ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and possible mechanisms of Xianglian Huazhuo Granules （香连化浊颗粒， XHG） in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia. MethodsA total of 140 patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group， with 70 cases in each group. The treatment group received 12.5 g of XHG orally， twice daily. The control group received 12.5 g of placebo orally， twice daily. Both groups were treated for 6 months. The traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom scores， pathological types， serum tumor markers of the digestive system， and serum bile acids （TBA）， interleukin-23 （IL-23）， and Dickkopf-related protein 1 （DKK-1） levels were observed before and after treatment. Safety indicators and adverse events were recorded. After treatment， TCM syndrome efficacy and pathological types were evaluated， and patients were followed up for 18 months with gastric endoscopy and pathological results， which were compared with the results after treatment finished. ResultsTwo patients dropped out in the control group， and a total of 168 cases were included in the final analysis， 70 in the treatment group and 68 in the control group. The treatment group showed a significant reduction in TCM symptom scores， serum TBA， IL-23， and DKK-1 levels， and a significant increase in alpha-fetoprotein （AFP）， carbohydrate antigen 125 （CA125）， carbohydrate antigen 199 （CA199） levels； in the control group， carcinoembryonic antigen （CEA）， CA125， CA199 levels significantly increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； and carbohydrate antigen 242 （CA242） level in both the treatment group and the control group decreased significantly （P＜0.01）. The treatment group had lower TCM symptom scores and lower levels of serum TBA， IL-23， and DKK-1 compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. The effective rate for TCM syndrome efficacy in the treatment group was 80.00% （56/70）， significantly higher than the 20.59% （14/68） in the control group （P < 0.05）. The effective rate for pathological classification in the treatment group was 72.73% （8/11） for mixed intestinal metaplasia， significantly better than 46.15% （6/13） in the control group （P＜0.05）. No adverse events were reported in either group. Among 40 patients who had a follow-up endoscopy after one year， 21 were from the treatment group， of whom 11 showed reduced intestinal metaplasia， 9 showed no significant changes， and 1 had worsened； while 19 patients in the control group had 4 with reduced intestinal metaplasia， 13 with no significant changes， and 2 with worsened conditions. No cancer was detected in either group. The treatment group showed significantly better improvement in intestinal metaplasia on follow-up gastric endoscopy pathology than the control group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionXHG can significantly improve the clinical symptoms in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia and reduce the degree of mixed intestinal metaplasia. The mechanism may involve lowering serum TBA， DKK-1， and IL-23 levles， thus delaying the progression from inflammation to cancer.

BACKGROUND: The incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer remain on the rise, creating an urgent need for screening among high-risk populations and early prevention. This study aims to explore the association and interaction between multidimensional lifestyle, socioeconomic status, and the incidence of lung cancer, and to provide scientific evidence for screening high-risk populations and preventing lung cancer. METHODS: Healthy lifestyle score was constructed using information on smoking, alcohol consumption, exercise, diet and sleep obtained through a questionnaire survey. Socioeconomic status was evaluated based on information on education, employment, and family income, and genetic testing data were used to assess the risk of genetic variation. A proportional hazards assumption test was conducted, and the Cox proportional hazards model was applied to analyze the associations between healthy lifestyle scores, socioeconomic status, and lung cancer, as well as the interactions among various factors, after adjusting for the risk of genetic variation, age, gender, diabetes, hypertension and the living environment score. RESULTS: A total of 245,538 samples that entered the cohort from March, 2006 to October, 2010 were included and followed up until December 31, 2022. The participants were divided into the case group (n=1472) and the control group (n=244,066). The analysis results showed that after adjusting for covariates, there was still an association between the healthy lifestyle score, socioeconomic status, and the incidence of lung cancer: compared with participants with a high healthy lifestyle score, the risk of lung cancer in participants with medium and low healthy lifestyle scores was significantly increased, with hazard ratios (HR) of 2.12 (95%CI: 1.86-2.41) and 3.36 (95%CI: 2.82-3.99) respectively; compared with participants with high socioeconomic status, the risk of lung cancer in participants with medium and low socioeconomic status was significantly increased, with HR of 1.29 (95%CI: 1.13-1.48) and 1.67 (95%CI: 1.46-1.90) respectively. Moreover, there were interactions between smoking status and socioeconomic status (Pfor interaction=0.05), as well as the other four lifestyle factors (Pfor interaction=0.02). CONCLUSIONS This study identified the association between multidimensional lifestyle factors and socioeconomic status with the incidence of lung cancer, as well as interactions between smoking and socioeconomic status and four other lifestyle factors, providing a scientific basis for screening and prevention in high-risk populations for lung cancer.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Incidence ; Life Style ; Social Class ; Aged ; Adult ; Risk Factors

