Background:Bushen Zhuanggu Formula(BZF),derived from the classic Yougui Pills,has shown favorable clinical efficacy in treating advanced nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head(NONFH),particularly by promoting bone repair.However,its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Objective:This study aimed to explore the mechanisms by which BZF promotes bone repair in advanced NONFH.Materials and methods:A total of 518 potential BZF targets were identified from the ETCM v2.0 database.Transcriptomic profiling of clinical cohorts revealed 485 differentially expressed genes in advanced NONFH patients compared to healthy controls.A drug target-disease gene interaction network was constructed to identify candidate BZF targets involved in NONFH pathogenesis.In vivo experiments were conducted to validate the effects of BZF in a rat model of advanced NONFH.Results:Network analysis identified key pathways associated with blood circulation obstruction,immune-inflammatory imbalance,and abnormal bone metabolism.Protein kinase C alpha(PKCA),Ras proto-oncogene(RAS),mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(ERK),ETS proto-oncogene 1(ETS1),and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL)formed a signaling axis implicated in NONFH pathogenesis.BZF treatment alleviated joint inflammation,preserved trabecular bone morphology,reduced bone loss,and promoted bone repair.Mechanistically,BZF significantly downregulated the expression of PKCA,RAS,ERK,ETS1,and RANKL,improved blood circulation,and inhibited osteoclast activation while promoting osteoblast activation.Conclusion:BZF may promote bone repair in advanced NONFH by enhancing blood circulation and modulating the PKC-RAS-ERK-ETS1-RANKL signaling axis,thereby reversing dysregulated bone metabolism.

Background: Bushen Zhuanggu Formula (BZF), derived from the classic Yougui Pills, has shown favorable clinical efficacy in treating advanced nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (NONFH), particularly by promoting bone repair. However, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: This study aimed to explore the mechanisms by which BZF promotes bone repair in advanced NONFH. Materials and methods: A total of 518 potential BZF targets were identified from the ETCM v2.0 database. Transcriptomic profiling of clinical cohorts revealed 485 differentially expressed genes in advanced NONFH patients compared to healthy controls. A drug target-disease gene interaction network was constructed to identify candidate BZF targets involved in NONFH pathogenesis. In vivo experiments were conducted to validate the effects of BZF in a rat model of advanced NONFH. Results: Network analysis identified key pathways associated with blood circulation obstruction, immune-inflammatory imbalance, and abnormal bone metabolism. Protein kinase C alpha (PKCA), Ras proto-oncogene (RAS), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(ERK), ETS proto-oncogene 1 (ETS1), and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) formed a signaling axis implicated in NONFH pathogenesis. BZF treatment alleviated joint inflammation, preserved trabecular bone morphology, reduced bone loss, and promoted bone repair. Mechanistically, BZF significantly downregulated the expression of PKCA, RAS, ERK, ETS1, and RANKL, improved blood circulation, and inhibited osteoclast activation while promoting osteoblast activation. Conclusion: BZF may promote bone repair in advanced NONFH by enhancing blood circulation and modulating the PKC-RAS-ERK-ETS1-RANKL signaling axis, thereby reversing dysregulated bone metabolism.

Background:Bushen Zhuanggu Formula(BZF),derived from the classic Yougui Pills,has shown favorable clinical efficacy in treating advanced nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head(NONFH),particularly by promoting bone repair.However,its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.Objective:This study aimed to explore the mechanisms by which BZF promotes bone repair in advanced NONFH.Materials and methods:A total of 518 potential BZF targets were identified from the ETCM v2.0 database.Transcriptomic profiling of clinical cohorts revealed 485 differentially expressed genes in advanced NONFH patients compared to healthy controls.A drug target-disease gene interaction network was constructed to identify candidate BZF targets involved in NONFH pathogenesis.In vivo experiments were conducted to validate the effects of BZF in a rat model of advanced NONFH.Results:Network analysis identified key pathways associated with blood circulation obstruction,immune-inflammatory imbalance,and abnormal bone metabolism.Protein kinase C alpha(PKCA),Ras proto-oncogene(RAS),mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(ERK),ETS proto-oncogene 1(ETS1),and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL)formed a signaling axis implicated in NONFH pathogenesis.BZF treatment alleviated joint inflammation,preserved trabecular bone morphology,reduced bone loss,and promoted bone repair.Mechanistically,BZF significantly downregulated the expression of PKCA,RAS,ERK,ETS1,and RANKL,improved blood circulation,and inhibited osteoclast activation while promoting osteoblast activation.Conclusion:BZF may promote bone repair in advanced NONFH by enhancing blood circulation and modulating the PKC-RAS-ERK-ETS1-RANKL signaling axis,thereby reversing dysregulated bone metabolism.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of acrivastine alone or in combination with loratadine in the treatment of chronic refractory urticaria.Methods:From March 2017 to December 2018, a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical study was conducted in 4 centers. Patients with chronic refractory urticaria were randomly divided into two groups, i.e., combined treatment group receiving oral acrivastine capsules 8 mg thrice a day plus oral loratadine tablets 10 mg once a day, and acrivastine alone group receiving oral acrivastine capsules 8 mg thrice a day plus a placebo 10 mg once a day. The course of treatment was 4 weeks. Visits were scheduled at baseline and after 1, 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. At the same time, clinical data were collected, and adverse events were recorded. Symptom scores were evaluated based on degree of itching, number and size of wheals, duration of each attack and number of attacks per week, and symptom score reduce index (SSRI) was used to evaluate the efficacy. Repeated measures analysis of variance and chi-square test were used to evaluate the efficacy and safety.Results:Fifty-three patients in the combined treatment group and 59 in the acrivastine alone group were included in the efficacy analysis. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in symptom score or visual analogue score between the two groups. After 2 weeks of treatment, 19 patients were cured and 10 achieved marked improvement in the combined treatment group, with a response rate of 54.72%; 15 were cured and 6 achieved marked improvement in the acrivastine alone group, with a response rate of 35.59%. After 4 weeks of treatment, 23 patients were cured and 9 achieved marked improvement in the combined treatment group, with a response rate of 60.38%; 20 were cured and 2 achieved marked improvement in the acrivastine alone group, with a response rate of 37.29%. After 2 and 4 weeks of treatment, the response rates were significantly higher in the combined treatment group than in the acrivastine alone group ( χ2 = 4.13, 5.96 respectively, both P < 0.05) . The SSRI significantly differed among different follow-up time points, as well as between the 2 groups ( F = 8.62, 4.38 respectively, both P < 0.05) . Multivariate analysis of variance showed that SSRI was significantly higher in the combined treatment group (0.63 ± 0.05, 0.68 ± 0.05, respectively) than in the acrivastine alone group (0.47 ± 0.05, 0.51 ± 0.05, respectively) after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment (both P < 0.05) . Drug-related adverse reactions, including drowsiness, stomach upsets, headache and liver function abnormality, occurred in 7 patients in the combined treatment group, as well as in 3 in the acrivastine alone group. Conclusion:Acrivastine is safe and effective for the treatment of chronic refractory urticaria, and acrivastine combined with loratadine can markedly improve the efficacy.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the clinical characteristics and identify gene mutations of 2 probands with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS). METHODS: Clinical characteristics of 2 probands with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome were summarized. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples from the patients and their parents. Genomic DNA was subjected to whole exome next generation sequencing. Suspected variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The two patients were characterized by typical facial features, broad thumbs and big toes, intellectual disability, and postnatal growth retardation. Two variants of the CREBBP gene, namely c.3779+1G>A and c.5052_c.5053insT, were respectively identified in the 2 patients. Among these, c.3779+1G>A was a previously known pathological mutation, while c.5052_c.5053insT was unreported previously. Both variants were predicted to be pathological. CONCLUSION Two cases of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome were diagnosed, which facilitated the diagnosis and genetic counselling.
CREB-Binding Protein ; genetics ; Genetic Testing ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Phenotype ; Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome ; genetics

