To summarize the clinical experience of Professor LIU Shangyi in treating pruritus vulvae. It is believed that women have the physiological characteristics of liver and kidney as the root， and their pubic area is easily attacked by wind-dampness pathogenic qi， so the core mechanism of pruritus vulvae is proposed as wind-dampness accumulation and deficiency of liver and kidney. The core treatment method is to dispel wind-dampness and nourish the liver and kidneys， and modify the Danggui Decoction （当归饮子） to form a self-prescribed Yinyang Formula （阴痒方） as the basic prescription to treat pruritus vulvaen.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of lumbar spondylolysis (LS) and the proportion of spondylolytic spondylolisthesis (SS) in China, and to evaluate the musculoskeletal status of patients with LS and SS. METHODS: Spine Computed Tomography (CT) images were collected from community populations aged 40 and above in a nationwide multi-center project. LS was diagnosed, and SS was graded by an experienced radiologist. Bone mineral density (BMD) and paraspinal muscle parameters were quantified based on CT images. RESULTS: One hundred and seventeen patients of a total of 3,317 individuals were diagnosed with LS, corresponding to a prevalence rate of 3.53%. 63 of the 1,214 males (5.18%) and 54 of the 2,103 females (2.57%) were diagnosed with LS. SS occurred in 64/121 vertebrae (52.89%). BMD was not associated with LS ( P = 0.341). The L5 extensor paraspinal muscle density was higher in the LS group than in the non-LS group. In the LS group, patients with SS had a smaller L5 paraspinal extensor muscle cross-sectional area than those without SS ( P = 0.003). CONCLUSION The prevalence of LS in Chinese adults was 3.53%, with prevalence rates of 5.18% in males and 2.57% in females. Patients with LS have higher muscle density, whereas those with SS have smaller muscle cross-sectional areas at the L5 level.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Adult ; Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Spondylolysis/diagnostic imaging* ; Aged ; Bone Density ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Aged, 80 and over ; Spondylolisthesis/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Objective To evaluate the clinical and laboratory characteristics of listeriosis in patients during preg-nancy,and improve the understanding on the disease.Methods Clinical characteristics and laboratory detection re-sults of 18 pregnant women with gestational listeriosis admitted to two hospitals in Shanxi from 2012 to 2023 were analyzed retrospectively.Results Among the 18 pregnant women,1,3 and 14 cases developed listeriosis in the ear-ly,middle and late pregnancy,respectively(including 2 cases of dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy).The main clinical manifestations were fever(n=17,94.44％),accompanied by vaginal bleeding(n=5,27.78％),abdominal pain(n=4,22.22％),and headache(n=2,11.11％).White blood cell count,neutrophil percentage,and procal-citonin level in peripheral blood of pregnant women all increased.There were 1 spontaneous abortion during early pregnancy,3 deaths during middle pregnancy,and 10 survival during late pregnancy.All pregnant women reco-vered and were discharged from hospital.Specimens with high isolation rate of Listeria monocytogenes(LM)were uterine secretion(n=11,61.11％)and whole blood(n=10,55.55％)of pregnancy women.Among the 17 new-borns of 18 pregnant women,LM was isolated from 4(23.53％)pharyngeal tracheal secretion specimens and 3(17.65％)whole blood specimens.10 cases out of 13 revealed chorioamnionitis via pathology examination of placen-ta.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing results of 15 LM strains showed that the susceptibility rates to ampicillin,compound sulfamethoxazole,and meropenem were all 100％,and the susceptibility rates to penicillin and erythro-mycin were both 93.33％.Conclusion Listeriosis during pregnancy lacks specific clinical characteristics and is prone to be misdiagnosed.The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes is high.The survival rate of fetus in late pregnancy is high.Empirical anti-infection treatment during early pregnancy should cover LM infection.

Objective To explore the disinfection effect of ozone combined with peracetic acid(PAA)on reducing the total number of aerobic bacteria in pure water from the terminal of centralized pure water supply system.Methods A two-stage controlled study was conducted,and microbial limit test was performed on the pure water from the ter-minal of centralized pure water supply system in a hospital.At the first stage,PAA disinfection method was adop-ted,and ozone enhanced disinfection(PAA combined with ozone disinfection)was adopted at the second stage.Dis-infection effects at different stages were compared.Results A total of 211 water specimens were collected for tes-ting,including 101 specimens from PAA disinfection group and 110 from ozone enhanced disinfection group.The bacterial colony qualification rate of terminal pure water from the ozone enhanced disinfection group was higher than PAA group(85.45％vs 74.26％,P=0.04).The median of aerobic bacterial colony number of the ozone enhanced disinfection group(2 CFU/mL)was significantly lower than that of the PAA disinfection group(20 CFU/mL).With time increase after disinfection,the number of aerobic bacteria colony in water specimens from the PAA disinfection group showed a significant upward trend(Day 1 vs Day 92:9 CFU/mL vs 1 062 CFU/mL),while the aerobic bac-teria fluctuation range in the pure water from the ozone enhanced disinfection group was relatively small(Day 1 vs Day 92:8 CFU/mL vs 58 CFU/mL).Conclusion The ozone combined with PAA disinfection method can signifi-cantly reduce the total number of aerobic bacteria in water from the terminal of centralized pure water supply sys-tem,with obvious maintaining effect.

