BACKGROUND: Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors are both hypoglycemia agents that specifically impact on postprandial hyperglycemia. We compared the effects of acarbose and sitagliptin add on to metformin on time in range (TIR) and glycemic variability (GV) in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus through continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). METHODS: This study was a randomized, open-label, active-con-trolled, parallel-group trial conducted at 15 centers in China from January 2020 to August 2022. We recruited patients with type 2 diabetes aged 18-65 years with body mass index (BMI) within 19-40 kg/m 2 and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) between 6.5% and 9.0%. Eligible patients were randomized to receive either metformin combined with acarbose 100 mg three times daily or metformin combined with sitagliptin 100 mg once daily for 28 days. After the first 14-day treatment period, patients wore CGM and entered another 14-day treatment period. The primary outcome was the level of TIR after treatment between groups. We also performed time series decomposition, dimensionality reduction, and clustering using the CGM data. RESULTS: A total of 701 participants received either acarbose or sitagliptin treatment in combination with metformin. There was no statistically significant difference in TIR between the two groups. Time below range (TBR) and coefficient of variation (CV) levels in acarbose users were significantly lower than those in sitagliptin users. Median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) of TBR below target level <3.9 mmol/L (TBR 3.9 ): Acarbose: 0.45% (0, 2.13%) vs . Sitagliptin: 0.78% (0, 3.12%), P = 0.042; Median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) of TBR below target level <3.0 mmol/L (TBR 3.0 ): Acarbose: 0 (0, 0.22%) vs . Sitagliptin: 0 (0, 0.63%), P = 0.033; CV: Acarbose: 22.44 ± 5.08% vs . Sitagliptin: 23.96 ± 5.19%, P <0.001. By using time series analysis and clustering, we distinguished three groups of patients with representative metabolism characteristics, especially in GV (group with small wave, moderate wave and big wave). No significant difference was found in the complexity of glucose time series index (CGI) between acarbose users and sitagliptin users. By using time series analysis and clustering, we distinguished three groups of patients with representative metabolism characteristics, especially in GV. CONCLUSIONS: Acarbose had slight advantages over sitagliptin in improving GV and reducing the risk of hypoglycemia. Time series analysis of CGM data may predict GV and the risk of hypoglycemia. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000039424.
Humans ; Metformin/therapeutic use* ; Sitagliptin Phosphate/therapeutic use* ; Acarbose/therapeutic use* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Blood Glucose/drug effects* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Aged ; Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism* ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; China ; East Asian People

Andrographolide sulfonate (AS) is a sulfonated derivative of andrographolide extracted from Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees, and has been approved for several decades in China. The present study aimed to investigate the novel therapeutic application and possible mechanisms of AS in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Results indicated that administration of AS by injection or gavage significantly reduced the paw swelling, improved body weights, and attenuated pathological changes in joints of rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis. Additionally, the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and IL-1β in the serum and ankle joints were reduced. Bioinformatics analysis, along with the spleen index and measurements of IL-17 and IL-10 levels, suggested a potential relationship between AS and Th17 cells under arthritic conditions. In vitro, AS was shown to block Th17 cell differentiation, as evidenced by the reduced percentages of CD4⁺ IL-17A⁺ T cells and decreased expression levels of RORγt, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, and IL-22, without affecting the cell viability and apoptosis. This effect was attributed to the limited glycolysis, as indicated by metabolomics analysis, reduced glucose uptake, and pH measurements. Further investigation revealed that AS might bind to hexokinase2 (HK2) to down-regulate the protein levels of HK2 but not glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) or pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and overexpression of HK2 reversed the inhibition of AS on Th17 cell differentiation. Furthermore, AS impaired the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signals in vivo and in vitro, which was abolished by the addition of lactate. In conclusion, AS significantly improved adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) in rats by inhibiting glycolysis-mediated activation of PI3K/AKT to restrain Th17 cell differentiation.
Animals ; Th17 Cells/immunology* ; Diterpenes/pharmacology* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/immunology* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Humans ; Andrographis paniculata/chemistry* ; Arthritis, Experimental/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-17/immunology* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects*

Refeeding syndrome(RFS)has a high incidence among critically ill patients and significantly impacts the re-covery and prognosis of the patients.In this paper,we reviewed the literature on the risk factors and risk prediction models for RFS,finding the risk factors of RFS included patient-related,treatment-related factors and disease-related factors and the risk prediction models encompassed risk stratification model,risk score models and the Logistic regression models.It was concluded from the review that early assessment was crucial to preventing the occurrence of RFS.However,there was still a lack of reliable RFS risk prediction models with good predictive performance.It was found as well that it was crucial for the prevention of RFS to attach importance to nutritional and serological indicators and other factors.It was expected to be a necessity to conduct prospec-tive and multicenter studies to develop a risk prediction model for predicting RFS for ICU patients.Our review provides a refer-ence for early assessment and intervention for critically ill patients with RFS.

