This article reports the diagnosis and treatment of one patient with fascioliasis of the common bile duct, aiming to provide reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease. The patient sought medical attention due to long-term symptoms such as abdominal pain, abdominal distension, nausea, and vomiting. Imaging examinations displayed dilatation of the common bile duct and intrahepatic bile ducts, and the patient was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of “common bile duct stone”. Through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and choledochoscopy, two worms were collected from the common bile duct, which were identified as Fasciola hepatica by high-throughput sequencing.

Objective To investigate the levels and clinical significance of microRNA(miR)-17-5p and miR-141-3p in the serum of children with bacterial meningitis(BM).Methods A total of 111 children with BM ad-mitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from May 2019 to May 2022 were in-cluded as the study group,and another 111 healthy children who underwent physical examinations were in-cluded as the control group.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)was used to measure the ex-pression levels of serum miR-17-5p and miR-141-3p.Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between serum miR-17-5p,miR-141-3p levels and inflammatory factors in children with BM.Multivariate Lo-gistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of BM occurrence.Receiver operating character-istic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of miR-17-5p and miR-141-3p levels for BM.Re-sults The serum levels of miR-17-5p and miR-141-3p in the study group were obviously lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05),while the serum levels of C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),inter-feron-γ(IFN-γ),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-1β,and IL-6 in the study group were high-er than those in the control group(P＜0.05).According to Pearson correlation analysis,miR-17-5p and miR-141-3p were negatively correlated with CRP,PCT,IFN-γ,TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6(P＜0.05).According to multivariate Logistic analysis,CRP,PCT,IFN-γ,TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 were risk factors affecting the occur-rence of BM(P＜0.05),while miR-17-5p and miR-141-3p were protective factors affecting the occurrence of BM(P＜0.05).According to the ROC curve,the area under the curve(AUC)of serum level of miR-17-5p for diagnosing BM was 0.756,and the AUC of serum level of miR-141-3p for diagnosing BM was 0.720.The AUC of the combination of the two for diagnosing BM was 0.819,which was larger than that of single detec-tion(Zcombination vs.miR-17-5p=2.278,Zcombination vs.miR-141-3p=2.425,P＜0.05).Conclusion The expression levels of miR-17-5p and miR-141-3p in the serum of children with BM are reduced.The two are related to the levels of inflammatory factors,and their combined detection has a high diagnostic value for BM.

Objective:To understand the prevalence and related factors of three common chronic diseases, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes in HIV-infected persons.Methods:As of December 2023, HIV-infected persons >15 years old who are receiving antiviral therapy (ART) and follow-up in Henan Province were selected as the study objects. Questionnaires, physical examinations, and blood samples were collected to collect demographic information, ART, body weight, blood lipids, blood pressure, and blood sugar of HIV-infected persons. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors of hyperlipidemia, hypertension and diabetes.Results:Among 4 023 HIV-infected patients, the prevalence rates of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes were 64.47% (2 594/4 023), 16.80% (676/4 023), and 10.54% (424/4 023), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that hyperlipidemia was positively associated with ≥40 years of age, overweight and obesity, two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) + proteasome inhibitors (PIs) regimen and two NRTIs+ integrase inhibitor regimen, and negatively associated with low body weight. Hypertension was positively correlated with the age group ≥40 years old, family history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, overweight and obesity, ART time ≥0.5 years, and negatively correlated with low body weight. Diabetes was positively associated with age group ≥40 years, family history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, overweight and obesity, and negatively associated with the use of two NRTIs+PIs treatment regimens.Conclusions:In 2023, the prevalence of hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes among HIV-infected people in Henan Province was relatively high, and the risk of common chronic diseases among those ≥40 years old, overweight and obese, and those with a family history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was also relatively high. It is recommended to strengthen the prevention and management of common chronic diseases among HIV-infected people.

The high incidence of bleeding after peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) catheterization increases the risk of puncture site infection and unplanned extubation. Hemostatic dressings should be used in the early stages of catheterization to reduce blood infiltration. However, new hemostatic dressings have various types and advantages, which makes them difficult to choose dressings for medical staff. This paper introduces the types and hemostatic characteristics of novel functional hemostatic dressings, reviews the hemostatic mechanism and hemostatic effect of chitosan, cyanoacrylate gum, alginate, gelatin sponge and oxycellulose dressings in PICC puncture respectively, and prospects the development of new functional hemostatic dressings. It is expected that future hemostatic dressings will move towards multifunctionality and compositeness.
Humans ; Bandages ; Catheterization, Peripheral/instrumentation* ; Hemorrhage/prevention & control* ; Hemostatics/therapeutic use*

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation and joint damage, accompanied by the accumulation of plasma cells, which contributes to its pathogenesis. Understanding the genetic alterations occurring during plasma cell differentiation in RA can deepen our comprehension of its pathogenesis and guide the development of targeted therapeutic interventions. Here, our study elucidates the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying plasma cell differentiation by demonstrating that PRDX1 interacts with DOK3 and modulates its degradation by the autophagy-lysosome pathway. This interaction results in the inhibition of plasma cell differentiation, thereby alleviating the progression of collagen-induced arthritis. Additionally, our investigation identifies Salvianolic acid B (SAB) as a potent small molecular glue-like compound that enhances the interaction between PRDX1 and DOK3, consequently impeding the progression of collagen-induced arthritis by inhibiting plasma cell differentiation. Collectively, these findings underscore the therapeutic potential of developing chemical stabilizers for the PRDX1-DOK3 complex in suppressing plasma cell differentiation for RA treatment and establish a theoretical basis for targeting PRDX1-protein interactions as specific therapeutic targets in various diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Varied acupoint selections represent a potential cause of the uncertainty surrounding the efficacy of acupuncture for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Skin temperature, a guiding factor for acupoint selection, may help to address this issue. This study explored thermal sensitization of acupoints used for the treatment of knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional case-control study enrolled cases aged 45-75 years with symptomatic knee OA and age- and gender-matched non-knee OA controls in a 1:1 ratio. All participants underwent infrared thermographic imaging. The primary outcome was the relative skin temperature of acupoint (STA), and the secondary outcome was the absolute STA of 11 acupoints. The Z test was used to compare the relative and absolute STAs between the groups. Principal component analysis was used to extract the common factors (CFs, acupoint cluster) in the STAs. A general linear model was used to identify factors affecting the STA in the knee OA cases. For the group comparisons of relative STA, P < 0.0045 (adjusted for 11 acupoints through Bonferroni correction) was considered to indicate statistical significance. For other analyses, P < 0.05 was used as the threshold for statistical significance. RESULTS: The analysis included 308 participants, consisting of 151 cases (mean age: [64.58 ± 6.67] years; male: 25.83%; mean body mass index: [25.70 ± 3.16] kg/m²) and 157 controls (mean age: [63.37 ± 5.96] years; male: 26.11%; mean body mass index: [24.47 ± 2.84] kg/m²). The relative STAs of ST34 (P = 0.0001), EX-LE2 (P < 0.0001), EX-LE5 (P = 0.0006), SP10 (P < 0.0001), BL40 (P = 0.0012) and GB39 (P = 0.0037) were higher in the knee OA group. No difference was found in the STAs of ST35, ST36, SP9, GB33 and GB34. Four CFs were identified for relative STA in both groups. The acupoints within each CF were consistent between the groups. The mean values of the relative STAs across each CF were higher in the knee OA group. In the knee OA cases, no factors were observed to affect the relative STA, while age and gender were found to affect the absolute STA. CONCLUSION Among patients with knee OA, thermal sensitization occurs in the acupoints of the lower extremity, exhibiting localized and regional thermal consistencies. The thermally sensitized acupoints that we identified in this study, ST34, SP10, EX-LE2, EX-LE5, GB39 and BL40, may be good choices for the acupuncture treatment of knee OA. Please cite this article as: Tu JF, Wang XZ, Yan SY, Wang YR, Yang JW, Shi GX, Zhang WZ, Jing LN, Yang LS, Liu DH, Wang LQ, Mi BH. Thermal sensitization of acupoints in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional case-control study. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 289-296.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Case-Control Studies ; Aged ; Skin Temperature ; Acupuncture Therapy

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of Jingangteng capsules in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD）. METHODS Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and modeling group. The modeling group was fed a high-fat diet to establish a NAFLD model. The successfully modeled rats were then randomly divided into model group， atorvastatin group[positive control， 2 mg/（kg·d）]， and Jingangteng capsules low- and high-dose groups [0.63 and 2.52 mg/（kg·d）]， with 6 rats in each group. The pathological changes of the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and oil red O staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the serum levels of triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， alanine transaminase （ALT）， aspartate transaminase （AST）， tumour necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， IL-18. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and metabolomics techniques were applied to explore the effects of Jingangteng capsules on gut microbiota and metabolisms in NAFLD rats. Based on the E-mail：591146765@qq.com metabolomics results， Western blot analysis was performed to detect proteins related to the nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB）/NOD-like receptor family protein 3 （NLRP3） signaling pathway in the livers of NAFLD rats. RESULTS The experimental results showed that Jingangteng capsules could significantly reduce the serum levels of TG， TC， LDL-C， AST， ALT， TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， IL-18， while increased the level of HDL-C， and alleviated the hepatic cellular steatosis and inflammatory infiltration in NAFLD rats. They could regulate the gut microbiota disorders in NAFLD rats， significantly increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia and Oscillospira， and significantly decreased the relative abundance of Blautia （P＜0.05）. They also regulated metabolic disorders primarily by affecting secondary bile acid biosynthesis， fatty acid degradation， O-antigen nucleotide sugar biosynthesis， etc. Results of Western blot assay showed that they significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and NF-κB inhibitor α， and the protein expression levels of NLRP3， caspase-1 and ASC （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Jingangteng capsules could improve inflammation， lipid accumulation and liver injury in NAFLD rats， regulate the disorders of gut microbiota and metabolisms， and inhibit NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Their therapeutic effects against NAFLD are mediated through the inhibition of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the protective effects of the traditional Chinese medicine formula Shenxiankang on renal injury and fibrosis,and to explore its potential mechanisms of action.Methods Chronic kidney disease(CKD)model was established in mice using unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO).The mice were randomly divided into four groups:sham,UUO,and Shenxiankang(SXK)Low/High dose groups(1500,4500 mg/(kg·d)),each comprising eight mice.The each SXK groups received daily oral administration of Shenxiankang,and the remaining mice were gavaged equivalent volumes of saline for 7 d.After the experiment,renal tissues were collected for assessment of renal injury and fibrosis using HE and Masson staining.The expression levels of fibrosis markers and proteins involved in the epithelial membrane protein 3(Emp3)and Tgf-β/Smad3 signaling pathway were determined by Real-time PCR,immunohistochemistry,and Western Blot.In cell-based experiments,the effects of Shenxiankang on the Emp3/Tgf-β/Smad3 pathway and its interaction with TGF-beta receptor R2(Tgfβ2)were further analyzed using an Emp3 knockdown and Co-IP assays.Results Shenxiankang significantly reduced immune cell infiltration and tubular atrophy in the UUO model group and decreased the expression of kidney injury markers kidney injury molecule 1(Kim1)and Lipocalin 2(Lcn2),confirming its efficacy in alleviating renal injury.Masson staining and analysis of fibrosis markers Fibronectin(Fn)and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)indicated that Shenxiankang effectively suppressed fibrosis induced by UUO.Mechanistic studies revealed that Shenxiankang exerted its effects by selectively downregulating the abnormal activation of the Emp3/Tgf-β/Smad3 signaling pathway,a finding further supported by cellular experiments showing that Shenxiankang modulates Tgf-β/Smad3 signaling through Emp3 regulation.Moreover,the Co-IP experiment result indicate that Shenxiankang exerts its effects by regulating the interaction between Emp3 and Tgfβ2.Conclusions Shenxiankang exhibits significant protective effects in a mouse model of chronic kidney disease,effectively reducing renal injury and fibrosis.These effects are likely mediated through the downregulation of the Emp3/Tgf-β/Smad3 signaling pathway,suggesting Shenxiankang's potential therapeutic value in renal protection.

The aging trend is intensifying currently,but there is still a lack of standardized diagnosis and treat-ment schemes for severe infections in elderly people.This paper focuses on the recommendations for immune-related clinical diagnosis and treatment routes as well as the idea of risk stratified diagnosis and treatment for elderly peo-ple,aiming to effectively prevent infectious diseases in elderly people and perform stratified management through systematic and scientific means of immune function monitoring and regulation,so as to enhance the standardized level of diagnosis and treatment as well as clinical treatment effect of infection in elderly people.