Objective To investigatethe relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and clinicopathological characteristics, p53 expression, and survival of Chinese patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods A total of 3882 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, 970 matched patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and 970 matched patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma were included to compare the incidence of GERD symptoms. Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma were divided into two groups according to the presence and absence of GERD symptoms. The differences in clinicopathological characteristics and p53 expression between the two groups were compared by chi-square test, and the differences in survival between the two groups were compared by landmark analysis. Results The incidence of GERD symptoms increased successively in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. In patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, the proportions of male, less than 65 years old, lower thoracic tumors, tumors without squamous cell carcinoma, poorly differentiation, early tumors (stage 0-I), and p53-positive tumors in the group with GERD symptoms were higher than those in the group without GERD symptoms; moreover, the long-term survival (≥15 years) was better. Conclusion GERD symptom is an important clinical sign of esophageal adenocarcinoma. It is closely related to specific clinicopathological characteristics, p53 overexpression, and good long-term prognosis.

Inflammation represents a critical immune response triggered by cellular activities and inflammatory mediators following tissue damage. It plays a central role in the pathological progression of diverse diseases, including psychiatric disorders, cancer, and immunological conditions, rendering it an essential target for therapeutic intervention. Periodontitis, a prevalent oral inflammatory disease, is a leading cause of tooth loss and poses significant health challenges globally. Traditionally, inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis have been treated with systemic administration of synthetic chemicals. However, recent years have witnessed challenges, including drug resistance and microbial dysbiosis associated with these treatments. In contrast, natural products derived from Chinese medicine offer numerous benefits, such as high safety profiles, minimal side effects, innovative pharmacological mechanisms, ease of extraction, and multiple targets, rendering them viable alternatives to conventional antibiotics for treating inflammatory conditions. Numerous effective anti-inflammatory natural products have been identified in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, lignans, and other natural products that exhibit inhibitory effects on inflammation and are potential therapeutic agents. Several studies have confirmed the substantial anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of these compounds. This comprehensive review examines the literature on the anti-inflammatory effects of TCM-derived natural products from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI, focusing on terms like "inflammation", "periodontitis", "pharmacology", and "traditional Chinese medicine". The analysis systematically summarizes the molecular pharmacology, chemical composition, and biological activities of these compounds in inflammatory responses, alongside their mechanisms of action. This research seeks to deepen understanding of the mechanisms and biological activities of herbal extracts in managing inflammatory diseases, potentially leading to the development of promising new anti-inflammatory drug candidates. Future applications could extend to the treatment of various inflammatory conditions, including periodontitis.
Humans ; Periodontitis/immunology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry*

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum microRNA(miR)-137 and miR-21 ex-pression and hypertensive retinopathy(HR).Methods A total of 123 hypertensive patients admitted to the hospital from March 2020 to August 2022 were selected as the hypertensive group and divided into HR and non-HR groups according to whether they were concomitant with HR,and another 58 healthy people who un-derwent the physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group.Clinical data of HR patients were collected and serum miR-137 and miR-21 expression was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR.The influencing factors of concurrent HR in hypertensive patients were analyzed,and receiv-er operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used for analzing predictive value of serum miR-137 and miR-21 expression in hypertensive patients with concurrent HR.Results Serum miR-137 and miR-21 relative expres-sion levels were higher in the hypertensive group than those in the control group(P<0.05).The incidence rate of HR in 123 hypertensive patients was 25.20%(31/123).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that prolonged duration of hypertension and elevated systolic pressure,diastolic pressure,miR-137 rel-ative expression level,and miR-21 relative expression level were independent risk factors for HR in hyperten-sive patients(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of serum miR-137 combined with miR-21 in predicting HR in hypertensive patients was 0.840,which was greater than 0.735 and 0.732 of the single detection of miR-137 and miR-21(P<0.05).Conclusion High expression of serum miR-137 and miR-21 is closely associated with hypertension complicating HR and may be an auxiliary predictor of HR.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Activating brown adipose tissue (BAT) and browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) can protect against obesity and obesity-related metabolic conditions.Cryptotanshinone (CT) regulates lipid metabolism and significantly ameliorates insulin resistance. Adenosine-5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a receptor for cellular energy metabolism, is believed to regulate brown fat activity in humans.MATERIALS/METHODS: The in vivo study included high-fat-fed obese mice administered orally 200/400 mg/kg/d CT. They were evaluated through weight measurement, the intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT), intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test (IPITT), cold stimulation test, serum lipid (total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein) measurement, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemistry.Furthermore, the in vitro study investigated primary adipose mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with incubation of CT and AMPK agonists (acadesine)/inhibitor (Compound C).Cells were evaluated using Oil Red O staining, Alizarin red staining, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence staining to identify and observe the osteogenic versus adipogenic differentiation. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and the Western blot were used to observe related gene expression. RESULTS: In the diet-induced obesity mouse model mice CT suppressed body weight, food intake, glucose levels in the IPGTT and IPTT, serum lipids, the volume of adipose tissue, and increased thermogenesis, uncoupling protein 1, and the AMPK pathway expression. In the in vitro study, CT prevented the formation of lipid droplets from MSCs while activating brown genes and the AMPK pathway. AMPK activator enhanced CT’s effects, while the AMPK inhibitor reversed the effects of CT. CONCLUSION CT promotes adipose tissue browning to increase body thermogenesis and reduce obesity by activating the AMPK pathway. This study provides an experimental foundation for the use of CT in obesity treatment.

Objective To investigate the impact of overweight on the prognosis of patients with acute mild ischemic stroke or moderate-high risk transient ischemic attack (TIA). Methods A total of 366 patients with acute mild ischemic stroke or moderate-high risk TIA who carried CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles were included in the study. Baseline data were collected at admission, and clinical outcomes were collected within 3 months post-onset (primary outcomes: stroke recurrences within 3 months post-onset; secondary outcomes: composite outcome of stroke recurrence or death within 3 months post-onset, vascular events, and quality of life within 3 months). Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the cumulative incidence curve of outcomes. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model and multivariate Logistic regression model were used to evaluate the relationship between overweight and clinical outcomes within 3 months post-onset in patientswith ischemic stroke or TIA. The integrated discrimination improvement index (IDI) and net reclassification improvement index (NRI) were calculated to assess the predictive value of adding body mass index (BMI, whether overweight or not) based on traditional models for predicting the prognosis of acute ischemic stroke or TIA. Results After 3 months of follow-up, 28 patients had stroke recurrence, 1 patient died, and 31 patients had vascular events. The Kaplan-Meier cumulative incidence curve showed that the cumulative incidences of stroke recurrence, stroke recurrence or death, and vascular events after 3 months of onset were lower in overweight patients compared with non-overweight patients (Log-rank P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that compared with non-overweight patients, overweight patients had significantly reduced risks of stroke recurrence within 3 months (HR=0.24; 95%CI, 0.08 to 0.71), composite outcome of stroke recurrence or death (HR=0.24; 95%CI, 0.08 to 0.69), and vascular events (HR=0.22; 95%CI, 0.07 to 0.63), and significantly improved quality of life within 3 months (OR=0.39; 95%CI, 0.20 to 0.76). The IDI and NRI calculations showed that compared with traditional models, the new model adding BMI (whether overweight) had significantly improved predictive ability for the prognosis of acute ischemic stroke or TIA. Conclusion Overweight may be a protective factor for the prognosis of TIA patients with acute mild ischemic stroke or moderate-high risk who carry CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles. Compared with non-overweight patients, overweight patients have reduced risks of stroke recurrence, composite outcome of stroke recurrence or death, and vascular events within 3 months post-onset, and improved quality of life within 3 months post-onset.

【Objective】 To evaluate the clinical efficacy and prognostic factors in multiple myeloma (MM) patients treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT). 【Methods】 The clinical data of 155 MM patients newly diagnosed and suitable for transplantation in our hospital from 2014 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into auto-HSCT group and non-auto-HSCT group according to the treatment mode. The clinical efficacy, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of the two groups were compared. Furthermore, the prognostic factors of auto-HSCT group were analyzed. 【Results】 ① There were 51 patients in auto-HSCT group and 104 patients in non-auto-HSCT group. There was no statistical difference in baseline characteristics except age between the two groups. ② Hematopoietic reconstruction was achieved in all patients in auto-HSCT group, and no transplantation-related mortality was found. ③ The clinical efficacy of pre-and post-transplantation was compared in auto-HSCT group. sCR/CR rate was significantly increased after transplantation (P=0.041). The effective remission rate (≥VGPR) was also higher (P=0.05). As for the best efficacy, sCR/CR rate and effective remission rate were both significantly higher in auto-HSCT group than in non-auto-HSCT group (P=0.001). ④ In auto-HSCT group, by the end of follow-up, the median OS was not reached, the median PFS was 30.5 months, and 3-year OS and PFS was 87% and 40.3%, respectively. In non-auto-HSCT group, the median OS was 61 months, the median PFS was 21 months, and 3-year OS and PFS was 65.3% and 33.1%, respectively. It indicated that OS was significantly prolonged in auto-HSCT group (P=0.004). PFS was also prolonged but without significant difference (P=0.065). ⑤ Analysis of prognostic factors in auto-HSCT group showed that decreased PLT (P=0.038) and increased serum-adjusted calcium (P=0.017) were independent risk factors for OS, decreased PLT (P=0.005), female (P=0.018) and disease status of PR or worse before transplantation (P=0.012) were independent risk factors for PFS. 【Conclusion】 Auto-HSCT can improve the remission rate, prolong OS in MM patients, and possibly prolong PFS. Increased serum-corrected calcium and decreased PLT are independent prognostic factors for OS in patients treated with auto-HSCT. Decreased PLT, female, and disease status of PR or worse before transplantation are independent prognostic factors for PFS.

Objective:To observe the efficacy of gentle moxibustion combined with Western medicine in treating rheumatoid arthritis(RA)due to damp heat affecting bones/joints to further certificate the scientific nature of the theory that"heat pattern can be treated by moxibustion therapy". Methods:A total of 78 patients with RA due to damp heat affecting bones/joints were divided into an observation group and a control group using the random number table method,with 39 cases in each group.The control group was treated with regular Western medicine,on the basic of which the observation group was treated with additional gentle moxibustion.Patients in the observation group received gentle moxibustion therapy once a day for 8 weeks with a one-day rest every 2 weeks.The wrist circumference,wrist pain degree,skin color and temperature of the wrist,and range of dorsiflexion motion of the wrist in the two groups of patients were compared before and after treatment under the condition of safety observed. Results:The total effective rate in the observation group was 94.9%,which was higher than the result of 79.5%in the control group(P<0.05).Among the quantitative indicators of syndrome differentiation,the wrist circumference,pain degree,skin temperature,and range of dorsiflexion motion in both groups were significantly improved(P<0.01),and the improvements were more significant in the observation group than in the control group(P<0.05).The skin color of the wrist joint was improved in both groups after treatment(P<0.05),and there was no statistical significance in comparing the improvement of skin color and the occurrence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05). Conclusion:Compared with Western medicine treatment alone,the combination of gentle moxibustion and Western medicine treatment has significantly better treatment efficacy and shares high safety,which helps to prove the scientific nature of the theory that"heat pattern can be treated by moxibustion therapy".

Postzygotic mutations are acquired in normal tissues throughout an individual's lifetime and hold clues for identifying mutagenic factors.Here,we investigated postzygotic mutation spectra of healthy individuals using optimized ultra-deep exome sequencing of the time-series samples from the same volunteer as well as the samples from different individuals.In blood,sperm,and muscle cells,we resolved three common types of mutational signatures.Signatures A and B represent clock-like mutational processes,and the polymorphisms of epigenetic regulation genes influence the pro-portion of signature B in mutation profiles.Notably,signature C,characterized by C＞T transitions at GpCpN sites,tends to be a feature of diverse normal tissues.Mutations of this type are likely to occur early during embryonic development,supported by their relatively high allelic frequencies,presence in multiple tissues,and decrease in occurrence with age.Almost none of the public datasets for tumors feature this signature,except for 19.6％of samples of clear cell renal cell carcinoma with increased activation of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1(HIF-1)signaling pathway.Moreover,the accumulation of signature C in the mutation profile was accelerated in a human embryonic stem cell line with drug-induced activation of HIF-1α.Thus,embryonic hypoxia may explain this novel signature across multiple normal tissues.Our study suggests that hypoxic condition in an early stage of embryonic development is a crucial factor inducing C＞T transitions at GpCpN sites;and indi-viduals'genetic background may also influence their postzygotic mutation profiles.