ObjectiveTo explore the improving effect of Huangqi Chifengtang（HCT） on atherosclerosis（AS）， and elucidate its mechanism in relation to adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase（AMPK）/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α（PPARα） signaling pathway and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain（NOD）-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3（NLRP3） inflammasome. MethodsEight C57BL/6J mice were set as the normal group， and 32 ApoE^-/- mice were randomly divided into the model group， the positive drug group（atorvastatin， 5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， HCT low- and high-dose groups（1.95， 3.90 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. ApoE^-/- mice were fed with high-fat and high-cholesterol feed to establish an AS mouse model. After modeling， they were orally administered corresponding dose of drugs for 28 days， while the normal and model groups received an equal volume of physiological saline via oral gavage. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the pathological status of the aorta and liver in mice， Biochemical testing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） were used to detect the levels of total cholesterol（TC）， triglycerides（TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C）， alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， C-reactive protein（CRP）， interleukin（IL）-1β， IL-18 in the serum， as well as superoxide dismutase（SOD）， malondialdehyde（MDA）， and reduced glutathione（GSH） in the liver. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of NLRP3， apoptosis-associated speck-like protein（ASC）， cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1（Caspase-1）， Toll-like receptor 4（TLR4） in the aorta， and fatty acid synthase（FAS）， stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1（SCD1）， PPARα， and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A（CPT1A） in the liver. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the protein expressions of NLRP3， Caspase-1， and ASC in the aorta， and Western blot was used to measure the protein expressions of AMPK， p-AMPK， sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c（SREBP-1c）， CPT1A， and FAS in the liver. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a significant increase in lipid plaque deposition in the aorta and lipid accumulation in the liver， the levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， AST， ALT， IL-1β， IL-18 and CRP in the serum were significantly increased（P<0.01）， and the mRNA and protein expressions of aortic TLR4， NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC were significantly upregulated（P<0.01）. The levels of SOD and GSH in the liver were significantly reduced， while the level of MDA was significantly increased（P<0.01）. The mRNA expressions of FAS and SCD1 in the liver were significantly downregulated， while the mRNA expressions of PPARα and CPT1A were significantly upregulated. The protein expressions of p-AMPK/AMPK and CPT1A in the liver were significantly reduced， while the expressions of SREBP-1c and FAS proteins were significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the low- and high-dose HCT groups showed significant improvements in aortic plaques and hepatic lipid deposition. The levels of TC， LDL-C， AST， IL-1β and IL-18 in the serum of the low-dose HCT group， as well as TC， TG， LDL-C， AST， ALT， IL-1β， IL-18 and CRP in the serum of the high-dose HCT group， were significantly reduced（P<0.01）. The mRNA expressions of TLR4， NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in the aorta of the low-dose HCT group， as well as TLR4， NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC in the aorta of the high-dose HCT group， were significantly downregulated（P<0.01）. The protein expressions of Caspase-1 and ASC in the aorta of the low-dose HCT group， as well as NLRP3， Caspase-1 and ASC in the high-dose HCT group， were significantly downregulated（P<0.01）. The levels of SOD and GSH in the liver of the low- and high-dose HCT groups were significantly increased， while the level of MDA in the high-dose HCT group was significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the HCT-treated group， the mRNA expressions of FAS and SCD1 in the liver were significantly upregulated， while the mRNA expressions of PPARα and CPT1A were significantly downregulated， the protein expressions of p-AMPK/AMPK and CPT1A in the liver were significantly increased， while the protein expressions of SREBP-1c and FAS were significantly decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionHCT can improve lipid metabolism by activating the AMPK/PPARα pathway and inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory responses， thereby reducing hepatic lipid deposition and AS plaque formation.

To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

Objective: To explore the associations between caregivers nutrition literacy and pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), so as to provide scientific evidence for the key contents of family intervention measures. Methods: In September 2022, a study involving 1 609 thirdgrade students and their caregivers from six schools in Yinzhou, Haishu, and Zhenhai Districts of Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, was conducted. Venous blood samples were collected to measure lipid profiles and investigate the prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among the children. Family Food Environment Questionnaire was used to assess the nutrition literacy levels of the caregivers. Generalized linear regression analysis was employed to explore the correlation between caregivers nutrition literacy levels and the prevalence of NAFLD in children. Results: Among the surveyed students, 191 were in the NAFLD group, whereas 1 418 were in the nonNAFLD group. The median nutrition literacy score of caregivers in the NAFLD group and nonNAFLD group all were 11.00 (9.00,12.00), which was not significantly different (Z=-0.40, P=0.71). The generalized linear regression results revealed that the level of nutrition literacy of caregivers had no significant effect on childrens Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and Triglyceride-glucose-Waisttoheight ratio (TyG-WHtR) [β(95%CI) were 0.001(-0.005-0.006) and 0.000(-0.014-0.014), P>0.05]. Conclusions The nutrition literacy level of caregivers has no significant correlation with the direct incidence of NAFLD in children. As for family intervention measures, it is necessary not only to improve the nutrition literacy level of caregivers but also to effectively apply nutritional knowledge in practice to optimize health management.

Objective: To investigate the association between dietary quality and overweight / obesity among primary school students, so as to provide a basis for the prevention and control of childhood obesity. Methods: In September 2022, third-grade students from six primary schools in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province were selected by a random cluster sampling method. Data on gender, age, height, and weight were collected through questionnaire surveys and physical examinations. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and overweight and obesity were determined using gender- and age-specific BMI cut-off points. The Chinese dietary quality questionnaires was administered to assess the intake of health-promoting and restricted foods over the past 24 hours, thereby evaluating overall dietary quality. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between dietary quality and overweight / obesity among primary school students. Results: A total of 1 375 primary school students were included, comprising 722 (52.51%) boys and 653 (47.49%) girls, with a mean age of (8.47±0.30) years. Among them, 165 (12.00%) were overweight and 171 (12.44%) were obese. The score for health-promoting foods was (4.29±2.27) points. The median score of restricted foods was 2.00 (interquartile range, 3.00) points. The total dietary quality score was (10.84±2.42) points. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that the restricted food score was positively associated with overweight (OR=1.073, 95%CI: 1.002-1.148), while the total dietary quality score was negatively associated with overweight (OR=0.911, 95%CI: 0.851-0.976). However, no statistically significant associations were observed between the health-promoting food score and overweight or obesity (both P>0.05), nor between the restricted food score or total dietary quality score and obesity (both P>0.05). Conclusion A higher intake of restricted foods was associated with an increased risk of overweight, while a better dietary quality was associated with a decreased risk of overweight among primary school students.

Objective:To investigate the changes in blood betatrophin in overweight and obese children，and analyze the relationship with glucose and lipid metabolism.Methods:A total of 177 children，including overweight-obese children and healthy controls，who visited the pediatric endocrinology clinic of Tianjin First Central Hospital from July 1，2021 to May 31，2023 were selected as study subjects. They were divided into an overweight-obese group（104 cases）and a normal control group（73 cases）. Data from both groups were collected and analyzed to explore the relationship between betatrophin and parameters such as body mass index（BMI）and glycolipid metabolism-related indicators.Results:The age［10.5（8.0，12.0）years vs 8.0（6.0，12.0）years］，fasting insulin［19.99（11.47，31.60）μIU/ml vs 7.27（5.02，10.99）μIU/ml］，triglyceride［0.95（0.74，1.31）mmol/L vs 0.75（0.62，0.92）mmol/L］，total cholesterol［（3.88 ± 0.72）mmol/L vs（3.60 ± 0.66）mmol/L］，low-density lipoprotein cholesterol［（2.37 ± 0.63）mmol/L vs（2.06 ± 0.62）mmol/L］，uric acid［353.20（287.40，434.12）μmol/L vs 278.60（218.00，313.80）μmol/L］，Betatrophin［22.54（17.08，27.53）mIU/L vs 19.30（15.78，23.33）mIU/L］，and fatty liver［31 cases（29.8%）vs 1 case（1.4%）］in overweight-obese group children were all higher than those in the normal control group children，and the differences were statistically significant（all P<0.01）.After adjusting for confounding factors such as age and BMI，partial correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between betatrophin and triglycerides（ P<0.05）. Receiver operating characteristic（ROC）curve analysis indicated that a betatrophin level of 22 mIU/L had predictive value for hypertriglyceridemia，with an area under the curve（AUC）of 0.705（95% CI：0.566-0.843），showing statistical significance（ P=0.014）. Conclusion:Betatrophin may be associated with weight gain in children，mainly involved in the triglyceride metabolism.

Pulmonary siderosis caused by iron and its compound dust is prone to misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis due to its insidious exposure pathways and non-specific imaging manifestations. This study analyzes the occupational histories and clinical data of six patients with occupational pulmonary siderosis diagnosed at Qingdao Central Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023, summarizes its characteristics, and evaluates the value of AI-assisted diagnosis. All six patients were male, with five being welders. The median dust exposure duration was 9.4 years, and the median latency period was 8.4 years. The main symptoms were chest tightness, cough, and shortness of breath. High-kilovolt chest radiographs were negative in four cases and showed thickened bronchovascular markings in two cases. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) revealed centrilobular nodules and tree-in-bud opacities in all cases. Pulmonary siderosis caused by iron and its compound dust is characterized by mild symptoms and a favorable prognosis. Comprehensive assessment and HRCT are crucial for early diagnosis. The development of AI models could enhance diagnostic recognition efficiency and promote precision diagnosis in the future.

Objective:To analyze the safety profile of blinatumomab in children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).Methods:Demographic and clinical data of 33 pediatric B-cell ALL patients treated with blinatumomab in the Women and Children′s Hospital, Qingdao University from January 2022 to November 2024 were retrospectively collected. Demographic data included gender and age, while clinical data comprised leukemia risk stratification, minimal residual disease (MRD) status before blinatumomab use, treatment duration (14-day or 28-day courses), and safety outcomes included drug-related fever, cytokine release syndrome (CRS), tachycardia, blood pressure abnormalities, elevated transaminases, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), oral mucositis, rash, and infections. Patients were stratified by CRS occurrence and transaminase elevation for comparative analysis of demographic/clinical characteristics.Results:A total of 33 children with B-cell type ALL who received blinatumomab treatment were included. Among them, 21 were male and 12 were female; the age was 5.2 (4.7, 7.0) years, ranging from 1.7 to 10.0 years. Risk stratification included low (2 cases), intermediate (23 cases), and high (8 cases) risk. Pre-treatment MRD was negative in 16 and positive in 17 patients. Eight patients received a 14-day blinatumomab course, while 25 cases received a 28-day course. The overall adverse events (AEs) rate was 81.8% (27/33). Among the 27 patients who experienced AEs, there were 5 cases (18.5%) of severe adverse events (all grade 3). The specific adverse events that occurred in the 33 patients included drug-related fever in 21 cases (63.6%) [including 16 cases (48.5%) of CRS], elevated transaminases in 10 cases (30.3%), infectious symptoms in 5 cases (15.2%), rash in 4 cases (12.1%), tachycardia in 3 cases (9.1%), ICANS in 2 cases (6.1%), and oral mucositis in 1 case (3.0%). No statistically significant differences were observed in gender, age, risk stratification, pretreatment MRD status, and treatment duration between the CRS and non-CRS groups, transaminase-elevated and normal groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:In pediatric B-cell ALL, the most common AEs related to blinatumomab are CRS and elevated transaminases, but most reactions are mild, with rapid recovery and favorable tolerability.

Objective:To explore the potential lesional range of keloids by analyzing the transcriptomic characteristics, and to provide a molecular basis for understanding the recurrence of keloids following surgical excision.Methods:From July to December in 2022, 3 patients clinically diagnosed with keloids and treated with surgical excision at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Peking University First Hospital were included in the study. Samples of keloids and keloid-adjacent dermis were collected from these 3 patients, and normal dermal tissues adjacent to benign skin tumors were collected from 4 patients and served as controls. Dermal fibroblasts were obtained by primary cell culture and purification, which were then subsequently passaged to the second generation for transcriptome sequencing. Differential gene expression analysis, gene ontology (GO) -based functional analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed. While analyzing differential expression genes, those with a fold change (FC) > 2 and a P value < 0.05 were defined as upregulated genes, whereas those with a FC < 0.5 and a P value < 0.05 were considered downregulated genes. The accuracy of the results was further validated by comparing them with published single-cell sequencing data on keloid and keloid-adjacent tissues (HRA000425 in GSA database) and single-cell sequencing data on the normal dermis (GSE130973 in GEO database). Key genes in keloid-adjacent dermal fibroblasts were validated in tissue samples from this study and the literature. Results:Compared with keloid-derived fibroblasts, keloid-adjacent and control dermal fibroblasts shared 63 upregulated genes enriched in biological processes including lipid transport ( P = 0.038) and ion transport ( P = 0.040) ; compared with control dermal fibroblasts, keloid-adjacent and keloid-derived fibroblasts shared 56 upregulated genes enriched in the transforming growth factor β signaling pathway ( P < 0.001), etc. When comparing keloid-derived fibroblasts and keloid-adjacent fibroblasts with control dermal fibroblasts, 79 genes were uniquely upregulated only in keloid-adjacent fibroblasts; after filtering based on gene expression thresholds and consistency, 13 candidate genes (average expression level > 1 000 and variance of expression level within groups < 30 000) closely related to the transcriptomic characteristics of keloid-derived fibroblasts were identified, including genes inhibiting keloid formation such as SMAD6 and SMAD7, as well as those promoting keloid formation such as MSX1, SNAI1, and EDN1, which were enriched in the biological processes such as cell growth, ossification and cartilage development (all P < 0.01). The enrichment analysis of the above-mentioned 13 genes on the ChEA3 website identified some enriched transcription factors, such as myogenic differentiation protein 1 (MYOD1) and myogenin (MYOG) (both P < 0.05) . Conclusions:Compared with keloid-derived fibroblasts and control dermal fibroblasts, the transcriptomics of keloid-adjacent fibroblasts were characterized by high-level coexpression of genes involved in both the inhibition and promotion of keloid formation, which may provide a molecular explanation for the similarity in morphology between keloid-adjacent tissues and normal skin tissues as well as for the potential mechanisms underlying the high recurrence rate of keloids.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease lacking effective therapy. Metformin, an antidiabetic medication, has shown promising therapeutic properties in preclinical fibrosis models; however, its precise cellular targets and associated mechanisms in fibrosis resolution remain incompletely defined. Most research on metformin's effects has focused on mesenchymal and inflammatory responses with limited attention to epithelial cells. In this study, we utilized Sftpc lineage-traced and Fgfr2b conditional knockout mice, along with BMP2/PPARγ and AMPK inhibitors, to explore metformin's impact on alveolar epithelial cells in a bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis model and cell culture. We found that metformin increased the proliferation and differentiation of alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells, particularly the recently identified injury-activated alveolar progenitors (IAAPs)-a subpopulation characterized by low SFTPC expression but enriched for PD-L1. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed a reduction in apoptosis among mature AT2 cells. Interestingly, metformin's therapeutic effects were not significantly affected by BMP2 or PPARγ inhibition, which blocked the lipogenic differentiation of myofibroblasts. However, Fgfr2b deletion in Sftpc lineage cells significantly impaired metformin's ability to promote fibrosis resolution, a process linked to AMPK signaling. In conclusion, metformin alleviates fibrosis by directly activating AT2 cells, especially the IAAPs, through a mechanism that involves AMPK and FGFR2b signaling, but is largely independent of BMP2/PPARγ pathways.

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*