OBJECTIVE To explore the influence of human cytomegalovirus(HCMV)infection on transforming growth factor β(TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway and helper T cell(Th)1/Th2 cytokines of the patients with di-abetic retinopathy(DR)so as to provide guidance for clinical treatment of the DR patients with HCMV infection.METHODS Totally 100 DR patients complicated with HCMV infection who were treated in Xinyu People's Hospi-tal from Jan.2021 to Dec.2023 were assigned as the HCMV infection group and were divided into the non-prolif-erative DR group(NPDR group)and the proliferative DR group(the PDR group)according to the degree of path-ological change of retina.Meanwhile,100 DR patients without HCMV infection were chosen as the no HCMV in-fection group.The levels of serum TGF-β,interferon-γ(IFN-γ)and interleukin(IL)-4 as well as the relative ex-pression levels of Smad2 and Smad3 mRNA were observed.RESULTS The levels of serum TGF-β,IFN-γ and IL-4 of the HCMV infection group were respectively 1.41±0.43,(92.68±15.86)ng/L and(593.91±84.67)ng/L,higher than those of the no HCMV infection group;the relative expression levels of Smad2 mRNA and Smad3 mRNA of the HCMV infection group were respectively(1.54±0.44)and(1.68±0.50),higher than those of the no HCMV infection group(P＜0.05);the levels of the above indexes of the PDR group were higher than those of the NPDR group(P＜0.05).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the joint detection of TGF-β,IFN-γ,IL-4,Smad2 and Smad3 was 0.961 in prediction of HC-MV infection in the DR patients,with the sensitivity 90.70％,the specificity 85.10％.CONCLUSION The HC-MV infection may aggravate the degree of retinopathy,which may be associated with the regulation of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathways and imbalance of Th1/Th2 function.

OBJECTIVE To explore the influence of human cytomegalovirus(HCMV)infection on transforming growth factor β(TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway and helper T cell(Th)1/Th2 cytokines of the patients with di-abetic retinopathy(DR)so as to provide guidance for clinical treatment of the DR patients with HCMV infection.METHODS Totally 100 DR patients complicated with HCMV infection who were treated in Xinyu People's Hospi-tal from Jan.2021 to Dec.2023 were assigned as the HCMV infection group and were divided into the non-prolif-erative DR group(NPDR group)and the proliferative DR group(the PDR group)according to the degree of path-ological change of retina.Meanwhile,100 DR patients without HCMV infection were chosen as the no HCMV in-fection group.The levels of serum TGF-β,interferon-γ(IFN-γ)and interleukin(IL)-4 as well as the relative ex-pression levels of Smad2 and Smad3 mRNA were observed.RESULTS The levels of serum TGF-β,IFN-γ and IL-4 of the HCMV infection group were respectively 1.41±0.43,(92.68±15.86)ng/L and(593.91±84.67)ng/L,higher than those of the no HCMV infection group;the relative expression levels of Smad2 mRNA and Smad3 mRNA of the HCMV infection group were respectively(1.54±0.44)and(1.68±0.50),higher than those of the no HCMV infection group(P＜0.05);the levels of the above indexes of the PDR group were higher than those of the NPDR group(P＜0.05).Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of the joint detection of TGF-β,IFN-γ,IL-4,Smad2 and Smad3 was 0.961 in prediction of HC-MV infection in the DR patients,with the sensitivity 90.70％,the specificity 85.10％.CONCLUSION The HC-MV infection may aggravate the degree of retinopathy,which may be associated with the regulation of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathways and imbalance of Th1/Th2 function.

