To investigate the mechanism of Wenshen Xuanbi Decoction (WSXB) in treating osteoarthritis (OA) via network pharmacology, bioinformatics analysis, and experimental verification. The active components and prediction targets of WSXB were obtained from the TCMSP database and Swiss Target Prediction website, respectively. OA-related genes were retrieved from GeneCards and OMIM databases.Protein-protein interaction and functional enrichment analyses were performed, resulting in the construction of the Herb-Component-Target network. In addition, differential genes of OA were obtained from the GEO database to verify the potential mechanism of WSXB in OA treatment. Subsequently, potential active components were subjected to molecular verification with the hub targets. Finally, we selected the most crucial hub targets and pathways for experimental verification in vitro. The active components in the study included quercetin, linolenic acid, methyl linoleate, isobergapten, and beta-sitosterol. AKT1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-6, GAPDH, and CTNNB1 were identified as the most crucial hub targets. Molecular docking revealed that the active components and hub targets exhibited strong binding energy. Experimental verification demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6, IL-17, and TNF in the WSXB group were lower than those in the KOA group (p < 0.05). WSXB exhibits a chondroprotective effect on OA and delays disease progression. The mechanism is potentially related to the suppression of IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways and the down-regulation of IL-6.

Objective:To analyze the impact of gender on prognosis in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy.Methods:The data of 1 796 patients with HCC who underwent liver resection at the Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 1 548 males and 248 females, the average age were 49.6 years. Patients were followed up for recurrence and survival. After propensity score matching, the postoperative survival rates of male and female patients were compared. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze independent factors affecting prognosis of patients with HCC after hepatectomy. The age and menopause were analyzed by subgroup analyses.Results:The 1-, 3- and 5-years cumulative overall and recurrence-free survival rates of male patients were significantly lower than that of female patients (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that female was an independent protective factor affecting postoperative recurrence ( HR=0.777, 95% CI: 0.615-0.982) and overall survival ( HR=0.669, 95% CI: 0.520-0.856). Using a cut-off value of 50 years old, the patients were divided into <50 years old ( n=915) and ≥50 years old ( n=881). In patients who were less than 50 years old, the 1-, 3- and 5-years cumulative overall and recurrence-free survival rates of male patients were significantly lower than those of female patients (all P<0.05). In patients ≥50 years old, there were no significant difference in the cumulative overall and recurrence-free survival rates between male and female patients (all P>0.05). Female patients were then divided into the postmenopausal group ( n=152) and the premenopausal group ( n=96). There were no significant differences in the cumulative overall and cumulative recurrence-free survival rates between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The prognosis of female patients with HCC after hepatectomy was significantly better than that of male patients.

  Objective  To evaluate the clinical and paraclinical features of Chinese patients with anti- LGI1 encephalitis.  Methods  Patients with memory deficits, psychiatric symptoms, seizures or altered level of consciousness, suspicious of encephalitis, at presentation to Peking Union Medical College Hospital were recruited between July 2013 and January 2018, and tested for anti-LGI1 antibodies in their serum and/or cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) samples. Patients with anti-LGI1 antibodies were enrolled. The demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory examination results, neuroimaging features, immunotherapy, follow-up practices and outcomes for included patients were registered and analyzed.  Results  The study enrolled 120 patients, of whom 66.7% were male. The median age was 61 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 49-66 years). Seizures(65.0%) were the most common initial symptoms. Most patients developed seizures (95.0%), including faciobrachial dystonic seizures (54.2%), memory deficits (92.5%), and psychiatric symptoms (69.1%). Brain MRI and ¹⁸F-FDG PET / CT showed that the lesions were mainly located in unilateral or bilateral medial temporal lobes, and (or) basal ganglia. Of the patients, 95.0% received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) or corticosteroids, 47.5% received mycophenolate mofetil as long-term immunotherapy, and no one received second-line immunotherapy. The median follow-up was 34.2 months(IQR: 22.0-45.6 months). 91.2% had a good outcome (modified Rankin Scale score≤2 points). Residual mild memory deficits were present in 47.8% of the patients. Nine deaths were documented. Relapses occurred in 24.8% of the patients in the first year. In total, 24 (20%)cases were young patients(onset age ≤45 years).There were fewer males among the younger patients(37.5% vs. 74.0%, P < 0.01). Besides, there were fewer younger patients with psychiatric symptoms(50.0% vs. 74.0%, P=0.02), hyponatremia(33.3% vs. 68.8%, P < 0.01), and abnormalities on brain ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT(20.8% vs. 47.9%, P=0.02). The relapse-free survival rate was significantly higher in the young patients.  Conclusions  Elderly males were predominant in patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis. Most patients developed symptoms of limbic encephalitis and/or FDBS during the disease course. Several patients were young adults and lacked typical symptoms. Neuroimaging features were consistent with the involvement of limbic system or basal ganglia. Patients with anti-LGI1 encephalitis respond well to immunotherapy, irrespective of the age.