1.Molecular Mechanism of Programmed Cell Death in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Review
Xin PENG ; Yunhui LI ; Lei LIANG ; Zheyu LUAN ; Hanxiao WANG ; Haotian XU ; Ziming DANG ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):304-313
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant threat to global health, exhibiting high morbidity, disability and mortality rate, with its prevention and treatment situation becoming increasingly critical. The pathogenesis of COPD is complex, and the underlying cellular and molecular biological mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Programmed cell death (PCD) is the process wherein cells actively undergo demise to maintain internal environmental stability in response to certain signals or specific stimuli. Contemporary medical research indicates that the dysregulation of PCD patterns such as apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis is closely related to the onset and progression of COPD. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of PCD in COPD may provide novel perspectives for in-depth understanding and prevention of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by holistic regulation. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted in the TCM field focusing on modulating apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis for the treatment of COPD, yielding remarkable achievements. Therefore, this study systematically explored the molecular mechanism of PCD in COPD and reviewed the potential mechanisms and intervention status of TCM targeting PCD in COPD, aiming to provide insights and references for the clinical prevention, treatment and in-depth research of COPD.
2.Molecular Mechanism of Programmed Cell Death in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Review
Xin PENG ; Yunhui LI ; Lei LIANG ; Zheyu LUAN ; Hanxiao WANG ; Haotian XU ; Ziming DANG ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):304-313
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant threat to global health, exhibiting high morbidity, disability and mortality rate, with its prevention and treatment situation becoming increasingly critical. The pathogenesis of COPD is complex, and the underlying cellular and molecular biological mechanisms remain incompletely elucidated. Programmed cell death (PCD) is the process wherein cells actively undergo demise to maintain internal environmental stability in response to certain signals or specific stimuli. Contemporary medical research indicates that the dysregulation of PCD patterns such as apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis is closely related to the onset and progression of COPD. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms of PCD in COPD may provide novel perspectives for in-depth understanding and prevention of the disease. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by holistic regulation. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted in the TCM field focusing on modulating apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and ferroptosis for the treatment of COPD, yielding remarkable achievements. Therefore, this study systematically explored the molecular mechanism of PCD in COPD and reviewed the potential mechanisms and intervention status of TCM targeting PCD in COPD, aiming to provide insights and references for the clinical prevention, treatment and in-depth research of COPD.
3.Primary periampullary squamous cell carcinoma: A case report
Jiawang LIU ; Yuan WANG ; Hancai LI ; Jihong YANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(8):1930-1932
Periampullary carcinoma is a malignant tumor of the biliopancreatic system originating from the ampulla of Vater, with the main pathological subtypes of intestinal-type and pancreatobiliary-type adenocarcinoma. Primary periampullary squamous cell carcinoma is relatively rare in clinical practice, with great difficulties in preoperative diagnosis and a lack of clinical experience and standardized diagnosis and treatment regimens. This article reports a case of primary periampullary squamous cell carcinoma in a male patient aged 55 years. The patient was admitted due to cutaneous and scleral jaundice for 2 weeks. Laboratory examination revealed obstructive jaundice, impaired liver function, and an increase in carbohydrate antigen 19-9, and radiological examination showed obstruction of the distal common bile duct and a space-occupying lesion in the ampullary region, leading to a preliminary clinical diagnosis of periampullary carcinoma of Vater. After admission, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was first performed to relieve obstructive jaundice, and then biopsy of the ampullary lesion was conducted, with pathological findings highly suspicious for malignancy. Radical pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed after improvement in liver function, and postoperative pathology confirmed the diagnosis of moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the ampulla. PET-CT reexamination on day 52 after surgery showed well-healed surgical anastomosis and multiple hypermetabolic nodules in the right hepatic lobe, which could not rule out tumor metastasis. This case report can provide a reference for improving awareness of this rare disease and optimizing related diagnosis and treatment decisions in clinical practice.
4.Challenges, countermeasures, and key points of ethics review in investigator-initiated clinical trials of unlisted products
Honglei NIAN ; Jihong LI ; Jiyin ZHOU
Chinese Medical Ethics 2025;38(1):31-39
Investigator-initiated clinical trials (IIT) are an important part of scientific and technological activities involving human study participants. Among them, high-quality IIT can be used to support the marketing and registration application of drugs, medical devices, and other products when conditions permit. Currently, there is a huge gap between IIT and industry-initiated clinical trials. The use of unlisted products in IIT has problems, such as lack of regulatory support, insufficient research funding support, the need to improve the ability of clinical research management departments, the weakness of professional clinical research teams, and the difficulty of ethics review to match the demands. The challenges could be addressed by improving regulations and conducting pilot trials on a small scale, guaranteeing adequate research funding, strengthening the construction of clinical research management systems, building professional clinical research teams, ensuring the quality of ethical reviews and strict follow-up reviews, shifting from ethical reviews to a system for protecting research participants, and reinforcing training for researchers. Ethics committees should strictly review key points, such as the risk-benefit ratio, informed consent, research funding, compensation for damages, qualifications and equipment of research team members, and management of conflict of interest.
5.Immunity-inflammation Mechanism of Viral Pneumonia and Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment Based on Theory of Healthy Qi and Pathogenic Qi
Zheyu LUAN ; Hanxiao WANG ; Xin PENG ; Yihao ZHANG ; Yunhui LI ; Jihong FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):239-247
Viral pneumonia is an infectious disease caused by virus invading the lung parenchyma and interstitial tissue and causing lung inflammation, with the incidence rising year by year. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can treat viral pneumonia in a multi-component, multi-target, and holistic manner by targeting the core pathogenesis of pneumonia caused by different respiratory viruses, demonstrating minimal side effects and significant advantages. According to the theory of healthy Qi and pathogenic Qi in TCM, the struggle between healthy Qi and pathogenic Qi and the imbalance between immunity and inflammation run through the entire process of viral pneumonia, and the immunity-inflammation status at different stages of the disease reflects different relationships between healthy Qi and pathogenic Qi. Immune dysfunction leads to the deficiency of healthy Qi, causing viral infections. The struggle between healthy Qi and pathogenic Qi causes immunity-inflammation imbalance, leading to the onset of viral pneumonia. Inflammatory damage causes persistent accumulation of phlegm and stasis, leading to the progression of viral pneumonia. The cytokine storm causes immunodepletion, leading to the excess of pathogenic Qi and diminution of healthy Qi and the deterioration of viral pneumonia. After the recovery from viral pneumonia, there is a long-term imbalance between immunity and micro-inflammation, which results in healthy Qi deficiency and pathogenic Qi lingering. Healthy Qi deficiency and pathogenic Qi excess act as common core causes of pneumonia caused by different respiratory viruses. Clinical treatment should emphasize both replenishing healthy Qi and eliminating pathogenic Qi, helping to restore the balance between healthy Qi and pathogenic Qi as well as between immunity and inflammation, thus promoting the recovery of patients from viral pneumonia. According to the TCM theory of healthy Qi and pathogenic Qi, this article summarizes the immunity-inflammation mechanisms at different stages of viral pneumonia, and explores the application of the method of replenishing healthy Qi and eliminating pathogenic Qi in viral pneumonia. The aim is to probe into the scientific connotation of the TCM theory of healthy Qi and pathogenic Qi in viral pneumonia and provide ideas for the clinical application of the method of replenishing healthy Qi and eliminating pathogenic Qi to assist in the treatment of viral pneumonia.
