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.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of laminin subunit α3 （LAMA3） on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）， invasion， and metastasis abilities of pancreatic cancer （PC）. MethodsA comprehensive analysis was performed for tumor- and EMT-related databases to identify the EMT genes associated with PC， especially LAMA3. The methods of qRT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure the expression level of LAMA3 in PC tissue and cell lines； immunofluorescence assay was used to determine the localization of LAMA3 in PANC-1 cells； Transwell assay was used to investigate the effect of LAMA3 on the invasion and migration abilities of PC cells. The t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups. ResultsThe analysis of the TCGA database identified 3 EMT-related oncogenes for PC， i.e.， LAMA3， AREG， and SDC1. The LASSO-Cox regression model showed that LAMA3 had the most significant impact on the prognosis of PC （risk score=0.256 1×LAMA3+0.043 1×SDC1+0.071 4×AREG）. The Cox model and nomogram showed that the high expression of LAMA3 was an independent risk factor for the poor prognosis of PC （hazard ratio=1.32， 95% confidence interval： 1.07‍ ‍—‍ 1.62， P<0.01）. Experimental results showed that there was a significant increase in the expression of LAMA3 in pancreatic cancer tissue compared with the normal pancreatic tissue. Compared with the HPDE cell line， there were varying degrees of increase in the expression of LAMA3 in pancreatic cancer AsPC-1， BxPC-3， PANC-1， MIA PaCa-2， and SW1990 cell lines， with the highest expression level in PANC-1 cells. The enrichment analysis showed that LAMA3 was associated with the biological processes and signaling pathways such as EMT， collagen metabolism， extracellular matrix degradation， the TGF-β pathway， and the PI3K pathway. After the knockdown of LAMA3， there were significant reductions in the expression levels of N-Cadherin， Vimentin， and Snail， while there was a significant increase in the expression level of E-Cadherin. Transwell assay showed that there were significant reductions in the invasion and migration abilities of PANC-1 cells after the knockdown of LAMA3. ConclusionLAMA3 is highly expressed in PC and can promote the EMT， invasion， and migration of PC cells， and therefore， LAMA3 may be used as a novel diagnostic marker and a new therapeutic target for PC.

Objective To observe the correlations of chest CT quantitative parameters and one-year readmission in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD).Methods Totally 225 AECOPD patients were included and divided into the readmission group(group A,n=61)and non-readmission group(group B,n=164)according to whether readmitted due to acute exacerbation within one year or not.Quantitative CT parameters,including the percentage of low attenuation area volume to total lung volume(LAA％)and intrapulmonary vascular volume(IPVV)of the whole lung,left/right lung and each lobe,as well as the bronchial lumen area(LA)and percentage of bronchial wall area(WA％)of grades 3-8 were compared between groups.Spearman correlations were used to analyze the correlations between quantitative CT parameters and one-year readmission.Results LAA％of the whole lung,right lung,upper lobe of both lungs,middle lobe of the right lung,and lower lobe of the right lung in group A were higher than that in group B(all P＜0.05),which were weakly positively correlated with readmissions within one year(r=0.142-0.187,all P＜0.05).Significant differences of the upper lobe of right lung LAgrade 6,lower lobe of left lung LAgrade 6,lower lobe of left lung LAgrade 8,upper lobe of right lung WA％grade 5,upper lobe of right lung WA％grade 8 and lower lobe of left lung WA％grade 8 were found between groups,which were all correlated with readmissions within one year except for the lower lobe of the left lung LAgrade 6(all P＜0.05).Conclusion One-year readmission in AECOPD patients might be associated with severe airway remodeling and emphysema.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical and genetic characteristics of osteopetrosis (OPT) in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 14 children with OPT. Whole-exome sequencing was used to detect pathogenic genes, and clinical phenotypes and genotypic features were summarized. RESULTS: Among the 14 children (10 males and 4 females), the median age at diagnosis was 8 months. Clinical manifestations included systemic osteosclerosis (14 cases, 100%), anemia (12 cases, 86%), infections (10 cases, 71%), thrombocytopenia (9 cases, 64%), hepatosplenomegaly (8 cases, 57%), and developmental delay (5 cases, 36%). Malignant osteopetrosis (MOP) cases had lower platelet counts, creatine kinase isoenzyme, and serum calcium levels, but higher white blood cell counts, lactate dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase levels compared to non-MOP cases (P<0.05). Genetic testing identified 15 variants in 12 patients, including 8 variants in the CLCN7 gene (53%), 6 in the TCIRG1 gene (40%), and 1 in the TNFRSF11A gene (7%). Three novel CLCN7 variants were identified: c.2351G>C, c.1215-43C>T, and c.1534G>A. All four patients with TCIRG1 variants exhibited MOP clinical phenotypes. Of the seven patients with CLCN7 variants, 4 presented with intermediate OPT, 2 with benign OPT, and 1 with MOP. CONCLUSIONS Clinical phenotypes of OPT in children are heterogeneous, predominantly involving CLCN7 and TCIRG1 gene variants, with a correlation between clinical phenotypes and genotypes.
Humans ; Osteopetrosis/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases/genetics* ; Child ; Chloride Channels/genetics* ; Mutation ; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To investigate the application effect of postural gravity traction combined with floss and titanium clip pulley external traction in endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)for early intestinal lesions.Methods A total of 100 patients with early colorectal lesions admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from January 2022 to September 2024 were selected as the research subjects and divided in-to the observation group and the control group,with 50 cases in each group.The control group underwent con-ventional intestinal ESD treatment,while the observation group used positional gravity traction combined with dental floss and titanium clips to form pulley external traction in ESD treatment.Clinical data including opera-tion time,number of submucosal injections,intraoperative blood loss,lesion resection effect,complication inci-dence,and hospital stay were compared between the two groups.Results The total operation time in the ob-servation group was shorter than that in the control group,and the total number of submucosal injections was less than that in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).There were no signifi-cant differences in intraoperative blood loss,complete resection rate,complication incidence,en bloc resection rate,and hospital stay between the two groups(P>0.05).For lesions≤1 cm or>5 cm in size,there were no significant differences in operation time,complete resection rate and en bloc resection rate between the two groups(P>0.05).For lesions>1-3 cm or>3-5 cm in size and laterally spreading lesions,significant differences were observed in operation time,number of submucosal injections,complete resection rate,and en bloc resection rate between the two groups(P<0.05).For pedunculated polyps,there were no significant differences in the number of submucosal injections,complete resection rate and en bloc resection rate between the two groups(P>0.05),but the operation time differed significantly(P<0.05).Conclusion Postural gravity traction combined with dental floss and titanium clip to form pulley external traction is simple to oper-ate in ESD for early intestinal lesions.It can maintain a clear field of view,shorten operation time,reduce the incidence of complications,and is safe and effective.

