Objective To explore the relationship between levels of retinol binding protein (RBP) and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], and obesity and the occurrence risk of cardiovascular disease in population with prehypertension (PH). Methods A total of 301 patients with PH who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology for physical examination from July 2021 to July 2024 were selected as the study subjects. The levels of serum RBP and Lp(a) were determined, and the waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI) were measured to evaluate the obesity of patients. All patients were followed up. According to whether cardiovascular disease occurred during the follow-up period, they were classified into a study group (with cardiovascular disease) and a control group (without cardiovascular disease). The effects of serum RBP and Lp(a) levels, WC and BMI on the risk of cardiovascular disease were analyzed. Results The follow-up results showed that 53 out of 301 cases developed cardiovascular disease. The levels of RBP, Lp(a), WC, and BMI in the study group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that the areas under the curves of RBP, Lp(a), WC, and BMI for predicting the cardiovascular disease were 0.823, 0.741, 0.768, and 0.841, respectively. Serum RBP, Lp(a), WC, and BMI were influencing factors of the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (P<0.05). Conclusion RBP, Lp(a), WC, and BMI are the influencing factors for the occurrence of cardiovascular disease in patients with prehypertension. These four indicators have certain predictive value on the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE:Most of the existing studies are based on traditional Meta-analysis to study the efficacy of single stimulation protocols such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation on lower limb motor dysfunction in stroke patients,and it is not possible to clarify which stimulation protocol is the optimal choice.This study used network meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of different regimens of non-invasive brain stimulation in the treatment of lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke.METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,VIP,CBM,PubMed,Medline and Web of Science databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials on different regimens of non-invasive brain stimulation for lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke from inception to October 1,2024.Data extraction was performed on the included studies.RevMan 5.4.1 software was used for traditional meta-analysis and the quality of the included studies was evaluated.Stata 17.0 software was used for network meta-analysis.RESULTS:(1)A total of 39 studies involving 2 920 patients were included,involving 6 treatment methods:conventional rehabilitation training,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,continuous theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation.(2)The results of network meta-analysis showed that high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation were superior to conventional rehabilitation training in the Fugl-Meyer assessment for lower extremity motor function.(3)In terms of improving Berg balance scale score,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,and intermittent theta burst stimulation were significantly different from conventional rehabilitation training(P＜0.05),and there was a significant difference between high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and intermittent theta burst stimulation(P＜0.05).(4)In improving modified Barthel index and Barthel index,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation were superior to conventional rehabilitation training.(5)Under the cumulative ranking chart,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation showed the best efficacy in Fugl-Meyer assessment for lower extremity motor function,Berg balance scale score,modified Barthel index and Barthel index,followed by low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.CONCLUSION:Both high-and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can improve the lower limb motor function and balance function of patients with stroke,and can improve the activities of daily living of patients to varying degrees.Moreover,the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is better than that of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

OBJECTIVE:Most of the existing studies are based on traditional Meta-analysis to study the efficacy of single stimulation protocols such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation on lower limb motor dysfunction in stroke patients,and it is not possible to clarify which stimulation protocol is the optimal choice.This study used network meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of different regimens of non-invasive brain stimulation in the treatment of lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke.METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,VIP,CBM,PubMed,Medline and Web of Science databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials on different regimens of non-invasive brain stimulation for lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke from inception to October 1,2024.Data extraction was performed on the included studies.RevMan 5.4.1 software was used for traditional meta-analysis and the quality of the included studies was evaluated.Stata 17.0 software was used for network meta-analysis.RESULTS:(1)A total of 39 studies involving 2 920 patients were included,involving 6 treatment methods:conventional rehabilitation training,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,continuous theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation.(2)The results of network meta-analysis showed that high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation were superior to conventional rehabilitation training in the Fugl-Meyer assessment for lower extremity motor function.(3)In terms of improving Berg balance scale score,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,and intermittent theta burst stimulation were significantly different from conventional rehabilitation training(P＜0.05),and there was a significant difference between high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and intermittent theta burst stimulation(P＜0.05).(4)In improving modified Barthel index and Barthel index,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation were superior to conventional rehabilitation training.