OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To compare screw versus Kirschner wire fixation in the treatment of lateral humeral condyle frac-tures in children.Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed,Embase,the Cochrane library,Web of Science,China National Knowledge Internet(CNKI),Wanfang Datebase from in ception to February 2022.Studies comparing screws and Kirschner wire fixation in the treatment of lateral humeral condyle fractures in children were included.Outcome measures included and excluded by a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria and evaluated for their quality,their excellent and good rate of fracture healing,malunion,delayed union or nonunion,infection,limitation of elbow flexion or extension(＞10°)were ex-tracted and analyzed using software Rev Man 5.3.Results A total of 9 retrospective studies involving 647 patients were includ-ed,with 255 patients in the screw fixation group(including screw combined with Kirschner wire)and 392 patients in the Kirschner wire fixation group.Meta analysis showed the following:infection rate in the screw group was significantly lower than that in the Kirschner wire group[OR=0.22,95％CI(0.09,0.56),P=0.001].There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in excellent and good rate of fracture healing,malunion rate(P＞0.05).Subgroup analysis showed that infection rate in the screw-only group was significantly lower than that in the Kirschner wire group[OR=0.18,95％CI(0.05,0.65),P=0.009].Conclusion For lateral humeral condyle fractures,Screw fixation alone had a lower infection rate than kirschner wire fixation and screw combined with Kirschner wire fixation.There were no significant differences in the excellent and good rate of fracture healing,malunion.In terms of postoperative efficacy and safety of internal fixation,orthopaedic surgeons are more like-ly to recommend screws for fixation of lateral humeral condyle fractures in children.

Objective To evaluate and compare the success rate and short-term clinical prognosis of transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TF-TAVR)for patients with pure aortic regurgitation(PAR)of different annulus sizes.Methods This study is a single center retrospective study,selecting symptomatic PAR patients who received TF-TAVR treatment at Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University from September 2019 to September 2023.Based on preoperative CT results,all patients were divided into three groups:Group A(aortic annulus circumference＜80 mm),Group B(80 mm≤aortic annulus circumference＜85 mm),and Group C(aortic annulus circumference&ge; 85 mm).The primary endpoint was success rate and 30d all-cause mortality,while the secondary endpoint was TAVR related complications.Results A total of 61 PAR patients were included in this study,including 27 in Group A,21 in Group B,and 13 in Group C.The overall success rate is 82.0％,and the 30 d all-cause mortality rate is 3.3％.The success rate of Group C patients was significantly lower(P=0.012),with higher rates of conversion to surgery and valve-in-valve implantation(P=0.022 and P=0.040).In terms of secondary endpoint events,there were no significant differences among the three groups in major bleeding events,major vascular complications,stroke,myocardial infarction,newly developed atrial fibrillation,implantation of new pacemakers,coronary artery occlusion,and postoperative moderate to severe perivalvular leakage(all P＞0.05).Conclusions The circumference of the aortic valve annulus is a key factor affecting the success rate of TF-TAVR in PAR,and PAR patients with an aortic valve annulus circumference less than 85mm may be more suitable for TF-TAVR.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of female migraine patients with patent foramen ovale(PFO)and design a risk prediction model for PFO in female migraine patients(migraineur patients PFO risk prediction model,MPRPM).Methods Female migraine patients who visited Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University from Jun 1,2019 to Dec 31,2022 were included.Preoperative information and follow-up results after discontinuation of medication were collected.Patients were divided into PFO-positive and PFO-negative groups based on transesophageal echocardiography results.A multivariate Logistic regression model and a random forest model were constructed,and the random forest model was validated multidimensionally.Key features were selected based on the mean decrease accuracy(MDA)to construct MPRPM.Results A total of 305 female patients were included in the study,with 204 patients in the PFO-positive group and 101 patients in the PFO-negative group.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age at migraine onset,attack frequency,severe impact on life during attacks,exercise-related headaches,menstruation-induced headaches,aura migraines,and a history of cryptogenic stroke were predictive factors for PFO positivity.The random forest model effectively predicted the incidence of PFO in female migraine patients,with an AUC of 0.895(95%CI:0.847-0.943).MPRPM demonstrated a sensitivity of 71.6%and specificity of 91.1%(AUC:0.862,95%CI:0.818-0.906,P<0.001).The optimal cut-off value was 2.5 points.Patients correctly classified by the model showed a higher rate of symptom improvement compared to incorrectly classified patients(94.3%vs.82.0%,P=0.023).Conclusion We identified predictive factors for PFO in migraine patients.MPRPM can provide guidance in the diagnostic process and therapeutic decision-making for female migraine patients,assist in patient triage,and reduce the healthcare burden.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglycoside (TGW) in the treatment of psoriatic dermatitis from a cellular immunological perspective. METHODS: Mouse models of psoriatic dermatitis were established by imiquimod (IMQ). Twelve male BALB/c mice were assigned to IMQ or IMQ₊TGW groups according to a random number table. Histopathological changes in vivo were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Ratios of immune cells and cytokines in mice, as well as PAM212 cell proliferation in vitro were assessed by flow cytometry. Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was determined using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: TGW significantly ameliorated the severity of IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse skin lesions and restrained the activation of CD45⁺ cells, neutrophils and T lymphocytes (all P<0.01). Moreover, TGW significantly attenuated keratinocytes (KCs) proliferation and downregulated the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-23, tumor necrosis factor α, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Furthermore, it reduced the number of γ δ T17 cells in skin lesion of mice and draining lymph nodes (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS TGW improved psoriasis-like inflammation by inhibiting KCs proliferation, as well as the associated immune cells and cytokine expression. It inhibited IL-17 secretion from γ δ T cells, which improved the immune-inflammatory microenvironment of psoriasis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Tripterygium ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Keratinocytes ; Skin Diseases/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Imiquimod/metabolism* ; Dermatitis/pathology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Skin/metabolism*