OBJECTIVE To develop a questionnaire of the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice （KAP） for patients receiving oral anticoagulant therapy. METHODS Under the guidance of the theory of KAP， literature analysis and interview method were used to design the initial KAP questionnaire for patients treated with oral anticoagulants. Delphi method was adopted to consult the initial questionnaire and modify the questionnaire based on expert suggestions to form the final questionnaire. RESULTS Two rounds of consultation were conducted with 18 experts， and 18 questionnaires were sent out and recovered in each round， so the positive coefficient of experts was 100%. The expert authority coefficient was 0.94. The average importance scores for all dimensions， factors， and items of the questionnaire in both rounds were ≥4 points. The coefficient of variation was ≤0.25. The Kendall’s concordance coefficient for the overall questionnaire and the three dimensions of knowledge， attitude， and practice ranged from 0.09 to 0.34 （all P＜0.05）. Following the first round of expert consultation， four items were modified， two items were deleted， and five items were added； after the second round of expert consultation， ten items were modified. The final version of the questionnaire included three dimensions （knowledge， attitudes， and practice）， 17 questionnaire factors， and 40 items. CONCLUSIONS The questionnaire has high reliability and scientific validity with relatively concentrated expert opinions. It is suitable for assessing the knowledge， attitudes， and practice status of patients receiving oral anticoagulant therapy.

Anti N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is a rare autoimmune encephalitis, and its diverse etiology and clinical manifestations have attracted attention. However, the etiology and pathogenesis of anti NMDAR encephalitis are not yet fully understood, and its diagnosis and treatment still have certain limitations. This review mainly explores the environmental genetic factors that drive the occurrence of diseases and the biological indicators that are beneficial for diagnosis. It also elaborates on the current immune regulation and emerging treatment pathways, points out potential targeted interventions, and looks forward to the challenges and future development directions they face.

Objective:To investigate the effect of intensive lipid-lowering therapy on carotid artery intima-media thickness and plaque area in patients with acute cerebral infarction.Methods:Eighty-two patients with acute cerebral infarction who received treatment at the Changzhi Mental Health Center from July 2021 to July 2022 were included in this study. Using a randomized controlled trial design, the patients were randomly divided into an intensive treatment group ( n = 41) and a conventional treatment group ( n = 41) using the random number table method. All patients had surpassed the recommended time window for thrombolysis and were given conventional treatments, including antiplatelet aggregation and neuroprotection. The conventional treatment group received conventional lipid-lowering therapy, while the intensive treatment group underwent intensive lipid-lowering therapy. All treatments lasted 6 months. The levels of blood lipids (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol), inflammatory factors (C-reactive protein and interleukin-6), and atherosclerosis indicators (carotid artery intima-media thickness and plaque area) were measured and compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Adverse reactions occurring during the treatment period, including myalgia, nausea, vomiting, and abnormal liver function were also recorded. Results:Before treatment, there were no significant differences in blood lipids, inflammatory factors or atherosclerosis indicators between the conventional treatment and intensive treatment groups (all P > 0.05). After treatment, the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol in the intensive treatment group were significantly lower than those in the conventional treatment group [(3.44 ± 0.42) mmol/L vs. (4.81 ± 0.53) mmol/L, (3.46 ± 0.35) mmol/L vs. (2.41 ± 0.27) mmol/L, t = 12.97, 15.21, both P < 0.05]. After treatment, serum levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in the intensive treatment group were significantly lower than those in the conventional treatment group [(4.79 ± 0.53) mg/L vs. (6.97 ± 0.81) mg/L, (38.45 ± 4.14) pg/L vs. (49.66 ± 5.07) pg/L, t = 14.42, 10.97, both P < 0.05]. Carotid artery intima-media thickness and plaque area in the intensive treatment group were significantly smaller than those in the conventional treatment group [(0.98 ± 0.10) mm vs. (1.17 ± 0.12) mm, (13.04 ± 1.37) mm 2vs. (17.96 ± 1.89 mm 2, t = 7.79, 13.50, both P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the overall incidence of adverse reactions during treatment between the intensive treatment and conventional treatment groups ( P > 0.05). Conclusion:Intensive lipid-lowering therapy is highly effective in patients with acute cerebral infarction. It can reduce inflammatory reactions, delay the progression of atherosclerosis, and provide a safety profile similar to that of conventional lipid-lowering therapy.

