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

Objective:To describe the current status of responsive caregiving behavior of infant mothers,to analyze their influencing factors and pathways using the information-motivation-behavioral skills(IMB)model,and to provide a basis for further interventions related to responsive caregiving be-haviors and comprehensive promotion of early childhood development.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling.Questionnaires were used to collect basic information about mothers and their infants,as well as data on mothers' responsive caregiving behavior,knowledge of re-sponsive caregiving,social support,and parenting self-efficacy.Multivariate linear regression models were employed to analyze the influencing factors of responsive caregiving behavior,and structural equa-tion modeling was used to analyze the pathways of these influencing factors.The criterion for inadequate responsive caregiving is defined as scores not exceeding the lower quartile(P25)of the total score.Results:Among 510 mothers of aged 0-12 months infants in Weifang City,the average score for respon-sive caregiving behavior was 16.41±3.99.The proportion of inadequate responsive caregiving was 25.7％.Mothers in the insufficient responsive caregiving group had lower scores in knowledge(7.70±1.41),social support(57.92±15.16),and parenting self-efficacy(30.36±6.48)compared with those in the sufficient group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.001).Logistic regres-sion analysis indicated that the influencing factors for responsive caregiving included the level of know-ledge about responsive parenting[adjusted OR(aOR)=0.795,95％CI:0.566-0.838],social support(aOR=0.979,95％CI:0.961-0.996),and parenting self-efficacy(aOR=0.894,95％CI:0.857-0.932).Structural equation modeling revealed that knowledge of responsive caregiving(β=0.089,P=0.031),social support(β=0.153,P=0.001),and parenting self-efficacy(β=0.296,P＜0.001)were directly related to responsive caregiving behavior.Additionally,knowledge of responsive caregiving indirectly affected responsive caregiving behavior through parenting self-efficacy(β=0.095,P=0.014),and social support indirectly affected responsive caregiving behavior through parenting self-efficacy(β=0.497,P＜0.001).Conclusion:The current level of responsive caregiving behavior among mothers of 0-1-year-old infants in Weifang City is not satisfactory.Future development of responsive care-giving interventions should focus on providing caregivers with relevant knowledge of responsive caregiving based on their needs.Additionally,it is essential to offer social support from multiple aspects to enhance caregivers' parenting self-efficacy,thereby promoting improvements in responsive caregiving behavior.

This study evaluated the potential of OPC-167832 as a new method for the treatment of Mycobacterium fortuitum infec-tion.Drug sensitivity tests were conducted with the broth microdilution method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)of OPC-167832 against standard strains of M.fortuitum and 44 clinical isolates of M.fortuitum.A DprE1 overexpression strain was constructed,and the effect in the MIC of OPC-167832 against M.fortuitum were explored.Intracellular germicidal tests and checkerboard tests were conducted to verify the ability of OPC-167832 to kill intracellular M.fortuitum,and its interaction with five drugs:amikacin,clarithromycin,imipenem,moxifloxacin,and clofazimine.The MIC50 and MIC90 against 44 clinical isolates of M.fortuitum were 0.031 25 μg/mL and 0.062 5μg/mL,respectively.The epidemiological cut-off value(ECOFF)was 0.062 5 μg/mL.Overexpression of DprE1 led to resistance to OPC-167832 in M.fortuitum.After 24 hours of incubation,the intracellular bacterial in-hibition rate of OPC-167832 at a 1 μg/mL concentration was 81.37%,exceeding the 74.05%inhibition rate of amikacin at a 1 μg/mL concentration.OPC-167832 showed strong inhibitory activity against M.fortuitum in vitro and in macrophages,and might provide a promising treatment for M.fortuitum infection.