Objective To study the application of CE-Chirp in the evaluation of hearing impairment in forensic medicine by testing the auditory brainstem response(ABR)in adults using CE-Chirp to ana-lyze the relationship between the V-wave response threshold of CE-Chirp ABR test and the pure tone hearing threshold.Methods Subjects(aged 20-77 with a total of 100 ears)who underwent CE-Chirp ABR test in Changzhou De'an Hospital from January 2018 to June 2019 were selected to obtain the V-wave response threshold,and pure tone air conduction hearing threshold tests were conducted at 0.5,1.0,2.0 and 4.0 kHz,respectively,to obtain pure tone listening threshold.The differences and statistical differences between the average pure tone hearing threshold and V-wave response threshold were compared in different hearing levels and different age groups.The correlation,differences and statistical differences between the two tests at each frequency were analyzed for all subjects.The lin-ear regression equation for estimating pure tone hearing threshold for all subjects CE-Chirp ABR V-wave response threshold was established,and the feasibility of the equation was tested.Results There was no statistical significance in the CE-Chirp ABR response threshold and pure tone hearing threshold dif-ference between different hearing level groups and different age groups(P>0.05).There was a good correlation between adult CE-Chirp ABR V-wave response threshold and pure tone hearing threshold with statistical significance(P<0.05),and linear regression analysis showed a significant linear correla-tion between the two(P<0.05).Conclusion The use of CE-Chirp ABR V-wave response threshold can be used to evaluate subjects'pure tone hearing threshold under certain conditions,and can be used as an audiological test method for forensic hearing impairment assessment.

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of interventional therapy in patients with secondary atrial septal defect(ASD)with complete aortic rim deficiency.Methods 402 patients with ASD who underwent transcatheter closure and followed up in outpatient at both 6-month and 1-year in the Department of Cardiology,Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University from January 2018 to June 2020 were enrolled.They were divided into complete aortic rim deficiency group and normal aortic rim group.The clinical features,interventional parameters,and complications were compared between the two groups.Echocardiographic were used to evaluate the outcome.Results The occluder size was larger in the aortic rim deficiency group([26.4±6.9]mm,n=128)than that in normal aortic rim group([23.4±7.7]mm,P＜0.001;n=274).Both groups exhibited no major postoperative complications,and significant improvements were observed in right heart remodeling following the operation,including pulmonary artery pressure decreasing,the diameters of the right atrium and right ventricle reducing,and the degree of tricuspid regurgitation reducing(P＜0.001).There was no significant change in left ventricular ejection fraction in all patients.Conclusion Transcatheter closure of ASD with complete aortic rim deficiency is safe and feasible.

