ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of state-target formula Angelica and Safflower spot removal essence in the treatment of melasma. MethodsA randomized，double-blind，placebo-controlled parallel-group trial was conducted，selecting patients with Qi stagnation and blood stasis type of melasma who visited the dermatology outpatient department of Beijing Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine from September 2022 to February 2023. In accordance with the double-blind principle，a random number table was generated to randomly divide the patients into an experimental group （50 cases） and a control group （50 cases）. The experimental group applied the Angelica and Safflower spot removal essence topically，while the control group applied a placebo topically，with continuous treatment for 8 weeks and a follow-up of 1 month. Melasma Area and Severity Index （MASI），Physician Global Assessment （PGA），patient self-assessment scoring，VISIA detection and scoring were performed before medication and on the first day after stopping medication，and all adverse events were recorded. ResultsIn a study involving 100 patients，87 cases were included in the analysis. The experimental group consisted of 45 cases，with 5 dropouts，and the control group had 42 cases，with 8 dropouts. The baseline data of the patients in both groups were consistent，with no statistically significant differences. After treatment，the total effective rate of the experimental group was 75.56% （34/45），significantly higher than the control group's 2.38% （1/42），and the difference was statistically significant （χ²=48.38，P<0.01）. Compared with before treatment，after treatment，the MASI score，VISIA image spot，brown spot，and red area score of the experimental group patients were significantly reduced （P<0.05，P<0.01），while there was no statistically significant difference in the control group patients. Compared with the control group after treatment，the experimental group showed more significant improvement （P<0.05，P<0.01）. VISIA image analysis showed that after 8 weeks of treatment，the experimental group showed significant improvement in surface spots，deep spots，and red areas，while the control group remained unchanged or showed an increasing trend. 42.22% （19/45） of the experimental group had a PGA score of 3 or below，while 88.89% （40/45） had a PGA score of 4 or below. 80.95% （34/42） of the control group had a PGA score of 5 or above，and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant （χ²=38.26，P<0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate and adverse reaction rate within one month between the experimental group and the control group. ConclusionThe state-target formula Angelica and Safflower spot removal essence is clinically effective and safe in the treatment of melasma.

Objective:To investigate the changes of respiratory function and lung volume after bariatric surgery using spiral CT three-dimensional imaging technology.Methods:Using the prospective study method, the medical records of 30 subjects undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in the Eighth Department of General Surgery, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from Jan. 2023 to Jun. 2024 were collected. Among them, 12 were males and 18 were females, aged from 20 to 45 years, with the average age of 31.1 years old. Chest CT scans were completed within 1 week before surgery and 6 months after surgery. The subject′s CT plain scan reconstructed thin-layer images of the mediastinal window were transferred to a GE workstation, and the lung volumes of both lungs and each lobe and the tracheal wall area of the five bronchial segments (RB1, RB4, RB10, LB1 + 2 and LB10) were calculated as a percentage of the airway cross-sectional area (WA%), and the posterior intercostal position corresponding to the diaphragm was recorded. Paired t-test and rank-sum test were used to compare preoperative and postoperative differences.Results:Compared with pre-operation, the subject′s body mass index decreased significantly 6 months after bariatric surgery [(42.22±7.31) kg/m 2vs (30.12±5.59) kg/m 2,t=7.31, P<0.001)]. Except for left lower lobe [(1.15±0.23) L vs (1.27±0.24) L, t=1.97, P=0.054] and right middle lobe [(0.57±0.16) L vs (0.83±0.16) L, t=1.38, P=0.172], the remaining lung parts were significantly larger after surgery than before surgery: right upper lobe [(0.80±0.17) L vs (0.94±0.19) L, t=2.79, P=0.007], right