OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

INTRODUCTION: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with significant long-term impacts, yet few interventions specifically target ACE exposure, especially in Asian populations. Anchor, Singapore's first home visitation programme, addresses maltreat-ment among preschool children. This study evaluated Anchor's impact on children's developmental and behavioural outcomes. METHOD: We conducted a prospective evaluation of children under 4 years assessed for maltreatment from November 2019 to July 2023. Developmental and behavioural progress was measured every 6 months using the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3) and ASQ:Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE-2), and annually using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). RESULTS: The results of 125 children (mean age 20.0 months, 48% female) were analysed. The mean length of stay in programme was 21.2 (7.3) months. At baseline, 92 (73.6%) children were at risk of develop-mental delay and 25 (31.7%) children aged ≥18 months had behavioural concerns. The programme was associated with significant improvements in gross motor (P=0.002) and fine motor (P=0.001) domains of the ASQ-3 and internalising problem scale (P=0.001) of the CBCL. CONCLUSION Anchor effectively enhances develop-mental and behavioural outcomes for children exposed to maltreatment. Targeted early intervention through such programmes can mitigate adverse impacts, optimising developmental trajectories and potentially reducing the long-term clinical and economic burdens associated with ACEs.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Child Abuse/therapy* ; Child, Preschool ; Singapore ; House Calls ; Infant ; Prospective Studies ; Child Development ; Developmental Disabilities/epidemiology* ; Program Evaluation ; Child Behavior Disorders ; Child Behavior

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Danmu Extract Syrup (DMS) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice and explore the mechanism. METHODS: Seventy-two male Balb/C mice were randomly divided into 6 groups according to a random number table (n=12), including control (normal saline), LPS (5 mg/kg), LPS+DMS 2.5 mL/kg, LPS+DMS 5 mL/kg, LPS+DMS 10 mL/kg, and LPS+Dexamethasone (DXM, 5 mg/kg) groups. After pretreatment with DMS and DXM, the ALI mice model was induced by LPS, and the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected to determine protein concentration, cell counts and inflammatory cytokines. The lung tissues of mice were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and the wet/dry weight ratio (W/D) of lung tissue was calculated. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1 β in BALF of mice were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The expression levels of Claudin-5, vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), phospho-protein kinase B (p-Akt) and Akt were detected by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: DMS pre-treatment significantly ameliorated lung histopathological changes. Compared with the LPS group, the W/D ratio and protein contents in BALF were obviously reduced after DMS pretreatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The number of cells in BALF and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity decreased significantly after DMS pretreatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DMS pre-treatment decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1 β (P<0.01). Meanwhile, DMS activated the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway and reversed the expressions of Claudin-5, VE-cadherin and VEGF (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS DMS attenuated LPS-induced ALI in mice through repairing endothelial barrier. It might be a potential therapeutic drug for LPS-induced lung injury.
Mice ; Male ; Animals ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Claudin-5/metabolism* ; Acute Lung Injury/chemically induced* ; Lung/pathology* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

