1.Chemical Constituents,Pharmacological Effect and Clinical Applications of Da Chaihutang: A Review
Yunmengtong SU ; Danni WANG ; Huawei LI ; Xiaojing NIU ; Guangzong JIA ; Huijun GUO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(18):292-306
Da Chaihutang, first recorded in Shanghanlun by Zhang Zhongjing of the Eastern Han dynasty, is composed of eight medicinal herbs, namely Bupleuri Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Pinelliae Rhizoma, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, and Jujubae Fructus. It features a well-defined hierarchy of sovereign, minister, assistant, and courier ingredients. The prescription is characterized by its balanced compatibility, mutually restrained cold and warm properties, and combined use of harmonizing and purging therapeutic strategies. As a renowned classical formula indicated for harmonizing Shaoyang and purging internal heat accumulation, it is the core prescription for the treatment of Shaoyang-Yangming combined disease. A comprehensive review of modern research literature on Da Chaihutang reveals that its chemical composition is notably diverse. The core pharmacologically active material bases of its constituent single herbs have been clearly identified, including saikosaponins from Bupleuri Radix, flavonoids from Scutellariae Radix, anthraquinones from Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, flavonoids and alkaloids from Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, monoterpene glycosides from Paeoniae Radix Alba, alkaloids and organic acids from Pinelliae Rhizoma, gingerols from Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, and polysaccharides and triterpenoid acids from Jujubae Fructus. In the compound formula, a total of 163 chemical constituents have been comprehensively identified, among which flavonoids and their glycosides constitute the most abundant component category. Flavonoids and their glycosides, monoterpene glycosides, and pentacyclic triterpenoid saponins are regarded as the core pharmacologically active substances of the whole formula. In addition, 9 potential quality markers that can comprehensively characterize the overall quality and core therapeutic efficacy of the whole formula have been screened out. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that the pharmacological effects of Da Chaihutang exhibit synergistic characteristics involving multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. Its core pharmacological activities encompass the regulation of digestive system disorders, including pancreatic protection, intervention in biliary tract diseases, and protection of gastrointestinal mucosa; intervention in hepatobiliary diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and cholestatic liver injury; and regulation of metabolic disorders such as hypoglycemic effect, improvement of insulin resistance, and regulation of lipid metabolism. Furthermore, it also possesses multiple pharmacological activities, including intervention in atherosclerosis, regulation of immune and inflammatory responses, multi-organ protection, and anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effect. In modern clinical practice, Da Chaihutang and its modified formulas are mostly used in combination with conventional Western medical regimens. They have demonstrated notable therapeutic advantages in the treatment of digestive system diseases such as cholecystitis, acute pancreatitis, cholelithiasis, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but also have shown definite curative efficacy in the management of diseases affecting multiple other systems, including cardiovascular, endocrine, dermatological, reproductive, respiratory, neurological, urinary, pediatric, and immune systems. These combined applications can effectively improve the overall clinical response rate, shorten the time to symptom relief, and reduce both the disease recurrence rate and the incidence of adverse reactions. This review systematically summarized the formula compatibility, chemical constituents, pharmacological mechanisms, and modern clinical applications of Da Chaihutang and its modified formulas, to provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for the secondary development of classic formulas, the research and development of new drugs, and the precise and safe clinical application of this classical prescription.
