The expert consensus on the clinical treatment of herpes zoster with fire needling was developed, and the commonly used fire needling treatment scheme verified by clinical research was selected to form a standardized diagnosis and treatment scheme for acute herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), so as to answer the core problems in clinical application. The consensus focuses on patients with herpes zoster, and forms recommendations for 9 key clinical issues, covering simple fire needling and TCM comprehensive therapy based on fire needling, including fire needling combined with cupping, fire needling combined with Chinese herb, fire needling combined with cupping and Chinese herb, fire needling combined with filiform needling, fire needling combined with moxibustion, and provides specific recommendations and operational guidelines for various therapies.
Humans ; Herpes Zoster/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Consensus ; Clinical Protocols

Azvudine and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) are recommended for COVID-19 treatment in China, but their safety and efficacy in the elderly population are not fully known. In this multicenter, retrospective, cohort study, we identified 5131 elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients from 32,864 COVID-19 patients admitted to nine hospitals in Henan Province, China, from December 5, 2022, to January 31, 2023. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and the secondary outcome was composite disease progression. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control for confounding factors, including demographics, vaccination status, comorbidities, and laboratory tests. After 2:1 PSM, 1786 elderly patients receiving azvudine and 893 elderly patients receiving Paxlovid were included. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses revealed that compared with Paxlovid group, azvudine could significantly reduce the risk of all-cause death (log-rank P = 0.002; HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.573-0.883, P = 0.002), but there was no difference in composite disease progression (log-rank P = 0.52; HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.877-1.260, P = 0.588). Four sensitivity analyses verified the robustness of above results. Subgroup analysis suggested that a greater benefit of azvudine over Paxlovid was observed in elderly patients with primary malignant tumors (P for interaction = 0.005, HR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.57) compared to patients without primary malignant tumors. Safety analysis revealed that azvudine treatment had a lower incidence of adverse events and higher lymphocyte levels than Paxlovid treatment. In conclusion, azvudine treatment is not inferior to Paxlovid treatment in terms of all-cause death, composite disease progression and adverse events in elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

OBJECTIVE To explore the material basis of the anti-inflammatory effect of the petroleum ether extract from Melastoma dodecandrum by establishing its fingerprint and combining it with cellular pharmacodynamics experiments. METHODS HPLC method was adopted； the fingerprints of 20 batches of petroleum ether extract from M. dodecandrum were drawn using The Similarity Evaluation System of TCM Chromatographic Fingerprint （2012 edition）； similarity evaluation and common peak identification were carried out. The lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation model of mice mononuclear macrophages （RAW264.7） was established； the inhibitory rates of nitric oxide （NO） and tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α） were used as indexes to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of the petroleum ether extract from M. dodecandrum； grey correlation degree method and partial least square regression analysis were adopted to study the spectrum-effect relationship. Molecular docking was used to validate the binding activity of the anti-inflammatory active ingredients with TNF-α and iNOS protein receptor. RESULTS There were 19 common peaks in the fingerprint of the petroleum ether extract from M. dodecandrum， the similarity of 20 batches of samples ranged from 0.603-0.990， and five components were identified， such as vitexin （peak 5）， isovitexin （peak 6）， ellagic acid （peak 7）， quercetin （peak 9） and luteolin （peak 10）. The grey correlation degree between 19 common peaks of the petroleum ether extract from M. dodecandrum and the inhibition rates of NO and TNF-α were all greater than 0.7； peaks 19， 13， 9 （quercetin）， 12， 5 （vitexin）， 6 （isovitexin）， 8， 7 （ellagic acid）， 18， 1 were positively correlated with NO inhibition rate， and peaks 8， 10 （luteolin）， 13， 15， 3， 19， 17， 7 （ellagic acid）， 18， 1 were positively correlated with inhibition rate of TNF-α. The binding energies of vitexin， isovitexin and quercetin with iNOS protein receptor were less than －5.0 kcal/mol. CONCLUSIONS Vitexin， isovitexin and quercetin may be the basis of the anti-inflammatory effect of the petroleum ether extract from M.dodecandrum.