Objective To investigate the biological functions of the ERG3 gene in Candida albicans and its potential value in antifungal therapy. Methods The ERG3 null mutant was constructed by the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, microbroth dilution method, hyphal induction and mouse systemic infection models were carried out to evaluate sterol metabolism, drug susceptibility, hyphal formation ability and pathogenicity in C. albicans. Results The disruption of the ERG3 gene led to disordered sterol metabolism in C. albicans with a significant increased level of episterol, 14α-methylfecosterol and ergosta-7,22-dienol. The ERG3 null mutant exhibited significantly reduced susceptibility to antifungal azole and polyene drugs, which suggested that ERG3 involve in regulating drug resistance. Although the disruption of ERG3 inhibited hyphal growth and biofilm formation, it did not significantly alter the pathogenicity of the strain in a mouse model of systemic fungal infection. Conclusion The ERG3 gene was a key regulator in the ergosterol synthesis pathway in C. albicans. Its deletion induced multi-drug resistance by reshaping sterol metabolism, while pathogenicity maintenance depended on compensatory mechanisms. This study provided critical insights for developing antifungal drugs targeting sterol metabolism and overcoming drug resistance.

Objective:To construct patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients, to explore the effect of immune reconstitution timing on the PDX modeling and immune microenvironment in humanized immune system mice (huHSC-NCG-hIL15), and to provide a reliable animal model for research on the mechanisms of head and neck squamous carcinoma and for studies on immune therapy drug interventions.Methods:This study enrolled 28 HNSCC patients (25 laryngeal carcinomas, 3 hypopharyngeal carcinomas). PDX models were established in Balb/c nude (nu) mice, NSG mice, and humanized immune system-reconstituted huHSC-NCG-hIL15 mice. Fresh HNSCC samples were transplanted into Balb/c nu and NSG mice to generate PDX models, with subsequent analysis of success-associated factors. One successfully established PDX tumor was subsequently implanted into humanized immune system-reconstituted huHSC-NCG-hIL15 mice. Tumor transplantation was performed at distinct immune reconstruction timepoints (2 vs. 7 weeks post-reconstitution), and tumor growth patterns were monitored. Flow cytometry and multiplex immunohistochemical staining were utilized to characterize immunological profiles in peripheral lymphoid organs and tumor microenvironments. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was employed to assess histomorphological concordance between primary patient tumors and PDX model tissues. Results:HNSCC PDX models were successfully established. NSG mice exhibited a higher and more stable tumor take rate compared to Balb/c nu mice (pilot study: 4/10 vs. 3/10 cases; mean take rate 60%-80% vs. 20%-60 %). The PDX success rate in NSG mice was 46.4% (13/28). In the huHSC-NCG-hIL15 mice model with immune reconstitution at 7 weeks, tumors grew significantly faster, and the PDX modeling process was shorter (617 mm3 at day 70 in 7-week cohort vs.280 mm3 in 2-week cohort). Flow cytometry analysis of the immune microenvironment showed that at 7 weeks of immune reconstitution, the proportions of B cells in the spleen and tumor tissues(2-week vs. 7-week: spleen 16.2% vs. 61.7%, tumor 26.0% vs. 38.8%) and myeloid cells in the spleen (2-week vs. 7-week: spleen 47.2% vs. 88.1 %) were significantly higher, while mice at 2 weeks post-reconstitution showed a higher proportion of T cells (2-week vs. 7-week: spleen 13.2% vs. 9.3%, tumor 4.8% vs. 2.5%). HE results demonstrated that the tumor tissues in PDX models maintained a high degree of morphological similarity to the primary tumors in both NSG and huHSC-NCG-hIL15 mouse models. Conclusion:The HNSCC PDX modeling protocol demonstrates operational feasibility and high reproducibility, establishing this model as a robust platform for mechanistic and immunotherapeutic studies.

Astragaloside Ⅳ （AS-Ⅳ） is a natural triterpenoid saponin compound derived from Astragalus membranaceus and has shown significant potential in the regulation of liver diseases. This article reviews the latest research advances in AS-Ⅳ in the field of liver diseases in China and globally， and it is found that AS-Ⅳ exerts a liver-protecting effect by regulating lipid metabolism， exerting an anti-tumor/anti-inflammatory/anti-fibrotic effect， and modulating gut microbiota. Its mechanism of action involves multiple signaling pathways， such as AMPK， NLRP3， NF-κB， JAK2/STAT3， and Nrf2. These research findings provide a scientific basis for the development of liver-protecting drugs or functional foods based on the natural product AS-Ⅳ.