To optimize the formulation and technology of oxymatrine-astragaloside IV coloaded liposomes (Om-As-Lip) based on quality by design (QbD) principles, and further to verify the feasibility of its amplification process, Om-As-Lip was prepared by ethanol injection combined with pH gradient method. The critical material attributions of Om-As-Lip were evaluated by dual-risk analysis tools and Plackett-Burman design (PBD). The formulation of Om-As-Lip was further optimized with the Box-Behnken design (BBD). The design space was also established based on the contour plots of BBD. In order to further investigate the amplification process of Om-As-Lip, the critical process parameters of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) were optimized by single-factor test, and the quality of the final product was also evaluated. The results of risk analysis and PBD confirmed that the astragaloside concentration, cholesterol concentration, and phospholipid ratio (HSPC∶SPC) were the ctitical material attributes. The model established by BBD had a good predictability, and the optimized mass ratio of As to phospholipids was 1∶40, cholesterol to phospholipids was 1∶10, HSPC to SPC was 51∶9. The design space of Om-As-Lip was as follows: the ratio of cholesterol to phospholipids was 1∶12-1∶5 and HSPC to SPC was 1∶7-17∶3. The optimized high-pressure homogenization pressure was 600 bar, temperature was 4 ℃, and cycle times was 6 times for HPH-Om-As-Lip. The quality of Om-As-Lip prepared based on the QbD concept can meet the expected CQAs, and the formulation and technology established can provide a reliable experimental basis for its future development and applications.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of antihypertensive and lipid-regulating Chinese patent medicine combined with conventional Western medicine in the treatment of hypertension with dyslipidemia. To carry out the evidence synthesis of clinical research and provide evidence-based evidence support for clinical decision-making. MethodThe databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI），Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform （WF），VIP，SinoMed，Embase，PubMed，Web of Science （WOS），and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials （RCT） of all listed Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of hypertension with dyslipidemia from the establishment of the databases to April 15，2023. The literature was screened and extracted，and the risk of bias tool 2.0 （RoB2） was used to assess the quality and risk of bias of the methodology. Revman 5.4.1 software was used to analyze the outcome indicators. Grading of Recommendations Assessment，Development and Evaluation （GRADE） was applied to assess the quality of evidence formed by clinical research data. The inclusion and recommendation of Chinese patent medicines in the National Drug Catalogue for Basic Medical Insurance，Work-related Injury Insurance and Maternity Insurance （2022） and domestic guidelines and consensus were searched to form a bubble chart. ResultA total of 15 studies were included. The evaluation of the methodological quality of each study showed that the risk of bias stemmed from the lack of blinding and allocation concealment，and low sample size. The comprehensive analysis of clinical studies showed that Dengzhan Shengmai capsules combined with rosuvastatin and amlodipine besylate，Yindan Xinnaotong capsules combined with simvastatin and levamlodipine tablets，Xiaoshuan Tongluo capsules combined with nifedipine controlled release tablets and pravastatin sodium tablets，Xinshubao capsules combined with atorvastatin calcium tablets and irbesartan，Wenyading capsules combined with enalapril，and Jiangzhining tablets combined with conventional Western medicines were all superior to conventional Western medicines used in the control group in improving systolic blood pressure （SBP），diastolic blood pressure （DBP），cholesterol （TC），triglyceride （TG），low density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C），and high density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups. The GRADE evaluation of the main outcome indicators showed that the evidence quality of SBP and incidence of adverse reactions was graded as B，that of DBP as C，and that of total TC，TG，LDL-C，and HDL-C as D. The evaluation of Chinese patent medicines covered by medical insurance and recommended by guidelines and consensus showed that Yindan Xinnaotong soft capsules，Dengzhan Shengmai capsules and Xiaoshuan Tongluo capsules belonged to class B drugs of medical insurance，and were recommended for 7，6 and 3 times in the guidelines and consensus，respectively. ConclusionCompared with simple medicine treatment，Chinese patent medicine combined with conventional Western medicine has more advantages in improving blood pressure and blood lipid，and shows higher safety. Among them，Yindan Xinnaotong soft capsules，Dengzhan Shengmai capsules and Xiaoshuan Tongluo capsules have stronger clinical applicability and economy. All the trials included in this article adhered to the principle of randomization and reported the outcome measures. However，the quality of evidence in related clinical studies was low. In terms of trial design，large-sample，multi-center，blinded randomized controlled trials based on the consolidated standards of reporting trials （CONSORT） statement are still needed for comprehensive trial designs and reporting，to further improve the GRADE quality evaluation and guideline formulation under the guidance of evidence-based medicine，so as to provide higher quality evidence-based research evidence for clinical decision-making.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the quality of research and evidence related to antihypertensive Chinese patent medicines combined with western medicines for the treatment of hypertension， synthesize and update the evidence， form expert consensus， and provide evidence for clinical decision-making. MethodThe databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， WanFang Data Knowledge Service Platform （WanFang）， Vip Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database （VIP）， Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System （Sinomed）， National Library of Medicine （PubMed）， Cochrane Library， Web of Science， and US Clinical Trials Registry were searched for randomized controlled trials of antihypertensive Chinese medicine combined with western medicine for the treatment of hypertension from database construction to July 31， 2022. The quality of the literature was evaluated using the bias risk assessment tool in Cochrane Handbook 6.3. Evidence synthesis of main outcome indicators was performed using R software. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment， Development， and Evaluation profiler （GRADEprofiler） 3.6 was employed to evaluate the quality of evidence. Expert consensus was formed based on the Delphi method after two rounds of voting. Result64 pieces of literature were included， and the results of literature quality evaluation and risk of bias showed that 70.31% （45/64） of the studies indicated some risks， and 29.69% （19/64） indicated high risks. Compared with conventional western medicines， the combination of Chinese patent medicines with western medicines can significantly lower systolic pressure （SBP） and diastolic pressure （DBP）， increase the effective rate of antihypertensive， reduce the incidence of adverse reactions， endothelin-1， and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores. Egger's test showed that Songling Xuemaikang capsules reduced SBP and DBP. Tianma Gouteng granules reduced SBP and DBP and increased the effective rate of antihypertensive， and Xinmaitong capsules reduced SBP and increased the effective rate of antihypertensive， without significant publication bias. Songling Xuemaikang capsules increased the effective rate of antihypertensive， and Xinmaitong capsules decreased DBP， with significant publication bias. The results of the GRADE evidence quality evaluation showed that most evidence was at grades B and C. Finally， four strong recommendations and 14 weak recommendations were formed. ConclusionCompared with conventional western medicines for the treatment of hypertension， antihypertensive Chinese patent medicines combined with western medicines have advantages in reducing blood pressure and improving drug use safety， but they are mostly weak recommendations in terms of efficacy， and more high-quality evidence is needed.

