Objective: To investigate the survival rate of female breast cancer patients in Panyu District, Guangzhou City, so as to provide the basis for improving the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Methods: Basic information including age, clinical stage and surgical treatment of female breast cancer patients registered in Panyu District and diagnosed in 2017 were collected through the Guangzhou Municipal Cancer Registration and Reporting Management System, and were followed up until December 31, 2022. The survival rate was calculated using the life table. Factors affecting survival time among female breast cancer patients were analyzed using a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: A total of 227 female breast cancer patients were reported in Panyu District in 2017, and had a median age of 51 (interquartile range, 17) years. There were 43 cases (18.94%) in stage Ⅰ, 55 cases (24.23%) in stage Ⅱ, 63 cases (27.75%) in stage Ⅲ, 27 cases (11.89%) in stage Ⅳ, and 39 cases (17.18%) with unknown staging. Surgical treatment was performed in 204 cases (89.87%), and chemotherapy was administered in 73 cases (32.16%). By December 31, 2022, there were 40 deaths and 14 patients lost to follow-up. The one-year, three-year and five-year survival rates were 96.44%, 87.45% and 82.87%, respectively. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that older age (HR=1.023, 95%CI: 1.002-1.046), clinical stage Ⅲ (HR=10.050, 95%CI: 1.324-76.270) or IV (HR=42.663, 95%CI: 5.588-325.742) were associated with a higher risk of mortality in female breast cancer patients, while surgical treatment (HR=0.278, 95%CI: 0.130-0.598) was associated with a lower risk of mortality. Conclusions The five-year survival rate of female breast cancer patients in Panyu District was 82.87%. Age, clinical stage and surgical treatment were the main influencing factors for the survival time of female breast cancer patients.

Objective To explore the potential causal relationship between occupational pneumoconiosis (hereinafter referred to as "pneumoconiosis") and five mental disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, insomnia and anxiety) using the two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method. Methods Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) loci associated with pneumoconiosis and five mental disorders were screened from Genome-Wide Association Studies. Inverse variance weighting (IVW), weighted median (WM) and MR-Egger regression methods were used to evaluate the significance of the causal relationship between pneumoconiosis and five mental disorders. Sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the research results. Results After matching data of pneumoconiosis and the five mental disorders, 16 SNPs were ultimately included as instrumental variables in this study. The result of MR analysis revealed a positive causal relationship between pneumoconiosis and both depression [IVW: odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.017 (1.000-1.035), P<0.05] and bipolar disorder [IVW: OR(95%CI)was 1.046(1.009-1.083), P<0.05; WM: OR (95%CI) was 1.055(1.007-1.105), P<0.05]. Result of sensitivity analysis indicated there was no heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy in the above results. There was no causal association observed between pneumoconiosis and schizophrenia, insomnia, or anxiety disorders (all P>0.05). Conclusion This study provides genetic evidence supporting a positive causal relationship between pneumoconiosis and both depression and bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the variability of bone metabolism levels among different populations and its association with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) pain. METHODS: A total of 50 people (control group) who participated in physical examination from January 2023 to June 2023 were selected, including 26 males and 24 females, wtih a mean aged of (52.14±9.04) years old ranging 41 to 65 years old. The other 50 patients with knee osteoarthritis(case group) who attended the outpatient clinic of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Department in the same time period, including 19 males and 31 females, with a mean age of (53.60±7.76) years old ranging 40 to 65 years. The two groups of Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index(WOMAC) and bone metabolism markers, such as 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol[25(OH)D], β-isomerized typeⅠcollagen C-telopeptide breakdown products (β-CTX), total typeⅠprocollagen N-terminal propeptide (t-PINP), osteocalcin (OC), parathormone (PTH) levels were compared. Pearson correlation analysis was used to compare the correlation between two groups of bone metabolism related markers and WOMAC. RESULTS: The WOMAC score of the case group (39.90±2.34) was higher than that of the control group (3.60±0.57), with significant difference (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two groups of 25 (OH)D, β-CTX and PTH (P>0.05). The t-PINP and OC of the case group were (62.90±52.40) and (19.88±10.15) ng·ml-1, respectively, and those of the control group were (38.86±10.82) and (14.90±3.62) ng·ml^-1, respectively;the t-PINP and OC of the case group were higher than those of the control group, with significant difference (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that t-PINP was positively correlated with WOMAC pain score in the case group (r²=0.045, P<0.01). CONCLUSION Bone metabolism levels in the serum of patients with knee osteoarthritis are different from those of healthy people, and the difference between OC and t-PINP is the most obvious, and the concentration of t-PINP levels is positively correlated with pain symptoms in patients with KOA. However, the specific mechanism of correlation between the bone metabolism levels of patients with KOA and their pain symptoms needs to be further elucidated by basic experimental research as well as by enlarging the samples.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/metabolism* ; Aged ; Adult ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Pain/etiology* ; Biomarkers/metabolism*

The connection between tendons and bones is called the tendon bone connection. With the continuous improvement of national sports awareness, excessive exercises and the related intensity are prone to damage the tendon bone connection. Tendon bone healing is a complex repair and healing process involving multiple factors, and good tendon bone healing is a prerequisite for its physiological function. The complexity of tendon bone structure also poses great challenges to the repair of tendon bone injuries. In recent years, researches have found that stem cells, growth factors, macrophages, and other factors are closely related to the healing process of tendon bone injuries, among which macrophages play an important role in the healing process. The authors reviewed relevant research literature in recent years and summarized the role of macrophages in tendon bone healing, in order to provide new ideas and directions for treatment strategies to promote tendon bone healing.
Humans ; Macrophages/metabolism* ; Wound Healing ; Animals ; Tendons/physiology* ; Bone and Bones/injuries* ; Tendon Injuries

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of Xuanshen Yishen Decoction (XYD) in the treatment of hypertension. METHODS: Hospital electronic medical records from 2019-2023 were utilized to emulate a randomized pragmatic clinical trial. Hypertensive participants were eligible if they were aged ⩾40 years with baseline systolic blood pressure (BP) ⩾140 mm Hg. Patients treated with XYD plus antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the treatment group, whereas those who followed only antihypertensive regimen were assigned to the control group. The primary outcome assessed was the attainment rate of intensive BP control at discharge, with the secondary outcome focusing on the 6-month all-cause readmission rate. RESULTS: The study included 3,302 patients, comprising 2,943 individuals in the control group and 359 in the treatment group. Compared with the control group, a higher proportion in the treatment group achieved the target BP for intensive BP control [8.09% vs. 17.5%; odds ratio (OR)=2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.68 to 3.13; P<0.001], particularly in individuals with high homocysteine levels (OR=3.13; 95% CI=1.72 to 5.71; P<0.001; P for interaction=0.041). Furthermore, the 6-month all-cause readmission rate in the treatment group was lower than in the control group (hazard ratio=0.58; 95% CI=0.36 to 0.91; P=0.019), and the robustness of the results was confirmed by sensitivity analyse. CONCLUSIONS XYD could be a complementary therapy for intensive BP control. Our study offers real-world evidence and guides the choice of complementary and alternative therapies. (Registration No. ChiCTR2400086589).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents/pharmacology* ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Hypertension/physiopathology* ; Patient Readmission ; Treatment Outcome

Acute lung injury (ALI) has been a kind of acute and severe disease that is mainly characterized by systemic uncontrolled inflammatory response to the production of huge amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the lung tissue. Given the critical role of ROS in ALI, a Fe₃O₄ loaded bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanocluster (BF) was developed to act as a nanomedicine for the treatment of ALI. Combining with NIR irradiation, it exhibited excellent ROS scavenging capacity. Significantly, it also displayed the excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functions for lipopolysaccharides (LPS) induced macrophages (RAW264.7), and Sprague Dawley rats via lowering intracellular ROS levels, reducing inflammatory factors expression levels, inducing macrophage M2 polarization, inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, increasing CD4⁺/CD8⁺ T cell ratios, as well as upregulating HSP70 and CD31 expression levels to reprogram redox homeostasis, reduce systemic inflammation, activate immunoregulation, and accelerate lung tissue repair, finally achieving the synergistic enhancement of ALI immunotherapy. It finally provides an effective therapeutic strategy of BF + NIR for the management of inflammation related diseases.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic potential of osthole for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), focusing on its ability to alleviate chronic pruritus (CP) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of osthole in both a 2,4-dichloronitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse model and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulated huma immortalized epidermal (HaCaT) cells. The anti-itch effect of osthole was specifically assessed in the AD mouse model. Using methods such as hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot (WB), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: Osthole improved skin damage and clinical dermatitis scores, reduced scratching bouts, and decreased epidermal thickness AD-like mice. It also reduced the levels of interleukin (IL)-31 and IL-31 receptor A (IL-31 RA) in both skin tissues and HaCaT cells. Furthermore, Osthole suppressed the protein expression levels of phosphor-p65 (p-p65) and phosphor-inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-Bα (p-IκBα). Meanwhile, it increased the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and PPARγ in HaCaT cells. CONCLUSION These findings indicated that osthole effectively inhibited CP in AD by activating PPARα, PPARγ, repressing the NF-κB signaling pathway, as well as the expression of IL-31 and IL-31 RA.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Modified Banxia Shumi Decoction on p-chlorophenylalanine(PCPA)-induced insomnia model rats.Methods Forty-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups,i.e.,the normal group,the model group,the low-,medium-and high-dose groups of Chinese medicine and the Diazepam group,with 8 rats in each group.For 7 consecutive days before modeling,rats in the Chinese medicine low-,medium-and high-dose groups were treated with Modified Banxia Shumi Decoction for prophylactic treatment.Except for the normal group,PCPA-induced insomnia rat model was established in all groups.After modeling on day 1,each group continued to be administered the corresponding drug for 7 days.Body mass was monitored,open-field behavioral tests were performed,serum levels of orexin A(OXA)and orexin B(OXB)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),the expression of hypothalamic orexin receptor 1(OX1R)was determined by immunohistochemistry,and hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe the pathologic changes in the hypothalamus of rats.Results(1)Before modeling,the growth trend of body mass of rats in each group was smooth,with no significant difference between groups;after modeling,except for the normal group,the growth rate of body mass of rats in each group slowed down or even declined;after 14 days of administration of Modified Banxia Shumi Decoction,the body mass of the Chinese medicine medium-dose group was significantly increased compared with that of the model group(P＜0.01).(2)Compared with the normal group,the model group showed an increase in the total distance of activity in the open field,the distance of activity in the central region and the number of times of entering the central region(P＜0.01),a significant increase in serum OXA and OXB contents(P＜0.01),a significant increase in the expression of hypothalamic OX1R(P＜0.01),and HE staining showed mild hyperplasia of the hypothalamic glial cells;compared with the model group,the total distance of activity in the open field,the distance of activity in the central region and the number of times entering the central region were reduced in the rats in the Chinese medicine medium-dose group and the Diazepam group(P＜0.01),the levels of serum OXA and OXB were significantly reduced(P＜0.01),the expression of hypothalamic OX1R was significantly reduced(P＜0.01),and the HE staining showed that a large number of neurons with perineurial interspace enlarged and the local glial cell hyperplasia.Conclusion Modified Banxia Shumi Decoction can improve insomnia and reduce anxiety in rats by down-regulating the levels of OXA and OXB in serum and the expression of OX1R in the hypothalamus.

Objective To evalute the drug resistance characteristics of tuberculosis(TB)patients of all ages in Guangdong Province during 2014-2020,and provide prevention and treatment strategies of tuberculosis.Method We used 39,048 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB)belonging to patients with confirmed TB from 2014 to 2020,from 32 TB drug-resistant surveillance sites in Guangdong Province,and we retrospectively analyzed the laboratories data of patients with drug-resistant TB,and grouped patients by age and region,to explore the trend of drug-resistance of MTB clinical isolates,the trend and incidence differences of multi-resistant TB(including monodrug-resistant TB(MR-TB),polydrug-resistant TB(PDR-TB),multidrug-resistant TB(MDR-TB)and exten-sively drug-resistant TB(XDR-TB)),and resistance characteristics of MTB clinical isolates to drugs in focus(rifam-picin and ofloxacin).Result The differences in the resistance rates of MTB clinical isolates to nine antituberculosis drugs among patients at 32 TB drug resistance surveillance sites in Guangdong Province from 2014 to 2020 were not statistically significant(P>0.05).The rates of MR-TB,PDR-TB,MDR-TB,XDR-TB,and total resistance isolates of MTB clinical isolates were 14.46%,5.16%,5.16%,4.58%,and 1.29%,respectively.he pediatric group had a higher MR rate(15.4%)than the adult and geriatric groups,while the adult and geriatric groups had higher MDR rates(5.0%and 5.0%,respectively).The geriatric group also had a higher XDR rate(2.1%),with statistically significant differences(P<0.001).The rates of MR-TB(14.8%),PDR-TB(5.3%),MDR-TB(4.7%),XDR-TB(1.4%),ofloxacin resistance(11.33%)and rifampicin resistance(6.92%)of MTB clinical isolates were higher in patients from the Pearl River Delta than in other regions of Guangdong Province,with statistically significant differ-ences(P<0.001).Conclusion According to the data from the surveillance sites,the epidemiological trend of drug-resistant TB in Guangdong Province is leveling off during the period 2014-2020.However,the incidence of drug-resistant TB is higher in specific populations(e.g.children and the elderly),and the incidence of drug-resistant TB and the rate of drug resistance to drugs in focus are higher in the Pearl River Delta than in other regions of Guang-dong Province,necessitating further investigation and the development of novel prevention and control strategies.

Objective To study changes in immune cells and cytokines during the reactivation stage of varicella-zoster virus(VZV)in patients with herpes zoster.Methods A total of 50 patients with herpes zoster and 30 healthy individuals were selected from Xi'an Ninth Hospital between May 2022 and October 2022.Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of peripheral blood CD3+cells,CD4+cells,CD8+T cells,B cells and NK cells,as well as levels of cytokines IL-2,IFN-γ,IL-10 and IL-6.We analyzed the immune mechanism of VZV reactivation stage in herpes zoster patients.Results Compared with the healthy control group,the proportion of CD3+cells and CD4+T cells in herpes zoster patients decreased significantly;the proportion of NK cells significantly increased;the levels of IFN-γ,IL-10 and IL-6 significantly increased;the proportion of CD8+T cells,B cells and IL-2 content showed an increasing trend,but there was no significant difference.In addition,the severity of neurological involvement in herpes zoster patients might affect changes in cytokine levels.Conclusion During the reactivation period of VZV,changes in the proportion of immune cells and cytokine expression levels are closely related to the occurrence and development of herpes zoster.