Objective:To investigate the effects of golden cicada anti-itch capsules combined with tacrolimus ointment on clinical symptoms and T helper cell type 1/T helper cell type 2 (Th1/Th2) cytokine balance in older adult patients with itchy skin.Methods:This prospective study included 80 older adult patients with itchy skin who attended No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry from January 2022 to January 2024. The patients were randomly divided into two groups ( n = 40 per group) using a random number table method. The ointment group received tacrolimus ointment, while the combination group was treated with golden cicada anti-itch capsules plus tacrolimus ointment. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Clinical symptom scores, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, and the cytokine profiles of Th1 [interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)]/Th2 [interleukin-5 (IL-5), interleukin-13 (IL-13)] and skin barrier function were compared before and after 4 weeks of treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions and recurrence rates were recorded. Results:Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical symptom scores, DLQI scores, or TCM syndrome scores between the ointment and combination groups ( t = -0.76, 0.76, -0.54, 0.33,-0.16, -0.36, all P > 0.0.5). After treatment, both groups showed reductions in severity of itching, duration, frequency of episodes, and area of skin lesions, as well as DLQI scores and TCM syndrome scores ( t = 16.14, 24.18, 14.65, 19.98, 18.21, 25.03, 15.42, 19.55, 12.36, 18.14, 15.65, 22.05, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group had lower scores for severity of itching [(0.88 ± 0.24) points], duration [(0.91 ± 0.22) points], frequency of episodes [(1.06 ± 0.21) points], area of skin lesions [(1.18 ± 0.31) points], DLQI [(7.93 ± 2.17) points], and TCM syndrome scores [(8.89 ± 1.47) points] compared with the ointment group [(1.17 ± 0.33) points, (1.44 ± 0.26) points, (1.43 ± 0.25) points, (1.72 ± 0.44) points, (11.41 ± 3.05) points, (13.32 ± 2.06) points, t = 4.50, 9.84, 7.17, 6.35, 5.88, 11.07, all P < 0.05]. Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in Th1/Th2 cytokine level between the ointment and combination groups ( t = -0.15, -0.07, 0.21, -0.23, all P > 0.05). Both groups showed significant decreases in IL-2 and IFN-γ levels, and increases in IL-5 and IL-13 levels after treatment compared with their pre-treatment levels ( t = 4.56, 9.02, 11.11, 15.20, -5.63, -9.14, -6.01, -8.88, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group had significantly lower IL-2 and IFN-γ levels and significantly higher IL-5 and IL-13 levels compared with the ointment group ( t = 7.25, 7.13, -6.69, -7.67, all P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in skin barrier function between the two groups ( t = -0.16, 0.25, P > 0.05). After treatment, both groups exhibited significant reductions in transepidermal water loss and significant increases in stratum corneum hydration compared with their pre-treatment levels ( t = 6.25, 11.04, -4.82, -9.77, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group demonstrated significantly lower transepidermal water loss and significantly greater stratum corneum hydration than the ointment group ( t = 4.13, 7.73, both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions between the ointment group [7.50% (3/40)] and the combination group [12.50% (5/40), χ2 = 0.56, P = 0.456]. The recurrence rate was 27.50% (11/40) in the ointment group and 10.00% (4/40) in the combination group. Six months after treatment, the difference in recurrence rate between the ointment and combination groups was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.02, P = 0.045). Conclusions:The use of Golden Cicada anti-itch capsules combined with tacrolimus ointment for treating itchy skin in older adult patients can help relieve clinical symptoms, improve skin barrier function, promote Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, and decrease the recurrence rate.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the risk factors of neonatal pneumonia(NP)and construct the risk prediction model for NP.METHODS A total of 60 cases of neonatal pneumonia admitted to neonatology department of Chan-gzhou Children's Hospital from Dec.2022 to Dec.2023 were selected in the study group,and another 60 healthy neonates during the same period were randomly selected as the healthy group.The risk factors of neonatal pneu-monia were summarized by logistic regression analysis,the prediction model was established,the discrimination of the model was evaluated by receiver's operating characteristic(ROC)curves,and the correction capability was as-sessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow test.RESULTS Birth 1 min Apgar score＜7 points(OR=5.930,95％CI:2.877-12.222,P＜0.001)and amniotic fluid pollution(OR=4.175,95％CI:1.251-13.935,P=0.021)were the risk factors for neonatal pneumonia,while prophylactic antimicrobial drug application(OR=0.471,95％CI:0.226-0.982,P=0.044)was a protective factor(P＜0.05).Based on the results of Logistic regression analysis,the formula of the relevant risk prediction model was established as logit(P)=20.780×1 min Apgar score-23.429 × amniotic fluid pollution+3.024 × prophylactic use of antibiotics+1.056.The results of ROC curves analysis showed that AUC of the risk prediction model was 0.774(95％CI:0.691-0.857),suggesting that the risk pre-diction model had a good discrimination,and Hosmer-Lemeshow x2=7.028,P=0.941,and there was good cali-bration degree of the model.CONCLUSION Birth 1 min Apgar score＜7 points and amniotic fluid pollution are in-dependent risk factors of NP,while prophylactic antimicrobial drug application is a protective factor,and the risk prediction model for the development of NP based on logistic regression analysis had good predictive efficiency and accuracy.

OBJECTIVE To analyze the risk factors of neonatal pneumonia(NP)and construct the risk prediction model for NP.METHODS A total of 60 cases of neonatal pneumonia admitted to neonatology department of Chan-gzhou Children's Hospital from Dec.2022 to Dec.2023 were selected in the study group,and another 60 healthy neonates during the same period were randomly selected as the healthy group.The risk factors of neonatal pneu-monia were summarized by logistic regression analysis,the prediction model was established,the discrimination of the model was evaluated by receiver's operating characteristic(ROC)curves,and the correction capability was as-sessed by Hosmer-Lemeshow test.RESULTS Birth 1 min Apgar score＜7 points(OR=5.930,95％CI:2.877-12.222,P＜0.001)and amniotic fluid pollution(OR=4.175,95％CI:1.251-13.935,P=0.021)were the risk factors for neonatal pneumonia,while prophylactic antimicrobial drug application(OR=0.471,95％CI:0.226-0.982,P=0.044)was a protective factor(P＜0.05).Based on the results of Logistic regression analysis,the formula of the relevant risk prediction model was established as logit(P)=20.780×1 min Apgar score-23.429 × amniotic fluid pollution+3.024 × prophylactic use of antibiotics+1.056.The results of ROC curves analysis showed that AUC of the risk prediction model was 0.774(95％CI:0.691-0.857),suggesting that the risk pre-diction model had a good discrimination,and Hosmer-Lemeshow x2=7.028,P=0.941,and there was good cali-bration degree of the model.CONCLUSION Birth 1 min Apgar score＜7 points and amniotic fluid pollution are in-dependent risk factors of NP,while prophylactic antimicrobial drug application is a protective factor,and the risk prediction model for the development of NP based on logistic regression analysis had good predictive efficiency and accuracy.

Objective:To investigate the effects of golden cicada anti-itch capsules combined with tacrolimus ointment on clinical symptoms and T helper cell type 1/T helper cell type 2 (Th1/Th2) cytokine balance in older adult patients with itchy skin.Methods:This prospective study included 80 older adult patients with itchy skin who attended No. 215 Hospital of Shaanxi Nuclear Industry from January 2022 to January 2024. The patients were randomly divided into two groups ( n = 40 per group) using a random number table method. The ointment group received tacrolimus ointment, while the combination group was treated with golden cicada anti-itch capsules plus tacrolimus ointment. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. Clinical symptom scores, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, and the cytokine profiles of Th1 [interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)]/Th2 [interleukin-5 (IL-5), interleukin-13 (IL-13)] and skin barrier function were compared before and after 4 weeks of treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions and recurrence rates were recorded. Results:Before treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical symptom scores, DLQI scores, or TCM syndrome scores between the ointment and combination groups ( t = -0.76, 0.76, -0.54, 0.33,-0.16, -0.36, all P > 0.0.5). After treatment, both groups showed reductions in severity of itching, duration, frequency of episodes, and area of skin lesions, as well as DLQI scores and TCM syndrome scores ( t = 16.14, 24.18, 14.65, 19.98, 18.21, 25.03, 15.42, 19.55, 12.36, 18.14, 15.65, 22.05, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group had lower scores for severity of itching [(0.88 ± 0.24) points], duration [(0.91 ± 0.22) points], frequency of episodes [(1.06 ± 0.21) points], area of skin lesions [(1.18 ± 0.31) points], DLQI [(7.93 ± 2.17) points], and TCM syndrome scores [(8.89 ± 1.47) points] compared with the ointment group [(1.17 ± 0.33) points, (1.44 ± 0.26) points, (1.43 ± 0.25) points, (1.72 ± 0.44) points, (11.41 ± 3.05) points, (13.32 ± 2.06) points, t = 4.50, 9.84, 7.17, 6.35, 5.88, 11.07, all P < 0.05]. Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in Th1/Th2 cytokine level between the ointment and combination groups ( t = -0.15, -0.07, 0.21, -0.23, all P > 0.05). Both groups showed significant decreases in IL-2 and IFN-γ levels, and increases in IL-5 and IL-13 levels after treatment compared with their pre-treatment levels ( t = 4.56, 9.02, 11.11, 15.20, -5.63, -9.14, -6.01, -8.88, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group had significantly lower IL-2 and IFN-γ levels and significantly higher IL-5 and IL-13 levels compared with the ointment group ( t = 7.25, 7.13, -6.69, -7.67, all P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in skin barrier function between the two groups ( t = -0.16, 0.25, P > 0.05). After treatment, both groups exhibited significant reductions in transepidermal water loss and significant increases in stratum corneum hydration compared with their pre-treatment levels ( t = 6.25, 11.04, -4.82, -9.77, all P < 0.05). After treatment, the combination group demonstrated significantly lower transepidermal water loss and significantly greater stratum corneum hydration than the ointment group ( t = 4.13, 7.73, both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions between the ointment group [7.50% (3/40)] and the combination group [12.50% (5/40), χ2 = 0.56, P = 0.456]. The recurrence rate was 27.50% (11/40) in the ointment group and 10.00% (4/40) in the combination group. Six months after treatment, the difference in recurrence rate between the ointment and combination groups was statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.02, P = 0.045). Conclusions:The use of Golden Cicada anti-itch capsules combined with tacrolimus ointment for treating itchy skin in older adult patients can help relieve clinical symptoms, improve skin barrier function, promote Th1/Th2 cytokine balance, and decrease the recurrence rate.