1.Research progress on subclinical hypothyroidism and diabetic retinopathy
Yali HE ; Ming JIN ; Peijuan YANG
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(1):142-145
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is a subclinical state of mild hypothyroidism. In recent years, the impact of SCH on multiple systems of the body has gradually attracted attention. Although SCH patients usually do not have obvious clinical symptoms, studies have shown that SCH may be associated with a variety of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Due to the complex interrelationship between diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease, researchers have begun to pay attention to the potential impact of SCH on diabetic retinopathy (diabetic retinopathy, DR). This article aims to comprehensively review the current research progress on the impact of SCH on DR, and explore in depth the pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and treatment strategies, providing clinicians with more comprehensive diagnostic and treatment ideas.
2.Clinical observation of Zhengxintai granules in the treatment of microvascular angina for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome after PCI
Wenhui MA ; Ying ZHANG ; Lei LIU ; Xiuyan YU ; Yali CHEN ; Liming CHEN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(15):2023-2029
OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Zhengxintai granules as in the treatment of microvascular angina (MVA) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. METHODS Patients with STEMI and qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome who underwent PCI and developed MVA and were admitted to the Jinan Fourth People’s Hospital (Jinan Cardiovascular Hospital) from March 2022 to March 2025 were selected, they were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group according to a random number table, with 76 cases in each group. Patients in the control group received conventional Western medicine treatment combined with a placebo, while patients in the observation group received Zhengxintai granules (5 mg per dose, three times daily, for 8 weeks) in addition to conventional Western medicine treatment. The clinical efficacy [including the total effective rate of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome improvement and the total effective rates of Western clinical efficacy] was compared between the two groups. The following indicators were detected before and after treatment: TCM syndrome scores, angina pectoris episodes [daily attack frequency, duration per attack, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score], cardiac function indicators [lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic dimension (LVESD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), cardiac output (CO), fractional shortening (FS)], coagulation function indicators [thrombin time (TT), prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen (FIB)], fibrinolytic marker (D-dimer), vascular endothelial function indicators [vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1)] and myocardial microcirculation hemodynamic indicators [end-diastolic velocity (EDV), peak systolic velocity (PSV), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI)]. The quality of life [Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) score] and the incidence of adverse reactions were also compared between the two groups. RESULTS There was no patient dropout during the entire course of the study. The total effective rates of improvement in TCM syndromes and the total effective rates of Western clinical efficacy in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (93.42% vs. 82.89%, 94.74% vs. 84.21%, P<0.05). Before the treatment, the comparison of each examination indicator between the two groups showed no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). Compared with before treatment, the TCM syndrome scores, the number of daily angina pectoris attacks and the duration of each attack, the VAS scores, LDH, NT-proBNP, FIB, D-dimer, ET-1 levels, LVEDD, LVESD, RI and PI after treatment in both groups were significantly reduced, shortened or decreased (P<0.05); VEGF and NO levels, LVEF, CO, FS, TT, PT, EDV, PSV, and the standard scores of five dimensions including angina pectoris stability, as well as the total scores of SAQ, all significantly increased or prolonged (P<0.05). Furthermore, the improvements in the aforementioned indicators (except for LVEF) in the observation group were significantly greater than those in the control group (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the total incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Zhengxintai granules, when used as an adjunct to conventional Western medicine, can significantly alleviate the related symptoms of MVA in STEMI patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome after PCI, repair damaged cardiac function, restore the balance of the coagulation-fibrinolysis system, improve vascular endothelial function and myocardial microcirculation perfusion, and significantly enhance the quality of life of patients
3.Research progress of generative artificial intelligence for ophthalmic imaging and clinical applications
International Eye Science 2026;26(10):1838-1843
Generative artificial intelligence(Gen-AI), an important branch of artificial intelligence(AI), has attracted increasing attention in medical image analysis and clinical decision support.Different from traditional discriminative models, Gen-AI can generate high-quality and diverse new data by learning the underlying distribution features of data. It exhibits unique advantages in alleviating insufficient training samples, mitigating uneven data distribution, and improving the generalization ability of models. Ophthalmology is highly dependent on multimodal imaging, making it a particularly suitable field for the application of Gen-AI. This review summarizes recent advances in major Gen-AI techniques, including generative adversarial networks, diffusion models, and large language models, and discusses their applications in ophthalmic disease screening and diagnosis, image synthesis and data augmentation, prognostic prediction, and individualized treatment planning. It also analyzes challenges in the course of clinical translation, including data quality, model credibility, ethical supervision and other issues, so as to provide references for its standardized application.
