ObjectiveTo systematically compare the differential regulation of the maternal-fetal interface cell lineages and communication networks in the CBA/J×DBA/2 mouse model of recurrent pregnancy loss （RPL） by the two classic therapeutic methods-tonifying the kidney to stabilize the fetus and invigorating the spleen to stabilize the fetus （Shoutai Wan， Juyuan Jian）-of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） at the single-cell resolution and clarify their modern scientific connotations. MethodsFemale non-pregnant CBA/J mice were caged with male BALB/c （blank group） and DBA/2 （modeling group） mice separately. Pregnant mice in the modeling group were randomly grouped as follows： high/low-dose Shoutai Wan， high/low-dose Juyuan Jian， model （RPL）， and positive control （dydrogesterone）， with 10 mice in each group. Starting from the day after the detection of the vaginal plug， mice were administrated with drugs or an equal volume of normal saline by gavage for 10 consecutive days. After the intervention， the following indicators were measured. ① Macroscopic evaluation： general conditions， uterine wet weight， embryo loss rate， four coagulation parameters ［prothrombin time （PT）， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， fibrinogen （FIB）， and thrombin time （TT）］， and peripheral blood estradiol （E₂） and progesterone （Pg） levels. The decidua with embryos was stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and evaluated by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， angiotensin Ⅱ （AngⅡ）， matrix metalloproteinase-2 （MMP-2）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， leukemia inhibitory factor （LIF）， CXC chemokine ligand 12 （CXCL12）， and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 homolog （LC3）Ⅰ/Ⅱ was quantified by Western blot. ② Mechanism analysis at the single-cell level： The decidua with embryos from the blank， model， high-dose Shoutai Wan， and high-dose Juyuan Jian groups （6 mice per group， with 3 single-cell samples per group， totaling 24 mice） were analyzed by the BD Rhapsody™ platform， and the whole-cell atlas was drawn by uniform manifold approximation and projection （UMAP） dimensionality reduction clustering combined with the single-cell mouse cell atlas （scMCA）. The differentially expressed genes （DEGs） and cell interaction networks were analyzed via Gene Ontology （GO）， Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG）， and CellChat， and the protein-protein interaction （PPI） map of subtype cells was constructed. The CytoTRACE pseudo-temporal analysis was performed to explore the developmental trajectories of core immune cells （natural killer cells， NK cells） from maternal and fetal sources. Results① Pathological and Western blot results indicated that compared with the blank group， the RPL group showed an increase in the embryo loss rate （P<0.01）， down-regulated expression of Bcl-2， LIF， MMP-2， and Vegf in the decidua with embryos （P<0.05）， up-regulated protein levels of CXCL-12， AngⅡ， and IL-6 （P<0.05）， blocked angiogenesis， apoptosis-inflammation imbalance， and coagulation dysfunction. Both prescriptions dose-dependently reduced the abortion rate and restored the angiogenesis-inflammation balance， and Shoutai pill showed superior performance in restoring the E₂ level to the Pg level （P<0.05）. ② Single-cell transcriptome analysis indicated that compared with the blank group， the RPL group showed differences in multiple key cell populations such as decidual cells， trophoblast cells， endothelial cells， erythroblasts， NK cells， and macrophages at the maternal-fetal interface. Immunity and angiogenesis were the key links in RPL. Compared with the RPL group， high-dose Shoutai Wan reversed the changes of NK cells in the embryonic layer （upregulating the mRNA levels of 17 genes and downregulating the mRNA levels of 29 genes） and macrophages （upregulating the mRNA levels of 117 genes and downregulating the mRNA levels of 53 genes） through the regulation of gene expression. High-dose Shoutai pill regulated the immune cells to affect unfolded proteins， cell adhesion， and programmed cell death， thereby promoting decidualization and angiogenesis and modulating embryo-membrane development. High-dose Juyuan Jian regulated the key subgroups of NK cells （up-regulating the mRNA levels of 9 genes and down-regulating the mRNA levels of 17 genes） and macrophages （up-regulating the mRNA levels of 110 genes and down-regulating the mRNA levels of 81 genes）， which affected decidual inflammation and apoptosis and intervened in glycolysis. ③ The pseudo-temporal analysis and communication network indicated that the communication frequency of the RPL group decreased. High-dose Shoutai Wan restored maternal-fetal tolerance through pathways such as NKG2D， CDH5， GDF， and FASLG. High-dose Juyuan Jian enhanced the IL-6/LIFR/JAK/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （STAT3） and desmosome/SEMA6/tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis （TWEAK） signaling to improve endometrial receptivity. The RPL group showed an increased