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

Many triterpenoid compounds have been successfully heterologously synthesized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To increase the yield of triterpenoids, various metabolic engineering strategies have been developed. One commonly applied strategy is to enhance the supply of precursors, which has been widely used by researchers. Squalene, as a precursor to triterpenoid biosynthesis, plays a crucial role in the synthesis of these compounds. This study primarily investigates the effect of different squalene levels in chassis strains on the synthesis of triterpenoids(oleanolic acid and ursolic acid), and the underlying mechanisms are further explored using real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR) analysis. The results demonstrate that the chassis strain CB-9-5, which produces high levels of squalene, inhibits the synthesis of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. In contrast, chassis strains with moderate to low squalene production, such as Y8-1 and CNPK, are more conducive to the synthesis of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid. The qPCR analysis reveals that the expression levels of ERG1, βAS, and CrCYP716A154 in the oleanolic acid-producing strain CB-OA are significantly lower than those in the control strains C-OA and Y-OA, suggesting that high squalene production in the chassis strains suppresses the transcription of certain genes, leading to a reduced yield of triterpenoids. Our findings indicate that when constructing S. cerevisiae strains for triterpenoid production, chassis strains with high squalene content may suppress the expression of certain genes, ultimately lowering their production, whereas chassis strains with moderate squalene levels are more favorable for triterpenoid biosynthesis.
Squalene/analysis* ; Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genetics* ; Triterpenes/metabolism* ; Metabolic Engineering ; Oleanolic Acid/biosynthesis* ; Ursolic Acid

AIM:To compare the effect of AT TORBI 709M and Tecnis ZMT intraocular lenses on astigmatism correction in patients with corneal astigmatism at 3 mo after operation based on the standard astigmatism vector analysis.METHODS: This was a retrospective case-control study. The clinical data of 69 patients(69 eyes)with corneal astigmatism who underwent phacoemulsification and implantation of toric intraocular lens(IOL)from June 2021 to December 2021 in Day Surgery Center of Xi'an No.1 Hospital was analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups. In group one, 38 cases(38 eyes)were implanted with AT TORBI 709M, and 31 patients(31 eyes)with Tecnis ZMT in group two. The axial length, preoperative astigmatism and axis, and the degree of intraocular lens were recorded. The uncorrected distance visual acuity(UCDVA), best corrected distance visual acuity(BCDVA), diopter, residual astigmatism and axis were recorded preoperatively and at 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo postoperatively. The postoperative surgical indicators, including spherical equivalent(SE), target induced astigmatism vector(TIA), surgically induced astigmatism vector(SIA), magnitude of error(ME), absolute value of angle of error(|AE|), absolute value of difference vector(|DV|), correction index(CI), and index of success(IOS)were evaluated by the standard astigmatism vector analysis.RESULTS:Postoperative UCDVA and BCDVA were significantly improved(all P<0.001), and there were statistically significant differences compared to preoperative UCDVA and BCDVA(all P<0.001). While, there was no significant difference in UCDVA and BCDVA between the two groups(P=0.275, 0.124). The standard astigmatism vector analysis showed that a good astigmatism correction was achieved in both AT TORBI 709M group and Tecnis ZMT group, and both |DV| and IOS were close to 0(P=0.329, 0.288). The CI of the AT TORBI 709M group was closer to 1, indicating a better astigmatism correction, while the CI of the Tecnis ZMT group was higher than 1, suggesting an overcorrection of astigmatism. However, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant(P=0.193). The mean residual astigmatism at 3 mo postoperatively was -0.11±0.91 D in the AT TORBI 709M group and -0.46±0.76 D in the Tecnis ZMT group, respectively, showing no statistically significance difference(t=1.732, P=0.088).CONCLUSION:Both the flat loop AT TORBI 709M and the double C-loop Tecnis ZMT intraocular lenses can effectively improve postoperative visual acuity in patients with regular corneal astigmatism, showing good rotational stability and comparable correction abilities for both astigmatism with the rule and against-the-rule astigmatism.

Viral myocarditis(VMC)is a type of myocarditis caused by Coxsackievirus B3(CVB3)infection.Its pathogenesis is complex that includes direct viral action,host immune and inflammatory response,myocardial structure and function remodeling.The therapeutic effect of single target drugs is limited,while traditional Chinese medicine not only has antiviral effects,but also demon-strates systematic advantages in intervening in VMC due to its"multi-component,multi-target,and multi-pathway"characteristics.This article reviews the pathogenic mechanisms of CVB3-induced VMC,clarifies the interaction between CVB3 and host cells,and ex-plores the intervention mechanisms and developments of traditional Chinese medicine interventions for CVB3-induced VMC.At the same time,the prospects of traditional Chinese medicine treatment for CVB3-induced VMC in this study suggest that future research should strengthen the analysis of multi-target synergistic mechanisms based on traditional Chinese medicine formulas,combine artifi-cial intelligence,genomics,and gene editing technologies to predict drug-target interaction networks,establish standardized and per-sonalized system for integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment plans,and provide more effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of VMC.

Postoperative infection of internal fixation of closed fractures the lower limbs in adults represents a devastating complication, characterized by diagnostic challenges, prolonged treatment duration and high disability rates. Current management of these infections faces multiple challenges, such as difficulties in early accurate diagnosis, and various controversies about the treatment plan, leading to poor overall diagnosis and treatment results. To address these issues, based on evidence-based medicine and principles with emphasis on scientific rigor, clinical applicability and innovation, the Trauma Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Orthopedics Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Trauma Orthopedics and Polytrauma Group of the Resuscitation and Emergency Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association have collaboratively organized a panel of relevant experts to develop the Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of infection after internal fixation of closed lower limb fractures in adults ( version 2025). The guideline proposed 10 recommendations, aiming to provide a foundation for standardized diagnosis and treatment of postoperative infection in adults with closed lower limb fractures.

Objective:To investigate the overall drug resistance, drug resistance trend and distribution of drug resistance mutation sites in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with antiviral therapy failure in Yunnan Province.Methods:The demographic data and genotype drug resistance of HIV/AIDS population with antiviral therapy failure in Yunnan Province from January 2021 to December 2023 were collected and analyzed by cross-sectional investigation. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square test.Results:Among 15 159 HIV/AIDS patients, 12 215 cases tested positive by amplification. The circulating recombinant form (CRF) 08_BC was the predominant genetic subtype, accounting for 54.97%(6 714/12 215), followed by CRF01_AE (16.14%(1 972/12 215)) and CRF07_BC (14.48% (1 769/12 215)). When the viral load was ≥200 to <1 000 copies/mL, the incidence of drug resistance was 21.48%(99/461). When it was ≥1 000 to <10 000 copies/mL, the incidence was 51.29%(2 867/5 590). When it was ≥10 000 to <100 000 copies/mL, the incidence was 69.39% (3 979/5 734). When it was ≥100 000 copies/mL, the incidence was 81.86%(352/430). A total of 7 297 drug resistant cases were detected, with a drug resistance rate of 59.74% (7 297/12 215), thus the estimated drug resistance incidence rate among the antiviral treated population in Yunnan Province was 2.00% (7 297/364 238). From 2021 to 2023, the annual drug resistance rates among patients were 60.71%(2 554/4 207), 60.28%(1 671/2 772), and 58.67% (3 072/5 236), respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( χ2=4.47, P=0.107). Among the population with antiviral therapy failure, the drug resistance rates of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), and protease inhibitor (PI) were 93.70%(6 837/7 297), 44.10%(3 218/7 297) and 5.15%(376/7 297), respectively. The mutation sites with the highest frequencies among the three classes of drugs including NRTI, NNRTI and PI were M184V/I (46.13%(2 123/4 602)), K103N/S (37.14%(2 648/7 129)), L33F (15.50%(82/529)) and M46I/L (15.50%(82/529)), respectively. Analysis of the degree of drug resistance showed that among NNRTI drugs, nevirapine (49.01%(5 987/12 215)) and efavirenz (48.00%(5 863/12 215)) had the highest drug resistance rates, followed by emtricitabine (23.59%(2 882/12 215)) and lamivudine (23.58%(2 881/12 215)) among NRTI drugs. Conclusions:Among HIV/AIDS patients with antiviral therapy failure in Yunnan Province from 2021 to 2023, CRF08_BC is the main genetic subtype. The drug resistance rate of patients increases with the increase of HIV-1 viral load. There is no significant change in the drug resistance rate from 2021 to 2023. NNRTI has the highest drug resistance rate, followed by NRTI, and PI has the lowest. The main mutation sites are M184V/I for NRTI, K103N/S for NNRTI, and M46I/L and L33F for PI. The drug resistance rates of nevirapine, efavirenz, emtricitabine and lamivudine are relatively high.

