OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of finerenone combined with standard treatment regimen in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy （DN）. METHODS From the perspective of healthcare service providers， a Markov model was established to simulate the dynamic changes of each stage in DN patients who received finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen or the standard treatment regimen alone based on the phase Ⅲ clinical trial study of finerenone for DN. Markov model was used to perform the cost-effectiveness of long-term effects and the costs of the two therapies with a simulation cycle of 4 months， a simulation period of 15 years and an annual discount rate of 5%. At the same time， one-way sensitivity analysis and probability sensitivity analysis were performed， and the stability of the results was validated. RESULTS Accumulative cost of the standard treatment regimen was 579 329.54 yuan， and the accumulative utility was 8.052 4 quality-adjusted life year （QALYs）； the accumulative cost of finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen was 332 520.61 yuan， and the accumulative utility was 8.187 4 QALYs. Finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen was more cost-effective. The results of one-way sensitivity analysis showed that dialysis status utility value， DN stage 3 utility value and DN stage 4 utility value had a great influence on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio， but did not affect the robustness of the model. The results of probability sensitivity analysis showed that finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen was more cost-effective with 100% probability. CONCLUSIONS For DN patients， finerenone combined with the standard treatment regimen is more cost-effective as an absolute advantage option.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy and safety of empagliflozin in patients with glycogen storage disease (GSD)-associated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 25 patients with GSD-associated IBD who received empagliflozin treatment. General data, details of empagliflozin use, and adverse events were collected. Clinical symptoms and biochemical parameters before and after empagliflozin therapy were compared. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients with GSD-associated IBD were included, with a median age at diagnosis of 0.7 years, and a mean age at initiation of empagliflozin therapy of (11 ± 6) years. The initial dose of empagliflozin was (0.30 ± 0.13) mg/(kg·d), with a maintenance dose of (0.40 ± 0.21) mg/(kg·d), and a treatment duration of (34 ± 6) months. Seventy-eight percent (18/23) of patients' parents reported that empagliflozin therapy reduced the frequency of infections and oral ulcers, and increased neutrophil counts. Clinically, the number of patients with anorexia decreased from 12 to 5 after treatment, and 30% showed improved appetite (P<0.05). The numbers of patients with diarrhea, mucus/bloody stools, perianal disease, and oral ulcers decreased from 19, 9, 11, and 21 before treatment to 7, 1, 0, and 10 after treatment, respectively (P<0.05). Laboratory findings showed that absolute neutrophil counts increased, while platelet counts, lactate, and uric acid levels decreased significantly after empagliflozin treatment (P<0.05). Adverse reactions occurred in 7 patients (28%) during empagliflozin treatment. Two cases occurred in the treatment initiation phase, presenting as hypotension or profuse sweating with dehydration, along with urinary tract infections (UTIs); empagliflozin was discontinued in both cases. During the maintenance phase, 3 cases of UTIs and 2 cases of hypoglycemia (one with profuse sweating) were reported. CONCLUSIONS Empagliflozin therapy can increase neutrophil counts, reduce the incidence of infections and oral ulcers, alleviate diarrhea and abdominal pain, improve appetite, and ameliorate platelet count, lactate, and uric acid levels in patients with GSD-associated IBD, demonstrating significant clinical benefit. UTIs, hypoglycemia, hypotension, profuse sweating, and dehydration may be potential adverse reactions associated with empagliflozin therapy.
Humans ; Benzhydryl Compounds/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Glucosides/adverse effects* ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/etiology* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adolescent ; Glycogen Storage Disease/drug therapy* ; Infant

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a globally life-threatening disease. Presently, few therapeutic medicines are available for treating IS, and rt-PA is the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. In fact, many agents showing excellent neuroprotection but no blood flow-improving activity in animals have not achieved ideal clinical efficacy, while thrombolytic drugs only improving blood flow without neuroprotection have limited their wider application. To address these challenges and meet the huge unmet clinical need, we have designed and identified a novel compound AAPB with dual effects of neuroprotection and cerebral blood flow improvement. AAPB significantly reduced cerebral infarction and neural function deficit in tMCAO rats, pMCAO rats, and IS rhesus monkeys, as well as displayed exceptional safety profiles and excellent pharmacokinetic properties in rats and dogs. AAPB has now entered phase I of clinical trials fighting IS in China.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks,and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020.According to their conditions,they were divided into group A(both twins had BPD),group B(only one twin had BPD),and group C(neither twin had BPD).The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed.Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins.Results A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of<34 weeks were included in this study.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C,birth weight discordance of>25%between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins(OR=3.370,95%CI:1.500-7.568,P<0.05),and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD(P<0.05).The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age(SGA)birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins(OR=5.017,95%CI:1.040-24.190,P<0.05).Conclusions The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age,birth weight discordance between the twins,and SGA birth.

Objective:To explore the current situation of fear of progression among parents of school-age children with asthma, and to analyze the latent profile categories and influencing factors, so as to provide the reference for the formulation of prevention and intervention.Methods:Using convenient sampling method, school-age children with asthma and their parents treated in the Affiliated Children's Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University from March to August 2023 were selected as the study objects. The General Data Questionnaire, Parent Fear of Progression Scale, Childhood Asthma Control Test, and Social Support Rating Scale were used to investigate school-age children with asthma and their parents. Latent profile analysis was performed on the fear of disease progression among parents of school-age children with asthma, and χ2 test and binary Logistic regression were used to explore the influencing factors. Results:A total of 210 parents of the children were included with 51 fathers and 159 mothers.The age distribution was 20-30 years old with 42 parents, 31-40 years old with 112 parents, 41-50 years old with 56 parents. In 210 children with asthma, there were 123 males and 87 females, with 141 cases aged<10 years old and 69 cases aged ≥10 years old. The fear of progression among parents of school-age children with asthma could be divided into two potential profile categories: "psychological dysfunction group (46.7%, 98/210)" and "psychological health good group (53.3%, 112/210)". The results of binary Logistic regression analysis showed that asthma family history, combined allergic rhinitis, child-parent relationship, marital status, asthma symptom control level, and social support level were the influencing factors of fear of progression among parents of school-age children with asthma( OR values were 0.925-10.010, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The fear of progression among parents of school-age children with asthma is at a moderate level, and there are obvious different classification characteristics. In the future, targeted and precise prevention and intervention should be implemented according to the category characteristics of fear of progression among parents of school-age children with asthma.

Based on the strategy of metabolomics combined with bioinformatics, this study analyzed the potential allergens and mechanism of pseudo-allergic reactions (PARs) induced by the combined use of Reduning injection and penicillin G injection. All animal experiments and welfare are in accordance with the requirements of the First Affiliated Experimental Animal Ethics and Animal Welfare Committee of Henan University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: YFYDW2020002). Based on UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technology combined with UNIFI software, a total of 21 compounds were identified in Reduning and penicillin G mixed injection. Based on molecular docking technology, 10 potential allergens with strong binding activity to MrgprX2 agonist sites were further screened. Metabolomics analysis using UPLC-Q-TOF/MS technology revealed that 34 differential metabolites such as arachidonic acid, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, prostaglandins, and leukotrienes were endogenous differential metabolites of PARs caused by combined use of Reduning injection and penicillin G injection. Through the analysis of the "potential allergen-target-endogenous differential metabolite" interaction network, the chlorogenic acids (such as chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid, cryptochlorogenic acid, and isochlorogenic acid A) and β-lactam allergens in the combination of the two may be mainly regulated by PLD1, PLA2G12A and CYP1A1. The three upstream signal target proteins mainly activate the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway, promote the degranulation of mast cells, release downstream endogenous inflammatory mediators, and induce PARs.

Objective To investigate the effects of arginine-glycine-aspartic acid(RGD)peptide hydrogels at differ-ent concentrations on the activation of Tenon capsule fibroblasts(HTF)and the expression of Yes-associated protein(YAP).Methods Three concentrations(0.5％,1.0％,2.0％)of RGD peptide hydrogels were prepared.Their internal microstructures were observed under a transmission electron microscope,and their elastic moduli(E)were measured using the rheological test.SD male rat models with conjunctival injury were established and divided into a blank group(no treatment),a low-concentration RGD group(subconjunctival injection of 0.5％RGD peptide hydrogel),a medium-con-centration RGD group(subconjunctival injection of 1.0％RGD peptide hydrogel),and a high-concentration RGD group(subconjunctival injection of 2.0％RGD peptide hydrogel).After one week,tissues were collected,and collagen fiber pro-liferation in the rat conjunctiva was observed after Masson staining.Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the ex-pression of YAP and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)in the rat conjunctiva.Scar formation cell models were constructed by stimulating HTF activation with transforming growth factor-β2(TGF-β2).According to experimental requirements,the cells were divided into a control group,a 0.5％RGD hydrogel group,a 1.0％RGD hydrogel group,a 2.0％RGD hydrogel group,and a normal group,and co-cultured for 24 hours.The relative expression levels of YAP,connective tissue growth factor(CTGF),α-SMA,fibronectin(FN),and type Ⅰ collagen(Col Ⅰ)proteins in HTF were detected by Western blot.The localization of cytoskeletal protein(F-actin)and YAP protein expression was observed under a confocal laser scanning mi-croscope.Results Electron microscopy showed that the crosslinking density of the nanofibers inside the RGD peptide hydrogel increased with the rise of the peptide concentration.Rheological measurements indicated that the E values of the 0.5％,1.0％,and 2.0％RGD peptide hydrogels were approximately 0.067 kPa,0.150 kPa,and 2.170 kPa,respectively.Masson staining results revealed that the area of collagen fiber proliferation in the conjunctiva of rats in the medium-concen-tration RGD group was significantly lower than that in the blank group(P＜0.05),while it showed no significant difference in the low-concentration and high-concentration RGD groups compared with the blank group(both P＞0.05).Immunohis-tochemistry results showed that the relative expression levels of YAP and α-SMA proteins in the conjunctiva of rats in the low-,medium-,and high-concentration RGD groups decreased compared to the blank group,and the decrease was the most significant in the medium-concentration RGD group(all P＜0.05).Cell immunofluorescence staining results indicated that the green fluorescence of F-actin was attenuated,and the red fluorescence of YAP was translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in the 0.5％,1.0％,and 2.0％RGD hydrogel groups compared to the control group.Western blot results showed that the relative expression levels of YAP,CTGF,α-SMA,FN,and Col Ⅰ proteins in HTF were lower in the 0.5％,1.0％,and 2.0％RGD hydrogel groups compared to the control group,with the 1.0％RGD hydrogel group showing the most significant reduction(all P＜0.05).Conclusion With the optimal concentration of 1.0％,the RGD peptide hydro-gel can inhibit YAP protein expression and nuclear translocation and reduce HTF activation and the expression of fibrotic proteins,thus alleviating scar formation.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95％ confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical features and initial treatment outcomes of elderly individuals with idiopathic membranous nephropathy.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics and therapeutic effect of hospitalized patients aged 60 years or older with renal-biopsy-proven idiopathic membranous nephropathy for at least one year.Results:This study enrolled a total of 91 elderly patients with IMN, consisting of 51 males(56.0%)and 40 females(44.0%). The median age of the patients was 67 years.The urinary protein creatinine ratio(uPCR)and urinary albumin creatinine ratio(uACR)of the patients were 4 454.3 mg/g and 2 258.5 mg/g, respectively.The median 24-hour urinary protein and urinary albumin levels were 5 098.2 mg/24 h and 2 800.6 mg/24 h, respectively.The average estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)was(60.5±20.4)ml·min -1·1.73 m -2.Out of the total of 61 patients, 67.0% achieved remission, including complete and partial remission, within a year of renal biopsy.The levels of uPCR and uACR were significantly higher in the non-remission group compared to the remission group(5 462.5 vs.2 271.1 mg/g, P<0.001; 2 774.4 vs.1 320.0 mg/g, P=0.001). Additionally, the levels of 24h urinary protein and urinary albumin were significantly higher in the non-remission group compared to the remission group(6 526.4 vs.3 210.4 mg/g, P=0.002; 3 067.7 vs.2 102.4 mg/g, P=0.007). The remission group had a higher proportion of patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy(85.2% vs.33.3%, P<0.001). The remission rates were higher in patients treated with glucocorticoid combined with cyclophosphamide, glucocorticoid combined with calcineurin inhibitors, or glucocorticoid combined with mycophenolate mofetil compared to those receiving conservative treatment(88.2% vs.31.0%, P=0.001; 80.0% vs.31.0%, P<0.001; 100.0% vs.31.0%, P=0.007). There was no significant difference in remission rate between the three immunosuppressive therapy groups( P>0.05). However, upon further analysis, it was found that the levels of uPCR, uACR, and serum cystatin C(CysC)were higher in the immunosuppressive therapy groups compared to conservative treatment.Additionally, serum total protein and albumin were lower in the immunosuppressive therapy groups, and these differences were statistically significant( P<0.05). Conclusions:The majority of elderly patients diagnosed with IMN have multiple comorbidities.For those at high risk with elevated urinary protein levels, early initiation of immunosuppressive therapy may lead to a higher initial urinary protein remission rate.Therefore, it is advisable to develop individualized treatment plans for elderly patients with IMN based on their clinical characteristics, as well as the risks and benefits associated with immunosuppressive therapy.