Objective This study aimed to investigate the correlation of cerebral perfusion and cognitive function status in patients with minor stroke(MS)or transient ischemic attack(TIA)complicated by severe intracranial arterial stenosis or occlusion(hereafter referred to as ICAS-MSTIA).Methods Retrospectively enrol consecutive ICAS-MSTIA patients admitted to the Department of Neurology,the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University,from June 2023 to May 2024.In the meantime,healthy controls were openly recruited.The ICAS-MSTIA patients were divided into two groups based on the side of intracranial large artery stenosis or occlusion:the left intracranial large artery involvement group and the right intracranial large artery involvement group.All patients with intracranial large artery stenosis or occlusion underwent MR scanning within 2 weeks after the first episode of TIA or MS,while there was no specific time requirement for MR examination in the healthy control group.On the day of MR scanning,the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scale was used to evaluate the participants'global cognitive function and performance in various cognitive domains,including visuospatial/executive function,naming,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation.General information of all participants was collected,including age,sex,educational level,body mass index,and history of smoking and alcohol consumption.Clinical data were collected from both left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups,including cerebrovascular risk factors(such as,diabetes mellitus,hypertension,and hyperlipidemia),National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score at admission,responsible stenotic or occluded arteries(internal carotid artery,middle cerebral artery),degree of stenosis in the responsible vessel(severe stenosis[stenosis rate 70%-99%],occlusion[stenosis rate100%])and non-responsible vessel(no stenosis[0],mild stenosis[stenosis rate＞0-49%]),collateral circulation compensation(American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology[ASTIN/SIR]collateral circulation classification),and responsible events(TIA,MS).General data and MoCA scale scores were compared across the three groups,while clinical data were compared between the left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups.Statistical parametric mapping 12(SPM 12)was used to perform voxel-wise independent samples t-tests on cerebral blood flow(CBF)differences among the left ICAS-MSTIA group,right ICAS-MSTIA group,and healthy control group,with cluster-level family-wise error(FWE)correction applied for adjustment.Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between global CBF values and total MoCA scores in ICAS-MSTIA patients with left or right intracranial large artery involvement.Results A total of 33 ICAS-MSTIA patients and 33 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Among the ICAS-MSTIA patients,21 had left intracranial large artery involvement and 12 had right involvement.(1)Among the three groups,statistically significant differences were observed in the proportions of individuals with reported smoking history(P=0.024)and alcohol consumption history(P=0.011).The left intracranial large artery involvement group had a higher NIHSS score(0[0,2]vs.0[0,0],P=0.044)and a higher proportion of patients with internal carotid artery involvement(13/21 cases vs.2/12 cases,P=0.027)compared with the right side group.No statistically significant differences were observed in other general or clinical data across the three groups or between the two non-control groups(all P＞0.05).(2)Statistically significant differences were found across the three groups in the MoCA scale total score and scores of visuospatial/executive function,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation cognitive domains(all P＜0.05),while no significant difference was noted in the naming score(P=0.063).The left intracranial large artery involvement group had lower total MoCA score and lower scores in visuospatial/executive function,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation in comparison to the healthy control group(all P＜0.016 7).The right intracranial large artery involvement group had significantly lower scores in language,abstraction,and orientation domains than the healthy control group(all P＜0.016 7).Additionally,the left side group had a lower attention domain score than the right side group(P＜0.016 7).No other statistically significant differences were found in pairwise comparisons(all P＞0.016 7).(3)Patients in both the left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups exhibited a significant decrease in CBF in extensive regions on the affected side,including the temporal lobe,dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,and occipital lobe.Furthermore,after correction,in the left involvement group CBF was higher in the contralateral lingual gyrus,cuneus,and calcarine sulcus compared with the healthy control group(P＜0.05).While in the right involvement group,no regions had increased CBF compared to the healthy control group.(4)Multiple linear regression showed positive correlation between CBF in ipsilateral precentral gyrus and superior temporal gyrus,and the total MoCA score in patients with left intracranial large artery involvement(FWE-corrected,P＜0.05).In contrast,there was no correlation between CBF and total MoCA score in patients with right intracranial large artery involvement.Conclusions ICAS-MSTIA patients exhibited various degrees of impairment in cerebral perfusion and cognitive function.A significant positive correlation is observed between these two impairments in patients with left intracranial large artery involvement.