Objective:To investigate the value of nasal provocation test（NPT） in evaluating the efficacy of allergen immunotherapy（AIT） in patients with dust mite induced allergic rhinitis（AR）. Methods:A total of 83 patients with dust mite induced AR with/without asthma were included. Symptom score（SS）, daily medication score（DMS）, combined symptom and medication score（CSMS）, rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire（RQLQ）, NPT and skin prick test（SPT） were assessed before and after 1 year AIT. Results:There were statistical differences in SS（P<0.000 1）, DMS（P<0.000 1）, CSMS（P<0.000 1）, and RQLQ（P<0.000 1） after 1 year of AIT compared with pre-treatment. The effective rate of CSMS was 73.49%, and the effective rate of NPT was 42.17%. CSMS was consistent with NPT in efficacy assessment（Kappa=0.437, P<0.001）; while in 54 patients with pre-treatment NPT concentrations other than the original concentration, CMSM and NPT showed better consistence（Kappa=0.895, P<0.001）. Among the 48 patients with ineffective NPT assessment in the first year, 25 patients completed the second-year follow-up, and 12 patients（48.00%） showed effective in NPT. However, 10 out of 12 patients（83.33%） with NPT concentration other than original solution pre-treatment showed effective NPT at the second year. Conclusion:NPT can be used as one of the indicators for efficacy evaluation for dust mite induced AR patients, especially for patients with positive NPT induced at lower concentrations before treatment.
Animals ; Humans ; Pyroglyphidae ; Allergens ; Nasal Provocation Tests ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic/therapy* ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Skin Tests ; Dust

Objective: To objectively and subjectively assess and compare the characteristics of monoenergetic images [MEI (+)] and polyenergetic images (PEI) acquired by dual-energy CT (DECT) of patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the images and data of 42 patients with breast cancer who had undergone dual-phase contrast-enhanced DECT from June to September 2019. One standard PEI, five MEI (+) in 10-kiloelectron volt (keV) intervals (range, 40–80 keV), iodine density (ID) maps, iodine overlay images, and Z effective (Z eff) maps were reconstructed. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were calculated. Multiple quantitative parameters of the malignant breast lesions were compared between the arterial and the venous phase images. Two readers independently assessed lesion conspicuity and performed a morphology analysis. Results: Low keV MEI (+) at 40–50 keV showed increased CNR and SNR breast lesion compared with PEI, especially in the venous phase ([CNR: 40 keV, 20.10; 50 keV, 14.45; vs. PEI, 7.27; p < 0.001], [SNR breast lesion: 40 keV, 21.01; 50 keV, 16.28; vs.PEI, 10.77; p< 0.001]). Multiple quantitative DECT parameters of malignant breast lesions were higher in the venous phase images than in the arterial phase images (p < 0.001). MEI (+) at 40 keV, ID, and Z eff reconstructions yielded the highest Likert scores for lesion conspicuity. The conspicuity of the mass margin and the visual enhancement were significantly better in 40-keV MEI (+) than in the PEI (p = 0.022, p = 0.033, respectively). Conclusion Compared with PEI, MEI (+) reconstructions at low keV in the venous phase acquired by DECT improved the objective and subjective assessment of lesion conspicuity in patients with malignant breast lesions. MEI (+) reconstruction acquired by DECT may be helpful for the preoperative evaluation of breast cancer.

Objective: To objectively and subjectively assess and compare the characteristics of monoenergetic images [MEI (+)] and polyenergetic images (PEI) acquired by dual-energy CT (DECT) of patients with breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the images and data of 42 patients with breast cancer who had undergone dual-phase contrast-enhanced DECT from June to September 2019. One standard PEI, five MEI (+) in 10-kiloelectron volt (keV) intervals (range, 40–80 keV), iodine density (ID) maps, iodine overlay images, and Z effective (Z eff) maps were reconstructed. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were calculated. Multiple quantitative parameters of the malignant breast lesions were compared between the arterial and the venous phase images. Two readers independently assessed lesion conspicuity and performed a morphology analysis. Results: Low keV MEI (+) at 40–50 keV showed increased CNR and SNR breast lesion compared with PEI, especially in the venous phase ([CNR: 40 keV, 20.10; 50 keV, 14.45; vs. PEI, 7.27; p < 0.001], [SNR breast lesion: 40 keV, 21.01; 50 keV, 16.28; vs.PEI, 10.77; p< 0.001]). Multiple quantitative DECT parameters of malignant breast lesions were higher in the venous phase images than in the arterial phase images (p < 0.001). MEI (+) at 40 keV, ID, and Z eff reconstructions yielded the highest Likert scores for lesion conspicuity. The conspicuity of the mass margin and the visual enhancement were significantly better in 40-keV MEI (+) than in the PEI (p = 0.022, p = 0.033, respectively). Conclusion Compared with PEI, MEI (+) reconstructions at low keV in the venous phase acquired by DECT improved the objective and subjective assessment of lesion conspicuity in patients with malignant breast lesions. MEI (+) reconstruction acquired by DECT may be helpful for the preoperative evaluation of breast cancer.

