OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with thunder-fire moxibustion in treating low back pain with cold-damp. METHODS: Seventy-two patients of low back pain with cold-damp were randomly divided into an observation group (36 cases, 1 case was eliminated) and a control group (36 cases, 1 case dropped out). The control group received acupuncture at Jizhong (GV6), Yaoyangguan (GV3), ashi points, bilateral Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25), and Weizhong (BL40) for 30 min daily. The observation group was treated with thunder-fire moxibustion in addition to the same acupuncture regimen as the control group, once daily. Both groups were treated for 6 consecutive days followed by one rest day, for a total duration of 4 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, present pain intensity (PPI) score, and serum levels of β-endorphin (β-EP), 5-hydroxytryp tamin (5-HT), and substance P (SP) were compared before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the VAS scores, ODI scores, PPI scores, and serum levels of 5-HT and SP were decreased (P<0.01), while JOA scores and serum levels of β-EP were increased (P<0.01) in both groups after treatment. The observation group showed lower VAS, ODI, and PPI scores and serum levels of 5-HT and SP than those in the control group (P<0.05), as well as higher JOA score and serum level of β-EP (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was 94.3% (33/35), higher than 82.9% (29/35) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture combined with thunder-fire moxibustion could effectively alleviate pain and improve lumbar function in patients of low back pain with cold-damp, possibly by regulating β-EP, 5-HT, and SP levels.
Humans ; Moxibustion ; Low Back Pain/blood* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome ; Combined Modality Therapy ; beta-Endorphin/blood* ; Young Adult ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on improving motor function and regulating microglial activation based on Notch receptor 1 (Notch1)/Hes family bHLH transcription factor 1 (Hes1) pathway in mice with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Thirty-six male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an EA group, 12 mice in each group. PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days in the model group and the EA group. From the 1st day of modeling, EA was applied at "Baihui" (GV20) and bilateral "Shenshu" (BL23) in the EA group, with continuous wave, in frequency of 2 Hz and current of 2 mA, 15 min a time, once a day for 14 days continuously. The behavioral performance was evaluated by gait test, pole climbing test and hanging test, the number of positive cells of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and the co-expression positive cells of Notch1/ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) in the substantia nigra of midbrain was assessed by immunofluorescence, the protein expression of TH, α-synuclein (α-syn), Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Arginase-1 (ARG1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 was detected by Western blot, the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, in the model group, the stride frequency was accelerated (P<0.001) and the stride length was shortened (P<0.001) for the four limbs, the pole climbing test time was prolonged (P<0.01) and the grip level was reduced (P<0.01); in the substantia nigra of midbrain, the number of positive cells of TH was decreased (P<0.001), the number of co-expression positive cells of Notch1/Iba-1 was increased (P<0.001), the protein expression of α-syn, Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1βand IL-6 was increased (P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.001), the protein expression of TH, ARG1 and IL-10 was decreased (P<0.01, P<0.001), the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, in the EA group, the stride frequency was decelerated (P<0.001) and the stride length was increased (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001) for the four limbs, the pole climbing test time was shortened (P<0.05) and the grip level was increased (P<0.05); in the substantia nigra of midbrain, the number of positive cells of TH was increased (P<0.01), the number of co-expression positive cells of Notch1/Iba-1 was decreased (P<0.001), the protein expression of α-syn, Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β was decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the protein expression of TH, ARG1 and IL-10 was increased (P<0.05, P<0.001, P<0.01), the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION EA can improve the behavioral performance and protect the dopaminergic neurons in PD mice, its mechanism may relate to the inhibition of Notch1/Hes1-mediated neuroinflammation, thus inhibiting the microglial activation.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Male ; Receptor, Notch1/metabolism* ; Parkinson Disease/physiopathology* ; Transcription Factor HES-1/metabolism* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Signal Transduction

Allergen-specific immunotherapy（AIT） remains the only therapeutic approach with the potential to modify the natural course of allergic rhinitis（AR）. Nevertheless, considerable inter-individual variability exists in patients'responses to AIT. To facilitate more reliable assessment of treatment efficacy, the China Rhinopathy Research Cooperation Group（CRRCG） convened young and middle-aged nasal experts in China to formulate the present consensus. The recommended subjective outcome measures for AIT comprise symptom scores, medication scores, combined symptom and medication scores, quality-of-life assessments, evaluation of disease control, and assessment of comorbidities. Objective indicators may supplement these measures. Currently available objective approaches include skin prick testing, nasal provocation testing, and allergen exposure chambers. However, these methods remain constrained by practical limitations and are not yet appropriate for routine implementation in clinical efficacy evaluation. In addition, several biomarkers, including sIgE and the sIgE/tIgE ratio, sIgG4, serum IgE-blocking activity, IgA, cytokines and chemokines, as well as immune cell surface molecules and their functional activity, have been shown to have associations with AIT outcomes. While these biomarkers may complement subjective assessments, they are subject to significant limitations. Consequently, large-scale multicenter trials and real-world evidence are required to strengthen the evidence base. The present consensus underscores the necessity of integrating patients'subjective experiences with objective testing throughout the treatment process, thereby providing a more comprehensive and accurate framework for efficacy evaluation. Looking forward, future investigations should prioritize the incorporation of multi-omics data and artificial intelligence methodologies, which hold promise for overcoming current limitations in assessment strategies and for advancing both the standardization and personalization of AIT.
Humans ; Allergens/immunology* ; China ; Consensus ; Desensitization, Immunologic ; Immunoglobulin E ; Quality of Life ; Rhinitis, Allergic/therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; East Asian People

Bone Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Transplantation, Autologous/adverse effects*

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.

Objective:To explore the risk factors for complications related to internal fixation after Inter-Tan intramedullary nail fixation in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 314 elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures admitted to the Seventh Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2016 to December 2020, including 100 males and 214 females, aged 60-98 years [(80.2±8.2)years]. All the patients underwent Inter-Tan intramedullary nail fixation. According to the 2018 AO/OTA classification, 103 patients were with stable fractures and 211 with unstable fractures. The patients were further divided into complication groups and non-complication groups according to the presence of the complications during the follow-up. Six patients (5.8%) with stable fractures had the complications including nonunion in 4 and cut-out in 2. Twenty-eight patients (13.3%) with unstable fractures developed the complications, including nonunion in 5, cut-out in 20, cut-through in 1, and broken nails in 2. With the internal fixation-related complications after surgery as dependent variables, and gender, age, complications [hypertension, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, pulmonary infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), renal insufficiency, diabetes], bone density, waiting time for surgery, anesthesia method, reduction method, reduction quality, tip-apex distance, head screw displacement and other influencing factors as independent variables, univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were conducted on the patients with stable fractures and unstable fractures separately to screen the independent risk factors of internal fixation-related complications.Results:For the patients with stable fractures, the univariate analysis indicated significant differences in bone density and reduction quality between the complication group and non-complication group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that bone density T value ≤-3.0 SD ( OR=33.17, 95% CI 2.40, 457.82, P<0.01) and poor reduction quality ( OR=71.38, 95% CI 3.58, 1 422.02, P<0.01) were significantly correlated with the incidence of the postoperative complications. For the patients with unstable fractures, the univariate analysis indicated significant differences in age, reduction quality, bone density, tip-apex distance, and screw displacement between the complication group and non-complication group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age >80 years ( OR=2.82, 95% CI 1.01, 7.93, P<0.05), bone density T value ≤-3.0 SD ( OR=6.10, 95% CI 2.06, 17.51, P<0.01), poor reduction quality ( OR=12.25, 95% CI 2.90, 51.79, P<0.01), tip-apex distance ≥25 mm ( OR=3.65, 95% CI 1.20, 11.08, P<0.05), and head screw displacement <4 mm ( OR=7.26, 95% CI 2.54, 20.81, P<0.01) were significantly correlated with the postoperative complications. Conclusion:For Inter-Tan intramedullary nail fixation of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients, low bone density and poor reduction quality are independent risk factors for the postoperative complications in patients with stable intertrochanteric fractures; old age, low bone density, poor reduction quality, tip-apex distance, and head screw displacement are independent risk factors for the postoperative complications in patients with unstable fractures.

Objective:To explore the risk factors for heart failure after hip fracture surgery in the elderly patients and the impact of heart failure on their prognosis.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 1,478 elderly patients with hip fracture who had been admitted to The 7th Medical Center, General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from January 2012 to December 2019. There were 482 males and 996 females with an age of 81 (75, 90) years. The patients were divided into a failure group and a failure-free group based on whether they had experienced any heart failure during postoperative hospitalization. After the clinical data were compared between the 2 groups, the variables with P<0.05 were included in the following multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the risk factors for postoperative heart failure in the elderly patients with hip fracture. The mortality rates at 30 days and 1 year after operation, hospital stay, and incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups. Results:Postoperative heart failure occurred in 7.0% (104/1,478) of the patients. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age ( OR=1.035, 95% CI: 1.006 to 1.065, P=0.018), male ( OR=1.727, 95% CI: 1.125 to 2.651, P=0.012), arrhythmia ( OR=1.830, 95% CI: 1.104 to 3.031, P=0.019), a high volume of blood transfusion ( OR=1.100, 95% CI: 1.001 to 1.209, P=0.048), and preoperative use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs ( OR=1.921, 95% CI: 1.053 to 3.505, P=0.033) were risk factors for postoperative heart failure in the elderly patients with hip fracture. In the failure group, the mortality rates at 30 days and 1 year after operation were 9.6% (10/104) and 22.1% (23/104), and the incidence of postoperative complications was 32.7% (34/104), all significantly higher than those in the failure-free group [3.6% (49/1,374), 13.8% (190/1,374), and 17.5% (241/1,374)] ( P<0.05). The hospitalization time for the failure group was 14 (11, 19) days, significantly longer than that for the failure-free group [11 (9, 15) days] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Advanced age, male, arrhythmia, a high volume of blood transfusion, and preoperative use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs are risk factors for heart failure in the elderly patients after hip fracture surgery. Patients with heart failure may face poor prognosis, a high mortality rate, multiple complications, and long hospital stay.

Objective:To compare the failure risks between restricted and unrestricted cephalomedullary nail sliding during InterTAN intramedullary nail fixation for intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly patients.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 192 elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture who had been admitted to Department of Orthopaedics, The Seventh Medical Center, General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army from January 2021 to December 2022. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on whether the set screws were tightened or not during surgery. In the observation group of 78 cases, there were 31 males and 47 females with an age of (80.2±7.7) years, and 23 cases of type 31-A1 and 55 cases of type 31-A2 by the AO classification. Their set screws were not tightened during surgery to allow the cephalomedullary nail sliding. In the control group of 114 cases, there were 40 males and 74 females with an age of (81.6±7.8) years, and 42 cases of type 31-A1 and 72 cases of type 31-A2. Their set screws were tightened during surgery to restrict the cephalomedullary nail sliding. The incidence of postoperative fixation complications and sliding distances of the cephalomedullary nail within 1 year after surgery were compared between the 2 groups in the total fractures and in the stable and unstable fractures as well.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups of patients, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). The incidence of fixation complications within 1 year after surgery was 5.1% (4/78) for the observation group and 12.3% (14/114) for the control group, showing no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). The sliding distance of the cephalomedullary nail in the observation group [7.05 (6.00, 8.25) mm] was significantly larger than that in the control group [5.65 (3.55, 7.00) mm] ( P<0.05). For stable fractures, the incidence of fixation complications within 1 year after surgery was 7.1% (2/28) for the observation group and 7.0% (3/43) for the control group, showing no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05), and the sliding distance of the cephalomedullary nail in the observation group [6.00 (5.25, 7.00) mm] was significantly greater than that in the control group [3.05 (2.00, 5.00) mm] ( P<0.05). For unstable fractures, the incidence of fixation complications within 1 year after surgery for the observation group patients [4.0% (2/50)] was significantly lower than that for the control group patients [15.5% (11/71)], and the sliding distance of the cephalomedullary nail in the observation group [8.00 (6.70, 10.00) mm] was significantly greater than that in the control group [6.00 (4.87, 7.57) mm] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:In the InterTAN intramedullary nail fixation for intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly patients, tightening of set screws is crucial because it not only increases the stability but also limits compression at the fracture site. It is recommended not to tighten the set screws for unstable fractures, but further observation is needed before it can be determined whether the set screws should be tightened or not for stable fractures.

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world,of which non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)is the majority.The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)has greatly changed the treatment strategy of NSCLC and improved the prognosis of patients.However,in reality,only a small number of patients can achieve long-term benefit.Therefore,the identification of reliable predictive biomarkers is essential for the selection of treatment mo-dalities.With the development of molecular biology and genome sequencing technology in recent years,as well as the in-depth understanding of tumor and its host immune microenvironment,research on biomarkers has emerged in an endless stream.This review focuses on the predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy efficacy in NSCLC,in order to provide some guidance for precision immunotherapy.

Limb preservation techniques of severed limbs play an important role in autologous replantation or allografting. At present, static cold storage (SCS) remains the gold standard for the in vitro preservation of severed limbs, which minimizes oxygen and energy metabolism. However, with a relatively short time window of 4-6 hours, SCS is insufficient for clinical transfer, injury management and other medical resources. To address this issue, researchers have initiated investigations into alternative methods of supplying oxygen and nutrients to severed limbs, leading to the development of mechanical perfusion technology and per-sufflation technology. Mechanical perfusion technology aims to clear metabolic waste and provide essential nutrients by mimicking a physiological state, thereby prolonging the preservation time and improving the outcome of the repair. Per-sufflation technology aims to deliver oxygen directly to the tissue using a vascular system to maintain tissue integrity. With these emerging technologies showing great promise, further exploration and refinement are needed to address their time constraints and complexity in clinical work. Furthermore, for severed limbs that are not suitable for immediate reimplantation, autologous heterotopic parasitism techniques and temporary endovascular shunts offer promising avenues for preservation. Autologous heterotopic parasitism techniques maintain tissue viability by constructing a temporary parasitic environment, while temporary endovascular shunts establish a temporary vascular access at the damaged site to deliver donor blood, thereby maintaining blood flow and promoting repair. Xenogeneic cross-circulation techniques combine recent advances from multiple disciplines and demonstrate remarkable potential; however, they currently face challenges such as ethics, immune rejection, and technical complexity. The combination of these novel techniques has led to a significant advancement in the field of limb preservation and repair. This article aims to provide an overview of the current research status and development of static cold storage, pre-sufflation, mechanical perfusion preservation and temporary ectopic parasitic preservation techniques in limb preservation over recent years, providing information for clinical work, promoting the development of limb reimplantation and transplantation techniques in China and further consolidating China's leadership in the field of amputation reimplantation and allograft transplantation.