ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness and safety of Qingfei Shenshi Decoction （清肺渗湿汤） combined with western medicine for patients with bronchial asthma of heat wheezing syndrome， and to explore its potential mechanism of action. MethodsEighty-six participants with bronchial asthma of heat wheezing syndrome were randomly divided into treatment group and control group， each group with 43 participants. The control group received conventional western medicine， and the treatment group was additionally administered Qingfei Shenshi Decoction orally on the basis of the control group， 1 dose per day. Both groups were treated for 14 days. The primary outcome measure was clinical effectiveness； secondary outcome measures included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， asthma control test （ACT） score， pulmonary function indices such as forced expiratory volume in 1 second （FEV₁）， forced vital capacity （FVC）， peak expiratory flow （PEF）， serum inflammatory factor levels including interleukin-4 （IL-4）， tumour necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （hs-CRP）， and immune function indices including CD3⁺， CD4⁺， CD8⁺， CD4⁺/CD8⁺. All outcome measures were evaluated before and after treatment. Vital signs were monitored， and electrocardiography， blood routine， urine routine， liver function， and renal function tests were performed before and after treatment. Adverse events and reactions during the study were recorded. ResultsA total of 80 patients completed the trial with 40 in each group. The total clinical effective rate of the treatment group was 97.5% （39/40）， which was significantly higher than that of the control group （85.0%， 34/40， P＜0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed decreased TCM syndrome scores， IL-4， TNF-α， hs-CRP， and CD8⁺ levels， as well as increased ACT scores， CD3⁺， CD4⁺， CD4⁺/CD8⁺， FEV₁， FVC， and PEF levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Moreover， the improvements in these indices were more significant in the treatment group than in the control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. No significant abnormalities in safety indicators were observed in either group， and no adverse events or reactions occurred. ConclusionQingfei Shenshi Decoction combined with conventional western medicine for patients with bronchial asthma of heat wheezing syndrome can effectively improve the clinical symptoms， pulmonary function， and clinical effectiveness， with good safety. Its mechanism may be related to reducing inflammatory factor levels and regulating T lymphocyte subsets to improve immune function.

BACKGROUND: The American Heart Association (AHA) introduced the concept of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) health and stage, reflecting the interaction among metabolism, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the cardiovascular system. However, the association between CKM stage and the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has not been validated. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term CVD risk associated with CKM health metrics and CKM stage using data from a population-based cohort study. METHODS: In total, 5293 CVD-free participants were followed up to around 13 years in the Chinese Multi-provincial Cohort Study (CMCS). Considering the pathophysiologic progression of CKM health metrics abnormalities (comprising obesity, central adiposity, prediabetes, diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, CKD, and metabolic syndrome), participants were divided into CKM stages 0, 1, and 2. The time-dependent Cox regression models were used to estimate the cardiovascular risk associated with CKM health metrics and stage. Additionally, broader CVD outcomes were examined, with a specific assessment of the impact of stage 3 in 2581 participants from the CMCS-Beijing subcohort. RESULTS: Among participants, 91.2% (4825/5293) had at least one abnormal CKM health metric, 8.8% (468/5293), 13.3% (704/5293), and 77.9% (4121/5293) were in CKM stages 0, 1, and 2, respectively; and 710 incident CVD cases occurred during a median follow-up time of 13.3 years (interquartile range: 12.1 to 13.6 years). Participants with each poor CKM health metric exhibited significantly higher CVD risk. Compared with stage 0, the hazard ratio (HR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for CVD incidence was 1.31 (0.84-2.04) in stage 1 and 2.27 (1.57-3.28) in stage 2. Significant interactive impacts existed between CKM stage and age or sex, with higher CVD risk related to increased CKM stages in participants aged <60 years or females. CONCLUSION These findings highlight the contribution of CKM health metrics and CKM stage to the long-term risk of CVD, suggesting the importance of multi-component recognition and management of poor CKM health in CVD prevention.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Cohort Studies ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/metabolism* ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Metabolic Syndrome/metabolism* ; China ; East Asian People

AIM: To analyze the clinical utility and value of the ultra-wide-field swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(UWF-SS-OCTA)technique in changes of blood flow density and thickness in the central and peripheral regions of the retina and choroid in patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR)with or without diabetic kidney disease(DKD).METHODS: Cross-sectional study. Totally 50 cases(50 eyes)of diabetes mellitus(DM)that visited our hospital between June 2023 and June 2024 were included. They were divided into three groups: NPDR combined with DKD group(DKD group, n=20), NPDR without DKD group(NDKD group, n=20), and DM without retinopathy group(DM group, n=10, which served as control). In order to investigate the impact of DKD on ocular microangiopathy in NPDR patients, the retina and choroid within 24 mm×20 mm of the scan were separated into central and peripheral areas using the 3×3 nine-grid partition option that comes with UWF-SS-OCTA, and the parameters were then quantitatively assessed.RESULTS:The central and peripheral blood flow density of the choroidal capillary layer(CCP)was statistically significant between the DM group and the DKD group(t=3.93, P=0.0003; t=3.34, P=0.0016), and between the NDKD group and the DKD group(t=-3.06, P=0.003; t=-2.55, P=0.013), but there was no statistically significant difference between the DM group and the NDKD group(t=1.44, P=0.157; t=1.26, P=0.21). The mid-large choroidal vessel(MLCV)showed a progressive decline in central and peripheral blood flow density in the DM, NDKD, and DKD groups(F=13.74, 19.03, all P<0.0001). The DM, NDKD, and DKD groups saw a progressive decrease in central and peripheral choroidal thickness(CT; F=10.72, P=0.0001; F=13.12, P<0.001).CONCLUSION:CCP, MLCV, and CT can be used as visual indicators to identify impaired renal function in patients with NPDR. UWF-SS-OCTA can support the development of precise and noninvasive monitoring and treatment technology for diabetic ocular microangiopathy, while also offering a scientific foundation for the joint management of DR and DKD.

Objective To investigate the value of prone-position MRI of lumbar spine for diagnosing pediatric occult tethered cord syndrome(OTCS).Methods A total of 67 children with suspected tethered cord syndrome(TCS)and confirmed OTCS by surgery were prospectively enrolled as OTCS group,while 73 healthy subjects were recruited as control group.Supine-and prone-position lumbar MR examinations were performed in both groups.The position of filum terminale on prone axial T2WI and the presence or absence of"sunset sign"(i.e.filum terminale located within the dorsal 1/2 of spinal canal on prone axial T2WI)were observed,spinal cord conus mobility was calculated.The efficacy of"sunset sign"for diagnosing OTCS in children was calculated through comparison between groups.Receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of spinal cord conus mobility.Results On prone-position axial T2WI,"sunset sign"was found in 58 cases(58/67,86.57％)but not in 9 cases(9/67,13.43％)in OTCS group,which was not even observed in control group.The sensitivity of"sunset sign"for diagnosing pediatric OTCS was 86.57％(58/67),with specificity of 100％(73/73),positive predictive value of 100％(58/58)and negative predictive value of 89.02％(73/82).The spinal cord conus mobility was(19.30±5.89)％in OTCS group and(31.71±6.58)％in control group,being statistically different between groups(t=-11.722,P＜0.001).The sensitivity,specificity and AUC of spinal cord conus mobility for diagnosing pediatric OTCS was 80.60％,90.41％and 0.920,respectively.Conclusion Prone-position MRI of lumbar spine could be used in diagnosing pediatric OTCS.

Objective:To explore the clinicopathologic features differences between tall cell variant of papillary thyroid cancer (TCV-PTC) and PTC with tall cell features (PTC-TCF) and the factors influencing efficacy of 131I therapy in patients with TCV-PTC and PTC-TCF. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 84 patients (28 males, 56 females, age 43.5(35.0, 55.0) years) with pathologically confirmed TCV-PTC or PTC-TCF and who were treated with 131I therapy from January 2018 to June 2023 in the Department of Nuclear Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. The patients were divided into structural incomplete response (SIR) group and non-SIR group according to 131I treatment response. Data differences were analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum test, Fisher exact test, or Mann-Whitney U test. Variables with P<0.1 were enrolled in logistic multivariate regression analysis. The ROC curve was used to obtain the cut-off value of stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg). Results:A total of 37 patients with non-SIR and 6 patients with SIR were found in TCV-PTC group ( n=43), and 33 non-SIR and 8 SIR cases were found in PTC-TCF group ( n=41). Univariate analysis revealed that sTg differed significantly between non-SIR patients and SIR patients in TCV-PTC group ( Z=-2.81, P=0.003), while no significant differences observed for sex, age, multifocality, capsular invasion, T stage, N stage, B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine-protein kinase (BRAF) V600E mutation, initial recurrence risk, number of metastatic lymph nodes, maximum tumor diameter ( Z values: from -0.74 to -0.11, all P>0.05). In TCV-PTC group, sTg also differed significantly between non-SIR patients and SIR patients ( Z=-4.40, P<0.001), while the other clinical factors above and the proportion of tall cells showed no significant difference ( Z values: from -1.90 to -0.22, all P>0.05). The logistic regression analysis confirmed sTg as an independent risk factor of SIR in both TCV-PTC group (odds ratio ( OR) = 25.156, 95% CI: 2.245-281.812, P=0.009) and PTC-TCF group ( OR=19.214, 95% CI: 2.537-145.502, P=0.004). The ROC curve indicated that the cut-off value of sTg for predicting SIR was 20.75μg/L in TCV-PTC group and 18.55μg/L in PTC-TCF group. Conclusions:sTg is the independent risk factor for predicting the poor prognosis of patients with TCV-PTC (sTg≥20.75μg/L) and PTC-TCF (sTg≥18.55μg/L). However, other clinical characteristics show no statistical difference between TCV-PTC group and PTC-TCF group, suggesting that the invasiveness of PTC-TCF may not be lower than that of TCV-PTC, which close attention should be paid to in clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between lean lipid accumulation product (LAP) and metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD).Methods:This cross-sectional study consecutively enrolled 1 990 adult subjects who underwent health examinations at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University between June 2021 and May 2023. All recruited participants had a body mass index (BMI)<23 kg/m2. Data collection included general information, physical examination, serum biochemical parameter measurements, and liver ultrasonography. Participants were divided into four groups (Q1-Q4) according to quartiles value of LAP from low to high. The differences of biochemical parameters and the prevalence of lean MAFLD were compared among the groups. Logistic regression, restricted cubic spline (RCS) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to explore the relationship between LAP and lean MAFLD and assess the diagnostic predictive value of LAP for lean MAFLD.Results:A total of 1990 participants were selected, and the detection rate of lean MAFLD was 4.97% (99 cases). The detection rate of lean MAFLD showed a significant increasing trend from Q1 to Q4 groups ( P<0.001) and respectively was 0.40%, 0.81%, 4.01% and 14.70%. The average age, male proportion, BMI and waist circumference significantly increased in a dose-response manner from Q1 to Q4 (all P<0.001). Indirect bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, serum uric acid, fasting blood glucose, fatty liver index, fibrosis-4 index and every metabolic syndrome component in groups Q2 to Q4 were significantly higher than in the Q1 group, while high-density lipoprotein levels gradually decreased (all P<0.05). RCS showed that the risk of lean MAFLD rose significantly with the increase of LAP ( P<0.005), presenting a nonlinear relationship between them ( P for nonlinear<0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting other confounding factors, the risk of lean MAFLD in the Q4 group remained 4.75 times higher than that in the Q1 group (95% CI: 11.22-31.69, P<0.05). ROC curve demonstrated that LAP had a better predictive value for lean MAFLD than BMI and waist circumference, with area under the curve of 0.839, critical value of 19.59, diagnostic sensitivity of 82.8% and specificity of 75.1%. Conclusions:Elevated LAP is independently and positively correlated with the risk of lean MAFLD, and its predictive efficacy is significant superior to traditional obesity indicators.

Objective:To compare the types and contents of trace elements in compound trace element preparations used in parenteral nutrition in Beijing against the doses recommended by the guidelines, so as to facilitate optimal choice of preparations for different populations in clinical practice.Methods:The available compound trace element preparations were determined according to the drug list from the Medical Insurance Recruitment and Procurement System of Beijing and the recommended doses of trace elements in the guidelines released by Chinese domestic and foreign nutrition societies were collected and compared.Results:The compound trace element preparations used in Beijing comprised 4 varieties and 6 specifications, with the daily cost ranging from 11.32 to 471 Chinese Yuan. There were 3 varieties of trace element preparations for adults, including multi-trace elements injection (Ⅱ), multi-trace elements injection (Ⅲ), and multi-trace elements injection. Among those, multi-trace elements injection (Ⅲ) met the guideline recommendations best and the price was moderate. For pediatric populations, multi-trace elements injections (Ⅰ) satisfied better the trace element requirements for preterm infants and infants from term to 3 months, while multi-trace elements injections (Ⅲ) outperformed in meeting the trace element requirements for 3-to-12-month infants and children. However, there were still some differences in the trace element contents between the two preparations and the guideline recommendations.Conclusion:The currently available varieties and specifications of trace element preparations basically meet the recommendations of evidence-based guidelines, but there is still the need to improve the instructions for and evidence on the pediatric application of certain preparations.

Objective:An inceasing number of commercial multi-chambered bag products for parenteral nutrition (PN) have been launched in China, with some being included in the National Medical Insurance Catalogue (NMIC). In this study, the commercially available triple-chambered bag (3CB) products for PN in China were comprehensively analyzed in terms of basic characteristics, applicable population, and costs to guide the rational use of these products in clinical settings.Methods:The marketing information of 3CB products was collected. The inclusion of these products in NMIC and the Catalogue of Selected Drugs for National Centralized Procurement was investigated, along with the collection of manufacturer's instructions and pricing information in Beijing. Two researchers extracted and calculated the information of 3CB products, including energy density, types and levels of each component, glycolipid ratio, osmotic pressure, and price. The applicable population and economy of these products were also compared.Results:As of April 2024, 11 3CB products, including 23 specifications, had been approved in China. Eight products were included by NMIC and 2 by the Catalogue of Selected Drugs for National Centralized Procurement. The energy density, protein content, and lipid content dramatically differed among 3CB products (energy density, 254.0–493.7 kJ/100 ml; protein, 2.2–5.6 g/100ml; lipid, 2–4 g/100 ml; and glycolipid ratio, 62∶38–40∶60). Five products could only be infused via the central veins. The sources of fat emulsions included soybean oil-based long-chain fat-milk, medium-long-chain fat-milk, olive oil-based fat-milk, and fish oil-based fat-milk. All the 3CB products contained 8 essential amino acids and some non-essential amino acids, with or without tyrosine, taurine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid. The average daily total cost of 3CB PN was 74.78–585.82 yuan. Since Some 3CB products had been listed in NMIC, they were affordable for urban patients covered by Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance but might be economically unacceptable for rural residents who are insured by the Basic Medical Insurance for Urban and Rural Residents and uninsured patients. Conclusions:A variety of 3CB products have been commercially available in China and can meet the individual PN needs of most patients. Although some products have been listed by NMIC, the economic burden can be heavy for certain patient populations.