Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is one of the common chronic complications of diabetes, and TCM has unique advantages in the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The article summarized the experimental research progress in the TCM intervention in treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy in recent years from the aspects of oxidative stress, metabolic disorders, neurological nutrition factor and neural microvascular dysfunction, with a purpose to provide better efficacy in clinical treatment.

Objective To study the mental health condition of occupational female and influencing factors of mental health. Methods 827 occupational females in Dongguan city were investigated using the questionnaires, the contents included the basic personal information, mental health condition and influencing factors of mental health.Results The results showed that there existed higher ratio of mental disorder in people of age over 50 years, post-graduate educational background, monthly income levels of 4001 to 5000 yuan and divorced occupational females.Moreover, the influential factors on mental health of occupational females were correlated with age, culture degree,family population and society. Conclusion We should pay more attention to occupational females and take effective measure to relieve their mental stress. This is the demands of woman as well as society.

Objective To study anatomical structures of the maxillary second molars(MSM)roots and canals and the relationship between root apices and the maxillary sinus.Methods Cone beam computed tomography imaging data of 526 MSM from 263 patients were evaluated retrospectively.The patient age,number of roots and canals,number of fused roots,type of root canal curvature,and anatomical relationship to the sinus floor were all documented and analyzed.Results It was found that the majority of MSM had three roots(59.1%),and the incidence of three root canals with three roots was the highest(47.3%).Fused roots were found in 192(36.5%)of the teeth examined.Palatal root canals of two-root,two-canal,and three-root,three-canal teeth had more curvature in the buccolingual direction than in the mesiodistal direction.The mesial buccal roots of MSM with three roots tended to extend into the max-illary sinus and the palatine roots of the three-rooted MSM tended to separate from the maxillary sinus.The distance between MSM and the sinus floor increased with age(P＜0.05).Conclusion The root and canal shape of MSM varies widely among a sample of individu-als.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between polymorphisms and haplotypes of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B antisense RNA 1 ( CDKN2 B- AS1) gene and the risk of ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods:From January 2012 to January 2021, a total of 534 UC patients diagnosed at the Department of Gastroenterology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (Yuying Children′s Hospital) and during the same period 560 gender- and age-matched healthy controls were selected. Genotypes of CDKN2 B- AS1 (rs1063192, rs10757274, rs10757278, rs1333048, rs2383207) in venous blood were determined by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry technique. Unconditional logistic regression was used to analyze the difference in the distribution of CDKN2 B- AS1 gene polymorphisms between UC patients and healthy controls, as well as the influence on the clinicopathologic characteristics of UC patients. Software Haploview 4.2 was used to analyze the linkage disequilibrium and haplotype. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Results:The frequencies of variant genotype (AG+ GG) and variant allele (G) of rs1063192 in UC patients were higher than those in healthy controls (32.4%, 173/534 vs. 24.8%, 139/560; 18.1%, 193/1 068 vs. 13.7%, 153/1 120), and the differences were statistically significant ( OR=1.45 and 1.40, 95% confidence interval(95% CI) 1.12 to 1.89 and 1.11 to 1.77, P=0.006 and 0.004, corrected P=0.030 and 0.020). The frequency of variant allele (G) of rs10757274 in UC patients was lower than that in healthy controls (34.7%, 371/1 068 vs. 39.5%, 442/1 120), and the difference was statistically significant ( OR=0.82, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.98, P=0.025). However, the difference was not significant after Bonferroni correction (corrected P>0.05). According to the Montreal classification, the frequency of homozygous variant genotype (GG) of rs1063192 in the patients with extensive colitis was higher than that in patients with proctitis plus left-sided colitis (6.6%, 14/211 vs. 1.9%, 6/323), and the difference was statistically significant ( OR=3.92, 95% CI 1.47 to 10.42, P=0.006, corrected P=0.030). There was linkage disequilibrium among rs10757274, rs2383207, rs10757278 and rs1333048 of CDKN2 B- AS1 gene. The frequency of haplotype GGGC in UC patients was lower than that in healthy controls (33.3%, 355.5/1 068 vs. 37.8%, 423.4/1 120), and the frequency of haplotype AGGC in UC patients was higher than that in healthy controls (6.7%, 71.7/1 068 vs. 3.6%, 40.3/1 120), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=4.81 and 11.16, P=0.028 and<0.001). Conclusions:The variation of rs1063192 in CDKN2 B- AS1 gene may increase the risk of UC. The risk of extensive colitis in patients carrying homozygous variant genotype (GG) of rs1063192 may rise. Among the haplotypes composed of rs10757274, rs2383207, rs10757278 and rs1333048, the risk of UC may decrease in the individuals carrying haplotype GGGC. However, the risk of UC may increase in the individuals carrying haplotype AGGC. The correlation between the variation of 10757274 and the risk of UC still needs to be further verified by expanding the sample size.

Pyroptosis is a newly discovered kind of cell death modality that, due to its association with innate immunity, plays a crucial role in cytolysis and inflammatory cytokine release during host defense against infection. In recent years, studies have shown that pyroptosis plays an important role in the occurrence and development of liver diseases. This article introduces and elaborates on the most recent research progress on pyroptosis in liver diseases based on the morphological features, molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms.

