BACKGROUND: Valvular heart disease (VHD) has become increasingly common with the aging in China. This study aimed to evaluate regional differences in the clinical features, management strategies, and outcomes of patients with VHD across different regions in China. METHODS: Data were collected from the China-VHD Study. From April 2018 to June 2018, 12,347 patients who presented with moderate or severe native VHD with a median of 2 years of follow-up from 46 centers at certified tertiary hospitals across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in Chinese mainland were included in this study. According to the locations of the research centers, patients were divided into five regional groups: eastern, southern, western, northern, and central China. The clinical features of VHD patients were compared among the five geographical regions. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the cumulative incidence rate. RESULTS: Among the enrolled patients (mean age, 61.96 years; 6877 [55.70%] male), multiple VHD was the most frequent type (4042, 32.74%), which was mainly found in eastern China, followed by isolated mitral regurgitation (3044, 24.65%), which was mainly found in northern China. The etiology of VHD varied significantly across different regions of China. The overall rate of valve interventions was 32.67% (4008/12,268), with the highest rate in southern China at 48.46% (205/423). In terms of procedure, the proportion of transcatheter valve intervention was relatively low compared to that of surgical treatment. Patients with VHD in western China had the highest incidence of all-cause mortality or rehospitalization for heart failure. Valve intervention significantly improved the outcome of patients with VHD in all five regions (all P  <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that patients with VHD in China are characterized by significant geographic disparities in clinical features, treatment, and clinical outcomes. Targeted efforts are needed to improve the management and prognosis of patients with VHD in China according to differences in geographical characteristics. REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03484806.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Heart Valve Diseases/therapy* ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Pingchuanning Formula (PCN) for inhibiting airway inflammation in rats with asthmatic cold syndrome. METHODS: A total of 105 SD rats were randomized equally into 7 groups, including a control group, an asthmatic cold syndrome model group, 3 PCN treatment groups at high, medium and low doses, a Guilong Kechuanning (GLCKN) treatment group, and a dexamethasone (DEX) treatment group. In all but the control rats, asthma cold syndrome models were established and daily gavage of saline, PCN, GLCKN or DEX was administered 29 days after the start of modeling. The changes in general condition, lung function and lung histopathology of the rats were observed, and inflammatory factors in the alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), oxidative stress, lung tissue ultrastructure, cytokine levels, and expressions of the genes related to the HMGB1/Beclin-1 axis and autophagy were analyzed. RESULTS: The rat models had obvious manifestations of asthmatic cold syndrome with significantly decreased body mass, food intake, and water intake, reduced FEV_0.3, FVC, and FEV_0.3/FVC, obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung tissue, and increased alveolar inflammation score and counts of neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, macrophages, and leukocytes in the BALF. The rat models also had significantly increased MDA level and decreased SOD level and exhibited obvious ultrastructural changes in the lung tissues, where the expressions of HMGB1, Beclin-1, ATG5, TNF-α, IL-6,IL-1β, and IL-13 and the LC3II/I ratio were increased, while the levels of Bcl-2 and IFN-γ were decreased. PCN treatment significantly improved these pathological changes in the rat models, and its therapeutic effect was better than that of GLKCN and similar to that of DEX. CONCLUSIONS PCN can effectively alleviate airway inflammation in rat models of asthmatic cold syndrome possibly by modulating the HMGB1/Beclin-1 signaling axis to suppress cell autophagy, thereby attenuating airway inflammatory damages.
Animals ; Rats ; Autophagy/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Asthma/pathology* ; Beclin-1 ; HMGB1 Protein/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Lung/pathology* ; Inflammation