Viral myocarditis(VMC)is a type of myocarditis caused by Coxsackievirus B3(CVB3)infection.Its pathogenesis is complex that includes direct viral action,host immune and inflammatory response,myocardial structure and function remodeling.The therapeutic effect of single target drugs is limited,while traditional Chinese medicine not only has antiviral effects,but also demon-strates systematic advantages in intervening in VMC due to its"multi-component,multi-target,and multi-pathway"characteristics.This article reviews the pathogenic mechanisms of CVB3-induced VMC,clarifies the interaction between CVB3 and host cells,and ex-plores the intervention mechanisms and developments of traditional Chinese medicine interventions for CVB3-induced VMC.At the same time,the prospects of traditional Chinese medicine treatment for CVB3-induced VMC in this study suggest that future research should strengthen the analysis of multi-target synergistic mechanisms based on traditional Chinese medicine formulas,combine artifi-cial intelligence,genomics,and gene editing technologies to predict drug-target interaction networks,establish standardized and per-sonalized system for integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment plans,and provide more effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of VMC.

Postoperative infection of internal fixation of closed fractures the lower limbs in adults represents a devastating complication, characterized by diagnostic challenges, prolonged treatment duration and high disability rates. Current management of these infections faces multiple challenges, such as difficulties in early accurate diagnosis, and various controversies about the treatment plan, leading to poor overall diagnosis and treatment results. To address these issues, based on evidence-based medicine and principles with emphasis on scientific rigor, clinical applicability and innovation, the Trauma Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Orthopedics Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Trauma Orthopedics and Polytrauma Group of the Resuscitation and Emergency Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association have collaboratively organized a panel of relevant experts to develop the Guideline for diagnosis and treatment of infection after internal fixation of closed lower limb fractures in adults ( version 2025). The guideline proposed 10 recommendations, aiming to provide a foundation for standardized diagnosis and treatment of postoperative infection in adults with closed lower limb fractures.

Objective:To explore baseline clinical and imaging characteristics of children with neonatal arterial ischaemic stroke based on their long-term motor function prognoses.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Clinical data, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG) findings, were collected from 31 neonates diagnosed with ischemic stroke admitted to the Department of Neonataology, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province between January 2015 and December 2019. Unified follow-up was conducted between May and July 2024. Long-term motor function outcomes were assessed using the modified Rankin scale(mRS) and categorized into two groups: the good motor function group (mRS score 0-1) and the motor impairment group (mRS score≥2).Baseline clinical and imaging data were summarized for all children, and differences between the two groups were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher′s exact test. Results:A total of 31 neonates (21 males, 10 females) with an admission age of 1-19 days, all diagnosed within 28 days of birth, were included. At follow-up, 4-8 years after disease onset, 26 neonates (84%) showed good motor function, while 5 (16%) had motor impairments. Compared to the good motor function group, the motor impairment group had higher proportions of females (4/5 vs. 23% (6/26)), main middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction (4/5 vs. 19% (5/26)), basal ganglia involvement (4/5 vs. 27% (7/26)), corticospinal tract involvement (posterior limb of internal capsule (PLIC) 5/5 vs. 38% (10/26) and cerebral peduncles 5/5 vs. 31% (8/26)) shown by MRI images, and meconium-stained amniotic fluid (4/5 vs. 15% (4/26))(all P<0.05).No significant differences were observed in gestational age, birth weight, abnormalities in muscle tone or primitive reflexes at admission or discharge, or abnormal EEG findings (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Neonatal arterial ischemic stroke commonly manifests as seizures, which are generally controllable, with a relatively stable clinical course and a low incidence of long-term motor impairment. Children with long-term motor impairments are more likely to have main MCA infarction, basal ganglia and corticospinal tract involvement (PLIC and cerebral peduncles), as well as meconium-stained amniotic fluid. This condition is also more commonly observed in females.

Objective:To investigate the overall drug resistance, drug resistance trend and distribution of drug resistance mutation sites in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients with antiviral therapy failure in Yunnan Province.Methods:The demographic data and genotype drug resistance of HIV/AIDS population with antiviral therapy failure in Yunnan Province from January 2021 to December 2023 were collected and analyzed by cross-sectional investigation. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square test.Results:Among 15 159 HIV/AIDS patients, 12 215 cases tested positive by amplification. The circulating recombinant form (CRF) 08_BC was the predominant genetic subtype, accounting for 54.97%(6 714/12 215), followed by CRF01_AE (16.14%(1 972/12 215)) and CRF07_BC (14.48% (1 769/12 215)). When the viral load was ≥200 to <1 000 copies/mL, the incidence of drug resistance was 21.48%(99/461). When it was ≥1 000 to <10 000 copies/mL, the incidence was 51.29%(2 867/5 590). When it was ≥10 000 to <100 000 copies/mL, the incidence was 69.39% (3 979/5 734). When it was ≥100 000 copies/mL, the incidence was 81.86%(352/430). A total of 7 297 drug resistant cases were detected, with a drug resistance rate of 59.74% (7 297/12 215), thus the estimated drug resistance incidence rate among the antiviral treated population in Yunnan Province was 2.00% (7 297/364 238). From 2021 to 2023, the annual drug resistance rates among patients were 60.71%(2 554/4 207), 60.28%(1 671/2 772), and 58.67% (3 072/5 236), respectively, with no statistically significant difference ( χ2=4.47, P=0.107). Among the population with antiviral therapy failure, the drug resistance rates of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), and protease inhibitor (PI) were 93.70%(6 837/7 297), 44.10%(3 218/7 297) and 5.15%(376/7 297), respectively. The mutation sites with the highest frequencies among the three classes of drugs including NRTI, NNRTI and PI were M184V/I (46.13%(2 123/4 602)), K103N/S (37.14%(2 648/7 129)), L33F (15.50%(82/529)) and M46I/L (15.50%(82/529)), respectively. Analysis of the degree of drug resistance showed that among NNRTI drugs, nevirapine (49.01%(5 987/12 215)) and efavirenz (48.00%(5 863/12 215)) had the highest drug resistance rates, followed by emtricitabine (23.59%(2 882/12 215)) and lamivudine (23.58%(2 881/12 215)) among NRTI drugs. Conclusions:Among HIV/AIDS patients with antiviral therapy failure in Yunnan Province from 2021 to 2023, CRF08_BC is the main genetic subtype. The drug resistance rate of patients increases with the increase of HIV-1 viral load. There is no significant change in the drug resistance rate from 2021 to 2023. NNRTI has the highest drug resistance rate, followed by NRTI, and PI has the lowest. The main mutation sites are M184V/I for NRTI, K103N/S for NNRTI, and M46I/L and L33F for PI. The drug resistance rates of nevirapine, efavirenz, emtricitabine and lamivudine are relatively high.