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the correlation of cerebral perfusion and cognitive function status in patients with minor stroke(MS)or transient ischemic attack(TIA)complicated by severe intracranial arterial stenosis or occlusion(hereafter referred to as ICAS-MSTIA).Methods Retrospectively enrol consecutive ICAS-MSTIA patients admitted to the Department of Neurology,the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University,from June 2023 to May 2024.In the meantime,healthy controls were openly recruited.The ICAS-MSTIA patients were divided into two groups based on the side of intracranial large artery stenosis or occlusion:the left intracranial large artery involvement group and the right intracranial large artery involvement group.All patients with intracranial large artery stenosis or occlusion underwent MR scanning within 2 weeks after the first episode of TIA or MS,while there was no specific time requirement for MR examination in the healthy control group.On the day of MR scanning,the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scale was used to evaluate the participants'global cognitive function and performance in various cognitive domains,including visuospatial/executive function,naming,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation.General information of all participants was collected,including age,sex,educational level,body mass index,and history of smoking and alcohol consumption.Clinical data were collected from both left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups,including cerebrovascular risk factors(such as,diabetes mellitus,hypertension,and hyperlipidemia),National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score at admission,responsible stenotic or occluded arteries(internal carotid artery,middle cerebral artery),degree of stenosis in the responsible vessel(severe stenosis[stenosis rate 70%-99%],occlusion[stenosis rate100%])and non-responsible vessel(no stenosis[0],mild stenosis[stenosis rate＞0-49%]),collateral circulation compensation(American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology[ASTIN/SIR]collateral circulation classification),and responsible events(TIA,MS).General data and MoCA scale scores were compared across the three groups,while clinical data were compared between the left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups.Statistical parametric mapping 12(SPM 12)was used to perform voxel-wise independent samples t-tests on cerebral blood flow(CBF)differences among the left ICAS-MSTIA group,right ICAS-MSTIA group,and healthy control group,with cluster-level family-wise error(FWE)correction applied for adjustment.Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between global CBF values and total MoCA scores in ICAS-MSTIA patients with left or right intracranial large artery involvement.Results A total of 33 ICAS-MSTIA patients and 33 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.Among the ICAS-MSTIA patients,21 had left intracranial large artery involvement and 12 had right involvement.(1)Among the three groups,statistically significant differences were observed in the proportions of individuals with reported smoking history(P=0.024)and alcohol consumption history(P=0.011).The left intracranial large artery involvement group had a higher NIHSS score(0[0,2]vs.0[0,0],P=0.044)and a higher proportion of patients with internal carotid artery involvement(13/21 cases vs.2/12 cases,P=0.027)compared with the right side group.No statistically significant differences were observed in other general or clinical data across the three groups or between the two non-control groups(all P＞0.05).(2)Statistically significant differences were found across the three groups in the MoCA scale total score and scores of visuospatial/executive function,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation cognitive domains(all P＜0.05),while no significant difference was noted in the naming score(P=0.063).The left intracranial large artery involvement group had lower total MoCA score and lower scores in visuospatial/executive function,attention,language,abstraction,delayed recall,and orientation in comparison to the healthy control group(all P＜0.016 7).The right intracranial large artery involvement group had significantly lower scores in language,abstraction,and orientation domains than the healthy control group(all P＜0.016 7).Additionally,the left side group had a lower attention domain score than the right side group(P＜0.016 7).No other statistically significant differences were found in pairwise comparisons(all P＞0.016 7).(3)Patients in both the left and right intracranial large artery involvement groups exhibited a significant decrease in CBF in extensive regions on the affected side,including the temporal lobe,dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,and occipital lobe.Furthermore,after correction,in the left involvement group CBF was higher in the contralateral lingual gyrus,cuneus,and calcarine sulcus compared with the healthy control group(P＜0.05).While in the right involvement group,no regions had increased CBF compared to the healthy control group.(4)Multiple linear regression showed positive correlation between CBF in ipsilateral precentral gyrus and superior temporal gyrus,and the total MoCA score in patients with left intracranial large artery involvement(FWE-corrected,P＜0.05).In contrast,there was no correlation between CBF and total MoCA score in patients with right intracranial large artery involvement.Conclusions ICAS-MSTIA patients exhibited various degrees of impairment in cerebral perfusion and cognitive function.A significant positive correlation is observed between these two impairments in patients with left intracranial large artery involvement.

