ObjectiveTo investigate the relationships between traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome differentiation and serum cystatin C(Cys-C) and homocysteine(Hcy) in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF). Methods 115 cases with CHF admitted into the Department of Cardiology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University were selected in the CHF group, and 30 cases who had taken health examination in the same period were chosen in the healthy control group. According to the TCM syndrome differentiation, the CHF cases were subdivided into four groups with different types of syndrome: 30 cases of deficiency of both Qi and Yin syndrome, 30 cases of Qi deficiency syndrome and blood stagnation syndrome, 30 cases of heart and kidney Yang deficiency syndrome and 25 casesof flooding due to Yang deficiency syndrome. The serum levels of Cys-C and Hcy in different groups were tested, and the relationships between TCM syndrome differentiation and serum Cys-C and Hcy were analyzed by using Spearman rank correlation analysis.Results The serum levels of Cys-C and Hcy in the patients with CHF were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group〔Cys-C(mg/L):1.24±0.34 vs. 0.77±0.22, Hcy(μmol/L):18.66±4.57 vs. 11.65±3.21,bothP<0.05〕. Compared with the healthy control group, the serum levels of Cys-C and Hcy in the above four groups of different syndromes had a tendency of gradual elevation in the sequence as follows: deficiency of both Qi and Yin, Qi deficiency and blood stagnation, heart and kidney Yang deficiency and flooding due to Yang deficiencygroups〔Cys-C(mg/L):1.02±0.27,1.09±0.31,1.32±0.22, 1.59±0.25; Hcy(μmol/L): 14.94±2.20, 17.66±3.04, 19.79±3.48, 22.96±5.31〕, and the elevation in levels of flooding due to Yang deficiency group was the most prominent compared with that in other groups(P<0.05). The correlation analyses showed that different types of TCM syndrome in patients with CHF were positively correlated with the levels of Cys-C and Hcy(r1=0.73,r2=0.79,bothP<0.05).ConclusionThe changes of serum Cys-C and Hcy levels are consistent with the evolution of regular pattern of TCM syndrome differentiation in patients with CHF, and these two markers can be regarded as the objective indicators of TCM syndrome differentiation of CHF.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of sivelestat sodium combined with ulinastatin in the treatment of sepsis-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).Methods One hundred and four patients with sepsis-induced ARDS had admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to May 2023 were selected and randomly divided into a control group(routine treatment plus sivelestat sodium)and combination group(routine treatment plus sivelestat sodium and ulinastatin)by a computer random number generator,52 in each group.Murray lung injury score(MLIS),sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)score,extravascular lung water index(ELWI),arterial blood oxygen partial pressure/fraction of inspired oxygen(PaO2/FiO2),white blood cell count(WBC),neutrophil percentage(NEUT%),and levels of endothelial cell specific molecule-1(ESM-1),soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor(suPAR)and interleukin-6(IL-6)were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.The recovery speed,prognosis and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups.Results T-test showed there were no significant differences in MLIS score,SOFA score,ELWI,PaO2/FiO2,WBC,NEUT%,ESM-1,suPAR and IL-6 levels between the control group and the combination group before treatment(P>0.05).After treatment,MLIS score,SOFA score,ELWI,WBC,NEUT%,ESM-1,suPAR and IL-6 levels in the combination group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05),and PaO2/FiO2 was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).Time to mechanical ventilation and length of ICU stay in the combination group were shorter than those in the control group(P<0.05),and the 28-day mortality rate was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).No serious adverse reactions occurred in both groups during the treatment period.Conclusion Sivelestat sodium combined with ulinastatin can reduce lung injury and inflammatory response,accelerate recovery speed,improve lung function and prognosis in patients with sepsis-induced ARDS,and the therapy has higher safety.