1.Construction and practice of the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis” and related prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy in traditional Chinese medicine/Zhuang medicine
Zhipeng WU ; Yuqin ZHANG ; Chun YAO ; Minggang WANG ; Na WANG ; Mengru PENG ; Ningfang MO ; Yaqing ZHENG ; Rongzhen ZHANG ; Dewen MAO
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):370-374
Hepatic encephalopathy is a difficult and critical disease with rapid progression and limited treatment methods in the field of liver disease, and it is urgently needed to make breakthroughs in its pathogenesis. Selection of appropriate prevention and treatment strategies is of great importance in delaying disease progression and reducing the incidence and mortality rates. This article reviews the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis” and related prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy in traditional Chinese medicine/Zhuang medicine, proposes a new theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis”, analyzes the scientific connotations of “turbid”, “toxin”, and the theory of “turbid toxin pathogenesis”, and constructs the “four-step” prevention and treatment strategies for hepatic encephalopathy, thereby establishing the new clinical prevention and treatment regimen for hepatic encephalopathy represented by “four prescriptions and two techniques” and clarifying the effect mechanism and biological basis of core prescriptions and techniques in the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy, in order to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of hepatic encephalopathy.
2.Application Value of an AI-based Imaging Feature Parameter Model for Predicting the Malignancy of Part-solid Pulmonary Nodule.
Mingzhi LIN ; Yiming HUI ; Bin LI ; Peilin ZHAO ; Zhizhong ZHENG ; Zhuowen YANG ; Zhipeng SU ; Yuqi MENG ; Tieniu SONG
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(4):281-290
BACKGROUND:
Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide and a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Early-stage lung cancer is often manifested as pulmonary nodules, and accurate assessment of the malignancy risk is crucial for prolonging survival and avoiding overtreatment. This study aims to construct a model based on image feature parameters automatically extracted by artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate its effectiveness in predicting the malignancy of part-solid nodule (PSN).
METHODS:
This retrospective study analyzed 229 PSN from 222 patients who underwent pulmonary nodule resection at Lanzhou University Second Hospital between October 2020 and February 2025. According to pathological results, 45 cases of benign lesions and precursor glandular lesion were categorized into the non-malignant group, and 184 cases of pulmonary malignancies were categorized into the malignant group. All patients underwent preoperative chest computed tomography (CT), and AI software was used to extract imaging feature parameters. Univariate analysis was used to screen significant variables; variance inflation factor (VIF) was calculated to exclude highly collinear variables, and LASSO regression was further applied to identify key features. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to determine independent risk factors. Based on the selected variables, five models were constructed: Logistic regression, random forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, and support vector machine (SVM). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the performance of the models.
RESULTS:
The independent risk factors for the malignancy of PSN include roughness (ngtdm), dependence variance (gldm), and short run low gray-level emphasis (glrlm). Logistic regression achieved area under the curves ( AUCs) of 0.86 and 0.89 in the training and testing sets, respectively, showing good performance. XGBoost had AUCs of 0.78 and 0.77, respectively, demonstrating relatively balanced performance, but with lower accuracy. SVM showed an AUC of 0.93 in the training set, which decreased to 0.80 in the testing set, indicating overfitting. LightGBM performed excellently in the training set with an AUC of 0.94, but its performance declined in the testing set, with an AUC of 0.88. In contrast, random forest demonstrated stable performance in both the training and testing sets, with AUCs of 0.89 and 0.91, respectively, exhibiting high stability and excellent generalizability.
CONCLUSIONS
The random forest model constructed based on independent risk factors demonstrated the best performance in predicting the malignancy of PSN and could provide effective auxiliary predictions for clinicians, supporting individualized treatment decisions.
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Humans
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Male
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Female
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Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
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Middle Aged
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Retrospective Studies
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Artificial Intelligence
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Aged
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Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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Adult
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Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging*
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ROC Curve
3.Exploiting targeted degradation of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases for cancer therapeutics: a review.
Suya ZHENG ; Ye CHEN ; Zhipeng ZHU ; Nan LI ; Chunyu HE ; H Phillip KOEFFLER ; Xin HAN ; Qichun WEI ; Liang XU
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(8):713-739
Cancer is characterized by abnormal cell proliferation. Cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) have been recognized as essential regulators of the intricate cell cycle, orchestrating DNA replication and transcription, RNA splicing, and protein synthesis. Dysregulation of the CDK pathway is prevalent in the development and progression of human cancers, rendering cyclins and CDKs attractive therapeutic targets. Several CDK4/6 inhibitors have demonstrated promising anti-cancer efficacy and have been successfully translated into clinical use, fueling the development of CDK-targeted therapies. With this enthusiasm for finding novel CDK-targeting anti-cancer agents, there have also been exciting advances in the field of targeted protein degradation through innovative strategies, such as using proteolysis-targeting chimera, heat shock protein 90 (HSP90)-mediated targeting chimera, hydrophobic tag-based protein degradation, and molecular glue. With a focus on the translational potential of cyclin- and CDK-targeting strategies in cancer, this review presents the fundamental roles of cyclins and CDKs in cancer. Furthermore, it summarizes current strategies for the proteasome-dependent targeted degradation of cyclins and CDKs, detailing the underlying mechanisms of action for each approach. A comprehensive overview of the structure and activity of existing CDK degraders is also provided. By examining the structure‒activity relationships, target profiles, and biological effects of reported cyclin/CDK degraders, this review provides a valuable reference for both CDK pathway-targeted biomedical research and cancer therapeutics.
Humans
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Neoplasms/metabolism*
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Cyclin-Dependent Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors*
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Cyclins/metabolism*
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Proteolysis
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Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*
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Molecular Targeted Therapy
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Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex/metabolism*
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Animals
4.Biological activity analysis of baicalin nanodrugs: Nanosizing enhances antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects in the treatment of viral pneumonia.
Chenqi CHANG ; Chang LU ; Yu ZHENG ; Lili LIN ; XiuZhen CHEN ; Linwei CHEN ; Zhipeng CHEN ; Rui CHEN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(7):101201-101201
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a ubiquitous respiratory virus that affects individuals of all ages; however, there is a notable lack of targeted treatments. RSV infection is associated with a range of respiratory symptoms, including bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Baicalin (BA) exhibits significant therapeutic effects against RSV infection through mechanisms of viral inhibition and anti-inflammatory action. Nonetheless, the clinical application of BA is constrained by its low solubility and bioavailability. In this study, we prepared BA nanodrugs (BA NDs) with enhanced water solubility utilizing the supramolecular self-assembled strategy, and we further conducted a comparative analysis of this pharmacological activity between free drugs and NDs of BA. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that BA NDs significantly enhanced the dual effects of viral inhibition and inflammation relief compared to free BA, attributed to prolonged lung retention, improved cellular uptake, and increased targeting affinity. Our study confirms that the nanosizing strategy, a straightforward approach to enhance drug solubility, can also increase biological activity compared to free drugs with the same content, thereby providing a potential ND for RSV treatment. This correlation analysis between the existing forms of drugs and their biological activity offers a novel perspective for research on the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine.
5.Mechanistic insights into honey-boiled detoxification of ChuanWu: A study on alkaloid transformation and supramolecular aggregation.
Yu ZHENG ; Nina WEI ; Chang LU ; Weidong LI ; Xiaobin JIA ; Linwei CHEN ; Rui CHEN ; Zhipeng CHEN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(9):101205-101205
ChuanWu (CW), the dried mother root of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx., is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) recognized for its potent efficacy but inherent toxicity, primarily due to its alkaloid content. Traditional and modern detoxification methods for CW include proper processing, rational compatibility, and specialized decoction techniques, among which honey-boiled CW is particularly distinctive. However, research on the detoxification mechanism of honey-boiled CW remains limited. This study investigated this mechanism by analyzing alkaloid transformation and supramolecular aggregation. Honey-boiled and water-boiled CW preparations were compared. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze CW alkaloids, specifically diester alkaloids (DDAs), monoester alkaloids (MDAs), and non-esterified diterpenoid alkaloids (NDAs). Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe and identify supramolecular aggregates in the honey-boiled CW decoction. In vivo absorption of water-boiled, honey-boiled, and NADES-boiled CW was compared. Median lethal dose (LD50) tests assessed toxicity, including hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. In vitro experiments evaluated the safety, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects of CW-medicated serum on RAW264.7 cells, with in vivo validation in mice. Results showed that honey promoted the conversion of highly toxic DDAs to less toxic MDAs and prevented MDAs from hydrolyzing into NDAs. Honey-boiled CW formed approximately 250 nm supramolecular aggregates that encapsulated MDAs, inhibiting their conversion to NDAs. These encapsulated MDAs acted as a stable delivery system with higher bioavailability than free benzoylmesaconine. Subsequent mouse experiments confirmed that honey-boiled CW significantly increased the LD50 of CW while reducing hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Additionally, honey-boiled CW significantly improved cell safety and enhanced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Our findings reveal that honey-boiled CW exhibits a potent detoxification mechanism by influencing alkaloid transformation and facilitating the formation of supramolecular aggregates. This study lays the groundwork for developing detoxification or synergistic strategies within honey-boiled TCM.
