OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of Xuanshen Yishen Decoction (XYD) in the treatment of hypertension. METHODS: Hospital electronic medical records from 2019-2023 were utilized to emulate a randomized pragmatic clinical trial. Hypertensive participants were eligible if they were aged ⩾40 years with baseline systolic blood pressure (BP) ⩾140 mm Hg. Patients treated with XYD plus antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the treatment group, whereas those who followed only antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the control group. The primary outcome assessed was the attainment rate of intensive BP control at discharge, with the secondary outcome focusing on the 6-month all-cause readmission rate. RESULTS: The study included 3,302 patients, comprising 2,943 individuals in the control group and 359 in the treatment group. Compared with the control group, a higher proportion in the treatment group achieved the target BP for intensive BP control [8.09% vs. 17.5%; odds ratio (OR)=2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.68 to 3.13; P<0.001], particularly in individuals with high homocysteine levels (OR=3.13; 95% CI=1.72 to 5.71; P<0.001; P for interaction=0.041). Furthermore, the 6-month all-cause readmission rate in the treatment group was lower than in the control group (hazard ratio=0.58; 95% CI=0.36 to 0.91; P=0.019), and the robustness of the results was confirmed by sensitivity analyse. CONCLUSIONS XYD could be a complementary therapy for intensive BP control. Our study offers real-world evidence and guides the choice of complementary and alternative therapies. (Registration No. ChiCTR2400086589).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology* ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Patient Readmission ; Treatment Outcome

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

Metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) is an inherited disease caused by a deficiency of the enzyme arylsulfatase A (ARSA). Lentivirus-modified autologous hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy (HSCGT) has recently been approved for clinical use in pre and early symptomatic children with MLD to increase ARSA activity. Unfortunately, this advanced therapy is not available for most patients with MLD who have progressed to more advanced symptomatic stages at diagnosis. Patients with late-onset juvenile MLD typically present with a slower neurological progression of symptoms and represent a significant burden to the economy and healthcare system, whereas those with early onset infantile MLD die within a few years of symptom onset. We conducted a pilot study to determine the safety and benefit of HSCGT in patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD and report preliminary results. The safety profile of HSCGT was favorable in this long-term follow-up over 9 years. The most common adverse events (AEs) within 2 months of HSCGT were related to busulfan conditioning, and all AEs resolved. No HSCGT-related AEs and no evidence of distorted hematopoietic differentiation during long-term follow-up for up to 9.6 years. Importantly, to date, patients have maintained remarkably improved ARSA activity with a stable disease state, including increased Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score and decreased magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion score. This long-term follow-up pilot study suggests that HSCGT is safe and provides clinical benefit to patients with postsymptomatic juvenile MLD.
Humans ; Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic/genetics* ; Pilot Projects ; Genetic Therapy/methods* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Male ; Follow-Up Studies ; Female ; Lentivirus/genetics* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Cerebroside-Sulfatase/metabolism* ; Adolescent

Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) is an effective orally administered antibody used to protect against various intestinal pathogens, but which cannot tolerate the acidic gastric environment. In this study, IgY was microencapsulated by alginate (ALG) and coated with chitooligosaccharide (COS). A response surface methodology was used to optimize the formulation, and a simulated gastrointestinal (GI) digestion (SGID) system to evaluate the controlled release of microencapsulated IgY. The microcapsule formulation was optimized as an ALG concentration of 1.56% (15.6 g/L), COS level of 0.61% (6.1 g/L), and IgY/ALG ratio of 62.44% (mass ratio). The microcapsules prepared following this formulation had an encapsulation efficiency of 65.19%, a loading capacity of 33.75%, and an average particle size of 588.75 μm. Under this optimum formulation, the coating of COS provided a less porous and more continuous microstructure by filling the cracks on the surface, and thus the GI release rate of encapsulated IgY was significantly reduced. The release of encapsulated IgY during simulated gastric and intestinal digestion well fitted the zero-order and first-order kinetics functions, respectively. The microcapsule also allowed the IgY to retain 84.37% immune-activity after 4 h simulated GI digestion, significantly higher than that for unprotected IgY (5.33%). This approach could provide an efficient way to preserve IgY and improve its performance in the GI tract.
Alginic Acid/chemistry* ; Chitin/chemistry* ; Chitosan ; Delayed-Action Preparations ; Digestion ; Drug Compounding ; Drug Liberation ; Gastrointestinal Tract/metabolism* ; Immunoglobulins/metabolism* ; Oligosaccharides

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hemodynamic effect of Shen-Fu Injection (, SFI) in early volume resuscitation treated septic shock patients by monitoring pulse indicator continuous cardiac output (PICCO). METHODS: All septic shock patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1st, 2014 to December 31th, 2015, were reviewed, and totally 65 were enrolled in this study. They were assigned to SFI group (33 cases) and control group (32 cases). All 65 patients underwent conventional treatment mainly including volume resuscitation, antibiotics and vasoactive drugs therapy. The patients of the SFI group received additional 100 mL of SFI intravenously every 12 h. In all 65 patients, the PICCO arterial catheter and vein catheter were implanted within 1 h after the diagnosis of septic shock. In the course of early volume resuscitation, hemodynamic data of patients were recorded by PICCO monitor at 0, 12, and 24 h after the catheter implantation. RESULTS: The hemodynamic indices of the two groups showed no significant differences at the beginning of 0 h (P>0.05). At 12 and 24 h, the hemodynamic indices of SFI group were significantly improved in comparison with the control group (P<0.05), including cardiac index (CI), global end diastolic volume index (GEDI), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). In addition, there was no significant change of extra-vascular lung water index between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION SFI significantly improved hemodynamic indices such as CI, GEDI, MAP and HR in early volume resuscitation treated septic shock patients.
Aged ; Cardiac Output ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; drug effects ; Humans ; Injections ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Resuscitation ; Shock, Septic ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

Objective:To investigate the relationship of C-reactive protein expression in serum with duration time of wheals in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria(CSU).Methods:The differential proteins in serum in CSU patients with different duration time of wheals were identified using isobaric tag for relative absolute quantitation(iTRAQ)and the expression of CRP in serum was analyzed.The levels of serum CRP in CSU patients were detectedby immune nephelometry.Results:The level of CRP in serum was up-regulated in CSU patients(P<0.05).The expression of CRP in serum was significantly higher in CSU patients with longer duration of wheals than that in CSU patients with shorter duration of wheals(P< 0.05). Conclusions:The expression of serum CRP is related to duration time of wheals in CSU patients.

Objective In view of the controversy over radiotherapy target volume for patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer ( SCLC), a prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the impact of different radiotherapy target volumes on prognosis. Methods After 2 cycles of EP chemotherapy,patients without progressive disease were randomly assigned to receive thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) to either the post-or pre-chemotherapy primary tumour extent as study arm or control. Involved field radiotherapy (IFRT) to the entire metastatic lymph node regions was applied for both arms. TRT consisted of 45 Gy/30Fx/19 d administered concurrently with cycle 3 chemotherapy. Prophylactic cranial irradiation was administered to patients achieved complete or partial remission. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Results Between June 2002 and December 2017,159 and 150 patients were randomly assigned to study arm and control respectively. The 1-,2-,and 5-year local/regional control rates were 79. 4%,61. 5% and 60. 1% respectively in the study arm versus 79. 8%,66. 5%,and 57. 3% in the control arm (P=0. 73). The median OS time was 22. 1 months in the study arm (95%CI,18. 2-26. 0 months) and 26. 9 months (95%CI,23. 5-30. 3 months) in the control arm,the 1-,3-,5-,and 7-year OS rates were 81. 1%,31. 6%, 23. 9% and 22. 2% respectively in the study arm versus 85. 3%,36. 6%,26. 1% and 20. 0% in the control arm (P=0. 51).Grade 2-3 acute esophagitis was developed in 32. 9% and 43. 2% of patients respectively in study arm and control arm (P=0. 01),while grade 2-3 pulmonary fibrosis was observed in 2. 0% and 10. 9% of patients ( P= 0. 01 ) respectively. Conclusions For patients with limited-stage SCLC who received induction chemotherapy,thoracic radiotherapy can be limited to post-chemotherapy tumour extent and IFRT can be routinely applied.

Aged ; Asian People ; Humans ; Image-Guided Biopsy/methods* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multimodal Imaging/methods* ; Prostate/pathology* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Rectum/diagnostic imaging* ; Robotic Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Ultrasonography

Objective 　To investigate the optimized range of body mass index (BMI) selection for patients undergoing 70 kV high-pitch dual-source coronary CT angiography (CCTA) on the third-generation dual-source CT (DSCT). Methods 　Patients undergoing prospective high-pitch ultra-low contrast media (CM) CCTA on the third-generation DSCT using the automatic tube voltage selection at 70 kV were included and divided into three groups:group A,with BMI≤24 kg/m;group B,with 24 kg/m0.05). Subjective image quality in group A(Z=2.91,P=0.004) and B(Z=2.27,P=0.021) were both significantly better than that in group C. Conclusion 　The ultra-low tube voltage (70 kV) combined with ultra-low CM CCTA protocol on third-generation high-pitch DSCT may be better for patients with BMI<28 kg/m2 than those with BMI ≥28 kg/min China.
Body Mass Index ; China ; Computed Tomography Angiography ; methods ; Contrast Media ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Radiation Dosage ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Signal-To-Noise Ratio