[Objective] To explore the risk factors of postoperative fever in primary aldosteronism (PA) patients. [Methods] Clinical data of 116 PA patients undergoing adrenalectomy in Peking University People's Hospital during Jan.2018 and Jul.2021 were retrospectively analyzed.Based on postoperative body temperature, the patients were divided into fever group (body temperature ≥38.0 ℃, n=41) and non-fever group (body temperature <38.0 ℃, n=75). Clinical features were analyzed between the two groups.The fever group was subdivided into low fever group (38.0 ℃≤body temperature <38.5 ℃, n=19) and high fever group (body temperature ≥38.5 ℃, n=22). The clinical data of the subgroups were compared. [Results] The incidence of postoperative fever was 35.3%.Logistic regression analysis showed that lower lowest potassium on records (OR=0.419, 95%CI: 0.196-0.894, P=0.025), lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (OR=0.112, 95%CI: 0.018-0.687, P=0.018), and postoperative adrenal insufficiency (OR=4.158, 95%CI: 1.731-9.989, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative fever.There was no difference between the high and low fever groups.After surgery, infection occurred in 1 patient, adrenal insufficiency in 40 (34.5%) patients, but long-term follow-up indicated that no patients needed lifelong glucocorticoid replacement. [Conclusion] Fever is a common postoperative complication in PA patients, most likely due to transient adrenal insufficiency.Glucocorticoid supplementation should be administered appropriately and timely based on laboratory tests and clinical manifestations.Evaluation of adrenal function is highly recommended for patients undergoing adrenalectomy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the optimal ratio of goat horn replacing antelope horn in Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills and the blood pressure-lowering mechanism of this medicine. MethodsThe blood pressure-lowering efficacy of Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills with varying proportions of goat horn replacing antelope horn was evaluated on spontaneous hypertensive rats （SHR）. In this experiment， 50 SHR rats were randomly grouped as follows： model （n=8）， captopril （0.01 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.342 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， high-dose blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.684 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.378 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， high-dose antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， low-dose goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.378 g·kg^-1） （n=6）， and high-dose goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1） （n=6）. Additionally， 8 WKY rats were used as the normal group. Drugs were administered by gavage for 4 weeks while an equal volume of distilled water was administered for the normal and model groups. Blood pressure was measured before administration， 3 h post administration， and biweekly thereafter. In the experiment for Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills with goat horn replacing antelope horn in different proportions， 48 SHR rats were randomly grouped as follows： model， blank Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.684 g·kg^-1）， antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.756 g·kg^-1）， 2× goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.824 g·kg^-1）， 4× goat horn Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （0.969 g·kg^-1）， and 6× goat horn Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills （1.112 g·kg^-1）. The normal group included 8 WKY rats， and the normal group and model group received an equal volume of distilled water. The treatment lasted for 2 weeks， and blood pressure was recorded at various time points （pre-administration， 3 h post administration， and on days 4， 7， 10， and 14 of administration）. Serum levels of angiotensin-converting enzyme （ACE）， angiotensin Ⅱ（Ang Ⅱ）， renin， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Histopathological changes in the heart， kidney， and thoracic aorta were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein levels of ACE2， angiotensin Ⅱ type 1 receptor （AT1R）， and angiotensinogen （AGT） in the kidney tissue were determined by Western blot， while the expression of nuclear factor （NF）-κB p65 and Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） in the thoracic aorta tissue was assessed by immunohistochemistry. ResultsCompared with the model group， all treatment groups showed lowered blood pressure （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the 6× goat horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills group showed consistent blood pressure-lowering effect with the antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills group. Compared with the normal group， the model group showed elevated serum