6.Huoxue Jiedu Formulas (活血解毒方药) as an Adjunctive Therapy for Patients with Binding of Stasis and Toxin Syndrome during the Vulnerable Period after Myocardial Infarction:A Prospective Real-World Study
Xiaofei GENG ; Yingxi YANG ; Zhipeng YAN ; Xinbiao FAN ; Xitong SUN ; Boyu ZHU ; Zheng ZHANG ; Yongchun LIANG ; Xiaoyu SHAN ; Junping ZHANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(23):2467-2474
ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of Huoxue Jiedu Formulas (活血解毒方药, HJF) as an adjunctive treatement for patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome during the vulnerable period after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) surgery, and to explore its potential mechanism from the perspective of serum neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). MethodsA total of 129 patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome within 6 months after PCI for AMI were enrolled and divided into a treatment group (65 cases) and a control group (64 cases) based on patients' willingness to take Chinese herbal medicine. The control group received standard western medical therapy alone, while the treatment group additionally received HJF, one dose daily. Both groups were treated for four weeks. Before and after treatment, TCM syndrome scores were assessed. Seattle angina questionnaire (SAQ) was used to record angina stability and frequency scores, while the short form-36 health survey (SF-36) was employed to assess quality of life across eight dimensions, including physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, role-emotional, and mental health. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was used to evaluate sleep quality, and the patient health questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) was used to assess psychosomatic symptoms; Duke activity status index (DASI) was used to measure daily physical activity. Serum levels of neutrophil extracellular traps (NET) markers including myeloperoxidase-DNA (MPO-DNA), neutrophil elastase-DNA (NE-DNA), and citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) were measured in 20 patients from the treatment group. ResultsAfter treatment, TCM syndrome score, PSQI score and PHQ-15 score in both groups significantly decreased, while DASI score, angina stability and frequency scores, and all eight dimensions of the SF-36 scale significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the treatment group had significantly lower TCM syndrome scores and significantly higher DASI, angina stability and frequency scores (P<0.05), as well as higher scores in the SF-36 dimensions of physical functioning, role-physical, social functioning, bodily pain, and vitality (P<0.05). After treatment, serum levels of MPO-DNA, CitH3, and NE-DNA in the treatment group were significantly reduced (P<0.05). ConclusionHJF combined with conventional therapy can significantly improve angina symptoms, TCM syndrome scores, and psychosomatic conditions in patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome during the vulnerable period after AMI. It also enhances quality of life, sleep quality, and daily physical activity. The underlying mechanism may be associated with the inhibition of serum NETs level.
7.Effects of Muscle Electrical Stimulation Combined with Muscle Strength Training on Biomechanical Characteristics of Knee Joint in Patients with Patellofemoral Pain
Yingce YAO ; Jianbin ZHAO ; Xiaowei YANG ; Jing WU ; Boshi XUE ; Xia WANG ; Chen YANG ; Liangliang ZHENG ; Zhipeng ZHOU
Journal of Medical Biomechanics 2024;39(4):677-684
Objective To investigate the effects of electrical stimulation combined with muscle strength training on knee joint biomechanical characteristics in patients with patellofemoral pain(PFP).Methods Forty-six patients with PFP were recruited and randomly assigned to the muscle strength training(MST)and electrical muscle stimulation with strength training(EMS)groups.The intervention was performed three times a week for six weeks.The anterior knee pain scale(AKPS)was used to measure the knee pain degree.Knee kinematics,dynamics,and surface electromyography(sEMG)data were collected using an infrared motion capture system,force platform,and sEMG system during drop jumps before and after the intervention.Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was applied to determine the differences between the dependent variables of the two groups before and after the intervention.Results Compared with pre-intervention,the AKPS score,vastus medialis oblique(VMO)activation,VMO/vastus lateralis(VMO/VL)activation,maximum knee flexion angle,and peak knee extension moment increased significantly in the EMS group;the maximum knee abduction,external rotation angle,and peak knee external rotation moment decreased significantly in the EMS group after intervention.Compared with pre-intervention,the AKPS score,maximum knee flexion angle,and peak knee extension moment increased significantly in the MST group after intervention,the peak knee abduction and external rotation moment significantly decreased in the MST group after intervention.Post-hoc comparisons indicated that compared with the MST group,the AKPS score,VMO activation,VMO/VL activation were significantly higher and the maximum knee abduction angle was significantly lower in the EMS group.Conclusions EMS contributes to the better balance muscle activation of the VMO and VL and corrects the excessive knee abduction angle during jump landing,which may be helpful in relieving pain and improving lower limb function in patients with PFP.
