1.Medication rules of Astragali Radix in ancient Chinese medical books based on "disease-medicine-dose" pattern.
Jia-Lei CAO ; Lü-Yuan LIANG ; Yi-Hang LIU ; Zi-Ming XU ; Xuan WANG ; Wen-Xi WEI ; He-Jia WAN ; Xing-Hang LYU ; Wei-Xiao LI ; Yu-Xin ZHANG ; Bing-Qi WEI ; Xian-Qing REN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(3):798-811
This study employed the "disease-medicine-dose" pattern to mine the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions containing Astragali Radix in ancient Chinese medical books, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines. The TCM prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were retrieved from databases such as Chinese Medical Dictionary and imported into Excel 2020 to construct the prescription library. Statical analysis were performed for the prescriptions regarding the indications, syndromes, medicine use frequency, herb effects, nature and taste, meridian tropism, dosage forms, and dose. SPSS statistics 26.0 and IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 were used for association rules analysis and cluster analysis. A total of 2 297 prescriptions containing Astragali Radix were collected, involving 233 indications, among which sore and ulcer, consumptive disease, sweating disorder, and apoplexy had high frequency(>25), and their syndromes were mainly Qi and blood deficiency, Qi and blood deficiency, Yin and Yang deficiency, and Qi deficiency and collateral obstruction, respectively. In the prescriptions, 98 medicines were used with the frequency >25 and they mainly included Qi-tonifying medicines and blood-tonifying medicines. Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma, and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium were frequently used. The medicines with high frequency mainly have warm or cold nature, and sweet, pungent, or bitter taste, with tropism to spleen, lung, heart, liver, and kidney meridians. In the treatment of sore and ulcer, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to promote granulation and heal up sores. In the treatment of consumptive disease, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 37.30 g and combined with Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma to tonify deficiency and replenish Qi. In the treatment of sweating disorder, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 3.73 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to consolidate exterior and stop sweating. In the treatment of apoplexy, Astragali Radix was mainly used with the dose of 7.46 g and combined with Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma to dispell wind and stop convulsions. Astragali Radix can be used in the treatment of multiple system diseases, with the effects of tonifying Qi and ascending Yang, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and expressing toxin and promoting granulation. According to the manifestations of different diseases, when combined with other medicines, Astragali Radix was endowed with the effects of promoting granulation and healing up sores, tonifying deficiency and Qi, consolidating exterior and stopping sweating, and dispelling wind and replenishing Qi. The findings provide a theoretical reference and a scientific basis for the clinical application of Astragali Radix and the development of new medicines.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/history*
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Humans
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional/history*
;
History, Ancient
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Astragalus Plant/chemistry*
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China
;
Astragalus propinquus
2.Prevalence and risk factors of training-related abdominal injuries: A multicenter survey study.
Chuan PANG ; Wen-Quan LIANG ; Gan ZHANG ; Ting-Ting LU ; Yun-He GAO ; Xin MIAO ; Zhi-Da CHEN ; Yi LIU ; Wen-Tong XU ; Hong-Qing XI
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2025;28(4):301-306
PURPOSE:
This study aims to identify the prevalence and risk factors of military training-related abdominal injuries and help plan and conduct training properly.
METHODS:
This questionnaire survey study was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 among military personnel from 6 military units and 8 military medical centers and participants' medical records were consulted to identify the training-related abdominal injuries. All the military personnel who ever participated in military training were included. Those who refused to participate in this study or provided an incomplete questionnaire were excluded. The questionnaire collected demographic information, type of abdominal injury, frequency, training subjects, triggers, treatment, and training disturbance. Chi-square test and t-test were used to compare baseline information. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the risk factors associated with military training-related abdominal injuries.