levels of ACE， Ang Ⅱ， renin， and IL-6， while the elevations were declined in the Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Pathological changes in the heart， kidney， and thoracic aorta were alleviated in all the treatment groups， with the 6× goat horn- and antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups exhibited the best effect. Western blot and immunohistochemistry results showed that all the treatment groups exhibited down-regulated protein levels of AT1R， AGT， NF-κB p65， and TLR4 and up-regulated protein levels of ACE2 （P<0.05， P<0.01） compared with model group， with the 6×goat horn- and antelope horn-containing Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills groups showcasing the best effect. ConclusionReplacing antelope horn with 6×goat horn in Fufang Lingjiao Jiangya pills can achieve consistent blood pressure-lowering effect with the original prescription. The prescription may exert the effect by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system （RAAS） and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease characterized primarily by oral and periocular dryness. Astragalus-Salvia (AS) and Ophiopogon-Dendrobium (OD) represent two frequently utilized herb pairs in SS treatment. While the combination of AS-OD herb pairs demonstrates clinical efficacy in alleviating SS symptoms, its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This investigation sought to assess the therapeutic effects and elucidate the potential mechanisms of AS-OD in non-obese diabetic (NOD)/Ltj mice with SS. The study utilized NOD/Ltj mice as SS models, administering AS-OD treatment for 10 weeks at doses of 113.1, 226.2, and 339.3 mg·d^-1·20 g^-1. Results demonstrated that AS-OD improved SS symptoms, evidenced by enhanced salivary flow rate, decreased anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibody levels, increased swimming duration, and reduced lactate (LA) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in NOD/Ltj mice. AS-OD reduced lymphocyte infiltration, enhanced Aquaporin-5 (AQP5) expression in the submandibular gland, decreased inflammatory cytokine levels in the submandibular gland, and reduced the T helper type 17/regulatory T lymphocyte (Th17/Treg) cell ratio in the spleen. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses indicated AS-OD's involvement in regulating phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) and Janus kinase 3/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK1/STAT3) pathways, with inhibitory effects validated in both NOD/Ltj mice submandibular gland and A-253 cells. Furthermore, AS-OD enhanced cell viability and reduced A-253 cell apoptosis through the PI3K/AKT pathway. In A-253 cells, AS-OD reduced inflammatory cytokine levels, CXC chemokine ligand 9/10 (CXCL9/10), and T-cell chemotaxis by inhibiting the JAK1/STAT3 pathway. AS-OD mitigates SS by suppressing inflammation and immune responses through the PI3K/AKT and JAK1/STAT3 pathways.
Animals ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/genetics* ; Sjogren's Syndrome/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Mice ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Janus Kinase 1/genetics* ; Humans ; Female ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; Male

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic degenerative disease that not only causes pain and reduces the quality of life for patients but also imposes a significant societal burden. Clinical pathways can be developed by referencing recommendations from clinical practice guidelines to localize guidelines within the context of integrated traditional Chinese and western medical systems. However, existing clinical pathways suffer from shortcomings such as deficiencies in integrated traditional Chinese and western medical diagnosis and treatment, inadequate shared decision-making between healthcare providers and patients, and suboptimal visualization of clinical pathways. This study aimed to address and optimize the clinical pathway of KOA by comprehensively organizing and localizing the recommended guidelines. The concept of integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine was reflected through the construction of a path of joint decision-making between doctors and patients, emphasizing the coexistence of diagnosis and screening, the combination of clinical and imaging staging, joint decision-making between doctors and patients, and treatment stages. This pathway emphasizes patient-centered approach, with pain relief and functional rehabilitation running parallel, achieving the implementation of evidence-based concepts in practical medical practice. It provides a concrete basis for joint decision-making between doctors and patients in the integrated treatment of KOA with traditional Chinese and western medicine, which helps to improve diagnosis and treatment efficiency and patient quality of life.

