A 42-year-old male with chest tightness and dyspnea was admitted to the hospital. Chest CT indicated diffuse interstitial lung infiltration. Despite receiving anti-infective therapy, glucocorticoid therapy, and immunosuppressive agents, the patient developed refractory hypoxaemia. Endotracheal intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation failed to improve oxygenation. Therefore the patient was diagnosed with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) accompanied by type Ⅰ respiratory failure. Veno-venous (VV) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was initiated, and oxygenation improved in this patient. The patient subsequently underwent bilateral lung transplantation with veno-arterio-venous (VAV) ECMO support. ECMO machine was withdrawn on day 1, and extubation was achieved on day 9 after surgery. Histopathology revealed fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) with hyaline membrane formation. The patient developed ICU-acquired myasthenia and received early rehabilitation, with gradual recovery of muscle strength. During follow-up, graft lung function remained stable. This case demonstrates that ECMO can serve as a bridge to lung transplantation in RP-ILD patients.

As the core vehicle for preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） academic thought and clinical experience， the establishment of a robust quality evaluation system for TCM clinical case reports is a crucial component in the current standardization and modernization of TCM. Based on the practical experience of constructing the China Clinical Cases Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， this study conducted a comprehensive analysis of critical challenges， including insufficient authenticity and unfocused evaluation criteria. It proposed a three-dimensional evaluation framework grounded in the structure-process-outcome logic， encompassing three dimensions of authenticity and standardization， characteristics and advantages， application and translational impact. This framework integrated 12 key evaluation indicators in a systematic manner. The model preserved the academic characteristics of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment， while aligning with modern scientific research standards， achieving a balance between individualized TCM experience and standardized evaluation. Concurrently， this study provided theoretical foundations and methodological guidance for evaluating the quality of TCM clinical cases， contributing significantly to the inheritance of TCM knowledge， evidence-based practice， and the reform of talent evaluation mechanisms.