proportion of toxic dNK7， a decreased proportion of reparative dNK4， and blocked embryo fNK1. High-dose Shoutai Wan down-regulated dNK7 and up-regulated dNK4. High-dose Juyuan Jian inhibited the terminal differentiation of dNK7 and up-regulated LILRB1， thus restoring the balance of cytotoxicity and repair. ConclusionBoth the kidney-tonifying and spleen-invigorating methods are effective in treating RPL. NK and macrophages are the key immune cells in the interaction between the embryo and the membrane. The kidney-tonifying method （Shoutai Wan） has an advantage in regulating the phenotypes of unfolded protein， cell adhesion， and programmed cell death， and shows expression characteristics closer to the physiological state in the regulation of NKG2D and CDH5 signals. The spleen-invigorating method （Juyuan Jian） has an advantage in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）， angiogenesis， and glycolysis and shows higher communication intensity in the IL-6 and LIFR pathways.

BACKGROUND: Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and recurrent autoinflammatory disease, imposes a substantial burden on patients and society. Awareness of GPP in China remains limited. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2023 across 14 hospitals in China, included GPP patients of all ages and disease phases. Data collected encompassed demographics, clinical characteristics, economic impact, disease severity, quality of life, and treatment-related complications. Risk factors for GPP recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 127 patients (female/male ratio = 1.35:1), the mean age of disease onset was 25 years (1st quartile [Q1]-3rd quartile [Q3]: 11-44 years); 29.2% had experienced GPP for more than 10 years. Recurrence occurred in 75.6% of patients, and nearly half reported no identifiable triggers. Younger age at disease onset ( P  = 0.021) and transitioning to plaque psoriasis ( P  = 0.022) were associated with higher recurrence rates. The median diagnostic delay was 8 months (Q1-Q3: 2-41 months), and 32.3% of patients reported misdiagnoses. Comorbidities were present in 53.5% of patients, whereas 51.1% experienced systemic complications during treatment. Depression and anxiety affected 84.5% and 95.6% of patients, respectively. During GPP flares, the median Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 19.0 (Q1-Q3: 13.0-23.5). This score showed significant differences between patients with and without systemic symptoms; it demonstrated correlations with both depression and anxiety scores. Treatment costs caused financial hardship in 55.9% of patients, underscoring the burden associated with GPP. CONCLUSIONS The substantial disease and economic burdens among Chinese GPP patients warrant increased attention. Patients with early onset disease and those transitioning to plaque psoriasis require targeted interventions to mitigate the high recurrence risk.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Psoriasis/pathology* ; Adult ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Child ; Young Adult ; Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Recurrence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of long-term biologic therapy on metabolic biochemical parameters in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis patients. METHODS: The study included patients over 18 years old who had been treated by biological agents for at least 24 weeks for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis from Novermber 2015 to January 2024. According to the biological agents the patients used, they were divided into three groups: interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibitor group, IL-23 and IL-12/23 inhibitor group and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitor group. The metabolic biochemical parameters of each group were evaluated and compared before and after the administration of the biologic therapies. RESULTS: A total of 174 patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were included in the long-term treatment with biologics, including 127 males (73.00%), 47 females (27.00%), with a median age of 38.00 (31.50, 49.00) years and a median duration of psoriasis of 12.00 (10.00, 20.00) years. The median duration of biologic treatment was 61.00 (49.00, 96.25) weeks, ranging from 26 to 301 weeks. There were 101 patients in the IL-17 inhibitor group, 38 patients in the IL-23 and IL-12/23 inhibitor group, and 35 patients in the TNF-α inhibitor group. After long-term treatment with IL-17 inhibitors, no statistically significant changes were observed in body weight, body mass index (BMI), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), fasting glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) compared with baseline measurements (P>0.05). However, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were significantly reduced [(2.90±0.75) mmol/L vs. (3.05±0.79) mmol/L, t=－2.100, P=0.038], while uric acid (UA) levels showed a significant increase [(401.13±99.13) μmol/L