OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of needle cauterization on vitiligo with deficiency cold and blood stasis. METHODS: A total of 62 patients of vitiligo with deficiency cold and blood stasis were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 31 cases each group.On the basis of 308 nm excimer light irradiation combined with ironing with Chinese medicine, the control group was treated with tacrolimus ointment for external use, twice a day; the observation group was treated with needle cauterization at vitiligo spots, once a week.Both groups were treated for 10 weeks. Before and after treatment, the area of vitiligo spot, TCM syndrome score, serum levels of inflammatory indexes (interleukin[IL]-6 and IL-17) were observed in the two groups, and the clinical effect was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, the areas of vitiligo spot, TCM syndrome scores and serum levels of IL-6, IL-17 were decreased compared with those before treatment in both groups (P<0.05), and the above indexes in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 93.5% (29/31), which was higher than 77.4% (24/31) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Needle cauterization could reduce the areas of vitiligo spot in patients of vitiligo with deficiency cold and blood stasis, improve the clinical symptoms, its mechanism may be related to the reduction of serum levels of inflammatory indexes.
Humans ; Vitiligo/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; Interleukin-17/blood* ; Cautery ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Needles ; Cold Temperature ; Treatment Outcome

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional growth factors of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily. They regulate steroid secretion from mammalian granulosa cells, promote granulosa cell survival and proliferation, and inhibit follicular atresia, luteinization, and granulosa cell apoptosis, thereby promoting the development and maturation of mammalian follicles. At the same time, BMPs play an important role in embryonic morphogenesis, induction of uterine receptivity, and blastocyst attachment. This paper describes the effects of BMPs on mammalian follicular and embryonic development and the roles of BMPs in female reproduction, focusing on the process in which BMPs promote follicular maturation by regulating steroid secretion from granulosa cells during mammalian oocyte maturation. This review aims to provide a reference for further research on mammalian oocyte culture and improvement of reproductive efficiency in female animals.
Animals ; Embryonic Development/drug effects* ; Female ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/pharmacology* ; Reproduction/physiology* ; Humans ; Granulosa Cells/cytology* ; Oocytes

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status and related factors of maternal influenza vaccination willingness among pregnant and postpartum women in Shanghai and Liaoning Province, China, and to explore the facilitators and barriers affecting vaccination uptake, so as to provide references for future practices in promoting maternal influenza immunization in China. MethodsA convergent mixed-methods research was conducted. From January to March 2024, a questionnaire survey was conducted among women attending prenatal and postnatal care at 7 medical institutions in Shanghai and Dalian, Liaoning Province, which aimed to assess pregnant women’s knowledge about influenza vaccine and their willingness to vaccination during pregnancy, as well as to identify the related factors. In addition, purposive sampling method was used to conduct in-depth interviews with pregnant women and perinatal healthcare service providers to explore their perspectives on influenza vaccination during pregnancy, including the reasons for their willingness or unwillingness to receive ( or recommend) the vaccine, and the relevant facilitators and barriers to vaccination. ResultsA total of 366 pregnant and postpartum women participated in the questionnaire survey, and 9.56% (35/366) of them were willing to receive the influenza vaccine during pregnancy. The results of multivariate logistic stepwise regression analyses showed that primipara (aOR=0.158, 95%CI: 0.037‒0.671, P=0.012), family members’ support for influenza vaccination during pregnancy (aOR=0.015, 95%CI: 0.003‒0.082, P<0.001) were associated with higher willingness to receive influenza vaccine during pregnancy. Absence of influenza infection during pregnancy (aOR=5.383, 95%CI: 1.801‒16.092, P<0.001), and lack of knowledge regarding influenza vaccination during pregnancy (aOR=11.294, 95%CI: 3.593‒35.496, P<0.01) were associated with lower willingness to receive influenza vaccine during pregnancy. Qualitative findings indicated that the facilitators to vaccination willingness among pregnant and postpartum women included the recommendation of healthcare service providers, adequate knowledge of influenza vaccine information and family members’ support for vaccination. Conversely, the barriers to vaccination willingness included low recommendation from the healthcare service providers, lack of knowledge about the safety of influenza vaccine during pregnancy and inadequate attention to influenza and influenza vaccine. ConclusionThe willingness to receive influenza vaccination among pregnant and postpartum women in Shanghai and Liaoning Province is relatively low. It is recommended that China should promptly improve the evidence-based system for the safety and efficacy of influenza vaccines for pregnant and postpartum women, along with an establishment of the mechanism for addressing adverse reactions. Furthermore, it is essential to enhance educational outreach to pregnant and postpartum women, their families, and healthcare service providers, thereby increasing the accessibility of information regarding influenza vaccination, which are expected to enhance the willingness of pregnant and postpartum women to receive the vaccine.