Objective To investigate the amplitude-integrated electroencephalography(aEEG)monitoring results of hospitalized neonates in plateau areas.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 5 945 neonates who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology,Kunming Children's Hospital,and received aEEG monitoring from January 2020 to December 2022.According to the aEEG monitoring results,they were divided into a normal aEEG group and an abnormal aEEG group.The incidence rate of aEEG abnormalities was analyzed in neonates with various systemic diseases,as well as the manifestations of aEEG abnormalities and the consistency between aEEG abnormalities and clinical abnormalities.Results Among the 5 945 neonates,the aEEG abnormality rate was 19.28%(1 146/5 945),with an abnormality rate of 29.58%(906/3 063)in critically ill neonates and 8.33%(240/2 882)in non-critically ill neonates(P<0.05).The children with inherited metabolic diseases showed the highest aEEG abnormality rate of 60.77%(79/130),followed by those with central nervous system disorders[42.22%(76/180)]and preterm infants[35.53%(108/304)].Compared with the normal aEEG group,the abnormal aEEG group had significantly lower age and gestational age,as well as a significantly lower birth weight of preterm infants(P<0.05).Among the 1 146 neonates with aEEG abnormalities,the main types of aEEG abnormalities were sleep cycle disorders in 597 neonates(52.09%),background activity abnormalities in 294 neonates(25.65%),and epileptiform activity in 255 neonates(22.25%),and there were 902 neonates(78.71%)with abnormal clinical manifestations.The sensitivity and specificity of aEEG monitoring for brain function abnormalities were 33.51%and 92.50%,respectively.Conclusions In plateau areas,there is a relatively high rate of aEEG abnormalities among hospitalized neonates,particularly in critically ill neonates and those with smaller gestational ages and younger ages,suggesting a high risk of brain injury.Therefore,routine aEEG monitoring for the hospitalized neonates can help with the early detection of brain function abnormalities,the decision-making in treatment,and the formulation of brain protection strategies.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC)is characterized by high recurrence or distant metastases rate and the prognosis is challenging.There is mounting evidence that tumor-infiltrating B cells(TIL-Bs)have a crucial,synergistic role in tumor control.However,little is known about the role TIL-Bs play in immune microenvironment and the way TIL-Bs affect the outcome of immune checkpoint blockade.Using single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)data from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database,the study identified distinct gene expression patterns in TIL-Bs.HNSCC samples were categorized into TIL-Bs inhibition and TIL-Bs activation groups using unsupervised clustering.This classification was further validated with TCGA HNSCC data,correlating with patient prognosis,immune cell infiltration,and response to immunotherapy.We found that the B cells activation group exhibited a better prognosis,higher immune cell infiltration,and distinct immune checkpoint levels,including elevated PD-L1.A prognostic model was also developed and validated,highlighting four genes as potential biomarkers for predicting survival outcomes in HNSCC patients.Overall,this study provides a foundational approach for B cells-based tumor classification in HNSCC,offering insights into targeted treatment and immunotherapy strategies.

ObjectiveIt was reported that the transthyretin (TTR) has a neuroprotective effect on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is manifested by the ability of TTR to inhibit the pathological aggregation of amyloid beta protein (Aβ). In this work, we investigated the mechanism of the interactions between TTR and Aβ at the molecular level to reveal the neuroprotective effect of TTR on AD. MethodsProtein-protein docking was used to explore the models of interaction between different structural forms of TTR and Aβ, and molecular dynamics simulation was further applied to investigate the dynamic process of the interaction between the two. ResultsBoth TTR tetramer and monomer can interact with Aβ monomer, and the thyroxine-binding channel of TTR tetramer is the main binding site of Aβ monomer. In addition, the EF helix and EF loop of TTR tetramer were also able to bind Aβ monomer. When the TTR tetramer dissociates, the hydrophobic site of the internal TTR monomer is exposed, which has a strong affinity for Aβ monomer. For the interaction between Aβ aggregates and TTR, a higher degree of aggregation can be formed between TTR monomer and Aβ aggregates due to the β-sheet-rich property of TTR monomer and Aβ aggregates, which may therefore reduce the cytotoxicity of Aβ aggregates. ConclusionBoth TTR tetramer and monomer can inhibit Aβ aggregation by “sequestering” Aβ monomer, while TTR monomer can reduce the cytotoxicity of Aβ aggregates by forming large co-aggregation with Aβ aggregates. This work can provide an important theoretical basis for the design and discovery of anti-AD drugs based on the neuroprotective effects of TTR.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of Bairui Granules （百蕊颗粒） in the treatment of acute pharyngitis with wind-heat syndrome. MethodsA multicenter， double-blind， double-simulation， randomised controlled trial was conducted， in which 162 patients with acute pharyngitis and wind-heat syndrome from 7 centers were recruited， and each center was divided into trial group and control group on the ratio of 2∶1. In the trial group， 108 cases were orally administered with Bairui Granules plus Reyanning Granules （热炎宁颗粒） simulant， and in the control group， 54 cases were orally administered with Reyanning Granules plus Bairui Granules simulant for 5 days， with a follow-up visit on the 6th day. Full analysis set （FAS） analysis and per protocol set （PPS） were used for analysis， respectively. The primary efficacy index was the disappearance rate of sore throat after 5-day treatment； the secondary efficacy indexes were the disappearance rate of sore throat after 3-day treatment， as well as the visual analogue score （VAS） of sore throat before treatment， every day during the treatment， and follow-up on day 6， and the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score was performed before treatment and at the follow-up on day 6. The effectiveness on TCM syndrome was evaluated at the follow-up on day 6， and the changes of vital signs， blood routine， urine routine， liver functions， kidney function， the adverse events before and after the treatment were recorded， and safety analysis set （SS） was analysed. Results162 patients entered the FAS and SS analyses， and 158 cases （105 cases in the trial group and 53 cases in the control group） entered the PPS analysis. FAS analysis showed that the disappearance rate of sore throat after 5-day treatment was 80.56% （87/108） in the trial group and 64.81% （35/54） in the control group， and the difference between groups was statistically significant （χ² = 5.10， P = 0.0239）. PPS analysis showed that the disappearance rate of sore throat after 5-day treatment was 80.00% （84/105） in the trial group and 64.15% （34/53） in the control group， and the difference between groups was statistically significant （χ² =4.85， P = 0.0277）. FAS and SS analyses both showed that the difference in disappearance rate of sore throat between groups on 3-day treatment was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. Compared with those before treatment， the VAS scores of sore throat were lower in both groups during treatment on day 2， 3， 4， 5， and follow-up on day 6 （P＜0.01）， but the difference between groups at each time point was not statistically significant （P＞0.05）. TCM syndrome scores of both groups at the follow-up were lower than that before treatment， and those of the trial group were lower than those of the control group （P＜0.01）. The cure rate and effective rate of TCM syndrome of the trial group were significantly higher than those of the control group （P＜0.01）. There was no significant difference in blood routine， urine routine， liver function， kidney function between groups before and after treatment （P＞0.05）， and no serious adverse events occured in both groups. ConclusionBairui Granules showed clinical effectiveness in the treatment of acute pharyngitis of wind-heat syndrome， and it could significantly improve the clinical symptoms， accelerate the disappearance time of sore throat with good safety.

Objective:To compare the consistency of lymphoma multigene detection panels based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) with FISH detection of B-cell lymphoma gene rearrangement.Methods:From January 2019 to May 2023, fusion genes detected by lymphoma-related 413 genes that targeted capture sequencing of 489 B-cell lymphoma tissues embedded in paraffin were collected from Henan Cancer Hospital, and the results were compared with simultaneous FISH detection of four break/fusion genes: BCL2, BCL6, MYC, and CCND1. Consistency was defined as both methods yielding positive or negative results for the same sample. The relationship between fusion mutation abundance in NGS and the positivity rate of cells in FISH was also analyzed.Results:Kappa consistency analysis revealed high consistency between NGS and FISH in detecting the four B-cell lymphoma-related gene rearrangement ( P<0.001 for all) ; however, the detection rates of positive individuals differed for the four genes. Compared with FISH, NGS demonstrated a higher detection rate for BCL2 rearrangement, a lower detection rate for BCL6 and MYC rearrangement, and a similar detection rate for CCND1 rearrangement. No correlation was found between fusion mutation abundance in NGS and the positivity rate of cells in FISH. Conclusions:NGS and FISH detection of B-cell lymphoma gene rearrangement demonstrate overall good consistency. NGS is superior to FISH in detecting BCL2 rearrangement, inferior in detecting MYC rearrangement, and comparable in detecting CCND1 rearrangement.