ObjectiveTo elucidate the efficacy connotation of Shudi Qiangjin pills （SQP） against liver and kidney deficiency in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head （SONFH） from the perspective of the "disease-syndrome-formula" association and to clarify the underlying mechanisms based on in vivo and in vitro experiment validation. MethodsThe chemical components and the corresponding putative targets of SQP were collected from the Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） v2.0， the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine （ETCM） v2.0， and HERB databases. The SONFH-related genes were identified based on the differential expression profiles of peripheral blood of patients with SONFH compared to the healthy volunteers， and the disease phenotype-related targets were collected from the TCMIP v2.0 database. Then， the interaction network of "SONFH-related genes and candidate targets of SQP" was constructed based on "gene-gene interaction information"， and the major network targets were screened by calculating the topological characteristic values of the network followed by the functional mining according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） database and the SoFDA database. After that， the SONFH rat model was prepared by lipopolysaccharide combined with methylprednisolone injection， and 2.5， 5， 7.5 g·kg^-1 SQP （once per day， equivalent to 1， 2， and 3 times the clinical equivalent dose， respectively） or 7.3×10^-3 g·kg^-1 of alendronate sodium （ALS， once per week， equivalent to the clinical equivalent dose） was given for 8 weeks. The effect characteristics of SQP and ALS in the treatment of SONFH were evaluated by micro-computed tomography scanning， hematoxylin and eosin staining， alkaline phosphatase （ALP） staining， immunohistochemical staining， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay， and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling（TUNEL）staining， and a comparative efficacy analysis was conducted with ALS. In addition， SONFH cell models were prepared by dexamethasone stimulation of osteoblasts， and the intervention was carried out with the medicated serum of SQP at the aforementioned three doses. Cell counting kit-8， ALP staining， ALP activity assay， alizarin red staining， and flow cytometry were employed to investigate the regulatory effect of SQP on osteoblasts. The expression levels of osteogenesis-related proteins and key factors of the target signaling axis were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. ResultsThe network analysis results demonstrated that the candidate targets of SQP primarily exerted their therapeutic effects through key signaling pathways， including phosphoinositide 3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt）， lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis， prolactin， chemokines， and neurotrophic factors pathways. These pathways were significantly involved in critical biological processes such as muscle and bone metabolism and the regulation of the "neuro-endocrine-immune" network， thereby addressing both modern medical symptoms （e.g.， delayed skeletal maturation and recurrent fractures） and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptoms （e.g.， fatigue， aversion to cold， cold limbs， and pain in the limbs and joints in patients with SONFH characterized by liver and kidney deficiency syndrome. Among these pathways， the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway exhibited the highest degree of enrichment. The in vivo experimental results demonstrated that starting from the 4^th week after modeling， the modeling group exhibited a significant reduction in body weight compared to the control group （P<0.05）. After six weeks of treatment， all dosage groups of SQP showed significantly higher body weights compared to the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited significant decreases in bone mineral density （BMD）， bone volume fraction （BV/TV）， trabecular number （Tb.N）， osteocalcin （OCN）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP） levels in femoral head tissue， and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase （BALP） （P<0.01）， along with significant increases in trabecular separation （Tb.Sp）， empty lacunae rate in tissue， and apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. In comparison to the model group， the SQP intervention groups showed significant improvements in BMD， BV/TV and Tb.N （P<0.01）， significant reductions in Tb.Sp， empty lacunae rate and apoptosis rate （P<0.05）， and significant increases in protein levels of OCN and ALP as well as BALP content （P<0.05）. The in vitro experimental results revealed that all dosage groups of SQP medicated serum showed no toxic effects on osteoblast. Compared with the normal group， the model group displayed significant suppression of osteoblast proliferation activity， ALP activity， and calcified nodule formation rate （P<0.01）， significant decreases in mRNA transcription levels of OCN and Runt-related transcription factor 2 （RUNX2） （P<0.01）， significant reductions in protein content of osteopontin （OPN）， typeⅠ collagen （ColⅠ）A1， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， PI3K， and phosphorylated （p）-Akt （P<0.01）， and a significant increase in apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the SQP medicated serum intervention groups exhibited significant increases in proliferation activity， ALP activity， calcified nodule formation rate， mRNA transcription levels of OCN and RUNX2， and protein content of OPN， ColⅠA1， Bcl-2， PI3K， and p-Akt （P<0.05）， along with a significant decrease in apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. ConclusionSQP can effectively reduce the disease severity of SONFH with liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and improve bone microstructure， with the therapeutic effects exhibiting a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism may be related to its regulation of key processes such as muscle and bone metabolism and the correction of imbalances in the "neuro-endocrine-immune" network， thereby promoting osteoblast differentiation and inhibiting osteoblast apoptosis. The PI3K/Akt signaling axis is likely one of the key pathways through which this formula exerts its effects.

Objective:To investigate the prognostic value of aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) immunohistochemical expression in adrenal specimens for surgical outcomes of primary aldosteronism (PA).Methods:The clinical data of 99 patients who underwent total unilateral adrenalectomy from June 2022 to January 2023 at Beijing Anzhen Hospital was retrospectively analysed. The clinical data of 99 patients who underwent unilateral total adrenalectomy at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from June 2022 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 59 patients in the PA group, age (53.02±10.56) years, body mass index (BMI) (26.28±4.33) kg/m 2, preoperative aldosterone 29.0(15.9, 61.5)ng/dl, plasma renin 1.3(0.6, 2.8)μIU/ml, aldosterone renin ratio (ARR) 19.3(9.1, 59.2) μg/μIU, preoperative potassium (3.60±0.69) mmol/L, and systolic blood pressure (156.54±21.39) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa).There were 40 cases in the nonfunctioning adenoma (NFA) group, age (57.23±9.39) years, BMI (27.07±3.46) kg/m 2, preoperative aldosterone 9.0(7.2, 14.1) ng/dl, plasma renin 18.0(5.2, 47.6)μIU/ml, ARR 0.6(0.2, 1.4) μg/μIU, preoperative potassium (4.17±0.41) mmol/L, and systolic blood pressure (157.97±26.87) mmHg. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant for potassium ( P<0.01), aldosterone ( P=0.012), renin ( P<0.01), and ARR ( P<0.01).Surgical outcomes were assessed using the Consensus on the Outcome of Surgery for Primary Aldosteronism (PASO) (complete/partial/no success for clinical and biochemical outcomes). CYP11B2 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using the 2022 World Health Organization's histopathology of primary aldosteronism (HISTALDO) criteria. The correlation between the expression of CYP11B2 and surgical outcomes was assessed. Results:The mean follow-up of 99 patients was (11.73±4.92) months. Of these, 36 out of 59 PA patients had positive CYP11B2 expression in their adrenal specimens, while 23 were negative; all 40 NFA patients were negative for CYP11B2. Among the 36 CYP11B2-positive PA patients, there were 19 cases of aldosterone-producing adenomas, 3 aldosterone-producing nodules, 4 aldosterone-producing micronodules, 8 multiple aldosterone-producing micronodules, and 2 aldosterone-producing diffuse hyperplasia. 36 cases of CYP11B2-positive PA patients had complete clinical success in 15 cases, partial success in 20 cases, and no success in 1 case, and complete biochemical success in 24 cases, partial success in 11 cases, and no success in 1 case; 23 CYP11B2-negative PA patients had complete clinical success in 4 cases, partial success in 15 cases, and no success in 4 cases, and complete biochemical success in 6 cases, partial success in 15 cases, and no success in 2 cases. Adrenal specimens from CYP11B2-positive PA patients had significantly better clinical ( P=0.038) and biochemical ( P=0.008) success rates than CYP11B2-negative PA patients. Patients with aldosterone-producing adenomas had complete clinical success in 8 cases, partial success in 11 cases, and no success in 0 cases, and biochemical success was completely achieved in 16 cases, partially achieved in 2 cases, and not successful in 1 case. They also had significantly higher clinical ( P=0.028) and biochemical ( P<0.01) success rates compared to CYP11B2-negative PA patients. Conclusions:Patients with PA who had immunohistochemical staining for CYP11B2 positivity and high expression in adrenal specimens had a better postoperative clinical and biochemical prognosis. Patients with aldosterone-producing adenomas had the greatest postoperative outcome of all pathological subtypes of PA.

