ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Qijia Rougan decoction ameliorates liver fibrosis through amino acid/fatty acid metabolic reprogramming and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） pathway， based on the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network and the interaction between metabolism and signaling pathways. MethodsSprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomized into four groups （n=8）： control， model， and low-dose and high-dose （7.0， 28.0 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） Qijia Rougan decoction. Liver fibrosis was induced by subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄）. From week 9， drug intervention was implemented for 7 weeks. After the final administration， the pathological changes in the liver were evaluated through hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and picrosirius red （PSR） staining. An automated biochemical analyzer was used to measure the serum levels of biochemical indicators， including alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， total bile acid （TBA）， albumin （ALB）， and cholesterol （TC）. High-throughput miRNA sequencing was performed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs （DemiRs） during liver fibrosis. A miRNA-mRNA interaction network was constructed to identify key targets， which were then subjected to GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. The expression levels of selected DemiRs were validated by Real-time PCR. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group showed marked hepatic lobular necrosis， increased collagen deposition， significant fibrosis， elevated serum levels of ALT， AST， ALP， and TBA （P<0.01）， and declined levels of ALB and TC （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Qijia Rougan decoction treatment reduced hepatic necrosis， collagen accumulation， and fibrosis， lowered the serum levels of ALT， AST， ALP， and TBA （P<0.01）， and raised the levels of ALB and TC （P<0.01）. Integrated miRNA-seq and RNA-seq analysis identified 31 DemiRs （6 upregulated and 25 downregulated） and 498 targets. The expression trends of four selected DemiRs， including rno-miRNA-376b-3p， were consistent with sequencing results （R²=0.93）. Functional annotation revealed that top 20 upregulated targets were enriched in amino acid and fatty acid metabolism， while top 20 downregulated targets were significantly associated with the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and cancer progression. ConclusionQijia Rougan decoction alleviates liver fibrosis by reconstructing the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network， promoting metabolic reprogramming， and inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These findings provide mechanism evidence supporting the multi-targeted antifibrotic effects of traditional Chinese medicine compound formulas.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Qishao Tongbi Capsule （芪芍通痹胶囊， QTC） in the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD）. MethodsSeventy-five rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， low-dose QTC group， high-dose QTC group， high-dose QTC +agonist group， with 15 rats in each group. Except for the control group， all other groups were subjected to a fibrous ring puncture to prepare an IDD model. After modeling， rats in low-dose QTC group and high-dose QTC group were given QTC at doses of 0.2 and 0.8 g/（kg·d） by gavage， respectively. Rats in high-dose QTC+ agonist group was given QTC at 0.8 g/（kg·d） and SKL2001 solution at 10 mg/（kg·d） by gavage. The control group and model group were given 10 ml/（kg·d） distilled water by gavage. All treatments were given once a day for 4 consecutive weeks. After treatment， X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） were used to detect IDD degree. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Safranin O-Fast Green staining were used to observe the morphological changes of the intervertebral disc tissue. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to examine the levels of proteoglycan， type Ⅱ collagen （COL Ⅱ）， and matrix metalloproteinase-3 （MMP-3） in the intervertebral disc tissue. Western blotting was used to detect the extracellular matrix （ECM）-related proteins （proteoglycan， COL Ⅱ， MMP-3， MMP-9， MMP-13）， aging-related proteins （P53， P21， P16）， apoptosis related proteins， including B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 （BCL-2）， BCL-2 related X protein （BAX）， Cleaved Caspase-3， and Wnt/β-catenin pathway related proteins such as Wnt3a， glycogen synthase kinase-3β （GSK-3β） and β-catenin in the intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus （NP） tissue. Reverse Transcription Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction （RT-qPCR） was used to assess the mRNA expression of Wnt3a， GSK-3β， and β-catenin in intervertebral disc tissue. ResultsCompared with the model group， rats in the low-dose QTC group and high-dose QTC group exhibited improved DHI， decreased Pfirmann grading， and alleviated IDD. The structural integrity of the NP and annulus fibrosus increased， and the number of the NP increased. The levels of proteoglycan， COL Ⅱ， BCL-2 and GSK-3β increased， while the levels of MMP-3， MMP-9， MMP-13， P53， P21， P16， BAX， Cleaved Caspase-3， Wnt3a and β-catenin protein decreased. The mRNA expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin mRNA decreased， while GSK-3β mRNA expression increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the low-dose QTC group， the high-dose QTC group showed further improvements in DHI， decrease in Pfirrmann grading （P＜0.05）， and greater alleviation of IDD. The structural integrity of NP and annulus fibrosus was further enhanced， and the number of NP cells further increased. The levels of proteoglycan， COL Ⅱ， BCL-2 and GSK-3β were higher， while the levels of MMP-3， MMP-9， MMP-13， P53， P21， P16， BAX， Cleaved Caspase-3， Wnt3a and β-catenin were lower. The mRNA expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin decreased， while GSK-3β mRNA expression increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the high-dose QTC group， the high-dose QTC +agonist group showed a decrease of DHI， an increase of Pfirmann grading （P＜0.05）， significant aggravation of IDD， reduction in structural integrity of the NP and annulus fibrosus， a decrease of NP cell count， lower levels of proteoglycan， COL Ⅱ， BCL-2 and GSK-3β， and higher levels of MMP-3， MMP-9， MMP-13， P53， P21， P16， BAX and Cleaved Caspase-3. Additionally， GSK-3β mRNA expression decreased （P＜0.05）. ConclusionQTC can inhibit NP cell aging， apoptosis， and ECM degradation in IDD rats， and its therapeutic effect may be mediated through the inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Objective:To analyze the long-term trends in cause-specific mortality across different sexes and age groups in China from 1990 to 2021, and quantitatively assess the impact of population aging on cause-specific deaths by sex.Methods:Based on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, this study extracted the number of deaths, crude mortality rates and age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) for all causes, Level 1 causes (communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases; non-communicable diseases; injuries) and Level 3 causes in China from 1990 to 2021, stratified by sex and age group. This study analyzed the current situation and long-term trends in mortality in China, applying decomposition analysis to quantify the impact of population aging on the number of deaths.Results:In 2021, the ASMRs of all-cause death and the three primary causes of death in Level 1 in China were 644.68, 26.59, 575.55, and 41.82 per 100 000, respectively. The ASMRs of the three primary causes continued to decline, with the smallest decrease observed in non-communicable diseases [EAPC=-1.79%, 95% CI (-1.92%, -1.66%)] and the largest in communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases (CMNND) [EAPC=-5.86%, 95% CI (-6.06%, -5.65%)]. The ASMRs were higher in males than females, with a smaller decline. Mortality was higher in the elderly. CMNND deaths mainly occurred in children under 5 and the elderly; non-communicable disease deaths were concentrated in the elderly; injury deaths were relatively evenly distributed across age groups. The proportion of CMNND deaths decreased annually, while the proportion of non-communicable disease deaths increased. From 1990 to 2021, population aging contributed to an increase of 8.11 million all-cause deaths, 167 464.42 CMNND deaths, 7.74 million non-communicable diseases deaths, and 196 287.78 injury deaths. The impact of population aging differed by sex and disease, with male and female aging-related deaths increasing by 4.47 million and 3.70 million, respectively. Compared to 1990, the age-specific mortality rate contributions in 2021 were -72.82% for males and -93.87% for females, with variations by sex and disease. Conclusion:The composition of disease-related deaths in China has changed notably. Population aging is linked to the sharp rise in deaths, with varying impacts across sexes and diseases. Reducing disease mortality can help lessen the negative effects of population aging.