8.Analysis of pathological results of ultrasound-guided renal puncture after kidney transplantation
Xi′nan LYU ; Chunkai DU ; Jingcheng LYU ; Zhipeng WANG ; Jian ZHANG ; Mengmeng ZHENG ; Meishan ZHAO ; Zhanxiong YI ; Yichen ZHU
International Journal of Surgery 2024;51(6):403-408
Objective:To analyze the pathological findings of ultrasound-guided transplant kidney puncture after renal transplantation and the pathogenesis of different types of diseases.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to select 257 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided transplant kidney puncture pathology biopsy due to abnormal tests or uncomfortable symptoms at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2020 to April 2022, and to analyze the pathological results of puncture and the pathogenesis of different types of diseases and puncture-related complications in the post-transplantation patients after transplant kidney puncture biopsy. Measurement data conforming to normal distribution were expressed as mean ± standard deviation ( ± s), and independent sample t-test was used to compare different types of diseases; measurement data did not conform to normal distribution were expressed as median (interquartile distance) [ M( Q1, Q3)], and the comparison between different types of diseases was conducted by non-parametric test. The count data were compared among different types of diseases using Chi-squre test. Results:Among the 257 patients who underwent transplant renal puncture, 93 cases (36.2%) suffered from antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR), 76 cases (29.6%) suffered from IgA nephropathy, 63 cases (24.5%) suffered from T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR), 21 cases (8.2%) suffered from polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PVAN), and 4 cases (1.6%) suffered from thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), 16 cases (6.2%) suffered from diabetic nephropathy, and 12 cases (4.7%) suffered from calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) nephropathy. TCMR, TMA and PVAN occurred significantly in the early post-transplantation period (within about 4 years) ( P<0.001), and ABMR occurred significantly in the late post-transplantation period (after about 8 years) ( P<0.001). In terms of time distribution, creatinine abnormality and proteinuria were the main reasons for puncture. Among those diagnosed with PVAN, the time to transplantation was significantly shorter in those who underwent puncture for creatinine abnormality than in those who underwent puncture for proteinuria ( P=0.011). In terms of puncture-related complications, a total of 8 cases were found to have arteriovenous fistulae at the time of review, 2 cases had perinephric hematomas, and 1 case had both of these two puncture-related complications. Conclusions:Transplant renal complications in renal transplant patients mainly include ABMR, IgA nephropathy, TCMR, PVAN, diabetic nephropathy, CNI nephropathy and TMA. In terms of the pathogenesis of different types of diseases after transplantation, post-transplantation PVAN, TMA, and TCMR mostly occur in the early post-transplantation period, while ABMR occurs at a later time. However, it is worth noting that the clinical symptoms of different types of transplantation kidney-related diseases are similar and not typical.
9.Comparison of dosimetric impacts of the systematic errors of a multi-leaf collimator on volumetric modulated arc therapy plans for different T stages of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Zhipeng ZHU ; Guihua LI ; Xiangde LI ; Wen QIN ; Lianrong ZHENG
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2024;44(11):953-959
Objective:To investigate the differences in dosimetric impacts of the systematic errors induced by the leaf positions of a multi-leaf collimator (MLC) on the volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for patients with different T stages of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods:A total of 44 patients with T 1-4N 1M 0 NPC were selected to design the VMAT plans using the Pinnacle planning system as the initial plans. The prescribed doses to the primary gross tumor volume (PGTV) were 68-70 Gy in 33 fractions for patients with T 1 and T 2 stage NPC and 71 Gy in 33 fractions for patients with T 3 and T 4 stage NPC. The prescribed doses to other target volumes were identical. In the initial plan files, a systematic error ranging from ±0.2 to ±1 mm was introduced to the position of each MLC leaf, leading to an increase or decrease in the subfield area. Then, potential error plans at the positions of MLC leaves during VMAT treatment were simulated. Dose evaluation indices involved target volumes and organs at risk (OARs). The indices related to target volumes consisted of the D98% of PGTV and PGTVnd, while those concerning OARs included the D0.1 cm 3 of the brainstem, spinal cord, and optic chiasm. Results:After the systematic errors induced by the positions of MLC leaves were introduced, the sensitivity range of each dose index range was (3.87%-9.87%)/mm ( R2 = 0.932-0.998, P < 0.01). Specifically, patients with stage T 4 NPC displayed higher sensitivity to the D98% of PGTV than those with stage T 1, T 2 and T 3 NPC ( Z = -3.12, -2.86, -2.59, P < 0.05), patients with stage T 3 NPC exhibited lower sensitivity to the D0.1 cm 3 of optic chiasm than those with stage T 1 and T 2 NPC ( Z = -2.92, -2.72, P < 0.05), and patients with stage T 4 NPC manifested lower sensitivity to the D0.1 cm 3 of chiasma than those with stage T 1 and T 2 NPC ( Z = -3.51, -3.25, P < 0.05). The relationship between the sensitivity of MU/Gy and PGTV D98% was y=-3.020+ 0.025 x ( r = 0.80, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The MU/Gy in the plans increased with the T stage of NPC, and the D98% of PGTV was more significantly affected by the systematic errors induced by the positions of MLC leaves. After the systematic errors induced by the positions of MLC leaves were introduced into the VMAT plans, doses to patients with T 4 stage NPC changed more significantly than those to patients with other T stages of NPC. Therefore, stricter quality control of leaf positions is required for patients with T 4 stage NPC, and it is recommended that the systematic errors should be less than 0.42 mm.
10.The Characteristics of Auditory Brainstem Response Waveform in Autistic Children with Normal Hearing
Zhihan LIN ; Xin ZHOU ; Xuetong WANG ; Ying LI ; Xueyao WANG ; Xin JIN ; Zhipeng ZHENG ; Yi ZHOU ; Jifeng SHI ; Haihong LIU
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2024;32(2):118-123
Objective To investigate the effect of auditory brainstem response(ABR)in clinical detection and severity assessment of autism spectrum disorder(ASD)in children with normal hearing.Methods ① A total of 55 autistic children(110 ears)with normal hearing and 55 children(110 ears)with typical development(TD)who did not differ in sex composition ratio and average monthly age were divided into four sub-groups according to age:≤24 months group(22 ears),25~36 months group(40 ears),37~48 months group(28 ears)and>48 months group(20 ears).The ABR latencies and interpeak latencies were compared between ASD children and age-matched TD children.② ASD children were graded by severity according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Dis-orders(DSM-V),and the correlations between the ABR latencies and interpeak latencies in autistic children with normal hearing and the severity grading were studied.Results ① No statistically significant differences in ABR wave latencies and interpeak latencies were found in autistic children with normal hearing under 24 months of age compared to age-matched TD children(P>0.05).② Compared with children with TD,autistic children with nor-mal hearing at 25~36 months of age had significantly longer wave Ⅲ latencies and the interpeak latencies of Ⅰ-Ⅲ andⅠ-Ⅴ;the significantly longer wave Ⅲ,Ⅴ latencies,the interpeak latencies of Ⅰ-Ⅲ,Ⅲ-Ⅴ and Ⅰ-Ⅴ in autistic chil-dren with normal hearing at 37~48 months of age.Autistic children with normal hearing in the>48 months group had significantly longer wave Ⅴ latencies and interpeak latencies of Ⅲ-Ⅴ,Ⅰ-Ⅴ than age-matched TD children(P<0.05).③ The higher the ASD severity grading the longer the wave Ⅲ and V latencies and the longer interpeak latencies of Ⅰ-Ⅲ,Ⅲ-Ⅴ,and Ⅰ-Ⅴ(P<0.05).Conclusion Differences in the level of auditory brainstem pathway de-velopment emerged at 25 months of age,and autistic children with normal hearing had significantly lower levels of auditory brainstem development than age-matched TD children.There were correlations between the latencies and interpeak latencies of ABR in autistic children with normal hearing and the severity grading.

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