4.Relationship of anxiety and depressive mood with cognitive function in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease
Donghan SHI ; Yali CHEN ; Shuiping YUAN
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(5):126-130
Objective To investigate the relationship of anxiety and depression mood with cognitive function in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease. Methods A total of 511 elderly Parkinson's disease patients who visited the 907th Hospital of the Joint Logistics Support Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from October 2024 to November 2025 were selected as the study subjects. The patients were divided into a cognitive impairment group (n=98) and a non-cognitive impairment group (n=413) based on the presence of cognitive impairment. The patient related data were collected. Disease severity was assessed using the modified Hoehn-Yahr (H-Y) staging scale, anxiety levels were evaluated with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), depressive symptoms were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and cognitive function was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for cognitive impairment in elderly Parkinson's patients, and Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between anxiety/depression and cognitive function. Results Educational level (OR=5.348, 95% CI: 2.278-10.482), marital status (OR=6.056, 95% CI: 2.932-12.508), H-Y stage (OR=2.189, 95% CI: 1.433-3.345), BAI score (OR=1.270, 95% CI: 1.188-1.358), and GDS score (OR=1.340, 95% CI: 1.236-1.453) were all risk factors for cognitive impairment in elderly Parkinson's patients (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that both BAI score and GDS score were negatively correlated with cognitive function (r=-0.383 and -0.400, respectively, P<0.001). Conclusion Educational level, marital status, H-Y stage, BAI score, and GDS score are all influencing factors for cognitive impairment in elderly Parkinson's disease patients, with both BAI scores and GDS scores being negatively correlated with cognitive function.
5.The TSLP gene polymorphisms in asthmatic children and their association with serum TSLP level and gene-environment interactions analysis
Zhumei LI ; Yali ZHANG ; Guihong WU ; Wenjuan MENG ; Xiaoping ZHU
Immunological Journal 2025;41(4):243-250
Objective To explore the association of the TSLP gene polymorphisms at rs3806932,rs11466741 and rs2289278 loci with childhood asthma and serum TSLP levels,and to analyze the effects of gene-environment interactions on asthma risk in children.Methods A total of 145 children with asthma and 108 healthy controls were included.Genotyping was performed using KASP and MassARRAY SNP technologies,and serum TSLP levels were measured by ELISA.Differences in allele and genotype frequencies between the two groups were analyzed,along with the impact of genetic models on asthma risk.Differences in serum TSLP levels across groups were compared.Linkage disequilibrium and haplotype analysis were performed using Haploview 4.2,and GMDR 0.9 software was used to assess gene-environment interactions.Results No significant differences were found in the allele and genotype frequencies of the three TSLP gene loci between the two groups(P>0.05).Under the co-dominant model,children with the AG genotype at the rs3806932 locus had 1.750 times the risk of developing asthma compared to those with the AA genotype(95%CI:1.018-3.010,P=0.043).Under co-dominant and overdominant models,children with the CT genotype at the rs11466741 locus had 1.705 times the asthma risk compared to those with the CC genotype(95%CI:1.006-2.891,P=0.048),and 1.698 times the risk compared to those with the CC-TT genotype(95%CI:1.019-2.827,P=0.041).Serum TSLP levels were significantly higher in asthma patients with the CT genotype than those with the CC genotype at the rs11466741 locus(P=0.032).Serum TSLP levels were higher in the asthma group with allergic rhinitis(AR)compared to the group without AR(P<0.01).No significant differences were observed in the distribution of haplotypes frequencies(AC,GT,GC)between the two groups(P>0.05).GMDR analysis showed that the highest asthma risk was observed in children with heterozygous genotypes(CT,AG)at both rs11466741 and rs2289278,or those with the CT genotype at rs11466741,a history of passive smoking,and a cesarean section delivery(P<0.05).Conclusion Polymorphisms in the TSLP gene at rs3806932 and rs11466741 are associated with an increased risk of childhood asthma.Variants at the rs11466741 locus affect serum TSLP levels in children with asthma.Asthma combined with AR leads to elevation of serum TSLP levels.The interaction between rs11466741 and rs2289278,along with environmental factors(passive smoking and cesarean section),contributes to the increase of asthma risk in children.