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of physician modified stent grafts technique and in situ fenestration technique for reconstructing the left subclavian artery in endovascular repair of thoracic aortic lesions with insufficient proximal landing area.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 75 patients with aortic arch lesions treated with physician modified stent grafts and in situ fenestration techniques at the Interventional Diagnosis and Treatment Department of Beijing Anzhen Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University from November 2021 to March 2024. Among them, 52 patients received within physician modified stent grafts (PMSGs group) and 23 patients received in situ fenestration (ISF group). Based on two fenestration techniques, to analyze the technical success rate of endovascular repair in reconstructing the left subclavian artery in the perioperative and early following up adverse events both groups.Results:The success rate of PMSGs group technique was 92.31% (48/52), while the success rate of ISF technique was 91.30%(21/23). In the PMSGs group, there was 1 case of TypeⅠa endoleak and 3 cases of TypeⅠc endoleak immediately during endovascular repair; There was 1 case of TypeⅠa endoleak and 1 case of vascular injury in the ISF group immediately during endovascular repair. One case of perioperative cerebral infarction and one case of transient blindness occurred in the PMSGs group; One case of transient blindness and 1 case of brachial artery thrombosis occurred in the perioperative period in the ISF group. During the follow-up period, there was 1 case of distal dissection aneurysm formation in the PMSGs group, and 3 cases of minor typeⅠc endoleak were found after 3 months; One case of subclavian artery stent occlusion and 2 cases of minor typeⅠc endoleak occurred in the ISF group 6 months later. There were no cases of aortic-related deaths during the follow-up period in both groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the technical success rate, incidence of adverse events during the perioperative period and follow-up period, and re-intervention rate between the two groups. The average fluoroscopy time consumed in the ISF group was significantly higher than that in the PMSGs group (34.57 min vs. 21.42 min, P<0.001), but the average hospitalization time in the PMSGs group was significantly higher than that in the ISF group (9.33 days vs. 4.71 days, P<0.001). Conclusion:PMSGs and ISF techniques for reconstructing the left subclavian artery in the treatment of thoracic aortic arch lesions showed good safety and effectiveness. The appropriate fenestration technique selected based on aorta arch anatomical and lesion conditions could achieve satisfactory efficacy in short-term, but long-term effects need to be further observed.

Tissue-resident memory T cells(TRM)are a key immune memory cell type responsible for the recurrence of many skin diseases.TRM cells remain in the skin tissue following infection or injury and maintain immune memory by forming a memory reservoir.When the same or similar external stimuli are encountered again,TRM cells can be rapidly activated,releasing inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic substances,leading to local tissue damage and/or disease recurrence.The formation and function of TRM cells are regulated by various factors,such as T cell receptor signals,cytokines,co-stimulatory molecules,etc.Furthermore,TRM cells may exhibit different phenotypes and functions in different types of skin diseases.Therefore,understanding the characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of TRM cells is of great significance for studying the mechanisms of skin disease recurrence as well as for developing therapeutic strategies targeting TRM cells.