Objective To investigate the potential effect and mechanism of curcumin in inhibiting synaptic injury in the cortex of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham-operated group, model group, low-dose curcumin (50 mg/kg) group, and high-dose curcumin (100 mg/kg) group. A model of middle cerebral artery occlusion for 2 hours and reperfusion for 24 hours was constructed, and curcumin was administered. Based on the neurological function score, the effects of curcumin on cerebral infarct volume, synaptic ultrastructure changes, inflammatory cell infiltration, and the expression of NLRP3, Caspase-1, Synapsin1, and CAMKⅡ were observed after the end of the animal treatment. Results The neurological function scores were 0, 3.25±0.43, 2.50±0.50, and 1.50±0.50 for the sham-operated group, model group, low-dose curcumin group, and high-dose curcumin group, respectively. The percentage of cerebral infarct volume was 0, (38.89±2.21)%, (33.48±1.77)%, and (23.69±2.19)%, respectively. Compared with the sham operation group, the model group had severe synaptic ultrastructure damage, extensive inflammatory cell infiltration, significantly increased expression of Caspase-1 and NLRP3 (P < 0.5), and significantly decreased expression of Synapsin1 and CAMKⅡ (P < 0.5). Curcumin treatment significantly inhibited synaptic damage, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, decreased the expression of Caspase-1 and NLRP3 (P < 0.5), and increased the expression of Synapsin1 and CAMKII (P < 0.5), when compared with the model group. Conclusion Ischemia-reperfusion-mediated synaptic injury in rat brain triggers an inflammatory response in cortical nerve cells, and curcumin alleviates synaptic damage and reduces brain injury by inhibiting inflammatory factor levels.

Tripterygium wilfordii is widely used in the treatment of immune system disease and has a remarkable curative effect. Triptolide and Tripterygium glycosides are the most commonly used active ingredients in clinical practice， but their treatment window is narrow and there are many side effects. The damage involves the reproductive system， blood system， cardiovascular system， digestive system， etc. Based on clinical observations and literature summaries， the symptoms of adverse reactions mostly occur in the digestive system （liver and gastrointestinal tract）. Relevant scholars have launched a lot of studies of the manifestations of liver injury induced by T. wilfordii and the mechanism of liver injury. The mechanism is mainly related to liver cell apoptosis， induction of oxidative stress， immune injury， excessive autophagy of liver cells， abnormal fatty acid metabolism， and abnormal enzyme metabolism in liver tissues. This article reviewed and summarized relevant literature on gastrointestinal injury caused by T. wilfordii， but there are few studies on the manifestations and mechanisms of adverse reactions， which still need further research by scholars. In addition， this article also summarized the research on how to reduce toxicity and enhance efficacy of prescriptions prepared from T. wilfordii in the digestive system， mainly involving compatibility with western medicines （Methotrexate， Leflunomide， Iguratimod， etc.）， use along or combination with Chinese medicines （single Chinese medicine， Chinese medicine monomers， and Chinese medicine compounds）， acupuncture and moxibustion （electroacupuncture and moxibustion）， dosage form improvement （glycol plastid gel， self-dissolving microneedle， solid lipid nanoparticles， gastric floating sustained-release capsules， etc.）， processing （steaming， stir-frying， radish seed processing， money grass processing， licorice processing， etc.）， and other methods to reduce toxicity. To sum up， this article analyzed the manifestations， mechanisms， and methods of reducing toxicity and enhancing efficacy of T. wilfordii-induced liver injury and gastrointestinal injury by sorting out relevant literature， in order to provide a reference for the clinical application of T. wilfordii and some research ideas for the future in-depth study of T. wilfordii-induced digestive system injury.