Objective To explore the effects of small incision in situ release on surgical indications,nerve conduction velocity and upper limb function in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS).Methods A total of 100 CTS patients admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to January 2022 were selected,they were randomly divided into the control group(50 cases,treated with traditional carpal tunnel release)and the observation group(50 cases,treated with small incision in situ release),the clinical data of CTS patients were collected and surgical indications,nerve conduction velocity,upper limb function and the incidence of complications were compared between the two groups.Results The total effective rate was 98.00％in the observation group and 84.00％in the control group(P＜0.05).In the observation group,the length of incision was(1.65±0.29)cm,the time of opening and closing incision was(4.85±1.02)min,the hospitalization time was(3.24±0.62)d,the intraoperative blood loss was(17.88±3.53)mL,and the VAS score was(3.03±0.56)points one day after operation.The control group were(4.02±0.81)cm,(10.06±2.28)min,(7.11±1.34)d,(24.37±5.27)ml,(4.04± 0.89)points,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,The thumle-wrist sensory conduction velocity of CTS patients in the study group was(46.05±8.39)m/s,the middle finger-wrist sensory conduction velocity was(45.05±8.95)m/s,the thenar muscles-wrist motor conduction velocity was(53.94±11.47)m/s,the FIM ADL score was(34.38±7.22)points,and FMA The upper limb score was(34.23±7.25)points,and the control group was(41.86±8.22)m/s,(40.88±8.28)m/s,(49.05±10.01)m/s,(27.81±6.01)points,(41.05±9.19)points.The difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The total incidence of complications was 4.00％in the observation group and 20.00％in the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Small incision in situ release is effective in the treatment of CTS patients,which can improve the surgical indications and nerve conduction velocity,help patients recover upper limb function,and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications.

Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)is a therapeutic approach that targets intestinal microorganisms by transplanting fecal microorganisms from healthy individuals into the gastrointestinal tract of diseased individuals,thus restoring the recipient's disordered gastrointestinal microbiota by restructuring the intestinal flora.However,the mechanism of action and adverse effects of FMT in different diseases have not yet been clarified,thus limiting its wide clinical application.Its use still relies on in-depth preclinical studies;however,highly inconsistent or incomplete experimental details provided in current reports,coupled with a lack of authoritative standards and recommendations,seriously affect the interpretation of the study findings and replication of the experimental procedures,as well as hindering the clinical translation of the result.We therefore review and discuss the key steps of recipient selection and graft sample collection,storage,graft material preparation,and grafting route,with the aim of improving the utilization of experimental animals,consumables,and labor,and providing method ological recommendations and references to achieve replicability and standardization of preclinical FMT studies.

This article reviews the clinical studies about the treatment of allergic rhinitis （AR） with traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in recent years. AR is a common and frequently occurring disease in the department of otolaryngology. The common manifestations of AR include nasal congestion， sneezing， runny nose， and nasal itching. AR， belonging to the category of rhinitis， is a dominant disease in the TCM treatment of otorhinolaryngologic diseases and head and neck diseases. The ancient literature has laid a solid theoretical basis on the etiology and pathogenesis of AR. According to the ancient literature， the theoretical basis， and their own experience， modern doctors classified the causes of AR into the disorders in Zang-fu organs and six meridians. Most of the explanations focus on the disorders in Zang-fu organs， especially the lung， spleen， and kidney. The clinical studies in this field mainly involve TCM treatment alone， integrated TCM and Western medicine treatment， and TCM external treatment. These therapies have good efficacy in the clinical treatment of AR. Among them， TCM treatment alone has significant advantages in alleviating the symptoms and nasal signs， declining the scores of related scales， and reducing the eosinophil count （EOS） of nasal secretions， with definite long-term efficacy. Integrated TCM and Western medicine treatment can complement with each other. The TCM external treatment methods include acupuncture， moxibustion， acupoint catgut embedding， acupoint application， and nasal irrigation with TCM， which are safe， simple， acceptable by patients and have good therapeutic effect. Finally， the clinical research status of TCM treatment of AR was summarized， and suggestions were put forward from three aspects： standardizing the clinical research protocol of TCM， encouraging pure TCM research， and exploring the mechanism of TCM treatment on the basis of frontier research achievements. This review aims to provide higher-level evidence for subsequent clinical research and promote the research on dominant AR diseases.

Objective:To investigate the association between ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) colonization in the respiratory tract and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in extremely preterm or extremely low birth weight infants.Methods:This was a retrospective study involving preterm infants with gestational age <28 weeks or birth weight <1 000 g who was hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital from June 2019 to March 2022. Respiratory tract secretion was collected for UU DNA detection within 24 h after admission. All the participants were divided into the UU-positive or negative groups based on the detection results. Clinical characteristics of the two groups were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, t-, or Chi-square tests (Fisher exact test). Results:A total of 82 infants were enrolled, including 31 cases (37.8%) in the UU-positive group and 51 patients (62.2%) in the negative group. Among the 30 cases treated with azithromycin in the positive group, 27 (90.0%, 27/30) turned negative after two courses of treatment. The rates of premature rupture of membranes [51.6% (16/31) vs 17.6% (9/51), χ2=10.50] and prenatal antibiotic exposure [71.0% (22/31) vs 47.1% (24/51), χ2=4.47] in the UU-positive group were both higher than those in the UU-negative group (both P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that premature rupture of membranes ( OR=5.893, 95% CI: 2.016-17.228) and gestational age ( OR=0.663, 95% CI: 0.441-0.999) were independent risk factors for UU colonization (both P<0.05). UU-positive group had a longer duration of oxygen use [ M ( P25- P75), 1 756 h (1 385-2 088 h) vs 1 357 h (1 128-1 656 h), Z=2.98], a longer length of hospital stay [81 d (70-105 d) vs 68 d (59-84 d), Z=3.05], and higher hospitalization costs [(201 574±70 326) yuan vs (161 288±53 412) yuan, t=－2.74] compared to the UU negative group (all P<0.05). The incidence of BPD [74.2% (23/31) vs 47.1% (24/51), χ2=5.80] and retinopathy of prematurity [93.4% (29/31) vs 74.5% (38/51), χ2=4.68] in the UU positive group was higher than those in the UU-negative group (both P<0.05). No significant correlation was found between UU colonization and the severity of BPD ( P>0.05). Conclusion:UU colonization may increase the incidence of BPD, but there was no clear correlation with the severity of BPD.

Objective:To study the effects of arsenic exposure on necroptosis pathway and inflammatory response of mouse myocardial cells.Methods:Sixty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group (group C) and low, medium, and high dose arsenic exposure groups (groups L, M, H) based on body weight using a random number table method. Each group had 15 mice, and they drank 0.00, 0.15, 1.50, and 15.00 mg/L arsenic trioxide (As 2O 3) solution prepared with deionized water. The exposure period was 12 weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson trichrome staining of paraffin-embedded heart tissues were used to observe the histopathology changes of the heart. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to evaluate the ultrastructural changes of myocardial cells. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of inflammatory genes [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin(IL)-6] and the genes involved in necroptosis pathway [receptor-interacting protein (RIP) 1, RIP3 and mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL)]. Protein expressions of RIP1 and RIP3 in the heart were assessed by western blotting. Results:Histopathological examination results showed there were myocardial necrosis, inflammatory cells infiltration and fibroblasts hyperplasia and other changes in groups M and H. TEM analysis revealed marked ultrastructural changes in groups M and H, including fractured myofibril, fractured Z lines of sarcomere, and swollen mitochondria with fractured cristae. Compared with group C (1.00 ± 0.00), the mRNA expression of RIP1 in group H was significantly up-regulated (1.41 ± 0.06, P < 0.05); the mRNA expressions of RIP3 (1.29 ± 0.14, 1.56 ± 0.08), MLKL (1.23 ± 0.05, 1.36 ± 0.07), TNF-α (2.20 ± 0.10, 2.23 ± 0.18) and IL-6 (1.87 ± 0.16, 1.63 ± 0.15) were significantly up-regulated in groups M and H ( P < 0.05). The protein expressions of RIP1 (0.43 ± 0.04, 0.50 ± 0.04) and RIP3 (0.68 ± 0.02, 0.84 ± 0.05) in groups M and H were higher than those in group C (0.25 ± 0.01, 0.45 ± 0.04, P < 0.05). Conclusion:Subchronic arsenic exposure induces histopathological changes such as myocardial necrosis and fibrosis in mice, inducing necroptosis and inflammatory reactions in myocardial cells.

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of combining diosmin with Jiuhua hemorrhoid suppository versus diosmin alone for the treatment of hemorrhoid hemorrhage. Methods: The Jiuhua hemorrhoid suppository study was conducted in 10 medical centers across China from April 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. Patients with hemorrhoid bleeding were randomized in a ratio of 1 : 1 to either receive Jiuhua hemorrhoid suppository and diosmin tablets (the study group) or diosmin tablets alone (the control group). The suppository was used once a day after defecation or at bedtime after rinsing the anus with warm water. Diosmin tablets were administered only once a day (0.9 g). The primary endpoint of the study was the assessment of hemorrhoid bleeding relief 7 ± 2 days after treatment, classified as “very effective” “effective” and “ineffective”. The secondary endpoint included the evaluation of pain alleviation using the visual analogue scale (VAS, with scores ranging from 0 to 10) and edema (with scores ranging from 0 to 3). The safety of the two treatment regimens was evaluated 14 ± 2 days after drug administration. Results: The full analysis set (FAS) comprised 107 participants in the study group and 111 in the control group, while the per-protocol set (PPS) included 106 participants in the study group and 111 in the control group. In terms of hemorrhoid bleeding, the proportion of very effective and effective cases in the study group were significantly higher than that in the control group [106 (99.06%) vs. 91 (81.98%), P < 0.0001] in the FAS, and the PPS results [105 (99.06%) vs. 91 (81.98%), P < 0.0001] were comparable to the FAS results. The pain VAS scores at day 7 after treatment were comparable between the two groups (0.80 ± 1.17 vs. 0.80 ± 1.20, P = 0.2177). The majority of the participants in both groups had an edema score of 0 at day 7 after treatment [96 (89.72%) vs. 99 (91.67%), P = 0.370 5]. Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 9 patients (8.4%) in the study group and 3 patients (2.7%) in the control group. In addition, 5 AEs in the study group and 1 AE in the control group were possibly in association with the study drug. Conclusion Compared with the administration of diosmin oral tablets alone, the addition of Jiuhua hemorrhoid suppository to the tablets demonstrates enhanced efficacy in addressing hemorrhoid bleeding, with satisfactory patient adherence and acceptable safety.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of facial onset sensory motor neuronopathy (FOSMN) syndrome.Methods:Ten patients diagnosed with FOSMN syndrome in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2012 to December 2022 were included. The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of patients were analyzed and summarized, and the genetic testing was also performed in these patients.Results:The age of onset was (56.6±6.5) years, and the longest survival duration of disease was 10 years. All patients had numbness around the face and mouth as the first symptom and abnormal blink reflex. A total of 52 sensory nerve conduction nerves were detected, among which 2 median nerves and 2 μlnar nerves showed decreased amplitude of sensory nerve action potential. Needle electromyography showed neurogenic lesions, with both progressive and chronic denervation. Whole exome sequencing identified the heterozygous variant c.272A>C in the exon 4 of the SOD1 gene resulting in the amino acid change p.Asp90Ala in 1 patient. In all patients, the disease progressed relentlessly and eventually led to involvement of respiratory muscle. Conclusion:FOSMN syndrome is characterized by abnormal blink reflex and sometimes abnormal sensory nerve conduction may be shown on electrophysiologic testing.

Objective:The investigation and research on the application status of Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) is very important to understand the real situation and future development of this technology in China.Methods:This study comprehensively investigated the basic situation of HVPG technology in China, including hospital distribution, hospital level, annual number of cases, catheters used, average cost, indications and existing problems.Results:According to the survey, there were 70 hospitals in China carrying out HVPG technology in 2021, distributed in 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central Government). A total of 4 398 cases of HVPG were performed in all the surveyed hospitals in 2021, of which 2 291 cases (52.1%) were tested by HVPG alone. The average cost of HVPG detection was (5 617.2±2 079.4) yuan. 96.3% of the teams completed HVPG detection with balloon method, and most of the teams used thrombectomy balloon catheter (80.3%).Conclusion:Through this investigation, the status of domestic clinical application of HVPG has been clarified, and it has been confirmed that many domestic medical institutions have mastered this technology, but it still needs to continue to promote and popularize HVPG technology in the future.