ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between the occurrence of cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis（RA） and traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） syndrome. MethodsThe cross-sectional study selected 6713 RA patients from 122 centres nationwide， in which general information such as name， gender， age， height， body weight， and course of disease were collected by completing a questionnaire； patients were classified into eight types of syndrome according to the information of their four examinations，i.e. wind-dampness obstruction syndrome， cold-dampness obstruction syndrome， dampness-heat obstruction syndrome， phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome， stasis-blood obstructing collateral syndrome， qi-blood deficiency syndrome， liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome， and qi-yin deficiency syndrome. According to the occurrence of cardiovascular events， they were divided into the occurrence group and the non-occurrence group， and the condition assessment data and laboratory examination indexes were recorded. The test of difference between groups was used to analyse the possible risk factors for the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events， and binary logistic regression was used to analyse the correlation between TCM syndromes and RA cardiovascular events. ResultsA total of 6713 RA patients were included， including 256 cases in occurrence group and 6457 in non-occurrence group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of height， gender， insomnia， appetite， white blood cell（WBC）， hemoglobin（HGB）， platelets（PLT）， rheumatoid factor（RF）， anti-cyclic peptide containing citrulline（CCP）， alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， γ-glutamyl transpeptidase（GGT）， urea creatinine（CREA）， and glucose（GLU）（P＞0.05）. The TCM syndromes between groups showed significant statistic differences（P＜0.05）. Patients in occurrence group had longer disease duration， heavier body weight， and older age； more severe conditions such as disease activity（DAS-28）， number of painful joints（TJC）， number of swollen joints（SJC）， health questionnaire scores（HAQ）， visual analog scores（VAS）， restlessness， and fatigue； higher blood sedimentation rate（ESR）， low-density lipoprotein（LDL-C）， triglyceride（TG）， total cholesterol（TC）， D-Dimer， and lower high-density lipoprotein（HDL-C）（P＜0.05）. The distribution of syndrome types showed that dampness-heat obstruction syndrome accounted for the largest proportion of patients in both groups and was higher in RA cardiovascular events. Logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events was strongly associated with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome［OR=5.937， 95%CI （4.434， 7.949）， P＜0.001］. ConclusionThe occurrence of RA cardiovascular events were associated with TCM syndromes， and the probability of cardiovascular events in the RA patients with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome was 5.937 times higher than patients with other TCM syndromes.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of recombinant staphylokinase in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)by a multi-center,randomized,position-controlled,parallel post-marketing clinical trial.Methods This study was a multi-center,randomized,positive drug parallel control,non-inferiority clinical trial.From July 2019 to June 2022,a total of 251 patients with STEMI were enrolled in 31 hospitals.Patients were randomly assigned to receive intravenous staphylokinase or alteplase in a ratio of 1∶1.Vascular recanalization was evaluated by clinical indicators 30 minutes,60 minutes and 120 minutes after the initiation of thrombolysis.Coronary angiography was performed 90 to 120 minutes after the initiation of thrombolysis.The proportion of infarct-related artery(IRA)with thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)grade Ⅱ and Ⅲ,corrected TIMI frame count(CTFC)and TIMI myocardial perfusion grade(TMPG)were analyzed Major adverse cardiac events(MACE,including all-cause death,rehospitalization,reinfarction,urgent target vessel revascularization)and bleeding events were followed up at 30 days(±2 days)after thrombolysis.Results After excluding 7 subjects who did not use thrombolytic drugs,244 subjects were finally eligibled from 31 hospitals(117 in trial group and 127 in control group),and 232 subjects completed the follow-up(111 in trial group and 121 in control group).The vascular recanalization rate evaluated by clinical indicators at 120 minutes after thrombolysis