Objective To analyze the correlation between right atrial strain at various stages and various influencing factors in patients with pulmonary hypertension,and to explore the role of right atrial strain in the assessment of pulmonary hypertension.Methods A total of 239 cases diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension who underwent echocardiography and complete right heart catheterization at hospital from October 2021 to December 2023 were included.Conventional ultrasound parameters such as right heart strain,right atrial area(RA area),inferior vena cava diameter(IVC diameter),and collapse rate of the inferior vena cava(IVC diameter changes)were measured.The heart rate(HR)corresponding to the ultrasound images were recorded.General information such as age and gender,as well as catheter data including mean right atrial pressure(mRAP),mean pulmonary artery pressure(mPAP),and pulmonary vascular resistance(PVR),were collected.The relationship between right atrial strain and its influencing factors was analyzed,and further analysis was conducted by dividing into shunt group and non-shunt group based on the presence or absence of left-to-right shunt disease.Results The correlation with RA reservoir strain(RASr)from high to low is RV global strain(RV4CSL),RV free wall strain(RVFWSL),RA area,IVC diameter,mRAP,age,HR,and PVR;the correlation with RAconduit strain(RAScd)from high to low is RV4CSL,RVFWSL,RA area,IVC diameter,mRAP,age,PVR,and HR;the correlation with RA contraction strain(RASct)from high to low is RA area,RV4CSL,RVFWSL,mRAP,IVC diameter,and HR.The collapse rate of the inferior vena cava is correlated with strain at various stages of the right atrium;gender is correlated with RASr and RASct.Conclusions Right atrial strain can reflect changes in right atrial function,with the highest correlation to right ventricular strain and right atrial area.Right atrial strain can indicate the severity of right ventricular function and right atrial remodeling,serving as an evaluative index for the condition and treatment outcomes of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Aim To identify the underlying target of bullatine A(BA)against rheumatoid arthritis(RA)u-sing limited proteolysis-small molecule mapping(LiP-SMap)drug target proteomics and to provide a scientif-ic basis for clinical application of Aconiti brachypodi Radix in the treatment of RA.Methods LiP-SMap drug target proteomics was employed to perform bioin-formatics analysis for comparing and validating the dif-ferential protein expression after BA intervention.A collagen-induced arthritis(CIA)model was estab-lished in DBA/1 mice using bovine type Ⅱ collagen.The mice were then divided into the CIA model group,methotrexate-positive control group(MTX group),and BA groups(10 mg·kg-1 and 20 mg·kg-1)based on their clinical scores.After drug intervention,the thera-peutic efficacy against RA was assessed by joint index scores and foot thickness measurements.Histopatholog-ical changes in the arthritic joints of CIA mice were e-valuated using hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was employed to detect inflammatory cytokines interleukin-17(IL-17)and total IgG and IgG3 anti-collagen-spe-cific antibodies levels from the serum of CIA mice.Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression levels of intracellular Th17 cells(IL-17+CD4+T cells)and Th1 cells(IFN-γ+CD4+T cells).Fluorescent quanti-tative PCR was performed to detect the expression of genes related to differential proteins.Results The proteomic analysis identified Serpinb1a as a protein with strong binding affinity to BA,and KEGG enrich-ment analysis indicated IL-17 signaling pathway was a crucial pathway of BA in against RA.BA treatment significantly reduced clinical scores and foot thickness,improved local arthritis symptoms in CIA mice,and al-leviated inflammatory cell infiltration into arthritic joints(P＜0.05).Differential protein validation re-sults showed that BA had strong affinity with Serpinb1a(-5.92 kJ·mol-1)and downregulated the expres-sion of Serpinb1a mRNA.Furthermore,the administra-tion of BA markedly reduced serum IL-17 A levels from CIA mice,inhibited the expression of intracellular IL-17 A and IFN-γ cytokines in splenic CD4+T cells(P＜0.05),and significantly downregulated the transcrip-tional expression of IL-17F(P＜0.05).Conclusion BA exhibits therapeutic effects on collagen-induced arthritis,and its mechanism of action may involve the regulation of Serpinb1a and the IL-17 signaling path-way.

With the rapid development of competitive sports, the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is on the rise. Such injuries may shorten athletes′ career and lead to other long-term adverse consequences. Although athletes generally recover well after ACL reconstruction, many still struggle to return to their pre-injury performance levels. Advances in the understanding of ACL anatomy and injury mechanisms, along with the evolution of surgical techniques and rehabilitation methods, have provided more individualized and tailored options for athletes following ACL injuries. However, there is currently no consensus in China regarding surgical and rehabilitation strategies for competitive athletes aiming to return to sports after ACL injuries. To this end, the Sports Medicine Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Association and the Editorial Board of the Chinese Journal of Trauma jointly formulated the Expert consensus on surgical treatment and rehabilitation for competitive sports athletes returning to sports after anterior cruciate ligament injury ( version 2025), and presented 14 recommendations covering surgical indications, preoperative rehabilitation, surgical timing, surgical strategies and postoperative rehabilitation strategies, aiming to improve the surgical treatment and rehabilitation system for ACL injuries in competitive athletes and facilitate their return to high-level sports performance after injury.

