1.Correlation Between Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes and Rheumatoid Arthritis with Atherosclerosis:A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study
Chunyun JIANG ; Quan JIANG ; Jian WANG ; Kesong LI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(11):1192-1199
ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors for atherosclerosis (AS) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and its correlation with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 16,082 RA patients from 122 medical centers nationwide. Patient demographics, disease assessment data including disease activity (DAS-28), tender joint count (TJC), swollen joint count (SJC), patient's global assessment (PGA), evaluator's global assessment (EGA), and visual analogue scale (VAS), major clinical symptoms including insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability, and fatigue, and laboratory indicators including blood routine, inflammatory markers, liver and kidney function, metabolic indices, and coagulation markers were collected through questionnaire. Based on the four examinations in TCM, patients were classified into eight TCM syndromes, which were wind-damp obstruction, cold-damp obstruction, damp-heat obstruction, phlegm-stasis obstruction, blood stasis obstructing the collaterals, qi-blood deficiency, liver-kidney insufficiency, and qi-yin deficiency. Patients who experienced AS events were included in the event group (564 cases), while those without AS events were included in the non-event group (15,518 cases). Intergroup difference tests were used to screen potential risk factors, and binary logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the correlation between TCM syndromes and rheumatoid arthritis with atherosclerosis (RA-AS). ResultsCompared to the non-event group, patients in the event group had longer disease duration, higher body weight, and older age (P<0.05), and showed significantly higher DAS28, TJC, SJC, PGA, EGA, VAS, ESR, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and D-dimer levels, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), with more severe symptoms of insomnia, irritability, and fatigue (P<0.05). Damp-heat obstruction syndrome was the most prevalent in both groups, with a higher proportion in the event group (393/564, 69.68%) than in the non-event group (4578/15,518, 29.50%) showing significant difference (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that patients with damp-heat obstruction syndrome had a 5.326-fold higher risk of developing RA-AS compared to those without this syndrome (OR=5.326, 95%CI 4.517 to 7.089, P<0.001). ConclusionThe occurrence of RA-AS is associated with TCM syndromes, disease activity, inflammatory markers and lipid metabolic indices, and damp-heat obstruction syndrome is an independent risk factor for RA-AS.
2.Healthcare institution resilience and the influencing factors during infectious disease outbreaks
Yaqun FU ; Jiawei ZHANG ; Bing HAN ; Quan WANG ; Zheng ZHU ; Zhijie NIE ; Yiyang TAN ; Qing LIU ; Xiaoguang LI ; Jing GUO ; Rongmeng JIANG ; Li YANG
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(3):529-536
Objective:To analyze the association between healthcare workers mental health,institu-tional supplies and facilities,inter-organizational coordination during infectious disease outbreaks,and the healthcare institution resilience.Methods:An online questionnaire survey was conducted among the healthcare workforce from 146 institutions in Beijing from January 13,2023 to February 9,2023,and a total of 1 434 eligible respondents were included.The sample comprised 408 responses from tertiary hos-pitals,117 from secondary hospitals,and 909 from primary care institutions.The resilience indicator for healthcare institutions was defined as the degree to which medical services met patient demands,with in-fluencing factors including physical factors,such as material shortages and facility space adaptation or ex-pansion,organizational factors such as information sharing and patient referral,and psychological factors were evaluated using job satisfaction(extrinsic satisfaction,intrinsic satisfaction),burnout(emotional exhaustion,depersonalization,reduced personal accomplishment),and depression status.Ordered mul-ticlassification Logistic regression was used to examine the impact of various factors on the degree to which healthcare services met patient needs;additionally,demographic factors that might influence institutional resilience were controlled.Results:During the emergency response phase,93%of hospitals maintained the capacity to meet patient needs,though tertiary hospitals demonstrated significantly higher rates of service inadequacy(21.05%).Material shortages were reported across all institutions,with tertiary hos-pitals experiencing more frequent multi-item shortages.Inter-institutional collaboration patterns revealed substantial variation:87.50%of primary care facilities,42.86%of secondary hospitals,and 31.58%of tertiary hospitals.Healthcare workers across all levels reported mild depressive symptoms and moderate-to-severe burnout levels.Regression analysis showed high satisfaction(overall satisfaction β=0.04,ex-trinsic satisfaction β=0.06,and intrinsic satisfaction β=0.08),low degree of job burnout(emotional exhaustion β=-0.04,depersonalization β=-0.07 and reduced personal accomplishment β=0.01),low degree of depression(β=-0.06)were significantly associated with higher healthcare institution re-silience.In addition,material shortages were significantly associated with lower resilience,and renova-tion and expansion of treatment spaces,and information sharing,were all associated with higher resilience.Demographic factors(age,gender,marital status,educational background,etc.)had no sig-nificant impact on resilience.Conclusion:Mental health status significantly influences healthcare institu-tion resilience.As human resources constitute the core asset of healthcare institutions,strategic optimiza-tion of workforce allocation and psychological support interventions can effectively strengthen resilience.Moreover,healthcare institution resilience is positively impacted by orderly material supply chains,timely resource distribution,and adaptive reconfiguration of clinical spaces.Finally,facilitating information sharing also enhances institutional resilience.
