ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of action of Huangqi Chifengtang （HQCFT） on rats with atherosclerosis （AS） by regulating the gut microbiota and their metabolites. MethodsA rat model of AS was induced through high-fat diet feeding and vitamin D₃ injection， and the modeling lasted for 12 weeks. Fifty eight-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups： A blank group， a model group， a group receiving a low dose of HQCFT at 1.53 g·kg^-1 （HQCFT-L group）， a group receiving a high dose of HQCFT at 3.06 g·kg^-1 （HQCFT-H group）， and a group receiving atorvastatin calcium tablets at 1.8 mg·kg^-1 （Ato group）， with 10 rats in each group. Oral gavage administration started on the day after model establishment， once daily for four weeks. The efficacy of HQCFT was verified using aortic hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and determination of lipid levels and hemorrheology. The real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used for detecting inflammatory factor levels in the aorta， high-throughput sequencing for analyzing the gut microbiota composition in intestinal contents， targeted metabolomics for detecting short-chain fatty acid （SCFA） levels， and non-targeted metabolomics for identifying metabolomic profiles of intestinal contents. ResultsCompared with that in the blank group， the aortic tissue of rats in the model group showed significant AS lesions， including endothelial damage， inflammatory infiltration， and formation of fibrous plaques and calcified foci. Moreover， serum triacylglycerol （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） levels were significantly elevated （P<0.05）， while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Significant increases were observed in whole blood viscosity， plasma viscosity， and the mRNA expression levels of NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 （NLRP3）， Caspase-1， interleukin （IL）-β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in aortic tissue （P<0.05）. Additionally， gut microbiota composition， SCFA levels， and metabolomic profiles were significantly altered. Compared with those in the model group， serum TC， TG， and LDL-C levels， as well as the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity， were significantly reduced in all groups treated with HQCFT （P<0.05）. Significant decreases were observed in NLRP3 mRNA expression levels in all groups treated with HQCFT， Caspase-1， IL-β， and IL-6 mRNA expression levels in the HQCFT-H group， and TNF-α mRNA expression levels in the HQCFT-L group （P<0.05）. HQCFT reversed the increase in the F/B ratio and dialled back the decrease in the relative abundance of Blautia and the increase in that of Desulfovibrio. HQCFT promoted the production of acetic acid， valeric acid， and propionic acid. Non-targeted metabolomics identified 39 differential metabolites， which were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways such as arachidonic acid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. ConclusionThe mechanism by which HQCFT ameliorates AS injury may be related to the improvement of dyslipidemia and body inflammatory responses by altering gut microbiota composition， promoting SCFA production， and regulating the levels of metabolites in intestinal contents.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of action of Huangqi Chifengtang （HQCFT） on rats with atherosclerosis （AS） by regulating the gut microbiota and their metabolites. MethodsA rat model of AS was induced through high-fat diet feeding and vitamin D₃ injection， and the modeling lasted for 12 weeks. Fifty eight-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups： A blank group， a model group， a group receiving a low dose of HQCFT at 1.53 g·kg^-1 （HQCFT-L group）， a group receiving a high dose of HQCFT at 3.06 g·kg^-1 （HQCFT-H group）， and a group receiving atorvastatin calcium tablets at 1.8 mg·kg^-1 （Ato group）， with 10 rats in each group. Oral gavage administration started on the day after model establishment， once daily for four weeks. The efficacy of HQCFT was verified using aortic hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and determination of lipid levels and hemorrheology. The real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used for detecting inflammatory factor levels in the aorta， high-throughput sequencing for analyzing the gut microbiota composition in intestinal contents， targeted metabolomics for detecting short-chain fatty acid （SCFA） levels， and non-targeted metabolomics for identifying metabolomic profiles of intestinal contents. ResultsCompared with that in the blank group， the aortic tissue of rats in the model group showed significant AS lesions， including endothelial damage， inflammatory infiltration， and formation of fibrous plaques and calcified foci. Moreover， serum triacylglycerol （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） levels were significantly elevated （P<0.05）， while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. Significant increases were observed in whole blood viscosity， plasma viscosity， and the mRNA expression levels of NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 （NLRP3）， Caspase-1， interleukin （IL）-β， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in aortic tissue （P<0.05）. Additionally， gut microbiota composition， SCFA levels， and metabolomic profiles were significantly altered. Compared with those in the model group， serum TC， TG， and LDL-C levels， as well as the whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity， were significantly reduced in all groups treated with HQCFT （P<0.05）. Significant decreases were observed in NLRP3 mRNA expression levels in all groups treated with HQCFT， Caspase-1， IL-β， and IL-6 mRNA expression levels in the HQCFT-H group， and TNF-α mRNA expression levels in the HQCFT-L group （P<0.05）. HQCFT reversed the increase in the F/B ratio and dialled back the decrease in the relative abundance of Blautia and the increase in that of Desulfovibrio. HQCFT promoted the production of acetic acid， valeric acid， and propionic acid. Non-targeted metabolomics identified 39 differential metabolites， which were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways such as arachidonic acid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. ConclusionThe mechanism by which HQCFT ameliorates AS injury may be related to the improvement of dyslipidemia and body inflammatory responses by altering gut microbiota composition， promoting SCFA production， and regulating the levels of metabolites in intestinal contents.

ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of surveillance cases in a sentinel hospital for pertussis in Jiangxi Province in 2019, and to provide corresponding references for the prevention and control of pertussis. MethodsCase investigation of pertussis was conducted among sentinel hospital surveillance cases, collecting their basic information, epidemiological characteristics, clinical characteristics, and other information. ResultsA total of 125 pertussis surveillance cases were investigated in 2019, including 73 clinically diagnosed cases (58.40%) and 52 confirmed cases (41.60%). The age of onset was mainly concentrated in children under 5 years old (108 cases, 86.40%), with the largest number of cases in infants aged less than 1-year-old (48 cases, 38.40%). Most cases had a history of receiving pertussis vaccine before onset (110 cases, 88.00%), and the intervals between the onset date and the date of last dose of pertussis vaccine in the 1‒2 doses group were significantly shorter than that in the 3‒4 doses group (U=-5.990, P<0.001). Probable household transmission of pertussis was found in 3 cases. All cases had cough symptoms, mainly manifested as whooping cough (77 cases, 61.60%), in addition to other main clinical manifestations, such as fever (76 cases, 60.80%), vomiting (30 cases, 24.00%), conjunctival congestion (27 cases, 21.60%), and inspiratory whoop (16 cases, 12.80%). A total of 73 cases (58.40%) experienced complications, including 1 death case. All the cases had multiple medical visit experiences before this visit, with an interval of 2 (0,3) days between the onset date and the first visit date. The misdiagnosis rate at the first medical visit was 88.00% (110/125), and the misdiagnosis rate of the first visit in secondary and primary hospitals was significantly higher than that in tertiary hospitals, exhibiting a statistically significant difference (χ²=21.582, P<0.001). ConclusionThe clinical symptoms of pertussis cases are often atypical, and the first diagnosis is prone to misdiagnosis, so it’s necessary to further strengthen the early diagnosis capabilities for pertussis cases in healthcare institutions, especially in the primary healthcare institutions.

Background::While type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered a putative causal risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), the intrinsic link underlying T2DM and CAD is not fully understood. We aimed to highlight the importance of integrated care targeting both diseases by investigating the phenotypic and genetic relationships between T2DM and CAD.Methods::We evaluated phenotypic associations using data from the United Kingdom Biobank ( N = 472,050). We investigated genetic relationships by leveraging genomic data conducted in European ancestry for T2DM, with and without adjustment for body mass index (BMI) (T2DM: Ncase/ Ncontrol = 74,124/824,006; T2DM adjusted for BMI [T2DM adjBMI]: Ncase/ Ncontrol = 50,409/523,897) and for CAD ( Ncase/ Ncontrol = 181,522/984,168). We performed additional analyses using genomic data conducted in multiancestry individuals for T2DM ( Ncase/ Ncontrol = 180,834/1,159,055). Results::Observational analysis suggested a bidirectional relationship between T2DM and CAD (T2DM→CAD: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.01–2.24; CAD→T2DM: HR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.63–1.81). A positive overall genetic correlation between T2DM and CAD was observed ( rg = 0.39, P = 1.43 × 10 -75), which was largely independent of BMI (T2DM adjBMI–CAD: rg = 0.31, P = 1.20 × 10 –36). This was corroborated by six local signals, among which 9p21.3 showed the strongest genetic correlation. Cross-trait meta-analysis replicated 101 previously reported loci and discovered six novel pleiotropic loci. Mendelian randomization analysis supported a bidirectional causal relationship (T2DM→CAD: odds ratio [OR] = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.11-1.16; CAD→T2DM: OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.07-1.18), which was confirmed in multiancestry individuals (T2DM→CAD: OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.10-1.16; CAD→T2DM: OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04-1.13). This bidirectional relationship was significantly mediated by systolic blood pressure and intake of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, with mediation proportions of 54.1% (95% CI: 24.9-83.4%) and 90.4% (95% CI: 29.3-151.5%), respectively. Conclusion::Our observational and genetic analyses demonstrated an intrinsic bidirectional relationship between T2DM and CAD and clarified the biological mechanisms underlying this relationship.

Objective:To systematically integrate qualitative researches on the financial toxicity experience of cancer patients, so as to provide reference for formulating intervention strategies for financial toxicity in cancer patients.Methods:Qualitative studies on financial toxicity experience of cancer patients were searched in Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang data, and China Biology Medicine disc, with a search period from database establishment to August 31, 2023. The quality of the included literature was evaluated using the quality evaluation criteria for qualitative research of the Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Health Care Center in Australia. The aggregation integration method was used to integrate the results.Results:A total of 12 articles were included, and 68 research results were extracted and categorized into 15 new categories. Four integrated results were obtained, including anxiety and stress under financial difficulties, relying on family members to start a new in adversity, and dancing together with treatment and life to write a new article, and great expectations for the future.Conclusions:Pay attention to the financial toxicity of cancer patients, actively seek response strategies, and bring benefits to cancer patients.

Objective In order to determine the incidence and mortality of uterine body cancer in Gansu province in 2019,the epidemic characteristics and the change trend of incidence and death from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed.Methods The quality control qualified data in Gansu province tumor registration center were used,uterine body cancer in urban and rural,age-specific inci-dence(mortality),the China standardized rate by Chinese population,the World standardized rate by World population,cumulative rate,crude incidence(mortality),composition ratio and rank,average annual percentage change(AAPC)and other indicators were calculated.Results In 2019,uterine body cancer in Gansu province ranked the seventh in the incidence of female malignant tumors,with a crude incidence of 4.43/100,000,the China standardized incidence was 3.28/100,000,and the World standardized incidence was 3.19/100,000.In 2019,uterine body cancer in Gansu province ranked the sixth among the mortality of female malignant tumors,with the crude mortality of 0.56/100,000,the China standardized mortality was 0.36/100,000,and the World standardized mortality was 0.35/100,000.The peak of morbidity(mortality)was in the age range of 50 to 54 years old.From 2010 to 2019,the incidence of uterine body cancer in Gansu province showed an overall upward trend.The China standardized incidence was AAPC=4.34%(95%CI:1.60%-7.15%),with a statistically significant trend(P<0.05);The mortality of uterine body cancer showed a fluctuating pat-tern of first rising,then decreasing,and increasing again,showing an overall downward trend.The China standardized mortality was AAPC=-11.35%(95%CI:-26.77%-7.32%),and the trend was not statistically significant(P>0.05).The incidence(mortali-ty)in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas.Conclusion The overall incidence of uterine body cancer in Gansu province is on the rise,and the death is on the decline.However,mortality in rural areas is on the rise.It is recommended to vigorously promote women′s health science popularization and education throughout the province,strictly implement the comprehensive measures of"early detection,early diagnosis,early treatment",and focus on the prevention and control of women aged 50-54,especially strengthening the early diagnosis and treatment of uterine body cancer in rural areas.

Objective The objective of this study was to analyze the incidence and mortality of female breast cancer in canc-er registration areas of Gansu province in 2019 and the change trend of female breast cancer incidence and mortality from 2010 to 2019,so as to provide data support for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.Methods The incidence and mortality data of breast cancer and related demographic data in all cancer registration areas in Gansu province from 2010 to 2019 were collected.The incidence,mortality,age-standardized incidence by Chinese standard population(ASIRC),age-standardized mortality by Chinese standard population(ASMRC),age-standardized incidence by World standard population(ASIRW)and age-standardized mortality by World standard population(ASMRW),cumulative incidence and other key indicators of female breast cancer in each cancer registra-tion area were calculated according to urban and rural distribution and age groups.Joinpoint linear regression was used to analyze the annual change trend of incidence and mortality of female breast cancer in cancer registration areas in Gansu province from 2010 to 2019.Results In 2019,the number of new cases from female breast cancer in the cancer registration areas of Gansu province was 1,502 cases,accounting for 13.14%of all new malignant tumors in women.The incidence was 33.00/100,000,ASIRC and ASIRW were 23.83/100,000 and 23.81/100,000,respectively,and a cumulative rate of 0-74 years old was 2.34%.The incidence of breast cancer in urban and rural areas was 22.25/100,000 and 26.59/100,000,respectively.In 2019,the number of female breast cancer deaths in the cancer registration areas of Gansu province was 254,accounting for 5.61%of all female malignant tumor deaths.The crude mortality was 5.58/100,000,ASMRC and ASMRW were 3.70/100,000 and 3.90/100,000,respectively.The cumulative rate of 0-74 years old was 0.39%.The ASMRC of breast cancer in urban and rural areas was 3.63/100,000 and 3.79/100,000,respec-tively.The annual change trend in the ASIRC of female breast cancer in the province from 2010 to 2019 was not statistically significant(APC=-0.35%,P=0.81),while ASMRC decreased by an average of 9.85%per year(APC=-9.85%,P=0.03).Conclusion Breast cancer is a high incidence malignant tumor that threatens the physical and mental health of female residents in Gansu province,and it is a kind of cancer that women focus on.We should actively screen the risk group of women.

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between the methylation status of microRNA let-7a-3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)and the expression of insulin-like growth factor 2(IGF-Ⅱ).Methods The methylation specific PCR(qMSP)was used to detect the methylation status of let-7a-3 in 83 cases of esophageal cancer and corre-sponding adjacent normal tissues.The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the expression of IGF-Ⅱ in plasma.Results The degree of let-7a-3 methylation in cancer tissues of 83 patients with ESCC was significantly higher than that in normal tissues adjacent to cancer(P<0.001).The expression of IGF-Ⅱ in the plasma of 83 patients with ESCC was positively corre-lated with the methylation degree of let-7a-3,which was statistically significant(r=0.600,P<0.001).Conclusion microRNAlet-7a-3 may participate in the occurrence and progression of ESCC by regulating the methylation of downstream molecules,which is of great significance for understanding the mechanisms of ESCC development and providing a basis for the diagnosis and prognosis of ESCC.