Objective:To systematically review the factors related to the aggressive behavior of hospitalized patients with schizophrenia in China.Methods:CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,China Biomedical Literature Database,PubMed,Cochrane Library,and Embase databases were searched to collect case-control studies on factors related to aggression in hospitalized patients with schizophrenia in China from its inception to June 2023.Analysis was per-formed using ReviewManager 5.3 to calculate pooled OR(95％CI)values.Results:Thirty-three studies were in-cluded.Medical staff coercive measures(OR=3.86,95％CI:2.75-5.43),unemployment(OR=1.44,95％CI:1.14-1.81),positive family history(OR=2.97,95％CI:2.29-3.87),poor medication compliance(OR=4.37,95％CI:3.36-5.69),young age(OR=3.13,95％CI:2.66-3.69),involuntary hospitalization(OR=3.34,95％CI:2.81-3.97),depression(OR=2.11,95％CI:1.68-2.66),emotional abuse(OR=1.13,95％CI:1.04-1.23),male(OR=2.70,95％CI:2.20-3.31),delusions(OR=2.14,95％CI:1.69-2.71),auditory hallucina-tions(OR=2.23,95％CI:1.70-2.94),and major life events(OR=3.21,95％CI:1.90-5.42)and previous history of aggressive behavior(OR=2.20,95％CI:2.06-2.34)were risk factors associated with aggressive be-havior in Chinese patients with schizophrenia,and social support(OR=0.46,95％CI:0.31-0.67)was a protec-tive factor.Conclusion:There are various factors related to aggressive behavior in hospitalized Chinese patients with schizophrenia,and medical staff should identify high-risk groups early according to the relevant factors,and effec-tively intervene in controllable factors to reduce the occurrence of aggressive behavior.

Objective:To quantify the diagnostic index of probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori ( HP)-associated chronic atrophic gastritis (HpCAG), and to evaluate the efficacy of the quantified diagnostic index for HpCAG. Methods:The study was divided into two stages. The first stage prospectively included patients undergoing gastroscopy, endoscopic biopsy and 13C breath test from November 2021 to September 2022 at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College. The capillary diameter (CD), cells spacing (CS), gland spacing (GS), and gland area (GA) in the pCLE field of offline video was measured with Image J. The diagnostic criteria of HpCAG by quantitative indicators under pCLE was established by analyzing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). In the second stage, the cases with pCLE examination and 13C breath test at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College from October 2021 to October 2022 were included. The cases that overlapped with the first stage were excluded. The trial was single-blind, with endoscopists and pathologists blind to each other's diagnoses. The diagnosis of pCLE was conducted according to the criteria obtained in the first stage, and the consistency between pCLE diagnosis and the results of histopathology and 13C breath test was analyzed. Results:The first stage enrolled 191 specimens from 35 patients. According to the pathological results of endoscopic biopsy and 13C breath test results, patients and gastric mucosa samples were divided into 4 groups, HP-positive CAG group ( n=59), HP-positive non-CAG group ( n=52), HP-negative CAG group ( n=40), and HP-negative non-CAG group ( n=40). ROC curve analysis results showed that in HP-positive patients, the optimal critical value of GS to distinguish between CAG and non-CAG gastric mucosa was 29.68 μm, and the AUC was the largest among the 4 parameters. In HP-negative patients, the optimal critical value of GS for distinguishing gastric mucosa from CAG and non-CAG was 23.57 μm, and the AUC was the largest among the 4 parameters. In patients with non-CAG, the optimal critical value for GS to distinguish HP-positive and HP-negative gastric mucosa was 20.57 μm, and the AUC was the largest among the 4 parameters. In patients with CAG, the optimal critical values of CD, CS, GS and GA to distinguish between HP-positive and HP-negative gastric mucosa were 13.23 μm, 1.38 μm, 34.03 μm and 6 066.5 μm 2, respectively, and the AUC were 0.608, 0.888, 0.849 and 0.900, respectively. Finally, GS was selected to distinguish between HpCAG and non-HpCAG gastric mucosa, and the optimal critical