6.Interactions among risk factors of diabetic retinopathy
Xiaojia SUN ; Guoheng ZHANG ; Ziyi ZHOU ; Yali NIU ; Hua FENG ; Ling WANG ; Guorui DOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Ophthalmology 2025;43(1):38-46
Objective:To investigate the interaction of risk factors for diabetic retinopathy (DR) occurrence.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed.A total of 6 783 diabetic patients with complete survey data from 2005 to 2018 in the National Health and Nutrition Survey database were enrolled, among which 4 426 patients were included according to inclusion criteria and were divided into non-DR diabetes group of 3 491 cases and DR group of 935 cases.The related risk factors were collected, including age, gender, race, residential status, education, annual household income, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, duration of diabetes, family history of diabetes, comorbidities, smoke, alcohol use, sleep, physical activity.Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess the psychological status.After the categorization of all variables, risk factors of DR were analyzed by logistic regression, and the interaction between factors was further analyzed.Results:Multivariate analysis showed that female[odds ratio ( OR)=1.33, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.02-1.72], duration of diabetes ≥10 years ( OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.04), insulin therapy ( OR=2.38, 95% CI: 1.87-3.05), urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) ≥30 mg/g ( OR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.22-1.96) and depression ( OR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.13-1.83) were risk factors for DR, and BMI≤28 kg/m 2 ( OR=0.70, 95% CI: 0.55-0.89) was a protective factor for DR.Furthermore, interaction analysis revealed additive interaction between UACR ≥30 mg/g and insulin therapy [relative excess risk due to interaction ( RERI)=2.46, 95% CI: 0.84-4.09, attributable proportion due to interaction ( AP)=0.44, 95% CI: 0.26-0.63, synergy index ( S)=2.16, 95% CI: 1.37-3.41).The UACR ≥30 mg/g and longer diabetic duration ≥10 years had both multiplicative ( OR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.00-2.76) and additive interactions ( RERI=2.02, 95% CI: 0.79-3.25, AP=0.47, 95% CI: 0.27-0.66, S=2.53, 95% CI: 1.37-4.68). Conclusions:Patients with diabetes treated with insulin, with a duration of diabetes ≥10 years and accompanied by UACR ≥30 mg/g are at higher risk of developing DR than those with a single risk factor.
7.Research progress in the involvement of angiocrine in choroidal neovascularization
Yali NIU ; Yutong JING ; Tianfang CHANG ; Guorui DOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Ophthalmology 2025;43(9):866-870
Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a common fundus neovascularization disease, which often leads to irreversible vision loss.The pathological mechanisms are extremely complex, involving the participation of a variety of cells and cellular contacts.Currently, there are still many deficiencies in the treatment of CNV.We are concerned that blood vessels are not only a " conduits" for transporting nutrients and metabolic waste, but also providing angiocrine factors for organ growth and development.A variety of tissue-specific vascular endothelial cells have been proved to be able to deliver a variety of cytokines under certain conditions, which act on surrounding cells and participate in the control of angiogenesis and homeostasis.Therefore, this review focuses on the research progress on the involvement of angiocrine in pericytes, retinal pigment epithelial cells, mononuclear macrophages, neutrophils and endothelial precursor cells in CNV through various forms such as extracellular vesicles, in order to provide new ideas for the treatment of CNV.