lower lobe [(1.08±0.14) L vs (1.22±0.19) L, t=3.23, P=0.002], left upper lobe [(1.12±0.20) L vs (1.24±0.23) L, t=2.26, P=0.014]. Overall, right lung volume [(2.44±0.33) L vs (2.79±0.41) L, t=3.62, P=0.001], left lung volume [(2.27±0.36) L vs (2.52±0.39) L, t=2.53, P=0.014] and total lung volume [(4.71±0.60) L vs (5.30±0.71) L, t=3.48, P=0.001] all increased significantly at 6 months after surgery compared with before surgery. All five segments of bronchus (WA%) were significantly reduced after surgery than before surgery: RB1: [(62.82±4.66) vs (66.85±3.99), t=3.60, P=0.001]; RB4: [(61.24±5.28) vs (64.31±5.51), t=2.20, P=0.031]; RB10: [(60.03±4.64) vs (62.97±5.73), t=2.18, P=0.033]; LB1+ 2: [(63.61±5.05) vs (67.90±4.30), t=3.54, P=0.001]; LB10: [(58.73±6.49) vs (62.01±5.06), t=2.17, P=0.034)]. The posterior intercostal position corresponding to the diaphragm dropped from an average of 7-8 intercostal spaces to 8-9 intercostal spaces, with a significant difference (rank mean 22.77 vs 38.23, Z=-3.67, P<0.001). Conclusion:Bariatric surgery can significantly reduce weight, reduce the pressure of chest and abdominal, improve lung compliance, reduce the internal pressure of the chest, lower the diaphragm, expand the lung volume and airway cross-sectional area, restore the original airway anatomy and respiratory physiology, so it can effectively improve the respiratory function and lung structure abnormalities caused by obesity.

Objective To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of astragaloside Ⅳ(AS-Ⅳ)on the pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH)model induced by monocrotaline(MCT)/monocrotaline pyrrole(MCTP)in SD rats/human pulmonary artery endothelial cell(HPAEC).Methods In vivo experiment,60 male SD rats were randomly assigned to control group,PAH model group,AS-Ⅳ low-dose(20 mg/kg)group,AS-Ⅳ medium-dose(40 mg/kg)group,AS-Ⅳ high-dose(80 mg/kg)group,or sildenafil(Sil,100 mg/kg)group,with 10 rats in each group;except for the control group,PAH rat models were established by single intraperitoneal injection of MCT(60 mg/kg)in other groups.In vitro experiment,HPAECs were randomly assigned to control group,PAH model group,AS-Ⅳ low-dose(10 μmol/L)group,AS-Ⅳ medium-dose(20 μmol/L)group,MCTP+AS-Ⅳ high-dose(40 μmnol/L)group,or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway inhibitor(SB203580,5 μmol/L)group;except for the control group,in vitro PAH cell models were established by MCTP(60 μg/mL)induction for 24 h in other groups.In vivo experiments,after 4 weeks of drug intervention,the right ventricular systolic pressure(RVSP)and mean pulmonary artery pressure(mPAP)of rats were measured by hemodynamic methods,the right ventricle hypertrophy index was measured by weighing methods,the percentage of pulmonary arteriole wall thickness to outer diameter(WT％)and percentage of the wall area to total vascular area(WA％)were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining,the expression of cysteine aspartic acid specific protease 3(caspase 3)protein in lung tissue was observed by immunohistochemistry(IHC),and the apoptosis of lung tissue cells was detected by TUNEL assay.In vitro experiments,JC-1 staining was used to detect the mitochondrial membrane potential in cells,and immunofluorescence was used to detect caspase 3 protein expression.In vitro and in vivo experiments,Western blotting was used to detect the expression of caspase 3,B-cell lymphoma gene 2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax),p38 MAPK,and phosphorylated p38 MAPK proteins in lung tissue and HPAECs.Results In vivo experiments,the RVSP,mPAP,and right ventricle hypertrophy index were decreased in the Sil group and each dose group of AS-Ⅳ(all P＜0.01);the WA％and WT％of each dose group of AS-Ⅳ were decreased(all P＜0.01),the expression of caspase 3 protein in lung tissue was decreased(all P＜0.01),and the apoptosis of lung tissue cells was decreased(all P＜0.01).In vitro experiments showed that after intervention with each dose of AS-Ⅳ and SB203580,the mitochondrial membrane potential of HPAEC was increased(all P＜0.01)and the expression of caspase 3 was decreased(all P＜0.01).In vivo and in vitro experiments,each dose of AS-Ⅳand SB203580 reduced the expression of Bax and phosphorylated p38 MAPK proteins,and increased the expression of Bcl-2 protein(all P＜0.01).Conclusion AS-Ⅳ reduces apoptosis by inhibiting p38 MAPK signaling pathway,improving PAH in SD rats.