Objective To explore the clinical value of serum histone deacetylase 2(HDAC2)and histone deacetylase 6(HDAC6)levels combined with Doppler ultrasound indicators in diagnosing the occurrence of preeclampsia(PE)and fetal growth restriction(FGR)in pregnant women.Methods A total of 176 PE and FGR pregnant women who underwent regular prenatal examination and delivered at Cangzhou Integrated Tra-ditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital from March 2021 to May 2023 were selected as the study sub-jects and separated into PE group(94 cases)and FGR group(82 cases),pregnant women with normal prena-tal examination results and delivery during the same period were selected as control group(91 cases).Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was applied to detect the levels of serum HDAC2 and HDAC6,respectively.Doppler ultrasound was applied to detect resistance index(RI),pulsatile index(PI),and the ratio of maximum systolic and diastolic blood flow velocity of the umbilical artery(S/D).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the clinical diagnostic value of Doppler ultrasound indicators(RI,PI,S/D)and HDAC2,HDAC6 for PE and FGR.Results The gestational age and spontaneous delivery rate in the PE and FGR groups were obviously lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The levels of serum HDAC2 and HDAC6 in the PE and FGR groups were obviously lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).RI,PI,and S/D in the PE and FGR groups were obviously higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of Doppler ultrasound indicators combined with serum HDAC2 and HDAC6 for diagnosing PE and FGR was 0.968 and 0.949,respectively,which was better than that of single detection(all P＜0.001).Conclusion The serum levels of HDAC2 and HDAC6 in pregnant women with PE and FGR are obviously reduced,and the combination of the two and Doppler ultrasound indicators has good di-agnostic value for the occurrence of PE and FGR.

Objective:To analyze the factors affecting delayed chemotherapy in children with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and their influence on prognosis.Methods:Retrospective cohort study. Clinical data of 591 children aged ≤18 years with BL from May 2017 to December 2022 in China Net Childhood Lymphoma (CNCL) was collected. The patients were treated according to the protocol CNCL-BL-2017. According to the clinical characteristics, therapeutic regimen was divided into group A, group B and group C .Based on whether the total chemotherapy time was delayed, patients were divided into two groups: the delayed chemotherapy group and the non-delayed chemotherapy group. Based on the total delayed time of chemotherapy, patients in group C were divided into non-delayed chemotherapy group, 1-7 days delayed group and more than 7 days delayed group. Relationships between delayed chemotherapy and gender, age, tumor lysis syndrome before chemotherapy, bone marrow involvement, disease group (B/C group), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 4 times than normal, grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ myelosuppression after chemotherapy, minimal residual disease in the interim assessment, and severe infection (including severe pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, chickenpox, etc.) were analyzed. Logistic analysis was used to identify the relevant factors. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the patients' survival information. Log-Rank was used for comparison between groups.Results:Among 591 patients, 504 were males and 87 were females, the follow-up time was 34.8 (18.6,50.1) months. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was (92.5±1.1)%,and the 3-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was (90.5±1.2)%. Seventy-three (12.4%) patients were in delayed chemotherapy group and 518 (87.6%) patients were in non-delayed chemotherapy group. The reasons for chemotherapy delay included 72 cases (98.6%) of severe infection, 65 cases (89.0%) of bone marrow suppression, 35 cases (47.9%) of organ dysfunction, 22 cases (30.1%) of tumor lysis syndrome,etc. There were 7 cases of chemotherapy delay in group B, which were seen in COPADM (vincristine+cyclophosphamide+prednisone+daunorubicin+methotrexate+intrathecal injection,4 cases) and CYM (methotrexate+cytarabine+intrathecal injection,3 cases) stages. There were 66 cases of chemotherapy delay in group C, which were common in COPADM (28 cases) and CYVE 1 (low dose cytarabine+high dose cytarabine+etoposide+methotrexate, 12 cases) stages. Multinomial Logistic regression analysis showed that the age over 10 years old ( OR=0.54,95% CI 0.30-0.93), tumor lysis syndrome before chemotherapy ( OR=0.48,95% CI 0.27-0.84) and grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ myelosuppression after chemotherapy ( OR=0.55,95% CI 0.33-0.91)were independent risk factors for chemotherapy delay.The 3-year OS rate and the 3-year EFS rate of children with Burkitt lymphoma in the delayed chemotherapy group were lower than those in the non-delayed chemotherapy group ((79.4±4.9)% vs. (94.2±1.1)%, (80.2±4.8)% vs. (92.0±1.2)%,both P<0.05). The 3-year OS rate of the group C with chemotherapy delay >7 days (42 cases) was lower than that of the group with chemotherapy delay of 1-7 days (22 cases) and the non-delay group (399 cases) ((76.7±6.9)% vs. (81.8±8.2)% vs. (92.7±1.3)%, P=0.002).The 3-year OS rate of the chemotherapy delay group (9 cases) in the COP (vincristine+cyclophosphamide+prednisone) phase was lower than that of the non-chemotherapy delay group (454 cases) ((66.7±15.7)% vs. (91.3±1.4)%, P=0.005). Similarly, the 3-year OS rate of the chemotherapy delay group (11 cases) in the COPADM1 phase was lower than that of the non-chemotherapy delay group (452 cases) ((63.6±14.5)% vs. (91.5±1.3)%, P=0.001). Conclusions:The delayed chemotherapy was related to the age over 10 years old, tumor lysis syndrome before chemotherapy and grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ myelosuppression after chemotherapy in pediatric BL. There is a significant relationship between delayed chemotherapy and prognosis of BL in children.

