OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

Medical institutions, with their clinical practice foundation and abundant human use experience data, have become important carriers for the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and the "cradles" of the preparation of new TCM. To effectively promote the transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and establish an effective evaluation index system for the transformation of new TCM conforming to the characteristics of TCM, consensus experts adopted the literature research, questionnaire survey, Delphi method, etc. By focusing on the policy and technical evaluation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions, a comprehensive evaluation from the dimensions of drug safety, efficacy, feasibility, and characteristic advantages was conducted, thus forming a comprehensive evaluation system with four primary indicators and 37 secondary indicators. The expert consensus reached aims to encourage medical institutions at all levels to continuously improve the high-quality research and development and transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and targeted at clinical needs, so as to provide a decision-making basis for the preparation, selection, cultivation, and transformation of new TCM for medical institutions, improve the development efficiency of new TCM, and precisely respond to the public medication needs.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective To explore the relationship between dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI)and clinical pathological features of invasive breast cancer and lymphovascular invasion(LVI).Methods Imaging and clinical pathological data were retrospectively collected from 508 patients with invasive breast cancer who underwent breast DCE-MRI at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2019 to August 2021.Patients were divided into the LVI-positive(LVI+)group(n=79)and LVI-negative(LVI-)group(n=429)based on postoperative pathological results.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for LVI.Results Compared with LVI-group,LVI+group had a higher proportion of patients aged<45 years(44.3%vs.27.0%,P=0.002),non-mass-like enhancement(NME)(31.7%vs.17.7%,P=0.004),Ki-67 expression rate(40.0%vs.30.0%,P<0.001),high Ki-67 expression(94.9%vs.78.1%,P=0.001),Luminal B subtype(76.0%vs.60.1%,P=0.008),and positive axillary lymph nodes rate(72.2%vs.31.5%,P<0.001),while the proportion of Luminal A subtype was lower(2.5%vs.21.5%,P<0.001).Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that age≥45 years(OR=0.468,95%CI 0.280-0.783,P=0.004)was an independent protective factor for LVI,while NME(OR=1.987,95%CI 1.126-3.444,P=0.016)was an independent risk factor.Compared with Luminal A subtype,patients with Luminal B subtype(OR=10.482,95%CI 3.164-64.923,P=0.001),HER-2 overexpression subtype(OR=11.571,95%CI 2.755-79.341,P=0.003)and triple-negative subtypes(OR=8.433,95%CI 1.985-57.908,P=0.009)had a higher risk of LVI.Conclusions Age≥45 years is an independent protective factor for LVI,while NME is an independent risk factor.Among molecular subtypes,patients with Luminal B,HER-2 overexpression and triple-negative subtypes have a higher risk of LVI compared with the Luminal A subtype.

Objective:To investigate the longitudinal stability of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADL).Methods:The longitudinal cognitive assessment results of 68 dementia patients admitted to the Dementia and Leukoencephalopathy Outpatient Clinic, Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, from January 2021 to January 2024, were retrospectively analyzed, including the total and sub-items scores of the MMSE, MoCA, and ADL. Two different rules were applied to analyze the abnormality rates: rule 1, where the current test result being better than the previous one was considered an abnormality; rule 2, where the current test result being better than the previous average score was considered an abnormality (If a patient had only 2 cognitive assessments, rule 2 was considered the same as rule 1). Two rules were used to analyze the abnormality rates of the scales. The statistical analyses were repeated after excluding patients with possible anxiety and depression status.Results:In assessing the total score stability, MMSE showed the lowest abnormality rates [27.2% (31/114) under rule 1 and 29.8% (34/114) under rule 2], while MoCA had the highest abnormality rates [41.3% (26/63) and 46.0% (29/63), respectively]. The ADL abnormality rates were 27.7% (23/83) and 33.7% (28/83), respectively. Among MoCA sub-items, category cue, multiple choice cue, second memory trial, orientation, and clock showed higher abnormality rates [31.7%(20/63), 30.2%(19/63), 23.8%(15/63), 22.2%(14/63), 22.2%(14/63), respectively]. After excluding population with possible anxiety and depression status, the relative abnormality rates of MMSE and ADL sub-items did not significantly change, while the abnormality rate of orientation in MoCA sub-items decreased relatively.Conclusion:The MMSE and ADL exhibit good stability in long-term monitoring of dementia patients, serving as essential tools for assessing and following up cognitive changes.

Objective:To investigate the longitudinal stability of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the Activity of Daily Living Scale (ADL).Methods:The longitudinal cognitive assessment results of 68 dementia patients admitted to the Dementia and Leukoencephalopathy Outpatient Clinic, Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, from January 2021 to January 2024, were retrospectively analyzed, including the total and sub-items scores of the MMSE, MoCA, and ADL. Two different rules were applied to analyze the abnormality rates: rule 1, where the current test result being better than the previous one was considered an abnormality; rule 2, where the current test result being better than the previous average score was considered an abnormality (If a patient had only 2 cognitive assessments, rule 2 was considered the same as rule 1). Two rules were used to analyze the abnormality rates of the scales. The statistical analyses were repeated after excluding patients with possible anxiety and depression status.Results:In assessing the total score stability, MMSE showed the lowest abnormality rates [27.2% (31/114) under rule 1 and 29.8% (34/114) under rule 2], while MoCA had the highest abnormality rates [41.3% (26/63) and 46.0% (29/63), respectively]. The ADL abnormality rates were 27.7% (23/83) and 33.7% (28/83), respectively. Among MoCA sub-items, category cue, multiple choice cue, second memory trial, orientation, and clock showed higher abnormality rates [31.7%(20/63), 30.2%(19/63), 23.8%(15/63), 22.2%(14/63), 22.2%(14/63), respectively]. After excluding population with possible anxiety and depression status, the relative abnormality rates of MMSE and ADL sub-items did not significantly change, while the abnormality rate of orientation in MoCA sub-items decreased relatively.Conclusion:The MMSE and ADL exhibit good stability in long-term monitoring of dementia patients, serving as essential tools for assessing and following up cognitive changes.

Cells not only contain membrane-bound organelles (MBOs), but also membraneless organelles (MLOs) formed by condensation of many biomacromolecules. Examples include RNA-protein granules such as nucleoli and PML nuclear bodies (PML-NBs) in the nucleus, as well as stress granules and P-bodies in the cytoplasm. Phase separation is the basic organizing principle of the form of the condensates or membraneless organelles (MLOs) of biomacromolecules including proteins and nucleic acids. In particular, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) compartmentalises and concentrates biological macromolecules into liquid condensates. It has been found that phase separation of biomacromolecules requires some typical intrinsic characteristics, such as intrinsically disordered regions, modular domains and multivalent interactions. The phase separation of biomacromolecules plays a key role in many important cell activities. In recent years, the phase separation of biomacromolecules phase has become a focus of research in gene transcriptional regulation. Transcriptional regulatory elements such as RNA polymerases, transcription factors (TFs), and super enhancers (SEs) all play important roles through phase separation. Our group has previously reported for the first time that long-term inactivation or absence of assembly factors leads to the formation of condensates of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) subunits in the cytoplasm, and this process is reversible, suggesting a novel regulatory model of eukaryotic transcription machinery. The phase separation of biomacromolecules provides a biophysical understanding for the rapid transmission of transcriptional signals by a large number of TFs. Moreover, phase separation during transcriptional regulation is closely related to the occurrence of cancer. For example, the activation of oncogenes is usually associated with the formation of phase separation condensates at the SEs. In this review, the intrinsic characteristics of the formation of biomacromolecules phase separation and the important role of phase separation in transcriptional regulation are reviewed, which will provide reference for understanding basic cell activities and gene regulation in cancer.

Objective:To analyze the clinical and imaging features of patients with COVID-19-related osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS).Methods:COVID-19-related ODS cases diagnosed in the Department of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2020 to September 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. And their past medical history, possible triggers, clinical manifestations, imaging manifestations, treatment and prognosis were summarized.Results:A total of 5 patients with COVID-19-related ODS were included. Electrolyte disturbances acted as an inducement of ODS in all patients (5/5),4 of whom with hyponatremia. Four of 5 patients first presented with disturbance of consciousness, followed by predominant dystonia. Imaging of all patients (5/5) showed isolated extrapontine myelinolysis (EPM). With the prolongation of the course of disease, such signal intensity could return to normal, and lesions showed atrophic changes in some patients. The patients′ clinical symptoms were partly relieved within a few days to a few months after treatment.Conclusions:COVID-19-related ODS is mostly associated with hyponatremia, and EPM is more common. COVID-19 should be considered as a risk factor for ODS.

ObjectivesBased on the changes of lung lesions in patients with COVID-19 at different stages， a nomogram model describing CT image features was established by radiomics method to explore its efficacy in predicting the progression of the disease. MethodsThis retrospective study enrolled 136 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who received at least two CTs including three cohorts （training cohort and validation cohort 1 and 2）. Patients in the training cohort were divided into three groups according to time between onset of fever symptoms and the first CT. The clinical manifestations and CT features of each group were analyzed and compared. A nomogram to predict disease progression was constructed according to the CT features of the patients， and its performance was evaluated. ResultsThe training cohort consisted of 41 patients.A nomogram was generated to predict disease progression based on three CT features： irregular strip shadow， air bronchial sign， and the proportion of lesions with irregular shape ≥50%. AUC（95%CI）=0.906（0.817，0.995）.The C index of the training cohort was 0.906， and the C index of the internal verification was 0.892. AUC（95%CI）of the validation cohort 1 （34 cases） =0.889（0.793，0.984）；AUC（95%CI）of the validation cohort 2 （61 cases）=0.876（0.706，1.000）.The calibration curves show that the predicted values of the nomogram are in good agreement with the observed values. ConclusionThe nomogram model based on CT radiomics can predict the outcome of lung lesions in patients with high sensitivity and specificity.According to the changes of CT image characteristics of patients with COVID-19， lung lesions will be improved when the proportion of irregular cable shadow， air bronchogram and irregular lesions is greater than 50%.

The increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases has brought a substantial medical, social and economic burden. The development of allergology is relatively lag behind the allergy prevalence in China. Both the numbers of allergy specialty and allergist are scarce and thus the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease does not meet the needs of allergy patients. This article summarizes the status of medical education and specialty development of allergology in China and abroad. In addition, the key strategies for promoting the development of allergy education and specialty were discussed, including undergraduate and graduate education of allergology, the orientation of allergy specialty and related specialty/subspecialty, the integration of allergology into the standardized residents training system, training and certification of allergists, and multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model.
Humans ; Hypersensitivity/therapy* ; Education, Medical ; Education, Graduate ; China/epidemiology* ; Students

The increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases has brought a substantial medical, social and economic burden. The development of allergology is relatively lag behind the allergy prevalence in China. Both the numbers of allergy specialty and allergist are scarce and thus the diagnosis and treatment of allergic disease does not meet the needs of allergy patients. This article summarizes the status of medical education and specialty development of allergology in China and abroad. In addition, the key strategies for promoting the development of allergy education and specialty were discussed, including undergraduate and graduate education of allergology, the orientation of allergy specialty and related specialty/subspecialty, the integration of allergology into the standardized residents training system, training and certification of allergists, and multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment model.
Humans ; Hypersensitivity/therapy* ; Education, Medical ; Education, Graduate ; China/epidemiology* ; Students