Objective:To investigate the value of midtreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters for predicting the pathological response in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy (NICT). Methods:Twenty-five LAGC patients (19 males, 6 females, age: (64.8±8.6) years) who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT after NICT in Henan Cancer Hospital from August 2019 to June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The lesion′s ROI was delineated, then the SUV max and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) were measured, and the SUV max was divided by SUV mean of the descending aorta to obtain the tumor-to-background ratio (TBR). Patients underwent surgery after PET/CT imaging. Based on the tumor regression grade (TRG) system by the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) criteria on surgical specimen, patients were divided into responders (TRG0+ 1) and non-responders (TRG2+ 3). Independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of variance, and Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum test were used to compare the differences of data. The predictive efficacy of PET/CT metabolic parameters was assessed by the ROC curve analysis. Results:Postsurgical pathology showed that 9 patients were responders and 16 were non-responders. The SUV max (3.10±1.95) and TBR (2.44±1.54) of primary lesions in responders were lower than those in non-responders (7.40±4.68, 5.85±3.74; t values: -2.61, -2.59, both P<0.05), while the MTV of primary tumors and short diameter and metabolic parameters of positive lymph nodes were not significantly different between those 2 groups ( t=-1.50, Z values: -1.09 to -0.75, all P>0.05). No significant relation was found between PET/CT parameters and pathological differentiation or Lauren classification, or other pathological features ( t values: -1.55 to 1.38, Z values: -1.84 to 0, F values: 0.12-2.43, H values: 0.13-0.98, all P>0.05). ROC curve showed that the cut-off value of SUV max for predicting postoperative TRG was 5.40, and the AUC reached 0.77 (95% CI: 0.56-0.91), with the sensitivity and specificity of 9/16, 9/9, respectively. With TBR=3.54 as the cut-off value, its AUC reached 0.77 (95% CI: 0.56-0.91), and the sensitivity and specificity were 11/16, 8/9, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of PET/CT for predicting lymph node positivity of patients were 8/12 and 13/13, respectively. Conclusion:Interim 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters can accurately predict the pathological response of LAGC patients after NICT.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for pyogenic spinal infections.Methods:A total of 255 patients diagnosed with pyogenic spinal infections were enrolled between September 2022 and September 2024 at Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital, Fuzhou Second General Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Shandong University Affiliated Public Health Clinical Center, and the Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Among them, 155 were male and 100 were female, with an average age of 62.5±14.2 years (ranging from 13 to 90 years). All patients had samples of infected tissue and/or pus collected for microbial culture and mNGS testing. The number, types, and positive rates of pathogens detected by microbial culture and mNGS were compared. Using culture results as the gold standard, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed for mNGS testing and the combined method of mNGS and microbial culture, calculating the area under the curve (AUC) and 95% CI. Results:All 255 cases were clinically diagnosed as pyogenic spinal infections, with 194 cases providing microbiological evidence. The most common Gram-positive bacterium was Staphylococcus aureus, while the most common Gram-negative bacterium was Escherichia coli. A total of 33 pathogenic microorganisms were detected by mNGS, while microbial culture detected 18 pathogenic microorganisms. The positive rate of mNGS was 72.2% (184 out of 255), which was significantly higher than that of 30.2% (77 out of 255) for microbial culture, showing a significant difference (χ 2=90.150, P<0.001); the positive rate of mNGS combined with microbial culture was 76.1% (194 out of 255) with significant difference compared to mNGS alone (χ 2=8.100, P<0.001). Among 178 culture-negative samples, the detection rate of mNGS was 65.7% (117 out of 178); among 77 culture-positive samples, the detection rate of mNGS was 87.0% (67 out of 77), and 97.0% (65 out of 67) of the detected pathogens matched the culture results at the species level. The AUCs of the ROC curves for mNGS testing and the combination of mNGS with microbial culture were 0.606 [95% CI (0.534, 0.678)] and 0.671 [95% CI (0.606, 0.736)], respectively, with significant differences compared to microbial culture ( P=0.007; P=0.007). Conclusions:mNGS demonstrates superior performance over conventional culture in identifying pathogens in pyogenic spinal infections. Moreover, combining mNGS with culture further improves diagnostic yield, supporting its integration into clinical practice.