3.Distritution Characteristics of TCM Syndromes and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Efficacy in 2506 Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Different Course of Disease:A Real-World Retrospective Study
Zhengyao SHEN ; Jingtao LI ; Yuchen YANG ; Shujuan ZHANG ; Quan JIANG ; Xun GONG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(23):2453-2459
ObjectiveTo investigate the syndrome evolution patterns, characteristics of the used herbal medicinals, and efficacy variations across different stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progression. MethodsBased on the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN), 2,506 RA patients were retrospectively enrolled and categorized into <6 months group (166 cases), 6 months to <5 years group (1063 cases), 5 to <20 years group (1067 cases), and ≥20 years group (210 cases). Syndromes were differentiated before and after traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment, including damp-heat obstruction, wind-damp obstruction, cold-damp obstruction, blood stasis obstructed in the collaterals, phlegm-stasis obstruction, liver-kidney insufficiency, qi and blood deficiency, and qi-yin deficiency. The syndrome evolution rate was calculated for high-frequency syndromes before and after treatment. Analysis was conducted on top 20 frequently used Chinese herbs at the first diagnosis. Clinical efficacy of the 28-joint disease activity score based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) and 28-joint disease activity score based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) before and after treatment were assessed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors affecting the efficacy of TCM treatment. ResultsPatients with course of disease shorter than 6 months predominantly presented with cold-dampness obstruction syndrome (49/166, 29.5%), wind-dampness obstruction syndrome (46/166, 27.7%), and dampness-heat obstruction syndrome (43/166, 25.9%). For patients with course of disease logner than 6 months and shorter than 5 years and those within 5 to 20 years, the dominant syndrome was dampness-heat obstruction syndrome (324/1063, 30.5% and 318/1067, 29.8%, respectively). In patients with disease duration ≥20 years, liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome and dampness-heat obstruction syndrome both predominated, each accounting for 25.24% (53/210). The syndromes with more than 100 cases before treatment and a syndrome evolution rate greater than 10% after treatment were dampness-heat obstruction (201/738, 27.2%), liver-kidney insufficiency (119/367, 32.4%), and phlegm-stasis obstruction syndromes (73/172, 42.4%). These were classified as high-frequency syndromes. After treatment, damp-heat obstruction syndrome and liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome primarily evolved into wind-damp obstruction syndrome, while phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome evolved into damp-heat obstruction and cold-damp obstruction syndrome. The top two commonly used Chinese herbs across all groups were Gancao (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae) and Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba). In the <6 months group and the 6 months to <5 years group, high-frequency herbs also included Fangfeng (Radix Saposhnikoviae), Duhuo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis), Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong), and Qianghuo (Radix et Rhizoma Notopterygii). In the 5 to <20 years group and the ≥20 years group, the usage of Huangqi (Radix Astragali), Fuling (Poria), Niuxi (Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae), and Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) increased, while the proportion of Fangfeng and Duhuo decreased. After treatment, the DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP scores in all groups significantly decreased (P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in clinical efficacy based on DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP across all groups (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression revealed significantly reduced treatment efficacy in the 6 months-5 years group (OR=0.4), 5~20 years group (OR=0.5), and ≥20 years group (OR=0.4) compared to the <6 months group. ConclusionRA syndromes follow a progression pattern from excess to deficiency, with corresponding transition in herbal usage from pathogen-eliminating to healthy qi-reinforcing approaches. TCM intervention can significantly reduce disease activity of RA, with superior efficacy in patients with disease duration shorter than 6 months.