value was 31.71 μm. However, considering that it was difficult to measure the distance of 31.71 μm by the ruler below the image, the critical value was changed to 30 μm, so GS>30 μm was used as the diagnostic criteria for HpCAG in pCLE, and the diagnostic sensitivity and the specificity were 91.5% and 76.0%, respectively. In the second phase 224 specimens from 80 patients were observed. The sensitivity, the specificity, the positive predictive value, the negative predictive value and accuracy of pCLE (GS>30 μm) in the diagnosis of HpCAG were 96.5% (164/170), 88.9% (48/54), 96.5% (164/170), 88.9% (48/54) and 94.6% (212/224), respectively, with excellent diagnostic agreement with histopathology and 13C breath test (Kappa=0.854). Conclusion:The quantitative monitoring of gastric mucosal microstructure can be achieved under pCLE, and the quantifying indicators are helpful to improve the accuracy of HpCAG diagnosis.

ObjectiveThe differential expression of microRNAs （miRNAs） between the active stage and the remission stage of ulcerative colitis （UC） was analyzed by bioinformatics method， and the regulatory relationship was constructed by screening the differentially expressed genes （DEGs）. The mechanism of Xizhuo Jiedu recipe in the treatment of UC was speculated and verified by animal experiments. MethodThe miRNAs data set of colonic mucosa tissue of UC patients was obtained from the gene expression database （GEO）， and the most differentially expressed miRNAs were screened by GEO2R， Excel， and other tools as research objects. TargetScan， miRTarbase， miRDB， STRING， TRRUST， and Matescape databases were used to screen key DEGs， predict downstream transcription factors （TFs）， gene ontology （GO）， and conduct Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis. The key signaling pathways were selected for animal experiments. In animal experiments， the UC mouse model was prepared by making the mouse freely drink 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate （DSS）. Xiezhu Jiedu recipe and mesalazine were given by gavage for seven days， and the inflammatory infiltration of colonic mucosa was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of miR-155-5p in colon tissue. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the protein expression levels of cytokine signal transduction inhibitor （SOCS1）， phosphorylated transcriptional signal transductor and activator 3 （p-STAT3）， phosphorylated Janus kinase 2 （p-JAK2）， and retinoic acid-associated orphan receptor-γt （ROR-γt）. The expression levels of transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）， interleukin-17 （IL-17）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultThe GSE48957 dataset was screened from the GEO database， and miR-155-5p was selected as the research object from the samples in the active and remission stages. 131 DEGs were screened. The GO/KEGG enrichment analysis was closely related to biological processes such as positive regulation of miRNA transcription and protein phosphorylation， as well as signaling pathways such as stem cell signaling pathway， IL-17 signaling pathway， and helper T cell 17 （Th17） cell differentiation. The Matescape database was used to screen out 10 key DEGs， among which SOCS1 was one of the key DEGs of miR-155-5p. Further screening of the TFS of key DEGs revealed that STAT3 was one of the main TFs of SOCS1. The results of animal experiments showed that Xiezhu Jiedu Recipe could effectively down-regulate the mRNA expression of miR-155-5p and protein expression of p-STAT3， p-JAK2， and ROR-γt in colon tissue of UC mice and the expression of IL-17 and IL-6 in serum of UC mice， up-regulate the protein expression of SOCS1 and the expression of TGF-β and IL-10， increase the level of anti-inflammatory factors， and reduce inflammatory cell infiltration. ConclusionIt is speculated that Xizhuo Jiedu recipe may interfere with SOCS1 by regulating the expression of miR-155-5p in UC mice， inhibit the phosphorylation of STAT3， inhibit the differentiation of CD4⁺ T cells into Th17 cells， reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory factors （IL-17 and IL-6）， and increase the levels of anti-inflammatory factors （TGF-β and IL-10）. As a result， the inflammation of colon mucosa in UC mice was alleviated.