Humans ; Tricuspid Valve/surgery* ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; Surgical Instruments ; Treatment Outcome ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency/surgery*

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Chaiyin Granules compared with Oseltamivir Phosphate Capsules in the treatment of influenza(exogenous wind-heat syndrome). Based on a randomized, double-blind, positive drug parallel control clinical trial, this study evaluated the pharmacoeconomics of Chaiyin Granules with cost-effectiveness analysis method. A total of 116 patients with influenza from eight hospitals(grade Ⅱ level A above) in 6 cities were selected in this study, including 78 cases in the experimental group with Chaiyin Granules and Oseltamivir Phosphate Capsules placebo, and 38 cases in the control group with Oseltamivir Phosphate Capsules and Chaiyin Granules placebo. The total cost of this study included direct medical cost, direct non-medical cost, and indirect cost. The remission time of clinical symptoms, cure time/cure rate, antipyretic onset time/complete antipyretic time, viral nucleic acid negative rate, and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome curative effect were selected as the effect indicators for cost-effectiveness analysis. Four-quadrant diagram was used to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. The results showed that Chaiyin Granules were not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate Capsules in the remission time of clinical symptoms of influenza(3.1 d vs 2.9 d, P=0.360, non-inferiority margin was 0.5 d). Compared with Oseltamivir Phosphate Capsules, Chaiyin Granules would delay the remission time of clinic symptoms of influenza for 1 d, but could save 213.9 yuan. 1 d delay in cure time could save 149.3 yuan; 1% reduction in the cure rate could save 8.2 yuan; 1 d delay in antipyretic onset time could save 295.4 yuan; 1 d delay in complete antipyretic time could save 114.3 yuan; 1% reduction in the 5-day cure rate of TCM syndrome could save 19.2 yuan. Different from other indicators, there was no statistically significant difference between two groups in the effect of negative conversion rate of viral nucleic acid, but the cost was lower and the effect was superior, and the pharmacoeconomics was not different from that of Oseltamivir Phosphate Capsules in the field of influenza treatment.
Humans ; Antipyretics/therapeutic use* ; Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use* ; Cost-Effectiveness Analysis ; Influenza, Human/drug therapy* ; Nucleic Acids/therapeutic use* ; Oseltamivir/therapeutic use* ; Phosphates/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Blind Method

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block on perioperative analgesia and postoperative complications in geriatric patients with hip fractures. METHODS: A total of 127 elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery from January 2021 to September 2021 were randomized to receive ultrasound-guided continuous fascia iliaca compartment block(group F) either intravenous analgesia control group(group C). There were 62 cases in group F, including 19 males and 43 females with an average age of (82.4±7.2) years old ranging from 66 to 95 years old, involving 25 femoral neck fractures and 37 femoral intertrochanteric fractures. There were 65 cases in control group, including 18 males and 47 females, with an average age of (81.4±8.7) years old ranging from 65 to 94 years old, involving 29 femoral neck fractures and 36 femoral intertrochanteric fractures. The visual analogue scale(VAS), minimental state examination (MMSE), observer's assessment of alertness/sedation(OAA/S) scale, modified Bromage score, postoperative complications and general conditions during hospitalization in two groups were observed. RESULTS: The resting and exercise VAS at 30 min after block, anesthesia placement and 6, 24 and 48 h after surgery were lower than those in group C(P<0.05). In group F, MMSE scores at 12 h before surgery, and 1, 3 d after surgery and OAA/S scores at 3 d after surgery were higher than those in group C(P<0.05). The incidence of adverse effects and the number requiring additional analgesia were lower than those in group C(P<0.05). Group F had better perioperative analgesia satisfaction and hospital stay than group C(P<0.05). But there was no significant difference regarding Bromage score and 30-day mortality between two group(P>0.05). CONCLUSION Ultrasound-guided continuous fascia iliacus space block was safe and effective for elderly patients with hip fracture, and could significantly reduce perioperative pain, improve postoperative cognitive function, and reduce postoperative complications, thereby shortening hospital stay and improving the quality of life during hospitalization.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Pain Management ; Nerve Block ; Quality of Life ; Hip Fractures/surgery* ; Pain/surgery* ; Femoral Neck Fractures/surgery* ; Femoral Fractures/surgery* ; Ultrasonography, Interventional ; Postoperative Complications/surgery* ; Fascia ; Pain, Postoperative