RESULTS:
A total of 3058 participants were involved in this study, among which 1797 (58.8%) had suffered training-related abdominal injuries (the mean age was 24.3 years and the service time was 5.6 years), while 1261 (41.2%) had no training-related abdominal injuries (the mean age was 23.1 years and the service time was 4.3 years). There were 546 injured patients (30.4%) suspended the training and 84 (4.6%) needed to be referred to higher-level hospitals. The most common triggers included inadequate warm-up, fatigue, and intense training. The training subjects with the most abdominal injuries were long-distance running (589, 32.8%). Civil servants had the highest rate of abdominal trauma (17.1%). Age ≥ 25 years, military service ≥ 3 years, poor sleep status, and previous abdominal history were independent risk factors for training-related abdominal injury.
CONCLUSION
More than half of the military personnel have suffered military training-related abdominal injuries. Inadequate warm-up, fatigue, and high training intensity are the most common inducing factors. Scientific and proper training should be conducted according to the factors causing abdominal injuries.
Humans
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Military Personnel
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Risk Factors
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Prevalence
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Male
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Abdominal Injuries/etiology*
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Female
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Adult
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Surveys and Questionnaires
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Young Adult
3.The addition of 5-aminolevulinic acid to HBSS protects testis grafts during hypothermic transportation: a novel preservation strategy.
Meng-Hui MA ; Pei-Gen CHEN ; Jun-Xian HE ; Hai-Cheng CHEN ; Zhen-Han XU ; Lin-Yan LV ; Yan-Qing LI ; Xiao-Yan LIANG ; Gui-Hua LIU
Asian Journal of Andrology 2025;27(4):454-463
The aim of this investigation was to determine the optimal storage medium for testicular hypothermic transportation and identify the ideal concentration for the application of the protective agent 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). Furthermore, this study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of the protective effects of 5-ALA. First, we collected and stored mouse testicular fragments in different media, including Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS; n = 5), Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium/Nutrient Mixture F-12 (DMEM/F12; n = 5), and alpha-minimum essential medium (αMEM; n = 5). Storage of testicular tissue in HBSS preserved the integrity of testicular morphology better than that in the DMEM/F12 group ( P < 0.05) and the αMEM group ( P < 0.01). Testicular fragments were subsequently placed in HBSS with various concentrations of 5-ALA (0 [control], 1 mmol l -1 , 2 mmol l -1 , and 5 mmol l -1 ) to determine the most effective concentration of 5-ALA. The 2 mmol l -1 5-ALA group ( n = 3) presented the highest positive rate of spermatogonial stem cells compared with those in the control, 1 mmol l -1 , and 5 mmol l -1 5-ALA groups. Finally, the tissue fragments were preserved in HBSS with control ( n = 3) and 2 mmol l -1 5-ALA ( n = 3) under low-temperature conditions. A comparative analysis was performed against fresh testes ( n = 3) to elucidate the underlying mechanism of 5-ALA. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for WikiPathways revealed that the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway was downregulated in the 2 mmol l -1 5-ALA group compared with that in the control group (normalized enrichment score [NES] = -1.57, false discovery rate [FDR] = 0.229, and P = 0.019). In conclusion, these data suggest that using 2 mmol l -1 5-ALA in HBSS effectively protected the viability of spermatogonial stem cells upon hypothermic transportation.
Male
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Animals
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Testis/cytology*
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Aminolevulinic Acid/pharmacology*
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Mice
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Organ Preservation/methods*
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Organ Preservation Solutions/pharmacology*
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Cryopreservation/methods*
4.Brucea javanica Seed Oil Emulsion and Shengmai Injections Improve Peripheral Microcirculation in Treatment of Gastric Cancer.
Li QUAN ; Wen-Hao NIU ; Fu-Peng YANG ; Yan-da ZHANG ; Ru DING ; Zhi-Qing HE ; Zhan-Hui WANG ; Chang-Zhen REN ; Chun LIANG
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(4):299-310
OBJECTIVE:
To explore and verify the effect and potential mechanism of Brucea javanica Seed Oil Emulsion Injection (YDZI) and Shengmai Injection (SMI) on peripheral microcirculation dysfunction in treatment of gastric cancer (GC).
METHODS:
The potential mechanisms of YDZI and SMI were explored through network pharmacology and verified by cellular and clinical experiments. Human microvascular endothelial cells (HMECs) were cultured for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured for tube formation assay. Twenty healthy volunteers and 97 patients with GC were enrolled. Patients were divided into surgical resection, surgical resection with chemotherapy, and surgical resection with chemotherapy combining YDZI and SMI groups. Forearm skin blood perfusion was measured and recorded by laser speckle contrast imaging coupled with post-occlusive reactive hyperemia. Cutaneous vascular conductance and microvascular reactivity parameters were calculated and compared across the groups.
RESULTS:
After network pharmacology analysis, 4 ingredients, 82 active compounds, and 92 related genes in YDZI and SMI were screened out. β-Sitosterol, an active ingredient and intersection compound of YDZI and SMI, upregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2, P<0.01), downregulated the expression of caspase 9 (CASP9) and estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1, P<0.01) in HMECs under oxaliplatin stimulation, and promoted tube formation through VEGFA. Chemotherapy significantly impaired the microvascular reactivity in GC patients, whereas YDZI and SMI ameliorated this injury (P<0.05 or P<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
YDZI and SMI ameliorated peripheral microvascular reactivity in GC patients. β-Sitosterol may improve peripheral microcirculation by regulating VEGFA, PTGS2, ESR1, and CASP9.
Humans
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Microcirculation/drug effects*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Stomach Neoplasms/physiopathology*
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Emulsions
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Male
;
Plant Oils/administration & dosage*
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Brucea/chemistry*
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Middle Aged
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Female
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Drug Combinations
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Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism*
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Seeds/chemistry*
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Injections
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Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism*
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Aged
;
Network Pharmacology
5.Psychological stress-activated NR3C1/NUPR1 axis promotes ovarian tumor metastasis.
Bin LIU ; Wen-Zhe DENG ; Wen-Hua HU ; Rong-Xi LU ; Qing-Yu ZHANG ; Chen-Feng GAO ; Xiao-Jie HUANG ; Wei-Guo LIAO ; Jin GAO ; Yang LIU ; Hiroshi KURIHARA ; Yi-Fang LI ; Xu-Hui ZHANG ; Yan-Ping WU ; Lei LIANG ; Rong-Rong HE
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3149-3162
Ovarian tumor (OT) is the most lethal form of gynecologic malignancy, with minimal improvements in patient outcomes over the past several decades. Metastasis is the leading cause of ovarian cancer-related deaths, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Psychological stress is known to activate the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), a factor associated with poor prognosis in OT patients. However, the precise mechanisms linking NR3C1 signaling and metastasis have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that chronic restraint stress accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in OT through an NR3C1-dependent mechanism involving nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1). Mechanistically, NR3C1 directly regulates the transcription of NUPR1, which in turn increases the expression of snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2), a key driver of EMT. Clinically, elevated NR3C1 positively correlates with NUPR1 expression in OT patients, and both are positively associated with poorer prognosis. Overall, our study identified the NR3C1/NUPR1 axis as a critical regulatory pathway in psychological stress-induced OT metastasis, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for intervention in OT metastasis.
6.Intestinal barrier in chronic gut and liver diseases: Pathogenesis and therapeutic targets.
Yongxin ZHANG ; Yameng LIU ; Xinyu LIANG ; Yingquan WEN ; Jingjie ZHAO ; Yong HE ; Qing XIE ; Cen XIE
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(11):5515-5536
The intestinal barrier is the primary defense that separates the host from the external environment, possessing several crucial physiological functions, including nutrient digestion, absorption, and protection against potentially harmful dietary antigens and pathogenic microorganisms. Nevertheless, various factors, such as diet, medications, circadian rhythm disturbances, gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, and genetic predisposition, can disrupt the intestinal barrier. Such disruption may lead to bacterial translocation, subsequently triggering enterohepatic and systemic inflammation. Impaired intestinal barrier has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, particularly chronic gut and liver diseases. In this review, we will summarize the fundamental functions of intestinal barrier and discuss clinical correlations between intestinal barrier dysfunction and diseases such as colitis, colorectal cancer, and chronic liver diseases including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, alcohol-associated liver disease, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Additionally, we will also highlight some potential therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring barrier integrity to improve disease management.
7.Expert consensus on pulpotomy in the management of mature permanent teeth with pulpitis.
Lu ZHANG ; Chen LIN ; Zhuo CHEN ; Lin YUE ; Qing YU ; Benxiang HOU ; Junqi LING ; Jingping LIANG ; Xi WEI ; Wenxia CHEN ; Lihong QIU ; Jiyao LI ; Yumei NIU ; Zhengmei LIN ; Lei CHENG ; Wenxi HE ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Dingming HUANG ; Zhengwei HUANG ; Weidong NIU ; Qi ZHANG ; Chen ZHANG ; Deqin YANG ; Jinhua YU ; Jin ZHAO ; Yihuai PAN ; Jingzhi MA ; Shuli DENG ; Xiaoli XIE ; Xiuping MENG ; Jian YANG ; Xuedong ZHOU ; Zhi CHEN
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):4-4
Pulpotomy, which belongs to vital pulp therapy, has become a strategy for managing pulpitis in recent decades. This minimally invasive treatment reflects the recognition of preserving healthy dental pulp and optimizing long-term patient-centered outcomes. Pulpotomy is categorized into partial pulpotomy (PP), the removal of a partial segment of the coronal pulp tissue, and full pulpotomy (FP), the removal of whole coronal pulp, which is followed by applying the biomaterials onto the remaining pulp tissue and ultimately restoring the tooth. Procedural decisions for the amount of pulp tissue removal or retention depend on the diagnostic of pulp vitality, the overall treatment plan, the patient's general health status, and pulp inflammation reassessment during operation. This statement represents the consensus of an expert committee convened by the Society of Cariology and Endodontics, Chinese Stomatological Association. It addresses the current evidence to support the application of pulpotomy as a potential alternative to root canal treatment (RCT) on mature permanent teeth with pulpitis from a biological basis, the development of capping biomaterial, and the diagnostic considerations to evidence-based medicine. This expert statement intends to provide a clinical protocol of pulpotomy, which facilitates practitioners in choosing the optimal procedure and increasing their confidence in this rapidly evolving field.
Humans
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Calcium Compounds/therapeutic use*
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Consensus
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Dental Pulp
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Dentition, Permanent
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Oxides/therapeutic use*
;
Pulpitis/therapy*
;
Pulpotomy/standards*
8.International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025).
Sheng-Sheng ZHANG ; Lu-Qing ZHAO ; Xiao-Hua HOU ; Zhao-Xiang BIAN ; Jian-Hua ZHENG ; Hai-He TIAN ; Guan-Hu YANG ; Won-Sook HONG ; Yu-Ying HE ; Li LIU ; Hong SHEN ; Yan-Ping LI ; Sheng XIE ; Jin SHU ; Bin-Fang ZENG ; Jun-Xiang LI ; Zhen LIU ; Zheng-Hua XIAO ; Jing-Dong XIAO ; Pei-Yong ZHENG ; Shao-Gang HUANG ; Sheng-Liang CHEN ; Gui-Jun FEI
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(5):502-518
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*
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Humans
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
9.Application of mammary-duct exenteration of nipple-skin-sparing mastectomy for breast cancer: A prospective cohort study
Faqing LIANG ; Tao HE ; Yanyan XIE ; Qing LÜ ;
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(08):1133-1138
Objective To investigate feasibility and preliminary oncological safety of surgical innovations in breast cancer patients who have undergone nipple-skin-sparing mastectomy (NSSM) for nipple discharge or central lesions and tumors that do not involve the nipple-areola skin. Methods Between May 2018 and November 2023, patients diagnosed with breast cancer presenting nipple discharge or lesions in the central area underwent NSSM. The imaging assessment revealed no involvement of the nipple-areola-skin by the tumor. We performed a surgical removal of the affected mammary duct and simultaneously made a circular incision measuring 3-4 mm in diameter at the apex of the nipple. The study also involved the collection of clinical data, early complications, oncological outcomes and conducting aesthetic analysis of the nipple using the BREAST-Q scale. Results The surgical procedure was conducted on a cohort of 39 female patients at age of 27-57(39.0±7.6) years. The postoperative pathological stages of breast cancer were distributed as follows: stage 0 in 2 patients (5.1%), stageⅠ in 1 patients (2.6%), ⅡA stage in 15 patients (38.5%), ⅡB stage in 21 patients (53.8%). Tumor type: simple carcinoma in situ in 5 patients (12.8%), invasive carcinoma in 14 patients (35.9%), including invasive carcinoma with carcinoma in situ in 20 patients (51.3%). During the median follow-up period of 15.0 (2-66) months, 3 patients (7.7%) developed decolorization caused by mild nipple ischemia; there was no nipple necrosis; 1 patient (2.6%) failed nipple reconstruction (no milk column, the milk column disappeared due to external dressing compression after operation). There were no incision complications, subcutaneous emphysema or intramammary hematoma in all patients. Two patients (5.1%) underwent prosthesis removal and nipple areola excess skin resection because of prosthesis cavity infection and final exposure caused by debridement, dressing change, redrainage and so on. As of April 2024, no tumor recurrence or metastasis was found during the follow-up period. The satisfaction of patients with nipple was 97.4% according to BREAST-Q score. Conclusion The satisfaction of breast cancer patients diagnosed with nipple discharge or lesions in the central area, but without involvement of the nipple areola skin, and who underwent subcutaneous mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is significantly enhanced. Furthermore, there is no increased risk of tumor recurrence or metastasis in short-term.
10.Comparison and related factors of suicide risk among patients with schizophrenia,major depressive disorder,and bipolar disorder
Chuanlin LUO ; Yuanyuan LI ; Zhaorui LIU ; Yanling HE ; Liang ZHOU ; Bo LIU ; Jie ZHANG ; Yuandong GONG ; Yan LIU ; Jin LU ; Yanping ZHOU ; Changqing GAO ; Qing DONG ; Defang CAI ; Runxu YANG ; Tingting ZHANG ; Yueqin HUANG
Chinese Mental Health Journal 2024;38(1):1-8
Objective:To describe and analyze suicide risk of patients with schizophrenia,major depressive disorder,and bipolar disorder.Methods:A total of 2 016 patients with schizophrenia,903 patients with major de-pressive disorder,and 381 patients with bipolar disorder from inpatients,clinics,or communities who met the diag-nostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fifth Edition were recruited.All patients were interviewed by psychiatrists using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview to diagnose mental disor-ders and assess suicide risk,as well as Clinical-Rated Dimensions of Psychosis Symptom Severity(CRDPSS)to as-sess symptoms.Differences and risk factors of suicide risk among three types of mental disorders were explored u-sing multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:In the past one month,37 patients with schizophrenia(1.8%),516 patients with major depressive disorder(57.1%),and 102 patients with bipolar disorder(26.8%)had suicide risk.Compared with patients with schizophrenia,suicide risk in patients with major depressive disorder(OR=36.50)and bipolar disorder(OR=20.10)increased.Female(OR=1.87),smoking(OR=1.76),family history of suicide(OR=5.09),higher score of CRDPSS hallucination(OR=1.80),and higher score of CRDPSS depression(OR=1.54)were risk factors of suicide risk of patients.Conclusions:Suicide risk of patients with ma-jor depressive disorder and bipolar disorder is higher than that of patients with schizophrenia.In clinical practice,it is important to regularly assess suicide risk of patients.Patients who experience symptoms of hallucination and de-pression should be paid more attention to.

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