This article systematically reviews the current research status as well as diagnosis and treatment strategies of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） for gastroesophageal reflux disease （GERD）. Studies demonstrate that TCM， based on the "disease-syndrome combination" approach， exhibits multi-target advantages in alleviating symptoms of various GERD subtypes， promoting mucosal repair， regulating emotions， and facilitating the reduction of western medication. To address clinical challenges such as symptom overlap and limited therapeutic efficacy， strategies have been proposed including "treating different diseases with the same method" and integrated regulation based on viscera correlation. Future efforts should focus on elucidating the mechanisms of compound prescriptions， promoting TCM drug development under the "three-combination" evaluation framework that integrates TCM theory， human experience and clinical trial evidence， and optimizing integrated traditional and western medicine models to enhance GERD management.

This study employs ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) to analyze the differences in alkaloid content of Commelina communis from various geographical origins, exploring its feasibility as a quality evaluation indicator. A total of 57 batches of C. communis samples from 23 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China were selected. The MicroPulite HSS T3(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.8 μm)column was used with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(20∶80), detection wavelength at 254 nm, and a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1) to measure the content of 1-deoxynojirimycin(DNJ) and deoxymannojirimycin(DMJ). The MicroPulite XP tC_(18)(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm)column was employed with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(4∶96), detection wavelength at 254 nm, and a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1) to measure the content of norharmine(NHM) and harmanme(HM). Chemometric methods were applied to study the relationships and differences among the 57 batches of C. communis. Significant differences in alkaloid content were observed among C. communis from different regions, with the average total content decreasing in the order of North China, Northeast China, Northwest China, East China, Southwest China, Central China, and South China. Cluster analysis(CA) and principal component analysis(PCA) further revealed the quality differences of C. communis from various origins, and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) identified DNJ as a marker compound to distinguish the quality differences between different geographical sources of C. communis. It is recommended that the content limit of DNJ be set at no less than 0.055 9%, providing a reference for the quality evaluation and clinical application of C. communis medicinal materials.
Alkaloids/analysis* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; China ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Chemometrics/methods* ; Quality Control

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

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the molecular mechanism of Xixian Pills for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Forty-eight rats were randomized into 6 groups (n=8), including a normal control group, a collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model group, 3 Xixian Pills treatment (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg) groups, and a Tripterygium glycosides tablet (TGT) treatment group. In the latter 4 groups, the rats were treated with daily gavage of Xixian Pills or TGT 2 weeks after CIA modeling for 3 consecutive weeks. The differentially expressed proteins in high-dose Xixian Pills group and the model group compared with the normal control group were screened based on the tandem mass spectrometry tag (TMT) technology, and the core targets and signaling pathways were analyzed. The immune cell infiltration and gene expression data were analyzed using ggplot2 and tidyverse packages, and the correlation coefficients between the core targets and the immune cells were calculated. RESULTS: The CIA rats showed significantly increased serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and lowered serum IL-10 level. Treatments with high- and medium-dose Xixian Pills and TGT all significantly reduced serum TNF‑α and IL-6 and increased IL-10 levels in CIA rats. Proteomic analysis identified 160 differential proteins between the model group and high-dose Xixian Pills group, and the core targets included CCL5, STAT1, GZMB and IL7R. The areas under the ROC curve of CCL5 and STAT1 were both greater than 0.9. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence staining revealed increased levels of CCL5 and STAT1 in the ankle joints of CIA rats, which were significantly decreased after treatment with Xixian Pills. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with Xixian Pills offers protection of the joints in CIA rats possibly by inhibiting joint inflammation via regulating protein expressions of CCL5 and STAT1.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Rats ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/metabolism* ; Proteomics ; Tripterygium/chemistry* ; Arthritis, Experimental/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood* ; Interleukin-10/blood* ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction

As artificial intelligence technology rapidly advances, its deployment within the medical sector presents substantial ethical challenges. Consequently, it becomes crucial to create a standardized, transparent, and secure framework for processing medical data. This includes setting the ethical boundaries for medical artificial intelligence and safeguarding both patient rights and data integrity. This consensus governs every facet of medical data handling through artificial intelligence, encompassing data gathering, processing, storage, transmission, utilization, and sharing. Its purpose is to ensure the management of medical data adheres to ethical standards and legal requirements, while safeguarding patient privacy and data security. Concurrently, the principles of compliance with the law, patient privacy respect, patient interest protection, and safety and reliability are underscored. Key issues such as informed consent, data usage, intellectual property protection, conflict of interest, and benefit sharing are examined in depth. The enactment of this expert consensus is intended to foster the profound integration and sustainable advancement of artificial intelligence within the medical domain, while simultaneously ensuring that artificial intelligence adheres strictly to the relevant ethical norms and legal frameworks during the processing of medical data.
Artificial Intelligence/legislation & jurisprudence* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Computer Security/standards* ; Confidentiality/ethics* ; Informed Consent/ethics*