vs. (364.94±91.11) μmol/L, t=5.215, P < 0.001]. The group with normal UA levels before treatment showed a significant increase after long-term application of biological agents compared with before treatment [(370.69± 89.59) μmol/L vs. (324.66±64.50) μmol/L, t=5.856, P < 0.001]. Following long-term application of IL-23 and IL-12/23 inhibitors, no statistically significant differences were observed in body weight, BMI, ALT, AST, GLU, TC, TG, HDL-C and UA levels when compared with baseline measurements (P> 0.05). However, LDL-C levels exhibited a significant reduction from baseline [(2.85±0.74) mmol/L vs. (3.12±0.68) mmol/L, t=－2.082, P=0.045]. After long-term treatment with TNF-α inhibitor, there were no significant differences in body weight, BMI, ALT, AST, GLU, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C and UA compared with baseline measurements (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Long-term application of IL-17 inhibitors in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis patients may result in elevated uric acid levels, particularly in patients with normal uric acid levels before treatment. The long-term use of IL-17 inhibitors, IL-23 inhibitors or IL-12/23 inhibitors might reduce LDL-C levels.
Humans ; Psoriasis/blood* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Interleukin-17/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Interleukin-23/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Interleukin-12/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Biological Therapy ; Biological Products/therapeutic use* ; Triglycerides/blood* ; Cholesterol, LDL/blood* ; Cholesterol, HDL/blood*

Objective:To compare the advantages and disadvantages and training costs of different training methods for microsurgical vascular anastomosis, and to provide a basis for establishing a systematic training model and improving surgeons microsurgical skills and clinical competence.Methods:Doctors came from various primary hospitals and exchange groups from foreign hospitals to China, and several groups of data statistics from 2018-2023 were randomly selected for this study. The microsurgical vascular anastomosis training lasted 10 days, including 1 day of theoretical study and 9 days of practical training. A total of 48 doctors were equally divided into group A (one-person operation), group B (two-person cooperation), and group C (two-person cooperation in the first four days and one-person operation in the last five days). The differences in anastomosis time and number of anastomoses between the groups were analysed by one-way ANOVA using the software GraphPad Prism 8.3.0, with P<0.05 indicating that there were statistically significant differences in the variable data. The cost of the three training methods was investigated, and a questionnaire survey of the trainees was conducted. Results:For all the three groups, the speed of anastomosis and the number of anastomoses increased with the course of training. The duration of single-vessel anastomosis was significantly different between groups A and B as well as between groups A and C at all time points except on day 1 (A1 d vs. B1 d, P=0.335; A1 d vs. C1 d, P=0.064; P<0.05 for all the other time points); groups B and C showed no significant differences on day 1 ( P=0.196) and day 3 ( P=0.115) but had significant differences on days 5, 7, and 9 (all P<0.05) in the duration of anastomosis. The number of anastomoses was not significantly different between A1 d and B1 d ( P=0.081), between A3 d and B3 d ( P=0.160), between B1 d and C1 d ( P=0.695), between B3 d and C3 d ( P=0.520), and between A1 d and C1 d ( P=0.123), with significant differences at the other time points (all P<0.05). The training costs were group A > group C > group B. The training questionnaire showed that the proportion of trainees who applied this technique in their daily work was 100.00% (48/48), the proportion of those who wished to participate in the training of this technique occasionally was 100.00% (48/48), the proportion of participants whose institutions had no relevant training conditions was 37.50% (18/48), the proportion of those whose institutions lacked necessary instruments and equipment was 35.42% (17/48), the proportion of those who had difficulties in access to laboratory animals was 68.75% (33/48), and the proportion of inability to carry out relevant training due to the lack of animal experimentation techniques such as anesthesia, preservation, and euthanasia was 91.67% (44/48), indicating that there is a great need for microsurgical vascular anastomosis training. Conclusions:The three training modes have their own advantages and disadvantages. The A mode is suitable for small-scale training. The B mode is suitable for training with adequate funds, a large number of personnel, and a high use frequency. The C mode is the best choice for microsurgical vascular anastomosis training, in which trainees can not only practice the whole vascular anastomosis process but also cooperative skills for anastomosis.

Objective:To investigate the correlation of serum FGF21 and SOST with bone mineral density and their predictive value in predicting osteoporosis in menopausal women.Methods:A total of 86 menopausal women who were examined in Northwest Women and Children's Hospital from Jan. 2021 to Jan. 2024 were chosen and separated into osteoporosis group ( n=47) and normal group ( n=39) according to whether they had osteoporosis. Serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), osteosclerosis protein (SOST) and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured, and general data such as age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes were collected and recorded. The risk factors of osteoporosis in menopausal women were analyzed by logistics regression, and the value of serum FGF21 and SOST levels in predicting osteoporosis in menopausal women was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:Serum FGF21 level and bone mineral density T-value in osteoporosis group were lower than those in normal group, while SOST level was higher ( t=5.18,19.30,7.85, P<0.05). Serum FGF21 level was positively correlated with BMD, and serum SOST level was negatively correlated with it ( r=0.476、-0.424, P<0.05). The proportion of smokers and drinkers in osteoporosis group was higher than that in normal group ( χ 2=4.98、5.68, P<0.05). Serum FGF21 level was a protective factor for osteoporosis in menopausal women, and serum SOST level was a risk factor ( OR=0.770,1.194, P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of serum FGF21, SOST and the combination of the two indexes for predicting osteoporosis in menopausal women were 0.800, 0.899 and 0.951, respectively, and the Jordon index were 0.505, 0.723 and 0.787, respectively. Conclusion:Serum FGF21 and SOST levels in menopausal women are correlated with BMD, which has certain predictive value for the occurrence of osteoporosis.

Objective:To investigate the correlation of serum FGF21 and SOST with bone mineral density and their predictive value in predicting osteoporosis in menopausal women.Methods:A total of 86 menopausal women who were examined in Northwest Women and Children's Hospital from Jan. 2021 to Jan. 2024 were chosen and separated into osteoporosis group ( n=47) and normal group ( n=39) according to whether they had osteoporosis. Serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), osteosclerosis protein (SOST) and bone mineral density (BMD) were measured, and general data such as age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes were collected and recorded. The risk factors of osteoporosis in menopausal women were analyzed by logistics regression, and the value of serum FGF21 and SOST levels in predicting osteoporosis in menopausal women was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:Serum FGF21 level and bone mineral density T-value in osteoporosis group were lower than those in normal group, while SOST level was higher ( t=5.18,19.30,7.85, P<0.05). Serum FGF21 level was positively correlated with BMD, and serum SOST level was negatively correlated with it ( r=0.476、-0.424, P<0.05). The proportion of smokers and drinkers in osteoporosis group was higher than that in normal group ( χ 2=4.98、5.68, P<0.05). Serum FGF21 level was a protective factor for osteoporosis in menopausal women, and serum SOST level was a risk factor ( OR=0.770,1.194, P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of serum FGF21, SOST and the combination of the two indexes for predicting osteoporosis in menopausal women were 0.800, 0.899 and 0.951, respectively, and the Jordon index were 0.505, 0.723 and 0.787, respectively. Conclusion:Serum FGF21 and SOST levels in menopausal women are correlated with BMD, which has certain predictive value for the occurrence of osteoporosis.

Objective:To compare the advantages and disadvantages and training costs of different training methods for microsurgical vascular anastomosis, and to provide a basis for establishing a systematic training model and improving surgeons microsurgical skills and clinical competence.Methods:Doctors came from various primary hospitals and exchange groups from foreign hospitals to China, and several groups of data statistics from 2018-2023 were randomly selected for this study. The microsurgical vascular anastomosis training lasted 10 days, including 1 day of theoretical study and 9 days of practical training. A total of 48 doctors were equally divided into group A (one-person operation), group B (two-person cooperation), and group C (two-person cooperation in the first four days and one-person operation in the last five days). The differences in anastomosis time and number of anastomoses between the groups were analysed by one-way ANOVA using the software GraphPad Prism 8.3.0, with P<0.05 indicating that there were statistically significant differences in the variable data. The cost of the three training methods was investigated, and a questionnaire survey of the trainees was conducted. Results:For all the three groups, the speed of anastomosis and the number of anastomoses increased with the course of training. The duration of single-vessel anastomosis was significantly different between groups A and B as well as between groups A and C at all time points except on day 1 (A1 d vs. B1 d, P=0.335; A1 d vs. C1 d, P=0.064; P<0.05 for all the other time points); groups B and C showed no significant differences on day 1 ( P=0.196) and day 3 ( P=0.115) but had significant differences on days 5, 7, and 9 (all P<0.05) in the duration of anastomosis. The number of anastomoses was not significantly different between A1 d and B1 d ( P=0.081), between A3 d and B3 d ( P=0.160), between B1 d and C1 d ( P=0.695), between B3 d and C3 d ( P=0.520), and between A1 d and C1 d ( P=0.123), with significant differences at the other time points (all P<0.05). The training costs were group A > group C > group B. The training questionnaire showed that the proportion of trainees who applied this technique in their daily work was 100.00% (48/48), the proportion of those who wished to participate in the training of this technique occasionally was 100.00% (48/48), the proportion of participants whose institutions had no relevant training conditions was 37.50% (18/48), the proportion of those whose institutions lacked necessary instruments and equipment was 35.42% (17/48), the proportion of those who had difficulties in access to laboratory animals was 68.75% (33/48), and the proportion of inability to carry out relevant training due to the lack of animal experimentation techniques such as anesthesia, preservation, and euthanasia was 91.67% (44/48), indicating that there is a great need for microsurgical vascular anastomosis training. Conclusions:The three training modes have their own advantages and disadvantages. The A mode is suitable for small-scale training. The B mode is suitable for training with adequate funds, a large number of personnel, and a high use frequency. The C mode is the best choice for microsurgical vascular anastomosis training, in which trainees can not only practice the whole vascular anastomosis process but also cooperative skills for anastomosis.

BACKGROUND:Astrocytes play an important role in the pathology of central nervous system diseases.The phenotypic and functional changes in astrocytes suggest that it may be an effective therapeutic target for central nervous system diseases.Our previous studies have confirmed that astragaloside can inhibit the lipopolysaccharide-induced astrocyte inflammatory response.Whether astragaloside can regulate the phenotype and function of astrocytes through Notch-1 and its downstream signaling pathway remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of astragaloside on astrocyte activation and inflammatory response induced by inflammation and its possible mechanism. METHODS:Cerebral cortex astrocytes derived from neonatal C57BL/6 mouse were cultured in vitro.CCK-8 assay was used to determine the optimum concentration of astragaloside and Notch active inhibitor DAPT.The astrocytes were divided into five groups:PBS group,lipopolysaccharide group,lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside group,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT group and lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.The secretion level of inflammatory factors was detected by ELISA,and the level of nitric oxide was detected by Griess method.The astrocytes and splenic mononuclear cells were co-cultured in Transwell chamber to observe the migration of CD4T cells.The expression of astrocyte activation marker GFAP,A1 marker C3 and A2 marker S100A10 as well as Notch 1 and Jag-1 was detected by immunofluorescence staining.The expressions of CFB,C3,S100A10,PTX3,Notch-1,Jag-1,and Hes were detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)According to the results of CCK8 assay,the final concentration of astragaloside was selected as 25 μmol/L and the final concentration of DAPT was 50 μmol/L for follow-up experiments.