Objective To investigate the effect of Yantiao Fang on apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells in mice with acute gastrointestinal injury caused by sepsis by regulating the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway.Methods Seventy BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal,sham,and model groups.Except for normal and sham groups,mice were subjected to cecal ligation and perforation to establish a mouse model of acute gastrointestinal injury caused by sepsis.The mouse models were randomly divided into model,Low,Medium,and High dose of Yantiao Fang,and ROCK inhibitor groups.Histopathological changes of the ileum were observed by HE staining.Serum levels of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,and IL-10 were measured by ELISA.PCNA and Ki-67 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry.Cleaved caspase3 and Bax expression was detected by Western blot.ROCK and MLC mRNA expression in the ileum was measured by RT-qPCR.Results Compared with normal and sham groups,Chiu's pathological score,proinflammatory factor(IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α)levels,cleaved caspase3 and Bax protein expression,and ROCK and MLC mRNA levels were increased in the model group(P＜0.05).Moreover,anti-inflammatory mediator IL-10 and expression of PCNA and Ki-67 in the ileum were decreased in the model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,histopathological changes of the ileum in all Yantiao Fang groups were improved by various degrees with the increase in dose.Chiu's pathological score,IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α serum levels,cleaved caspase3 and Bax protein expression,and ROCK and MLC mRNA levels were decreased in Yantian Fang groups(P＜0.05).The IL-10 level and expression of PCNA and Ki-67 in the ileum were increased in Yantian Fang groups(P＜0.05).Conclusions Yantiao Fang may inhibit apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells in mice with acute gastrointestinal injury due to sepsis by regulating the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway,thereby alleviating intestinal tissue inflammation and ultimately preventing intestinal mucosal tissue injury.

OBJECTIVE To explore the distribution of airborne pollen in Cangzhou,to analyze the correlation between pollen characteristics,meteorological factors and the rate of allergic rhinitis visits,and to provide a reference basis for the precise prevention and treatment of allergic rhinitis in Cangzhou.METHODS The gravity deposition method was applied to collect daily airborne pollen from the monitoring sites in Cangzhou from March to October 2022 and record the pollen species and quantities.We also collected information on allergic rhinitis patients who visited the ENT Department of Cangzhou Central Hospital during the same period and meteorological data(daily maximum temperature,minimum temperature,maximum relative humidity,maximum precipitation,and maximum wind speed at ground level)during the same period,and analyzed the relationship between the number of AR patients'visits,the amount of pollen,and the meteorological factors.RESULTS 1.A total of 229 pollen exposures were collected from March to October 2022,totaling 19 368 pollen grains,of which 18 750 grains of pollen could be identified in 19 families and 618 grains were difficult to identify the families.2.There were two peaks of pollen during the period,in April and September respectively.Spring pollen to tree-based category,to the pine family,willow willow family,Xylariaceae(ash)most often;summer pollen volume has declined,but still tree-based category;fall pollen to herbaceous category,to the Asteraceae Artemisia,mulberry,Gramineae most often.3.The pollen concentration in Cangzhou City was negatively correlated with maximum humidity,maximum precipitation,maximum temperature,and minimum temperature.Maximum wind speed at ground level was positively correlated with pollen concentration.4.Pollen concentration was positively correlated with the number of visits.The correlation analysis between daily medical visits from June to October and air pollen concentration showed a significant positive correlation,while the results from March to May showed no significant correlation.CONCLUSION The peak of airborne pollen dispersal in April and September in Cangzhou.Spring and summer pollen is dominated by tree species,and the dominant pollen is Pinaceae,Willow genus of Populus,and Xylariaceae(ash genus);fall pollen is dominated by herbaceous species,and the dominant pollen is Artemisia,Asteraceae,Mulberry,and Gramineae.Meteorological factors are important factors affecting pollen concentration.Within a certain range,the lower the maximum humidity,the lowest maximum precipitation,the lower the highest or the lowest temperature,the higher the pollen concentration,and the pollen concentration is more affected by the lowest temperature.There is a correlation between pollen concentration and the number of AR patients'visits from June to October,which can be used as an environmental early warning indicator of the prevalence of AR.

OBJECTIVE To explore the dynamic changes of main alkaloids in the processing process of Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai prepared by liquorice juice. METHODS Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai with or without liquorice juice were steaming for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 h, respectively, and then dried. HPLC was used to determine the content of lappaconitine, ranaconitine and new components in different processed products of Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai. The simulated processing was carried out with the reference substance of lappaconitine and ranaconitine. The new components were separated by preparative liquid and analyzed by NMR and UPLC-QTOF-MS. RESULTS With the extension of steaming time, the content of lappaconitine and ranaconitine decreased significantly during the steaming Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai with or without liquorice juice, and two new peaks(peak 1 and peak 2) were produced and their content increased observably, this indicated that the new compounds were not related to licorice juice, only related to steaming process. Compared with the steaming process without liquorice juice, the contents of toxic and effective components lappaconitine and ranaconitine decreased moderately steamed with liquorice juice, indicating that the addition of liquorice juice steaming was more reasonable; The results of the simulated processing showed that the contents of lappaconitine and ranaconitine gradually decreased in the processing. After isolation and identification find the compound 1(peak 2) was 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. CONCLUSION The main alkaloids components of Aconitum sinomontanum Nakai are changed greatly after processing, which may be closely related to the “reduction of toxicity and increase of efficiency” in the steaming process of adding liquorice juice.

Objective:To study reflux characteristics of patients with endoscopic negative heartburn and their manifestation under probe-based confocal laser endoscopy (pCLE) based on the Rome Ⅳ standard.Methods:Thirty-six endoscopic negative outpatients with typical heartburn at the Department of Gastroenterology of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Baotou Medical College from September 2020 to March 2021 were included, and underwent 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitor and pCLE. According to Rome Ⅳ diagnostic process, patients were divided into non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) group ( n=16), reflux hypersensitivity (RH) group ( n=8) and functional heartburn (FH) group ( n=12). The Gerd-Q scale score, 24-hour pH monitoring results and microstructure changes under pCLE were compared among the three groups. Results:There was no significant difference in the total score, positive symptom score, negative symptom score or positive influence score of Gerd-Q scale among the three groups ( P>0.05). DeMeester score [28.45 (20.08, 34.53)] and acid reflux times (24.88±9.05) in the NERD group were significantly higher than those in the RH group [7.30 (3.90, 11.38), P<0.001; 13.63±5.76, P=0.003] and FH group [6.90 (4.80, 9.73), P<0.001; 7.42±8.32, P<0.001]. But there was no significant difference between the RH group and the FH group ( P>0.05). The diameter of intra-papillary capillary loop (IPCL) (18.68±2.12 μm) and dilation of intercellular space (3.95±0.97 μm) in the NERD group were significantly higher than those in the RH group (13.91±1.99 μm, P<0.001; 2.97±0.55 μm, P=0.006) and FH group (13.83±2.00 μm, P<0.001; 2.31±0.54 μm, P<0.001), but there was no significant difference between the RH group and the FH group ( P>0.05). The number of IPCL in the NERD group, RH group and FH group were 2.0 (1.00, 2.75), 2.0 (1.00, 2.75) and 1.5 (1.00, 2.00), respectively with no significant difference ( P=0.697). Conclusion:Gerd-Q scale is not suitable for differential diagnosis of patients with endoscopic negative heartburn. Compared with functional esophageal diseases (RH and FH), acid reflux and mucosal microstructure changes are of more important pathogenic significance in NERD.