This articles summarized the clinical experience of national TCM master Professor Yan Shiyun in using ointment prescriptions to treat chronic pharyngitis.Professor Yan Shiyun believes that the etiology and pathogenesis of chronic pharyngitis are based on inflammation of the deficiency fire,with phlegm heat accumulation as the symptoms.Dysfunction of organs such as the liver,gallbladder,spleen and stomach,lungs and kidneys,as well as retention of wind pathogens,are also important pathological mechanisms.Based on the differentiation of Tibetan symptoms,the clinical approach advocates for a comprehensive understanding of the patients'condition,focusing on the core pathogenesis.The main treatment methods include regulating yin and yang,clearing phlegm and heat,regulating spleen and stomach,dispelling wind and clearing throat,and comprehensively considering other syndromes.The use of compound prescriptions for comprehensive treatment has shown significant therapeutic effects.The commonly used medicinal combination is Physalis Calyx Seu Fructus,Chebulae Fructus Immaturus and Arctii Fructus.

This articles summarized the clinical experience of national TCM master Professor Yan Shiyun in using ointment prescriptions to treat chronic pharyngitis.Professor Yan Shiyun believes that the etiology and pathogenesis of chronic pharyngitis are based on inflammation of the deficiency fire,with phlegm heat accumulation as the symptoms.Dysfunction of organs such as the liver,gallbladder,spleen and stomach,lungs and kidneys,as well as retention of wind pathogens,are also important pathological mechanisms.Based on the differentiation of Tibetan symptoms,the clinical approach advocates for a comprehensive understanding of the patients'condition,focusing on the core pathogenesis.The main treatment methods include regulating yin and yang,clearing phlegm and heat,regulating spleen and stomach,dispelling wind and clearing throat,and comprehensively considering other syndromes.The use of compound prescriptions for comprehensive treatment has shown significant therapeutic effects.The commonly used medicinal combination is Physalis Calyx Seu Fructus,Chebulae Fructus Immaturus and Arctii Fructus.

Objective To explore the principles and methods for extracting terminology related to the pathogenesis of cough disease,as well as the standardization issues in constructing the category structure of"pathogenesis-syndrome";To provide references for standardized research on the pathogenesis of cough disease.Methods The principle of defining the pathogenesis of cough disease was based on the physiological dysfunction and pathological characteristics of lung manifestation.Using ontology technology,literature induction,comparative analysis and other methods,with the help of terminology concepts,Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Terminology in Traditional Chinese Medicine Part 1:Diseases and important ancient books of TCM throughout history related to the pathogenesis of cough disease were sorted,summarized,and extracted.The relationship between the"pathogenesis-syndrome"category of cough disease was analyzed and the structure was constructed.Results Preliminary principles and methods for standardizing the extraction of pathogenesis terminology of cough disease were formulated,including screening scope,inclusion and exclusion criteria,etc.The content of cough disease entries in Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Terminology in Traditional Chinese Medicine Part 1:Diseases was defined for pathogenesis terminology,and the hierarchical structure of terminology was established to clarify the connotation and extension of terminology,thereby determining the category relationship of terminology and forming a category structure of"pathogenesis-syndrome"mapping relationship.On this basis,by extracting pathogenesis terms of cough disease from important ancient books of TCM throughout history,a category structure table of"pathogenesis-syndrome"for cough disease in TCM was formed.Conclusion On the basis of formulating standardized extraction principles and methods of pathogenesis terminology for TCM cough disease,a research model for the"pathogenesis-syndrome"category structure of TCM cough disease is constructed.This model has the characteristics of systematicity,clear hierarchical relationships,rich connotation of terminology,and extensibility,providing a new research paradigm for pathogenesis research.

Objective To explore the principles and methods for extracting terminology related to the pathogenesis of cough disease,as well as the standardization issues in constructing the category structure of"pathogenesis-syndrome";To provide references for standardized research on the pathogenesis of cough disease.Methods The principle of defining the pathogenesis of cough disease was based on the physiological dysfunction and pathological characteristics of lung manifestation.Using ontology technology,literature induction,comparative analysis and other methods,with the help of terminology concepts,Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Terminology in Traditional Chinese Medicine Part 1:Diseases and important ancient books of TCM throughout history related to the pathogenesis of cough disease were sorted,summarized,and extracted.The relationship between the"pathogenesis-syndrome"category of cough disease was analyzed and the structure was constructed.Results Preliminary principles and methods for standardizing the extraction of pathogenesis terminology of cough disease were formulated,including screening scope,inclusion and exclusion criteria,etc.The content of cough disease entries in Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Terminology in Traditional Chinese Medicine Part 1:Diseases was defined for pathogenesis terminology,and the hierarchical structure of terminology was established to clarify the connotation and extension of terminology,thereby determining the category relationship of terminology and forming a category structure of"pathogenesis-syndrome"mapping relationship.On this basis,by extracting pathogenesis terms of cough disease from important ancient books of TCM throughout history,a category structure table of"pathogenesis-syndrome"for cough disease in TCM was formed.Conclusion On the basis of formulating standardized extraction principles and methods of pathogenesis terminology for TCM cough disease,a research model for the"pathogenesis-syndrome"category structure of TCM cough disease is constructed.This model has the characteristics of systematicity,clear hierarchical relationships,rich connotation of terminology,and extensibility,providing a new research paradigm for pathogenesis research.