2.Diagnostic value of fecal calprotectin for assessing endoscopic activity in ulcerative colitis: comparison with conventional inflammatory markers
Qianqian XIA ; Ye GUO ; Wei HAN ; Yuzhe ZHOU ; Xiaoyan TANG ; Hong LYU ; Huijun SHU ; Gechong RUAN ; Hong YANG ; Jiaming QIAN
Chinese Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2025;09(6):448-455
Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of fecal calprotectin (FC) in predicting endoscopic activity of ulcerative colitis (UC), and to compare it with high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) .Methods:A cross-sectional stydy was conducted. UC patients diagnosed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between May 2023 and July 2025 were retrospective enrolled. Patients were divided into the endoscopically active group and endoscopic remission group according to endoscopic activity. FC levels were measured using latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (LETIA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression models were used to assess diagnostic efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to disease extent.Results:A total of 166 UC patients were enrolled, including 92 males and 74 females with the age of 40.00 (32.00, 52.00) years old and disease course 5.00 (2.00, 10.75) years. Forty-six patients were assigned to the active group, while the remaining 120 were assigned to the remission group. FC levels were significantly higher in the active group than in the remission group (620.72 μg/g vs. 29.00 μg/g, P < 0.001), with an AUC of 0.894 at a cutoff value of 122.54 μg/g. hsCRP and ESR had lower AUC (0.712 and 0.736, respectively). The combination of FC, hsCRP, and ESR slightly improved specificity (AUC 0.898). FC was strongly correlated with the endoscopic activity ( r =0.669, P < 0.001) but not with disease extent. Conclusions:FC measured by latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay had comparable diagnostic accuracy to ELISA-based methods commonly used abroad, and provided a reference cutoff value of 122.54 μg/g. FC outperforms hsCRP and ESR in assessing intestinal inflammation in UC and it is less affected by disease extent, making it a reliable non-invasive biomarker for UC monitoring.
3.Cross-sectional study of fecal calprotectin in predicting endoscopic activity in patients with Crohn's disease
Yuzhe ZHOU ; Qianqian XIA ; Ye GUO ; Wei HAN ; Xiaoyan TANG ; Hong LYU ; Huijun SHU ; Gechong RUAN ; Hong YANG ; Jiaming QIAN
Chinese Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2025;09(6):462-468
Objective:To evaluate the predictive efficacy of fecal calprotectin (FC) for endoscopic activity in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) .Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted and patients diagnosed as CD at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from June 2023 to September 2025 were enrolled consecutively. Data was collected including general information, laboratory tests [hemoglobin (HGB), platelet (PLT), FC, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and so on], and endoscopic results. FC levels were measured by latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (LETIA). Endoscopic activity was defined as the simplified endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD) > 2. Patients were divided into the endoscopically active group and endoscopic remission group according to endoscopic activity, and the differences in clinical data between the two groups were compared. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between FC and endoscopic activity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of FC, hsCRP and ESR for endoscopic activity, and the differences were compared.Results:A total of 90 CD patients were enrolled, including 65 males and 25 females with the age of 30 (22, 41) years old and disease course 4.0 (0.5, 8.0) years. Seventy-one patients (78.9%) had ileocolonic disease involvement (L3), and 55 patients (61.1%) were using biologics. Sixty-nine patients in endoscopic active phase were assigned to the endoscopically active group, while the remaining 21 were assigned to the endoscopic remission group. There were no statistically significant differences in general characteristics such as age and gender between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Compared with endoscopic remission group, HGB was significantly lower in the endoscopically active group, while PLT, hsCRP, ESR, and FC were moderataly higher (all P < 0.05). Among the 90 CD patients, FC levels were moderatly correlated with endoscopic activity (ρ = 0.494). ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve for FC in predicting endoscopic activity was 0.836 (95% CI: 0.737-0.935), with a sensitivity of 0.725, specificity of 0.952, and accuracy of 0.778 at the optimal FC cutoff value of 153.8 μg/g. FC outperformed hsCRP and ESR. Conclusion:FC measured by LETIA demonstrates certain efficacy in predicting endoscopic activity in CD and will assist in efficient clinical monitoring of CD patients.
4.Key Issues and Countermeasures in the Reform of Payment Methods for TCM Dominant Diseases
Xinmei HAO ; Huijun GUO ; Yanan WANG ; Jing LIU
Chinese Health Economics 2025;44(1):27-33
Objective:Sort out the problems currently faced by Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)medical institutions in implementing the reform of medical insurance payment methods,and propose reform suggestions.Methods:Through literature analysis and field research,the reform practices of some cities that have implemented payment are summarize based on TCM dominant diseases.Results:Currently,payment by disease for TCM faces many problems and difficulties,such as the small number of dominant diseases of TCM carried out in various regions,the imperfect coding of TCM diagnoses and operations,and the unstable compensation mechanism for TCM medical institutions,which affect the development of dominant diseases of TCM.Conclusion:The payment for TCM dominant diseases requires the support and cooperation of multiple departments,scientifically and reasonably screening TCM dominant diseases,improving policies,refining management measures,and leveraging the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine.
5.Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies for Sj?gren's Syndrome Based on the Theory of"Spleen as the Mother of the Five Organs"
Keying ZHU ; Ximeng LI ; Songwei LI ; Huan LI ; Xueqin ZHOU ; Pin LI ; Xinyan ZHANG ; Shuyue ZHANG ; Huifang HE ; Huijun GUO
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(10):2975-2985
Sj?gren's syndrome(SS)is one of the common rheumatic diseases in clinical practice.Modern medicine commonly uses drugs such as artificial tears,saliva,glucocorticoids,immunosuppressants,and biologics to control the condition.Clinical practice has shown that in addition to modern medical basic treatment,the use of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)can help improve the clinical efficacy of SS.According to the symptoms and signs of Sj?gren's syndrome in TCM,it is classified as"dryness and obstruction",and the core pathogenesis of the disease is spleen deficiency and deficiency of body fluids.Subsequently,toxic and pathogenic factors gather,leading to the decline of internal organs.The initial causes are spleen damage,unstable barrier,and invasion of pathogenic factors.The core link is spleen dysfunction,insufficient body fluid,and dryness arising from it.Spleen deficiency generates evil,obstruction of qi,and lack of body fluids are the root causes of illness.The main treatment method is the"spleen strengthening method",which treats spleen deficiency,dampness and stagnation,and the body fluid is not distributed.The treatment focuses on strengthening the spleen and qi,supplementing the lungs and generating fluids.Spleen deficiency leads to loss of vitality,blood stasis obstructs blood vessels,and the treatment is to strengthen the spleen,soothe the liver,remove blood stasis,and unblock the orifices.The spleen yang is not vigorous,and qi transformation is impaired.The treatment is to invigorate the spleen and warm the stomach,promote yang circulation,and promote diuresis.
6.Significance of respiratory event duration in evaluating nocturnal hypoxemia and disease severity in adults with obstructive sleep apnea
Yiming WANG ; Chengcheng LIU ; Wenbin GUO ; Lin SUN ; Jinping ZENG ; Zhuqi CHEN ; Huijun YUE ; Wenbin LEI
Chinese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;60(8):868-874
Objective:To analyze the correlation between respiratory event duration and nocturnal oxygen saturation (SpO 2) in adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and to explore its significance in assessing nocturnal hypoxemia and OSA severity. Methods:A prospective study was conducted on adult OSA patients diagnosed via overnight standard polysomnography (PSG) at the Department of Otolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2019 to December 2023. Data collected included demographic information, PSG reports, scale scores, and comorbidities. Patients were first stratified by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) severity. Relationships between respiratory event duration parameters,including total apnea-hypopnea time (TAHT), percentage of total sleep time with apnea-hypopnea (AHT%), total apnea time (TAT), total hypopnea time (THT), and mean apnea-hypopnea time (MAHT), and nocturnal SpO? parameters, including average SpO? (aSpO?), minimal SpO? (mSpO?), mean oxygen desaturation (MOD), and percentage of total sleep time with SpO?<90% (CT90), were analyzed. Patients were then divided into two groups based on the median MAHT (27.6 s) for SpO? comparison. Finally, severe OSA patients were further subclassified using an AHI inflection point (50 events/h) identified via scatter plot analysis to compare nocturnal SpO?. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 27.0.Results:Among the 250 study subjects, there were 201 males and 49 females, with ages ranging from 18 to 76 years (mean age: 41.6 ± 11.9 years).TAHT, AHT%, and TAT in OSA patients demonstrated significant negative correlations with aSpO?( r=-0.698, -0.718, -0.646)and mSpO?( r=-0.746, -0.746, -0.748), while showing positive correlations with MOD ( r=0.783, 0.791, 0.823)and CT90 ( r=0.868, 0.866, 0.852), P<0.05. When stratified by MAHT median ( M=27.6 s), the "long-event" subgroup ( n=125) displayed significantly lower mSpO 2 and higher MOD and CT90 compared to the "short-event" subgroup ( n=125), Z=-3.319, 3.288, 2.242; P<0.05. No significant difference in aSpO 2 was observed ( P>0.05). Subgrouping severe OSA patients at AHI=50 events/hour revealed significant differences in aSpO 2, mSpO 2, MOD, and CT90 between groups ( Z=-5.011, -4.787, 5.142, 6.117, P<0.05). Conclusions:TAHT, AHT%, and TAT significantly correlate with nocturnal SpO? parameters in OSA patients and can supplement AHI in assessing OSA severity. MAHT independently reflects nocturnal oxygenation status beyond AHI.
7.Diagnostic value of fecal calprotectin for assessing endoscopic activity in ulcerative colitis: comparison with conventional inflammatory markers
Qianqian XIA ; Ye GUO ; Wei HAN ; Yuzhe ZHOU ; Xiaoyan TANG ; Hong LYU ; Huijun SHU ; Gechong RUAN ; Hong YANG ; Jiaming QIAN
Chinese Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2025;09(6):448-455
Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of fecal calprotectin (FC) in predicting endoscopic activity of ulcerative colitis (UC), and to compare it with high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) .Methods:A cross-sectional stydy was conducted. UC patients diagnosed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between May 2023 and July 2025 were retrospective enrolled. Patients were divided into the endoscopically active group and endoscopic remission group according to endoscopic activity. FC levels were measured using latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (LETIA). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and logistic regression models were used to assess diagnostic efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to disease extent.Results:A total of 166 UC patients were enrolled, including 92 males and 74 females with the age of 40.00 (32.00, 52.00) years old and disease course 5.00 (2.00, 10.75) years. Forty-six patients were assigned to the active group, while the remaining 120 were assigned to the remission group. FC levels were significantly higher in the active group than in the remission group (620.72 μg/g vs. 29.00 μg/g, P < 0.001), with an AUC of 0.894 at a cutoff value of 122.54 μg/g. hsCRP and ESR had lower AUC (0.712 and 0.736, respectively). The combination of FC, hsCRP, and ESR slightly improved specificity (AUC 0.898). FC was strongly correlated with the endoscopic activity ( r =0.669, P < 0.001) but not with disease extent. Conclusions:FC measured by latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay had comparable diagnostic accuracy to ELISA-based methods commonly used abroad, and provided a reference cutoff value of 122.54 μg/g. FC outperforms hsCRP and ESR in assessing intestinal inflammation in UC and it is less affected by disease extent, making it a reliable non-invasive biomarker for UC monitoring.
8.Cross-sectional study of fecal calprotectin in predicting endoscopic activity in patients with Crohn's disease
Yuzhe ZHOU ; Qianqian XIA ; Ye GUO ; Wei HAN ; Xiaoyan TANG ; Hong LYU ; Huijun SHU ; Gechong RUAN ; Hong YANG ; Jiaming QIAN
Chinese Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases 2025;09(6):462-468
Objective:To evaluate the predictive efficacy of fecal calprotectin (FC) for endoscopic activity in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) .Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted and patients diagnosed as CD at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from June 2023 to September 2025 were enrolled consecutively. Data was collected including general information, laboratory tests [hemoglobin (HGB), platelet (PLT), FC, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and so on], and endoscopic results. FC levels were measured by latex-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (LETIA). Endoscopic activity was defined as the simplified endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD) > 2. Patients were divided into the endoscopically active group and endoscopic remission group according to endoscopic activity, and the differences in clinical data between the two groups were compared. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between FC and endoscopic activity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of FC, hsCRP and ESR for endoscopic activity, and the differences were compared.Results:A total of 90 CD patients were enrolled, including 65 males and 25 females with the age of 30 (22, 41) years old and disease course 4.0 (0.5, 8.0) years. Seventy-one patients (78.9%) had ileocolonic disease involvement (L3), and 55 patients (61.1%) were using biologics. Sixty-nine patients in endoscopic active phase were assigned to the endoscopically active group, while the remaining 21 were assigned to the endoscopic remission group. There were no statistically significant differences in general characteristics such as age and gender between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Compared with endoscopic remission group, HGB was significantly lower in the endoscopically active group, while PLT, hsCRP, ESR, and FC were moderataly higher (all P < 0.05). Among the 90 CD patients, FC levels were moderatly correlated with endoscopic activity (ρ = 0.494). ROC curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve for FC in predicting endoscopic activity was 0.836 (95% CI: 0.737-0.935), with a sensitivity of 0.725, specificity of 0.952, and accuracy of 0.778 at the optimal FC cutoff value of 153.8 μg/g. FC outperformed hsCRP and ESR. Conclusion:FC measured by LETIA demonstrates certain efficacy in predicting endoscopic activity in CD and will assist in efficient clinical monitoring of CD patients.
9.Exploration on the Synovial Hyperplasia of Rheumatoid Arthritis from the Theory of"Yang Transforming Qi and Yin Forming Elements"
Xiaojun SU ; Huan WANG ; Wenju ZHU ; Qian HE ; Ying GUO ; Qiang BAO ; Huijun YANG ; Haidong WANG ; Xuemei TIAN ; Xiaotao YE
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(4):24-27
Synovium is the target organ of rheumatoid arthritis.The excessive proliferation of synovial cells and insufficient apoptosis lead to synovial hyperplasia,which in turn causes damage to the surrounding tissues of the joint and bone destruction."Yang transforming qi and yin forming elements"is derived from Su Wen and is a highly summarized description of the functions of yin and yang,which runs through the entire course of the disease.This article elucidated the theoretical connotation of"yang transforming qi and yin forming elements"and its connection with synovial hyperplasia,proposing that the insufficiency of"yang transforming qi"is the root of synovial hyperplasia,while the excess of"yin forming elements"is the manifestation of synovial hyperplasia.Based on this,it put forward that"assisting yang qi as the priority,and according to the bias of pathogenic factors of yin,supplementing the method of reducing yin forming elements"is an important principle for treating this disease,which could provide new ideas for the treatment of the disease.
10.Exploration on the Synovial Hyperplasia of Rheumatoid Arthritis from the Theory of"Yang Transforming Qi and Yin Forming Elements"
Xiaojun SU ; Huan WANG ; Wenju ZHU ; Qian HE ; Ying GUO ; Qiang BAO ; Huijun YANG ; Haidong WANG ; Xuemei TIAN ; Xiaotao YE
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(4):24-27
Synovium is the target organ of rheumatoid arthritis.The excessive proliferation of synovial cells and insufficient apoptosis lead to synovial hyperplasia,which in turn causes damage to the surrounding tissues of the joint and bone destruction."Yang transforming qi and yin forming elements"is derived from Su Wen and is a highly summarized description of the functions of yin and yang,which runs through the entire course of the disease.This article elucidated the theoretical connotation of"yang transforming qi and yin forming elements"and its connection with synovial hyperplasia,proposing that the insufficiency of"yang transforming qi"is the root of synovial hyperplasia,while the excess of"yin forming elements"is the manifestation of synovial hyperplasia.Based on this,it put forward that"assisting yang qi as the priority,and according to the bias of pathogenic factors of yin,supplementing the method of reducing yin forming elements"is an important principle for treating this disease,which could provide new ideas for the treatment of the disease.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail