Progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) is a progressive and lethal condition with few effective treatment options. Improvements in quality of life for patients with PPF remain limited even while receiving treatment with approved antifibrotic drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the potential to improve cough, dyspnea and fatigue symptoms of patients with PPF. TCM treatments are typically diverse and individualized, requiring urgent development of efficient and precise design strategies to identify effective treatment options. We designed an innovative Bayesian adaptive two-stage trial, hoping to provide new ideas for the rapid evaluation of the effectiveness of TCM in PPF. An open-label, two-stage, adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial will be conducted in China. Based on Bayesian methods, the trial will employ response-adaptive randomization to allocate patients to study groups based on data collected over the course of the trial. The adaptive Bayesian trial design will employ a Bayesian hierarchical model with "stopping" and "continuation" criteria once a predetermined posterior probability of superiority or futility and a decision threshold are reached. The trial can be implemented more efficiently by sharing the master protocol and organizational management mechanisms of the sub-trial we have implemented. The primary patient-reported outcome is a change in the Leicester Cough Questionnaire score, reflecting an improvement in cough-specific quality of life. The adaptive Bayesian trial design may be a promising method to facilitate the rapid clinical evaluation of TCM effectiveness for PPF, and will provide an example for how to evaluate TCM effectiveness in rare and refractory diseases. However, due to the complexity of the trial implementation, sufficient simulation analysis by professional statistical analysts is required to construct a Bayesian response-adaptive randomization procedure for timely response. Moreover, detailed standard operating procedures need to be developed to ensure the feasibility of the trial implementation. Please cite this article as: Zhang C, Nie YS, Zhang CT, Yang HJ, Zhang HR, Xiao W, Cui GF, Li J, Li SJ, Huang QS, Yan SY. An adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine in progressive pulmonary fibrosis: Rationale and study design. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 138-145.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Bayes Theorem ; Disease Progression ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis/therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Research Design ; Adaptive Clinical Trials as Topic

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Astragalus (AST) on osteoporosis (OP) and the downstream mechanisms. METHODS: Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were induced to differentiate into osteogenic cells. After transfection with relevant plasmids, cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis were assessed. Alizarin red staining was used to detect calcium nodules in the cells, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining was used to detect ALP activity in the cells, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to determine RUNX2 and Osterix expression levels. An OP rat model was established using ovariectomy and micro-computed tomography scanning. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining were used to evaluate the pathological conditions of bone tissues, while immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect RUNX2 in bone tissues. RESULTS: AST promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, reduced miR-181d-5p expression levels, and increased SOX11 expression levels. Restoring miR-181d-5p expression or reducing SOX11 expression levels reversed the effects of AST on the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. miR-181d-5p was found to target SOX11 in hBMSCs. AST improved OP in rats, and miR-181d-5p overexpression or SOX11 inhibition reversed the therapeutic effects of AST on OP in rats. CONCLUSION AST promoted the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs and alleviated OP by targeting SOX11 via miR-181d-5p.
Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/drug effects* ; Osteoporosis/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Female ; SOXC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of closed reduction with Kirschner wire fixation versus open reduction with plate fixation for treating osteoporotic Colles' fractures in middle-aged and elderly patients. METHODS: Between January 2018 and January 2023, 119 patients with Colles fractures were retrospectively analyzed, including 39 males and 80 females, aged from 48 to 74 years old with an average of(60.58±6.71) years old. The time from injury to operation ranged 1 to 13 days with an average of (5.29±2.52) days. According to the surgical method, they were divided into Kirschner wire fixation group (Kirschner wire group) and plate internal fixation group (plate group). In Kirschner wire group, there were a total of 68 patients, comprising 21 males and 47 females. The average age was (61.15±6.24) years old, ranged from 49 to 74 years old. Among them, 41 cases involved the left side while 27 cases involved the right side. In the plate group, there were a total of 51 