BACKGROUND: The benefits of ideal cardiovascular-health metrics (ICVHMs) in patients with renal insufficiency remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations between ICVHM and prognosis in a renal insufficiency population. METHODS: The trial enrolled 29,682 participants from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2007-2018, with mortality follow-up through December 31, 2019. Participants were divided into three groups based on estimated glomerular filtration rates. Cardiovascular health was assessed using new "Life's Essential 8" metrics. Cox regression analyses based on NHANES data were used to determine the associations between ICVHMs and cardiovascular mortality in patients with renal insufficiency. RESULTS: During a mean follow-up of 6.58 years, ideal cardiovascular health (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]; 0.25-0.70) and ideal health behavior (HR = 0.53; 95% CI; 0.39-0.73) reduced cardiovascular mortality in participants with renal insufficiency. For each one ICVHM increment, a 25% reduction in cardiovascular mortality was recorded (95% CI; 0.69-0.82). When compared with participants with normal renal function, for those with mild renal insufficiency, the HR for cardiovascular mortality gradually decreased from 1.47 (95% CI; 0.85-2.52) in those who had ≤1 ICVHMs to 0.30 (95% CI; 0.12-0.77) in participants who had >6 ICVHMs. CONCLUSIONS From an ICVHM perspective, enhanced cardiovascular benefits were observed in individuals with renal insufficiency, coupled with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. Furthermore, when compared with individuals with normal renal function, increased ICVHMs can mitigate adverse risks associated with renal impairment.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Nutrition Surveys ; Middle Aged ; Renal Insufficiency/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Prognosis ; Adult ; Cardiovascular Diseases/mortality* ; Glomerular Filtration Rate/physiology* ; Proportional Hazards Models

BACKGROUND: The use of inserted sham acupuncture as a placebo in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is controversial, because it may produce specific effects that cause an underestimation of the effect of acupuncture treatment. OBJECTIVE: This systematic survey investigates the magnitude of insert-specific effects of sham acupuncture and whether they affect the estimation of acupuncture treatment effects. SEARCH STRATEGY: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched to identify acupuncture RCTs from their inception until December 2022. INCLUSION CRITERIA: RCTs that evaluated the effects of acupuncture compared to sham acupuncture and no treatment. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: The total effect measured for an acupuncture treatment group in RCTs were divided into three components, including the natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (controlled for no-treatment group), the placebo effect, and the specific effect of acupuncture. The first two constituted the contextual effect of acupuncture, which is mimicked by a sham acupuncture treatment group. The proportion of acupuncture total effect size was considered to be 1. The proportion of natural history and/or regression to the mean effect (PNE) and proportional contextual effect (PCE) of included RCTs were pooled using meta-analyses with a random-effect model. The proportion of acupuncture placebo effect was the difference between PCE and PNE in RCTs with non-inserted sham acupuncture. The proportion of insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture (PIES) was obtained by subtracting the proportion of acupuncture placebo effect and PNE from PCE in RCTs with inserted sham acupuncture. The impact of PIES on the estimation of acupuncture's treatment effect was evaluated by quantifying the percentage of RCTs that the effect of outcome changed from no statistical difference to statistical difference after removing PIES in the included studies, and the impact of PIES was externally validated in other acupuncture RCTs with an inserted sham acupuncture group that were not used to calculate PIES. RESULTS: This analysis included 32 studies with 5492 patients. The overall PNE was 0.335 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.255-0.415) and the PCE of acupuncture was 0.639 (95% CI, 0.567-0.710) of acupuncture's total effect. The proportional contribution of the placebo effect to acupuncture's total effect was 0.191, and the PIES was 0.189. When we modeled the exclusion of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, the acupuncture treatment effect changed from no difference to a significant difference in 45.45% of the included RCTs, and in 40.91% of the external validated RCTs. CONCLUSION The insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture in RCTs represents 18.90% of acupuncture's total effect and significantly affects the evaluation of the acupuncture treatment effect. More than 40% of RCTs that used inserted sham acupuncture would draw different conclusions if the PIES had been controlled for. Considering the impact of the insert-specific effect of sham acupuncture, caution should be taken when using inserted sham acupuncture placebos in RCTs. Please cite this article as: Luo XC, Liu JL, Yao MH, Chen YM, Fan AY, Liang FR, Zhao JP, Zhao L, Zhou X, Zhong XY, Yang JH, Li B, Zhang Y, Sun X, Li L. Specific effect of inserted sham acupuncture and its impact on the estimation of acupuncture treatment effect in randomized controlled trials: A systematic survey. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):630-640.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Placebo Effect ; Placebos ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of Bupi Yichang Pills on mice with experimental colitis and its potential mechanism of action.Methods Dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)was used to model the experimental colitis,and low-,medium-and high-doses of Bupi Yichang Pills(1.5,3.0,6.0 g·kg-1·d-1)and Mesalazine(300 mg·kg-1·d-1)were fed at the same time.Mice were observed for general behavior and weighed.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological injury of colonic tissues.qPCR and ELISA were used to detect the levels of inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,IL-10,IL-35 and TGF-β1),qPCR and Western Blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of glucose transporters and glycolytic kinases.Results Low-,medium-and high-doses of Bupi Yichang Pills significantly down-regulated disease activity index in colitis mice(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The body mass and colon length were significantly increased,while colon mass,colon mass index and unit colon mass index were significantly reduced(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and ulcer formation and inflammatory cell infiltration in colonic tissue were significantly improved.In addition,medium-and high-doses of Bupi Yichang Pills significantly down-regulated the mRNA levels and concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6(P＜0.01),while significantly up-regulated the mRNA levels and concentrations of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10,IL-35 and TGF-β1(P＜0.01).We further found that high-dose of Bupi Yichang Pills significantly down-regulated the mRNA and protein expressions of glucose transporters(Glut1,Glut2,Glut4)and glycolytic kinases(HK2,Aldolase A,PKM2)in colonic tissue(P＜0.01).Conclusions Bupi Yichang Pills effectively alleviates DSS-induced experimental colitis,and its specific mechanism of action is related to the improvement of glycolytic metabolic pathways and the regulation of inflammatory cytokine expression.

Objective:To explore the application value of real-time vascular quantification stiffness (R-VQS) technique in evaluating carotid artery elasticity and hemodynamic status in type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN).Methods:The clinical data of 86 patients with T2DN treatment in the Fifth People′s Hospital of Zhuhai from March 2020 to March 2022 were collected retrospectively, according to the clinical stage, 44 patients were in the early stage group and 42 patients were in the clinical stage group. All of them underwent R-VQS technique to obtain carotid artery elasticity parameters stiffness index (HC), systolic diameter (Diam), diameter change value (Dist) and hemodynamic indexes pulse conduction velocity (PWV). Among the 86 patients, 21 had atherosclerosis (AS) and 65 did not. The differences of HC, Diam, Dist and PWV between the patients with and without AS were compared, and the value of HC, Diam, Dist and PWV in diagnosing T2DN complicated with AS was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The HC, Diam and PWV in the clinical phase group were higher than those in the early phase group, and Dist was lower than that in the early phase group: 4.76 ± 0.60 vs. 4.15 ± 0.52, (8.69 ± 1.13) mm vs. (7.21 ± 0.84) mm, (7.42 ± 0.63) m/s vs. (6.84 ± 0.57) m/s, (0.27 ± 0.07) mm vs. (0.35 ± 0.09) mm, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The HC, Diam and PWV in the patients with AS were higher than those in the patients without AS, and Dist was lower than that in the patients without AS: 4.82 ± 0.63 vs. 4.33 ± 0.51, (8.85 ± 1.18) mm vs. (7.63 ± 1.06) mm, (7.68 ± 0.75) m/s vs. (6.94 ± 0.59) m/s, (0.24 ± 0.05) mm vs. (0.33 ± 0.10) mm, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the combined diagnosis of T2DN complicated with AS by HC, Diam, Dist and PWV was 0.921, and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 90.48% and 84.62%, respectively. Conclusions:R-VQS technology can detect abnormal changes in carotid elasticity and hemodynamics in patients with T2DN, and can diagnose T2DN complicated with AS. It can provide a reference basis for clinical prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications in T2DN patients.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the prostate imaging reporting and data system version 2.1 (PI-RADS v2.1) based on multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa).Methods:A total of 561 patients who underwent prostate mpMRI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from June 2015 to December 2020 due to elevated prostate specific antigen were collected ambispectively. The patients were divided into csPCa group (276 cases) and non-csPCa group (285 cases) according to pathological findings. Prostate were scored according to the PI-RADS v2.1 scoring standard by a junior and a senior radiologist. The prostate volume was measured and the prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) was calculated. The diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI images were processed to measure the quantitative parameters of the index lesion, including apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), volume transfer constant (K trans) and rate constant (K ep) values. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the difference in parameters between the two groups. The predictors of csPCa were screened by logistic regression analysis. Predictive model of multi-parameter was established. The receiver operator characteristic curves were used to evaluate the efficacy of PI-RADS v2.1 and the model in diagnosing csPCa, and the comparisons of area under the curve (AUC) were conducted by DeLong test. Results:Compared with non-csPCa group, the patients in csPCa group had higher PI-RADS score of senior physician, PSAD, K trans and K ep value, lower ADC value ( Z=-16.69, -12.49, -3.43, -4.67, 13.91, all P<0.001). The PI-RADS scores of senior physician (OR=3.064, 95%CI 2.428-3.866, P<0.001), PSAD (OR=1.554, 95%CI 1.170-2.064, P=0.002) and ADC value (OR=0.095, 95%CI 0.032-0.288, P<0.001) were the predictors of csPCa. The AUC of junior, senior physician PI-RADS and combined prediction model were 0.861 (95%CI 0.830-0.892), 0.895 (95%CI 0.868-0.922) and 0.923 (95%CI 0.898-0.944). The pairwise difference was statistically significant (the PI-RADS score between the junior and senior physicians Z=3.24, P=0.001, the difference between the PI-RADS score of junior physician and prediction model Z=5.54, P<0.001, the difference between the PI-RADS score of senior physician and prediction model Z=4.20, P<0.001). Conclusion:Based on mpMRI, the application of PI-RADS v2.1 by junior and senior radiologists has the high diagnostic efficacy for csPCa, and the multi-parameter model has the best diagnostic efficacy for csPCa.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of Bupi Yichang pill(BPYCP)on CD4+T cell subsets of ulcerative colitis(UC)mice.Methods Forty-eight C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:the control group(n=10),the model group(DSS group,n=13),the model +BPYCP group(DSS+BPYCP group,n=13)and the model+ mesalazine(5-ASA)group(DSS+5-ASA group,n=12).The mouse UC model was induced by 2.5%dextrosan sulfate(DSS)solution.The DSS+BPYCP group and the DSS+5-ASA group were given BPYCP or 5-ASA for 2 weeks,respectively,and fecal viscosity and blood in stool were observed.The colon length was measured.Colonic mass index and unit colonic mass index were calculated.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe pathological changes of colon and to score the pathological tissue damage.The level of CD4+T cell subsets in mesenteric lymph nodes was detected by flow cytometry.The expression levels of cytokines interferon-γ(INF-γ),interleukin(IL-4),IL-17A,IL-10 and IL-21 secreted by CD4+T cell subsets in colon tissue were detected by ELISA.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect colon tissue CD4+T cell subset nuclear transcription factors,mRNA expression levels of T-frame protein 21(T-bet),GatA-binding protein 3(GATA-3),retinoa-associated nuclear orphan receptor γt(RORγt),B cell lymphoma-6(Bcl-6)and Foxp3 in rats.Results Compared with the DSS group,the diarrhea and hematostoecium symptoms of UC mice in the DSS+BPYCP group and the DSS+5-ASA group were significantly improved,body weight and colon length of mice were increased,and colon mass,colon mass index and unit colon mass index were decreased(P＜0.05).The mucosal epithelium was more complete than that in the DSS group,and gland arrangement was more regular.The inflammatory cell infiltration was less,and the pathological tissue damage score was significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The proportion of Th2 cells in mesenteric lymph nodes was decreased,the proportion of Th17 cells and the level of IL-17A were decreased,and the mRNA levels of T-bet,GATA-3,RORγt and Bcl-6 in colon tissue were decreased(P＜0.05).In the DSS+BPYCP group,the proportion of Th1 cells decreased,the proportion of CD4+CD25+Treg cells,CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells and the level of IL-10 increased,and the proportion of CD4+CXCR5+Tfh cells and the level of IL-21 decreased.The level of Foxp3 mRNA increased(P＜0.05).The proportion of Th1 cells and the level of IFN-γ were decreased in the DSS+5-ASA group(P＜0.05).Conclusion BPYCP may alleviate UC by remodeling the homeostasis of CD4+T cell subpopulations.

Objective:To study the past 10 years' experiences of neonatal hydrocephalus in a single-center.Methods:From January 2010 to December 2019, clinical data of infants with hydrocephalus admitted to Neonatology Department of our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The infants were assigned into different groups according to gestational age, different etiologies and treatments. Their clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared.Results:A total of 223 infants with hydrocephalus were included. 136 (61.0%) infants were in the preterm group and 87 (39.0%) in the full-term group. The incidence of post-intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) hydrocephalus in preterm infants was significantly higher than full-term infants ( P<0.001). According to the etiologies, 58 infants (26.0%) had congenital hydrocephalus (congenital group), 82 cases (36.8%) developed post-ICH hydrocephalus (ICH group), 48 cases (21.5%) had post-CNS-infection hydrocephalus (infection group) and 35 cases (15.7%) had post-ICH+CNS-infection hydrocephalus (ICH+infection group). The incidences of perinatal asphyxia, neonatal resuscitation and endotracheal intubation within 3 d after birth in the ICH group were significantly higher than the other groups ( P<0.05). Among the four groups, the infection group had the highest incidence of neonatal sepsis, the congenital group had the highest incidence of patent ductus arteriosus and the ICH group had the highest incidence of respiratory diseases (all P<0.05).137 cases (61.4%) received non-surgical therapy, 48 cases (21.5%) had temporary drainage, 37 cases (16.6%) with permanent shunt and 1 case (0.4%) intracranial hematoma removal. The congenital group and ICH group with permanent shunt showed significantly higher rate of improvement than temporary drainage group and non-surgical group ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The main etiologies of neonatal hydrocephalus are ICH and CNS infection. The incidence of post-ICH hydrocephalus in premature infants was quite high. Hydrocephalus of different etiologies have different comorbidities. Maternal and infant care during pregnancy and delivery, prevention of neonatal sepsis and ICH are crucial in the prevention of hydrocephalus. More studies are needed for better treatment.

This article reviews the overview of digital integration of geriatric patients and related influencing factors, the current situation of smart outpatient service, and the aging measures of smart outpatient service, with a view to providing reference for Chinese scholars to further study digital integration of geriatric patients.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic performance of MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2018 in high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with intrahepatic parenchymal substantial lesions ≤3.0 cm.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted in hospitals between September 2014 to April 2020. 131 pathologically confirmed non-HCC cases with lesions ≤3.0 cm in diameter were randomly matched with 131 cases with lesions ≤3.0 cm in diameter and divided into benign (56 cases), other hepatic malignant tumor (OM, 75 cases), and HCC group (131 cases) in a 1:1 ratio. MRI features of the lesions were analyzed and classified according to LI-RADS v2018 criteria (tie-break rule was applied to lesions with both HCC and LR-M features). Taking the pathological results as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the LI-RADS v2018 classification criteria and the more stringent LR-5 criteria (with three main signs of HCC at the same time) were calculated for HCC, OM or benign lesions diagnosis. Mann -Whitney U test was used to compare the classification results. Results:The number of cases classified as LR-M, LR-1, LR-2, LR-3, LR-4, and LR-5 in HCC group after applying the tie-break rule were 14, 0, 0, 12, 28, and 77, respectively. There were 40, 0, 0, 4, 17, 14 and 8, 5, 1, 26, 13, 3 cases in benign and OM group, respectively. There were 41 (41/77), 4 (4/14) and 1 (1/3) lesion case in the HCC, OM and benign group, respectively, that met the more stringent LR-5 criteria. The sensitivity of LR-4 combined with LR-5 (LR-4/5) criteria, LR-5 criteria and more stringent LR-5 criteria for HCC diagnosis were 80.2% (105/131), 58.8% (77/131) and 31.3% (41/131), respectively, and the specificity were 64.1% (84/131), 87.0% (114/131) and 96.2% (126/131), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of LR-M were 53.3% (40/75) and 88.2% (165/187), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity using LR-1 combined with LR-2 (LR-1/2) criteria for the diagnosis of benign liver lesions were 10.7% (6/56) and 100% (206/206), respectively.Conclusions:LR-1/2, LR-5, and LR-M criteria have high diagnostic specificity for intrahepatic lesions with a diameter of ≤3.0 cm. Lesions classified as LR-3 are more likely to be benign. The specificity of LR-4/5 criteria is low, while the more stringent LR-5 criteria has a high specificity for HCC diagnosis.

Tissue engineering refers to the combination of cells, biological materials and bioreactors to construct and develop three-dimensional artificial tissues and organs, which are ultimately used to enhance, repair or replace damaged or diseased tissues. Adipose stem cells(ADSCs) are derived from adipose tissue, have multi-directional differentiation potential, can secrete a variety of growth factors, and have the advantages of wide sources, simple acquisition, small trauma, and rapid expansion, making it an ideal seed cell in tissue engineering. Hydrogel is a kind of three-dimensional polymer network material that contains a lot of water. It has excellent biocompatibility, good elasticity, predictable degradation rate and adjustable mechanical properties. These advantages make hydrogel an excellent biomedical material. In recent years, the application of ADSCs combined with hydrogel materials in tissue engineering has received widespread attention, and its related research covers skin, fat, bone, cartilage, muscle, heart, nerve tissue engineering and other fields. In this review paper, the research progress of adipose-derived stem cells combined with hydrogel materials in tissue engineering was reviewed, and its future prospects were put forward.