(5)Under the cumulative ranking chart,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation showed the best efficacy in Fugl-Meyer assessment for lower extremity motor function,Berg balance scale score,modified Barthel index and Barthel index,followed by low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.CONCLUSION:Both high-and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can improve the lower limb motor function and balance function of patients with stroke,and can improve the activities of daily living of patients to varying degrees.Moreover,the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is better than that of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Objective: This prospective study evaluated the feasibility of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI for assessing disease activity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Materials and Methods: A total of 88 patients with active TAO, 76 with inactive TAO, and 30 healthy controls were enrolled. CEST MRI-derived magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) and MTR asymmetry (MTRasym) at 1 ppm, 2 ppm, and 3.5 ppm were calculated. Clinical data, MTR, and MTRasym values for the extraocular muscles (one representative muscle per eye, yielding two measurements per participant) were compared among the groups. Spearman’s correlation was used to examine associations between imaging parameters and the clinical activity score (CAS) in patients with TAO. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent associations between imaging parameters and disease activity in patients with TAO (active vs. inactive). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance for discriminating active from inactive TAO. Results: Patients with active TAO showed lower MTR values (P < 0.001) and higher MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) (all P < 0.001) compared with those with inactive TAO. MTR was negatively correlated with CAS (r = -0.402; P < 0.001), while MTRasym (1 ppm), MTRasym (2 ppm), and MTRasym (3.5 ppm) were positively correlated with CAS (r = 0.369, 0.350, and 0.349, respectively;all P < 0.001). MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. The areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) for MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) in discriminating active from inactive TAO were 0.772 and 0.730, respectively. Combining MTR with MTRasym (1 ppm) significantly improved diagnostic performance compared with either parameter alone, achieving an AUC of 0.805 (P = 0.029 and 0.001). Conclusion MTR and MTRasym (1 ppm) were independently associated with TAO activity. Their combination further enhanced diagnostic performance in distinguishing active from inactive TAO, suggesting their potential as quantitative imaging biomarkers to guide treatment in patients with TAO.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism by which Luoshi Neiyi prescription treats endometriosis （EMs） through the Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. MethodsAnimal experiments were conducted with 50 female SD rats， which were randomized into a sham operation group （10 rats） and a modeling group （40 rats）. An autologous endometrial transplantation method was used for the modeling of EMs. The 36 successfully modeled rats were randomly allocated into four groups （n=9 each）： The model group， the low-dose （7.87 g·kg^-1） Luoshi Neiyi prescription group， the high-dose （15.74 g·kg^-1） Luoshi Neiyi prescription group， and the dienogest （0.20 mg·kg^-1） group. The physiological status and ectopic lesion volumes of rats in each group were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the morphology of the eutopic endometrial tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the levels of inflammatory factors including interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and prostaglandin E₂ （PGE₂） in the serum of EMs rats. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9） and vascular endothelial growth factor A （VEGFA） in the eutopic endometrial tissue. Western blot was adopted to determine the protein levels of TLR4， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB （p-NF-κB）/NF-κB， MMP-9， and VEGFA in the eutopic endometrial tissue. In the cell experiments， the cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was employed to screen the optimal concentration of Luoshi Neiyi prescription-containing serum， and a scratch assay was performed to assess the migration ability of iheESCs cells. Interventions with Luoshi Neiyi prescription-containing serum， resatorvid （TAK-242， a TLR4 inhibitor）， and lipopolysaccharides （LPS， a TLR4 agonist） were conducted， and Western blot was used to detect the expression of proteins related to the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. ResultsThis experiment successfully replicated 36 EMs rat models. Compared with the sham operation group， the model group exhibited visible ectopic lesions on the abdominal wall and an increase in the writhing response score （P<0.01）. Furthermore， HE staining revealed the model group exhibited a thickened eutopic epithelium， stromal cell disarrangement， and evident infiltration of inflammatory cells. In addition， the model group showed elevated serum levels of IL-1β and PGE₂ （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased positive expression of MMP-9 and VEGFA in the ectopic endometrial tissue （P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein levels of TLR4， MyD88， p-NF-κB/NF-κB， MMP-9， and VEGFA in the ectopic endometrial tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups exhibited a reduction in the ectopic lesion volume （P<0.01）. Furthermore， the writhing response scores were decreased in the high-dose Luoshi Neiyi prescription group and the dienogest group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The pathological state of the ectopic endometrial tissue was alleviated to varying degrees in the treatment groups. Low-dose Luoshi Neiyi prescription reduced serum PGE₂ levels， and high-dose Luoshi Neiyi prescription and dienogest decreased serum IL-1β and PGE₂ levels in EMs rats （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The treatment groups showed decreased positive expression of MMP-9 and VEGFA in the ectopic endometrial tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated protein levels of TLR4， MyD88， p-NF-κB/NF-κB， MMP-9， and VEGFA in the ectopic endometrial tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The cell experiments showed that 5%， 10%， and 20% Luoshi Neiyi prescription-containing sera significantly reduced the viability and inhibited the migration of iheESCs. Compared with the control group， 5%， 10%， and 20% Luoshi Neiyi prescription-containing serum groups and the TAK-242 group showed reduced protein levels of TLR4， MyD88， p-NF-κB/NF-κB， MMP-9， and VEGFA （P<0.01）. Compared with the control group， the LPS group showed increased expression of the above proteins （P<0.01）. Compared with the LPS group， the LPS+5%， 10%， and 20% Luoshi Neiyi prescription-containing serum groups showed reduced expression of the above proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionLuoshi Neiyi prescription may modulate the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce the inflammatory response and histopathological damage in the eutopic endometrium and suppress the adhesive， invasive， and angiogenic biological processes in the ectopic endometrial tissue， thereby exerting its therapeutic effect on EMs.