Objective:To investigate the preventive effect of Xiyanping injection on radioactive esophagitis in patients with radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy for esophageal cancer.Methods:A total of 70 patients with esophageal cancer undergoing radical radiotherapy and chemotherapy were selected from the Department of Radiation Oncology of Jiangsu Provincial People′s Hospital from January to September 2020. They were divided into experimental group ( n=35) and control group ( n=35) according to random number table method. The control group received standard concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and the experimental group received concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy combined with Xiyanping. The white blood cell count, neutrophil count, procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels before and after treatment were compared between the two groups, as well as the occurrences of radioactive esophagitis and radioactive pneumonia during radiotherapy. Results:Before treatment, there were no significant differences in white blood cell count [4.57 (2.52)×10 9/L vs. 5.59 (2.23)×10 9/L] and neutrophil count [2.95 (1.66)×10 9/L vs. 3.69 (1.56)×10 9/L] between the control group and experimental group ( Z=1.44, P=0.151; Z=1.52, P=0.130). After treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in white blood cell count [4.28 (2.50)×10 9/L vs. 4.25 (1.88)×10 9/L] and neutrophil count [2.99 (2.50)×10 9/L vs. 2.94 (1.61)×10 9/L] between the two groups ( Z=0.67, P=0.503; Z=0.69, P=0.489). There were no statistically significant differences in white blood cell count and neutrophil count between the patients after treatment and before treatment in the two groups ( Z=0.77, P=0.443; Z=1.08, P=0.279; Z =1.06, P=0.289; Z=0.68, P=0.495). Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in serum inflammation indexes PCT [0.02 (0.03) μg/L vs. 0.02 (0.05) μg/L] and IL-6 [0.04 (0.21) μg/L vs. 0.04 (0.12) μg/L] between the two groups ( Z=0.70, P=0.482; Z=0.77, P=0.439). After treatment, there were statistically significant differences in serum inflammation indexes PCT [0.06 (0.17) μg/L vs. 0.03 (0.08) μg/L] and IL-6 [0.10 (0.25) μg/L vs. 0.01 (0.08) μg/L] between the two groups ( Z=2.08, P=0.038; Z=2.92, P=0.003). There were no statistically significant differences in serum inflammation indexes PCT and IL-6 in the experimental groups after treatment compared with before treatment ( Z=1.20, P=0.230; Z=1.19, P=0.235). In the control group, the serum inflammation index PCT level increased after treatment compared with before treatment, with a statistically significant difference ( Z=2.82, P=0.005), and the serum inflammation index IL-6 level increased compared with before treatment, but with no statistically significant difference ( Z=1.41, P=0.158). During the treatment, the incidence of radioactive esophagitis in the two groups was mainly grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ, with 24 cases in the control group and 28 cases in the experimental group. There were 8 patients with grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ radioactive esophagitis in the control group and 1 in the experimental group. There was a statistically significant difference in the occurrence of radioactive esophagitis between the two groups ( χ2=10.34, P=0.035). During the treatment period, most patients with radioactive pneumonia were rated as grade 0. There were 10 cases of mild radioactive pneumonia (grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ) in the control group had and 6 cases in the experimental group. There were 2 cases of grade Ⅲ radioactive pneumonia in the control group and experimental group respectively. There was no grade Ⅳ radioactive pneumonia in either group. There was no significant difference in radioactive pneumonia between the two groups ( χ2=1.34, P=0.720). Conclusion:Xiyanping injection can prevent the rise of serum inflammatory index PCT and reduce the severity of radioactive esophagitis in patients with esophageal cancer after treatment.