Objective To explore the correlation between cardiac remodeling and the occurrence of contrast-associated acute kidney injury(CA-AKI)assessed by echocardiography.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 100 patients with coronary artery disease(CAD)who underwent coronary angiography(CAG)and percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)from March 2021 to March 2024.The patients were divided into CA-AKI group and non-CA-AKI group according to whether CA-AKI occurred.Baseline data and echocardiographic parameters,inclu-ding left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter index(LVIDDI),left ventricular end-systolic in-ternal diameter index(LVIDSI),and left ventricular mass index(LVMI),were collected and com-pared between the two groups.Logistic regression analysis was used to screen for independent influen-cing factors of CA-AKI occurrence.Results The level of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)in the CA-AKI group was higher than that in the non-CA-AKI group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.001).Compared with the non-CA-AKI group,the CA-AKI group had higher levels of C-reactive protein and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),as well as a higher proportion of patients with diabetes and anemia,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Echocardiographic data showed that LVMI,LVIDDI,and LVIDSI in the CA-AKI group were all higher than those in the non-CA-AKI group,and the differences were statistically sig-nificant(t=2.057,3.429,2.975;P＜0.05).The left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)level in the CA-AKI group was lower than that in the non-CA-AKI group,and the difference was statisti-cally significant(t=3.005,P=0.003).Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that diabe-tes,anemia,inflammation,NT-proBNP,HbA1c,LVMI,LVIDDI,LVIDSI,LVEF,ventricular hy-pertrophy,and ventricular dilation were significantly associated with the occurrence of CA-AKI(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis results showed that LVMI(OR=3.81;95％CI,1.04 to 8.50;P=0.045),LVIDDI(OR=4.21;95％CI,2.02 to 6.08;P＜0.001),LVIDSI(OR=1.61;95％CI,1.27 to 2.03;P=0.024),ventricular hypertrophy(OR=3.42;95％CI,1.83 to 4.44;P=0.001),and ventricular dilation(OR=2.93;95％CI,1.43 to 3.74;P=0.033)were independent influencing factors for the occurrence of CA-AKI.Conclusion Cardiac remodeling is significantly correlated with the risk of CA-AKI in CAD patients.Clinicians should take protective measures timely for patients with abnormal cardiac structure to prevent the occurrence of CA-AKI.

Foot bath technique is booming in daily health care services. In order to develop a more standardized and complete technical operation process, the working group recorded the whole process of document formulation while writing the Technical Operation Specification for TCM Health Care Services (Non-Medical) Foot Bath (2024 edition). Work profile (including task background, task source, drafting unit, participant grouping and responsibilities), main technical content (including the basis and principles of preparation, key technical content of technical specifications), main preparation process (formation of working groups, registration and plan writing, selection and determination of clinical issues, literature research, drafting of the first draft, consensus on the main content of technical specifications, soliciting opinions, testing applications and external review), the relationship of current mandatory national standards or policies and regulations, the treatment process and basis of major differences, publicity and implementation and post-effect evaluation, the proposal to abolish the current relevant guidelines and the corresponding annexes were under detailed and in-depth description, which can assist the relevant practitioners of non-medical institutions to better understand and apply this technical specification.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of mini-track,mini-nephroscopy and mini-ultrasonic probe percutaneous nephrolithotomy(3mPCNL)for the treatment of 1.5-2.5 cm kidney stones.Methods:The perioperative data and postoperative follow-up data of a total of 25 patients with about 1.5-2.5 cm kidney stones who underwent 3mPCNL under ultrasound guidance in Peking Univer-sity People's Hospital from November 2023 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed.During the matching period,the 25 patients with 1.5-2.5 cm kidney stones receiving standard percutaneous neph-rolithotomy(sPCNL)were matched one-to-one according to the criterion that the absolute difference of the maximum diameter of stones between the two groups was less than 1 mm.The operative time,renal function changes,postoperative stone-free rate,hemoglobin changes,and complication rate of the two treatments were compared,and then the effectiveness and safety of 3mPCNL were preliminarily analyzed.Results:There were no significant differences in mean age,preoperative median creatinine,preoperative mean hemoglobin,preoperative mean hematocrit,median stone maximum diameter,and median stone CT density between the 3mPCNL group and the sPCNL group.The median operation time in the 3mPCNL group was 60.0(45.0-110.0)min,with no statistical significance compared with the sPCNL group,and all the patients underwent single-channel operations.The mean hemoglobin after operation in the 3mPCNL group was(115.3±15.5)mmol/L,and there was no significant difference between the preoperative group and the sPCNL group,and the mean hemoglobin decreased significantly between the sPCNL group and the sPCNL group[(9.5±2.2)mmol/L vs.(10.1±1.9)mmol/L].The mean hematocrit after operation was(28.0±5.2)％,and the difference was statistically significant compared with that before operation(t=2.414,P=0.020).The mean hematocrit drop was not statistically signi-ficant compared with the sPCNL group(2.3％vs.2.7％).The median serum creatinine in the 3mPCNL group was 74.0(51.0-118.0)μmol/L after operation,and the difference was statistically significant compared with that before operation(Z=-2.980,P=0.005).The stone-free rate in the 3mPCNL group and the sPCNL group was 96.0％and 97.3％,respectively,and the mean hospital stay was(4.3±1.4)d and(5.5±2.0)d,respectively,with the statistical significance(t=0.192,P=0.025).After the operation,one patient in sPCNL group had massive hemorrhage after the nephrostomy tube was re-moved,which was improved after selective renal artery embolization.One patient in the 3mPCNL group developed mild perirenal hematoma,which was improved after conservative treatment,and no complica-tions were observed in the other patients.Conclusion:3mPCNL in the treatment of 1.5-2.5 cm kidney stones can achieve an effective rate comparable to sPCNL,and can achieve the ideal stone-free rate in a shorter operative time with a lower rate of surgery-related complications.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of color Doppler ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy in the treatment of anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic pyeloplasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for the data of 15 children with peritoneal irritation after LP who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to January 2023, of which 10 cases were anastomotic leaks and 5 cases were with renal pelvic blood clots. There were 12 males and 3 females. Age (4.2±2.7) years. The lesions were located on the left side of 11 cases and on the right side of 4 cases. All 15 cases had varying degrees of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and other symptoms. Physical examination: the children all showed painful faces and tense abdominal muscles. 15 patients had a preoperative pain score of 9.5 (8, 10). Ultrasound examination showed that the anterior and posterior diameters of renal pelvis separation were (34.93±4.86) mm, the anterior and posterior diameter/renal parenchymal thickness of renal pelvis separation was 15.66±1.02, renal dynamic nuclear imaging shows the renal function of the affected side was (29.69±1.71)%. Thirteen cases had the above symptoms before the abdominal drainage tube was removed, and the time of symptom onset was (3.3±1.1) days after surgery, of which 8 cases had a large increase in abdominal drainage, and color Doppler ultrasonography showed a large amount of fluid in the intra-abdominal intestinal space (about 500 ml). In 5 cases, the intraperitoneal drainage volume did not increase, and color Doppler ultrasonography showed strong echo in the renal pelvis, and blood clots were considered. All 13 patients were placed in the prone position under local anesthesia and underwent color Doppler ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy. The remaining 2 cases had abdominal drainage tube removed on the 3rd day after surgery, and peritoneal irritation signs appeared on the 4th and 6th days after surgery, respectively. Color Doppler ultrasonography showed that there was a large amount of fluid in the intra-abdominal intestinal space, and color Doppler ultrasound-guided peritoneal puncture and drainage + prone percutaneous nephrostomy was performed in the supine position under local anesthesia, and the biochemical analysis of the peritoneal puncture drainage fluid was confirmed to be anastomotic urine leakage. The drainage volume and urine output of 15 cases of peritoneal puncture drainage and pyelostomy were recorded, and the relief of nausea and vomiting symptoms and the score of postoperative pain after percutaneous nephrostomy were recorded. The changes of hydronephrosis and renal function before and after percutaneous nephrostomy were compared.Results:In this study, 15 patients underwent percutaneous nephrostomy with a duration of (16.8±1.9) min. The symptoms of nausea and vomiting disappeared after operation, and the pain scores were 3.2(2, 4) and 0.4(0, 2) at 2 h and 12 h after operation, respectively, which were statistically significant compared with those before operation ( P<0.01). In 13 children with simple percutaneous nephrostomy, the abdominal drainage tube was removed on (3.6±0.8) days and (8.6±1.0) days after percutaneous nephrostomy. In 2 children with peritoneal puncture and drainage plus percutaneous nephrostomy, the abdominal drainage tube was removed 3 days after the fistula operation, and the pyelostomy tube was removed 8 days after the fistula operation. The anterior and posterior diameters of renal pelvis separation were (10.87±4.05), (10.13±3.50) and (9.13±3.11) mm by color Doppler ultrasound at 3, 6 and 12 months after LP operation, respectively, and there were statistically significant differences compared with preoperative comparisons ( P<0.01).The diameter before and after renal pelvis separation was (7.60±2.86) mm, the diameter before and after renal pelvic separation/renal parenchymal thickness was 1.97±0.22, and the renal function was (39.23±2.66)% at 24 months after operation, which was statistically significant compared with that before operation ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Color Doppler ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy can effectively alleviate symptoms in the early stage, which could help to the healing of ureteral anastomosis, and has less trauma and short operation course.

Objective To investigate whether an association existed between elevated serum β2-microglobulin levels and post stroke cognitive impairment(PSCI).Methods A total of 140 patients with ischemic stroke in Wenzhou People's Hospital during December 2022 to December 2023 were prospectively were enrolled including 73 patients in the PSCI group and 67 patients in the non-post stroke cognitive impairment(PSNCI)group.Serum β2-microglobulin and other biochemical indicators were measured within 24 hours after admission.PSCI was assessed using the mini-mental state examination(MMSE)score with a threshold of≥27 points serving as the diagnostic criterion.Results The age,National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score at admission,proportion of low education level,proportion of multiple or large area infarction and serum β2-microglobulin level in the PSCI group were higher than those in the PSNCI group.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age,NIHSS score at admission,multiple or large area infarction and serum β2-microglobulin level were risk factors for PSCI,and education level was a protective factor for PSCI.Conclusion The increase of β2-microglobulin level is a risk factor for cognitive impairment after ischemic stroke.The detection of β2-microglobulin level in stroke patients may realize the early detection of PSCI.

Objective:To evaluate the value of CT for differentiating gastric leiomyoma (GLM) from gastric schwannoma (GS).Methods:The clinical and imaging data of 42 patients with GLM (GLM group) and 41 patients with GS (GS group) were analyzed retrospectively. The general information and CT features were compared between two groups. The independent factors for differentiating GLM from GS were obtained by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the model.Results:The proportion of female and age in GLM group were significantly lower than those in GS group: 59.52% (25/42) vs. 85.37% (35/41), (51.83 ± 10.52) years old vs. (58.80 ± 10.63) years old, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01). The upper part of the stomach rate, irregular shape rate, intraluminal growth rate, ratio of long diameter to short diameter and mild to moderate enhancement rate in GLM group were significantly higher than those in GS group: 71.43% (30/42) vs. 14.63% (6/41), 52.38% (22/42) vs. 21.95% (9/41), 92.86% (39/42) vs. 19.51% (8/41), 1.90 ± 0.55 vs. 1.34 ± 0.28 and 92.86% (39/42) vs. 51.22% (21/41), the cystic degeneration rate, ulcer rate, incidence of tumor-associated lymph node, CT values of venous phase and delayed phase in GLM group were significantly lower than those in GS group: 2.38% (1/42) vs. 26.83% (11/41), 7.14% (3/42) vs. 24.39% (10/41), 2.38% (1/42) vs. 60.98% (25/41), (59.21 ± 9.75) HU vs. (66.22 ± 10.33) HU and (65.02 ± 8.62) HU vs. (76.85 ± 11.89) HU, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 or <0.05); there were no statistical difference in the rate of calcification and the CT values of plain scan and arterial phase between the two groups ( P>0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis result showed that the tumor location, growth mode, tumor-associated lymph node and ratio of long diameter to short diameter were the independent factors for differentiating GLM from GS ( OR = 34.385, 25.314, 0.023 and 97.700; 95% CI 2.848 to 415.171, 2.674 to 239.670, 0.001 to 0.637 and 3.113 to 3 066.549; P<0.01 or <0.05); when the model threshold was >0.647, the area under the curve was 0.988 (95% CI 0.934 to 1.000), with a sensitivity of 92.9% and specificity of 97.6%. Conclusions:When the tumor is prone to the upper part of the stomach, intraluminal growth, ratio of long diameter to short diameter >1.28, and the absence of the tumor-associated lymph node, GLM tends to be considered, on the contrary, it tends to be GS. Therefore, CT imaging features have certain value in differentiating GLM from GS before surgery.