Objective To explore the pharmacokinetic(PK)characteristics of desloratadine tablets and reference drugs in healthy subjects,and evaluate their bioequivalence and safety.Methods The random,open,two-period,cross-over pharmacokinetic study method was adopted,each subject received a single oral dose of desloratadine tablets test drug(T)or reference drug(R)for 5 mg.The concentrations of desloratadine and 3-hydroxy desloratadine in plasma were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS);and the PK parameters were calculated by WinNonlin 8.1 software to evaluate the bioequivalence.Results The main PK parameters of T and R of desloratadine were as follows:the fasting condition Cmax were respectively(3 809.82±1 016.54)and(3 642.36±777.07)pg·mL-1;AUC0-120h were respectively(5.75 ×104±5.03 ×104)and(5.51 × 104±4.00 × 104)pg·h·mL-1;AUC0-∞ were respectively(6.85× 104±1.03× 104)and(6.37 × 104±7.92 × 104)pg·h·mL-1.The fed condition Cmax were respectively(4 398.98±1 191.22)and(4 744.4±1 511.97)pg·mL-1;AUC0-120h were respectively(5.25 × 104±1.82 × 104)and(5.55 × 104±1.98 × 104)pg·h·mL-1;AUC0-∞ were respectively(5.37 × 104±1.86 × 104)and(5.68 × 104±2.04 × 104)pg·h·mL-1.The 90％confidence interval of Cmax,AUC0-t and AUC0-∞ of desloratadine were all within 80.00％～125.00％.Conclusion There was no significant difference in the main PK parameters between T tablets and R under fasting or high-fat postprandial conditions,and desloratadine tablets were bioequivalent,safe and well tolerated.

Objective To explore the correlation between serum homocysteine(Hcy),25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]and frailty with type 2 diabites mellitus(T2DM)complicated with sarcopenia.Methods From September 2021 to March 2023,210 elderly T2DM patients were selected from the Department of Geriatrics of The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province,and divided into simple T2DM(n=99)group,mild sarcopenia(M-Sar,n=59)group and severe sarcopenia(S-Sar,n=52)group.The"Elderly Comprehensive Assessment System"was used to evaluate subjects.The influencing factors of T2DM complicated with sarcopenia were analyzed by Logistic regression.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of Hcy,25(OH)D combined with frailty in evaluating T2DM with sarcopenia.Results In T2DM,M-Sar and S-Sar groups,the age,Hcy,the risk rate of balance gait work falling and the rate of weakness increased in turn(P<0.05),while BMI,hemoglobin,25(OH)D,the rate of good nutrition,the normal rate of basic daily living,the low risk rate of falling,the rate of good balance gait function and the rate of no weakness decreased in turn(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that serum Hcy,frailty and 25(OH)D were the influencing factors of senile T2DM complicated with sarcopenia.Hcy,25(OH)D and frailty combined to predict T2DM with sarcopenia had an area under ROC carve of 0.815,with a sensitivity of 0.811 and a specificity of 0.717.Conclusions Serum Hcy,25(OH)D and frailty are closely related to T2DM combined with sarcopenia.Detection of Hcy and 25(OH)D combined with frailty score is helpful for early diagnosis of sarcopenia in primary hospitals.

