ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy of Huayu Tongluo Formula （化瘀通络方， HTF） in patients with mid-stage diabetic kidney disease of blood stasis syndrome and explore its potential mechanisms. MethodsA multi-center， randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. Ninety patients of mid-stage diabetic kidney disease of blood stasis syndrome were divided into a control group of 46 cases and a treatment group of 44 cases. Both groups received conventional western medicine treatment， the treatment group additionally taking HTF， while the control group taking a placebo of the formula. The treatment was administered once daily for 24 weeks. The primary outcomes included 24-hour urine total protein （24 h-UTP）， serum albumin （Alb）， glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c）， and serum creatinine （Scr）.The secondary outcomes included changes in levels of endothelin-1 （ET-1）， nitric oxide （NO）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores before and after treatment. Clinical efficacy was evaluated based on TCM syndrome scores and overall disease outcomes. Adverse reactions and endpoint events were recorded. ResultsIn the treatment group after treatment， 24 h-UTP， ET-1， and VEGF levels significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， Alb and NO levels significantly increased （P＜0.05）； while the TCM syndrome scores for edema， lumbar pain， numbness of limbs， dark purple lips， dark purple tongue or purpura， and thin， rough pulse all significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. In the control group， no significant changes were observed in any of the indicators after treatment （P＞0.05）.Compared with the control group， the treatment group showed significant reductions in 24 h-UTP， ET-1， and VEGF levels， and increases in Alb and NO levels （P＜0.05）. The TCM syndrome scores for edema， lumbar pain， dark purple tongue or purpura， and thin， rough pulse were all lower in the treatment group than in the control group （P＜0.05）. The total effective rate of TCM syndrome in the treatment group was 59.09% （26/44）， and the overall clinical effective rate was 45.45% （20/44）. In the control group， these rates were 15.22% （7/46） and 8.7% （4/46）， respectively， with the treatment group showing significantly better outcomes （P＜0.05）. A total of 7 adverse events occurred across both groups， with no significant difference （P＞0.05）. No endpoint events occurred during the study. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional treatment of Western medicine， HTF can further reduce urinary protein levels and improve clinical symptoms in patients with mid-stage diabetic kidney disease of blood stasis syndrome. The mechanism may be related to its effects on endothelial function.

In order to explore the genomic characteristics,its virulence,evolution,the correlation be-tween drug resistance phenotype and resistance genes of S.equi XJ 5012,to laid a theoretical basis for efficient prevention and control of strangles,whole genome sequencing was investigated.In this study,the antimicrobial suceptibility of S.equi XJ 5012 was tested by the paper disk method and its whole genome was sequenced,Then the 16S rRNA evolution,SeM genotyping,antibiotic resist-ance gene and virulence gene were compared and analyzed.Drug susceptibility results showed that S.equi XJ5012 was sensitive to 13 antibiotics,such as amoxicillin,ampicillin,cefuroxime,cefotio-fur,cefoxitin,streptomycin,erythromycin,oxytetracycline,levofloxacin,norfloxacin,ciprofloxacin,rifampicin,clindamycin,sulfadiazine sodium,and resistant to 6 antibiotics,such as penicillin,genta-micin,clarithromycin,doxycycline,tetracycline and sulfonamide isoxazole.The whole genome se-quencing results of showed that the genome size of S.equi XJ 5012 was 2.21 Mb,the GC content was 41.31％and this strain has 2 264 code genes.Antibiotic resistance genes database(ARDB)in-dicated that the S.equi XJ 5012 carried 135 drug resistance gene,among which the resistance genes mainly were macrocyclic lipids,fluoroquinolones,aminoglycosides,peptides,tetracyclines and β-lac-tam antibiotics,correlating well with the results of drug susceptibility test.Virulence Factors Data-base(VFDB)indicated that S.equi XJ 5012 carried 197 virulence genes include adhesion,antiph-agocytosis,extracellular enzyme encoding,secrtion,and iron uptake.The phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene confirmed that the strain XJ 5012 was closely related to S.equi 4047.The results of SeM genotyping revealed that S.equi XJ 5012 was SeM-217,which was closely related to Xin-jiang isolates SeM-209 and SeM-215 and foreign isolates SeM-195 and SeM-196.In this study,the whole genome sequencing analysis of S.equi XJ 5012 based on the third generation sequencing technology is the first report on the genome of S.equi in China,which provides a reference for a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding the characteristics of the genomic,molecular epi-demic and drug resistance of the strain.It is significant for the further prevention and control of strangles and understanding of pathogenic mechanism of S.equi.

In the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)infec-tion,to verify whether ursodeoxycholic acid(UDCA)can reduce angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2)receptor in BALB/c mice and reduce the risk of infection.UDCA was administered by in-tragastric administration to BALB/c mice for 7 d.During the treatment,the turbinate bones and lungs of mice were taken every day,and the changes of ACE2 content in the turbinate bones and lungs of mice were detected by ELISA.In addition,after 1,4 and 7 d of intragastric prophylaxis,BALB/c mice were infected with SARS-CoV-2 C57MA14 mouse adapted strain and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron DY1.1,respectively,after nasal inoculation,and viral load was detected on the turnings and lungs of mice 3 d after challenge to evaluate the preventive effect.In addition,UDCA was used to treat BALB/c mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 C57MA14 mouse adapted strain after nasal drops by gavage for 3 d,and the viral load of the mouse turbinate and lung was detected to evaluate the therapeutic effect.UDCA can decrease ACE2 content in turbinate and lung of BALB/c mice.How-ever,after 1,4 and 7 d of UDCA intragastric administration,there was no statistical difference in viral load in turbinate and lung of BALB/c mice between the prevention group and the virus con-trol group.There was no significant difference in the viral load of the turbinate and lung between the UDCA treatment group and the viral control group.UDCA could reduce the ACE2 content in the turnings and lungs of aged BALB/c mice,but the daily dose and duration of UDCA treatment had no significant effect on the mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 C57MA14 mouse adapted strain and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron DY1.1.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on renal function after laparoscopic radical nephrectomy. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data of 282 patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (LRN) in the Department of Urology, Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from November, 2020 and June, 2022.According to whether DEX was used during the operation, the patients were divided into DEX group and control group, and after propensity score matching, 99 patients were finally enrolled in each group.The incidence of acute kidney injuries were compared between the two groups.Serum creatinine (sCr) data within 3 months to 1 year after the operation were available in 51 patients, including 26 in DEX group and 25 in the control group, and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After propensity score matching and adjustment for significant covariates, there were no significant differences in postoperative levels of sCr, cystatin C (CysC), β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), hemoglobin (Hb), or C-reactive protein (CRP), extubation time, incidence of AKI, or length of hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05).The intraoperative urine volume was significantly higher in DEX group than in the control group (P < 0.05).A significant correlation between AKI and CKD was noted in the patients (P < 0.05).The incidence of CKD did not differ significantly between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION DEX can not reduce the incidence of AKI or CKD after LRN.
Humans ; Dexmedetomidine ; Incidence ; Propensity Score ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/epidemiology* ; Kidney Neoplasms/surgery* ; Nephrectomy/adverse effects* ; Laparoscopy/adverse effects* ; Acute Kidney Injury/prevention & control* ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To analyze the target volume margins and positioning errors in the radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)using the cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)of Halcyon linear accelerator for providing a reference for the margin from clinical target volume to planning target volume(CTV-to-PTV margin)in the radiotherapy for NPC using Halcyon linear accelerator,hence improving treatment precision and effectiveness.Methods A total of 117 NPC patients who received volumetric modulated arc therapy using Halcyon linear accelerator from May 2020 to June 2022 in Jinshazhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine were enrolled.The 3861 CBCT images collected from the patients were matched with the CT images to obtain the correction values of the treatment couch in lateral(Lat),longitudinal(Lng)and vertical(Vrt)directions for positioning error analysis.The CTV-to-PTV margin was obtained by the equation(margin =2.5∑+0.7δ).Results The positioning errors in the radiotherapy for NPC using Halcyon linear accelerator were 0.10(0.00,0.10)cm,0.10(0.00,0.20)cm and 0.20(0.10,0.30)cm in Lat,Lng and Vrt directions,respectively.The CTV-to-PTV margins in Lat,Lng and Vrt directions were 0.12,0.12 and 0.09 cm,respectively.Conclusion Low positioning errors can be achieved for NPC patients undergoing image-guided treatment using Halcyon linear accelerator.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)-induced cytokine storms constitute the primary cause of coronavirus disease 19(COVID-19)progression,severity,criticality,and death.Gluco-corticoid and anti-cytokine therapies are frequently administered to treat COVID-19,but have limited clinical efficacy in severe and critical cases.Nevertheless,the weaknesses of these treatment modalities have prompted the development of anti-inflammatory therapy against this infection.We found that the broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory agent inosine downregulated proinflammatory interleukin(IL)-6,upregulated anti-inflammatory IL-10,and ameliorated acute inflammatory lung injury caused by mul-tiple infectious agents.Inosine significantly improved survival in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2.It indirectly impeded TANK-binding kinase 1(TBK1)phosphorylation by binding stimulator of interferon genes(STING)and glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK3β),inhibited the activation and nuclear trans-location of the downstream transcription factors interferon regulatory factor(IRF3)and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB),and downregulated IL-6 in the sera and lung tissues of mice infected with lipopoly-saccharide(LPS),H1N1,or SARS-CoV-2.Thus,inosine administration is feasible for clinical anti-inflammatory therapy against severe and critical COVID-19.Moreover,targeting TBK1 is a promising strategy for inhibiting cytokine storms and mitigating acute inflammatory lung injury induced by SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious agents.

Sepsis associated-acute kidney injury (SA-AKI) is a common complication of sepsis, which has a high incidence and is closely related to a poor prognosis. However, delayed diagnosis and non-specific treatments make it difficult to systematically manage SA-AKI. Based on massive clinical data, machine learning could build prediction models, which provide alarms and suggestions for the clinical decision support system. Although there are still many challenges such as poor interpretability, it has shown clinical application value in SA-SKI risk prediction, imaging diagnosis, subtype identification, prognosis assessment, and so on. Based on a brief introduction of machine learning, this article reviews the application, limitations, and future directions of machine learning in the diagnosis and treatment of SA-AKI, and explores the possibility of machine learning in the medical field, in order to promote the development of precision medicine and intelligent medicine.

No abstract available.
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography ; Thyroid Gland

Objective To strengthen the recognition of atypical POEMS syndrome in order to improve diagnosis rate of rare cases of POEMS syndrome. Methods The diagnosis and treatment of a rare case of POEMS syndrome coexisting with Castleman disease but without M protein in serum, urine and bone marrow who was admitted to Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University in November 2017 were retrospectively analyzed with review of the literature. Results The elder male was suspected with a diagnosis of POMES syndrome, but absence of monoclonal plasma cell disease that made it difficult to diagnose. Systemic PET-CT found an active metabolic lesion in left iliac bone. Although the lymph node biopsy had been performed for a diagnosis of Castleman disease, a bone biopsy was also done for a definite diagnosis. Pathological result indicated a plasmacytoma which confirmed a diagnosis of POEMS syndrome without M protein in serum, urine and bone marrow. Literature review suggested that the application of immunofixation electrophoresis was helpful to improve the diagnostic rate of POEMS syndrome. For patients with a suspected diagnosis of POEMS syndrome, bone biopsy, flow cytometry and systemic PET-CT may assist in the search for monoclonal plasma cell. Periphery neuropathy, bone lesion and treatment response were helpful in distinguishing Castleman disease coexisting with POEMS syndrome from Castleman disease without POEMS syndrome. Conclusions When a mandatory major criterion of POEMS syndrome is not sufficient, it should be actively sought, especially for patient with a suspected diagnosis of POEMS syndrome. For patients with multiple lesions, multi-site biopsies are necessary to assist in diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the clinical manifestation and electrophysiological, muscle imaging and pathological, molecular features of oculopharyngodistal myopathy (OPDM). Methods The clinical electrophysiological, muscle imaging and pathological, molecular data was collected from a case of OPDM. Data analysis was conducted together with a literature. Results The onset age of the patient was 25 years old. The sequential order of involved muscle was upper eyelid muscle, external ocular, laryngopharyngeal, facial, distal limb muscle and proximal upper limb. Serum creatine kinase was mildly elevated. Electromyography revealed myogenic changes with demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. Myopathological findings showed myopathic changes with rimmed vacuoles . Muscle image showed that fatty replacement of was more severe in lower legs than in thigh. Posterior muscle was severely involved in lower legs. All known genes responsible for distal and myofibrillar myopathies, vacuolar myopathies, and muscular dystrophies were excluded by targeted next-generation sequencing. Conclusion The case is a sporadic case. OPDM is a disease with a unique phenotype which not only affects muscle but also involves multiple system (demyelinating peripheral neuropathy、heart disease and so on).