This study investigated the functions and regulatory mechanism of Portulacae Herba and its chemical components on the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response 88(MyD88)/nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB) inflammatory signaling pathway in the colon tissue of mice with dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis(UC). A total of 35 mice were randomly divided into groups, including a blank group, a model group, a mesalazine group(0. 5 g·kg~(-1)), and low, medium,and high dose alkaloids from Portulacae Herba groups(9, 18, 36 mg·kg~(-1)), and a combination treatment group, with 5 mice in each group. The blank group was given purified water, while the other groups were continuously given a 3% DSS solution for 7 days to induce the UC model. From day 8 onwards, the treatment group received oral gavage according to the prescribed doses for 14 days. The overall condition, body weight, stool characteristics, and presence of blood in the stool were recorded daily. After the experiment, the disease activity index(DAI) was assessed for each group, and colon length was measured. Histopathological changes in colon tissue were examined using hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and interleukin-1β( IL-1β) in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay( ELISA). The protein and m RNA expression of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in colon tissue were measured using Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR).Compared to the blank group, the model group showed a significant decrease in body weight, a notable increase in DAI scores, a significant shortening of colon length, and evident histopathological damage. The levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum were significantly elevated, and the protein and m RNA expression of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in colon tissue were significantly up-regulated. In contrast, the alkaloids from Portulacae Herba treatment groups significantly improved symptoms and reduced body weight loss in mice, decreased DAI scores, alleviated colon shortening, lowered serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β,significantly down-regulated the expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB proteins and genes in colon tissue, as well as reduced histopathological damage. Therefore, the study suggests that alkaloids from Portulacae Herba can alleviate intestinal inflammation damage in DSS-induced UC mice, with its mechanism involving the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Colitis, Ulcerative/immunology* ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/immunology* ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism* ; Mice ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Alkaloids/administration & dosage* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Humans ; Female ; Colon/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal

Objective:To investigate clinical and histopathological features of adult erythema nodosum (EN) .Methods:Clinical data were collected from 54 adult inpatients with histopathologically confirmed EN in Department of Dermatology and Venereology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College from November 2019 to July 2022, and analyzed retrospectively.Results:Among the 54 EN patients, there were 6 males and 48 females, their ages were 42.50 ± 11.68 years (range, 18 - 73 years), and their disease course ranged from 1 day to 10 years; 30 patients (55.56%) were diagnosed with idiopathic EN, and 24 (44.44%) with secondary EN. The most common etiological factor in secondary EN was infection (17 cases), including respiratory tract infection (9 cases), tuberculosis infection (6 cases), upper respiratory tract infection comorbid with active hepatitis B virus infection (2 cases) ; the following common etiological factor was connective tissue disease (7 cases), including Behcet′s syndrome (4 cases), Sj?gren′s syndrome (1 case), and undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (2 cases). The patients′ ages were significantly younger in the secondary EN group (38.33 ± 12.15 years) than in the idiopathic EN group (46.17 ± 10.20 years, t = 2.58, P = 0.013). All patients had skin lesions on their lower limbs, lesions were limited to both lower limbs in 24 patients with idiopathic EN and 12 with secondary EN, and the proportion of patients with lesions limited to both lower limbs was significantly lower in the secondary EN group than in the idiopathic EN group ( χ2 = 5.44, P = 0.020). Compared with the idiopathic EN group, the secondary EN group showed significantly increased white blood cell counts ([7.56 ± 2.46] × 10 9/L vs. [6.04 ± 1.60] × 10 9/L, t = 2.62, P < 0.05) and C-reaction protein levels (34.34 ± 46.48 mg/L vs. 11.45 ± 18.13 mg/L, t = 2.28, P < 0.05). In the idiopathic EN group, 23 patients mainly showed histopathological features of septal panniculitis, while 17 patients in the secondary EN group mainly showed histopathological features of mixed panniculitis or lobular panniculitis, and the proportion of patients with histopathological features of mixed panniculitis or lobular panniculitis was significantly higher in the secondary EN group than in the idiopathic EN group ( χ2 = 12.18, P < 0.001) . Conclusion:EN was more common in female adults; idiopathic EN was the most common type, and secondary EN may be a cutaneous sign of systemic diseases; for EN patients at a relatively young age, with lesions involving both lower limbs or more sites, higher white blood cell counts and C-reaction protein levels, and histopathological manifestations of lobular panniculitis, systemic examinations were required to rule out underlying causes.

Objective Current data are insufficient for comparisons of effectiveness between percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)and coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG)among patients with coronary artery disease(CAD)and left ventricular dysfunction.Methods A total of 905 CAD patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF≤35％)in single center of China who underwent either PCI or CABG were enrolled in a real-world cohort study.Clinical outcomes included short-and long-term all-cause mortality,rates of heart failure(HF)hospitalization and repeat revascularization.Propensity score matching was used to balance the 2 cohorts.Results PCI was associated with lower 30-day mortality rate(HR 0.29,95％CI 0.09-0.88,P=0.029).At a mean follow-up of 4.5 years,PCI and CABG had similar all-cause death(HR 1.00,95％CI 0.67-1.50,P=0.990)and HF hospitalization(HR 0.81,95％CI 0.40-1.64,P=0.561),but PCI had higher risk of repeat revascularization(HR 14.46,95％CI 3.43-60.98,P＜0.001).PCI was associated with more significant LVEF improvement than CABG(P=0.031 for interaction).Conclusions CAD patients with reduced LVEF who underwent PCI had lower short-term mortality rate and more LVEF improvement but higher risk of repeat revascularization during follow-up than patients who underwent CABG.PCI showed comparable long-term survival and HF hospitalization risk.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and identify the risk factors of Giardia lamblia infections among patients with colorectal cancer in Henan Province. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed for questionnaire surveys among colorectal cancer patients in Henan Cancer Hospital during the period from March to July, 2021. Patients’ stool samples were collected, and the triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) gene of G. lamblia was amplified in stool samples using nested PCR assay to characterize the parasite genotype. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the risk factors of G. lamblia infections among colorectal cancer patients. Results A total of 307 colorectal cancer patients were investigated, including 176 males (57.3%) and 131 females (42.7%). PCR assay detected 8.1% [95% confidential interval (CI): (0.056, 0.117)] prevalence of G. lamblia infections among the study subjects, and there was no significant difference in the prevalence between men [9.1%, 95% CI: (0.057, 0.143)] and women [6.9%, 95% CI: (0.037, 0.125)] (χ² = 0.495, P = 0.482). In addition, there was no age-specific prevalence of G. lamblia infections among the participants (χ² = 1.534, P = 0.675). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified use of septic tanks [odds ratio (OR) = 3.336, 95% CI: (1.201, 9.267)], daily use of well water [OR = 3.042, 95% CI: (1.093, 8.465)] and raising livestock [OR = 3.740, 95% CI: (1.154, 12.121)] as risk factors of G. lamblia infections among colorectal cancer patients, and the prevalence of abdominal pain was significantly greater in colorectal cancer patients with G. lamblia infections than in those without infections (P = 0.017). Among the 25 patients with G. lamblia infections, assemblage A was characterized in 24 (96.0%) cases and assemblage B in one case (4.0%). Conclusions The prevalence of G. lamblia is high among colorectal cancer patients in Henan Province, and assemblage A is the dominant genotype of G. lamblia. Use of septic tanks, daily use of well water and raising livestock are risk factors of G. lamblia infections among patients with colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application effect of sequential autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (Auto-HSCT) with lenalidomide, bortezomib and dexamethasone (RVD) in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) evaluated by propensity score matching. METHODS: The clinical data of 49 MM patients treated with RVD scheme and followed-up for 36 months in the hospital from January 2015 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed and included in the control group, the clinical data of 54 MM patients who received RVD scheme and sequential Auto-HSCT scheme and completed 36 months of follow-up in the hospital during the same period were collected and included in the observation group. PSM method (1∶1, caliper value=0.01) was used to match the control group with the observation group based on baseline data and laboratory indexes, covariate equilibrium samples were obtained between groups (40 cases in each group). The clinical efficacy of patients in the two groups after 18 weeks of treatment was compared; the incidence of toxic and side effects during treatment of patients in the two groups was compared; the survival of patients in the two groups was compared after 36 months of follow-up. RESULTS: The ORR and DCR in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared the incidence of fatigue, rash, thrombocytopenia, anemia and nausea of patients in the two groups, there was no statistical significant difference (P>0.05). After 36 months of follow-up (no loss during follow-up), 4 cases died from illness in the observation group, with a survival rate of 90% and an average survival time of 35.61 (95% CI: 35541-35.685) months, 10 cases died from illness in the control group, with a survival rate of 75% and an average survival time of 34.70 (95% CI: 34.559-34.832) months, the survival rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Sequential Auto-HSCT with RVD regimen in the treatment of MM can improve the short-term efficacy and increase the survival rate of patients, which will not increase toxic and side effects and has high safety.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Bortezomib/therapeutic use* ; Dexamethasone ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies ; Transplantation, Autologous/methods* ; Treatment Outcome

Cell Cycle Proteins ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins

Objective:To determine the epidemiological characteristics and incidence trends of sexually transmitted diseases （STD） in Mengla County of Yunnan Province， and provide evidence for future prevention and control of STD. Methods:STD case information from 2005 to 2017 was extracted from the National Notifiable Infectious Disease Report Information System. Data were collected by year and disease type，and the incidence rate， epidemic characteristics and suspicious contact history of STD were statistically analyzed. Results:A total of 1 251 STD cases were reported in Mengla county from 2005 to 2017， including 490 gonorrhea， 483 syphilis， 216 condyloma acuminatum， 16 genital chlamydial infection and 46 genital herpes. The average annual incidence of STD was 35.57/100 000. The majority of STD cases were 20-29 years old （n=541，43.25%）， married （n=603，48.20%）， Han people （n=638，50.10%）， with education of middle school （n=536，42.85%）， and occupation of farmers （n=702， 56.12%）. The 42.61% of STD cases had non-marital sexual contact history， in which the proportion was significantly higher among male （55.05%） than female （28.98%）. In addition， the proportion of non-marital sex among STD cases increased gradually by year and significantly differed. Conclusion:The epidemic status of STD in Mengla county is relatively low. However， STD incidence increased gradually by year， which warrants more and specific measures on the STD control and prevention.