bjective　To analyze the drug resistance screening status and drug resistance influencing factors of high-risk groups of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in Qingdao, and to understand the inclusion of rifampicin patients in treatment, so as to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods　The medical records of 726 cases of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis among high-risk populations registered in Qingdao from 2018 to 2022 were obtained from the National Health Insurance Information System of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The drug resistance to five anti-tuberculosis drugs, namely isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RFP), ethambutol (EMB), levofloxacin (Lfx), and amikacin (Am), in the high-risk populations of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis was analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used toidentify factors influencing rifampicin resistance, and the detection and inclusion of treatment for rifampicin-resistant patients were evaluated. Results　Of the 726 subjects, 278 were drug-resistant, with a total drug resistance rate of 38.29%. The drug resistance for the five anti-tuberculosis drugs in descending order was: INH 25.90%(188/726), RFP 22.87%(166/726), Lfx 14.19%(103/726), EMB 11.29%(82/726), Am 2.48%(18/726). Analysis of the drug resistance spectrum showed that among those resistant to one drug, RFP was most common, accounting for 13.67% (38/278); among those resistant to two drugs, INH+RFP was predominant, accounting for 15.83% (44/278); among those resistant to three drugs, INH+RFP+Lfx was most frequent, at 7.19% (22/278); and among those resistant to four drugs, INH+RFP+EMB+Lfx was highest, at 6.12% (17/278). Multivariate logistic regression analysis of rifampicin resistance showed that compared with patients under 25 years of age, the risk of developing rifampicin resistance was lower in the groups aged 45 to under 65 and those aged 65 and above (OR=0.356, 95%CI: 0.181-0.700; OR=0.352, 95%CI: 0.170-0.729). Compared with migrant patients in other provinces, local patients from within the same county or district had a lower risk of developing rifampicin resistance (OR=0.599, 95%CI:0.383-0.962). Compared with patients who were smear-positive at the end of the second month of initial treatment, the risk of developing rifampicin resistance was higher in patients with relapse/return, failure of retreatment/chronic, and other categories of patients (OR=9.380, 95%CI:3.717-23.671;OR=25.749, 95%CI:8.037-82.490; OR=36.651, 95%CI:8.438-159.201). Conclusions　The situation of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis in Qingdao cannot be ignored. Individuals under 25 years old, migrants from other provinces, and patients with relapse/return, failure of retreatment/chronic, and other categories are significant risk factors for developing rifampicin resistance in the high-risk groups of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of serum soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1(sFlt-1)and soluble differentiation cluster 14(sCD14)in stroke-associated pneumonia(SAP).Methods A total of 67 SAP patients admitted to the hospital from March 2022 to January 2023 were selected as the study group,and 50 stroke patients without pneumonia during the same period were selected as the control group.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum sFlt-1 and sCD14 levels.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum sFlt-1,sCD14 levels and clinical data.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of SAP in patients with stroke.Receiver operating char-acteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum sFlt-1 and sCD14 levels in predicting SAP in patients with stroke.Results The serum levels of sFlt-1 and sCD14 in SAP patients were higher than those in stroke patients without pneumonia and stroke patients with pneumonia alone(P＜0.05).SAP in stroke patients was associated with age,atrial fibrillation,heart failure,aspiration,dysphagia,brain stem stroke,proton pump inhibitor use,fever,cough,dyspnea,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,procalcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein,white blood cell count,national institutes of health stroke scale(NIHSS)score,clinical pulmonary infection(CPIS)score(P＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that serum sFlt-1 level was positively correlated with sCD14(r=0.439,P＜0.001),and serum sFlt-1 and sCD14 levels were positively correlated with NIHSS score and CPIS score(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that sFlt-1,sCD14,proton pump inhibitor use,PCT,dysphagia,and age were the influencing factors of SAP in stroke patients(P＜0.05).ROC curve results showed that the area under the curve of serum sFlt-1 and sCD14 combined to evaluate SAP in stroke patients was higher than that of single detection(ZsFlt-1-combined=2.194,P=0.028,ZscD14-combined=2.310,P=0.002).Conclusion The serum levels of sFlt-1 and sCD14 are in-creased in SAP patients,and the combination of the two has a good diagnostic value for predicting the occur-rence of SAP.

Objective:The classification model of prognosis of elderly cancer patients in rural areas of Shaanxi province was constructed based on machine learning algorithm, and its effectiveness was verified, providing reference for early prognosis recognition and intervention treatment.Methods:Using a multicenter, cross-sectional survey method and convenience sampling method, 597 elderly cancer patients in rural areas hospitalized in 9 different medical institutions (Shaanxi Cancer Hospital and its member units of specialty alliance) in Shaanxi Province from July to August 2022 were selected as the research objects, and a variable database of "basic information", "self-care ability", "symptoms", "comprehensive needs" and "quality of life" of elderly cancer patients in rural areas was established. Machine learning and statistical analysis were carried out to explore the important prognostic characteristics of elderly cancer patients in rural areas, and a prognostic classification model for elderly cancer patients in rural areas was constructed and verified.Results:The 597 valid questionnaires were ultimately collected.Among the 597 elderly cancer patients in rural areas, 207 were males and 390 were females, aged (69.56 ± 8.84) years. The results of cluster exploration showed that the prognosis of elderly cancer patients in rural areas was divided into three categories: good, medium and poor. The areas under the working characteristic curves of the subjects in good, medium and poor were 0.84, 0.79 and 0.69, respectively. The results of characteristic exploration showed that 10 indicators of "whether accompanied by metastasis", "distress", "sadness", "numbness", "eating", "walking", "fatigue", "forgetfulness", "fun of life" and "relationship with others" were important characteristic indicators of prognosis evaluation of elderly cancer patients in rural areas. There were statistically significant differences among the 10 important characteristic indicators in the three categories of prognosis of rural elderly cancer patients ( χ2=21.07, H values were 18.51-144.38, all P<0.01). There were statistically significant differences in the three categories of "comprehensive needs", "quality of life", "self-care ability" and "symptoms" ( H values were 519.40, 40.80, 103.69, all P<0.01). Conclusions:The construction and verification of a prognostic classification model for elderly cancer patients in rural areas based on machine learning algorithm can effectively explore the important characteristic indicators and prognostic classification of elderly cancer patients in rural areas, and provide basis and guidance for clinical medical staff to make individualized plans.