Professor Lin Chuangjian noticed that middle-aged and elderly individuals,as well as patients with weakened spleen and kidney function,are prone to developing gouty arthritis of phlegm-turbidity and blood stasis obstruction type.The clinical manifestations of gouty arthritis of phlegm-turbidity and blood stasis obstruction type were characterized by recurrent and prolonged episodes,marked joint pain(worse at night),joint deformities,numbness and stiffness of the skin,difficulty in walking,spasm of muscles,and limited joint movement,and were probably accompanied by facial and pedal edema,chest and epigastric fullness,dizziness and tinnitus,flushed cheeks and dry mouth,and soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees.Gouty arthritis of phlegm-turbidity and blood stasis obstruction type is a fundamentally-deficiency and incidentally-excess syndrome,characterized by phlegm-turbidity-stasis as the symptomatic features,and spleen-kidney deficiency as the root cause.During syndrome differentiation,Professor Lin emphasizes the relationship between phlegm-turbidity-stasis and the zang-orga nis of spleen and kidneys,and considers that the dysfunction of spleen and kidneys is the root cause of phlegm-turbidity-stasis formation.During treatment,therapeutic principle of simultaneously treating the symptom and root cause was followed,primary methods of fortifying the spleen and tonifying the kidneys,removing phlegm and resolving turbidity,and activating blood circulation to resolve stasis were adopted,and Bushen Juanbi Yipi Decoction was used as the foundational prescription.Bushen Juanbi Yipi Decoction consists of the herbs of Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix,Angelicae Pubescentis Radix,Cinnamomi Cortex,Gentianae Macrophyllae Radix,Angelicae Sinensis Radix,Chuanxiong Rhizoma,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata cum Melle,Piperis Kadsurae Caulis,Mori Ramulus,Olibanum,Aucklandiae Radix,salt-processed Morindae Officinalis Radix,Taxilli Herb,Saposhnikoviae Radix,Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma,Microctis Folium,Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma,Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum,Clematidis Radix et Rhizoma,and Eupatorii Herba.In clinical practice,adjunct herbs for fortifying spleen,ventilating lung,soothing liver,or tranquilizing heart may be added based on accompanying symptoms.Professor Lin's diagnostic and therapeutic approach will provide valuable insights for the traditional Chinese medicine management of gouty arthritis.

Objective: To explore the correlation between small intestinal bacterial overgrowth(SIBO) and cognitive impairment in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis(PD). Methods: 60 PD patients and 46 non-dialysis patients with end-stage renal disease(ESRD) were included in this study. SIBO was detected by lactulose hydrogen methane breath test(LHMBT). The cognitive function levels of the subjects were evaluated using the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA) and mini-mental state examination(MMSE). The emotional states of the patients were assessed by self-rating anxiety scale(SAS) and self-rating depression scale(SDS). The gastrointestinal symptoms were evaluated using gastrointestinal symptom rating scale(GSRS). According to the results of LHMBT, the PD patients were further divided into two subgroups: SIBO-positive and SIBO-negative. The general conditions, laboratory data, and scores of each scale were compared between the two groups. Furthermore, according to the MoCA scores, the PD patients were divided into two groups: those with normal cognitive function and those with cognitive dysfunction. The positive rates of SIBO between the two groups were compared. Binary Logistic stepwise regression was used to explore whether SIBO was an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment in PD patients. At the same time, other independent influencing factors for cognitive impairment in PD patients were analyzed. Results: The positive rate of SIBO in PD patients was 40.00%. Among them, the positive rate of SIBO in the group with normal cognitive function during peritoneal dialysis was 27.27%, and the positive rate of SIBO in the group with cognitive dysfunction during peritoneal dialysis was 55.56%. There was a statistically significant difference in the positive rate of SIBO between the two groups(P=0.026). Further analysis by multivariate Logistic stepwise regression showed that in addition to age(OR=1.118, 95%CI 1.007-1.242, P=0.037), educational attainment(OR=0.655,95%CI 0.442-0.972,P=0.036), and hemoglobin(OR=0.946,95% CI 0.895-0.998,P=0.044), SIBO(OR=7.613,95% CI 1.160-49.979,P=0.034)was also an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment in PD patients. Conclusion The incidence of SIBO in PD patients is relatively high and is associated with multiple factors, among which SIBO may be closely related to cognitive dysfunction in PD patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Shegan Mahuangtang and its pungent and bitter Chinese herbs on the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 （TRPV1） and bitter taste receptor 14 （TAS2R14） in the lung tissue of the rat model of cold asthma. MethodSeventy SD rats were randomized into 7 groups： normal， model， Shegan Mahuangtang， pungent Chinese herbs， bitter Chinese herbs （6.43 g·kg^-1）， dexamethasone （0.5 g·kg^-1）， and Guilong Kechuanning （10 g·kg^-1）. The rat model of cold asthma was established by intraperitoneal injection and subcutaneous injection of 10% ovalbumin （OVA） and aluminium hydroxide in the limbs， combined with 2% OVA atomization and cold （2-4 ℃） stimulation. The rats were treated with corresponding drugs by gavage and atomization， and the normal and model groups were treated with the same amount of normal saline for 3 weeks. After the last excitation， airway inflammation and cell proliferation were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE）， periodic acid-Schiff （PAS）， and Masson staining of the lung tissue. The levels of interleukin-5 （IL-5）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， thymic stromal lymphopoietin （TSLP）， and transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁） in the serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expression of TRPV1 and TAS2R14 was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression of TRPV1， TAS2R14， phospholipase Cβ₂ （PLCβ₂）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in the lung tissue was determined by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased water intake， food intake， and body weight， increased airway inflammatory cell infiltration， goblet cell proliferation， tissue fibrosis and collagen deposition， elevated levels of IL-5， TNF-α， TSLP， and TGF-β₁ in the serum （P<0.01）， upregulated expression of TRPV1， PLCβ₂， and α-SMA， and downregulated expression of TAS2R14 and Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with model group， Shecgan Mahuangtang， pungent Chinese herbs， and bitter Chinese herbs increased the water intake， food intake， and body weight， reduced the inflammatory cell infiltration and goblet cell proliferation， alleviated tissue fibrosis and collagen deposition， lowered the levels of IL-5， TNF-α， TSLP， and TGF-β₁ in the serum （P<0.01）， downregulated the expression of TRPV1， PLCβ₂， and α-SMA， and upregulated the expression of TAS2R14 and Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionShegan Mahuangtang and its pungent and bitter Chinese herbs can reduce OVA-induced airway inflammation， downregulate the expression of TRPV1， PLCβ₂， and α-SMA， and upregulate the expression of TAS2R14 and Bcl-2 in asthmatic rats. Moreover， bitter Chinese herbs outperformed pungent Chinese herbs， and the combination of them enhanced the therapeutic effect. It is suggested that Shegan Mahuangtang and its pungent and bitter Chinese herbs may ameliorate the OVA-induced airway inflammation by inhibiting TRPV1 and activating TAS2R14.

Surgical operation is the main treatment of oral and maxillofacial tumors.Dysphagia is a common postoperative complication.Swal-lowing disorder can not only lead to mis-aspiration,malnutrition,aspiration pneumonia and other serious consequences,but also may cause psychological problems and social communication barriers,affecting the quality of life of the patients.At present,there is no systematic evalua-tion and rehabilitation management plan for the problem of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in China.Combining the characteristics of postoperative swallowing disorder in patients with oral and maxillofacial tumors,summarizing the clinical experience of ex-perts in the field of tumor and rehabilitation,reviewing and summarizing relevant literature at home and abroad,and through joint discussion and modification,a group of national experts reached this consensus including the core contents of the screening of swallowing disorders,the phased assessment of prognosis and complications,and the implementation plan of comprehensive management such as nutrition management,respiratory management,swallowing function recovery,psychology and nursing during rehabilitation treatment,in order to improve the evalua-tion and rehabilitation of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in clinic.

Objective:To investigate the application value of biological muscle flap in laparo-scopic radical proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis.Methods:The retrospec-tive and descriptive study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 10 patients with adeno-carcinoma of esophagogastric junction who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from May 2023 to August 2023 were collected. All patients were males, aged (65±5)years. All patients underwent laparoscopic radical proximal gastrectomy and esophagogastric anastomosis with digestive tract reconstruction using the esophagogastric biological muscle flap. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situations and early complications; (2) follow-up and late com-plications. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measure-ment data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Surgical situations and early complications. All 10 patients success-fully completed the surgery without conversion to open surgery, and the operation time was (166±18)minutes. Cases with digestive tract reconstruction as end-to-side anastomosis and Overlap anas-tomosis were 1 and 9, respectively. The time of digestive tract reconstruction, the number of lymph node dissected, volume of intraoperative blood loss, time to postoperative first anal exhaust, time to postoperative first intake of liquid food, duration of postoperative hospital stay were (40±12)minutes, 24±6, (41±9)mL, (3.4±0.5)days, (4.1±1.0)days, (8.3±0.7)days in the 10 patients. Of 4 cases with postoperative early complications, 1 case developed pulmonary infection (Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅱ) on the second day after surgery, with pulmonary infection absorbed after 5 days of antibiotic treat-ment. Two cases experienced chest distress and shortness of breath on the third day after surgery, with the diagnosis of a small to moderate amount of pleural effusion after chest B-ultrasound examination. After pleural puncture and active treatment, the symptoms of them were improved and the pleural effusion disappeared. There was 1 case with choking sensation when eating solid food, which was started from the third week after surgery. Upper gastrointestinal imaging revealed mild anastomotic stenosis of Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅰ in the patient, who was improved after conservative treatment. On the 7th day after surgery, all 10 patients underwent upper gastrointestinal angiography, and no anastomotic leakage or stenosis occurred. There was no sign of contrast agent reflux in the supine position and 30° head down position. (2) Follow-up and late complications. All 10 patients were followed up for 59.5(range, 31.0-127.0)days. The esophageal reflux scale score of 10 patients was 1.4±0.3. During the follow-up, 1 case underwent gastroscopy on 40 days after surgery, which showed reflux esophagitis with Los Angeles grade as B and the Clavien-Dindo grade as Ⅰ. There was no clinical symptom such as heartburn or acid reflux. Results of 24-hour pH monitoring showed that the patient experienced 24 instances of reflux in an upright position and 15 instances of reflux in a supine position, with no prolonged reflux. The total reflux time within 24 hours was 75 minutes. The DeMeester score was 38.3. Results of esophageal pressure measurement showed that the esophageal contraction morphology was normal, but the anastomotic opening was not well relaxed. The rest of 9 cases had no complication such as reflux esophagitis.Conclusion:Biological muscle flap applied in the laparoscopic radical proximal gastrectomy with esophagogastric anastomosis is safe and feasible, with satisfied short-term efficacy.

Premature ovarian insufficiency(POI),also known as"ovarian insufficiency",has an incidence of 1％～5％.The incidence has been on the rise in recent years,seriously affecting women's physical and mental health and quality of life.At present,the cause and mechanisms of POI are still unclear,and the method and applications of model construction are also confusing.Most models have some shortcomings in pertinence and stability.The limitations greatly limit research into the clinical diagnosis and treatment of POI.This paper summarizes and discusses the etiology and pathogenesis of POI and the construction of POI animal models to provide a comprehensive reference for those studying POI.

Objective:To analyze the effects of low-dose methimazole treatment on thyroid volume and calcitonin levels in patients with hyperthyroidism.Methods:A total of 100 hyperthyroidism patients who were treated at the Mianyang Central Hospital from January to June 2019 were selected and randomly divided into a control group (50 cases) and an observation group (50 cases) using a random number table method. The control group was treated with once a day and 30 mg/dose of methimazole, while the observation group was treated with twice a day and 10 mg/dose of methimazole. Thyroid volume, and thyroid function [Thyroid growth hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibody (TRAb)] before and after treatment in two groups of patients, the changes in serum levels of calcitonin (CT), visfatin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were compared. The clinical efficacy of two groups were also compared.Results:The total clinical effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group ( P<0.05). After treatment, the thyroid volume in the observation group was significantly smaller than that in the control group, and the CT level was significantly lower than that in the control group (all P<0.05). After treatment, the TSH level in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group, while the levels of FT3, FT4, and TRAb were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of Visfatin, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Low dose methimazole can improve thyroid function, reduce thyroid volume, lower body CT and inflammation levels in patients with hyperthyroidism, and has a better therapeutic effect.

Objective:To document the impact of information-based, stepwise, intensive rehabilitation therapy on patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).Methods:Eighty such patients in an intensive care unit (ICU) were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, each of 40. The control group received routine ICU rehabilitation, while the observation group underwent information-based, step-wise ICU rehabilitation. Upon admission to and discharge from the ICU, the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC, and diaphragm functioning were compared between the two groups. The duration of mechanical ventilation, the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), length of stay in the ICU, incidence of delirium, and the incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) were also recorded. The number of patients readmitted to the ICU after discharge, and the 28-day hospital mortality rate were recorded as well.Results:Significant improvement was observed in both groups in terms of their lung and diaphragm functioning, as well as in the rehabilitation- and hospital-related indicators. At discharge, significantly greater improvements were observed in the observation group compared with the control group in terms of their average FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, inspiratory and expiratory diaphragm thickness, and diaphragm thickening rate. The average duration of mechanical ventilation and of rehabilitation interruptions was significantly less in the observation group. And incidents of accidental extubation, VAP, delirium and DVT were significantly fewer in the observation group as well. Their ICU stays tended to be significantly shorter without any significant difference between the two groups in the 28-day hospital mortality rate. The control group spent significantly less time in their daily rehabilitation sessions, with the result that significantly fewer of them achieved a grading of 2 or better on the mMRC respiratory questionnaire.Conclusion:Information-based stepwise intensive rehabilitation treatment can effectively improve the pulmonary and diaphragmatic function of AECOPD patients admitted to an ICU, shorten their mechanical ventilation time and the length of their ICU stay, and lower their incidence of VAP and DVT during hospitalization.