The current document is based on a consensus reached by a panel of experts from the Chinese Society of Allergy and the Chinese Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rhinology Group. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) affects approximately 8% of Chinese adults. The inflammatory and remodeling mechanisms of CRS in the Chinese population differ from those observed in the populations of European descent. Recently, precision medicine has been used to treat inflammation by targeting key biomarkers that are involved in the process. However, there are no CRS guidelines or a consensus available from China that can be shared with the international academia. The guidelines presented in this paper cover the epidemiology, economic burden, genetics and epigenetics, mechanisms, phenotypes and endotypes, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, management, and the current status of CRS in China. These guidelines—with a focus on China—will improve the abilities of clinical and medical staff during the treatment of CRS. Additionally, they will help international agencies in improving the verification of CRS endotypes, mapping of eosinophilic shifts, the identification of suitable biomarkers for endotyping, and predicting responses to therapies. In conclusion, these guidelines will help select therapies, such as pharmacotherapy, surgical approaches and innovative biotherapeutics, which are tailored to each of the individual CRS endotypes.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biomarkers ; China ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Eosinophils ; Epidemiology ; Epigenomics ; Genetics ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; International Agencies ; Medical Staff ; Neck ; Phenotype ; Precision Medicine

Objective To understand the distribution of inhaled allergens throughout Hainan province and explore effective preventive measures against allergen by examining the serum allergen of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), which will provide evidence for specific immunotherapy for treating CRS. Methods Three hundred and eighteen CRS patients underwent Phadiatop blood test by using the UniCAP 100 , a completely automatic autoanalyser. Allergen-specific IgE of 7 common allergens were tested and the concentration of total immunoglobulin E (TIgE) was collected and evaluated. Results The positive rates of the serum TIgE and inhaled allergens were 64.15% and 37.74% respectively. The incidences of the positive serum SIgE is 33.96%. Among the positive cases, 28.30% of the inhaled allergens were dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, 27.36% for tropical mites, 21.07% for dermatophagoides farinae, 13.52% for cockroach, 11. 64% for house dust, 7. 86% for cat dander and 0.63% for dog dander. The incidences of positive TIgE and SIgE were not significantly different between patients with nasal polyps and sinusitis only. Conclusions Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, tropical mites and dermatophagoides farinae are the main inhaled allergens for CRS patients in Hainan.

Objective To evaluate the value of 320 row CT upper abdominal computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the follow up of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPSS) .Methods 21 cases after TIPSS therapy underwent upper ab-dominal CTA .Post-processing images ,including MPR ,VR ,MIP ,and CPR ,were used to determine the position and patency of the stent .The best images of the portal veins were obtained .Results Among the 21 cases ,CPR image clearly demonstrated endovascu-lar stent thrombosis in 3 cases(14 .29% ) with stent occlusion and 1 case(4 .76% ) with stent stenosis ;there were no stent stenosis or occlusion in 17 cases(80 .95% ) ,their CPR image showed the contrast agent was filled completely in the stent and no low-density thrombosis was found .The best phase of the portal vein was 45 s .Conclusion 320 row CT upper abdominal CTA can clearly dis-play the stent position and patency situation in patients ,therefore ,should be regarded as the first choice for the follow-up of patients after TIPSS therapy .

Carcinoid Tumor ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Ear, Middle ; Humans ; Pharynx