was 85.6％ in trial group and 83.5％ in control group(P=0.657).The difference between the two groups was 2.11(95％CI-7.19-11.41).Given that the lower confidence limit of the 95％CI was greater than-12％,the non-inferiority of the vascular recanalization rate was established based on clinical judgment.Coronary angiography showed that the total patency rate of IRA(TIMIⅡ-Ⅲ)was 77.5％ in trial group and 77.7％ in control group(P=0.970).The difference between the two groups was-0.21(95％CI-10.95-10.54),with the lower bound of the 95％CI exceeding-12％.Therefore,the non-inferiority of the TIMI blood flow grade was confirmed,indicating that the total patency rate of IRA in the trial group was not inferior to that in the control group.The CTFC was(32.7±17.6)frames in trial group and(37.6±16.6)frames in control group,with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P=0.054).The difference between the two groups was-4.9(95％CI-10.0-0.1).As the lower limit of the 95％CI exceeded-12％,the noninferiority of CTFC was successfully demonstrated.The proportions of TMPG 0-Ⅲ were 20.7％,6.3％,2.7％and 69.4％in trial group,and 22.3％,4.1％,6.6％ and 66.9％ in control group,respectively.There was no significant difference in TIMI myocardial perfusion grade between the two groups(P=0.086).The incidence of MACE was 7.7％ in trial group and 7.1％ in control group within 30 days after the initiation of thrombolysis,and there was no significant difference between the two groups(P=0.857).Further analysis showed that there was no significant difference in cardiovascular mortality(3.4％ vs.4.7％,P=0.751).All 244 subjects were included in the safety analysis set.There was no significant difference in the total incidence of bleeding events between the two groups(22.2％ vs.15.0％,P=0.144).There was no significant difference in the incidence of major bleeding(1.7％ vs.0.8％,P=0.609).Conclusions Recombinant staphylokinase is simple to use and has a rapid onset of action.The efficacy and safety of recombinant staphylokinase are not inferior to alteplase in the treatment of acute STEMI.

This study aims to understand the epidemic distribution characteristics,antimicrobial resistance,virulence genes,and biofilm adhesion ability of Enterococcus in yaks on the Tibetan plateau.Three hundred and forty-six fresh yak fecal samples and 311 milk samples were collected from four provinces on the Tibetan plateau(Xizang,Sichuan,Gansu,Qinghai),totaling 657 sam-ples.Bacterial isolation and identification were conducted,followed by 16S rDNA gene detection and the construction of a systematic evolutionary tree.The isolated strains were tested for antimi-crobial resistance and virulence genes using PCR,and sensitivity tests were performed using 18 types of antibiotics.The biofilm adhesion ability of the isolated bacteria was determined using an improved semi-quantitative crystal violet staining method.The results showed that the total isola-tion rate of Enterococcus was 32.27％,with Sichuan having the highest at 60.23％,followed by Gansu,Qinghai,and Tibet autonomous region at 42.70％,23.47％,and 18.31％respectively.In terms of sample types,the isolation rate in fecal samples was 36.71％,and in milk samples,it was 27.33％.Through PCR amplification,bands of approximately 1 400 bp were obtained,and 5 strains were selected for evolutionary analysis,forming a separate cluster.Among the 212 isolated strains,a high resistance to clindamycin,quinupristin-dalfopristin,linezolid,levofloxacin,and erythromycin was observed,with various resistance phenomena,accounting for 60.85％.Only 5 out of 12 resist-ant genes were detected,namely erm(B),tet(L),tet(O),tet(M),and ant(6)-Ia.All 13 virulence genes were detected in Enterococcus,with detection rates in the range of 5.19％to 95.76％,where cpd was 95.75％,gelE was 91.98％,efaA was 86.79％,asal was 86.32％,and the rest ranged from 5.19％to 55.66％.The fsr virulence gene was not detected in Enterococcus from milk sources.Among the isolated strains,3.30％showed medium adhesive ability,48.58％showed weak adhesive ability,and 48.11％showed no adhesive ability.The above research revealed the preva-lence of yak derived Enterococcus,the carrying status of resistance and virulence genes,and the correlation between biofilm phenotypes,laying the foundation for mastering research data on yak-derived Enterococcus in the Tibetan plateau.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Shujin Tougu Wash Recipe in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis and to analyze the changes in patients'serum metabolites before and after treatment.Methods A total of 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis were randomly divided into the observation group and the control group.Patients in the control group were treated with Glucosamine Hydrochloride Tablets.Patients in the observation group were treated with Shujin Tougu Wash Recipe.Two groups were treated for 3 weeks.The clinical efficacy was evaluated by observing the changes in the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS),Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC),and knee joint activity before and after treatment.Serum was collected from five patients from the observation group before and after treatment,and the changes in serum metabolites were detected by UPLC-MS untargeted metabolomics technology.Metabolic pathways were analyzed through the KEGG database.Results Compared with before treatment,the VAS and WOMAC scores of patients were reduced after treatment(P＜0.05),and the activity of the knee joint was increased(P＜0.05).Tthe Observation Group is better than the control group.There were 15 differential metabolites before and after treatment,among which the content of valproic acid,N-methylundecanamide,arachidonamide,spironolactone,propylene glycol,lysophosphatidylcholine,dehydroisoproporphyrinogen,and marcoticin increased after treatment,while the content of arginine,glycine,aspartic acid,pipecolate,fexofenadine,perindopril,alfuzosin,2-aminohexanoic acid,and all-trans-heptaprenyl diphosphate decreased.The metabolic pathways involved were mainly choline metabolism,retrograde endocannabinoid signaling pathway,linoleic acid metabolism,glycerophospholipid metabolism,α-linolenic acid metabolism,and arachidonic acid metabolism.Conclusion The treatment of knee osteoarthritis patients with Shujin Tougu Wash Recipe can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of patients,improve the quality of life of patients,and can regulate the levels of arginine,valproic acid,and lysophosphatidylcholine metabolites in patients'serum,affecting multiple metabolic pathways,and improving the inflammatory level of patients through correcting d lipid metabolism,and playing an analgesic effect.

Objective:To evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics combined with machine learning for early diagnosis of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (SN-HT) .Methods:This retrospective study included 164 patients from Liaoning Provincial People’s Hospital , Lixin County People’s Hospital, Linghai Dalinghe Hospital, Fengcheng Phoenix Hospital, who underwent thyroidectomy for solitary nodules with normal thyroid function between Nov. 2016 and Jan. 2024. Postoperative pathology confirmed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) in some cases, who were further categorized into antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups based on serum antibody status. Patients without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis served as the control group. A total of 298 ultrasound images were analyzed. Radiomics features were extracted from hypoechoic non-nodular areas within 0.5 cm surrounding the tumor. Two senior pathologists and two senior ultrasound physicians independently assessed lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic changes of follicular epithelium, and the proportion of hypoechoic areas in pathology and ultrasound images, respectively. A machine learning model, CCH-NET, was developed using linear regression and t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) techniques. The dataset was divided into a training set (80%) and a validation set (20%) to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CCH-NET with that of senior ultrasound physicians. Results:In internal validation, CCH-NET achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 88.89% for both antibody-positive and antibody-negative groups, significantly higher than the 66.67% accuracy of senior ultrasound physicians ( P<0.01). In external validation, CCH-NET achieved 75.00% and 66.67% accuracy for the two groups, compared to 50.00% by senior ultrasound physicians. For the control group, both methods achieved 93.33% accuracy. The AUC of CCH-NET was 0.848, outperforming senior ultrasound physicians (0.681) ,demonstrating superior diagnostic performance. Conclusion:The radiomics-based CCH-NET model, using non-nodular hypoechoic areas as a specific indicator, can accurately identify early SN-HT in euthyroid patients. It significantly outperforms senior ultrasound physicians, improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing missed diagnoses.

Nipah virus (NiV) and related viruses form a distinct henipavirus genus within the Paramyxoviridae family. NiV continues to spillover into the humans causing deadly outbreaks with increasing human-bat interaction. NiV encodes the large protein (L) and phosphoprotein (P) to form the viral RNA polymerase machinery. Their sequences show limited homologies to those of non-henipavirus paramyxoviruses. We report two cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the Nipah virus (NiV) polymerase L-P complex, expressed and purified in either its full-length or truncated form. The structures resolve the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and polyribonucleotidyl transferase (PRNTase) domains of the L protein, as well as a tetrameric P protein bundle bound to the L-RdRp domain. L-protein C-terminal regions are unresolved, indicating flexibility. Two PRNTase domain zinc-binding sites, conserved in most Mononegavirales, are confirmed essential for NiV polymerase activity. The structures further reveal anchoring of the P protein bundle and P protein X domain (XD) linkers on L, via an interaction pattern distinct among Paramyxoviridae. These interactions facilitate binding of a P protein XD linker in the nucleotide entry channel and distinct positioning of other XD linkers. We show that the disruption of the L-P interactions reduces NiV polymerase activity. The reported structures should facilitate rational antiviral-drug discovery and provide a guide for the functional study of NiV polymerase.
Nipah Virus/chemistry* ; Cryoelectron Microscopy ; Viral Proteins/genetics* ; RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase/genetics* ; Phosphoproteins/genetics* ; Humans ; Models, Molecular ; Protein Binding

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics, RAN-binding protein 2 ( RANBP2) gene variations, and prognosis in Chinese acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) patients. Methods:A retrospective analysis of ANE cases registered in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital Encephalitis Registry System from 2022 to 2024, involving patients from Peking Union Medical College Hospital and other hospitals, was conducted. A descriptive study was performed on the clinical characteristics, treatments and prognosis, cerebrospinal fluid examination results, and imaging findings of these patients based on adjusted ANE diagnostic criteria. Whole-exome sequencing technology was used to detect gene mutations in these patients.Results:A total of 18 ANE cases were included, ranged in age from 2 to 72 [20(5, 43)] years. The male-to-female ratio was 4∶5. All patients were found with precipitating infections including COVID-19, influenza A virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. All patients presented with fever, with varying degrees of consciousness disturbance observed in 16 cases, and seizures in 10 cases. All patients underwent lumbar puncture, with normal or mildly elevated white cell counts [3(2, 13)×10 6/L] and mildly to moderately elevated protein levels [1.90(0.92, 4.65) g/L]. A total of 6 patients were found with extremely elevated interleukin-6 level [950(164, 2 000) pg/ml] in cerebrospinal fluid. Bilateral symmetric thalamic lesions were typical imaging features of ANE, while involvement of other areas such as cortical and subcortical white matter, brainstem, and cerebellum was also observed. A total of 14 patients performed genetic tests while 4 patients were identified with RANBP2 gene mutations (c.1754C>T in 3 cases, c.1966A>G in 1 case). All patients received immunotherapy, and 7 patients died at discharge while other patients presented with neurological sequelae of varying degrees. Conclusions:ANE is a rare and severe parainfectious encephalopathy that can occur in both children and adults. Clinically, it is characterized by rapidly progressing encephalopathy following systematic infection, with bilateral symmetric thalamic lesions. The detection of RANBP2 gene mutations could help make the diagnosis.

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety profile of antaitasvir phosphate combined with yiqibuvir in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) of various genotypes, without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis.Methods:394 cases with CHC from 22 centers were collected from October 2021 to April 2023. They were randomly assigned to receive either the experimental drugs (antaitasvir phosphate 100 mg+yiqibuvir 600 mg) or placebo treatment in a 3∶1 ratio. The patients were administered drugs once a day for 12 consecutive weeks, and then followed up for 24 weeks after treatment cessation. All subjects were unblinded at the four-week follow-up following drug discontinuation, with the experimental drug group continuing to complete subsequent post-discontinuation follow-up. The placebo group was switched to receive the experimental drugs for a repeated 12-week treatment period and followed up for another 24 weeks after discontinuation of the drug (placebo delayed treatment phase).The sustained virologic response rate (SVR12) was observed for subjects in the double-blind phase and the placebo delayed-treatment phase at 12 weeks after treatment cessation.Virological resistance analysis was performed on subjects who failed treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was SVR12. The number and percentage of subjects who achieved "HCV RNA