Objective:To compare the therapeutic effects of different inhaled medications on patients with frequent cough in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including changes in symptoms and acute exacerbation.Methods:This study was based on the RealDTC study, and the study subjects were stable COPD patients from the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from December 2016 to March 2023. The demographic characteristics, smoking status, history of biofuel exposure, history of acute exacerbation in the past year, lung function, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, modified British Medical Research Council Respiratory Difficulty Questionnaire (mMRC) score, and inhalation medication regimen of the patients were collected. Patients with frequent cough are defined as having a cough score of ≥2 in the first item of the CAT score. According to the type of inhaled medication, patients with frequent cough are divided into l long-acting muscarine anticholinergic (LAMA), long-acting β2 agonists (LABA)+ LAMA, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA groups. At the 6th month follow-up, CAT scores were collected and symptom control was evaluated, including minimum clinical improvement (MCID) (defined as a decrease of ≥2 points from baseline in CAT scores at the 6th month) and improvement in cough symptoms (defined as a decrease of ≥1 point from baseline in cough scores). During a one-year follow-up, the number of acute exacerbations was evaluated. The relationship between different inhaled medications and prognosis in patients with frequent cough in COPD was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:A total of 653 patients with frequent cough in COPD were included, with a CAT score of (16.4±6.1) and a cough score of 3(2, 3). After 6 months of follow-up, 403 patients (61.7%) achieved MCID, and 394 patients (60.3%) had improved cough symptoms; During a one-year follow-up, 227 patients (34.8%) experienced acute exacerbation. After receiving inhalation medication treatment, the CAT scores and cough scores of four groups of patients with frequent cough, namely LAMA, LABA+ LAMA, ICS+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA, decreased compared to before treatment (all P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of △CAT score, MCID, and acute exacerbation among the four groups of LAMA, LABA+ LAMA, ICS+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA (all P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of △cough score and cough score reduction ≥1 point (all P>0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with patients treated with LAMA or ICS+ LABA drugs, patients with frequent cough in COPD treated with LABA+ LAMA or ICS+ LABA+ LAMA drugs were more likely to achieve MCID and less likely to experience acute exacerbation (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with LAMA or ICS+ LABA, patients with frequent cough in COPD who receive LABA+ LAMA or ICS+ LABA+ LAMA drug treatment are more likely to improve symptoms and have a lower risk of acute exacerbation.

Objective:To explore the impact of sleep disorders on the therapeutic effects of different inhaled medications in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Methods:A prospective observational study was conducted on 393 patients with stable COPD who visited the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from December 2020 to September 2021. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate the sleep quality of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and patients were divided into a non sleep disorder group and a sleep disorder group. The Berlin questionnaire was used to assess the risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in patients, and the hospital anxiety and depression questionnaire (HADS) was used to assess the presence of anxiety and depression in patients. The improvement of symptoms [minimum clinically significant difference (MCID)] and the deterioration of symptoms [clinical significant symptom deterioration (CID)] within six months of patient follow-up were evaluated. The moderate to severe acute exacerbation of the patient was recorded during the one-year follow-up period. The clinical characteristics of two groups of patients were compared, and multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality and the prognosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as the impact of sleep disorders on the treatment efficacy of different inhaled drugs.Results:The average age of 393 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was (62.9±8.3)years old, with a median percentage of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1%) of 53.7%(30.7%) and a mean PSQI score of (5.7±3.4)points. 186 cases (47.3%) of patients had sleep disorders. Compared with patients in the non sleep disorder group, patients in the sleep disorder group had a higher proportion of middle school education and below, lower FEV 1 and FEV 1/forced vital capacity (FVC), higher baseline COPD Assessment Test (CAT), modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) and Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) scores, and a higher proportion of comorbid anxiety (all P<0.05). Compared with patients without sleep disorders, patients with sleep disorders had a lower incidence of MCID ( P=0.030) and a higher incidence of CID ( P=0.005). During the one-year follow-up period, patients with sleep disorders experienced a higher proportion of moderate to severe acute exacerbation ( P=0.001), severe acute exacerbation ( P=0.003), and frequent acute exacerbation ( P=0.009). The results of multiple regression analysis showed that patients with sleep disorders had a lower likelihood of developing MCID ( OR: 0.288, 95% CI: 0.145-0.379, P<0.001), and an increased risk of developing CID ( OR: 3.150, 95% CI: 2.011-4.388, P<0.001) and acute exacerbation ( OR: 1.659, 95% CI: 1.162-2.368, P=0.005). Compared with patients using long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) or inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)+ long-acting β2-agonist (LABA), patients in the sleep disorder group who used LABA+ LABA were more likely to develop MCID ( OR: 1.420, 95% CI: 1.021-2.751, P=0.010; OR: 1.976, 95% CI: 1.123-2.227, P=0.023). Conclusions:Compared with patients without sleep disorders, COPD patients with sleep disorders have a lower likelihood of symptom improvement, and a higher risk of symptom deterioration and acute exacerbation.Patients with COPD with sleep disorders are more likely to achieve symptom improvement by using LABA+ LAMA.