(2)Compared with PBS group,interleukin-6,interleukin-12 and nitric oxide secretion levels in the lipopolysaccharide group were significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.05,P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,interleukin-6(all P<0.05),interleukin-12(P>0.05,P<0.05,P<0.05)and nitric oxide(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.01)secretion significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside group,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT group,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(3)Compared with the PBS group,the expression of GFAP that is the marker of activated astrocytes and the migration of CD4 T cells were significantly increased in the lipopolysaccharide group(P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,astrocyte activation was significantly inhibited and CD4 T cell migration was significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group(P<0.05,P<0.05,P<0.01).(4)Compared with the PBS group,the expressions of A1 markers C3 and CFB in the lipopolysaccharide group were increased(P<0.01,P<0.05),and the expressions of A2 markers S100A10 and PTX3 were decreased(P<0.01,P<0.05).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,C3(all P<0.01)and CFB(both P<0.05)were significantly reduced and S100A10(all P<0.01)and PTX3(P<0.05,P<0.05 and P>0.05)were increased in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(5)Compared with the PBS group,the expressions of Jag-1,Notch-1 and Hes in the lipopolysaccharide group were significantly increased(all P<0.01).Compared with the lipopolysaccharide group,the expressions of Jag-1(all P<0.01),Notch-1(all P<0.01)and Hes(P<0.05,P<0.01 and P<0.01)were significantly reduced in the lipopolysaccharide + astragaloside,lipopolysaccharide +DAPT,lipopolysaccharide + DAPT + astragaloside group.(6)The results indicate that astragaloside can promote the transformation of astrocytes from A1 to A2 by regulating Notch-1 signaling pathway,reduce the secretion of inflammatory factors and the migration of CD4 T cells,and thus inhibit astrocyte activation and inflammatory response.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and economic burden of palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) in China.Methods:A population-based retrospective study was conducted using the data from China′s Urban Basic Medical Insurance data from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. International Classification of Diseases code and diagnoses in Chinese for PPP were used to identify cases and estimate the prevalence, incidence, and cost. Subgroup analyses were performed according to age and sex, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the results. Age-adjusted prevalence rates were calculated based on the 2010 national census data.Results:The crude prevalence and incidence rate of PPP in 2016 were 2.730/100 000 (95% CI: 2.218/100 000-3.242/100 000) and 1.556/100 000 (95% CI: 1.154/100 000-1.958/100 000), and the prevalence rate of females (2.910/100 000) was higher than that of males (2.490/100 000, χ2=97.48, P=0.001). The incidence rate of females (1.745/100 000) was also higher than that of males (1.418/100 000, χ2=85.02, P=0.001). The age peak of incidence and prevalence of patients with PPP was in the 30-39-year age group and a small peak existed in the 0-3-year age group among people under 20 years old. From 2012 to 2016, the average number of visits was (2.44±0.04) per patient, and the total per-capita cost per year was (982.40±39.19) yuan. Conclusion:In 2016, the prevalence and incidence rate of PPP in China were higher in females than in males, and the highest age peak was in the 30-39-year age group.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and economic burden of palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) in China.Methods:A population-based retrospective study was conducted using the data from China′s Urban Basic Medical Insurance data from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2016. International Classification of Diseases code and diagnoses in Chinese for PPP were used to identify cases and estimate the prevalence, incidence, and cost. Subgroup analyses were performed according to age and sex, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the robustness of the results. Age-adjusted prevalence rates were calculated based on the 2010 national census data.Results:The crude prevalence and incidence rate of PPP in 2016 were 2.730/100 000 (95% CI: 2.218/100 000-3.242/100 000) and 1.556/100 000 (95% CI: 1.154/100 000-1.958/100 000), and the prevalence rate of females (2.910/100 000) was higher than that of males (2.490/100 000, χ2=97.48, P=0.001). The incidence rate of females (1.745/100 000) was also higher than that of males (1.418/100 000, χ2=85.02, P=0.001). The age peak of incidence and prevalence of patients with PPP was in the 30-39-year age group and a small peak existed in the 0-3-year age group among people under 20 years old. From 2012 to 2016, the average number of visits was (2.44±0.04) per patient, and the total per-capita cost per year was (982.40±39.19) yuan. Conclusion:In 2016, the prevalence and incidence rate of PPP in China were higher in females than in males, and the highest age peak was in the 30-39-year age group.