OBJECTIVE: To study incident and clinical characteristics of the coronary microcirculation dysfunction (CMD) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) by myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) and to explore the predictive value of CMD for in-hospital acute heart failure event. METHODS: One hundred and forty five patients with AMI who had received PCI and completed MCE during hospitalization in Peking University People' s Hospital from November 2015 to July 2021 were enrolled in our study. The patients were divided into CMD group and normal group according to the coronary microcirculation status detected by MCE. Clinical data and MCE data of the two groups were collected and analyzed. The acute heart failure event during hospitalization was described. A multivariate Logistic regression model was built to analyze the risk of acute heart failure in patients with CMD. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the value of CMD in predicting acute heart failure event. RESULTS: CMD detected by MCE occurred in 87 patients (60%). Compared with normal group, patients with CMD had higher troponin I (TnI) peak level [52.8 (8.1, 84.0) μg/L vs. 18.9 (5.7, 56.1) μg/L, P=0.005], poorer Killip grade on admission (P=0.030), different culprit vessel (P < 0.001) and more patients had thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow pre-PCI less than grade 3 in culprit vessel (65.1% vs. 43.1%, P=0.025). Meanwhile, patients with CMD had poorer left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) [52% (43%, 58%) vs. 61% (54%, 66%)], poorer global longitudinal strain (GLS) [-11.2% (-8.7%, -14.0%) vs.-13.9% (-10.8%, -17.0%)] and worse wall motion score index (WMSI) (1.58±0.36 vs. 1.25± 0.24) (P all < 0.001). Acute left heart failure happened in 13.8% of the CMD patients, which were significant higher than that in the patients with normal coronary microcirculation perfusion (1.7%, P=0.013). After correcting for the culprit vessel, the TIMI flow pre-PCI in the culprit vessel and the peak TnI value, the risk of acute left heart failure in the patients with CMD was still high (OR=9.120, 95%CI: 1.152-72.192, P=0.036). The area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.677 (95%CI: 0.551-0.804, P=0.035). CONCLUSION The incidence of CMD detected by MCE in patients with AMI post-PCI was 60%. Patients with CMD have a higher risk of acute left heart failure during hospitalization.