Objective:To explore the effects of standard meal and treadmill exercise test on body surface gastrointestinal electrogram in healthy subjects, and to provide more evidence for the clinical application of gastrointestinal electrogram.Methods:From January to June 2021, a total of 100 healthy asymptomatic volunteers underwent gastrointestinal electrogram after fasting, standard meal and treadmill exercise test. After the subjects fasted for more than 8 hours, the gastrointestinal electrogram was performed after the subjects were lying flat, quiet, and breathing steadily, electrodes were placed on the the body surface projection positions of the gastric body, the lesser curvature, the greater curvature, the antrum, the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, and the rectum. The fasting gastrointestinal electrogram was recorded for 6 min. Then lay for 5 to 10 min after the standard meal (100 g bread, 250 mL milk), the postprandial gastrointestinal electrogram was recorded for 6 min. And lay for 5 to 10 min after treadmill exercise test, then the postexercise gastrointestinal electrogram was recorded for 6 min. The frequency and amplitude of gastrointestinal electrogram waveforms of the three time points were compared, and the percentage of gastrointestinal electrical rhythm disorder, and slow wave frequency instability coefficient were also compared. Stratified analysis of gastric motility was performed according to age, sex and body mass index. Paired t-test, Pearson Chi-squared test, continuity correction Chi-squared test, Fisher′s exact method and Speraman correlation were used for statistical analysis. Results:The standard meal did not obviously affect the mean frequency of the gastric electrocardiogram, however the mean amplitude of gastric electrocardiogram significantly increased after standard meal compared with that of fasting, especially in the electrodes placed at lesser curvature((148.5±8.7) μV vs.(113.2±5.0)μV ), greater curvature((176.3±11.3) μV vs.(126.1±7.3) μV), and antrum((161.8±10.6) μV vs.(117.6±4.91) μV), and the differences were statistically significant( t=4.63, 4.63 and 3.99, all P< 0.001). There were no significant changs in rhythm and stability of the gastric electrocardiogram. The mean frequency of intestinal electrograms at the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, and the rectum decreased after the standard meal compared with that of fasting ((10.8±0.2) count per minute(cpm) vs.(11.5±0.2) cpm, (10.5±0.2) cpm vs.(11.2±1.6) cpm, (10.9±0.2) cpm vs.(11.7±0.2) cpm, (11.1±0.2) cpm vs.(11.8±0.2) cpm), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.82, 4.55, 4.39, and 3.98, all P<0.001); the mean amplitude of the ascending colon, the transverse colon, and the rectum increased compared with that of fasting ((129.8±6.1) μV vs. (110.9±6.4) μV, (119.6±4.1) μV vs. (101.3±4.7) μV, (124.1±4.6) μV vs. (106.2±5.7) μV), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=2.62, 3.76, and 3.16; P=0.010, <0.001, =0.002); and the number of leads with enteroelectric rhythm disorder increased (398 vs. 389, the total number of leads is 400), and the difference was statistically significant( χ2=7.31, P=0.026). The mean frequency of gastric electricity after treadmill exercise in electrode placed at antrum increased compared with that after standard meal ((3.4±0.4) cpm vs.(3.3±0.3) cpm), and the differences were statistically significant( t=2.45, P=0.016), and the mean amplitude of gastric electricity in electrodes placed at gastric body, lesser curvature and antrum increased compared with those after standard meal((160.2±8.6) μV vs. (133.9±6.4) μV, (178.1±10.0) μV vs. (148.5±8.7) μV, (202.5±10.2) μV vs. (161.8±10.6) μV), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=2.30, 2.35, and 2.48; P=0.024, 0.021, and 0.015). Treadmill exercise affected the rhythm and stability of gastric electricity, and the number of electrodes with instable and abnormal coefficient frequency slow-wave significantly increased (25 vs. 1, the total number of electrodes is 400), and the difference was statistically significant( χ2=22.90, P<0.001). There was no significant change in the mean frequency of the colonic electricity after treadmill exercise compared with that after standard meal, however the mean amplitude of intestinal electrical waveform at the ascending colon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, and the rectum increased compared with those after standard meal((171.2±8.4) μV vs. (129.8±6.1) μV, (166.1±7.7) μV vs. (119.6±4.1) μV, (147.2±7.2) μV vs. (121.1±4.9) μV, (149.6±7.3) μV vs. (124.1±4.6) μV), and the differences were statistically significant( t=3.51, 5.49, 3.09, and 2.83; P=0.001, <0.001, =0.003, and=0.006), which affected the rhythm and stability of the colonic electricity, and the number of electrodes with instable and abnormal coefficient frequency slow-wave significantly increased (10 vs. 3, the total number of electrodes is 400, χ2=4.04, P=0.040). Gender was correlated with mean frequency of gastric electricity after standrdmeal and treadmill exercise test and mean amplitude of fasting and standard postprandial gastric electricity( r=0.242, -0.272, 0.286, 0.242; P=0.015, 0.006, 0.004, 0.015), and with mean amplitude of fasting and standard postprandial electricity( r=0.225, 0.460; P=0.024, <0.001). Age was only associated with mean frequency of fasting gastric electricity( r=-0.214, P=0.033). Body mass index was correlated with mean gastric electrical amplitude after fasting, standard meal and treadmill exercise( r=-0.347, -0.260, -0.211; P<0.001, =0.009, =0.036), as well as with the mean gastric electricity frequency after treadmill exercise ( r=0.242, P=0.016). Body mass index was correlated with the mean amplitude and frequency of fasting and standard postprandial intestinal electricity ( r=-0.261, -0.296, -0.400, -0.286; P=0.009, =0.003, < 0.001, =0.003). In the healthy volunteers with female gender and body mass index < 24 kg/m 2, there were statistically significant differences in the changes of gastric motility after standard meal (Fisher′s exact method, P=0.022 and 0.024). Conclusion:Both standard meal and treadmill exercise test affect gastrointestinal electrical activity, and exercise caused more changes in gastrointestinal electrical activity than standard meal.

