Diabetic nephropathy （DN） is one of the most common and severe microvascular complications of diabetes， with a complex pathogenesis involving immune inflammatory responses， oxidative stress， apoptosis， glomerulosclerosis， renal interstitial fibrosis， and other pathological processes. In recent years， numerous animal or cell model experiments have revealed that the transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog （Smad）， phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/ protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， AMP-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Janus kinase （JAK）/signal transducer and activator of transcription （STAT）， neurogenic locus notch homolog protein （Notch）， nuclear factor E₂-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， secretory glycoprotein （Wnt）/β-catenin， and other classical signaling pathways play important roles in the occurrence and development of DN. Traditional Chinese medicines， as natural drugs， possess characteristics such as multiple components， multiple targets， and few adverse reactions， demonstrating unique advantages in regulating the aforementioned signaling pathways and improving renal pathological changes. This review summarized recent research progress on the intervention of DN through the regulation of the aforementioned signaling pathways by single compounds and formulas of traditional Chinese medicine， focusing on their mechanisms of action in regulating immune inflammatory responses， inhibiting renal fibrosis， oxidative stress， improving metabolic disorders， and other aspects. The aim is to provide theoretical references for a deeper understanding of the modern pharmacological basis and clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of DN.

BACKGROUND:With the development of the aging trend of society,the incidence of femoral neck fractures is increasing.Currently,the preferred surgical treatment is cannulated screw internal fixation.However,post-surgical femoral neck shortening occurs in some cases,resulting in impaired hip functionality.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the incidence of femoral neck shortening following the use of half-threaded cannulated screws for internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures,to analyze the effect on hip function,and to identify factors contributing to neck shortening.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 102 patients treated with half-threaded cannulated screws in an inverted triangle setup for femoral neck fractures at Affiliated Hai'an Hospital of Nantong University from January 2016 to January 2021.This group included 36 males and 66 females at the mean age of(57.2±7.7)years,with 34 cases of Garden type Ⅰ and Ⅱ fractures and 68 of Garden type Ⅲ and Ⅳ fractures.The mean bone mineral density value T was-2.8 SD.The Harris score was used to evaluate the hip function.During the follow-up period,the occurrence of femoral neck shortening was determined using X-ray imagery,and the factors influencing this shortening were examined using both univariate and multivariate regression analyses.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Among the 102 patients with femoral neck fractures,30 patients developed femoral neck shortening,accounting for 29.4％.72 patients had no femoral neck shortening(70.6％).(2)The Harris score for patients experiencing neck shortening was significantly lower than that for patients without shortening(P＜0.05).(3)The study identified several factors associated with femoral neck shortening following the internal fixation of femoral neck fractures included age,gender,bone mineral density value T,preoperative Garden classification,and quality of reduction.These factors not only affect the shortening of the femoral neck after surgery,but are also directly related to the functional performance of the patient's hip joint.(4)Femoral neck shortening after surgery for femoral neck fracture is associated with various clinical parameters,especially the patient's age,gender,bone mineral density,preoperative classification,and accuracy of reduction during surgery.

BACKGROUND:With the development of the aging trend of society,the incidence of femoral neck fractures is increasing.Currently,the preferred surgical treatment is cannulated screw internal fixation.However,post-surgical femoral neck shortening occurs in some cases,resulting in impaired hip functionality.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the incidence of femoral neck shortening following the use of half-threaded cannulated screws for internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures,to analyze the effect on hip function,and to identify factors contributing to neck shortening.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 102 patients treated with half-threaded cannulated screws in an inverted triangle setup for femoral neck fractures at Affiliated Hai'an Hospital of Nantong University from January 2016 to January 2021.This group included 36 males and 66 females at the mean age of(57.2±7.7)years,with 34 cases of Garden type Ⅰ and Ⅱ fractures and 68 of Garden type Ⅲ and Ⅳ fractures.The mean bone mineral density value T was-2.8 SD.The Harris score was used to evaluate the hip function.During the follow-up period,the occurrence of femoral neck shortening was determined using X-ray imagery,and the factors influencing this shortening were examined using both univariate and multivariate regression analyses.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Among the 102 patients with femoral neck fractures,30 patients developed femoral neck shortening,accounting for 29.4％.72 patients had no femoral neck shortening(70.6％).(2)The Harris score for patients experiencing neck shortening was significantly lower than that for patients without shortening(P＜0.05).(3)The study identified several factors associated with femoral neck shortening following the internal fixation of femoral neck fractures included age,gender,bone mineral density value T,preoperative Garden classification,and quality of reduction.These factors not only affect the shortening of the femoral neck after surgery,but are also directly related to the functional performance of the patient's hip joint.(4)Femoral neck shortening after surgery for femoral neck fracture is associated with various clinical parameters,especially the patient's age,gender,bone mineral density,preoperative classification,and accuracy of reduction during surgery.

Cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants (CCBRs) are a rare congenital benign abnormality resulting from branchial arch dysplasia, characterized primarily by the presence of ectopic exophytic cartilaginous tissue in the neck present at birth. In July 2024, a case of CCBRs was treated at Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, involving a 7-year-and-10-month-old female patient. At birth, a bean-sized, rod-shaped, firm mass was noted on the left side of her neck, which progressively grew to the size of a corn kernel, measuring approximately 1.0 cm×1.2 cm. No significant local tenderness, redness, swelling, or ulceration was observed. Comprehensive examinations revealed no associated comorbidities. The patient underwent surgical excision of the neck mass. Postoperative pathological examination with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining revealed elastic cartilage in the central region of the lesion. The neck incision healed primarily, and no subsequent reappearance of the lesion was observed during the four-month follow-up. This article summarized the diagnostic and therapeutic process of this patient with CCBRs, and through a comprehensive literature review, highlighted that CCBRs represent one of the superficial markers of branchial arch dysplasia, with surgical excision being the primary treatment. Given that branchial arch abnormalities may be associated with structural or functional anomalies in other organs, a thorough systemic evaluation is recommended prior to surgery. Notwithstanding the absence of concomitant malformations detected on initial evaluation, continuous long-term follow-up monitoring is recommended to mitigate the risk of potential diagnoses being overlooked.

This study explores the diagnosis and treatment of needle knife therapy for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) at middle and advanced stage based on the theory of meridian tendons, from a holistic perspective and syndrome differentiation. The treatment strategy includes "harmonizing yin and yang" to address root causes and "tendons-based release" to harmonize qi and blood, with the "tendons nodule points" as the core acupoint selection criterion. Based on this approach, the study systematically elaborates on two needle knife methods for AS: "governor vessel bone-piercing technique" and "below-the-umbilicus release technique", covering indications, acupoint location, and procedures. Clinical case examples are provided to enrich needle knife therapy guided by the theory of meridian tendons, offering insights for clinical and research work on AS.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Meridians ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/physiopathology* ; Tendons/physiopathology*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of albumin (Alb) administration on the prognosis of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). METHODS: Clinical data of AKI patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) were retrospectively analyzed from the American Medical Information Mart of Intensive Care-IV (MIMIC-IV), including demographic data, acute physiology score (APS), comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory indicators, treatment status, ICU length of stay, and outcome indicators. The main outcome measure is ICU mortality. AKI patients were divided into Alb infusion group and Alb non infusion group based on whether they received Alb treatment. Multiple imputation was used to process missing data and eliminate variables that missing more than 30%. To ensure the stability of the results, propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability weighting (IPW) were used to correct the results. Using Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox proportional hazards regression model to evaluate the effect of Alb infusion on ICU survival rate in AKI patients. Perform subgroup analysis based on patient age, gender, and comorbidities to evaluate the prognostic effects of Alb on different patient subgroups. RESULTS: A total of 6 390 AKI patients were included, including 1 721 in the Alb infusion group and 4 669 in the Alb non infusion group. After adjusting for key covariates in the Cox regression model, compared with the Alb non infusion group, patients in the Alb infusion group were significantly younger in age, with APS III score, proportion of vasoactive drugs and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) use, sepsis proportion, heart rate, respiratory frequency, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (Cr), lactic acid (Lac), and arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂) levels significantly higher. The proportion of hypertension, myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure, as well as blood pressure, urine output, platelet count (PLT), and Alb levels were significantly lower. The results of univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis on the raw data showed that the risk of death in the Alb infusion group was significantly lower than that in the Alb non infusion group [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.60-0.80, all P < 0.05]. The results after propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability weighting (IPW) processing are consistent with the original data trend (both P < 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the cumulative survival rate during ICU stay in the Alb infusion group was significantly higher than that in the Alb non infusion group (24.48% vs. 12.17%, Log-Rank test: χ² = 74.26, P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis shows that Alb infusion has a more significant survival benefit for AKI patients who use vasoactive drugs, have concurrent sepsis, and do not have liver disease. CONCLUSION Albumin infusion can decrease the ICU mortality of AKI patients.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Acute Kidney Injury/mortality* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Intensive Care Units ; Albumins/therapeutic use* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Adult ; Databases, Factual

Objective:To investigate the prognostic value of the combined use of central venous-arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure difference/arterial-central venous oxygen content difference ratio (Pv-aCO 2/Ca-vO 2) combined with peripheral perfusion index (PI) for prognosis in middle-aged and elderly patients with acute heart failure (AHF) complicated by hypoperfusion. Methods:A case-control study was conducted, enrolling middle-aged and elderly AHF patients with tissue hypoperfusion admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit of Nanjing First Hospital from May 2022 to May 2024. The primary endpoint was 28-day all-cause mortality. Patients were divided into survival and death groups based on prognosis. Baseline characteristics and clinical data were compared between groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the predictive performance of risk factors. Stratified analysis based on optimal cutoff values was performed, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare prognostic differences between subgroups.Results:A total of 70 patients with AHF and hypoperfusion were enrolled, with 36 deaths (28-day mortality rate: 51.43%). No significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics, N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide precursor, creatine kinase, creatine kinase-myocardial band, cardiac troponin I,central venous pressure, or left ventricular ejection fraction between groups(all P>0.05). Compared with the survival group, the death group exhibited significantly higher APACHEⅡ scores, lactate levels, and Pv-aCO 2/Ca-vO 2 ratios, along with lower PI values (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUCs) for PI, Pv-aCO 2/Ca-vO 2, and their combination in predicting 28-day mortality were 0.804 (95% CI: 0.701-0.908), 0.848 (95% CI: 0.758-0.938), and 0.922 (95% CI: 0.859-0.985), respectively. The optimal cutoff value for PI was 1.17 (sensitivity 83.3% and specificity 67.6%), and for Pv-aCO 2/Ca-vO 2 was 1.59 (sensitivity 77.8% and specificity 79.4%). Stratified analysis revealed that the PI≤1.17 group had a significantly higher 28-day mortality rate than the PI>1.17 group ( P<0.01), and the Pv-aCO 2/Ca-vO 2>1.59 group had a markedly higher mortality rate than the Pv-aCO 2/Ca-vO 2≤1.59 group ( P<0.01) ,consistent with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Conclusion:Early assessment of Pv-aCO 2/Ca-vO 2 combined with PI demonstrates superior predictive performance for prognosis in AHF patients with hypoperfusion.