The Compilation Instructions for Expert Consensus on Clinical Application of Dieda Huoxue capsules systematically expound the development methods and evidence-based basis of this consensus. In view of the weak clinical application evidence and ambiguous indications of Dieda Huoxue capsules， the Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Wangjing Hospital took the lead and collaborated with 33 experts from 28 medical institutions nationwide. They strictly followed the World Health Organization （WHO） guideline-making norms and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment， Development and Evaluations （GRADE） evidence-grading system and completed the compilation through multidisciplinary cooperation. The workflow included constructing clinical questions （19 items were screened by the nominal group technique）， retrieving evidence （from Chinese and English databases and grey literature）， assessing safety （integrating drug monitoring data and clinical investigations）， and forming recommendations and consensus suggestions （3 recommendations were reached via the GRADE grid method， and 16 consensus suggestions were reached by the majority vote rule）. The results indicate that the consensus clearly states that this medicine （Dieda Huoxue capsules） is applicable to conditions like traumatic injury， blood stasis-induced pain， and sudden lumbar sprains. The recommended dose is 6 capsules each time， twice a day. Combining oral administration with external application can enhance the efficacy， and elderly patients should take the medicine at intervals. Safety monitoring suggests that it should be used with caution in people with a bleeding tendency and those with an allergic constitution. The compilation process involved three rounds of reviews by internal and external experts. Literature analysis， the Delphi method， and clinical applicability tests were employed to ensure methodological rigor. The compilation instructions comprehensively present key aspects such as project approval and registration， conflict-of-interest statements， and evidence evaluation through 12 appendices， providing methodological support for the clinical translation of the consensus. In the future， it will be continuously improved through a dynamic revision mechanism.

Objective To explore the occurrence and development trajectories of symptoms at different time points in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP), and to analyze the influencing factors and preventive measures of development trajectories of AP symptom clusters. Methods A convenient sampling method was used to select AP who were admitted from January 2023 to December 2023 were selected and included in the study. The symptoms at different time points were recorded. The severities of symptom clusters in AP patients were explored, and the development trajectories of main symptom clusters were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the influencing factors of development trajectories of symptom clusters in AP patients. Results The incidence rates of abdominal pain, dry mouth, abdominal distension and lack of energy were higher in AP patients during hospitalization. The incidence rates of lack of energy, anxiety, abdominal pain and sleep disturbance were higher on the 1^st month after discharge. The incidence rates of abdominal distension, abdominal pain, sleep disturbance and anxiety were higher on the 3^rd month after discharge. The incidence rates of anxiety, abdominal pain and irritability were higher on the 6^th month after discharge. The fatigue symptom cluster, psychological symptom cluster and gastrointestinal symptom cluster were extracted during hospitalization and on the 1^st month and the 3^rd month after discharge, and the psychological symptom cluster and gastrointestinal symptom cluster were extracted on the 6^th month. The severity scores of symptom clusters at each time point were statistically different (P<0.05). The development of gastrointestinal symptom cluster in AP patients was mainly low decline. The development of psychological symptom cluster was mainly high decline. Drinking history and diabetes mellitus were the influencing factors of development trajectory of gastrointestinal symptom cluster in AP patients (P<0.05). High disease severity, drinking history and biliary tract disease were the influencing factors of development trajectory of psychological symptom cluster in AP patients (P<0.05). Conclusion The symptom clusters of AP patients changes over time, with digestive, fatigue, and psychological symptoms being the main groups in the early stage, and psychological and digestive symptoms persisting in the later stage. Early identification and intervention are crucial for improving the prognosis of AP patients.