Objective:To explore the association of central obesity, pain, their joint effect, and interaction with frailty in middle-aged and old people in China.Methods:A total of 14 359 participants aged ≥45 years in 2011, 2013 and 2015 were selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study to construct a cohort database. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the association of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and pain with the risk for frailty. Joint effect and interaction analyses were performed.Results:In the follow-up of 77 783 person-years, frailty developed in 3 198 participants, with an incidence density of 41.11 per 1 000 person-years. Compared with the Q1 level of WHtR, its Q2, Q3 and Q4 level increased risk for frailty by 17% ( HR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.05-1.31), 24% ( HR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.11-1.40), and 43% ( HR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.25-1.63), respectively. Compared with painlessness, suffering from pain increased the risk for frailty by 97% ( HR=1.97, 95% CI: 1.83-2.11), and having 1, 2, and ≥3 pain sites increased the risk by 42% ( HR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.25-1.61), 86% ( HR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.64-2.11), and 138% ( HR=2.38, 95% CI: 2.18-2.60), respectively. The results of restricted cubic spline showed that WHtR level was associated with the risk for frailty in a J-type dose-response relationship (total P<0.001, nonlinear P<0.001), and pain quantity was positively associated with the risk in a nonlinear dose-response relationship (total P<0.001, nonlinear P<0.001). Threshold effect analysis revealed that the inflection points of WHtR and pain site number were 0.46 and 2.00, respectively ( P<0.001). Joint effect analysis showed that the Q2, Q3 and Q4 levels of WHtR combined with pain increased the risk for frailty by 146% ( HR=2.46, 95% CI: 2.11-2.87), 169% ( HR=2.69, 95% CI: 2.30-3.16), and 157% ( HR=2.57, 95% CI: 2.18-3.03). Conclusions:The risk for frailty increased with the level of WHtR and the number of pain sites in middle-aged and old people, and there was joint effect between WHtR and pain. Comprehensive management and intervention of obesity and pain are significant for the early prevention of frailty.

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

Ergopeptines or their derivatives are widely used for treating neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases. The nonribosomal peptide synthetase-d-lysergyl peptide synthetase A (LPSA) determines ergopeptine formation but the detailed mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here, we characterized two LPSAs from Claviceps purpurea Cp-1 strain through heterologous expression in Aspergillus nidulans feeding with d-lysergic acid. We proved that Cp-LPSA1 catalyzed the formation of ergocornine, α-ergocryptine, and β-ergocryptine, precisely controlled by the substrate specificity of its three modules. Cp-LPSA2 was initially inactive but could be restored to catalyze α-ergosine formation. Using this platform, we validated that P1-LPSA1 and P1-LPSA2 from the reported C. purpurea P1 strain catalyzed ergotamine and α-ergocryptine formation, respectively. Typically, the non-ribosomal peptide codes implicated in every module of the LPSAs were defined and elucidated, in which certain key residues could play a switched role for substrate specificity and product interconversion. By constructing chimeric LPSAs through module assembly, the production of the desired ergopeptines was achieved. Notably, 1.46 mg/L of α-ergocryptine and 1.09 mg/L of ergotamine were produced respectively by mixed-culture of C. paspali No. 24 (fermentation supernatant) and the recombinants of A. nidulans. Our findings provide insights into the biosynthetic mechanism of ergopeptines and lay a foundation for directed ergopeptine biosynthesis.

Infectious keratitis (IK) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, primarily resulting from improper contact lens use, trauma, and a compromised immune response. The pathogenic microorganisms responsible for IK include bacteria, fungi, viruses, and Acanthamoeba. This review examines standard therapeutic agents for treating IK, including broad-spectrum empiric antibiotics for bacterial keratitis (BK), antifungals such as voriconazole and natamycin for fungal infections, and antiviral nucleoside analogues for viral keratitis (VK). Additionally, this review discusses therapeutic agents, such as polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB), for the treatment of Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). The review also addresses emerging drugs and the challenges associated with their clinical application, including anti-biofilm agents that combat drug resistance and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway-targeted therapies to mitigate inflammation. Furthermore, methods of Photodynamic Antimicrobial Therapy (PDAT) are explored. This review underscores the importance of integrating novel and traditional therapies to tackle drug resistance and enhance drug delivery, with the goal of advancing treatment strategies for IK.

This study aims to develop a fully automated method for tooth segmentation and root canal measurement based on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, providing objective, efficient, and accurate measurement results to guide and assist clinicians in root canal diagnosis grading, instrument selection, and preoperative planning. The method utilized Attention U-Net to recognize tooth descriptors, cropped regions of interest (ROIs) based on the center of mass of these descriptors, and applied an integrated deep learning method for segmentation. The segmentation results were mapped back to the original coordinates and position-corrected, followed by automatic measurement and visualization of root canal lengths and angles. The results indicated that the Dice coefficient for segmentation was 96.42%, the Jaccard coefficient was 93.11%, the Hausdorff Distance was 2.07 mm, and the average surface distance was 0.23 mm, all of which surpassed existing methods. The relative error of the root canal working length measurement was 3.15% (< 5%), the curvature angle error was 2.85 °, and the correct classification rate of the treatment difficulty coefficient was 90.48%. The proposed methods all achieved favorable results, which can provide an important reference for clinical application.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography/methods* ; Deep Learning ; Humans ; Dental Pulp Cavity/diagnostic imaging* ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*

The aim of this updated guideline is to provide comprehensive recommendations for the management of gout in patients with common comorbidities, such as chronic kidney disease(CKD), cardiovascular disease(CVD), diabetes, osteoarthritis(OA), and gastrointestinal disorders. This guideline was developed by a multidisciplinary expert panel consisting of specialists in endocrinology, rheumatology, nephrology, cardiology, gastroenterology, and methodology. The development process adhered to standard methodologies, including PICO(population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes) question deconstruction, systematic literature review, the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation(GRADE) for evidence and recommendation evaluation, Delphi voting, and expert consensus. The guideline presents 26 evidence-based recommendations addressing 7 clinical questions for patients with hyperuricemia and gout in the context of comorbidities. Key recommendations include the maintenance of strict serum urate targets, particularly for patients with CKD stage≥3, chronic gouty arthritis, and OA, in order to prevent disease progression. In patients with CVD or diabetes, intra-articular triamcinolone is preferred over systemic glucocorticoids. Prioritized anti-inflammatory treatments for patients with CKD, gastrointestinal diseases and OA are recommended. The guideline also introduces emerging therapies, such as interleukin-1 inhibitors and selective urate transport inhibitors, as potential treatment options for refractory cases. The update offers a comprehensive, patient-centered approach to managing gout, particularly in individuals with associated comorbidities. Multidisciplinary collaboration and emerging new treatments and evidence ensure the optimization of the recommendations.