The phase changes and quantity-quality transfer of 17 batches of Ostreae Concha(Ostrea rivularis) during the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process were analyzed. The content of calcium carbonate(CaCO_3), the main component, was determined by chemical titration, and the extract yield and transfer rate were calculated. The CaCO_3 content in the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction was 94.39%-98.80%, 95.03%-99.22%, and 84.58%-90.47%, respectively. The process of raw material to calcined decoction pieces showed the yield range of 96.85% to 98.55% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 96.92% to 99.27%. The process of calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction showed the extract yield range of 2.86% to 5.48% and the CaCO_3 transfer rate range of 2.59% to 5.13%. The results of X-ray fluorescence(XRF) assay showed that the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction mainly contained Ca, Na, Mg, Si, Br, Cl, Al, Fe, Cr, Mn, and K. The chemometric results showed an increase in the relative content of Cr, Fe, and Si from raw material to calcined decoction pieces and an increase in the relative content of Mg, Al, Br, K, Cl, and Na from calcined decoction pieces to standard decoction. X-ray diffraction(XRD) was employed to establish XRD characteristic patterns of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The XRD results showed that the main phase of all three was calcite, and no transformation of crystalline form or generation of new phase was observed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) was employed to establish the FTIR characteristic spectra of the raw material, calcined decoction pieces, and standard decoction. The FTIR results showed that the raw material had internal vibrations of O-H, C-H, C=O, C-O, and CO■ groups. Due to the loss of organic matter components after calcination, no information about the vibrations of C-H, C=O, and C-O groups was observed in the spectra of calcined decoction pieces and standard decoction. In summary, this study elucidated the quantity-quality transfer and phase changes in the raw material-calcined decoction pieces-standard decoction process by determining the CaCO_3 content, calculating the extract yield and transfer rate, and comparing the element changes, FTIR characteristic spectra, and XRD characteristic pattern. The results were reasonable and reliable, laying a foundation for the subsequent process research and quality control of the formula granules of calcined Ostreae Concha(O. rivularis Gould), and providing ideas and methods for the quality control of the whole process of raw material-decoction pieces-standard decoction-formula granules of Ostreae Concha and other testacean traditional Chinese medicine.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Calcium Carbonate/analysis* ; Quality Control

Objective : To assess and to compare the diagnostic performance of cervical ultrasound and 18F fluorodeoxyglucose(18F-FDG PET/CT) in identifying cervical lymph node metastases in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer(DTC) following total thyroidectomy, focusing on both early and delayed imaging phases. Methods : A retrospective review was performed on 83 DTC patients with DTC who had undergone total thyroidectomy. A total of 143 cervical lymph nodes, comprising both metastatic and non-metastatic nodes, were evaluated using 18F-FDG PET/CT and ultrasound. Sensitivity, specificity, and overall diagnostic accuracy were calculated for each imaging modality. Differences in lymph node detection rates across cervical regions using ultrasound were analyzed, along with nodal size parameters(long and short axis diameters), to investigate potential limitations of ultrasound in this context. Additionally, PET/CT parameters including axial ratio, early and delayed maximum standardized uptake values(SUVmax), and changes in SUVmax between imaging timepoints(ΔSUVmax) were compared between metastatic and non-metastatic lymph nodes to evaluate the diagnostic value and underlying mechanisms of PET/CT in this clinical setting. Results : 18 F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated a sensitivity of 91 . 58% (98/107) , a specificity of 72. 22% (26/36) , and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 86. 71% (124/143) in identifying cervical lymph node metastases post-total thyroidectomy in DTC patients . In comparison , ultrasound showed a lower sensitivity of 50. 47% (54/107) , but a higher specificity of 97. 22% (35/36) , with an overall accuracy of 62. 24% (89/ 143) . Notably , ultrasound exhibited a significantly higher false-negative rate in the first cervical lymph node group compared to the second group [56. 6% (30/53 ) vs 43 . 4% (23/53 ) ; χ2 = 20. 396 , P < 0. 001] . In delayed PET/CT imaging , metastatic lymph nodes showed a significantly increased SUV max compared to early-phase imaging (Z = - 8. 147 , P < 0. 001) . Using an SUV max threshold of 2. 5 , delayed imaging identified a greater number of positive lymph nodes than early imaging ( χ2 = 18. 127 , P < 0. 001) . Furthermore , metastatic lymph nodes exhibi- ted a significantly lower axial ratio than non-metastatic nodes (Z = - 4. 529 , P < 0. 001) . Both early and delayed SUV max values were significantly higher in malignant nodes compared to benign ones (Z = - 3 . 689 , P < 0. 001 and Z = - 4. 550 , P < 0. 001 , respectively) . Additionally , ΔSUV max was markedly elevated in metastatic lymph nodes (Z = - 4. 189 , P < 0. 001) . Conclusion Dual-phase 18 F-FDG PET/CT proves to be superior to ultrasound in di- agnosing cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) following total thyroid- ectomy . Delayed-phase imaging offers higher tumor-to-background ratio , which enhances the visibility of metastatic lymph nodes . In addition , dual-phase 18 F-FDG PET/CT plays greater advantages in the differential diagnosis be- tween metastatic lymph nodes and non-metastatic lymph nodes .