BACKGROUND: The level of measurable residual disease (MRD) before and after transplantation is related to inferior transplant outcomes, and post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation measurable residual disease (post-HSCT MRD) has higher prognostic value in determining risk than pre-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation measurable residual disease (pre-HSCT MRD). However, only a few work has been devoted to the risk factors for positive post-HSCT MRD in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This study evaluated the risk factors for post-HSCT MRD positivity in patients with ALL who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). METHODS: A total of 1683 ALL patients from Peking University People's Hospital between January 2009 and December 2019 were enrolled to evaluate the cumulative incidence of post-HSCT MRD. Cox proportional hazard regression models were built for time-to-event outcomes. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine independent influencing factors from the univariable analysis. RESULTS: Both in total patients and in T-cell ALL or B-cell ALL, pediatric or adult, human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling donor transplantation or haploidentical SCT subgroups, positive pre-HSCT MRD was a risk factor for post-HSCT MRD positivity ( P  <0.001 for all). Disease status (complete remission 1 [CR1] vs . ≥CR2) was also a risk factor for post-HSCT MRD positivity in all patients and in the B cell-ALL, pediatric, or haploidentical SCT subgroups ( P  = 0.027; P  = 0.003; P  = 0.035; P  = 0.003, respectively). A risk score for post-HSCT MRD positivity was developed using the variables pre-HSCT MRD and disease status. The cumulative incidence of post-HSCT MRD positivity was 12.3%, 25.1%, and 38.8% for subjects with scores of 0, 1, and 2-3, respectively ( P  <0.001). Multivariable analysis confirmed the association of the risk score with the cumulative incidence of post-HSCT MRD positivity and relapse as well as leukemia-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that positive pre-MRD and disease status were two independent risk factors for post-HSCT MRD positivity in patients with ALL who underwent allo-HSCT.
Humans ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/pathology* ; Neoplasm, Residual ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Infant ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Chronic liver disease (CLD), mainly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), is a significant public health concern worldwide. This study aims to quantify the burden of NAFLD in CLD globally and within China, using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021, providing crucial insights for global and local health policies. METHODS: The study used comprehensive data from the GBD study 2021. It included estimates of prevalence, incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Age-standardized rates and average annual percent change (AAPC) from 2011 to 2021 were reported. A meticulous decomposition analysis was conducted. RESULTS: In 2021, there were 1582.5 million prevalent cases, 47.6 million incident cases, 1.4 million deaths, and 44.4 million DALYs attributable to CLD, globally. Among these, NAFLD has emerged as the predominant cause, accounting for 78.0% of all prevalent CLD cases (1234.7 million) and 87.2% of incident cases (41.5 million). Correspondingly, NAFLD had the highest age-standardized prevalence (15,017.5 per 100,000 population) and incidence (876.5 per 100,000 population) rates among CLDs. In addition, China's CLD age-standardized prevalence rate was 21,659.5 per 100,000 population, and the age-standardized incidence rate was 752.6 per 100,000 population, higher than the global average. From 2011 to 2021, the global prevalence rate of CLD increased slowly (AAPC = 0.17), consistent with the trend in China (AAPC = 0.23). Furthermore, the prevalence rate of NAFLD rose significantly in China (AAPC = 1.30) compared with the global average (AAPC = 0.91). Decomposition analysis also showed the worldwide increase in deaths and DALYs for NAFLD, which were primarily attributable to population growth and aging. CONCLUSIONS The burden of CLD and NAFLD remains substantial globally and within China in terms of high prevalence and incidence. As such, this underscores the need for targeted prevention and treatment strategies. These findings emphasize the importance of continued surveillance and research to mitigate the growing impact of liver diseases on global and Chinese health systems.
Humans ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/mortality* ; Global Burden of Disease ; China/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Male ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Female ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Adult ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Liver Diseases/epidemiology* ; Aged