We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of single-course initial regimens in patients with low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN). In this trial (NCT01823315), 276 patients were analyzed. Patients were allocated to three initiated regimens: single-course methotrexate (MTX), single-course MTX + dactinomycin (ACTD), and multi-course MTX (control arm). The primary endpoint was the complete remission (CR) rate by initial drug(s). The primary CR rate was 64.4% with multi-course MTX in the control arm. For the single-course MTX arm, the CR rate was 35.8% by one course; it increased to 59.3% after subsequent multi-course MTX, with non-inferiority to the control (difference -5.1%,95% confidence interval (CI) -19.4% to 9.2%, P = 0.014). After further treatment with multi-course ACTD, the CR rate (93.3%) was similar to that of the control (95.2%, P = 0.577). For the single-course MTX + ACTD arm, the CR rate was 46.7% by one course, which increased to 89.1% after subsequent multi-course, with non-inferiority (difference 24.7%, 95% CI 12.8%-36.6%, P < 0.001) to the control. It was similar to the CR rate by MTX and further ACTD in the control arm (89.1% vs. 95.2%, P =0.135). Four patients experienced recurrence, with no death, during the 2-year follow-up. We demonstrated that chemotherapy initiation with single-course MTX may be an alternative regimen for patients with low-risk GTN.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects* ; Dactinomycin/adverse effects* ; Female ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Methotrexate/therapeutic use* ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies