ObjectiveTo investigate the association of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome types of primary liver cancer （PLC） with clinical features and multimodal quantitative radiological features on computed tomography （CT） and magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）， and to provide a reference for the objectification of TCM syndrome differentiation and precise diagnosis and treatment. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 312 patients who were diagnosed with PLC in The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from March 2020 to June 2025， and according to the TCM syndrome type， they were divided into stagnation of liver Qi group with 40 patients， stagnation of liver Qi and spleen deficiency group with 109 patients， Qi stagnation and blood stasis group with 62 patients， dampness-heat toxin amassment group with 81 patients， and liver-kidney Yin deficiency group with 20 patients. Clinical features and multimodal quantitative radiological features were compared between the patients with different TCM syndrome types. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups； the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups， and the Dunn’s multiple test was used for further comparison between two groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups， and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsThere were significant differences between the patients with different TCM syndrome types in China liver cancer staging （CNLC）， Child-Pugh class， alanine aminotransferase， aspartate aminotransferase， albumin， direct bilirubin， total bilirubin， prothrombin time， neutrophil， and albumin-bilirubin score （all P<0.05）. In the stagnation of liver Qi group， the patients with Child-Pugh class A accounted for 75.00%； among the patients with CNLC stage I PLC， the patients with stagnation of liver Qi accounted for 60.00%， and those with Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome accounted for 59.68%， while among the patients with CNLC stage IV PLC， the distribution proportion of dampness-heat toxin amassment （27.16%） and liver-kidney Yin deficiency （30.00%） was significantly higher than that of stagnation of liver Qi （2.50%） （all P<0.05）. Radiological examination showed that there were significant differences between the patients with different TCM syndrome types in the number of tumors， ascites， venous tumor thrombus， maximum tumor diameter， intrahepatic metastasis， and lymph node metastasis in the hepatic hilar and retroperitoneal regions （all P<0.05）. Compared with the patients with stagnation of liver Qi， the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency or liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to develop intrahepatic metastasis； the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency， dampness-heat toxin amassment， or liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to develop lymph node metastasis in the hepatic hilar and retroperitoneal regions； the patients with liver-kidney Yin deficiency were more likely to experience multiple tumors； the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency or dampness-heat toxin amassment were more likely to develop ascites （all P<0.05）. Compared with the patients with Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome， the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency had a significantly longer maximum tumor diameter and a significantly higher proportion of patients with venous tumor thrombus （both P<0.05）. Furthermore， among the 184 patients with MRI diffusion-weighted imaging sequences， the patients with dampness-heat toxin amassment or Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome had significantly higher ADC values and relative ADC values than those with stagnation of liver Qi （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThere are significant differences in CT/MRI radiological features and clinical features between PLC patients with different TCM syndrome types， among whom the patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency， dampness-heat toxin amassment， and liver-kidney Yin deficiency tend to exhibit progressive radiological features， and those with dampness-heat toxin amassment or Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome tend to have higher ADC values. These findings provide an objective basis for TCM syndrome differentiation in PLC.

Objective To analysis the correlations of cataract patients'age,axial length(AL)with anterior chamber depth(ACD),lens thickness(LT),and postoperative effective lens position(ELP).Methods A retrospective study was employed to analyze the biometric parameters of 7458 cataract patients(7458 eyes)who underwent surgical treatment in the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from January 2016 to December 2022.All measurements were obtained using the Lenstar LS900 optical biometer via optical low-coherence reflectance technology.Pearson or Spearman correlation analyses was performed between patients'age,sex,and AL with ACD,LT,and postoperative ELP measurements.Results The mean AL of patients was 23.41(22.68,24.31)mm,categorized into 4 groups:short AL group(AL≤22 mm,593 cases,8.0%),normal AL group(AL 22-24 mm,4520 cases,60.5%),longer AL group(AL 24-26 mm,1579 cases,21.2%),and long AL group(AL>26 mm,766 cases,10.3%).The ACD was(2.65±0.43)mm,and the LT was(4.29±0.46)mm.Compared with female patients,male patients had significantly longer AL,deeper ACD,and thicker LT(P<0.001).Postoperative ELPs,measured in 209 eyes 3 months after surgery,was 5.03(4.57,5.21)mm.Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between AL and ACD in short,normal,and longer AL groups(ρ=0.155,ρ=0.311,ρ=0.074,P<0.001 or P<0.05),while a negative correlation was found in the long AL group(ρ=-0.089,P<0.05).No statistically significant correlation was observed between AL and LT in short AL group(P>0.05),but a negative correlation was noted in normal and longer AL groups(ρ=-0.104,ρ=-0.095,P<0.001),and a positive correlation in long AL group(ρ=0.165,P<0.001).In short,normal,and longer AL groups,postoperative ELP was positively correlated with preoperative ACD(ρ=1.000,ρ=0.826,ρ=0.441,P<0.001),with no significant correlation in long AL group(P>0.05).Conclusions In cataract patients,AL,ACD,and LT are associated with both age and sex.LT and AL significantly influence ACD,while ACD and AL significantly influence LT.Preoperative ACD is the primary factor affecting postoperative ELP.

Objective To investigate the correlation of corneal α angle and κ angle with lens tilt in normal human eyes using a new swept-source optical biometer.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted,involving 303 healthy eyes(148 right eyes and 155 left eyes)of patients who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from June to August 2024.ZW-30 swept-source optical biometer was used to collect the lens tilt angle,κ angle(distance from the corneal light reflex to the pupil center),and α angle(distance from corneal light reflex to the corneal geometric center,which is the midpoint of the horizontal white to white(WTW)diameter).The degrees(°)and directions of κ angle and α angle were calculated by the ratio of the above measurements to the anterior chamber depth(ACD)respectively.Spearman correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were employed to evaluate the correlations between the magnitude and direction of corneal α angle,κ angle and lens tilt angle.Results The magnitude and direction of corneal α angle,κ angle,and lens tilt angle in the right eye were as follows respectively:(0.54±0.19)mm(7.81°±3.88°),194.43°±39.75°;(0.27±0.23)mm(4.72°±3.90°),181.07°±79.59°;5.52°±1.67°,188.21°±25.73°.For the left eye,the corresponding values were:(0.47±0.27)mm(8.12°±5.26°),336.04°±46.64°;(0.26±0.27)mm(4.45°±4.80°),322.86°±107.79°;5.50°±1.61°,340.65°±32.84°.Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients between corneal α angle and lens tilt angle in the right eye were 0.609(distance correlation)and 0.625(angle correlation),while those for κ angle were 0.559(distance correlation)and 0.578(angle correlation).In the left eye,the correlation coefficients between corneal α angle and lens tilt angle were 0.545(distance correlation)and 0.552(angle correlation),and those for κ angle were 0.377(distance correlation)and 0.395(angle correlation).In addition,the correlation coefficient between the direction of corneal α angle and the direction of lens tilt angle in the right eye was 0.343,and that for κ angle direction was 0.284;in the left eye,the correlation coefficients were 0.216(α angle direction)and 0.198(κ angle direction),all with statistical significance(P<0.05).Univariate linear regression analysis showed that lens tilt was positively correlated with both corneal α angle and Kappa angle(P<0.05).Conclusions Corneal α angle and κ angle are highly correlated with lens tilt angle in both eyes,and the correlation of corneal α angle is stronger than that of κ angle in both left and right eyes.The correlation expressed by degree(°)is better than that by distance(mm).It is recommended to refer to the corneal α angle and κ angle expressed in degrees during preoperative evaluation.

Background: Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, commonly known as “Danshen” in China due to the distinctive red color of its roots, is one of the most widely used traditional Chinese medicines. It is cultivated in various regions across China, and environmental differences among these regions can affect the secondary metabolites of plants, thereby influencing the quality of S. miltiorrhiza. In recent years, increasing demand for S. miltiorrhiza has exacerbated the problem of origin fraud. Therefore, ensuring the authenticity of its geographical origin is crucial for the sustainable development of the industry. Objective: The red coloration of S. miltiorrhiza is closely associated with the content of its primary active compounds, particularly tanshinones. Therefore, both its internal chemical composition and external color characteristics serve as key indicators for quality assessment. This study utilized hyperspectral imaging technology to evaluate its potential in classifying the geographical origin of S. miltiorrhiza. Methods: Spectral data reflecting the internal chemical properties of S. miltiorrhiza were integrated with color information representing its external features through 3 levels of data fusion. These fused datasets were then combined with deep learning algorithms to achieve accurate origin classification. Results: The results demonstrated that the Transformer model combined with soft-voting decision-level fusion achieved the highest classification accuracy of 98.72% by integrating image color and short-wave infrared spectral data. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that integrating hyperspectral imaging spectral data with color information provides a reliable and innovative approach for verifying the authenticity and traceability of S. miltiorrhiza.

C-Reactive protein(CRP)is an important acute-phase response protein,which is widely used in the assessment of inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk,and acts as a pathogenic factor directly involved in the disease process of certain conditions.Therefore,developing immunosuppressants targeting CRP or investigating its pathogenic mechanisms is of significant importance.Most B-cell epitopes are conformational epitopes,and studying conformational epitopes is typically challenging.To date,no methods have been reported for mapping the conformational epitopes of CRP in solution.In this study,a rapid strategy was developed for studying conformational epitopes by combining hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry(HDX-MS)with multiparametric prediction of B-cell epitopes and protein secondary structure analysis.This approach was successfully applied to the binding sites and allosteric targets of the 115 kDa full pentameric CRP and the clinically used monoclonal antibody(mAb)5A8.The results showed that the amino acid residues 84-103,138-146,and 165-173 together form the potential conformational epitopes for mAb 5A8 on CRP,while the amino acid residues 21-32 and 175-178 were identified as potential allosteric targets.The discovery of the mAb 5A8 binding sites and allosteric targets was crucial for improving clinical diagnostic capabilities.Experimental results demonstrated that this workflow allowed rapid conformational epitope mapping of CRP under near-physiological conditions,with advantages such as high speed,high sensitivity,and high throughput.

Objective To establish a highly sensitive and specific method for detecting human DNA based on real time quantitative PCR(qPCR)technique for the rapid detection of potential DNA con-tamination sources in DNA laboratories.Methods Primers and probes were designed with Primer Ex-pressTM software using the reference sequence of human 18S rRNA gene as a template,and the opti-mal prime-probe combination was screened by matrix method.The PCR products of the target se-quence of human 18S rRNA gene were used to construct the plasmid,and a plasmid standard was used to draw the standard curve of the qPCR system.According to the Minimum Information for Pub-lication of Quantitative Real-time PCR Experiments(MIQE)guidelines,the specificity,sensitivity,re-peatability and application effect of the qPCR system were evaluated.Results The sensitivity of the qPCR system established in this study was 5.3×10-5 ng/μL,which showed good specificity for human DNA samples.The correlation coefficient of the qPCR system was-0.999,and amplification efficiency was 100％.Both the intra-batch and inter-batch variation coefficients were less than 2％.Conclusion The established human DNA detection method based on qPCR technique has good specificity,high sen-sitivity,and robust stability.It can be used for rapid detection of DNA contamination and daily moni-toring of the accumulated human DNA in the laboratory environment.

OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy

OBJECTIVE: This study reports the first imported case of Lassa fever (LF) in China. Laboratory detection and molecular epidemiological analysis of the Lassa virus (LASV) from this case offer valuable insights for the prevention and control of LF. METHODS: Samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, urine, saliva, and environmental materials were collected from the patient and their close contacts for LASV nucleotide detection. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on positive samples to analyze the genetic characteristics of the virus. RESULTS: LASV was detected in the patient's CSF, blood, and urine, while all samples from close contacts and the environment tested negative. The virus belongs to the lineage IV strain and shares the highest homology with strains from Sierra Leone. The variability in the glycoprotein complex (GPC) among different strains ranged from 3.9% to 15.1%, higher than previously reported for the seven known lineages. Amino acid mutation analysis revealed multiple mutations within the GPC immunogenic epitopes, increasing strain diversity and potentially impacting immune response. CONCLUSION The case was confirmed through nucleotide detection, with no evidence of secondary transmission or viral spread. The LASV strain identified belongs to lineage IV, with broader GPC variability than previously reported. Mutations in the immune-related sites of GPC may affect immune responses, necessitating heightened vigilance regarding the virus.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Genome, Viral ; Lassa Fever/virology* ; Lassa virus/classification* ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Phylogeny

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of lumbar spondylolysis (LS) and the proportion of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis (SS) in China, and to evaluate the musculoskeletal status of patients with LS and SS. METHODS: Spine Computed Tomography (CT) images were collected from community populations aged 40 and above in a nationwide multi-center project. LS was diagnosed, and SS was graded by an experienced radiologist. Bone mineral density (BMD) and paraspinal muscle parameters were quantified based on CT images. RESULTS: One hundred and seventeen patients of a total of 3,317 individuals were diagnosed with LS, corresponding to a prevalence rate of 3.53%. 63 of the 1,214 males (5.18%) and 54 of the 2,103 females (2.57%) were diagnosed with LS. SS occurred in 64/121 vertebrae (52.89%). BMD was not associated with LS ( P = 0.341). The L5 extensor paraspinal muscle density was higher in the LS group than in the non-LS group. In the LS group, patients with SS had a smaller L5 paraspinal extensor muscle cross-sectional area than those without SS ( P = 0.003). CONCLUSION The prevalence of LS in Chinese adults was 3.53%, with prevalence rates of 5.18% in males and 2.57% in females. Patients with LS have higher muscle density, whereas those with SS have smaller muscle cross-sectional areas at the L5 level.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Adult ; Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Spondylolysis/diagnostic imaging* ; Aged ; Bone Density ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Aged, 80 and over ; Spondylolisthesis/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Cervical spinal cord injury without fracture-dislocation (CSCIWFD) is referred to as a special type of cervical spinal cord injury characterized by traumatic spinal cord dysfunction and no significant bony structural abnormalities on imagines. Duo to the high risk of missed diagnosis during the initial consultation, CSCIWFD may lead to progressive neurological deterioration or even complete paralysis, severely impacting patients′ prognosis. Currently, there are no established consensuses over the diagnosis and treatment of CSCIWFD, such as the lack of evidence-based standards for indications of non-surgical treatment and risk of secondary neurological injury, as well as debates over the optimal timing for surgical intervention and indications for different surgical approaches. To address these issues, the Spine Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the relevant fields to formulate Diagnosis and treatment guideline for acute cervical spinal cord injury without fracture- dislocation in adults ( version 2025) . Based on evidence-based medicine and the principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability, the guidelines proposed 11 recommendations covering terminology, diagnosis, evaluation treatment, and rehabilitation, etc., aiming to standardize the management of CSCIWFD.