ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and economic value of the Jiangsu Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Dominant Diseases （abbreviated as the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol） in adult patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia （CAP） based on real-world clinical data. MethodsA retrospective real-world cohort study was conducted using electronic medical records of adult patients hospitalized for non-severe CAP from September 1st， 2023 to December 31st， 2024 across 10 TCM hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were classified into an exposure group and a non-exposure group based on whether they received Chinese herbal medicine （CHM） according to the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol. The non-exposure group received only conventional western medicine， while the exposure group additionally received differentiated CHM for at least five consecutive days. Outcomes were compared between two patient groups， including cough resolution rate， sputum resolution rate （assessed by volume， color， and consistency）， incidence of abnormal C-reactive protein （CRP）， incidence of abnormal white blood cell （WBC） count， and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors influencing clinical efficacy. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age， gender， smoking status， history of hypertension， and pneumonia severity score （CURB-65）， and the efficacy of treatment for cough and sputum was analyzed within each subgroup. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted using cough resolution rate as the outcome measure， evaluating the pharmacoeconomics of the two groups. ResultsA total of 1688 patients were included with 1293 in the exposure group and 395 in the non-exposure group. Compared to the non-exposure group， the exposure group demonstrated significantly higher resolution rates of cough， sputum volume， color， and consistency， as well as a significantly lower incidence of abnormal CRP （P＜0.05）. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of abnormal WBC count and radiographic resolution rate of pulmonary infiltrates （P＞0.05）. Logistic regression analysis showed that the cough resolution rate in the exposure group was 1.83 times that of the non-exposure group， while the probabilities of resolution in sputum volume， color， and consistency were 1.37， 2.09， and 1.56 times those of the non-exposure group， respectively （P＜0.05）. Subgroup analyses showed that the exposure group achieved significantly higher cough resolution rates across most subgroups except for populations with a CURB-65 score ≥2 or those with a history of hypertension （P＜0.05）. Specifically， among females， patients aged ≥18 and ＜65 years， non-smokers， those without hypertension， and those with a CURB-65 score of 0， the exposure group showed a higher cough resolution rate than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. From an economic perspective， total hospitalization cost， length of stay， antibiotic cost， and CHM cost all differed significantly between groups （P＜0.05）. The cost-effectiveness ratio （CER） was 10,788.80 CNY/case in the exposure group， while 22,513.80 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. This implies that， compared with the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 17,302.27 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution. When the willingness-to-pay threshold ranged from 0 to 50,000 CNY， the probability of economic advantage was consistently higher in the exposure group than in the non-exposure group. ConclusionOn the basis of conventional western medicine， the addition of CHM in accordance with the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol can effectively improve clinical symptoms， reduce inflammatory markers， promote clinical recovery， and is more cost-effective in treating adults with non-severe CAP.

ObjectiveTo observe the real‑world effectiveness and economic outcomes of Weishi Qingjin Formula （苇石清金方， WQF） in the treatment of adult community‑acquired pneumonia （CAP） with phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome. MethodsBased on a multicenter， real-world retrospective cohort study， clinical data were collected from hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with non‑severe CAP and phlegm‑heat obstructing the lung syndrome in 10 traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） hospitals in Jiangsu province. Patients were divided into an exposure group （those who received oral WQF） and a non‑exposure group （those who did not）. The following outcomes were compared between the two groups before and after treatment， which were remission rates of clinical symptoms including cough， expectoration （sputum volume， color， consistency）， and chest pain， levels of inflammatory markers including C‑reactive protein （CRP） and white blood cell count （WBC）， and the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT. Subgroup analyses were performed based on age， gender， smoking status， presence of hypertension， and the severity of community-acquired pneumonia （CURB‑65） score， comparing the two groups in terms of cough remission rate， chest pain remission rate， and chest CT absorption rate. For health economic evaluation， cost‑effectiveness analysis was used to calculate the cost‑effectiveness ratio （CER） and incremental cost‑effectiveness ratio （ICER）. Univariate sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to test the robustness of the results. ResultsA total of 647 patients in the exposure group and 1491 patients in the non-exposure group were included in the final statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay， gender， marital status， smoking history， bronchoscopy history， and comorbidities between the groups （P＞0.05）， but age， CURB-65 score， and antibiotic use. The exposure group had significantly higher remission rates of cough and sputum consistency than the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. After adjusting for confounders using propensity score matching and logistic regression， the cough remission rate in the exposure group was 1.49 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference was observed between groups in the reduction rates of CRP and WBC， and in the rate of pulmonary inflammatory absorption on chest CT （P＞0.05）. Subgroup analyses revealed that the cough remission rate in the exposure group was significantly better than that in the non-exposure group except for patients aged ≥65 years， smokers， hypertensive patients， those using other type antibiotics or not using antibiotics， and those with a CURB-65 score ≥1 （P＜0.05）. Among smokers， the chest pain remission rate in the exposure group was 4.38 times that of the non-exposure group （P＜0.01）. No significant difference in chest CT absorption rate was found between groups across subgroups of gender， age， hypertension status， or antibiotic type （P＞0.05）. In terms of economic evaluation， CER was 10,877.60 CNY/case in the exposure group and 16,773.10 CNY/case in the non-exposure group. Compared to the exposure group， the non-exposure group incurred an additional 15,034.26 CNY to achieve one case of cough resolution， indicating a more favorable cost-effectiveness profile. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis yielded results consistent with the cost-effectiveness analysis， confirming the robustness of the findings. ConclusionWQF demonstrates significant efficacy in improving cough symptoms in the treatment of adult CAP with phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome， and also exhibits favorable economic benefits.

The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) released the "2024 ESC guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension" on August 30, 2024. This guideline updates the 2018 "Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension." One notable update is the introduction of the concept of "elevated blood pressure" (120-139/70-89 mm Hg). Additionally, a new systolic blood pressure target range of 120-129 mm Hg has been proposed for most patients receiving antihypertensive treatment. The guideline also includes numerous additions or revisions in areas such as non-pharmacological interventions and device-based treatments for hypertension. This article interprets the guideline's recommendations on definition and classification of elevated blood pressure and hypertension, and cardiovascular disease risk assessment, diagnosing hypertension and investigating underlying causes, preventing and treating elevated blood pressure and hypertension. We provide a comparison interpretation with the 2018 "Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension" and the "2017 ACC/AHA guideline on the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults."

Objectives:To investigate the predictive value of Murray's law-based quantitative flow ratio(μQFR)in side branches for long-term clinical prognosis in patients with non-left main bifurcation lesions who underwent simple main branch stenting,and to provide a potential functional assessment standard for intervention decision-making on coronary bifurcation lesions.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted in 408 patients with non-left main bifurcation lesions who underwent simple main branch stenting at Lianyungang First People's Hospital and Nanjing First Hospital between July 2018 and January 2021.The study utilized third-generation QFR software to analyze pre-and post-procedure anatomical and functional parameters of the target lesion's main branch and key branches.The primary endpoint was target vessel failure(TVF)events during the 3-year follow-up.Patients were stratified into TVF and non-TVF groups.Baseline characteristics,procedural data,and pre-/post-procedural parameters of target vessels were compared between groups.Multivariable Cox regression was performed to identify predictors of TVF.Diagnostic efficacy of predictors was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC)with DeLong's method for comparison.Patients were dichotomized based on the optimal cutoffof post-procedural side branch μQFR,with TVF incidence rates compared via Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results:During 3-year follow-up,54 patients(13.2%)experienced TVF(TVF group),data were compared with 354 patients(86.76%)without TVF(non-TVF group).The TVF group showed higher post-procedural side branch diameter stenosis([32.93±17.80]%vs.[22.62±11.96]%,P<0.001)and lower μQFR(0.80±0.10 vs.0.89±0.07,P<0.001).Multivariate Cox regression identified higher post-procedural side branch μQFR as an independent protective factor against 3-year TVF(per 0.01 increase:HR=0.903,95%CI:0.850-0.959,P<0.001).ROC curves indicated that post-procedural side branch μQFR had moderate diagnostic efficacy for predicting 3-year TVF(AUC=0.769,95%CI:0.678-0.861,P<0.001),with a significantly higher AUC value than post-operative side branch area stenosis and minimal lumen diameter(both P<0.001),the optimal cutoffvalue was 0.84.Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed markedly higher 3-year TVF rates in patients with μQFR≤0.84 compared to patients with μQFR>0.84(HR=4.007,95%CI:2.342-6.855,P<0.001;28.3%vs.7.9%,log-rank P<0.001).Conclusions:For patients with bifurcation lesions not involving the left main,the immediate post-procedural side branch μQFR could better predict 3-year TVF than anatomical indices.Maintaining post-stenting side branch μQFR>0.84 may optimize clinical outcomes when using a single-stent strategy.

Objectives:To investigate the predictive value of Murray's law-based quantitative flow ratio(μQFR)in side branches for long-term clinical prognosis in patients with non-left main bifurcation lesions who underwent simple main branch stenting,and to provide a potential functional assessment standard for intervention decision-making on coronary bifurcation lesions.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted in 408 patients with non-left main bifurcation lesions who underwent simple main branch stenting at Lianyungang First People's Hospital and Nanjing First Hospital between July 2018 and January 2021.The study utilized third-generation QFR software to analyze pre-and post-procedure anatomical and functional parameters of the target lesion's main branch and key branches.The primary endpoint was target vessel failure(TVF)events during the 3-year follow-up.Patients were stratified into TVF and non-TVF groups.Baseline characteristics,procedural data,and pre-/post-procedural parameters of target vessels were compared between groups.Multivariable Cox regression was performed to identify predictors of TVF.Diagnostic efficacy of predictors was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC)with DeLong's method for comparison.Patients were dichotomized based on the optimal cutoffof post-procedural side branch μQFR,with TVF incidence rates compared via Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis.Results:During 3-year follow-up,54 patients(13.2%)experienced TVF(TVF group),data were compared with 354 patients(86.76%)without TVF(non-TVF group).The TVF group showed higher post-procedural side branch diameter stenosis([32.93±17.80]%vs.[22.62±11.96]%,P<0.001)and lower μQFR(0.80±0.10 vs.0.89±0.07,P<0.001).Multivariate Cox regression identified higher post-procedural side branch μQFR as an independent protective factor against 3-year TVF(per 0.01 increase:HR=0.903,95%CI:0.850-0.959,P<0.001).ROC curves indicated that post-procedural side branch μQFR had moderate diagnostic efficacy for predicting 3-year TVF(AUC=0.769,95%CI:0.678-0.861,P<0.001),with a significantly higher AUC value than post-operative side branch area stenosis and minimal lumen diameter(both P<0.001),the optimal cutoffvalue was 0.84.Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed markedly higher 3-year TVF rates in patients with μQFR≤0.84 compared to patients with μQFR>0.84(HR=4.007,95%CI:2.342-6.855,P<0.001;28.3%vs.7.9%,log-rank P<0.001).Conclusions:For patients with bifurcation lesions not involving the left main,the immediate post-procedural side branch μQFR could better predict 3-year TVF than anatomical indices.Maintaining post-stenting side branch μQFR>0.84 may optimize clinical outcomes when using a single-stent strategy.

The circadian clock plays a critical role in regulating various physiological processes, including gene expression, metabolic regulation, immune response, and the sleep-wake cycle in living organisms. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are crucial regulatory mechanisms to maintain the precise oscillation of the circadian clock. By modulating the stability, activity, cell localization and protein-protein interactions of core clock proteins, PTMs enable these proteins to respond dynamically to environmental and intracellular changes, thereby sustaining the periodic oscillations of the circadian clock. Different types of PTMs exert their effects through distincting molecular mechanisms, collectively ensuring the proper function of the circadian system. This review systematically summarized several major types of PTMs, including phosphorylation, acetylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation and oxidative modification, and overviewed their roles in regulating the core clock proteins and the associated pathways, with the goals of providing a theoretical foundation for the deeper understanding of clock mechanisms and the treatment of diseases associated with circadian disruption.
Protein Processing, Post-Translational/physiology* ; Circadian Rhythm/physiology* ; Humans ; Animals ; CLOCK Proteins/physiology* ; Circadian Clocks/physiology* ; Phosphorylation ; Acetylation ; Ubiquitination ; Sumoylation

Objective To analyze the types and distribution of microbiome in intestinal and lung tissues of children with asthma, and to explore the correlation between microbiota changes and asthma. Methods From 2021 to 2023, a total of 28,939 children with asthma who visited Ezhou Central Hospital, Maternal and Child Health Hospital or Ezhou Egang Hospital were selected as the study subjects, and 2,000 healthy children who underwent outpatient physical examinations at these three hospitals during the same period were selected as the control group. The distribution and characteristics of intestinal and pulmonary microbiome in the two groups were analyzed by 16SrDNA sequencing. Logistic regression analysis model was used to analyze the correlation between microbiota distribution and asthma occurrence. Results In the intestinal tissues of children with asthma compared to healthy children, the abundance of Bacteroidetes at the phylum level decreased, while the abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria increased significantly (P<0.05), and the abundance of Prevotalle and Clostridium at the genus level increased significantly. In lung tissues of asthmatic children compared to health children, the abundance of Firmicutes at the phylum level decreased while the abundance of Proteobacteria increased significantly (P<0.05), and the abundance of Neisseria, Prevotella and Actinomyces at the genus level increased significantly. Binary logistic regression results showed that the abundances of Lactobacillus (OR=0.842, 95% CI: 0.533-0.947), Bacteroides fragilis (OR=0.649, 95%CI: 0.377-0.890), Bifidobacterium (OR=0.901, 95% CI: 0.633-0.994), and Parabacteroides distasonis (OR=0.547, 95% CI: 0.192-0.708) in the intestinal tissues were all protective factors for the asthma in children. In the lung tissue, the abundance of Neisseria (OR=2.140, 95% CI: 1.749-3.305) was a risk factor for the asthma in children, and Prevotella (OR=0.691, 95% CI: 0.491-0.926) was a protective factor for the asthma in children (P<0.05). Conclusion The dysbiosis of intestinal and pulmonary microbiome is closely related to the occurrence of asthma in children, and the detection of microbiota is of great significance for the diagnosis of childhood asthma.