Using a novel(OH)n-C60@SiO2@Tm2O3@Ca5(PO4)3(OH)quaternary nano-particles/cross-linked chitosan coated open-tubular capillary column(QNPsC-OTCC)as the analytical column,a new method for highly selective determination of taurine(TAU)in functional drinks using pre-column derivatization capillary electrochromatography coupled with electrochemiluminescence(CEC-ECL)detection was established.In the experiments,it was found that adding hexamethylenetetramine as a co-catalyst in N-methylation derivative reaction could quantitatively convert TAU into a single derivative product that cuold be detected by ECL.With the help of Ru(bpy)32+reagent,the ECL peak intensity of TAU derivative was increased by more than 1000 times compared to the original TAU.In addition,a Ru-containing d-f cyano-bridged heterometallic coordination polymer modified platinum electrode was used instead of a bare platinum electrode as working electrode for ECL detection,which resulted in a further increase of the peak response of TAU derivatives about 5.7 times.Under optimized analytical conditions,by using betastatin hydrochloride(BSH)as the internal standard and simultaneously derivatized with TAU,the relative ratio of peak intensity of TAU and BSH derivatives showed a linear relationship with the initial TAU concentration in a two-segment ranges of 0.2-6.0 mmol/L and 6.0-10 mmol/L.The limit of detection of TAU was 0.09 mmol/L(S/N=3).The developed method was applied to determination of TAU contents in four commercial functional drink samples,and the relative standard deviations(RSDs)for relative intensity ratio were less than 0.9％,and the recoveries were in the range of 95.0％～102.0％,indicating good practicability of the method.

Objective To analyze the medication rules of traditional Chinese medicine in treating breast cancer based on real-world data mining.Methods Inpatients with breast cancer who received traditional Chinese medicine treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2017 to December 2021 were selected.Python 3.10 software was used to mine traditional Chinese medicine prescription data;SPSS 23.0 software was applied for descriptive analysis,and systematic cluster analysis was performed on high-frequency drugs.Results A total of 3026 consultation records of inpatients with breast cancer were collected.The main traditional Chinese medicine syndrome diagnosis of"predominantly liver depression and Qi stagnation"accounted for 60.94％of the total consultations.A total of 240 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine were used,with a cumulative frequency of 35 462 times.Among them,29 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine such as Danggui,Fuling,Baizhu,Chaihu had a cumulative usage frequency exceeding 300 times.Regarding the four natures of drugs,cold-natured(43.55％),warm-natured(30.05％),and neutral-natured(23.34％)drugs were predominant;In terms of five flavors,sweet(46.12％),bitter(30.91％),and pungent(20.02％)were the main ones.The most frequently used drugs were tonifying herbs(32.77％),followed by heat-clearing herbs(15.96％)and phlegm-resolving herbs(14.71％).Systematic cluster analysis yielded 7 groups of drug combinations.Conclusion In real-world clinical practice,traditional Chinese medicine for breast cancer mainly uses tonifying herbs,reflecting the traditional Chinese medicine principle of"strengthening healthy Qi and cultivating the root"in treating tumors.The four natures and five flavors of drugs follow syndrome differentiation and the combination of cold and heat.The clustered drug combinations have extensive therapeutic effects,covering various syndromes of breast cancer at different stages,which can provide a reference for clinical medication.

Background and purpose:Human papilloma virus(HPV)infection status is crucial for diagnosing cervical precancerous lesions and classifying cervical cancer.High-risk(HR)HPV is often linked to P16 protein overexpression,so P16 detection via immunohistochemistry(IHC)is commonly used to assess HPV infection.However,the differences between HPV status and P16 expression remains unclear.An in-depth study of the correlation between HPV and P16 is essential for clinical guidance.Methods:We retrospectively collected clinical and pathological data of cervical lesions from 618 patients diagnosed at the Department of Pathology,Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from January 2020 to December 2023(Ethical number:050432-4-2307E).Polymerase chain reaction(PCR)reverse dot hybridization was used to detect HPV including HR and low-risk(LR)subtypes,and immunohistochemistry was used to detect P16 for comparative analysis.Based on different clinical and pathological diagnoses,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 expression in evaluating HPV infection were evaluated.Among the 618 cases of cervical lesions,there were 92 cases of cervical squamous cell carcinoma,257 cases of cervical adenocarcinoma,79 cases of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(HSIL),105 cases of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(LSIL),and 85 cases of chronic cervical inflammation.Results:According to clinical diagnosis,the HR-HPV positive rate in cervical squamous cell carcinoma was 88.0%(81/92),the P16 positive rate was 91.3%(84/92),and the overall consistency rate between P16 and HPV detection was 90.2%(88/92);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 96.3%and 45.5%.The positive rate of HR-HPV in adenocarcinoma was 54.5%(140/257),the positive rate of P16 was 58.8%(151/257),and the overall consistency rate between P16 and HPV detection was 82.5%(212/257);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 87.9%and 76.1%.In HSIL,the HR-HPV positive rate was 75.9%(60/79),the positive rate of P16 was 70.9%(56/79),and the overall consistency rate between P16 and HR-HPV detection was 82.2%(65/79);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 85.0%and 73.7%.In LSIL,the HR-HPV positive rate was 73.3%(77/105),the positive rate of P16 was 8.5%(9/105),and the overall consistency rate between P16 and HR-HPV detection was 33.3%(35/105);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 10.4%and 96.4%.In chronic cervical inflammation,the HR-HPV positive rate was 20%(17/85),the positive rate of P16 was 0.0%(0/85);for HR-HPV infection,the sensitivity and specificity of P16 were 0.0%and 100.0%.There was a significant positive correlation between P16 positivity and HPV16/18 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma,adenocarcinoma,and HSIL(P=0.000),while there was no significant correlation in LSIL and chronic cervical inflammation(P＞0.05).Conclusion:In cervical squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma,the consistency of P16 expression and HPV DNA positivity are high,especially in HPV16/18 subtype.There is a good concordance between HR-HPV positivity and P16 protein overexpression.The positive expression of P16 in HSIL may initially reflect HPV infection status.However,in LSIL and chronic cervicitis,P16 expression may not accurately correlate with HPV infection.The inconsistency between P16 and HPV DNA testing could be influenced by multiple factors,including HPV subtypes,histopathological categories,specimen quality,and technical limitations.In clinical practice,it is recommended to conduct comprehensive analysis or employ multiple diagnostic methods to confirm HPV infection status for precise evaluation.

Objective:To establish three machine learning prediction models based on CT imaging characteristics of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) , and use SHAP (shapley additive explanations) analysis to investigate the contribution of each CT image features in the best model.Methods:CT imaging features in 426 cases of 440 PTCs confirmed pathologically from Jan. 2016 to Jan. 2021 at the affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital of Westlake University Medical School were retrospectively analyzed. compared with 467 cases of 528 nodular goiter (NG) , evaluating the distribution of four CT characteristics: cookie bite sign, enhanced range of narrowing/blur (ERNB) , microcalcifications, and irregular shape. We split the data into 8∶2 ratio for training and testing sets, then constructed three machine learning models using XGBoost, RF, and SVM. Based on AUC, accuracy, F1 score, and other metrics, we selected the best model. Lastly, we used SHAP values to assess each CT feature’s contribution and positive/negative effects on the model.Results:Among 440 PTC and 528 NG nodules, CT features like cookie bite sign, ERNB, microcalcifications, and irregular shape occurred in 326 and 30 ( χ 2=483.05, P<0.001) , 363 and 106 ( χ 2=374.45, P<0.001) , 158 and 53 ( χ 2=94.24, P<0.001) , and 354 and 52 ( χ 2=491.34, P<0.001) nodules, respectively. The machine learning models built using XGBoost, RF, and SVM had AUC, accuracy, and F1 scores ranging from 0.884~0.925, 0.867~0.873, and 0.844~0.854 respectively on the training set. On the test set, the scores ranged from 0.869~0.923, 0.845~0.871, and 0.803~0.845. Among them, the XGBoost model demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance on the test set. Among the four CT features, irregular shape had the highest absolute SHAP value, positively contributing to PTC diagnosis. Conclusion:XGBoost model showed the highest PTC diagnostic performance. Irregular shape had the greatest positive impact on PTC diagnosis.