4.Real world clinical data analysis of fuzuloparib for the treatment of ovarian epithelial cancer patients
Danhui WENG ; Jie JIANG ; Yingjie YANG ; Mingqian LU ; Jiaying BAI ; Ming LIU ; Xiaoling LI ; Jun TIAN ; Yutao GUAN ; Quan LI ; Liang CHEN ; Qiubo LYU ; Lixia MA ; Yali WANG ; Huicheng XU ; Hailong GUO ; Li SUN ; Ding MA ; Qinglei GAO
Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2025;60(8):590-599
Objective:To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of fuzuloparib for the treatment of ovarian epithelial cancer patients in the real world setting.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the baseline data of 4 620 ovarian cancer patients who had received fuzuloparib monotherapy or combination therapy. Another 224 ovarian cancer patients who were willing to receive fuzuloparib monotherapy or combination therapy were prospectively enrolled, and their baseline characteristics, drug effectiveness, and safety data were analyzed.Results:(1) Among the 4 620 patients in the retrospective cohort, the median age of patients was 60 years; tumor types: 89.8% (4 149/4 620) had ovarian cancer. Among patients with clearly documented information, the vast majority had a histological type of serous carcinoma (82.9%, 3 770/4 546) and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging of Ⅲ-Ⅳ (90.9%, 1 537/1 691). (2) Among the 224 patients in the prospective cohort, the median age of patients was 57 years; tumor types: 83.9% (188/224) had ovarian cancer. Among patients with clearly documented records, the predominant pathologic type was serous carcinoma (91.9%, 193/210), and FIGO stage was Ⅲ-Ⅳ in 79.9% (139/174). (3) Among the 224 prospective patients: 84 patients received first-line fluzoparib maintenance therapy, 92 patients received fluzoparib maintenance therapy after platinum-sensitive recurrence, 23 patients received direct fluzoparib treatment after platinum-sensitive recurrence, 19 patients received direct fluzoparib treatment after platinum-resistant recurrence. The median follow-up durations were 8.5, 8.7, 7.9, and 6.7 months, respectively. The median durations of fluzoparib treatment were 6.7, 4.8, 3.1, and 1.9 months, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) times were not reached during follow-up, 12.6 months, not reached during follow-up, and 4.8 months, respectively. The 1-year PFS rates were 84.1%, 55.0%, 69.8%, and 45.5%, respectively. The remaining 6 patients received other fluzoparib regimens. (4) Among the 224 patients in the prospective dataset, 205 had safety data recorded. Of these, 127 patients (62.0%, 127/205) experienced treatment-related adverse events, with common events including anemia (24.4%, 50/205), thrombocytopenia (21.0%, 43/205), and leukopenia (19.5%, 40/205). Among the 205 patients, 43 (21.0%, 43/205) experienced grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events, with common events including anemia (8.3%, 17/205) and thrombocytopenia (8.3%, 17/205).Conclusions:The effectiveness of fuzuloparib in clinical application is generally consistent with other drugs in the same class, with good safety. This study provids new clinical evidence for the treatment of ovarian cancer with fuzuloparib.
5.Analyses of the risk factors of delayed extubation after extended thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis
Meiping WANG ; Xueqi SUN ; Li JIANG ; Ran LOU ; Quan SI ; Tingting WANG ; Gaojun LU
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(1):52-59
Objective:To explore the risk factors of delayed extubation after expanded thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis.Methods:Patients with myasthenia gravis who underwent expanded thymectomy from May 2021 to January 2024 and were admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided in to the delayed extubation and successful extubation according to the length of mechanical ventilation whether exceeding than 48 hours. Multivariable logistics regression was used to explore the risk factors for delayed extubation after expanded thymectomy in patients with myasthenia gravis.Results:A total of 95 patients were included.15 (15.8%) of whom were delayed extubation. Compared with the successful extubation patients, the length of mechanical ventilation (94.0 h vs. 15.5 h, P<0.001), ICU station (7.1 days vs. 1.7 days, P<0.001), and hospitalization station (16.0 days vs. 9.1 days, P<0.001) were significantly prolonged in the delayed extubation patients. Adjusted for age,gender, BMI, clinical classification, pathological classification of thymoma, dose of pyridostigmine preoperative, perioperative pneumonia, preoperative pulmonary dysfunction, SBT passing for the first time, neck lift time greater than 20 seconds, the multivariable logistic regression shown, the risk of delayed extubation increased by 29% ( OR=1.290, 95% CI 1.090-1.714), 1% ( OR=1.009, 95% CI 1.002-1.034), 3.9-fold ( OR=4.977, 95% CI 1.486-10.939), and 64% ( OR=1.635, 95% CI 1.396-2.682) for every 60 mg/day increase in preoperative dose of pyridostigmine, pathological classification of thymoma, perioperative pneumonia, and preoperative pulmonary dysfunction, respectively. Neck lift time greater than 20 seconds can reduce the risk of delayed extubation 48% ( OR=0.524, 95% CI 0.322-0.794). Conclusion:Preoperative administration of a large dose of pyridostigmine, pulmonary dysfunction, pathological classification of thymoma, and perioperative pneumonia were risk factors for delayed extubation after thymectomy in these patients. And neck lift time greater than 20 seconds decreased the risk of delayed extubation. In the clinical practice,for high risk of MG patients with delayed extubation, the neck lifting test may be used to assess muscle strength and reduce the occurance of tracheal reintubation and its advise effects.
