 days after treatment,the wound morphology of each group of rats was observed,the wound histopathology was observed by HE staining,the CD34 positive cells rate of wound tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry,and the expressions of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK),nuclear factor-κB p65(NF-κB p65),inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),arginase-1(Arg-1)and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)in rat blood and wound tissue were detected by ELISA and RT-qPCR.Results(1)Clinical research:Both groups could effectively reduce the PUSH score and the wound bacterial culture detection rate,shorten the wound healing time,and promote the expression of VEGF in wound tissue,the compound Wufengcao liquid NPWTi group was better than the normal saline NPWTi group(P<0.05).(2)Animal experiments:Compared with blank group,the rats in the model group showed obvious wound inflammatory response and tissue damage,and the CD34 positive cells rate,blood and wound tissue p38 MAPK,NF-κB p65,iNOS and TNF-α levels were significantly increased,Arg-1 and TGF-β level was significantly reduced(P<0.05);Compared with model group,after 7 days of treatment,the normal saline NPWTi group and the compound Wufengcao liquid NPWTi group significantly decreased the wound morphology score,the histopathological morphology was significantly improved,the CD34 positive cells rate was significantly increased(P<0.05),the levels of blood and wound tissue p38 MAPK,NF-κB p65,iNOS,and TNF-α were significantly reduced,and the levels of Arg-1 and TGF-β were significantly increased(P<0.05),and the compound Wufengcao liquid NPWTi group was better than that of the normal saline NPWTi group(P<0.05).Conclusion Compound Wufengcao liquid combined with NPWTi can effectively promote the healing of PI wounds,and its mechanism of action may be by inhibiting the activation and expression of p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway,thereby regulating the polarization balance of M1/M2 macrophages.

ObjectiveThe natural history of chronic HBV infection often involves a histologically defined immune tolerance state， and once such immune tolerance state is broken， antiviral therapy should be initiated immediately. This study aims to investigate the correlation between immune-mediated liver injury and virological indicators for HBV and precisely identify the patients with a histologically defined immune tolerance state. MethodsThis study was conducted among 577 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients with HBV DNA >2×10⁶ IU/mL who did not receive antiviral therapy in The Fifth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital， Tianjin Second People’s Hospital， Shanghai Ruijin Hospital， and Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province from January 2010 to December 2022. Liver biopsy was performed to determine the extent of liver injury， and the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， and virological indicators were measured. The proportion of patients with a histologically defined immune tolerance state was analyzed based on the cut-off values of noninvasive indicators recommended in various guidelines， especially HBV load. In addition， a diagnostic model was established for the histologically defined immune tolerance state based on serum HBV DNA at the time when its correlation with liver immunopathological injury disappeared as the new threshold in combination with multiple indicators. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups， and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. The Spearman method was used for correlation analysis. The binary Logistic regression analysis was used to establish a multivariate diagnostic model； the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve （AUC） was used to investigate the diagnostic efficiency of different models， and the Z test was used for comparison of AUC. ResultsAmong the patients with an immune tolerance state defined by the noninvasive indicators in the Chinese guidelines （2022 edition）， the EASL guidelines （2017 edition）， the AASLD guidelines （2018 edition）， and the APASL guidelines （2015 edition） for the prevention and treatment of CHB， the patients with a histologically defined immune tolerance state who met the definition in this article （HBV DNA>2×10⁶ IU/mL） accounted for 47.0%， 38.5%， 36.0%， and 44.6%， respectively， which did not exceed 50%. When the threshold of serum HBV DNA increased to >2×10⁸ IU/mL， although the correlation between immune-mediated liver injury and HBV DNA disappeared （r=-0.029， P=0.704）， the patients with a histologically defined immune tolerance state reached only 52.0%. In the cohort of 251 HBeAg-positive patients with serum HBV DNA >1×10⁸ IU/mL， there were significant differences in the levels of HBsAg， HBeAg， HBV DNA， ALT， and AST between the significant liver injury group with 140 children and the non-significant liver injury group with 111 patients （all P<0.05）， and the multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that AST， HBV DNA， and HBeAg were influencing factors for histologically defined immune tolerance state in patients （all P<0.05）. Based on the above indicators and related clinical data， a predictive model was established as logit（P）=1.424－0.028×AST， with an AUC of 0.730， an optimal cut-off value of 30.5 U/L， a sensitivity of 52.8%， and a specificity of 84.1%. A total of 238 adult patients with chronic HBV infection who underwent liver biopsy in Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province were enrolled as the validation cohort， and the analysis showed that the predictive model established in this study had a better efficiency than AST/ALT， FIB-4， and APRI， with an AUC of 0.698， 0.555， 0.518， and 0.373， respectively （all P<0.05）. ConclusionFor HBeAg-positive patients with chronic HBV infection and HBV DNA>2×10⁸ IU/mL， an AST level of >30.5 U/L might indicate the “breakdown” of histologically defined immune tolerance state.