Humans ; Heart Failure/physiopathology* ; Microcirculation ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/adverse effects* ; Myocardial Infarction/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Echocardiography ; Coronary Circulation ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Troponin I/blood*

Objective To explore the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)in the super-older patients(≥ 90 years old)with calculus of common bile duct.Methods This study retrospectively analyzed the data of elderly patients ≥ 65 years old with calculus of common bile duct who received ERCP treatment from January 2011 to December 2023.Among of them,patients ≥ 90 years old were in the super-older group,and patients over 65 years old but under 90 years old were in the non-super-older group.Subsequently,the baseline data of gender,number of stones,stone size,cholecystolithiasis,periampullary diverticulum,and common bile duct intubation of patients in the two groups were matched by the 1∶1 propensity score matching method.After successful matching,the surgical success rate,stone removal rate,complication rate,and hospital stay in the two groups were compared.Results 428 older patients with calculus of common bile duct were included in this study,including 45 patients in the super-older group and 383 patients in the non-super-older group.After matching baseline data with a 1∶1 propensity score matching,44 patients were included in both the super-older group and non-super-older group.There was no statistically significant difference in the total underlying disease rate between the two groups[81.82％(36/44)vs 65.91％(29/44),P=0.189],but the incidence rate of stroke[34.09％(15/44)vs 6.82％(3/44)]and the ASA grading(grade Ⅲ or Ⅳ)[97.73％(43/44)vs 38.64％(17/44)]in the super-older group were significantly higher than those in the non-super-older group(P＜0.01).There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of ERCP surgical success rate[90.91％(40/44)vs 93.18％(41/44)],stone removal rate[65.91％(29/44)vs 81.82％(36/44)],complication rate[43.18％(19/44)vs 27.27％(12/44)],and median length of stay(15.00dvs 14.50 d)(P＞0.05).Conclusion ERCP is safe and effective in the super-older patients with calculus of common bile duct.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) and associated risk factors on the prognosis of patients undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction (PMBR) for breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1593 breast cancer patients who underwent PMBR at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital between January 2010 and October 2023. Patients were divided into an RT group ( n = 351) and a non-RT group ( n =1242) based on whether postoperative radiotherapy was administered. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoint was the incidence of revision surgery. Propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) were used for pairing. Continuous variables were compared between the two groups using the independent samples t-tests, while categorical variables were compared using chi-square tests, and survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze survival influencing factors, and include propensity factors with P<0.2 in univariate analysis into multivariate analysis. Results:In the RT group, there were 3 deaths (0.9%) and 21 cases of disease progression (6.0%); in the non-RT group, 7 patients died (0.56%) and 40 experienced disease progression (3.22%). The median OS was 20.1 months (range: 0.1-164.9), and the median PFS was 19.5 months (range: 0.1-160.9). Pregnancy-associated breast cancer and higher N stage were identified as significant risk factors for OS, while neoadjuvant therapy, absence of adjuvant chemotherapy or endocrine therapy, and higher T stage were significant risk factors affecting patients' PFS. Radiotherapy significantly reduced the survival risk for PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or those receiving neoadjuvant therapy ( P=0.019, 0.027). Compared with other reconstruction methods, implant-based reconstruction was associated with a lower incidence of postmastectomy revision surgery(10.5% vs. 17.0%, P<0.001). Even after radiotherapy, the revision surgery incidence for implant-based reconstruction remained lower than that of other methods (12.2% vs. 14.2%, P=0.591). Compared with other reconstruction types, expander-based reconstruction was associated with an increased incidence of revision surgery (31.9% vs. 10.9%, P<0.001). Conclusions:Postmastectomy radiotherapy can reduce survival risk in PMBR patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer or who received neoadjuvant therapy, showing positive effects on OS and PFS in high-risk patients. Pregnancy, higher T/N stage, and specific treatment strategies are critical factors influencing the prognosis of PMBR patients. Implant-based reconstruction is associated with a lower incidence of revision surgery, which remains low even after RT, whereas expander-based reconstruction may increase the long-term risk of revision surgery.

Objective:To explore the effect of prognosis appearance of the combination of microneedle array radiofrequency and CO2 array laser on psychological stress response of patients with facial acne scar.Methods:A total of 100 patients with facial acne scar,who admitted to Chengdu Second People's Hospital from August 2020 to August 2020,were selected,and they were divided into study group and control group,with 50 cases in each group.Study group adopted combined treatment with microneedle array radiofrequency and CO2 array laser,and control group adopted microneedle array radiofrequency to conduct treatment.The curative effect after treatment was compared between two groups.The Vancouver scar scale(VSS)was adopted to score the scar condition of patients,and Hamilton anxiety(HAMA)rating scale,Hamilton depression(HAMD)of rating scale and self-esteem scale(SES)were adopted to evaluate the psychological stress response of patients,and the score of the comprehensive evaluation questionnaire of quality of life(GQOLI-74 score)was adopted to evaluate the difference of quality of life of patients between before and after treatment.Results:After treatment,the overall curative effect of study group was 92.00%,which was better than 72.00%of control group,and the difference was significant(x2=6.775,P<0.05).The VSS scores of study group after received treatment of 2,4 times were significantly lower than those before treatment,and were lower than those of control group,and the differences of those between two groups were significant(t=5.850,9.040,P<0.05),respectively.After treatment,the SES scores of two groups all rose,and the HAMD and HAMA scores of two groups all reduced,and the three scores of study group were all better than those of control group,and the differences of them between two groups were significant(t=3.456,3.909,6.063,P<0.05).Pearson correlation showed that the VSS score was negatively correlated with the SES score(r=-0.249,P<0.05),and was positively correlated with the HAMD score and the HAMA score(r=0.653,0.695,P<0.05),respectively.After treatment,the GQOLI-74 scores of each indicator(material and life,physical function,psychological function,and social function)of two groups rose all,and the GQOLI-74 scores of study group were all better than those of control group,and the differences of them between two groups were significant(t=4.324,7.497,3.870,4.534,P<0.05),respectively.Conclusion:The combination of microneedle array radiofrequency and CO2 array laser has better curative effect in treating facial acne scar,which can effectively promote prognosis appearance,and relieve psychological stress response,and improve the quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy of acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method versus local acupuncture in treating chronic low back pain (CLBP) in elderly patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and to evaluate the changes in the multifidus muscle before and after treatment using musculoskeletal ultrasound. METHODS: A total of 128 elderly patients with CLBP due to LDH were randomly assigned to an observation group (64 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a control group (64 cases, 2 cases dropped out). The control group received local acupuncture at bilateral L₃-L₅ Jiaji points (EX-B2), Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25), Weizhong (BL40), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and ashi points. The observation group received acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method, which included an abdominal protocol with Baihui (GV20), Zhongwan (CV12), Qihai (CV6), Guanyuan (CV4), bilateral Tianshu (ST25), and Dahe (KI12), etc., and a lumbar protocol with Baihui (GV20), Dazhui (GV14), Jizhong (GV6), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and ashi points, etc., alternated bilaterally. Both groups were treated once every other day, three times per week, for a total of 12 sessions. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, and the indexs of musculoskeletal ultrasound multifidus muscle (resting and functional thickness and Young's modulus values) were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: After 1 and 4 weeks of treatment, both groups showed lower VAS scores compared to baseline (P<0.05), the VAS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.001). ODI scores in both groups were decreased after 1 and 4 weeks of treatment compared to baseline (P<0.05), with a further reduction at 4 weeks of treatment compared to 1 week of treatment (P<0.05); the observation group showed lower ODI score than the control group after 1 week of treatment (P<0.001). After treatment, both groups demonstrated increased resting and functional multifidus muscle thickness bilaterally compared to baseline (P<0.01), with an increased right-side thickness change rate (P<0.01), though no significant difference was observed between groups (P>0.05). Compared to baseline, after treatment, the observation group exhibited decreased Young's modulus values for bilateral resting and functional multifidus muscle (P<0.01), while the control group showed reductions only in bilateral resting and right-side functional Young's modulus values (P<0.01). After treatment, the bilateral functional Young's modulus values in the observation group were lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the bilateral resting and functional changes in Young's modulus values were greater in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.01). The overall effective rate was 93.5% (58/62) in the observation group, which was higher than 79.0% (49/62) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method effectively alleviates pain, improves functional disability, increases multifidus muscle thickness, and reduces Young's modulus values in elderly patients with CLBP due to LDH, which has superior therapeutic effect compared to local acupuncture.
