Azvudine and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) are recommended for COVID-19 treatment in China, but their safety and efficacy in the elderly population are not fully known. In this multicenter, retrospective, cohort study, we identified 5131 elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients from 32,864 COVID-19 patients admitted to nine hospitals in Henan Province, China, from December 5, 2022, to January 31, 2023. The primary outcome was all-cause death, and the secondary outcome was composite disease progression. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to control for confounding factors, including demographics, vaccination status, comorbidities, and laboratory tests. After 2:1 PSM, 1786 elderly patients receiving azvudine and 893 elderly patients receiving Paxlovid were included. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses revealed that compared with Paxlovid group, azvudine could significantly reduce the risk of all-cause death (log-rank P = 0.002; HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.573-0.883, P = 0.002), but there was no difference in composite disease progression (log-rank P = 0.52; HR: 1.05, 95% CI: 0.877-1.260, P = 0.588). Four sensitivity analyses verified the robustness of above results. Subgroup analysis suggested that a greater benefit of azvudine over Paxlovid was observed in elderly patients with primary malignant tumors (P for interaction = 0.005, HR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.18-0.57) compared to patients without primary malignant tumors. Safety analysis revealed that azvudine treatment had a lower incidence of adverse events and higher lymphocyte levels than Paxlovid treatment. In conclusion, azvudine treatment is not inferior to Paxlovid treatment in terms of all-cause death, composite disease progression and adverse events in elderly hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND:Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a refractory disease in the field of orthopedics.There is no definitive idea to fully explain its pathogenesis.With the increased research on the active ingredients of Panax notoginseng interfering with the signaling pathways related to various diseases,the active ingredients of Panax notoginseng that treat steroid-induced necrosis of the femoral head via the regulation of relevant signaling pathways have gradually become a hot research topic. OBJECTIVE:To systematically summarize the literature on the pathological mechanism of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head and the regulation of signaling pathways by the active ingredients of Panax notoginseng in recent years,thereby providing a reference for the follow-up study on the active ingredients of Panax notoginseng in the treatment of this disease. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,and PubMed were searched for relevant literature with the key words of"glucocorticoid,steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head,pathological mechanism,signaling pathway,Panax notoginseng,active ingredient"in Chinese and English.Documents related to the pathological mechanism of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head as well as related to the intervention of active ingredients of Panax notoginseng on the signaling pathway of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head were retrieved.A total of 63 documents were finally included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The main ingredients of Panax notoginseng include Panax notoginseng saponins,ginsenoside,Panax notoginseng saponins,quercetin,kaempferol,etc.Panax notoginseng saponins,ginsenoside Rb1 and quercetin can promote bone repair and angiogenesis by acting on the transforming growth factor-β/bone morphogenetic protein pathway.Panax notoginseng saponins,ginsenoside CK and kaempferol can promote osteogenic differentiation and lipid metabolism by acting on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.Panax notoginseng saponins and Panax notoginseng saponins R1/R2 act on the MAPK pathway to inhibit osteoclastogenesis and promote bone repair.Panax notoginseng saponins,ginsenoside Rb2 and quercetin can inhibit osteoclast proliferation and promote osteoblastic differentiation by acting on the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway.Panax notoginseng saponins,quercetin and kaempferol can repair vascular injury and promote osteogenesis by acting on the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α pathway.Panax notoginseng saponins R1,quercetin combined with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles,Panax notoginseng saponins combined with polyethylene-L-lactic acid and other biomaterials have good research prospects in the treatment of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.The active ingredients of Panax notoginseng can regulate the signaling pathways related to steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head through various mechanisms,and play an active intervention role in the disease.However,the depth and breadth of relevant research are insufficient at present,and the future research should be based on the existing mechanism to explore the specific mechanism of Panax notoginseng regulating different pathways and the interaction between pathways,which will be beneficial to the multi-development of the active ingredients of Panax notoginseng in the treatment of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Objective:To study the differential gene expression and immune cell infiltration of gout patients,to find the key genes and immune cells of gout pathogenesis,and to explore the relationship between immune cells and gout.Methods:The gout chip GSE160170 was downloaded from the GEO database,and the differential gene expression analysis was carried out with the help of R language.Then,the STRING database was used to analyze the differential gene,and the Cytoscape software was used to screen the key genes,and then carry out enrichment analysis.At the same time,the infiltration of immune cells were analyzed.Results:The study found that IL-6,IL-1β,TNF,CCL3,CXCL8 and CXCL1 were key genes in the pathogenesis of gout,which were mainly exerted by IL-17,Toll-like receptor,NOD-like receptor,NF-κB and other signaling pathways.Processes such as cellular responses to lipo-polysaccharides,bacteria-derived molecules,and biological stimuli lead to disease;immune infiltration results indicate that memory B cells,activated NK cells,activated dendritic cells,activated mast cells and eosinophils were involved in the disease.It was signifi-cantly expressed in gout patients;the correlation analysis between immune cells showed that the expression of follicular helper T cells were positively correlated with the expression of activated mast cells,and the expression of unactivated NK cells and monocyte were negatively correlated.Conclusion:Key genes and differentially expressed immune cells are closely related to the pathogenesis of gout,providing new ideas for the study of the molecular mechanism of gout.

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of chronic apical periodontitis(CAP)on atherosclerosis in apoE-/-mice fed high-fat diet(HFD).This investigation focused on the gut microbiota,metabolites,and intestinal barrier function to uncover potential links between oral health and cardiovascular disease(CVD).In this study,CAP was shown to exacerbate atherosclerosis in HFD-fed apoE-/-mice,as evidenced by the increase in plaque size and volume in the aortic walls observed via Oil Red O staining.16S rRNA sequencing revealed significant alterations in the gut microbiota,with harmful bacterial species thriving while beneficial species declining.Metabolomic profiling indicated disruptions in lipid metabolism and primary bile acid synthesis,leading to elevated levels of taurochenodeoxycholic acid(TCDCA),taurocholic acid(TCA),and tauroursodeoxycholic acid(TDCA).These metabolic shifts may contribute to atherosclerosis development.Furthermore,impaired intestinal barrier function,characterized by reduced mucin expression and disrupted tight junction proteins,was observed.The increased intestinal permeability observed was positively correlated with the severity of atherosclerotic lesions,highlighting the importance of the intestinal barrier in cardiovascular health.In conclusion,this research underscores the intricate interplay among oral health,gut microbiota composition,metabolite profiles,and CVD incidence.These findings emphasize the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene as a potential preventive measure against cardiovascular issues,as well as the need for further investigations into the intricate mechanisms linking oral health,gut microbiota,and metabolic pathways in CVD development.

Objective:To understand the incidence of HIV infection, high risk behaviors and pre-exposure prophylaxis/post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) utilization in men who have sex with men (MSM) in Beijing.Methods:Sample size was estimated to be 1 227 persons and 207 person year respectively in the survey and the cohort by using Epi Info 7.0 software. Using convenient sampling method, MSM were recruited by using Wechat app. Questionnaire was completed online to collect the information about demographic characteristics, high risk behavior, and utilization of PrEP/PEP of the MSM. MSM collected dry blood spot (DBS) samples by themselves, and mailed the DBS samples to laboratory for HIV nucleic acid testing. Open cohort was established and those with HIV negative nucleic acid testing results were followed up. Non-conditional binary logistic regression method was used to identify the associated factors for high risk anal sex in the last month and having multiple homosexual partners in the last month.Results:A total of 1 147 MSM were recruited, and follow up for 236 person years was conducted in 956 MSM with negative HIV nucleic acid testing results. The detection rate of new HIV infection was 1.3 per 100 person-years (3/236). During the last month, the proportions of consistent condom use in anal sex and oral sex were 50.7% (238/469) and 4.9% (23/469). In the MSM, 5.9% (43/723) had sex with HIV positive partners in the last month. 9.8% (103/1 049) used PrEP, and 8.7% (91/1 049) used PEP. The proportion of consistent condom use in PrEP and PEP were 34.3% (24/70) and 72.2% (39/54) respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that compared with those who used no PrEP/PEP, those who used PrEP/PEP were more likely to have unprotected anal sex in the last month (a OR=3.16, 95% CI:1.45-7.18), and more likely to have multiple homosexual partners in the last month (a OR=2.64, 95% CI:1.19-6.30), and compared with those who used no Rush Popper or drugs in the last month, those who used Rush Popper or drugs in the last month were more likely to have unprotected anal sex in the last month (a OR=2.34, 95% CI:1.67-3.30), and more likely to have multiple homosexual partners (a OR=2.42,95% CI:1.76-3.33). Conclusions:It is necessary to strengthen the health education to promote condom use and introduce the harm of drug use in MSM. In PrEP and PEP services, it is still necessary to suggest consistent condom use for MSM.

Non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP), a biological means to block the transmission of HIV, is recommended by European countries, USA and WHO to use in HIV high-risk groups, but its utilization rate is still very low. The information-motivation-behavioral skills model (IMB) can accurately explain the prevalence and change of health behaviors. Based on this model, this paper summarizes the progress in research of the influencing factors for nPEP use to provide a basis for further research to promote the use of nPEP.