6.Role of cordycepin in resisting Neospora caninum infection
Zhengkai WEI ; Rongsheng HUANG ; Xi JIANG ; Dezhi ZHANG ; Quan LIU ; Qianyong LI ; Zhengtao YANG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(6):1218-1224
Bovine neosporosis,a significant disease affecting the livestock industry,is caused by the protozoan parasite Neospora caninum(N.caninum).The current absence of efficacious vaccines and therapeutics necessitates the exploration of novel interventions.Cordycepin,a bioactive nucleo-side derived from Cordyceps militaris,has garnered attention for its diverse pharmacological properties.This study endeavors to elucidate the inhibitory effects of cordycepin on N.caninum in-fection.The cytotoxicity of cordycepin to bovine macrophages was assessed using the CCK-8 assay to ascertain a non-toxic concentration range.The impact of cordycepin on the N.caninum burden within bovine macrophages was evaluated using qPCR analysis and immunofluorescence assays.Additionally,the modulation of cytokine,interferon,and defensin expression induced by N.cani-num in the presence of cordycepin was examined through qRT-PCR analysis.The results showed that cordycepin exhibited negligible cytotoxicity to bovine macrophages at concentrations ranging from 2.812 5 to 180.000 0 μmol/L,compared to the control group.At concentrations of 5.625 0,11.250 0,and 22.500 0 μmol/L,cordycepin significantly reduced the intracellular N.caninum loads and diminished the intensity of intracellular parasite fluorescence.While N.caninum infection downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6,cordycepin treatment robustly induced their expression.Furthermore,although cordycepin treatment reduced the expression levels of IFN-α,IFN-β,and IFN-γ that were upregulated by N.caninum infection,it maintained substantial expression levels.In conclusion,cordycepin demon-strates a promising resistance against N.caninum infection,suggesting its potential as a therapeu-tic agent for the treatment of bovine neosporosis.
7.Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults (version 2025)
Zhengwei XU ; Liming CHENG ; Qixin CHEN ; Jian DONG ; Shunwu FAN ; Zhong FANG ; Shiqing FENG ; Haoyu FENG ; Haishan GUAN ; Weimin JIANG ; Dianming JIANG ; Yong HAI ; Lijun HE ; Yuan HE ; Bo LI ; Jianjun LI ; Feng LI ; Li LI ; Weishi LI ; Chunde LI ; Qi LIAO ; Baoge LIU ; Xiaoguang LIU ; Yong LIU ; Xuhua LU ; Shibao LU ; Bin LIN ; Wei MEI ; Chao MA ; Renfu QUAN ; Limin RONG ; Jiacan SU ; Honghui SUN ; Yuemin SONG ; Hongxun SANG ; Jun SHU ; Tiansheng SUN ; Jiwei TIAN ; Qiang WANG ; Xinwei WANG ; Zhe WANG ; Zheng WANG ; Liang YAN ; Guoyong YIN ; Jie ZHAO ; Yue ZHU ; Xiaobo ZHANG ; Xuesong ZHANG ; Zhongmin ZHANG ; Rongqiang ZHANG ; Dingjun HAO ; Yanzheng GAO ; Baorong HE
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2025;41(1):19-32
Thoracolumbar spine fracture often leads to severe pain, functional impairments, and neurological deficits, for which open reduction and internal fixation can effectively restore the spinal structural stability. Open decompression and reduction with internal fixation can help relieve spinal cord compression and improve spinal function in cases of concomitant cord injury. Although spinal stability can be restored through surgery, patients often face chronic pain and functional impairments postoperatively. A postoperative rehabilitation program is critical in optimizing therapeutic outcomes, reducing complications, and minimizing the risk of secondary injuries. However, current rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, functional training, and pain management, are confronted with problems in clinical practice, including significant variation in efficacy, poor patient adherence, and prolonged rehabilitation period. There is an urgent need for a unified rehabilitation strategy to address these problems. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Spine Health Professional Committee of the Chinese Human Health Technology Promotion Association organized experts from relevant fields to formulate Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults ( version 2025) by integrating evidences from clinical researches and advanced rehabilitation concepts at home and abroad. A total number of 14 recommendations concerning the rehabilitation treatment with multimodal analgesia, psychological intervention, deep vein thrombosis prevention, core muscle and extremity exercise, appropriate use of braces, early weight-bearing, device-aided rehabilitation exercise, neuroregulatory therapy, rehabilitation team were put forward, aiming to standardize the post-operative rehabilitation process following internal fixation, promote the functional recovery, and enhance patients′ quality of life.
8.Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation of acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (version 2025)
Bolong ZHENG ; Wei MEI ; Yanzheng GAO ; Liming CHENG ; Jian CHEN ; Qixin CHEN ; Liang CHEN ; Xigao CHENG ; Jian DONG ; Jin FAN ; Shunwu FAN ; Xiangqian FANG ; Zhong FANG ; Shiqing FENG ; Haoyu FENG ; Haishan GUAN ; Yong HAI ; Baorong HE ; Lijun HE ; Yuan HE ; Hua HUI ; Weimin JIANG ; Junjie JIANG ; Dianming JIANG ; Xuewen KANG ; Hua GUO ; Jianjun LI ; Feng LI ; Li LI ; Weishi LI ; Chunde LI ; Qi LIAO ; Baoge LIU ; Xiaoguang LIU ; Xuhua LU ; Shibao LU ; Bin LIN ; Chao MA ; Xuexiao MA ; Renfu QUAN ; Limin RONG ; Honghui SUN ; Tiansheng SUN ; Yueming SONG ; Hongxun SANG ; Jun SHU ; Jiacan SU ; Jiwei TIAN ; Xinwei WANG ; Zhe WANG ; Zheng WANG ; Zhengwei XU ; Huilin YANG ; Jiancheng YANG ; Liang YAN ; Feng YAN ; Guoyong YIN ; Xuesong ZHANG ; Zhongmin ZHANG ; Jie ZHAO ; Yuhong ZENG ; Yue ZHU ; Rongqiang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2025;41(9):805-818
Acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fracture (ASOTLF) can lead to chronic low back pain, kyphosis deformity, pulmonary dysfunction, loss of mobility, and even life-threatening complications. Vertebral augmentation is currently the mainstream treatment method for this condition. In 2019, the Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Trauma and the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association collaboratively led the development of Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation for acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures. Six years later, with advances in clinical diagnosis and treatment techniques as well as accumulating evidence in related fields, the 2019 guideline requires updating. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Surgeons Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, the Spinal Health Professional Committee of China Human Health Science and Technology Promotion Association, and the Minimally Invasive Orthopedics Professional Committee of Shaanxi Medical Doctor Association have organized experts in the field to develop the Clinical guideline for vertebral augmentation of acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025) , based on the latest evidence-based medical researches. This guideline incorporates 3 recommendations retained from the 2019 version with updated strength of evidence, along with 12 new recommendations. It provides recommendations from six aspects of diagnosis, pain management, treatment option selection, prevention of postoperative complications, anti-osteoporosis therapy, and postoperative rehabilitation, aiming to provide a reference for standard treatment of vertebral augmentation for ASOTLF in hospitals at all levels.
9.Correlation Between Cardiovascular Events and Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis:A Cross-Sectional Study
Fuyuan ZHANG ; Quan JIANG ; Jun LI ; Yuchen YANG ; Xieli MA ; Tian CHANG ; Congmin XIA ; Jian WANG ; Xun GONG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(15):1572-1578
ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between the occurrence of cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis(RA) and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome. MethodsThe cross-sectional study selected 6713 RA patients from 122 centres nationwide, in which general information such as name, gender, age, height, body weight, and course of disease were collected by completing a questionnaire; patients were classified into eight types of syndrome according to the information of their four examinations,i.e. wind-dampness obstruction syndrome, cold-dampness obstruction syndrome, dampness-heat obstruction syndrome, phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome, stasis-blood obstructing collateral syndrome, qi-blood deficiency syndrome, liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome, and qi-yin deficiency syndrome. According to the occurrence of cardiovascular events, they were divided into the occurrence group and the non-occurrence group, and the condition assessment data and laboratory examination indexes were recorded. The test of difference between groups was used to analyse the possible risk factors for the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events, and binary logistic regression was used to analyse the correlation between TCM syndromes and RA cardiovascular events. ResultsA total of 6713 RA patients were included, including 256 cases in occurrence group and 6457 in non-occurrence group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of height, gender, insomnia, appetite, white blood cell(WBC), hemoglobin(HGB), platelets(PLT), rheumatoid factor(RF), anti-cyclic peptide containing citrulline(CCP), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT), urea creatinine(CREA), and glucose(GLU)(P>0.05). The TCM syndromes between groups showed significant statistic differences(P<0.05). Patients in occurrence group had longer disease duration, heavier body weight, and older age; more severe conditions such as disease activity(DAS-28), number of painful joints(TJC), number of swollen joints(SJC), health questionnaire scores(HAQ), visual analog scores(VAS), restlessness, and fatigue; higher blood sedimentation rate(ESR), low-density lipoprotein(LDL-C), triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), D-Dimer, and lower high-density lipoprotein(HDL-C)(P<0.05). The distribution of syndrome types showed that dampness-heat obstruction syndrome accounted for the largest proportion of patients in both groups and was higher in RA cardiovascular events. Logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events was strongly associated with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome[OR=5.937, 95%CI (4.434, 7.949), P<0.001]. ConclusionThe occurrence of RA cardiovascular events were associated with TCM syndromes, and the probability of cardiovascular events in the RA patients with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome was 5.937 times higher than patients with other TCM syndromes.
10.Mechanism of Sangqi Qingxuan Liquid in Alleviating Vascular Endothelial Injury in Hypertension Focuses on β-Catenin.
Wei-Quan REN ; Xin ZENG ; Jiang-Quan LIAO ; Li HUANG ; Lin LI
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(8):726-734
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the main components and potential mechanisms of Sangqi Qingxuan Liquid in the treatment of arterial vascular endothelial cells (AVECs) injury in hypertension through network pharmacology.
METHODS:
Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID) were used to screen the active components of Sangqi Qingxuan Liquid (SQQX), which met the oral utilization rate and drug similarity criteria. An active component-target network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.6 software. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of targets associated with SQQX treatment for hypertension was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database. The Metascape database was used to perform enrichment analysis of gene ontology biological functions and MSigDB pathway enrichment analysis of proteins in the PPI network. Further analysis of the main components of SQQX was performed using UPLC-MS. Based on the results of network pharmacology, the mechanism of SQQX to improve the injury of AVECs in hypertension was verified through lentiviral transfection by Wnt/ β -catenin signaling pathway. AVECs induced by angiotensin II (Ang II ) was used to establish a model of endothelial function injury in hypertension. Cell viability, intracellular nitric oxide content, malonaldehyde content, and superoxide dismutase activity were measured to determine the optimal induction conditions. The optimal intervention conditions for SQQX were determined based on cell viability, cellular DNA activity, and the gradient method. The cells were further divided into blank, model, overexpression lentivirus negative control, overexpression lentivirus, overexpression lentivirus + SQQX intervention (2.47 mg/mL, 12 h), inhibition lentivirus negative control, inhibition lentivirus, and inhibition lentivirus + SQQX intervention (2.47 mg/mL, 12 h) groups. Finally, quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to analyze the molecular mechanisms of SQQX in the Wnt/ β -catenin signaling pathway.
RESULTS:
The main SQQX components were betaine, buddleoside, and chlorogenic acid, in descending order. Network pharmacology analysis screened 12 pathways associated with the hypertensive vascular endothelium. The results showed that 1 µ mol/L for 12 h was the optimal condition for Ang II to induce AVECs injury, and 2.47 mg/mL SQQX intervention for 12 h was the optimal condition for treating AVECs injury. In the experimental validation based on the interaction network of the Wnt/ β -catenin signaling pathway, SQQX significantly decreased the expressions of β -catenin, Smad2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) caused by the β -catenin overexpression lentivirus (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The function of vascular endothelial cells can be improved by the β -catenin inhibition lentivirus, and no obvious changes were observed after further intervention with SQQX.
CONCLUSION
SQQX may protect against AVECs injury by regulating the Wnt/β -catenin signaling pathway.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
beta Catenin/metabolism*
;
Hypertension/metabolism*
;
Endothelial Cells/metabolism*
;
Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*
;
Humans
;
Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effects*
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Endothelium, Vascular/injuries*
;
Cell Survival/drug effects*
;
Angiotensin II/pharmacology*
;
Nitric Oxide/metabolism*

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail