BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

A middle-aged patient presented with persistent purulent discharge from a scalp incision five years after undergoing craniotomy with artificial dura mater implantation. The wound showed no significant improvement despite a month of systemic antibiotic therapy and local debridement. Subsequent superficial ultrasonography revealed complete separation of the artificial dura mater implant area from the surrounding flap tissue, with a loss of local blood supply. Based on these findings, the artificial dura mater was surgically removed, and a free skin flap transplantation was performed to successfully cover the wound. The wound was well-healed at the 10-month postoperative follow-up.
Humans ; Scalp/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Epidural Abscess/etiology* ; Ultrasonography ; Surgical Flaps ; Surgical Wound Infection/surgery* ; Dura Mater/surgery*

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a severe dose-limiting adverse event of chemotherapy. Presently, the mechanism underlying the induction of CIPN remains unclear, and no effective treatment is available. In this study, through metabolomics analyses, we found that nab-paclitaxel therapy markedly increased serum serotonin [5-hydroxtryptamine (5-HT)] levels in both cancer patients and mice compared to the respective controls. Furthermore, nab-paclitaxel-treated enterochromaffin (EC) cells showed increased 5-HT synthesis, and serotonin-treated Schwann cells showed damage, as indicated by the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling. Venlafaxine, an inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, was found to protect against nerve injury by suppressing the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling in Schwann cells. Remarkably, venlafaxine was found to significantly alleviate nab-paclitaxel-induced CIPN in patients without affecting the clinical efficacy of chemotherapy. In summary, our study reveals that EC cell-derived 5-HT plays a critical role in nab-paclitaxel-related neurotoxic lesions, and venlafaxine co-administration represents a novel approach to treating chronic cumulative neurotoxicity commonly reported in nab-paclitaxel-based chemotherapy.
Paclitaxel/toxicity* ; Animals ; Albumins/adverse effects* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Mice ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride/therapeutic use* ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Schwann Cells/metabolism* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy* ; Antineoplastic Agents

Objective To explore the application effect of vertebroplasty(PVP)combined with precise personalized vertebral stent implantation based on 3D biomechanical modeling in the repair of thoracolumbar fractures.Methods A total of 98 patients with thoracolumbar vertebral fractures treated at our hospital from September 2021 to December 2022 were selected for this study.Patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical method:the conventional group(n=50)and the combined group(n=48).The conventional group received PVP treatment,while the combined group was treated with PVP combined with 3D-printed personalized vertebral body stents.The length of incision,operation time,blood loss,drainage volume and hospital stay of the two groups were recorded.The Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)was used to assess the improvement of thoracolumbar function in patients before surgery and one month after the surgery.Cobb angle,anterior height of injured vertebra and sagittal position index were measured.Visual Analog Scale(VAS)for pain and Short Form-36(SF-36)questionnaire for quality of life were used to evaluate low back pain,lower extremity pain and quality of life of patients before surgery and one month after surgery.Postoperative complications were also recorded.Results The length of incision,operation time,blood loss,drainage volume and hospital stay were lower in the combination group than those of the conventional group(P＜0.05).ODI score and Cobb angle were lower 1 month after surgery than those before surgery in both groups,and the combined group was lower than the conventional group(P＜0.05).One month after operation,the anterior height and sagittal position index of injured vertebrae were higher than those before surgery,and the combined group was higher than the conventional group(P＜0.05).VAS scores were lower and SF-36 scores were higher in both groups one month after operation compared to those before the operation,with the combined group showing lower VAS scores and higher SF-36 scores compared to the conventional group(P＜0.05).The total complication rate was lower in the combined group(2.08％)than that in the conventional group(16.00％,P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the overall postoperative satisfaction between the conventional group and the combined group.Conclusion The treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with PVP combined with 3D printed personalized vertebral stenting has a remarkable effect.The pain and quality of life of patients have been significantly improved,and the surgical safety is relatively good.

Objective To explore the application effect of vertebroplasty(PVP)combined with precise personalized vertebral stent implantation based on 3D biomechanical modeling in the repair of thoracolumbar fractures.Methods A total of 98 patients with thoracolumbar vertebral fractures treated at our hospital from September 2021 to December 2022 were selected for this study.Patients were divided into two groups based on the surgical method:the conventional group(n=50)and the combined group(n=48).The conventional group received PVP treatment,while the combined group was treated with PVP combined with 3D-printed personalized vertebral body stents.The length of incision,operation time,blood loss,drainage volume and hospital stay of the two groups were recorded.The Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)was used to assess the improvement of thoracolumbar function in patients before surgery and one month after the surgery.Cobb angle,anterior height of injured vertebra and sagittal position index were measured.Visual Analog Scale(VAS)for pain and Short Form-36(SF-36)questionnaire for quality of life were used to evaluate low back pain,lower extremity pain and quality of life of patients before surgery and one month after surgery.Postoperative complications were also recorded.Results The length of incision,operation time,blood loss,drainage volume and hospital stay were lower in the combination group than those of the conventional group(P＜0.05).ODI score and Cobb angle were lower 1 month after surgery than those before surgery in both groups,and the combined group was lower than the conventional group(P＜0.05).One month after operation,the anterior height and sagittal position index of injured vertebrae were higher than those before surgery,and the combined group was higher than the conventional group(P＜0.05).VAS scores were lower and SF-36 scores were higher in both groups one month after operation compared to those before the operation,with the combined group showing lower VAS scores and higher SF-36 scores compared to the conventional group(P＜0.05).The total complication rate was lower in the combined group(2.08％)than that in the conventional group(16.00％,P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the overall postoperative satisfaction between the conventional group and the combined group.Conclusion The treatment of thoracolumbar fractures with PVP combined with 3D printed personalized vertebral stenting has a remarkable effect.The pain and quality of life of patients have been significantly improved,and the surgical safety is relatively good.

OBJECTIVE To establish the fingerprint of Pinghuo tea standard decoction and a method for determination of multi-component to clarify the transfer relationship of quantities and quality from pieces and standard decoction.METHODS Fifteen batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction were prepared and the extract rate was determined;the fingerprint of the preparation was established by using high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC);the similarity evaluation and the determination of common peaks were performed,and chemometric analysis was performed;the same method was used to determine the content of indicator components and the transfer rate was calculated.The chromatographic column was Venusil C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-0.1％ phosphoric acid solution (gradient elution);the column temperature was 30 ℃,and the detection wavelengths were 238 nm (0-37 min,85-102 min) and 330 nm (37-85 min) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with an injection volume of 10 μL.RESULTS The similarity of HPLC fingerprints for 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction was not lower than 0.968.A total of 24 common peaks were calibrated and 9 peaks were recognized,which were as follows neochlorogenic acid (peak 3),chlorogenic acid (peak 6),geniposide (peak 9),glycyrrhizin (peak 10),galuteolin (peak 11),isochlorogenic acid A (peak 14),luteolin (peak 21),kaempferol (peak 23) and glycyrrhizic acid (peak 24).Cluster analysis,principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis showed consistent results,all of which could classify the 15 batches of samples into three categories.The linear range of indicator components in 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction,such as geniposide,luteolin,isochlorogenic acid A,glycyrrhizin,and glycyrrhizic acid,were 0.020580-0.411600,0.001617-0.080850,0.006076-0.607600,0.005125-0.071740,and 0.017288-0.432200 mg/mL,respectively;RSDs of precision,repeatability,stability and recovery rate tests were all not higher than 4％ (n=6).The mass fractions ranged 3.2279-10.0022,0.2974-0.5546,3.3501-6.1596,0.7206-1.0733,2.0031-3.0301 mg/g;transfer rates from the pieces and standard decoction were 19.7628％-35.8405％,12.1233％-21.2540％,46.0972％-82.8694％,58.7088％-91.6296％,39.1143％-63.7106％.The transfer rates of the extract from 15 batches of Pinghuo tea standard decoction ranged from 61.15％-84.68％.CONCLUSIONS Established HPLC fingerprint and content determination methods in this study are simple and accurate,which can provide reference for the quantitative value transfer study,quality control,clinical application and the development of subsequent formulations of Pinghuo tea standard decoction.

Objective To analyze the outcomes of catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation(AF)and the independent risk factors for its recurrence in the elderly.Methods A total of 194 patients with persistent AF who underwent catheter ablation at our department from January 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled in this study.They were divided into elderly group(≥60 years old,99 cases)and non-elderly group(＜60 years old,95 cases).Their surgical characteris-tics,postoperative complications and recurrence were compared between the two groups,and the independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence were analyzed in the elderly group.Results Advanced age,higher B-type natriuretic peptide,larger proportions of hypertension and coronary heart disease,and increased CHA2DS2-VASc and HAS-BLED scores,while lower male ratio and estimated glomerular filtration rate were observed in the elderly group than the non-elderly group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The elderly group had a higher proportion of left atrial fibrosis than the non-elderly group(30.3％vs 8.4％,P=0.001).Postoperative complications in the elderly group in-cluded 1 case of pericardial effusion and 2 cases of hematoma at the puncture site,and all of these were improved after treatment.There were no significant differences in the 1-year success rate(71.7％vs 69.5％,P=0.763)or recurrence rate during blanking period(21.2％vs 21.1％,P=0.981)between the elderly and non-elderly groups.AF duration(HR=1.020,95％CI:1.007-1.032,P=0.002)and recurrence during blanking period(HR=6.781,95％CI:3.078-14.935,P=0.001)were independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence in the elderly group.Conclu-sion Catheter ablation is safe and effective in the treatment of persistent AF in the elderly.The elderly patients with long duration of AF and recurrences during blanking period are more likely to experience recurrences within 1 year after ablation.

The COVID-19 epidemic has spread to the whole world for three years and has had a serious impact on human life, health and economic activities. China's epidemic prevention and control has gone through the following stages: emergency unconventional stage, emergency normalization stage, and the transitional stage from the emergency normalization to the "Category B infectious disease treated as Category B" normalization, and achieved a major and decisive victory. The designated hospitals for prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic in Tianjin has successfully completed its tasks in all stages of epidemic prevention and control, and has accumulated valuable experience. This article summarizes the experience of constructing a hospital infection prevention and control system during the "Category B infectious disease treated as Category A" period in designated hospital. The experience is summarized as the "Cluster" hospital infection prevention and control system, namely "three rings" outside, middle and inside, "three districts" of green, orange and red, "three things" before, during and after the event, "two-day pre-purification" and "two-director system", and "one zone" management. In emergency situations, we adopt a simplified version of the cluster hospital infection prevention and control system. In emergency situations, a simplified version of the "Cluster" hospital infection prevention and control system can be adopted. This system has the following characteristics: firstly, the system emphasizes the characteristics of "cluster" and the overall management of key measures to avoid any shortcomings. The second, it emphasizes the transformation of infection control concepts to maximize the safety of medical services through infection control. The third, it emphasizes the optimization of the process. The prevention and control measures should be comprehensive and focused, while also preventing excessive use. The measures emphasize the use of the least resources to achieve the best infection control effect. The fourth, it emphasizes the quality control work of infection control, pays attention to the importance of the process, and advocates the concept of "system slimming, process fattening". Fifthly, it emphasizes that the future development depends on artificial intelligence, in order to improve the quality and efficiency of prevention and control to the greatest extent. Sixth, hospitals need to strengthen continuous training and retraining. We utilize diverse training methods, including artificial intelligence, to ensure that infection control policies and procedures are simple. We have established an evaluation and feedback mechanism to ensure that medical personnel are in an emergency state at all times.

[Abstract] [Objective] To establish a detection method for complement C3d-sensitized platelets. [Methods] Parallel detection of the same platelet sample under conditions of complement C3d sensitization and non-sensitization was conducted using microcolumn gel immunoagglutination inhibition assay technology. The supernatant obtained after the reaction between anti-C3d monoclonal antibodies and platelet samples was then reacted with C3d-sensitized red blood cells to observe whether agglutination occurs. Subsequently, this method was used to test samples from 22 clinical patients to determine whether their platelets were sensitized by complement C3d. [Results] The same platelet sample, after being sensitized with complement C3d, showed negative or weakened aggregation, which was determined as a positive result, whereas platelets that were not sensitized with complement C3d exhibited aggregation, which was determined as a negative result. A total of 22 clinical patient samples were tested, of which 16 were negative and 6 were positive. [Conclusion] A microcolumn gel immunoagglutination inhibition test was established to detect whether platelets are sensitized by complement C3d, which aids in the auxiliary diagnosis of complement-related immune diseases involving platelets.

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of combining traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), specifically Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), with Western medicine (WM), compared to WM alone to treat breast cancer endocrine therapy-related osteoporosis (BCET-OP) by meta-analysis. Methods: Thirty-eight randomized controlled trials involving 2170 participants were analyzed. Eight databases were searched for articles published between inception and December 2023. Quality assessment was performed using the Risk of Bias 2 tool. Results: Significant increases were observed in the TCM-WM group in lumbar vertebrae bone mineral density (BMD) (P < .001, mean difference (MD) = 0.07, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.06 to 0.08), lumbar vertebrae T-score (P = .0005, MD = 0.21, 95%CI: 0.09 to 0.33) and collum femoris BMD (P = .01, MD = 0.10, 95%CI: 0.02 to 0.19). No significant difference was observed between the groups in the collum femoris T-score and estradiol levels. Bone gla-protein levels were significantly increased in the TCM-WM group (P = .0002, MD = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.25 to 0.79). Beta-CrossLaps decreased significantly in the TCM-WM group (P = .0008, MD = −0.10, 95%CI: −0.16 to −0.04). No significant difference was observed between the TCM-WM and WM groups in alkaline phosphatase, in procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide, and in the Kupperman index. The visual analog score (VAS) was decreased in the TCM-WM group compared to the WM group (P < .001, MD = −1.40, 95%CI: −1.94 to −0.87). No significant difference in adverse events was observed between the two groups. Conclusion Combining CHM with WM in patients with BCET-OP significantly improved BMD, T-score, and certain bone turnover markers and reduced the VAS score, indicating potential benefits for bone health and related pain. Adverse event analysis revealed no differences between the groups, supporting the feasibility of the combination therapy. However, further research, particularly in diverse populations, is required.