Humans ; Low Back Pain/physiopathology* ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Female ; Aged ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Yin-Yang ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To explore the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)in the super-older patients(≥ 90 years old)with calculus of common bile duct.Methods This study retrospectively analyzed the data of elderly patients ≥ 65 years old with calculus of common bile duct who received ERCP treatment from January 2011 to December 2023.Among of them,patients ≥ 90 years old were in the super-older group,and patients over 65 years old but under 90 years old were in the non-super-older group.Subsequently,the baseline data of gender,number of stones,stone size,cholecystolithiasis,periampullary diverticulum,and common bile duct intubation of patients in the two groups were matched by the 1∶1 propensity score matching method.After successful matching,the surgical success rate,stone removal rate,complication rate,and hospital stay in the two groups were compared.Results 428 older patients with calculus of common bile duct were included in this study,including 45 patients in the super-older group and 383 patients in the non-super-older group.After matching baseline data with a 1∶1 propensity score matching,44 patients were included in both the super-older group and non-super-older group.There was no statistically significant difference in the total underlying disease rate between the two groups[81.82％(36/44)vs 65.91％(29/44),P=0.189],but the incidence rate of stroke[34.09％(15/44)vs 6.82％(3/44)]and the ASA grading(grade Ⅲ or Ⅳ)[97.73％(43/44)vs 38.64％(17/44)]in the super-older group were significantly higher than those in the non-super-older group(P＜0.01).There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of ERCP surgical success rate[90.91％(40/44)vs 93.18％(41/44)],stone removal rate[65.91％(29/44)vs 81.82％(36/44)],complication rate[43.18％(19/44)vs 27.27％(12/44)],and median length of stay(15.00dvs 14.50 d)(P＞0.05).Conclusion ERCP is safe and effective in the super-older patients with calculus of common bile duct.

Objective:To explore the effect of prognosis appearance of the combination of microneedle array radiofrequency and CO2 array laser on psychological stress response of patients with facial acne scar.Methods:A total of 100 patients with facial acne scar,who admitted to Chengdu Second People's Hospital from August 2020 to August 2020,were selected,and they were divided into study group and control group,with 50 cases in each group.Study group adopted combined treatment with microneedle array radiofrequency and CO2 array laser,and control group adopted microneedle array radiofrequency to conduct treatment.The curative effect after treatment was compared between two groups.The Vancouver scar scale(VSS)was adopted to score the scar condition of patients,and Hamilton anxiety(HAMA)rating scale,Hamilton depression(HAMD)of rating scale and self-esteem scale(SES)were adopted to evaluate the psychological stress response of patients,and the score of the comprehensive evaluation questionnaire of quality of life(GQOLI-74 score)was adopted to evaluate the difference of quality of life of patients between before and after treatment.Results:After treatment,the overall curative effect of study group was 92.00%,which was better than 72.00%of control group,and the difference was significant(x2=6.775,P<0.05).The VSS scores of study group after received treatment of 2,4 times were significantly lower than those before treatment,and were lower than those of control group,and the differences of those between two groups were significant(t=5.850,9.040,P<0.05),respectively.After treatment,the SES scores of two groups all rose,and the HAMD and HAMA scores of two groups all reduced,and the three scores of study group were all better than those of control group,and the differences of them between two groups were significant(t=3.456,3.909,6.063,P<0.05).Pearson correlation showed that the VSS score was negatively correlated with the SES score(r=-0.249,P<0.05),and was positively correlated with the HAMD score and the HAMA score(r=0.653,0.695,P<0.05),respectively.After treatment,the GQOLI-74 scores of each indicator(material and life,physical function,psychological function,and social function)of two groups rose all,and the GQOLI-74 scores of study group were all better than those of control group,and the differences of them between two groups were significant(t=4.324,7.497,3.870,4.534,P<0.05),respectively.Conclusion:The combination of microneedle array radiofrequency and CO2 array laser has better curative effect in treating facial acne scar,which can effectively promote prognosis appearance,and relieve psychological stress response,and improve the quality of life.