This study aims to systematically characterize the targeted effects of Quanduzhong Capsules on cartilage lesions in knee osteoarthritis by integrating spatial transcriptomics data mining and animal experiments validation, thereby elucidating the related molecular mechanisms. A knee osteoarthritis model was established using Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats, via a modified Hulth method. Hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining was employed to detect knee osteoarthritis-associated pathological changes in knee cartilage. Candidate targets of Quanduzhong Capsules were collected from the HIT 2.0 database, followed by bioinformatics analysis of spatial transcriptomics datasets(GSE254844) from cartilage tissues in clinical knee osteoarthritis patients to identify spatially specific disease genes. Furthermore, a "formula candidate targets-spatially specific genes in cartilage lesions" interaction network was constructed to explore the effects and major mechanisms of Quanduzhong Capsules in distinct cartilage regions. Experimental validation was conducted through immunohistochemistry using animal-derived biospecimens. The results indicated that Quanduzhong Capsules effectively inhibited the degenerative changes in the cartilage of affected joints in rats, which was associated with the regulation of Quanduzhong Capsules on the thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)-bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2(BMPR2)-fibronectin 1(FN1)-matrix metallopeptidase 2(MMP2) signal axis in the articular cartilage surface and superficial zones, subsequently inhibiting cartilage matrix degradation leading to oxidative stress and inflammatory diffusion. In summary, this study clarifies the spatially specific targeted effects and protective mechanisms of Quanduzhong Capsules within pathological cartilage regions in knee osteoarthritis, providing theoretical and experimental support for the clinical application of this drug in the targeted therapy on the inflamed cartilage.
Animals ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Male ; Humans ; Capsules ; Female ; Disease Models, Animal

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of 3D printing spinal external fixator combined with McKenzie therapy for patients with lumbar dics herniation (LDH). METHODS: Sixty patients with LDH between January 2022 and January 2023 were enrolled. Among them, 30 patients were given McKinsey training. According to different treatment methods, all patients were divided into McKenzie group and McKenzie + 3D printing group, 30 patients in each group. The McKenzie group provided McKenzie therapy. The McKenzie + 3D printing group were treated with 3D printing spinal external fixation brace on the basis of McKenzie therapy. Patients in both groups were between 25 and 60 years of age and had their first illness. In the McKenzie group, there were 19 males and 11 females, with an average age of (48.57±5.86) years old, and the disease duration was (7.03 ±2.39) months. The McKenzie + 3D printing group, there were 21 males and 9 females, with an average age of (48.80±5.92) years old, and the disease duration was(7.30±2.56) months. Pain was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS), and lumbar spine function was assessed using the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score. VAS, ODI and JOA scores were compared between two groups before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 12 months. The VAS for the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment were(6.533±0.860), (5.133±1.008), (3.933±0.868), (2.900±0.759), (2.067±0.640), (1.433±0.504), respectively. In the McKenzie group, the corresponding scores were (6.467±0.860), (5.067±1.048), (4.600±0.968), (3.533±1.008), (2.567±0.728), (1.967±0.809), respectively. The ODI of the McKenzie group before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment were (41.033±6.810)%, (37.933±6.209)%, (35.467±6.962)%, (27.567±10.081)%, (20.800±7.531)%, (13.533±5.158)%, respectively. For the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group, the corresponding ODI were(38.033±5.605)%, (33.000±6.192)%, (28.767±7.045)%, (22.200±5.517)%, (17.700±4.836)%, (11.900±2.771)%, respectively. The JOA scores of the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment were(8.900±2.074), (13.133±2.330), (15.700±3.583), (20.400±3.480), (22.267±3.084), (24.833±2.640), respectively. In the McKenzie group, the corresponding scores were(9.200±2.091), (12.267±2.406), (15.333±3.198), (18.467±2.240), (20.133±2.751), (22.467±2.849), respectively. Before the initiation of treatment, no statistically significant differences were observed in the VAS, ODI, and JOA scores between two groups (P>0.05). At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment, the VAS in the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group was significantly lower than that in the McKenzie group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The comparison of ODI between two groups at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment revealed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). At 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment, the JOA score in the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group was significantly higher than that in the McKenzie-only group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The combination of 3D printed functional spinal external fixation brace with McKenzie therapy can significantly improve and maintain lumbar function in patients with LDH.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery* ; External Fixators ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Adult ; Braces ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of a new conditioning regimen with chidamide and BEAM for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in patients with lymphoma. METHODS: Medical records and further follow-up data from 85 patients with lymphoma from May 2015 to September 2020 in our hospital were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Among 85 patients, 52 cases accepted BEAM regimen and 33 cases accepted CBEAM followed by AHSCT. In CBEAM group, 18 patients (54.5%) received AHSCT as salvage therapy, while only 26.9% (14 cases) for salvage in BEAM group ( P < 0.01). CBEAM conditioning resulted in shorter neutrophil engraftment of 2 days, while no significant difference was found in platelet engraftment. Although the incidence of liver impairment was higher in CBEAM group (12.1%), the grade of impairment was only Ⅰ to Ⅱ. The two conditioning regimens both achieved good complete remission rate of over 90%, and no transplant-related death occurred. The median follow-up time in the CBEAM group was 18(12, 22) months, and 39(20, 59) months in the BEAM group. There were no significantly differences in 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rate between the two groups (P >0.05). In patients with refractory or relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the 2-year PFS rate after transplantation in BEAM group and CBEAM group was 74.1% and 92.9%, respectively (P >0.05), indicating that chidamide may have certain advantages in prolonging PFS. CONCLUSION CBEAM conditioning regimen has a good efficacy and safety in lymphoma patients before AHSCT, especially in refractory and relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, suggesting that it could serve as an alternative conditioning regimen prior to AHSCT for lymphoma.
Humans ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Transplantation Conditioning/methods* ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Retrospective Studies ; Aminopyridines/therapeutic use* ; Lymphoma/therapy* ; Benzamides/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Cytarabine/therapeutic use* ; Melphalan/therapeutic use* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Podophyllotoxin/therapeutic use* ; Carmustine ; Etoposide

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genetic causal relationship of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis by two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: Using LTL as the exposure factor and prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis as outcome factors, we mined the Database of Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Then, we analyzed the causal relationship of LTL with prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis by Mendelian randomization using inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the main method and weighted median and MR-Egger regression as auxiliary methods, determined the horizontal multiplicity by MR-Egger intercept test, and conducted sensitivity analysis using the leaving-one-out method. RESULTS: A total of 121 related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in this study. IVW showed LTL to be a risk factor for prostatitis (OR = 1.383, 95% CI: 1.044－1.832, P = 0.024), and for orchitis and epididymitis as well (OR = 1.770, 95% CI: 1.275－2.456, P = 0.000 6). CONCLUSION Genetic evidence from Mendelian randomized analysis indicates that shortening of LTL reduces the risk of prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis.
Humans ; Male ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Epididymitis/genetics* ; Prostatitis/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Leukocytes ; Orchitis/genetics* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Telomere ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

Peri-implant keratinized mucosa (PIKM) augmentation refers to surgical procedures aimed at increasing the width of PIKM. Consensus reports emphasize the necessity of maintaining a minimum width of PIKM to ensure long-term peri-implant health. Currently, several surgical techniques have been validated for their effectiveness in increasing PIKM. However, the selection and application of PIKM augmentation methods may present challenges for dental practitioners due to heterogeneity in surgical techniques, variations in clinical scenarios, and anatomical differences. Therefore, clear guidelines and considerations for PIKM augmentation are needed. This expert consensus focuses on the commonly employed surgical techniques for PIKM augmentation and the factors influencing their selection at second-stage surgery. It aims to establish a standardized framework for assessing, planning, and executing PIKM augmentation procedures, with the goal of offering evidence-based guidance to enhance the predictability and success of PIKM augmentation.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Implants ; Mouth Mucosa/surgery* ; Keratins

Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of ZKY001 eye drops with different concentrations in the treatment of corneal epithelial defects(CED)after primary pterygium excision.METHODS: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial. From March 15, 2022 to November 14, 2022, patients with primary pterygium who had undergone surgery were recruited from 12 tertiary hospitals across China. Using block randomization, 178 patients(178 eyes)were randomly assigned to 3 groups in a 1:1:1 ratio: 0.002% ZKY001 group(n=59), 0.004% ZKY001 group(n=59), and placebo group(n=60, receiving ZKY001 sham eye drops). Subjects in each group received 1 drop of the study drug 4 times per day for 4 d. The percentage of CED area recovery from baseline, the first complete healing time of CED area, the number of first complete healing cases of CED, and changes in visual analogue scale(VAS)scores for eye discomfort including eye pain, foreign body sensation, tearing and photophobia were observed.RESULTS: In terms of improvement in CED, there were no statistically significant differences among the three groups including the first healing time of CED, the percentage improvement in CED area compared to baseline, and the percentage of first healing cases at different follow-up visits(all P>0.05). Numerically, the first healing time of CED was shorter in the test groups compared to the placebo group(67.87±21.688 h for the 0.002% ZKY001 group, 61.48±22.091 h for the 0.004% ZKY001 group, and 68.85±20.851 h for the placebo group). On D1 morning, the percentage improvement in CED area compared to baseline was maximally different from the placebo group, and the numerical difference advantage was maintained at subsequent follow-up visits. The number of first healing cases in the CED area at different follow-up visits was higher in the test groups than the placebo group. In terms of improvement in ocular discomfort, the total VAS scores were lower in the test groups compared to the placebo group, mainly due to reductions in foreign body sensation and pain scores. At D3, the 0.004% ZKY001 group showed statistically significant improvement in foreign body sensation(P<0.017). In terms of safety, the overall incidence of adverse events was low(9.0%)and similar among groups.CONCLUSION: The use of ZKY001 eyedrops after primary pterygium surgery can safely improve the CED repair, and alleviate postoperative symptoms caused by CED.

Objective To investigate the current situation and health effects of indoor microbial pollution in Xi'an, to analyze the purification effect of air purifiers on indoor microbial pollution, and to provide reference for improving the indoor environment. Methods Through stratified random sampling, 20 families from rural areas and 20 families from upwind and downwind urban areas respectively were selected from Xi'an. Data was collected by questionnaire surveys and on-site environmental sampling. Non-parametric analysis and correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results Overall, the standard-exceeding rate of total count of bacteria was 5.00%. The medians of the total count of bacteria and fungi were 312.50 cfu/m3 and 260.00 cfu/m³, respectively. In terms of health effects, the correlation between rhinitis and cold with total bacterial count was statistically significant (P<0.05), with the correlation coefficients of 0.182 and 0.223, respectively. Purification effect of air purifiers on microbial pollution was statistically significant (P<0.05). After opening for 2 hours, the total numbers of bacteria and fungi decreased significantly. Conclusion The occurrence risk of colds and rhinitis is increased by indoor microbial pollution. Air purifiers have a certain effect on decreasing the total number of bacteria and fungi. It is recommended to use air purifiers with high CADR of particulate matter, double-layer filter and sterilization and dehumidification function, and replace the filters regularly to reduce indoor microbiological contamination.