ObjectiveTo systematically collect， analyze， and evaluate the randomized controlled trials （RCT） of Chinese patent medicine combined with western medicine in the treatment of hypertension， map the evidence， and provide reference for the future clinical research and formulation of guidelines and policies. MethodThe relevant articles were retrieved from China Biology Medicine disc， China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， VIP， Wanfang Data， PubMed， Embase， and Cochrane Library with the time interval from inception to December 31， 2022. The RCT of Chinese patent medicines combined with western medicine in the treatment of hypertension were included. The research characteristics and methodological quality were analyzed and evaluated. ResultA total of 330 RCTs of treating hypertension with Chinese patent medicines combined with Western medicine were included in this study， all of which were published in Chinese. These RCTs involved 88 Chinese patent medicines and 37 788 patients， and 46% of RCT had the sample size ≥100 patients. Eighty-seven percent of RCT showed the study period within 3 months. All the interventions in the RCTs were Chinese patent medicine + western medicine vs western medicine. Among the evaluation indicators， blood pressure， response rate， TCM syndrome score， endothelial cell function， and safety were mainly concerned. In terms of methodological quality， most articles did not mention the generation of random sequences， allocation concealment， or blinding method. The blinding evaluation of outcomes showed low risks of bias， and there was insufficient information to judge whether there was selective bias or other bias. ConclusionThere were many Chinese patent medicines used in combination with western medicine in the treatment of hypertension， and they were mainly taken orally. The existing RCT had problems such as small sample size， unclear clinical value positioning， imperfect design failing to reflect the value of Chinese patent medicines， unreasonable measurement indicators， and non-standard measurement methods. Future research should solve the above problems， improve the research quality， value， and authenticity， and enhance the reliability and extension of evidence.

Objective:To explore the value of high frequency ultrasound scoring combined with serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) in evaluating the prognosis of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) in children.Methods:A total of 106 children with NRDS who were treated at Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University from March 2021 to December 2022 were selected. According to the discharge outcome, NRDS patients were divided into a poor prognosis group ( n=11) and a good prognosis group ( n=95), and the clinical data differences between the two groups were compared. At the same time, NRDS patients were divided into mild to moderate group ( n=75) and severe group ( n=31) based on the severity of the disease. The differences in high-frequency ultrasound scores of the lungs and serum levels of IL-6, CRP, and PCT were analyzed in children with different disease severity levels of NRDS. Logistic multiple regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors of prognosis; receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of lung high-frequency ultrasound score, IL-6, and their combination predicted the prognostic value of NRDS in children. Results:The gestational age, birth weight, and high-frequency ultrasound scores of the lungs in the poor prognosis group were significantly lower than those in the good prognosis group (all P<0.05); The proportion of diabetes in pregnancy, the proportion of severe disease, the first use time of pulmonary surfactant (PS) and the level of IL-6 in the poor prognosis group were significantly higher than those in the good prognosis group (all P<0.05). The serum levels of IL-6, CRP, and PCT in severe children were significantly higher than those in mild to moderate children (all P<0.05); The high-frequency ultrasound score of the lungs in severe children was significantly lower than that in mild to moderate children ( P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that gestational age, pulmonary high-frequency ultrasound score, gestational diabetes, disease severity, and IL-6 were the influencing factors for poor prognosis of children with NRDS (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve for predicting poor prognosis in children with NRDS using high-frequency ultrasound score, IL-6, and their combination were 0.745, 0.802, and 0.786, respectively. Conclusions:The severity of NRDS in children is related to the high-frequency ultrasound score of the lungs and serum levels of IL-6, CRP, and PCT. At the same time, the high-frequency ultrasound score of the lungs and IL-6 are related to the prognosis of NRDS children, and have certain application value in predicting the prognosis of children.

With the exacerbation of population aging,the number of individuals suffering from lower limb mobility impairments caused by lower limb fractures,osteoarthritis,or other traumas is increasing annu-ally.Traditional rehabilitation methods impose high demands on both patients and therapists.Over the past few decades,significant breakthroughs have been made in the research and application of lower limb rehabilita-tion robots.Lower limb rehabilitation robots,as automated rehabilitation training devices,are primarily based on the principle of motor relearning,enabling patients to engage in repetitive,intensive,and precise task-ori-ented movements to promote lower limb functional recovery.This paper presented the development history of lower limb rehabilitation robots,categorizes them,and reviewed their gait rehabilitation applications in three lower limb segments(hip joint,knee joint,ankle joint).Based on this,the research and development trends of lower limb rehabilitation robots in orthopedics were discussed.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant plasmacyte disease that often presents with symptoms such as bone pain and anemia. Currently, there is an increasing number of literature reports on malignant tumors combined with hyperamylasemia, but this is more common in tumors such as gastric cancer, and MM with hyperamylasemia is clinically rare and has not been found in plateau areas. Due to the complex clinical manifestations of MM patients with hyperamylasemia, there is no standard treatment therapy. There is no literature report on the use of daretuumab in combination. Based on the results of the retrospective analysis of the first case of MM with hyperamylasemia in a plateau area, it is recommended that clinicians in plateau areas take amylase level as a sensitive indicator to evaluate the severity of MM in order to reduce the misdiagnosis rate of MM and provide a new treatment option for the promotion and application of MM with hyperamylasemia.