Objective:To delineate clinical characteristics of infantile myofibroma/myofibromatosis (IM) .Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on histologically confirmed IM cases from Beijing Children's Hospital, Henan Children's Hospital, and Maternity and Child Health Care of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region between August 2014 and July 2021. The clinical, pathological, imaging features, and outcomes were analyzed and summarized.Results:A total of 44 IM patients were included, comprising 28 males (63.6%) and 16 females (36.4%). Their ages at onset ( M[ Q1, Q3]) were 14.8 (4.7, 42.4) months, and 26 patients (59.1%) developed IM before the age of 1 year. Seven patients (15.9%) were initially diagnosed with IM. Skin involvement occurred in 42 patients (95.5%), of whom 30 (71.4%) presented with a solitary lesion and 12 (28.6%) with multiple lesions. Skin lesions mainly manifested as painless, firm nodules or masses. The most commonly involved extracutaneous site was the skeletal system (21/44, 47.7%). Histopathological examination of all 44 IM cases revealed a biphasic architecture pattern, characterized by the coexistence of two distinct morphologies or cell types within the tumor tissues (including spindle cell areas composed of fascicularly and densely arranged myofibroblasts, and primitive mesenchymal cell areas composed of small, round undifferentiated cells. Immunohistochemical study was performed in 42 cases; 40 (95.2%) were positive for smooth muscle actin, and 20 (47.6%) were positive for CD34. Genetic testing was conducted in 3 cases, and NOTCH mutations were identified in 2. Among the 44 patients, 30 patients (68.2%) underwent surgical excision, 5 patients (11.4%) received intralesional injections of triamcinolone acetonide, 1 patient (2.3%) received chemotherapy for intestinal involvement, and 8 patients were managed expectantly. During the follow-up of 49 (36, 60) months, lesions completely resolved in 42 cases (95.5%), while 2 cases died of pulmonary infection following chemotherapy or postoperative airway compression. Conclusions:IM predominantly affected infants and young children, with the skin and skeletal system being the most commonly involved sites. Skin lesions often manifested as firm nodules or masses, and histopathological examination was crucial for definitive diagnoses. Most IM cases exhibited favorable outcomes.

Objective:To summarize the clinical, pathological, and molecular genetic features of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) in children.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 8 children with DFSP in the Department of Dermatology, Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2017 to December 2024. General information, clinical manifestations, pathological examinations, molecular genetic examinations, and treatments were analyzed, and clinical features and prognosis were summarized.Results:All the 8 cases were females, with ages at onset ( M[ Q1, Q3]) of 1.3 (0.3, 2.6) years, including 2 congenital cases; their ages at diagnosis were 5.1 (3.7, 7.4) years. Skin lesions manifested as solitary dark red patches, plaques, or nodules, and were located on the trunk in 5 cases (3 on the back, 1 on the abdomen, and 1 on the chest) and on the lower limbs in 3 cases. Histopathological examinations of all the 8 cases showed tumor cells diffusely infiltrating the dermis and subcutaneous tissue without epidermal involvement. Immunohistochemical staining showed that all the cases were strongly positive for CD34 and negative for soluble 100 protein; the Ki-67 labeling index ( M[ Q1, Q3]) was 9.0% (8.0%, 17.5%). Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed the COL1A1-PDGFB fusion gene or PDGFB gene rearrangement in all 8 cases. All the patients underwent surgical excision of the primary skin lesions, including 3 treated with wide local excision, 2 with traditional Mohs surgery, and 3 with modified slow Mohs surgery, and all achieved negative margins. During the follow up of 6 months to 7 years, no tumor recurrence was observed. Conclusions:DFSP often occurred at a relatively young age in children, and mostly presented as atrophic patches or plaques. PDGFB gene alterations were commonly observed, and prognosis after surgical treatment was generally favorable.

Objective:To assess the safety and efficacy of fenestrated endovascular aortic repair for the treatment of diseases involving in the aortic arch.Methods:The clinical data of 52 patients with aortic arch diseases treated with fenestrated endovascular aortic repair technique at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University from Nov 2021 to Jan 2024 was retrospectively analyzed.Results:Fenestration technique was used to reconstruct the branches of the arch for all 52 patients, with a success rate of 100%. A total of 56 stent grafts in the thoracic aorta and 56 bridging stents in the branch artery were implanted. The follow-up time ranged from 3 to 24 months, with an average of 11.3 months. One patient with type B aortic dissection underwent secondary intervention treatment after six months due to the distal reentry tear, and none of the patients experienced branch vessel ischemia, spinal cord ischemia, renal dysfunction, or aortic disease-related deaths during the following-up period.Conclusion:Fenestrated technique in endovascular aortic repair is safe and effective for treating aortic arch diseases.