Objective To explore the expression of serum bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP2),bone morphogenetic protein 7(BMP7)level and its association with left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH)among patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Methods A total of 93 CKD patients admitted to Yan'an People's Hospital from June 2019 to June 2023 were collected as CKD group,divided into LVH group(n=34)and non-LVH group(n=59)according to whether concurrence was combined with LVH.A total of 60 healthy volunteers were selected as control group in the same period.The clinical data were collected and serum BMP2 and BMP7 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The association between serum BMP2,BMP7 and CKD stage was analyzed by Spearman's rank correlation analysis.Logistic regression analyze was performed to analyze the influencing factors of CKD patients with concomitant LVH.ROC curves were plotted to assess the diagnostic value of serum BMP2,BMP7 on LVH.Results Serum BMP2(106.09±19.34 pg/ml)in CKD group was higher than that in control group(83.76±15.27 pg/ml),and serum BMP7(15.16±4.92 pg/ml)in CKD group was lower than that in control group(26.53±5.80 pg/ml),the differences were statistically significant(t=7.559,13.002,all P<0.05).Serum BMP2 was sequentially increased in patients with CKD stages Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ and Ⅴ(90.32±6.04,98.56±6.63,110.32±7.49,121.13±7.82,131.81±7.97 pg/ml),and serum BMP7 was sequentially decreased (20.06±2.79,17.01±2.22,13.34±2.18,11.20±2.01,9.35±2.09 pg/ml),and the differences were statistically significant(F=19.863,11.567,all P<0.05).Serum BMP2 was positively correlated with CKD stage(r=0.592,P<0.05),while serum BMP7 was negatively correlated with CKD stage(r=-0.603,P<0.05).BMP2 was an independent risk factor for LVH in CKD patients[OR(95％CI):1.640(1.317～2.043),P<0.05].BMP7 was a protective factor for LVH in CKD patients[OR(95％CI):0.521(0.349～0.779),P<0.05].Both serum BMP2 and BMP7 had diagnostic value for LVH with AUC(95％CI)of 0.782(0.719～0.832)and 0.791(0.726～0.859),respectively.The AUC(95％CI)of the combination of two indicators was 0.873(0.812～0.930),which was greater than that of single indicator(Z=2.357,2.027,all P<0.05).Conclusion BMP2 is abnormally elevated and BMP7 is abnormally decreased in CKD patients,and the abnormal expression of two indicators is associated with CKD disease and LVH.Early combined detection of two indexes can be used as an indicator for diagnosing LVH.

Objective To explore the accuracy and clinical application value of artificial intelligence(AI)-based coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)in the evaluation of coronary artery stenosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).Methods Fifty-four patients with suspected ACS who underwent CCTA examination and invasive coronary angiography(ICA)within 72 h were retrospectively selected.The CCTA images of all patients were processed by AI(AI group)and manual post-pro-cessing(manual group),respectively.The image quality,work efficiency and detection rate of coronary artery stenosis were compared between AI group and manual group.With ICA results as the gold standard,the sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value and accuracy of AI in the diagnosis of ACS patients with coronary artery stenosis(≥50％)in CCTA were analyzed,and the consistency of AI and ICA examination results was tested.Results The image quality of CCTA in AI group(grade Ⅰ 27.8％)was better than that in manual group(grade Ⅰ 14.8％),but there was no statistical difference between the two groups(X2=2.707,P＞0.05).The average diagnosis time of AI group(89.67 s±33.21 s)was significantlyshorter than that of manual group(813.33 s±301.84 s)and the difference was statistically significant(t=-17.512,P＜0.001),and the average time gain rate was 88.97％.There was no statistical difference in the detection rate of coronary artery stenosis(≥50％)between AI group and manual group(x2=0.003,P＞0.05).The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value,and accuracy of AI in diagnosis of ACS were 87.60％,96.44％,80.30％,97.92％,and 95.19％,respectively,which were significantly consistent with the results of ICA examina-tion(Kappa=0.810,P＜0.05).Conclusion AI-assisted diagnosis can correctly identify the coronary artery tree with better image,significantly shorten the diagnosis time of CCTA in ACS patients with high accuracy,and can provide a strong basis for the early treat-ment of patients with acute chest pain.