1.Effect of Xibining Formula (膝痹宁) on Knee Cartilage Tissue Damage and the cGAS-STING Signaling Pathway in Knee Osteoarthritis Model Mice
Houyu FU ; Xiaochen LI ; Zijian GONG ; Lishi JIE ; Jiangyu LIU ; Yingqi CHEN ; Peimin WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(12):1257-1264
ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of action of Xibining Formula (膝痹宁) for cartilage damage in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) through the cyclic guanosine-adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS)- stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway. MethodsFifty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups (10 per group), sham operation group, KOA model group, low-dose Xibining Formula group, high-dose Xibining Formula group, and high-dose Xibining Formula + agonist group. The KOA models were constructed using the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) method in all groups but the sham surgery group. Two weeks after surgery, the low- and high-dose Xibining Formula groups were administered Xibining Formula at doses of 3.58 g/(kg·d) and 14.32 g/(kg·d) respectively via gavage. The high-dose Xibining Formula + agonist group received 14.32 g/(kg·d) of Xibining Formula via gavage followed by an intraperitoneal injection of Vadimezan (DMXAA) at 25 mg/kg. The sham surgery group and the KOA model group mice were given an equivalent volume of normal saline at 5 ml/(kg·d) via gavage, once daily for four consecutive weeks. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by ELISA; pathological changes in cartilage tissue were observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Safranin O-Fast Green staining. Pathological changes were scored according to the Mankin scoring system; the levels of cartilage tissue matrix regulation-related indicators such as matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS), type-Ⅱ collagen (CⅡ) and aggregated proteoglycan (Aggrecan), and also cGAS-STING pathway-related protein and mRNA expression levels were detected by Western blot and qPCR methods. ResultsCompared with the sham surgery group, the KOA model group showed severe cartilage edge destruction, significantly increased Mankin scores, significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression levels of COLⅡ and Aggrecan, and significantly increased protein and mRNA expression levels of cGAS, STING, MMP3, MMP13, and ADAMTS5 (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, serum level of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α in all the intervented groups decreased (P<0.01), while compared with high-dose Xibining Formula group, level of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in low-dose Xibining Formula group and high-dose Xibining Formula + agonist group increased (P<0.01). Compared with the KOA model group, all the intervention groups exhibited alleviated cartilage pathological changes, signi-ficantly reduced Mankin scores, significantly increased protein and mRNA expression levels of COLⅡ and Aggrecan, and significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression levels of cGAS, STING, MMP3, MMP13, and ADAMTS5 (P<0.01). Compared with high-dose Xibining Formula group, high-dose Xibining Formula + agonist group showed cartilage edge destruction, significantly increased Mankin scores, significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression levels of COLⅡ and Aggrecan, and increased protein and mRNA expression levels of cGAS, STING, MMP3, MMP13, and ADAMTS5 (P<0.01). ConclusionXibining Formula may improve KOA cartilage damage by inhibiting the cGAS-STING signaling pathway, decreasing matrix degradation-related proteins, and elevating matrix composition-related proteins.
2.Epidemiological characteristics of febrile seizure among children under 6 years old in Ningbo City from 2015 to 2021
Guangxu LIU ; Liang ZHANG ; Houyu ZHAO ; Siwei DENG ; Junting YANG ; Ning LI ; Rui MA ; Yan HE ; Guozhang XU ; Zhike LIU ; Siyan ZHAN
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(3):584-591
Objective:To describe the epidemiological characteristics and changes of febrile seizure(FS)among children under 6 years old in Ningbo City,Zhejiang Province from 2015 to 2021.Methods:Based on the Ningbo Regional Health Information Platform,a dynamic cohort was established using vacci-nation registration information,and the cases of FS were identified by the diagnostic results of Chinese terms or International Classification of Diseases 10th revision(ICD-10)R56.0 code in the electronic medical records.The first visit of FS during the observation period was defined as a new case,and a re-currence case was defined as the case with a visit interval of more than 7 days.The 95%confidence in-terval(CI)of FS incidence density was calculated by the Poisson distribution.Results:From January 2015 to June 2020,there were 1.3 million children under 6 years old in Ningbo,with male accounting for 52.87%.The median follow-up time was 2.83(1.55-4.00)years.During the follow-up period,12 776 new onset cases had FS,with more males than females,with an overall incidence density of 4.34(95%CI:4.27-4.40)/1 000 person-years and a recurrence rate of 21.63%.There was a higher inci-dence density in children who were male,born in Ningbo and of non-mobility.The incidence density of FS was higher in urban areas than in rural and rural-urban fringe areas,and the incidence density was different among districts and counties.The peak density was found in children aged 18-23 months[8.42(95%CI:8.11-8.74)/1 000 person-years].From 2015 to 2019,the incidence density in-creased with calendar year(Ptrend<0.001),and the highest was 5.62(95%CI:5.43-5.81)/1 000 person-years.The incidence density of FS decreased significantly during the period between 2020 and 2021.The incidence density was higher in winter.Conclusion:From 2015 to 2019,the overall inci-dence density of FS in children under 6 years old in Ningbo City presented an increasing trend.More at-tention should be paid to the health education,the improvement of the health maintenance model,the en-hancement of the cognition of FS,the identification and treatment of FS among high-risk population and regions so as to prevent its recurrence and reduce the disease burden during the corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)epide-mic.
3.Reassessing the scope of real-world data applications and the value of real-world evidence
Feng SUN ; Meng ZHANG ; Houyu ZHAO ; Zhirong YANG ; Junli ZHU ; Jing LI ; Linong JI ; Jiefu YANG ; Siyan ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(6):1079-1084
In the past decade, real-world data (RWD) research has undergone significant transformations due to data aggregation and processing technologies. However, there is still a lack of consensus regarding the scope of RWD applications and the value of real-world evidence (RWE). This study briefly outlined the origins of the concept of RWD study and its early research scope to promote further development in this area. We also reviewed the understanding of RWD applications and research models from the five perspectives of healthcare professionals, medical institutions, decision-making departments, cross-regional cooperation model, and the practice of the One-Health model. Finally, we systematically summarized the renewed understanding of the value of RWE while looking ahead to the challenges and future developments in this field.
4.Correlation analysis of genetic and environmental factors with clinical characteristics of pediatric upper urinary tract calculi
Youquan ZHAO ; Xiaochuan WANG ; Boyu YANG ; Chen NING ; Houyu ZHOU ; Huimin ZHAO ; Xiaochen WANG ; Ruiyu YUE ; Shao ZHANG ; Manjiang SUN ; Jun LI
Chinese Journal of Urology 2025;46(10):728-733
Objective:To investigate the influence of genetic and environmental factors on the clinical characteristics of upper urinary tract calculi in pediatric patients.Methods:This study was a retrospective case series. The clinical data of 179 children under the age of 14 with upper urinary tract calculi treated at Beijing Friendship Hospital,Capital Medical University,from August 2014 to February 2023 were analyzed. There were 121 males(67.60%)and 58 females(32.40%),with a median age at onset of 2.10(1.14,5.17)years. Thirty-three cases(18.44%)had a family history of urinary stone disease. Stone characteristics was defined by CT,with a median stone burden(sum of the diameters of all stones)of 1.3(1.00,1.60)cm. Fifty-four(30.17%)children had staghorn calculi. Multiple stones were present in 92 cases(51.40%),and bilateral stones in 52 cases(29.05%),with hydronephrosis was present in 119 children(66.48%). The median follow-up time was 67 months,and 36 children(20.11%)experienced stone recurrence. Dietary habits and related information were collected by electronic questionnaire,including a total of 115 children(64.25%)with an unbalanced diet,101(56.42%)with insufficient water intake,and 32 children(17.88%)with a preference for a high-protein diet. Tap water was used as the source of drinking water by 128 patients(71.51%),and 107(59.78%)took dietary supplements. Whole-exome sequencing revealed that 55 children(30.73%)carried pathogenic mutations in stone-related genes. Binary logistic regression was used for univariate analysis of above risk factors. Variables with P < 0.1 in univariate analysis and without multicollinearity were included in multivariate logistic regression to further screen for independent risk factors. Results:Multivariate analysis confirmed that carrying stone-related pathogenic gene mutations( OR = 3.06,95% CI 1.25?7.45, P = 0.014)and insufficient water intake( OR = 3.28,95% CI 1.14?9.47, P = 0.028)were independent risk factors for higher stone burden. A high-protein diet( OR = 2.40,95% CI 1.03?5.63, P = 0.044),carrying stone-related pathogenic gene mutations( OR = 4.57,95% CI 2.21?9.46, P<0.01),and a family history of stones( OR = 3.18,95% CI 1.28 ~ 7.91, P = 0.013)were independent risk factors for staghorn calculi. Multiple stones were closely associated with a family history of stones( OR = 2.66,95% CI 1.15-6.17, P = 0.022)and carrying stone-related pathogenic gene mutations( OR = 3.22,95% CI 1.60-6.48, P = 0.001). Moreover,carrying stone-related pathogenic gene mutations( OR = 5.19,95% CI 2.52?13.82, P < 0.01)were an independent risk factor for stone recurrence,whereas dietary supplement intake was a protective factor( OR = 0.26,95% CI 0.11?0.62, P = 0.002). Conclusions:Genetic and environmental factors play significant roles in the occurrence and development of pediatric upper urinary tract stones. A high-protein diet as well as a positive family history of stones are independent risk factors for staghorn calculi,and insufficient water intake is a critical environmental factor for stone formation,while appropriate use of dietary supplements may help reduce the risk of stone recurrence. Genetic testing indicates that approximately 30% of children carry stone-related pathogenic gene mutations,and these patients prone to severe stone and an increased risk of recurrence.
5.Epidemiological characteristics of febrile seizure among children under 6 years old in Ningbo City from 2015 to 2021
Guangxu LIU ; Liang ZHANG ; Houyu ZHAO ; Siwei DENG ; Junting YANG ; Ning LI ; Rui MA ; Yan HE ; Guozhang XU ; Zhike LIU ; Siyan ZHAN
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(3):584-591
Objective:To describe the epidemiological characteristics and changes of febrile seizure(FS)among children under 6 years old in Ningbo City,Zhejiang Province from 2015 to 2021.Methods:Based on the Ningbo Regional Health Information Platform,a dynamic cohort was established using vacci-nation registration information,and the cases of FS were identified by the diagnostic results of Chinese terms or International Classification of Diseases 10th revision(ICD-10)R56.0 code in the electronic medical records.The first visit of FS during the observation period was defined as a new case,and a re-currence case was defined as the case with a visit interval of more than 7 days.The 95%confidence in-terval(CI)of FS incidence density was calculated by the Poisson distribution.Results:From January 2015 to June 2020,there were 1.3 million children under 6 years old in Ningbo,with male accounting for 52.87%.The median follow-up time was 2.83(1.55-4.00)years.During the follow-up period,12 776 new onset cases had FS,with more males than females,with an overall incidence density of 4.34(95%CI:4.27-4.40)/1 000 person-years and a recurrence rate of 21.63%.There was a higher inci-dence density in children who were male,born in Ningbo and of non-mobility.The incidence density of FS was higher in urban areas than in rural and rural-urban fringe areas,and the incidence density was different among districts and counties.The peak density was found in children aged 18-23 months[8.42(95%CI:8.11-8.74)/1 000 person-years].From 2015 to 2019,the incidence density in-creased with calendar year(Ptrend<0.001),and the highest was 5.62(95%CI:5.43-5.81)/1 000 person-years.The incidence density of FS decreased significantly during the period between 2020 and 2021.The incidence density was higher in winter.Conclusion:From 2015 to 2019,the overall inci-dence density of FS in children under 6 years old in Ningbo City presented an increasing trend.More at-tention should be paid to the health education,the improvement of the health maintenance model,the en-hancement of the cognition of FS,the identification and treatment of FS among high-risk population and regions so as to prevent its recurrence and reduce the disease burden during the corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)epide-mic.
6.Reassessing the scope of real-world data applications and the value of real-world evidence
Feng SUN ; Meng ZHANG ; Houyu ZHAO ; Zhirong YANG ; Junli ZHU ; Jing LI ; Linong JI ; Jiefu YANG ; Siyan ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2025;46(6):1079-1084
In the past decade, real-world data (RWD) research has undergone significant transformations due to data aggregation and processing technologies. However, there is still a lack of consensus regarding the scope of RWD applications and the value of real-world evidence (RWE). This study briefly outlined the origins of the concept of RWD study and its early research scope to promote further development in this area. We also reviewed the understanding of RWD applications and research models from the five perspectives of healthcare professionals, medical institutions, decision-making departments, cross-regional cooperation model, and the practice of the One-Health model. Finally, we systematically summarized the renewed understanding of the value of RWE while looking ahead to the challenges and future developments in this field.
7.Left atrial volumetric/mechanical coupling index for predicting left atrial dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease
Liqin JI ; Weiwei XIAO ; Xue GAO ; Houyu LI ; Anlingzi ZOU ; Xinru ZHANG ; Zhuomeng MIAO ; Shaomei YU
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(5):733-738
Objective To observe the value of left atrial volume/mechanical coupling index(LACI)for predicting left atrial(LA)dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Methods Totally 213 CKD patients(CKD group)and 50 healthy controls(control group)were enrolled.Clinical data,laboratory indicators and echocardiographic parameters were compared between groups.According to quartile values of LACI,patients in CKD group were further divided into 4 subgroups,and their clinical,laboratory indicators and echocardiographic parameters were compared.The correlations between LACI and laboratory markers of myocardial injury as well as echocardiographic parameters were analyzed.Taken LAVI>34 ml/m2 as LA dysfunction,the efficacy of LACI,LA strain and LA stiffness index(LASI)for predicting LA dysfunction in CKD patients were evaluated.Results Statistical differences of gender,blood pressure,creatinine,estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR),cardia troponinT(cTnT),creatine kinase isoenzymes(CK-MB)and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)were found between groups(all P<0.05).In CKD group,with the increase of LACI,the prevalence of blood pressure and diabetes,the levels of cTnT and NT-proBNP in different subgroups showed increasing trend,while eGFR showed a decreasing trend.LACI was correlated with cTnT,CK-MB,NT-proBNP and multiple echocardiographic parameters(all P<0.001).The AUC of LACI for predicting LA dysfunction in CKD patients was 0.884,higher than that of LA strain during reservoir phase,conduit phase,contraction phase and LASI(AUC=0.652,0.621,0.611,0.746,all P<0.05).Conclusion LACI could be used to effectively predict LA dysfunction in CKD patients.
8.Left atrial volumetric/mechanical coupling index for predicting left atrial dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease
Liqin JI ; Weiwei XIAO ; Xue GAO ; Houyu LI ; Anlingzi ZOU ; Xinru ZHANG ; Zhuomeng MIAO ; Shaomei YU
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging Technology 2025;41(5):733-738
Objective To observe the value of left atrial volume/mechanical coupling index(LACI)for predicting left atrial(LA)dysfunction in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Methods Totally 213 CKD patients(CKD group)and 50 healthy controls(control group)were enrolled.Clinical data,laboratory indicators and echocardiographic parameters were compared between groups.According to quartile values of LACI,patients in CKD group were further divided into 4 subgroups,and their clinical,laboratory indicators and echocardiographic parameters were compared.The correlations between LACI and laboratory markers of myocardial injury as well as echocardiographic parameters were analyzed.Taken LAVI>34 ml/m2 as LA dysfunction,the efficacy of LACI,LA strain and LA stiffness index(LASI)for predicting LA dysfunction in CKD patients were evaluated.Results Statistical differences of gender,blood pressure,creatinine,estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR),cardia troponinT(cTnT),creatine kinase isoenzymes(CK-MB)and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)were found between groups(all P<0.05).In CKD group,with the increase of LACI,the prevalence of blood pressure and diabetes,the levels of cTnT and NT-proBNP in different subgroups showed increasing trend,while eGFR showed a decreasing trend.LACI was correlated with cTnT,CK-MB,NT-proBNP and multiple echocardiographic parameters(all P<0.001).The AUC of LACI for predicting LA dysfunction in CKD patients was 0.884,higher than that of LA strain during reservoir phase,conduit phase,contraction phase and LASI(AUC=0.652,0.621,0.611,0.746,all P<0.05).Conclusion LACI could be used to effectively predict LA dysfunction in CKD patients.
9.Correlation analysis of genetic and environmental factors with clinical characteristics of pediatric upper urinary tract calculi
Youquan ZHAO ; Xiaochuan WANG ; Boyu YANG ; Chen NING ; Houyu ZHOU ; Huimin ZHAO ; Xiaochen WANG ; Ruiyu YUE ; Shao ZHANG ; Manjiang SUN ; Jun LI
Chinese Journal of Urology 2025;46(10):728-733
Objective:To investigate the influence of genetic and environmental factors on the clinical characteristics of upper urinary tract calculi in pediatric patients.Methods:This study was a retrospective case series. The clinical data of 179 children under the age of 14 with upper urinary tract calculi treated at Beijing Friendship Hospital,Capital Medical University,from August 2014 to February 2023 were analyzed. There were 121 males(67.60%)and 58 females(32.40%),with a median age at onset of 2.10(1.14,5.17)years. Thirty-three cases(18.44%)had a family history of urinary stone disease. Stone characteristics was defined by CT,with a median stone burden(sum of the diameters of all stones)of 1.3(1.00,1.60)cm. Fifty-four(30.17%)children had staghorn calculi. Multiple stones were present in 92 cases(51.40%),and bilateral stones in 52 cases(29.05%),with hydronephrosis was present in 119 children(66.48%). The median follow-up time was 67 months,and 36 children(20.11%)experienced stone recurrence. Dietary habits and related information were collected by electronic questionnaire,including a total of 115 children(64.25%)with an unbalanced diet,101(56.42%)with insufficient water intake,and 32 children(17.88%)with a preference for a high-protein diet. Tap water was used as the source of drinking water by 128 patients(71.51%),and 107(59.78%)took dietary supplements. Whole-exome sequencing revealed that 55 children(30.73%)carried pathogenic mutations in stone-related genes. Binary logistic regression was used for univariate analysis of above risk factors. Variables with P < 0.1 in univariate analysis and without multicollinearity were included in multivariate logistic regression to further screen for independent risk factors. Results:Multivariate analysis confirmed that carrying stone-related pathogenic gene mutations( OR = 3.06,95% CI 1.25?7.45, P = 0.014)and insufficient water intake( OR = 3.28,95% CI 1.14?9.47, P = 0.028)were independent risk factors for higher stone burden. A high-protein diet( OR = 2.40,95% CI 1.03?5.63, P = 0.044),carrying stone-related pathogenic gene mutations( OR = 4.57,95% CI 2.21?9.46, P<0.01),and a family history of stones( OR = 3.18,95% CI 1.28 ~ 7.91, P = 0.013)were independent risk factors for staghorn calculi. Multiple stones were closely associated with a family history of stones( OR = 2.66,95% CI 1.15-6.17, P = 0.022)and carrying stone-related pathogenic gene mutations( OR = 3.22,95% CI 1.60-6.48, P = 0.001). Moreover,carrying stone-related pathogenic gene mutations( OR = 5.19,95% CI 2.52?13.82, P < 0.01)were an independent risk factor for stone recurrence,whereas dietary supplement intake was a protective factor( OR = 0.26,95% CI 0.11?0.62, P = 0.002). Conclusions:Genetic and environmental factors play significant roles in the occurrence and development of pediatric upper urinary tract stones. A high-protein diet as well as a positive family history of stones are independent risk factors for staghorn calculi,and insufficient water intake is a critical environmental factor for stone formation,while appropriate use of dietary supplements may help reduce the risk of stone recurrence. Genetic testing indicates that approximately 30% of children carry stone-related pathogenic gene mutations,and these patients prone to severe stone and an increased risk of recurrence.
10.Development of a prediction model for incidence of diabetic foot in patients with type 2 diabetes and its application based on a local health data platform
Yexian YU ; Meng ZHANG ; Xiaowei CHEN ; Lijia LIU ; Pei LI ; Houyu ZHAO ; Yexiang SUN ; Hongyu SUN ; Yumei SUN ; Xueyang LIU ; Hongbo LIN ; Peng SHEN ; Siyan ZHAN ; Feng SUN
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2024;45(7):997-1006
Objective:To construct a diabetes foot prediction model for adult patients with type 2 diabetes based on retrospective cohort study using data from a regional health data platform.Methods:Using Yinzhou Health Information Platform of Ningbo, adult patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2022 were included in this study and divided randomly the train and test sets according to the ratio of 7∶3. LASSO regression model and bidirectional stepwise regression model were used to identify risk factors, and model comparisons were conducted with net reclassification index, integrated discrimination improvement and concordance index. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were constructed, and a nomogram plot was drawn. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated as a discriminant evaluation indicator for model validation test its calibration ability, and calibration curves were drawn to test its calibration ability.Results:No significant difference existed between LASSO regression model and bidirectional stepwise regression model, but the better bidirectional stepwise regression model was selected as the final model. The risk factors included age of onset, gender, hemoglobin A1c, estimated glomerular filtration rate, taking angiotensin receptor blocker and smoking history. AUC values (95% CI) of risk outcome prediction at year 5 and 7 were 0.700 (0.650-0.749) and 0.715(0.668-0.762) for the train set and 0.738 (0.667-0.801) and 0.723 (0.663-0.783) for the test set, respectively. The calibration curves were close to the ideal curve, and the model discrimination and calibration powers were both good. Conclusions:This study established a convenient prediction model for diabetic foot and classified the risk levels. The model has strong interpretability, good discrimination power, and satisfactory calibration and can be used to predict the incidence of diabetes foot in adult patients with type 2 diabetes to provide a basis for self-assessment and clinical prediction of diabetic foot disease risk.

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