ObjectiveTo investigate the status of overlapping hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus （HCV） infection and the serological characteristics of such patients. MethodsA total of 8 637 patients with HCV infection who were hospitalized from January 1， 2010 to December 31， 2020 and had complete data of HBV serological markers were enrolled， and the composition ratio of patients with overlapping HBV serological markers was analyzed among the patients with HCV infection. The patients were divided into groups based on age and year of birth， and serological characteristics were analyzed， and the distribution of HBV-related serological characteristics were analyzed across different HCV genotypes. ResultsThe patients with HCV/HBV overlapping infection accounted for 5.85%， and the patients with previous HBV infection accounted for 48.10%； the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 14.67%， while the patients with a lack of protective immunity against HBV accounted for 31.39%. The patients were divided into groups based on age： in the 0 — 17 years group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 61.41% （304 patients）； the 18 — 44 years group was mainly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （698 patients， 37.31%）， the 45 — 59 years group was predominantly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （1 945 patients， 50.38%）， and the ≥60 years group was also predominantly composed of patients with previous HBV infection （1 486 patients， 61.66%）. The patients were divided into groups based on the year of birth： in the pre-1992 group， the patients with previous HBV infection accounted for 51.63% （4 112 patients）； in the 1992 — 2005 group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 54.72% （168 patients）； in the post-2005 group， the patients with protective immunity against HBV accounted for 64.38% （235 patients）. In this study， 6 301 patients underwent HCV genotype testing： the patients with genotype 1b accounted for the highest proportion of 51.71% （3 258 patients）， followed by those with genotype 2a （1 769 patients， 28.07%）， genotype 3b （63 patients， 1.00%）， genotype 3a （10 patients， 0.16%）， genotype 4 （21 patients， 0.33%）， and genotype 6a （5 patients， 0.08%）. ConclusionWith the implementation of hepatitis B planned vaccination program in China， there has been a significant reduction in the proportion of patients with previous HBV infection among the patients with HCV/HBV overlapping infection， but there is still a relatively high proportion of patients with a lack of protective immunity against HBV.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of timosaponin BⅡ （TBⅡ） combined with icariin （ICA） on osteoclast （OC）-osteoblast （OB） coupling and decipher the mechanism from the cellular level. MethodsThe cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） was used to assess the effects of different concentrations of TBⅡ and different concentrations of TBⅡ+ICA on the growth of RAW264.7 cells. Soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand （sRANKL） was used to induce the differentiation of RAW264.7 pre-osteoclasts into osteoclasts. The cells were allocated into sRANKL， TBⅡ （1， 5， 10 μmol·L^-1）， and TBⅡ+ICA groups. Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining was performed to assess the effects of TBⅡ and TBⅡ+ICA on osteoclast differentiation. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was conducted to examine the effects of TBⅡ+ICA on the expression of key genes involved in osteoclast differentiation and osteoclast-derived coupling factors. The osteogenic differentiation conditioned medium mixed with osteoclast supernatant was used to induce osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red S staining were employed to determine the effect of TBⅡ+ICA on osteogenic differentiation. Real-time PCR was employed to evaluate the effects of conditioned medium on key genes involved in osteogenic differentiation. ResultsTBⅡ at 1， 5， 10 μmol·L^-1 had no significant effect on the cell survival rate. Compared with the sRANKL group， TBⅡ inhibited osteoclast differentiation in a dose-dependent manner and achieved the best effect at 10 μmol·L^-1 （P<0.01）. Compared with the sRANKL group， different concentrations of TBⅡ down-regulated the mRNA levels of osteoclast differentiation-related genes c-Fos， RANK， and RANKL （P<0.05）. None of 10 μmol·L^-1 TBⅡ， 10 μmol·L^-1 TBⅡ+10^-4 μmol·L^-1 ICA， or 10 μmol·L^-1 TBⅡ+10^-3 μmol·L^-1 ICA affected the viability of RAW264.7 cells. TBⅡ and/or ICA inhibited osteoclast differentiation （P<0.01）， and TBⅡ + ICA had the best effect （P<0.01）. Compared with the sRANKL group， TBⅡ and/or ICA down-regulated the mRNA levels of c-Fos， RANK， and RANKL （P<0.05）. The single application of TBⅡ and ICA had no significant effect on the mRNA levels of Wnt10b， Cthrc1， and C3a， while TBⅡ+ICA exerted up-regulating effects （P<0.05）. Compared with those in the blank group， the bone differentiation and mineralization abilities of the normal osteogenic induction group and each osteogenic induction + osteoclast supernatant group were improved （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the normal osteogenic induction group and the osteogenic induction + osteoclast supernatant group showed up-regulated mRNA levels of Runx2 and OCN （P<0.01）. ConclusionTBⅡ+ICA can inhibit osteoclast differentiation， maintain the normal osteoclast-osteoblast coupling， and promote osteogenic differentiation.

Progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) is a progressive and lethal condition with few effective treatment options. Improvements in quality of life for patients with PPF remain limited even while receiving treatment with approved antifibrotic drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the potential to improve cough, dyspnea and fatigue symptoms of patients with PPF. TCM treatments are typically diverse and individualized, requiring urgent development of efficient and precise design strategies to identify effective treatment options. We designed an innovative Bayesian adaptive two-stage trial, hoping to provide new ideas for the rapid evaluation of the effectiveness of TCM in PPF. An open-label, two-stage, adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial will be conducted in China. Based on Bayesian methods, the trial will employ response-adaptive randomization to allocate patients to study groups based on data collected over the course of the trial. The adaptive Bayesian trial design will employ a Bayesian hierarchical model with "stopping" and "continuation" criteria once a predetermined posterior probability of superiority or futility and a decision threshold are reached. The trial can be implemented more efficiently by sharing the master protocol and organizational management mechanisms of the sub-trial we have implemented. The primary patient-reported outcome is a change in the Leicester Cough Questionnaire score, reflecting an improvement in cough-specific quality of life. The adaptive Bayesian trial design may be a promising method to facilitate the rapid clinical evaluation of TCM effectiveness for PPF, and will provide an example for how to evaluate TCM effectiveness in rare and refractory diseases. However, due to the complexity of the trial implementation, sufficient simulation analysis by professional statistical analysts is required to construct a Bayesian response-adaptive randomization procedure for timely response. Moreover, detailed standard operating procedures need to be developed to ensure the feasibility of the trial implementation. Please cite this article as: Zhang C, Nie YS, Zhang CT, Yang HJ, Zhang HR, Xiao W, Cui GF, Li J, Li SJ, Huang QS, Yan SY. An adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine in progressive pulmonary fibrosis: Rationale and study design. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 138-145.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Bayes Theorem ; Disease Progression ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Pulmonary Fibrosis/therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Research Design ; Adaptive Clinical Trials as Topic

BACKGROUND:In the occurrence and development of demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system,neuroinflammation caused by microglia is the main pathological feature,so inhibiting the inflammatory response is very important to alleviate demyelination.Hydroxysafflor yellow A can protect the blood-brain barrier,inhibit neuronal apoptosis,and improve neurological function.OBJECTIVE:To explore the mechanism of hydroxysafflor yellow A inhibiting bicyclohexanone oxalyl dihydrazone-induced demyelination in mice.METHODS:(1)In vivo:Thirty healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups:normal group,cuprizone group,and hydroxysafflor yellow A group.The mice in the cuprizone group and the hydroxysafflor yellow A group were fed with 0.2％cuprizone diet for 6 weeks to establish mouse models of demyelination.The mice in the normal group were fed with normal diet.At the end of the 4th week,the mice in the hydroxysafflor yellow A group were intraperitoneally injected with hydroxysafflor yellow A 20 mg/kg per day.The mice in the normal and cuprizone groups were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline for 2 weeks.The behavioral changes of mice were evaluated by open field test and elevated plus maze test.The loss of myelin sheath in corpus callosum was detected by black gold staining,myelin basic protein and degraded myelin basic protein immunofluorescence staining.The activation of microglia and the expression of inflammatory factors were detected by I ba-1 immunofluorescence staining and ELISA,respectively.The protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4,myeloid differentiation factor 88,and nuclear factor κB p65 in the brain of mice in each group were detected by western blot assay.