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics and identify gene mutations of 2 probands with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS). Methods: Clinical characteristics of 2 probands with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome were summarized. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples from the patients and their parents. Genomic DNA was subjected to whole exome next generation sequencing. Suspected variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Results: The two patients were characterized by typical facial features, broad thumbs and big toes, intellectual disability, and postnatal growth retardation. Two variants of the CREBBP gene, namely c. 3779+ 1G>A and c. 5052_c.5053insT, were respectively identified in the 2 patients. Among these, c. 3779+ 1G>A was a previously known pathological mutation, while c. 5052_c.5053insT was unreported previously. Both variants were predicted to be pathological. Conclusion Two cases of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome were diagnosed, which facilitated the diagnosis and genetic counselling.

Objective This study aims to investigate the moral disgust cognitive processing of patients with obses?sive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and its relationship with OCD symptoms. Methods Twenty-eight OCD and 30 healthy controls matched for gender, age and education completed lexical decision task, recording reaction time and accuracy of words and assessing the degree of disgust. Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale (Y-BOCS) and Padua Invento?ry-Washington State University Revision (PI-WUSR) were used to assess the symptoms. Results OCD group showed significantly longer reaction time to core disgust-related words [(762.69 ± 128.25) ms vs. (648.69 ± 162.66) ms] and moral disgust-related words [(798.73 ± 115.26) ms vs. (727.00 ± 106.06) ms] than the healthy controls (P<0.05). OCD group showed significantly higher aversion degree to core disgust-related words [(6.38 ± 1.78) vs. (5.03 ± 1.64)] and moral dis?gust-related words [(7.08 ± 1.23) vs. (5.77 ± 1.44)] than control group (P<0.05). Y-BOCS total score, Y-BOCS obsessive thoughts score, Y-BOCS compulsive behavior score, total score of PI-WUSR, cleaning/pollution force factor score, hurt?ing themselves and others force factor were positively correlated with two types of disgust-related words in patients group (P<0.05). Multiple stepwise regression analysis between disgust words and Y-BOCS/PI-WUSR scores pointed that only CWCF influenced disgust degree of core disgust-related words (β=0.61, P<0.01) and moral disgust-related words (β=0.54, P<0.01), respectively. Conclusion The core disgust and moral disgust of OCD are stronger compared to controls.

Objective To determine whether 3'UTR polymorphisms of the NRAMP1 gene are as-sociated with tuberculosis in Uighurs. Methods 3'UTR polymorphisms of NRAMP1 gene were typed by PCR-RFLP among 224 patients with active tuberculosis and 225 healthy individuals. The relationship be-tween 3'UTR polymorphisms and susceptibility to tuberculosis was studied, and cases were grouped accord-ing to genotypes. Results In the tuberculosis patients, genotype TGTG/TGTG,TGTG/TGTG deleted, and TGTG deleted/TGTG deleted were observed in 159,56 and 9 cases respectively, while the genotypes of the healthy controls were TGTG/TGTG in 185, TGTG/TGTG deleted in 36 and TGTG deleted/TGTG deleted in 4 case. The frequency of the genotype TGTG/TGTG was found more often among controls than that in pa-tients (X2=7.94 ,P <0.01). The frequency of allele TGTG and the frequency of variant allele were 0.87 and 0.13 respectively. Conclusion 3'UTR polymorphisms of NRAMP1 gene are associated with suscepti-bility to tuberculosis in Uighurs.