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new combination treatment of vinorelbine and pyrotinib in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and provide higher level evidence for clinical practice. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, single-arm, phase 2 trial conducted at three institutions in China. Patients with HER2-positive MBC, who had previously been treated with trastuzumab plus a taxane or trastuzumab plus pertuzumab combined with a chemotherapeutic agent, were enrolled between March 2020 and December 2021. All patients received pyrotinib 400 mg orally once daily plus vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 intravenously or 60-80 mg/m2 orally on day 1 and day 8 of 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoints included the objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival, and safety. Results: A total of 39 patients were enrolled. All patients had been pretreated with trastuzumab and 23.1% (n=9) of them had accepted trastuzumab plus pertuzumab. The median follow-up time was 16.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3 to 27.2), and the median PFS was 6.4 months (95% CI, 4.0 to 8.8). The ORR was 43.6% (95% CI, 27.8% to 60.4%) and the DCR was 84.6% (95% CI, 69.5% to 94.1%). The median PFS of patients with versus without prior pertuzumab treatment was 4.6 and 8.3 months (p=0.017). The most common grade 3/4 adverse events were diarrhea (28.2%), neutrophil count decreased (15.4%), white blood cell count decreased (7.7%), vomiting (5.1%), and anemia (2.6%). Conclusion Pyrotinib plus vinorelbine showed promising efficacy and tolerable toxicity as second-line treatment in patients with HER2-positive MBC.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have reported inconsistent results with positive,negative,and J-shaped associations between alcohol consumption and the hazard of aortic aneurysm and dissection(AAD).This study aimed to examine the connections between weekly alcohol consumption and the subsequent risk of AAD. METHODS:The UK Biobank study is a population-based cohort study.Weekly alcohol consumption was assessed using self-reported questionnaires and the congenital risk of alcohol consumption was also evaluated using genetic risk score(GRS).Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios(HRs)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs)for the associations between alcohol consumption and AAD.Several sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the results. RESULTS:Among the 388,955 participants(mean age:57.1 years,47.4%male),2,895 incident AAD cases were documented during a median follow-up of 12.5 years.Compared with never-drinkers,moderate drinkers(adjusted HR:0.797,95%CI:0.646-0.984,P<0.05)and moderate-heavy drinkers(adjusted HR:0.794,95%CI:0.635-0.992,P<0.05)were significantly associated with a decreased risk of incident AAD.Interaction-based subgroup analysis revealed that the protective effect of moderate drinking was reflected mainly in participants younger than 65 years and women. CONCLUSION:Our findings support a protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption on AAD,but are limited to participants younger than 65 years and women.

Objective To use the GEO dataset and bioinformatics techniques,such as LASSO logistic regression,ssGSEA,and WGCNA,to screen for RA diagnostic markers and investigate the impact of earthly flavonoids in Smi-lax glabra Roxb.on specific immune cell infiltration,to screen for rheumatoid arthritis(RA)diagnostic markers on specific immune cell infiltration and to analyze the combination of flavonoids in Smilax glabra Roxb.and diagnostic markers.Methods The normal control group and RA gene chip were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.The R 4.3.0 WGCNA software package was used to integrate and analyze the dataset,identify co-expres-sion modules and associated trait information,and screen key modules closely related to RA.LASSO regression a-nalysis was performed using the glmnet package in R to identify characteristic genes for RA.The area under the re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of the characteristic genes in RA.The gene expression data of the normal control group and RA group were subjected to quantitative immune cell infiltration analysis using the GSVA,limma,and GSEABase packages in R.The chemical components of earth-worm flavonoids in Smilax glabra Roxb.were analyzed based on UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS.The correlation between flavonoids and characteristic genes was assessed through molecular docking.Results The LASSO regres-sion algorithm selected 5 characteristic genes(apolipoprotein D,zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16,C-C chemokine receptor type 5,matrix metalloproteinase 1,coronin-1A).The area under ROC curve of all 5 character-istic genes was greater than 0.85,which exhibited positive correlations with various immune cells.Twenty earth-worm flavonoids of Smilax glabra Roxb.were identified using UHPLC-Q-Exactive/MS,and Mulberrin and Neobavaisoflavone were well combined with 5 immune characteristic genes.Conclusion Flavonoids compounds of Smilax glabra Roxb.have good combination with RA immune characteristic genes,providing a scientific basis for RA immunomodulation therapy and early diagnosis.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have reported inconsistent results with positive,negative,and J-shaped associations between alcohol consumption and the hazard of aortic aneurysm and dissection(AAD).This study aimed to examine the connections between weekly alcohol consumption and the subsequent risk of AAD. METHODS:The UK Biobank study is a population-based cohort study.Weekly alcohol consumption was assessed using self-reported questionnaires and the congenital risk of alcohol consumption was also evaluated using genetic risk score(GRS).Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios(HRs)with 95%confidence intervals(CIs)for the associations between alcohol consumption and AAD.Several sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the results. RESULTS:Among the 388,955 participants(mean age:57.1 years,47.4%male),2,895 incident AAD cases were documented during a median follow-up of 12.5 years.Compared with never-drinkers,moderate drinkers(adjusted HR:0.797,95%CI:0.646-0.984,P<0.05)and moderate-heavy drinkers(adjusted HR:0.794,95%CI:0.635-0.992,P<0.05)were significantly associated with a decreased risk of incident AAD.Interaction-based subgroup analysis revealed that the protective effect of moderate drinking was reflected mainly in participants younger than 65 years and women. CONCLUSION:Our findings support a protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption on AAD,but are limited to participants younger than 65 years and women.