patients, including 18 males and 33 females. The average age was (59.78±5.71) years old ranged from 48 to 72 years old. Among them, there were 31 cases on the left side and 20 cases on the right side. The following parameters were recorded before and after the operation:operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization days, hospitalization expenses, postoperative complications, and radiographic parameters of distal radius (distal radius height, ulnar deviation angle, palmar tilt angle). The clinical efficacy was evaluated at 3 and 12 months after the operation using Gartland-Werley and disabilites of the arm shoulder and hand (DASH) scores. RESULTS: The patients in both groups were followed up for a duration from 12 to 19 months with an average of(13.32±2.02) months. The Kirschner wire group exhibited significantly shorter operation time compared to the plate group 27.91(13.00, 42.00) min vs 67.52(29.72, 105.32) min, Z=-8.74, P=0.00. Intraoperative blood loss was also significantly lower in the Kirschner wire group than in the plate group 3.24(1.08, 5.40) ml vs 21.91(17.38, 26.44) ml, Z=-9.31, P=0.00. Furthermore, patients in the Kirschner wire group had a shorter length of hospital stay compared to those in the plate group (8.38±2.63) days vs (11.40±2.78) days, t=-3.12, P=0.00. Additionally, hospitalization cost was significantly lower in the Kirschner wire group than in the plate group 10 111.29(6 738.98, 13 483.60) yuan vs 15 871.11(11 690.40, 20 051.82) yuan, Z=-5.62, P=0.00. The incidence of complications was 2 cases in the Kirschner wire group and 1 case in the plate group, with no statistically significant difference(P>0.05). At 3 months postoprative, the radial height of the Kirschner wire group was found to be significantly smaller than that of the plate group, with measurements of (11.45±1.69) mm and (12.11±1.78) mm respectively (t=-2.06, P=0.04). However, there were no statistically significant differences observed in ulnar deviation angle and palmar tilt angle between the two groups (P>0.05). The DASH score and Gartland-Werley score in the Kirschner group were significantly higher than those in the plate group at 3 months post-operation (19.10±9.89) vs (13.47±3.51), t=4.34, P=0.00;(11.15±3.61) vs (6.41±2.75), t=8.13, P=0.00). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups at 12 months post-operation (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Compared to plate internal fixation, closed reduction with Kirschner wire support fixation yields a slightly inferior recovery of radial height;however, there is no significant disparity in the functional score of the affected limb at 12 months post-operation. Nonetheless, this technique offers advantages such as shorter operation time, reduced intraoperative blood loss, decreased hospitalization duration, and lower cost.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Bone Wires ; Bone Plates ; Retrospective Studies ; Colles' Fracture/surgery* ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Open Fracture Reduction/methods* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery*

Three evaluation methods were recommended for the key properties of the intravascular catheter lubricating coating such as stability,lubricity and integrity,including insoluble particle test method,friction test procedure and appearance detection method.Fifteen batches of microcatheters produced by different manufacturers were selected for testing to clarify the three methods in test principle,step,result,characteristic.References were provided for the design,production,evaluation and regulation of intravascular catheters with lubricant coatings.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(1):66-72]

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of lamb′s tripe extract and vitamin B 12 capsule (LTEVB 12C) on chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) at different locations (antrum lesser curvature, antrum greater curvature, gastric angle, corpus lesser curvature, and corpus greater curvature). Methods:From August 2011 to January 2013, 715 patients with CAG in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial were enrolled from 16 tertiary first-class hospitals across the country, including the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, the First Hospital of Jilin University, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, etc., there were 476 cases in the LTEVB 12C group and 239 cases in the placebo group. The patients of the LTEVB 12C group received LTEVB 12C, and the patients of placebo group received LTEVB 12C mimetic, all the medications were taken 3 capsules each time and 3 times a day after meals, and the treatment course of 2 groups were both 6 months. The efficacy evaluation criteria included the effective rate (a decrease of ≥1 in histopathological score compared with baseline after 6 months of treatment) and the reversal rate (a decrease of ≥ 2 in histopathological score compared with baseline after 6 months of treatment in the patients with moderate to severe CAG). The impact of lesion sites on the therapeutic effects of LTEVB 12C was analyzed by logistic regression analysis. The two-way unordered Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test considering the center effect and Pearson chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Results:The effective rates of chronic inflammation at the antrum greater curvature and corpus greater curvature (23.3%, 110/473 vs. 13.0%, 31/239; 20.3%, 96/472 vs. 12.6%, 30/239), the effective rates of atrophy at the antrum lesser curvature, antrum greater curvature, gastric angle, corpus lesser curvature, and the corpus greater curvature (27.0%, 118/437 vs. 15.7%, 34/216; 29.2%, 126/432 vs. 18.5%, 38/205; 27.8%, 121/435 vs. 16.7%, 36/216; 32.5%, 127/391 vs. 19.8%, 37/187; 33.0%, 119/361 vs. 21.8%, 39/179), and the effective rates of intestinal metaplasia at the antrum lesser curvature, antrum greater curvature, gastric angle, and the corpus lesser curvature (45.0%, 112/249 vs. 29.8%, 31/104; 53.8%, 86/160 vs. 33.9%, 21/62; 45.8%, 103/225 vs. 24.0%, 25/104; 51.9%, 83/160 vs. 28.3%, 17/60) of the LTEVB 12C group were all higher than those of the placebo group, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=10.76, 6.39, 9.69, 7.91, 11.05, 9.62, 8.57, 5.20, 7.11, 12.45, and 6.73; all P<0.05). The reversal rates of chronic inflammation at the corpus lesser curvature and corpus greater curvature (5.2%, 12/231 vs. 0, 0/123; 4.7%, 8/170 vs. 0, 0/88), the reversal rates of atrophy at the antrum lesser curvature, antrum greater curvature, corpus lesser curvature, and the corpus greater curvature (6.8%, 22/323 vs. 1.3%, 2/151; 9.2%, 29/315 vs. 1.4%, 2/144; 14.2%, 38/267 vs. 2.5%, 3/121; 20.8%, 35/168 vs. 5.8%, 4/69), and the reversal rates of intestinal metaplasia at the antrum lesser curvature, antrum greater curvature, gastric angle, and the corpus lesser curvature (29.8%, 39/131 vs. 9.1%, 4/44; 41.0%, 32/78 vs. 12.5%, 3/24; 33.3%, 44/132 vs. 4.8%, 3/63; 50.0%, 37/74 vs. 8.7%, 2/23) of the LTEVB 12C group were all higher than those of the placebo group, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=6.58, 5.12, 5.60, 8.61, 11.43, 6.59, 7.30, 4.95, 15.92, 7.62; all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the effective rates and reversal rates of active inflammation at different locations between the LTEVB 12C group and the placebo group (all P>0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis (taking the antrum lesser curvature as the reference) further confirmed that the reversal rates of chronic inflammation ( OR=0.22, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.07 to 0.67; OR=0.24, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.80), atrophy ( OR=0.28, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.49; OR=0.28, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.49), and intestinal metaplasia ( OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.24 to 0.77; OR=0.20, 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.52) at the corpus lesser curvature and corpus greater curvature were all higher than those at the antrum lesser curvature, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no statistically siginificant differences in the reversal rates of the aforementioned pathological features between the antrum greater curvature, gastric angle, and the antrum lesser curvature (all P>0.05). Conclusion:LTEVB 12C can achieve good efficacy in the treatment of CAG, and the chronic inflammation, atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia at multiple locations are improved, especially at the corpus lesser curvature and the corpus greater curvature.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of cyclophosphamide in patients with T-cell large granular lymphocytic leukemia (T-LGLL) and the maintenance of treatment-free remission (TFR) following drug discontinuation.Methods:Clinical data were collected from 37 patients with T-LGLL who received oral cyclophosphamide at the Regenerative Medicine Clinic of the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital between June 2019 and March 2024. Patient clinical characteristics, treatment efficacy, and long-term TFR were analyzed.Results:The median age of the 37 patients was 60 years (range: 37-86), and 22 (59.5%) were male. Anemia was observed in 30 patients (81.1%), and 28 (75.7%) met the diagnostic criteria for secondary pure red cell aplasia. Neutropenia occurred in 15 patients (40.5%), lymphocytosis in 11 (29.7%), and thrombocytopenia in three (8.1%). Sixteen patients (43.2%) had not received prior immunosuppressive therapy (treatment-naive group), while 21 patients (56.8%) were refractory to or had relapsed after immunosuppressive treatment (refractory/relapsed group). All patients met the treatment criteria and received oral cyclophosphamide at doses of 50-100 mg/day. Among the 36 evaluable patients, hematologic remission was achieved in 25 (69.4%), with a median time of 2.0 months (range: 0.7-7.0). There was no statistically significant difference in remission rates between the treatment-naive and refractory/relapsed groups (68.5% vs. 66.7%, P=0.589). Among the 25 patients who achieved hematologic remission, 24 discontinued cyclophosphamide. With a median follow-up of 39.0 months (range: 8.0-56.0), the median TFR duration was not reached. The estimated TFR rates were (90.87± 6.16) % at 12 months and (75.72±11.04) % at 36 months. No significant difference in TFR was observed between the treatment-naive and refractory/relapsed groups ( P=0.451) . Conclusion:Oral cyclophosphamide is effective in the treatment of T-LGLL, and patients may maintain long-term TFR following drug discontinuation.

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of the use of intravenous therapy specialist nurses and construct a theoretical framework, so as to provide reference for developing intervention measures and improving the use of intravenous therapy specialist nurses.Methods:The grounded theory research method was used. From July to August 2024, 17 intravenous therapy managers/specialist nurses from six ClassⅢ Grade A hospitals in Beijing City and Hebei Province were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling for semi-structured interviews. NVivo 12.0 was used for data analysis, including open, axial, and selective coding.Results:A total of 79 initial concepts were extracted and summarized into 25 domains, which were consolidated into five main domains, including organizational management and support, personal characteristics and professional identity, team collaboration and communication, work performance and incentive mechanisms, and external environment and opportunities. On this basis, a theoretical framework for factors influencing the use of intravenous therapy specialist nurses was constructed.Conclusions:This study constructs a theoretical framework for factors influencing the use of intravenous therapy specialist nurses. Managers can leverage this theoretical framework to develop targeted intervention strategies that enhance the effectiveness of intravenous therapy specialist nurses and optimize the allocation of nursing human resources.

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of the use of intravenous therapy specialist nurses and construct a theoretical framework, so as to provide reference for developing intervention measures and improving the use of intravenous therapy specialist nurses.Methods:The grounded theory research method was used. From July to August 2024, 17 intravenous therapy managers/specialist nurses from six ClassⅢ Grade A hospitals in Beijing City and Hebei Province were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling for semi-structured interviews. NVivo 12.0 was used for data analysis, including open, axial, and selective coding.Results:A total of 79 initial concepts were extracted and summarized into 25 domains, which were consolidated into five main domains, including organizational management and support, personal characteristics and professional identity, team collaboration and communication, work performance and incentive mechanisms, and external environment and opportunities. On this basis, a theoretical framework for factors influencing the use of intravenous therapy specialist nurses was constructed.Conclusions:This study constructs a theoretical framework for factors influencing the use of intravenous therapy specialist nurses. Managers can leverage this theoretical framework to develop targeted intervention strategies that enhance the effectiveness of intravenous therapy specialist nurses and optimize the allocation of nursing human resources.

Objective:To investigate the effect of deubiquitinating enzymes(DUBs) USP2 on depressive-like behavior and hippocampal NF-κB expression in mice.Methods:(1) USP2 silencing experiment: Two USP2 silencing interference sequences with the highest knockdown efficiency were screened and cloned into a lentivirus vector. Mice were microinjected with lentivirus vector into both sides of hippocampus to silence the USP2 gene, and depressive behavior and USP2 protein expression in hippocampal tissue were observed. (2) Venlafaxine intervention experiment: total 32 healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into virus control group, Venlafaxine group, USP2 silencing group, and USP2 silencing+ Venlafaxine group according to the random number table method, with 8 mice in each group. Mice were injected with lentivirus into both side of the hippocampus, and 7 days later, they were given intraperitoneal injection of Venlafaxine (5 mg/kg, once a day, for a total of 14 days). After the administration, the depressive behavior of mice was detected by forced swimming test(FST) and tail suspension test(TST), and the expression levels of USP2, p-IκBα, IκBα, p-NF-κB p65, and NF-κB p65 in the hippocampus of mice were detected by Western blot.SPSS 25.0 and GraphPad Prism 8.0 were used for data processing and chart drawing.The t-test was used for comparison between two groups, One-way ANOVA was used for comparison among multiple groups, and Tukey HSD or LSD- t was used for post hoc pairwise comparison when there was homogeneity of variance. Results:(1)The results of the USP2 silencing experiment showed that both screened USP2 silencing sequences had good gene knockout effects. The expression levels of USP2 protein in the hippocampus of mice injected with USP2 silencing virus were lower than those of the negative control virus groups (both P<0.05). The immobility time of mice in the FST and TST was higher than that of the negative control virus group (both P<0.05). (2)Venlafaxine intervention experiment: There were statistically significant differences in immobility time among the four groups of mice in the FST and TST ( F=8.90, 4.41, both P<0.05). The immobility time of FST and the immobility time of TST in the USP2 silencing+ Venlafaxine group ((48.13±12.76) s, (77.38±12.35) s) were lower than those in the USP2 silencing group((129.88±11.67)s, (148.29±15.31)s) (both P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the expression levels of USP2, p-IκBα, and p-NF-κB p65 proteins in the hippocampal tissues of the four groups of mice ( F=8.39, 5.78, 21.32, all P<0.05).The expression level of USP2 protein in the USP2 silencing group(0.49±0.07) was lower than that in the USP2 silencing+ Venlafaxine group(0.79±0.08) and virus control group(1.00±0.07)(both P<0.05), while the expression levels of p-IκBα, p-NF-κB p65 protein (1.63±0.18, 2.14±0.24) were higher than those in the virus control group (1.00±0.06, 1.00±0.04) and the USP2 silencing+ Venlafaxine group (0.70±0.23, 0.68±0.09) (both P<0.05). Conclusion:USP2 scilencing can induce depressive-like behaviors in mice. Venlafaxine ameliorates USP2 silencing-induced depressive-like behaviors, which may be associated with the hippocampal NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechnism of betaine(BET)in reversing chemotherapy resistance in prostate cancer(PCa)by inhibiting ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1(ABCB1).Methods The PCa chemotherapy-sensitive C4-2B cells were cultured,and the TaxR cells resistant to docetaxel(DTX)were established by gradient increase the concentration of DTX.The drug resistance of C4-2B and TaxR cells against DTX was assessed using CCK-8 and the colony formation experiment.Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect ABCB1 expression.The TaxR cells were divided into:(1)Control group,negative control group(NC),siABCB1-1 group(transfected with siABCB1-1),and siABCB1-2 group(transfected with siABCB1-2).Western blotting was used to detect the effect of small interfering RNA on silencing ABCB1,and CCK-8 was used to detect the differences in DTX resistance between each group.(2)Different concentrations of BET(0,100,200,400,600,800 mmol/L)groups.These groups were subjected to CCK-8 to detect cell viability,and Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of ABCB1.(3)Control group,DTX group(20 nmol/L DTX),BET group(200 mmol/L BET),and DTX+BET group(20 nmol/L DTX+200 mmol/L BET),flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis rate and cell cycle,and Western blotting to detect the protein expression of apoptosis-related proteins(Bcl2,BAX,c-caspase-3).(4)Control group,BET group(200 mmol/L BET),wortmannin(WM)group(100 μmol/L WM),and BET+WM group(200 mmol/L BET+100 μmol/L WM).Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of PI3K,Akt,and ABCB1.(5)Control group,BET group(200 mmol/L BET),and BAY group(10 μmol/L BAY),BAY+BET group(200 mmol/L BET+10 μmol/L BAY).Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of NF-κB p65,p-ikBα and ABCB1.Network pharmacology combined with transcriptome sequencing was used to predict the possible pathways for BET to reverse chemotherapy resistance.Results Compared with C4-2B cells,TaxR cells showed significantly increased resistance to DTX(P<0.01),and high expression of ABCB1(P<0.01).After silencing ABCB1 with siRNA,TaxR cells'resistance to DTX was significantly inhibited(P<0.01).The inhibition rate of TaxR cells treated with 200 mmol/L BET was less than 20%,and it significantly decreased the expression of ABCB1 protein in TaxR cells(P<0.05).Compared with control group,the combination of 200 mmol/L BET and 20 nmol/L DTX resulted in higher apoptosis rate and higher S stage cell ratio,lower expression of Bcl-2 protein and higher expression of BAX and c-caspase-3 proteins than the two drugs used alone(P<0.05).Compared with control group,the combination of 200 mmol/L BET and 100 μmol/L WM significantly down-regulated the protein expression of PI3K,Akt and ABCB1(P<0.01).The combination of 200 mmol/L BET and 10 μmol/L BAY significantly down-regulated the protein expression of NF-κB p65,p-ikBα and ABCB1(P<0.01).Conclusion BET may reverse TaxR cells'chemotherapy resistance by down-regulating ABCB1 expression through the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.