8.Analysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis and human papillomavirus coinfections in 111 patients with newly diagnosed syphilis at a hospital in Nanjing
Shixuang ZHAO ; Yuanyuan ZHAO ; Wenjing LE ; Biwei WANG ; Yali CHEN ; Lu GAN ; Sai LI ; Xiaofen ZHU ; Xiaohong SU
Chinese Journal of Dermatology 2025;58(3):234-238
Objective:To investigate the prevalence of and risk factors associated with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) coinfections among patients with newly diagnosed syphilis at a hospital in Nanjing. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with newly diagnosed syphilis at the STD Clinic, Hospital of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences in Nanjing, China from May 2023 to April 2024. Urethral, cervical or rectal swabs were collected according to the gender and types of sexual behavior of the patients. Screening tests for CT, NG and HPV infections were then performed by nucleic acid amplification testing. High-risk HPV testing was performed only in female patients. Univariate analysis was carried out to investigate risk factors associated with CT infection. The chi-square test, chi-square test with continuity correction, or Fisher's exact test was chosen based on the sample size and expected values.Results:A total of 111 newly diagnosed syphilis patients with test specimens were collected, including 71 males (64%) and 40 females (36%), and their ages ranged from 16 to 87 years; there were 82 patients with early syphilis and 29 with late latent syphilis; the number of sexual partners in the past 3 months ranged from 0 to 3. Among the 60 male patients with early syphilis, 1 (1.7%) was co-infected with NG, and 12 (20%) with CT; among the 16 men who have sex with men, 7 (43.8%) were co-infected with CT, while 5 (11.4%) of the 44 heterosexual patients were co-infected with CT, showing a significant difference in CT infection rates between the two groups ( χ2 = 5.80, P = 0.016). Among the 22 female patients with early syphilis, 1 (4.5%) was co-infected with NG, and 8 (36.4%) with CT; among the 12 female patients aged < 25 years, 8 (66.7%) were infected with CT, while none of the 7 patients aged 25-44 years or the 3 patients aged ≥ 45 years were infected with CT, showing a significant difference in CT infection rates among the 3 age groups ( P = 0.005) ; among the 16 female patients with 1 sexual partner in the past 3 months, 3 were infected with CT, while 5 were infected with CT in the 6 female patients with 2-3 sexual partners in the past 3 months, with a significant difference in CT infection rates between the two groups ( P = 0.011). Out of the 40 female patients with syphilis, 16 (40%) were co-infected with high-risk HPV; the HPV infection rates did not differ among different age groups (age groups of < 25 years, 25-44 years, ≥ 45 years: 8/14, 2/9, 6/17, respectively; P = 0.265) . Conclusion:The CT infection rate was relatively high in patients with newly diagnosed early syphilis, and a relatively high infection rate of high-risk HPV was observed in female patients with syphilis aged < 25 years.
9.Development of a pre-processing workflow for real world data derived from multicenter clinical laboratories
Chang LIU ; Xiaoxia PENG ; Siyu CAI ; Yali LIU ; Chao ZHANG ; Fang HU
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(2):296-306
Objective:To develop a pre-processing workflow of real world data (RWD) derived from multicenter clinical laboratories so that the level of data standardization can be improved, and subsequently to produce more robust real world evidence (RWE).Methods:Purpose sampling was used to invite senior experts with experience in clinical research utilizing RWD, covering the fields of clinical laboratory, epidemiology, biostatistics, and clinical medicine. In-depth, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted and thematic analysis was used to analyze the collected data.Results:The in-depth interviews were completed in 16 experts. The experts unanimously agreed that pre-processing RWD derived from multicenter clinical laboratories is necessary prior to its application in research. Based on experts' insights, a comprehensive pre-processing workflow for RWD was constructed, comprising six key steps: ①developing a variable list based on research questions and distributing it to each clinical laboratory; ②conducting an initial quality assessment of RWD based on existing quality control results in clinical laboratories; ③cleaning the data; ④determining whether RWD (including categorical and continuous variables) is heterogeneity among different clinical laboratories; ⑤exploring potential sources of heterogeneity;⑥pre-processing RWD based on identified causes contributing to heterogeneity.Conclusion:The pre-processing workflow of RWD was established, to provide a methodological reference for controlling systematic errors in RWD derived from multicenter clinical laboratories, thereby enhancing the validity of RWE.
