ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Sanren Runchang formula in treating constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-C） by regulating the brain-gut axis and the effects of the formula on serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， and substance P （SP）. MethodsA randomized controlled design was adopted， and 72 IBS-C patients meeting Rome Ⅳ criteria were randomized into observation and control groups （36 cases）.The observation group received Sanren Runchang formula granules twice daily， and the control group received lactulose oral solution daily for 4 weeks. IBS Symptom Severity Scale （IBS-SSS）， IBS Quality of Life Scale （IBS-QOL）， and Bristol Stool Form Scale （BSFS） were used to assess clinical symptoms， and bowel movement frequency was recorded. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale （SAS） and Self-Rating Depression Scale （SDS） were employed to evaluate psychological status. ELISA was employed to measure the serum levels of 5-HT， VIP， and SP. ResultsThe total response rate in the observation group was 91.67% （33/36）， which was higher than that （77.78%， 28/36） in the control group （χ²=4.50， P<0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed increased defecation frequency and BSFS scores， decreased IBS-SSS total score， abdominal pain and bloating scores， IBS-QOL health anxiety， anxiety， food avoidance， and behavioral disorders scores， SAS and SDS scores， serum 5-HT and VIP levels， and increased SP levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group showed more significant changes in the indicators above than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The SP level showed no significant difference between the two groups. During the 4-week follow-up， the recurrence rate was 5.88% in the observation group and 31.25% in the control group. No adverse events occurred in observation group， and 2 cases of mild diarrhea occurred in the control group. ConclusionSanren Runchang formula demonstrated definitive efficacy in alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms and improving the psychological status and quality of life in IBS-C patients， with a low recurrence rate. The formula can regulate serum levels of neurotransmitters such as 5-HT and VIP， suggesting its potential regulatory effect on the brain-gut axis through modulating neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. However， its complete mechanism of action requires further investigation through detection of additional brain-gut axis-related biomarkers.

This paper summarizes Professor SHI Zaixiang's clinical experience in treating high fever caused by sepsis using Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction （柴胡桂枝干姜汤）. He holds that the key pathogenesis of sepsis involves constrained heat in the shaoyang and internal accumulation of water and fluids. The clinical manifestations such as high fever， chills， and alternating sensations of cold and heat are attributed to pathogenic heat constrained in the shaoyang. Meanwhile， soft tissue edema and serous cavity effusions are due to shaoyang dysfunction and internal water retention. In clinical practice， treating sepsis-related high fever requires addressing both the shaoyang-constrained heat and the associated edema and effusions. The therapeutic approach focuses on harmonizing the shaoyang and resolving internal fluids， using Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction as the base formula with flexible modifications. Professor SHI emphasizes that this formula shows a rapid antipyretic effect， particularly in cases where multiple anti-infective treatments have failed.

Objective To investigate the expression levels of microRNA-34a(miR-34a),β-catenin and pro-grammed death receptor-1(PD-L1)in cancer tissues of patients with cervical cancer(CC)and their correla-tion with patients' prognosis.Methods A total of 83 patients with CC admitted to Yuncheng Central Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University from June 2021 to January 2024 were selected as the research objects.General data,CC tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples of all patients were collected.The mRNA expres-sion levels of miR-34a,β-catenin and PD-L1 in CC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected by fluo-rescence quantitative PCR and compared.The expression levels of β-catenin and PD-L1 in CC tissues and adja-cent normal tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of prognosis in CC patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of miR-34a,β-catenin and PD-L1 expression levels in CC pa-tients with poor prognosis.Results Compared with adjacent normal tissues,the expression level of miR-34a of the CC tissues was lower,while the expression levels of β-catenin and PD-L1 were higher(P＜0.05).The positive expression rates of β-catenin and PD-L1 protein in CC tissues were higher than those of adjacent nor-mal tissues(89.16％vs.10.84％,78.31％vs.20.48％,x2=101.807,55.526,P＜0.05).There were no sig-nificant differences in age and body mass index(BMI)between the good prognosis group and the poor progno-sis group(t=1.508,1.820,both P＞0.05),while there were significant differences in International Federa-tion of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO)stage and differentiation degree between the two groups(x2=8.451,9.115,both P＜0.05).Compared with the good prognosis group,the expression level of miR-34a of the poor prognosis group was lower,while the expression levels of β-catenin and PD-L1 were higher(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that increased expression of miR-34a was an protective factor for poor prognosis in CC patients,while the increased expression levels of β-catenin and PD-L1,Ⅱ a and Ⅱ b FIGO staging and low differentiation were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in CC patients(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that miR-34a,β-catenin and PD-L1 all had certain predictive value for the poor prognosis of CC patient,and the area under the curve(AUC)of the single detection was 0.765,0.836 and 0.797,respectively.The AUC of the combined detection was 0.914(Z=2.631,2.331,2.571,P=0.009,0.020,0.010).Conclusion The expression levels of miR-34a,β-catenin and PD-L1 mRNA affect the prognosis of CC patients.Increased expression of miR-34a is an protective factor for poor prognosis in CC patients,in-creased β-catenin and PD-L1 expressions are independent risk factors for poor prognosis in CC patients,and all three factors can be used as biomarkers to predict poor prognosis in CC patients,and the combined detection of the three has the highest prognostic value.