(2)In vitro experiment:The inflammation model of BV2 microglia was established by lipopolysaccharide induction.BV2 cells were divided into normal group,lipopolysaccharide group(1 μg/mL),and lipopolysaccharide(1 μg/mL)+hydroxysafflor yellow A(25 μmol/L)group.The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 in the supernatant were detected by ELISA.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal group,the mice in the cuprizone group had severe anxiety,abnormal autonomic movement ability,and a large amount of myelin sheath loss in the corpus callosum.The average fluorescence intensity of myelin basic protein was significantly reduced,and the average fluorescence intensity of degraded myelin basic protein was significantly increased.The number of lba1+microglia increased,the contents of interleukin 1β,tumor necrosis factor α,and interleukin 6 in the brain increased,and the protein expression levels of Toll-like receptor 4,myeloid differentiation factor 88,and nuclear factor κB p65 increased significantly.The above symptoms and indexes of mice were reversed after hydroxysafflor yellow A treatment.(2)Hydroxysafflor yellow A significantly inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor α,and interleukin 6 induced by lipopolysaccharide in BV2 microglia.(3)The above results demonstrate that hydroxysafflor yellow A can significantly improve cuprizone-induced demyelination in mice.The mechanism of action is related to the inhibition of microglial activation-mediated inflammatory response through the Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88/nuclear factor κB p65 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:The reduction of contact area,edge load,and stress increase of adjacent cartilage caused by knee cartilage defect are considered to easily cause degenerative changes in this tissue,which may develop into knee osteoarthritis.Growth factors are considered to be a treatment method to promote the healing of damaged cartilage and delay the progression of degenerative arthritis.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the hotspots and prospects of growth factor-promoted knee cartilage regeneration research by bibliometric methods.METHODS:The first author retrieved 321 articles related to growth factor-promoted knee cartilage regeneration research from the Web of Science core set database.VOSviewer 1.6.19 software was used to analyze the publication volume,country,institution,keyword,and literature citation status of the articles,and investigate the research hotspots.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)From 2000 to 2024,the annual number of publications in the field of growth factor-promoted knee cartilage regeneration showed an overall upward trend,with the highest number of publications in 2021.Harvard University in the United States published the most papers.(2)Keyword analysis showed that the frequency of keywords such as growth factor,cartilage,cartilage repair,platelet-rich plasma,and cartilage regeneration was high.In addition,the keyword co-occurrence network diagram showed that growth factor was closely related to keywords such as cartilage repair and cartilage regeneration,indicating that growth factor research plays an important role in the field of cartilage regeneration.(3)The results of literature citation analysis showed that the combination of platelet-rich plasma and muscle-derived stem cells may provide a new and effective treatment strategy for patients with osteoarthritis,which can deepen the understanding of cartilage repair mechanisms by promoting stem cell proliferation and cartilage formation.Fibroblast growth factor 2,fibroblast growth factor 18,and insulin growth factor 1 play a key role in cartilage repair and can promote chondrocyte proliferation and matrix synthesis.In particular,fibroblast growth factor 18 can promote the repair of damaged cartilage,thereby alleviating patients'pain and dysfunction,which deserves further in-depth study in the future.The latest research has developed a new Polyhedrin Delivery System(PODS)that can continuously release growth factors such as bone morphogenetic protein 2 and 7,significantly promoting chondrocyte proliferation and cartilage repair.This system provides a new perspective and potential therapy for the treatment of osteoarthritis.(4)Therefore,bone morphogenetic protein 2,7,insulin growth factor 1,and recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 18 are promising growth factor therapies for promoting cartilage regeneration.In the future,further in-depth research on the mechanism of action of growth factors,optimization of treatment strategies,and strengthening of long-term efficacy and safety evaluation are needed.