10.Influence factors for the development and regression of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease:A study based on the health check-up population in Beijing,China
Haiqing GUO ; Xiaohui LIU ; Mingliang LI ; Feng LIU ; Yali LIU ; Jing ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(7):1319-1326
Objective To investigate the clinical and metabolic factors associated with the development and regression of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)in the physical examination population.Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted on 6 809 individuals who underwent physical examination in a physical examination institution in Beijing from December 2013 to December 2019,with a mean follow-up time of 52.1±13.5 months.According to the new diagnostic criteria for MAFLD,these individuals were divided into MAFLD group and non-MAFLD group,and the two groups were compared in terms of demographic indicators,body measurement indicators,and laboratory indicators at the first(baseline)and last physical examinations.The two-independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data.A Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the impact of various observation indicators on the development and regression of MAFLD.Results In this study,there were 4 533 individuals(66.6%)in the non-MAFLD group at baseline,among whom 15.6%developed MAFLD at the last physical examination.Compared with the non-MAFLD population,the MAFLD population had significantly higher age(Z=-6.739),number of male patients(χ2=178.534),body weight(Z=-22.302),body mass index(BMI)(Z=-22.818),waist circumference(Z=-23.117),hip circumference(Z=-18.446),systolic blood pressure(SBP)(Z=-13.301),diastolic blood pressure(DBP)(Z=-13.491),fasting blood glucose(FBG)(Z=-11.787),triglyceride(TG)(Z=-16.623),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)(Z=-10.256),alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(Z=-14.250),aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(Z=-7.481),and proportion of patients with metabolic syndrome(MetS)at baseline(χ2=185.283),and there were more patients with increases in body weight,waist circumference,hip circumference,TG,TC,ALT,and AST at the final physical examination(all P<0.05);these patients had a lower level of HDL-C at baseline(Z=15.416),and there were more patients with a reduction at the last physical examination(P<0.05).There were 2 276 individuals(33.4%)in the MAFLD group at baseline,among whom 23.8%showed regression of MAFLD at the last physical examination.Compared with the population without regression of MAFLD,the population with regression of MAFLD had a significantly younger age(Z=2.185),a significantly higher number of female patients(χ2=0.340),significantly lower levels of body weight(Z=-8.909),BMI(Z=-10.205),waist circumference(Z=-11.183),hip circumference(Z=-7.178),SBP(Z=-3.627),DBP(Z=-3.443),TG(Z=-5.945),ALT(Z=-9.664),and AST(Z=-5.904),and a significantly lower proportion of patients with MetS(χ2=42.082),and there were more patients with reductions in body weight,waist circumference,hip circumference,blood pressure,TG,TC,ALT,and AST at the final physical examination(all P<0.05);these patients had a higher level of HDL-C at baseline(Z=6.778),and there were more patients with an increase at the last physical examination(P<0.05).The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that sex and changes in body weight and HDL-C during physical examination were independently associated with the development and regression of MAFLD(all P<0.05).Conclusion There is a relatively high prevalence rate of MAFLD among the physical examination population in Beijing,with a higher proportion of male patients.There are significant metabolic disorders and liver function abnormalities,and changes in body weight and HDL-C are the most important predictive indicators for the development and regression of MAFLD.


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