Osteoporosis(OP)is a prevalent metabolic bone disease with a complex pathogenesis that has not yet been fully elucidated.Recent studies have revealed that the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)signaling pathway plays a significant role in the development and progression of OP.TLR4,a crucial immune receptor primarily expressed in immune cells,is involved in inflammatory responses and immune regulation.The TLR4 signaling pathway influences bone metabolism and remodeling through multiple mechanisms.Therefore,investi-gating the role of the TLR4 signaling pathway in OP is of great significance for its prevention and treatment.Re-search targeting the TLR4 signaling pathway provides novel insights and approaches for OP therapy.Future studies should further explore the mechanisms of the TLR4 signaling pathway,develop therapeutic agents that modulate this pathway,and validate their efficacy in OP through clinical trials,thereby offering more options for the clinical management of OP.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of the Wulao Qisun prescription on pathological new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis （AS）. MethodsSynovial fibroblasts were isolated from the hip joints of AS patients and observed under a microscope to assess cell morphology. The cells were identified using immunofluorescence staining. The isolated AS fibroblasts were divided into blank group， low drug-containing serum group， medium drug-containing serum group， high drug-containing serum group， and positive drug group. After drug intervention， cell proliferation was measured using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay to observe fibroblast growth and determine the optimal intervention time. Alkaline phosphatase （ALP） activity was measured using the alkaline phosphatase assay. Protein expression of osteocalcin （OCN）， osteopontin （OPN）， and runt-related transcription factor 2 （Runx2） was detected by Western blot. The mRNA expression levels of Wnt5a， β-catenin， and Dickkopf-1 （DKK-1） were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared with the blank group， each drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription and the positive drug group inhibited the proliferation of AS fibroblasts and reduced ALP expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription downregulated β-catenin mRNA expression （P<0.05）. The medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group significantly downregulated Wnt5a and β-catenin mRNA expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with the positive drug group showing the most pronounced effect （P<0.01）. The high drug-containing serum group and the positive drug group significantly upregulated DKK-1 mRNA expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription inhibited the expression of OPN and Runx2 proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group inhibited the expression of OCN， OPN， and Runx2 proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe Wulao Qisun prescription can inhibit the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of AS fibroblasts， thereby delaying the formation of pathological new bone in AS. The possible mechanism involves the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin-related gene expression， further inhibiting the transcription of downstream target genes.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy and anti-drug antibody production in children with Fabry disease.Methods:The clinical data of 7 children with Fabry disease treated with enzyme replacement therapy for more than 1 year at Children′s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from July 2021 to June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The basic information and the changes of related clinical indicators before and after treatment were collected. Paired sample t test was used to compare renal function, left heart mass index, pain score and other related indexes before and after treatment. The anti-drug antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results:A total of 6 boys and 1 girl were included. The age of diagnosis was (12.2±1.8) years. After 1 year of enzyme replacement therapy, the abnormal substrate globotriaosylsphingosine and brief pain inventory scores of all children were significantly lower than those before treatment ((16±11) vs. (63±42) μg/L, 22±19 vs. 45±29, t=3.88, 3.43, both P<0.05). There were no significant differences in glomerular filtration rate, urinary microalbumin to creatinine and left heart mass index before and after treatment ((124±35) vs. (136±26) ml/(min·1.73 m 2), (9.3±8.3) vs. (3.8±2.5) mg/g, (38±9) vs. (33±6) g/m 2.7, t=1.33, 1.74, 1.19, all P>0.05). Patients 4, 5 and 6 developed anti-drug antibodies at 1 month, 4 months and 1 month after medication, respectively. Patient 4 had persistently high anti-drug antibody titers (absorbance 3.65-3.73) accompanied by urticaria, elevated globotriaosylsphingosine and worsening clinical symptoms. Conclusions:The enzyme replacement therapy can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and reduce the level of globotriaosylsphingosine in children with Fabry disease. The anti-drug antibody is common in patients after long-term enzyme replacement therapy and may diminish the efficacy, which needs dynamic monitoring.