Entinostat plus exemestane in hormone receptor-positive (HR+) advanced breast cancer (ABC) previously showed encouraging outcomes. This multicenter phase 3 trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of entinostat plus exemestane in Chinese patients with HR + ABC that relapsed/progressed after ≥1 endocrine therapy. Patients were randomized (2:1) to oral exemestane 25 mg/day plus entinostat (n = 235) or placebo (n = 119) 5 mg/week in 28-day cycles. The primary endpoint was the independent radiographic committee (IRC)-assessed progression-free survival (PFS). The median age was 52 (range, 28-75) years and 222 (62.7%) patients were postmenopausal. CDK4/6 inhibitors and fulvestrant were previously used in 23 (6.5%) and 92 (26.0%) patients, respectively. The baseline characteristics were comparable between the entinostat and placebo groups. The median PFS was 6.32 (95% CI, 5.30-9.11) and 3.72 (95% CI, 1.91-5.49) months in the entinostat and placebo groups (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.58-0.98; P = 0.046), respectively. Grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) occurred in 154 (65.5%) patients in the entinostat group versus 23 (19.3%) in the placebo group, and the most common grade ≥3 treatment-related AEs were neutropenia [103 (43.8%)], thrombocytopenia [20 (8.5%)], and leucopenia [15 (6.4%)]. Entinostat plus exemestane significantly improved PFS compared with exemestane, with generally manageable toxicities in HR + ABC (ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT03538171).

Objective:To explore the effects of knocking down glycine cleavage system H protein (GCSH) on proliferation, apoptosis, oxidative stress and migration of gastric cancer SNU-1 cells in vitro. Methods:SNU-1 cells were cultured in vitro and divided into control group (no transfection) , negative control group (transfection of negative control siRNA) and GCSH knockdown group (transfection of GCSH siRNA) . Quantitative PCR was used to detect the knockdown effect. Immunofluorescence was used to observe the morphology of cells in each group. CCK-8 was used to test the proliferation of SNU-1 cells. Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis and oxidative stress level, and scratch test was used to detect the cell migration. Results:Quantitative PCR experiment showed that the relative expression levels of GCSH in the control group, negative control group and GCSH knockdown group were 1.29±0.16, 1.36±0.17 and 0.32±0.04, respectively ( F=90.32, P<0.001) . There was no significant difference between the control group and negative control group ( P=0.497) . Compared to the negative control group, the GCSH knockdown group was significantly decreased ( P<0.001) . Immunofluorescence experiment showed no significant difference in the morphology of cells among the groups. The CCK-8 experiment results showed that the cell proliferation activities of the control group, negative control group and GCSH knockdown group were 2.63±0.12, 2.61±0.14, 2.45±0.14, respectively ( F=6.35, P=0.005) . There was no significant difference between the control group and negative control group ( P=0.751) , and the GCSH knockdown group significantly decreased compared to the negative control group ( P=0.011) . The results of flow cytometry showed that the early stage apoptosis rates of SNU-1 cells in the control group, negative control group and GCSH knockdown group were (13.38±0.45) %, (12.86±0.65) %, (20.04±3.61) %, respectively ( F=15.37, P<0.001) . There was no significant difference between the control group and negative control group ( P=0.559) . Compared to the negative control group, the GCSH knockdown group significantly increased ( P=0.002) . The late stage apoptosis rates of the three groups were (2.21±0.25) %, (2.68±0.45) %, (5.67±1.67) %, respectively ( F=18.24, P<0.001) . There was no significant difference between the control group and negative control group ( P=0.356) . Compared to the negative control group, the GCSH knockdown group showed a significant increase ( P=0.024) . The reactive oxygen species positive rates in the control group, negative control group and GCSH knockdown group were (26.98±8.79) %, (28.27±5.63) %, (48.41±0.94) %, respectively ( F=22.56, P<0.001) . There was no significant difference between the control group and negative control group ( P=0.950) . Compared to the negative control group, the GCSH knockdown group significantly increased ( P<0.001) . The cell migration rates of the control group, negative control group and GCSH knockdown group were (48.29±5.79) %, (51.66±2.29) %, (14.01±1.56) %, respectively ( F=148.80, P<0.001) . There was no significant difference between the control group and negative control group ( P=0.328) . Compared with the negative control group, the GCSH knockdown group significantly decreased ( P<0.001) . Conclusion:Knock down of GCSH gene can inhibit the proliferation and migration, increase cell apoptosis rate and oxidative stress of SNU-1 cells in vitro. GCSH gene may be a potential target for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Although extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been in existence since the 1970s as a means of supporting respiratory or cardiac function, early application of this technology was plagued by high complication rates. Peripheral veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-A ECMO) causes higher left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, pulmonary edema, left ventricular distention, ventricular arrhythmia, low coronary perfusion, myocardial ischemia, substantial thrombus formation within left ventricule cavity and even multiple organ dysfunction. Mechanical left ventricular decompression is required to treat these related complications. In this article, we reviewed the problems associated with left ventricular decompression supported by peripheral V-A ECMO in patients with cardiogenic shock.

Objective    To explore the mechanism of volume-related mitral regurgitation (MR) from the anatomy of mitral valve. Methods    A total of 32 patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD) combined MR meeting inclusion criteria in West China Hospital from September 2018 to November 2019 were enrolled in this study. The direction relative to the cardiac axis: the deviation of the MR bundle along the left atrial wall was eccentric, otherwises it was central. There were 23 patients of VSD and eccentric MR (EMR, a VSD-EMR group), including 10 males and 13 females aged 21 (10, 56) months, and 9 patients of VSD and central MR (CMR, a VSD-CMR group), including 4 males and 5 females aged 26 (12, 87) months. Besides, 9 healthy children were enrolled in a control group, including 4 males and 5 females aged 49 (15, 72) months. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examination at 2 weeks before surgery and 6 months after surgery, respectively, The MR degree, end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), antero-posterior diameter (AP), annulus circumference (AC), commissural diameter (CD) were assessed. Results    Before operation, EDV, ESV, SV, AP, AC and CD in the VSD-EMR and VSD-CMR groups were significantly larger or longer than those in the control group (P<0.05); after operation, EDV, ESV, SV, AP and CD decreased compared with those before operation (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference compared with the control group (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, AC was slightly decreased (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in EF between and within groups before and after operation (P>0.05). The improvement rate of MR was 78.9%(15/19) in the VSD-EMR group and 100.0% (9/9) in the VSD-CMR group. Conclusion    After unloading of volume, the valve structure is back to normal except AC. The improvement rate of MR in the VSD-EMR group is lower than that in the VSD-CMR group, which may indicate that the mechanism of VSD-EMR is more complicated.

AIM: To investigate the differences of the choroidal vascularity index between type 2 diabetes with diabetic retinopathy and non-diabetes patients.

METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed at Beijing Friendship Hospital. Enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography(EDI-OCT)scans of 68 eyes of 68 type 2 diabetes who with diabetic retinopathy were compared with those of right eyes of 34 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The choroidal images were binarized into luminal areas(LA)and stromal areas(SA). CVI was defined as the ratio of LA to total circumscribed subfoveal choroidal area. Mean choroidal thickness, mean retinal thickness and mean CVI between patients and controls were compared using t-test.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in total circumscribed subfoveal choroidal area(0.53±0.14mm2 vs 0.49±0.15mm2), LA(0.35±0.09mm2 vs 0.32±0.10mm2), SA(0.17±0.05mm2 vs 0.17±0.06mm2), or subfoveal choroidal thickness(347.9±76.9μm vs 325.9±92.9μm)between patients with DR and controls(P>0.05). However, there was a significantly lower CVI in patients with diabetes as compared to controls(64.33%±3.25% vs 67.04%±2.46%, P<0.001). The critical value was 63.59%.

CONCLUSION: CVI is a kind of biological indicators which can directly reflect the changes of choroidal internal structure, and it is more stable and reliable than SFCT. For type 2 diabetic patients who with diabetic retinopathy, CVI is lower than that of healthy people.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Beijing/epidemiology* ; Contact Tracing ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Tuberculosis/transmission* ; Universities ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo identify potential serum biomarkers for distinguishing between latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and active tuberculosis (TB).

METHODSA proteome microarray containing 4,262 antigens was used for screening serum biomarkers of 40 serum samples from patients with LTBI and active TB at the systems level. The interaction network and functional classification of differentially expressed antigens were analyzed using STRING 10.0 and the TB database, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were used to validate candidate antigens further using 279 samples. The diagnostic performances of candidate antigens were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. Both antigen combination and logistic regression analysis were used to improve diagnostic ability.

RESULTSMicroarray results showed that levels of 152 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-antigen- specific IgG were significantly higher in active TB patients than in LTBI patients (P < 0.05), and these differentially expressed antigens showed stronger associations with each other and were involved in various biological processes. Eleven candidate antigens were further validated using ELISA and showed consistent results in microarray analysis. ROC analysis showed that antigens Rv2031c, Rv1408, and Rv2421c had higher areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.8520, 0.8152, and 0.7970, respectively. In addition, both antigen combination and logistic regression analysis improved the diagnostic ability.

CONCLUSIONSeveral antigens have the potential to serve as serum biomarkers for discrimination between LTBI and active TB.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; Antibody Specificity ; Antigens, Bacterial ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Latent Tuberculosis ; blood ; diagnosis ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Protein Array Analysis ; methods ; Proteome ; genetics ; Proteomics ; methods ; ROC Curve ; Young Adult