6.Clinical characteristics of juvenile dermatomyositis in anti-nuclear matrix protein 2 antibody-positive patients and risk factors for severity: a national multicenter retrospective study
Huiyuan YANG ; Wanzhen GUAN ; Ling2 YANG ; Haimei LIU ; Xiaoqing3 LI ; Haiguo YU ; Meiping LU ; Jun YANG ; Xiaohui LIU ; Hongxia ZHANG ; Wei ZHANG ; Jihong XIAO ; Xiaozhong LI ; Guomin LI ; Hong CHANG ; Sheng HAO ; Yue DU ; Daliang XU ; Ling WU ; Wenjie ZHENG ; Li LIU ; Xinhui JIANG ; Shaohui ZHU ; Dongmei ZHAO ; Xuemei TANG ; Li SUN
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2025;63(12):1299-1305
Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and independent risk factors of severe disease in patients with anti-nuclear matrix protein (NXP) 2 antibody-positive juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including 219 anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM patients admitted to 23 children′s hospitals across China from July 2011 to July 2023. Patients were classified into severe and non-severe groups based on classification criteria for severe dermatomyositis. Demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory parameters were compared between the 2 groups using independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or χ2 test. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for severe disease. The receiver operating characteristic curve was employed to calculate optimal cut-off values. Results:Among the 219 patients, 108 were male and 111 were female, with an age at onset of 6.3 (3.5, 9.4) years. The severe group comprised 69 patients, and the non-severe group 150 patients. The severe group had significantly higher rates of fever, heliotrope rash, subcutaneous edema, periorbital edema, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity, as well as elevated levels of ferritin-to-albumin ratio (FAR), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified anti-Ro52 antibody positivity ( OR=13.26, 95% CI 1.37-128.29) and elevated FAR ( OR=1.90, 95% CI 1.09-2.31) as independent risk factors for severe anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM (both P<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that a FAR cutoff value of 6.82 predicted severe disease with an area under the curve of 0.87 (95% CI 0.81-0.94, P<0.001), sensitivity of 0.85, and specificity of 0.70. All patients received glucocorticoid therapy, and the severe group received higher proportions of steroid pulse therapy, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, intravenous immunoglobulin, biologics, and adjuvant treatments compared to the non-severe group (all P<0.05). In terms of outcomes, 2 patients (2.9%) in the severe group died (due to neurological involvement and intestinal perforation, respectively), while the remaining patients achieved complete clinical response or remission. All patients in the non-severe group achieved remission. Conclusions:The primary clinical features of anti-NXP2 antibody-positive JDM included fever, heliotrope rash, subcutaneous edema, periorbital edema, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity, and elevated levels of CK, AST, LDH, and FAR. Furthermore, anti-Ro52 antibody positivity and a FAR>6.82 were identified as independent risk factors.
7.Investigator-Initiated Trials management measures to study the implementation of the whole process management of new requirements and implementation suggestions
Honglei NIAN ; Jihong LI ; Jiyin ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Medical Science Research Management 2025;38(2):114-119
Objective:As the " Administrative Measures for Conducting investigator-initiated Clinical Research in Medical and Health Institutions" promulgated, to explore the key points and difficulties in the management of Investigator-Initiated Trials(IIT) in healthcare institutions, and provide basis for promoting the standardization and high-quality management of IIT.Methods:On the basis of policy text research , through literature investigation and working practice, this paper analyzes new requirements of the Management Measures for clinical trials management and puts forward implementation suggestions.Results:The Administrative Measures put forward new requirements for the implementation and management of clinical trials from the aspects of scientific review and ethical review, and carried out intervention research beyond the scope, clinical research management committee responsibilities. Medical and carried institutions need to strengthen the management of the whole process of clinical trials implementation.Conclusions:Medical and health institutions can strengthen clinical trials management by building the organizational structure of clinical trials whole-process management, hierarchical risk management, taking scientific review as the starting point, opening up all aspects of project management, focusing on process management, and strengthening quality control and quality assurance.
8.Correlation Between Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution and Body Composition Including Visceral Fat in Overweight and Obese Populations
Mengyao LI ; Jieyu LIU ; Simeng YAO ; Bin ZHANG ; Jintu GUAN ; Peiming ZHANG ; Jihong LIU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;42(11):2670-2676
Objective To investigate the relationship between traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)constitution and body composition such as visceral fat in overweight and obese individuals.Methods A total of 320 overweight/obese patients who visited the Preventive Treatment Center of Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between September 15,2023,and September 14,2024,were selected as study subjects.Among them,135 were classified into the overweight group and 185 into the obese group.Data were collected using the TCM Constitution Questionnaire and a body composition analyzer(InBody570).The differences in TCM constitution distribution between the overweight and obese groups,as well as between genders,were compared.The correlation between TCM constitution types and body composition parameters was analyzed.Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors for biased constitutions in the overweight/obese population.Results Among the 320 overweight/obese patients,phlegm-damp constitution(56.25%)and damp-heat constitution(40.31%)were the most predominant biased constitutions.The proportions of blood stasis constitution,qi depression constitution,and inherited special constitution in females were significantly higher than those in males(P<0.05 or P<0.01),with the risk of qi depression constitution in females being 6.028 times higher than that in males(P<0.01).Yang deficiency constitution was positively correlated with protein content but negatively correlated with skeletal muscle mass and body fat mass(P<0.05).The proportion of blood stasis constitution in the overweight group was higher than that in the obese group(P<0.01).In overweight/obese individuals with blood stasis constitution,the risk of excessive visceral fat was 2.658 times as high as those without excessive visceral fat.Blood stasis constitution was positively correlated with body fat mass,bone mineral content,intracellular water,and skeletal muscle mass index(SMI),but was negatively correlated with body mass index(BMI)and body cell mass(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Coclusion For overweight and obese populations,special attention should be paid to the management of visceral fat in individuals with blood stasis constitution and to emotional intervention in females.A staged and precise prevention and treatment strategy should be developed by integrating TCM constitution and body composition indicators.
9.Research on in-situ measurement methods for lunar dust surface potential under ultraviolet irradiation
Liyong CAO ; Jihong YAN ; Dandan JU ; Yunlong LI ; Lifang LI
Space Medicine & Medical Engineering 2025;36(2):148-151
In ground-based experiments,ultraviolet irradiation is used to charge simulated lunar dust,aiming to quantitatively study its charging and discharging behavior in space environments.However,due to factors such as vacuum and dust disturbances,the charging and discharging processes of lunar dust are difficult to measure accurately through contact methods.Therefore,this paper designs and constructs a non-contact,in-situ surface potential measurement system based on the principle of vibrating capacitance,suitable for vacuum environments.The system combines moving average and standard deviation methods for data filtering and introduces a weighted KNN algorithm to predict and compensate for missing or anomalous data,thereby improving measurement accuracy and stability.Two typical simulated lunar dust samples,TYII-2 and CLRS-1A,were selected for charging and discharging experiments under ultraviolet irradiation.The surface potential distribution was obtained in real-time using an in-situ motion mechanism equipped with a vibrating capacitance sensor.The results show significant differences in the charging response and dissipation characteristics of the samples with different particle size distributions.
10.Construction and validation of prediction models for delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning based on machine learning
Yanwu YU ; Yan ZHANG ; Ding YUAN ; Huihui HAO ; Fang YANG ; Hongyi YAN ; Pin JIANG ; Mengnan GUO ; Zhigao XU ; Changhua SUN ; Gaiqin YAN ; Lu CHE ; Jianjun GUO ; Jihong CHEN ; Yan LI ; Yanxia GAO
Chinese Journal of Emergency Medicine 2025;34(10):1403-1409
Objective:s To investigate the risk factors for delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP) in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning (ACOP) and to develop predictive models based on machine learning algorithms.Methods:Patients with ACOP hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from August 2019 to October 2024 were included, with the occurrence of DEACMP as the outcome measure. The dataset was randomly divided into training and validation sets at a ratio of 7:3. Lasso regression was used to select features influencing the outcome in training sets. Nine machine learning models—including Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Support Vector Machine (SVM)—were constructed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted and the area under the curve (AUC) calculated for each model. Calibration curves were used to assess accuracy, and decision curve analysis (DCA) was applied to evaluate clinical utility. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method was employed to visualize and interpret the best-performing model.Results:A total of 264 ACOP patients were included, of whom 54 (20.5%) developed DEACMP. Lasso regression identified eight key feature variables. Based on these factors, predictive models were constructed, showing good AUC stability across the nine machine learning models in both training (0.92–0.99) and validation sets (0.85–0.91). The RF model performed best, with an AUC of 0.99 in the training set and 0.90 in the validation set; its calibration curve and DCA curve also demonstrated excellent performance. SHAP analysis of the RF model revealed the importance ranking of factors from highest to lowest as follows: Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, duration of coma, age, history of coronary heart disease, CK-MB level, monocyte count, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and drinking history.Conclusions:The RF model exhibited the highest predictive performance for DEACMP occurrence in ACOP patients. The influencing factors, ranked in order of importance from highest to lowest, are as follows: GCS score, duration of coma, age, history of coronary heart disease, CK-MB level, monocyte count, DBP, and drinking history.

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