BACKGROUND:Percutaneous kyphoplasty through a unilateral puncture approach is considered more effective than a bilateral puncture approach for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.However,due to the unique anatomical shape and location of the L5 vertebral body,the traditional unilateral puncture approach has limited applicability in treating L5 osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.To address this issue,we propose the use of the"O"point puncture approach.OBJECTIVE:To compare the effectiveness of percutaneous kyphoplasty via basal transversal process-posterior superior pedicle-lateral articular process intersection("O"point)with conventional approach percutaneous kyphoplasty in treating the L5 osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.METHODS:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 54 patients with L5 osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures treated with traditional percutaneous kyphoplasty or percutaneous kyphoplasty via the"O"point approach between January 2020 and December 2022 at Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University.According to the surgical method,the patients were divided into the"O"point approach group(group A,n=29)and the traditional approach group(group B,n=25).The position of the"O"point and iliac spine and puncture angle were measured by orthography before operation in group A.Cobb angle,anterior vertebral margin,middle height,and bone cement distribution were compared between the two groups prior to and 2 days after surgery,and during final follow-up.Pain relief and daily living ability were assessed using the visual analog scale and Oswestry disability index prior to and 2 days after surgery,and during final follow-up.Complications related to the surgery were recorded.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Operative time and intraoperative fluoroscopy times were significantly shorter in group A than in group B(P＜0.05).However,no significant differences were observed in intraoperative blood loss or bone cement injection amounts between the two groups.(2)Both groups demonstrated significantly lower visual analog scale scores and Oswestry disability index on day 2 after surgery and at the last follow-up in comparison to before surgery.However,group A experienced a more noticeable decrease than group B(P＜0.05).(3)On both sides,the"O"point was located on average 1.23 cm below the highest point of the iliac spine line.The mean transverse distance between the"O"point and the iliac spine was 2.89 cm.(4)During the final follow-up,the Cobb angle of both groups exhibited significant improvements compared to their respective preoperative values(P＜0.05).However,there was no significant difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).(5)After operation,the distribution of bone cement was good in group A,accounting for 97％(28/29),and good in group B,accounting for 88％(22/25).Group A was significantly better than group B(P＜0.05).(6)The efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty utilizing the"O"point puncture technique on osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures of the L5 vertebra was superior to that of the traditional percutaneous kyphoplasty approach.However,the bone cement distribution achieved with percutaneous kyphoplasty via"O"point puncture was more satisfactory,and the puncture approach was able to circumvent the influence of a high iliac spine on the L5 vertebra.

Objective:To investigate the effect of ginkgolide B(GB)on astrocyte(AST)phagocytosis of myelin debris,and to investigate the mechanism of this functional therapy to demyelination by targeting AST.Methods:In vitro culture of AST,and divided AST into three groups:Control group,Myelin debris(Debris)group and Debris+GB group,incubed them in a constant temperature CO2 cell culture incubator for 24 hours,and then detected relevant indicators to observe the effect of GB on AST on phagocytic myelin debris.Results:Compared to the phagocytosis of myelin debris by primary AST,GB could effectively promote the phagocytosis by AST and show enhanced ABCA-1 expression(both P<0.05).Phagocytosis of myelin debris had no effect on the secretion of inflammatory cytokines by in vitro cultured AST.Debris+GB increased the expressions of neurotrophic CNTF and B-FGF compared to Debris(both P<0.05).Furthermore,Debris+GB decreased Bax and Caspase-3,while increased Bcl-2 expression(all P<0.05).Conclusion:GB can promote the phagocytosis of myelin debris by AST,which may be related to the upregulation of ABCA-1.Meanwhile,phagocytosis of myelin debris by AST increases the expression of the neurotrophic factors and the inhibits the apoptosis of AST themselves.

Objective:To explore the relationship between mindfulness, optimism, and subjective well-being in post-lung transplantation patients, so as to provide a basis for nursing staff to improve patients' subjective well-being.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional survey. Convenience sampling was used to select 205 post-lung transplantation patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from October 2022 to November 2023 for the study. General Information Questionnaire, World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Life Orientation Test-R (LOT-R) were used to investigate the study participants. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between subjective well-being and mindfulness and optimism in patients after lung transplantation. AMOS 24.0 software was used to construct a mediating model to analyze the path relationship between mindfulness, optimism and subjective well-being.Results:A total of 205 questionnaires were distributed and 202 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 98.54% (202/205). In 202 patients after lung transplantation, the WHO-5 Well-Being Scale total score, MAAS total score, and LOT-R score were (16.31±4.73), (56.75±9.44), and (18.49±3.85), respectively. Lung transplantation patients' subjective well-being was positively correlated with mindfulness and optimism ( r=0.570, 0.600, both P<0.01). Optimism partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and subjective well-being, with an effect value of 0.290 and an effect proportion of 52.35% (0.290/0.554) . Conclusions:Mindfulness and optimism are both positively correlated with subjective well-being in post-lung transplantation patients, and mindfulness could also influence subjective well-being through the mediating effect of optimism. Healthcare professionals should fully explore and cultivate positive psychological resources, such as mindfulness, in lung transplant patients, by increasing optimism as the target of intervention, which in turn improves patients' subjective well-being.

With the rapid development of competitive sports, the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is on the rise. Such injuries may shorten athletes′ career and lead to other long-term adverse consequences. Although athletes generally recover well after ACL reconstruction, many still struggle to return to their pre-injury performance levels. Advances in the understanding of ACL anatomy and injury mechanisms, along with the evolution of surgical techniques and rehabilitation methods, have provided more individualized and tailored options for athletes following ACL injuries. However, there is currently no consensus in China regarding surgical and rehabilitation strategies for competitive athletes aiming to return to sports after ACL injuries. To this end, the Sports Medicine Committee of the Chinese Research Hospital Association and the Editorial Board of the Chinese Journal of Trauma jointly formulated the Expert consensus on surgical treatment and rehabilitation for competitive sports athletes returning to sports after anterior cruciate ligament injury ( version 2025), and presented 14 recommendations covering surgical indications, preoperative rehabilitation, surgical timing, surgical strategies and postoperative rehabilitation strategies, aiming to improve the surgical treatment and rehabilitation system for ACL injuries in competitive athletes and facilitate their return to high-level sports performance after injury.

Aim To reveal the mechanism of CIP4 homologs protein 1(RICH1)are involved in the regu-lation of myocardial fibrosis.Methods Mouse cardiac fibroblasts(MCFs)cells were treated with transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β1)to induce the formation of a myocardial fibrosis cell model;the level of the target protein was detected by Western blotting;and the RICH1 gene was detected by transfection of the cells with plasmid.The RICH1 gene was overexpressed(RICH 1 OE)using plasmid transfection;the RICH1 gene was silenced using siRNA fragment(siRICH1);and the expression levels of myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3 a1,and Acta2,were de-tected using RT-qPCR.Results RICH1 was signifi-cantly down-regulated in TGF-β1-treated MCFs;the expression levels of myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3a1,and Acta2,were down-regu-lated in the RICH1 OE+TGF-β1 group;and in the siRICH1+TGF-β1 group,myocardial fibrosis marker genes,such as Col1 a1,Col3a1 and Acta2 were up-regulated at the expression level;phosphorylated SMAD2(p-SMAD2)and phosphorylated SMAD3(p-SMAD3)levels were down-regulated in the siRICH1 OE+TGF-β1 group.p-SMAD2 and P-SMAD3 levels were upregulated in the siRICH1+TGF-β1 group.Conclusion RICH1 inhibits TGF-β1-induced myo-cardial fibrosis;RICH1 inhibits TGF-β1-induced myo-cardial fibrosis by negatively regulating the SMAD2/3 signaling pathway.