Objective To investigate the effect of quercetin on HCE-2 injury of human corneal epithelial cells induced by high osmotic pressure and its mechanism.Methods HCE-2 cells were randomly divided into control group(normal osmotic pressure),model group(high osmotic pressure),experimental-L group(high osmotic pressure+31.25 pg·mL-1 quercetin),experimental-M group(high osmotic pressure+62.50 μg·mL-1 quercetin),experimental-H group(high osmotic pressure+125.00 μg·mL-1 quercetin),erastin group(high osmotic pressure+125.00 μg·mL-1 quercetin+30.00 μmol·L-1 iron death inducer erastin).Cell survival rate was detected by cell counting kit 8;reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels was detected by C11-BODIPY 581/591 probe staining;glutathione(GSH)and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels were determined by kit method;the expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),dihydrolactate dehydrogenase(DHODH)and ferroptosis suppressor protein 1(FSP1)were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.Results The cell survival rates of control group,model group,experimental-H group and erastin group were(100.00±3.97)％,(50.05±5.83)％,(86.35±7.35)％and(58.32±4.66)％,respectively;ROS levels were 1.00±0.09,2.45±0.16,1.19±0.05 and 2.09±0.30,respectively;GPX4 protein levels were 1.09±0.11,0.34±0.03,0.91±0.12 and 0.30±0.04,respectively;FSP1 protein levels were 0.92±0.06,0.25±0.03,0.89±0.07 and 0.39±0.07,respectively;DHODH protein levels were 0.89±0.11,0.31±0.04,0.86±0.11,0.41±0.04,respectively.Compared with model group,the above indexes in control group were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);the differences between experimental-H group and model group were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);the above indexes in erastin group were significantly different from those in experimental-H group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Quercetin can ameliorate HCE-2 cell damage induced by high osmotic pressure by inhibiting iron death pathway.

Objective To observe the clinical effect and safety of recombinant human interferon-α2b(rhIFN-α2b)combined with 5-aminolaevulinic acid photodynamic therapy(ALA-PDT)in the treatment of patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions and human papilloma virus(HPV)infection.Methods The clinical data of patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions and HPV infection were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into control group and treatment group according to cohort method.The control group was treated with rhIFN-α2b gel at posterior fornix,qd.On this basis,the treatment group was treated with ALA-PDT,namely applying 5％ALA temperature-sensitive gel prepared by 118 mg of ketone valerate hydrochloride powder for external use on vaginal surface,combined with photodynamic therapy,once a week.The clinical efficacy,time to recovery from clinical symptoms,recurrence rate,changes in cytokines[interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-8(IL-8)and interferon-γ(IFN-γ)]and immune function[T cell subsets CD3+,CD4+,CD8+and CD4+/CD8+],and safety were compared between the two groups.Results There were 98 cases in treatment group and 100 cases in control group.The total effective rates in treatment group and control group were 93.88％and 83.00％,with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).The relief time of lower abdominal pain in treatment group and control group were(3.65±0.52)and(5.26±0.65)d;the time to recovery from abnormal vaginal discharge were(5.77±0.83)and(7.16±0.92)d;the time to recovery from irregular vaginal bleeding were(4.82±0.62)and(6.94±0.77)d;HPV clearance rates were 58.16％and 42.00％;IL-6 levels were(0.16±0.09)and(0.23±0.05)mg·L-1;IL-8 levels were(0.47±0.05)and(0.66±0.07)mg·L-1;IFN-γ levels were(10.07±0.98)and(7.24±0.65)ng·mL-1;CD3+were(71.06±8.29)％and(61.36±6.88)％;CD4+were(48.25±5.94)％and(42.25±5.13)％;CD8+were(20.37±2.42)％and(24.69±2.51)％;CD4+/CD8+were 2.11±0.27 and 1.36±0.16;the differences were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Recurrence rates in treatment group and control group were 5.10％and 14.00％,with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).The total incidence of adverse drug reactions in treatment group and control group were 26.53％and 21.00％,without statistically significant difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion The combined treatment of rhIFN-α2b and ALA-PDT is effective for patients with cervical intraepithelial lesions and HPV infection.It has obvious advantages in improving immunity,relieving inflammatory response and reducing recurrence rate,with good safety.

Macrophages, existed in almost all organs of the body, are responsible for detecting tissue injury, pathogens, playing a key role in host defense against a variety of invading pathogens triggering inflammatory responses. Emerging evidence suggests that macrophage-mediated immune responses are efficiently regulated by the ubiquitination modification, which is responsible for normal immune responses. However, numerous studies indicates that the aberrant activation or inhibition of macrophage-mediated immune responses occurs in inflammation, mainly caused by dysregulated ubiquitination modification due to E3 ubiquitin ligases mutations or abnormal expression. Notably, E3 ubiquitin ligases, responsible for recognizing the substrates, are key enzymes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) composed of ubiquitin (Ub), ubiquitin-activating E1 enzymes, ubiquitin-conjugating E2 enzymes, E3 ubiquitin ligases, 26S proteasome, and deubiquitinating enzymes. Intriguingly, several E3 ubiquitin ligases are involved in the regulation of some common signal pathways in macrophage-mediated inflammation, including Toll-like receptors (TLRs), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptors (NLRs), RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs), C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) and the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE). Herein, we summarized the physiological and pathological roles of E3 ligases in macrophage-mediated inflammation, as well as the inhibitors and agonists targeting E3 ligases in macrophage-mediated inflammation, providing the new ideas for targeted therapies in macrophage-mediated inflammation caused aberrant function of E3 ligases.