Objective: To explore the correlation between the level of anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) and clinical indicators of first visited primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients with positive AMA. Methods: From January 2013 to December 2016, the clinical data of 1 323 patients with positive AMA and/or AMA-M2 detected for the first time were collected through the Information System of Peking University People′s Hospital. Among them, 183 were detected by indirect immunofluorescence assay, 431 were measured by immunoblotting, and 709 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Patients were divided into undiagnosed PBC group (non-PBC group, 973 cases) and newly diagnosed PBC group (new-PBC group, 350 cases including 268 cases of non-liver cirrhosis and 82 cases of liver cirrhosis); among 709 cases detected by ELISA, there were 567 cases in the non-PBC group and 142 cases in the new-PBC group (115 cases of non-liver cirrhosis PBC group and 27 cases of liver cirrhosis PBC group). Among 183 cases determined by indirect immunofluorescence assay, there were 118 cases in the non-PBC group and 65 cases in the new-PBC group. Among them 69 cases with low AMA titer (1∶40—1∶80) (53 cases of non-PBC group and 16 cases of new-PBC group), 95 cases with medium titer (1∶160—1∶320) (59 cases of non-PBC group and 36 cases of new-PBC group) and 19 cases with high titer (≥1∶640) (six cases of non-PBC group and 13 cases of new-PBC group). AMA levels among groups were compared, and its correlation with clinical serology and cirrhosis indicators of PBC including immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgM, platelet, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltranspeptadase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum total protein, serum albumin, total bilirubin (TBil), total cholesterol (TC), and aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis (Fib-4) was analysed. Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and linear regression analysis were performed for statistical analysis. Results: By ELISA method, the median titer of AMA-M2 of 709 patients was 53 RU/mL, the serum AMA and AMA-M2 levels of new-PBC group were both higher than those of non-PBC group (1∶320 vs. 1∶80, 180 RU/mL vs. 47 RU/mL), and the differences were statistically significant (χ² = 14.111, Z = -7.531, both P < 0.01). In non-PBC group, the AMA-M2 value was positively correlated with age, serum IgG, IgM, AST, GGT, ALP, serum total protein and TC, all of which were statistically significant (Rho = 0.114, 0.108, 0.337, 0.089, 0.197, 0.086, 0.121 and 0.073, all P<0.05). In new-PBC group, AMA-M2 value was positively correlated with age, IgM, serum total protein and TC, however was negatively correlated with platelet count, all of which were statistically significant (Rho = 0.218, 0.483, 0.230, 0.161, and -0.183, all P<0.05). The median values of serum AMA and AMA-M2 of PBC without liver cirrhosis group were both tended to be lower than those of PBC with liver cirrhosis (1∶160 vs. 1∶320; 174 RU/mL vs. 495 RU/mL), however the differences were not statistically significant (both P>0.05). AMA-M2 value of patients in PBC with liver cirrhosis group was positively correlated with IgM level (r = 0.38, P = 0.039), but was not correlated with APRI and Fib-4 (all P > 0.05). The median of AMA value of 183 patients who underwent indirect immunofluorescence test was 1∶160. In non-PBC group, the IgM levels of patients with low, medium and high AMA titers gradually increased (the median levels were 1.2, 1.7 and 1.8 g/L, respectively); in new-PBC group, the levels of IgM, GGT and ALP of patients with low, medium and high AMA titers gradually increased (median IgM levels were 1.5, 3.7 and 4.1 g/L, respectively; GGT levels were 144, 182 and 317 U/L, respectively; and ALP levels were 137, 168 and 221 U/L, respectively), and the differences were statistically significant (χ² =6.260, 7.081, 8.030, 15.226, all P<0.05). In non-PBC group, the median level of serum AMA-M2 of men was lower than that of women (41 RU/L vs. 50 RU/L), and the difference was statistically significant (Z = -2.945, P = 0.003). In new-PBC group, the median level of serum AMA-M2 of men tended to be lower than that of women (113 RU/mL vs. 206 RU/mL), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.257). Conclusion Serum AMA level is correlated with many clinical parameters and may be related with the disease severity in patients with PBC.

Objective: To understand the basic information of anti-mitochondrial antibody (anti-AMA)-positive patients after initial diagnosis, and to set groundwork for further exploring the clinical significance of AMA in various diseases. Methods: Demographic data and related clinical information recorded through the Information System of Peking University People's Hospital from January 2013 to December 2016 were collected. Patients whose AMA and/or AMA-M2 first- tested as positive were recorded. Complications were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases. Results: A total of 1323 AMA positive cases were discovered for the first time. Among them, 78.0% were women, and the age of initial diagnosis was 56.8 ± 16.0 years. The first three initially diagnosed departments were rheumatology and immunology (37.4%), liver Disease (15.9%) and hematology (15.9%) relevant to musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases (45.2%), hematology and hematopoietic organs and immune diseases (30.6%) and circulatory system diseases (29.7%). There were 297 newly confirmed cases of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC); accounting for 89.2% of women, and the age of initial diagnosis was 60.1 ± 12.4 years. The top three departments of initially diagnosed as PBC were liver disease (37.7%), rheumatology (33.0%) and gastroenterology (15.2%), of which 39.7% had musculoskeletal and connective tissue diseases, 27.9% had circulatory diseases, and 24.9 % were combined with endocrine and metabolic diseases. Conclusion Besides PBC and other autoimmune diseases, AMA and / or AMA-M2 positivity can be observed in a variety of diseases in several clinical departments, and its clinical significance remains to be further clarified.