Objective: To investigate the efficacy, safety, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medication patterns of rituximab (RTX) combined with TCM on treating children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS). Methods: One hundred and forty-three children with SDNS who visited the Pediatric Nephrology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from January 2018 to December 2022 were enrolled. A cohort study design was adopted, with " RTX treatment" as the exposure factor. Children who met this exposure factor were assigned to the RTX cohort (RTX, glucocorticoid, immunosuppressive agent, combined with traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation treatment), whereas those who did not were assigned to the basic treatment cohort (glucocorticoid, immunosuppressive agent, combined with traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation treatment ), and followed up for 6 months. The frequency of urinary protein recurrences, urinary protein remission duration, proportion and duration of steroid reduction and cessation, cumulative usage of steroids, proportion of recurrence, recurrence amount of steroid used, efficacy of TCM syndrome, and laboratory and safety indicators after treatment, and height and CD19+ B cell count before and after treatment were compared between the two cohorts. The medication patterns of TCM in the two cohorts were analyzed using frequency statistics, association rule analysis, and systematic clustering analysis. Results: Compared with the basic treatment cohort, the RTX cohort showed a decrease in the frequency of urinary protein recurrence, extended sustained remission of urinary protein, an increase in the proportion of steroid reduction and cessation, a shorter duration of steroid reduction and cessation, a decrease in cumulative steroid dosage, a lower recurrence rate, a decrease in CD19+ B cell count, and a decrease in 24-h urinary total protein quantification and the level of cholesterol (P<0.05). No significant difference in the recurrence amount of steroid used, height, TCM syndrome efficacy, albumin, aspartate transaminase, blood urea nitrogen, platelet count, and safety indicators between the two cohorts. Children with SDNS were mostly characterized by qi and yin deficiency syndrome, followed by spleen and kidney yang deficiency syndrome. A total of 175 TCMs were included, including 28 high-frequency drugs such as Huangqi, Fuling, Gancao, Baizhu, Dangshen, and Jiuyurou. The primary use of medication is to nourish the qi and spleen, nourish the kidney, and warm yang. The analysis of association rules yielded eight binary associations and ten three-phase associations, with Huangqi, Baizhu, Fuling, and Dangshen, being the most closely related. Cluster analysis identified four TCM combinations, primarily focusing on tonifying kidney and replenishing essence, benefiting qi and nourishing yin, and removing blood stasis. Conclusion RTX combined with TCM syndrome differentiation treatment can reduce the recurrence frequency of SDNS, prolong the remission period, reduce the glucocorticoid dosage, and have no marked effect on height growth. No apparent adverse reactions were observed. TCM should focus on nourishing qi and yin while removing blood stasis.

Objective:To investigate the effect of aortic root repair and replacement on the surgical effect and postoperative complications of Stanford type A aortic dissection.Methods:By retrospective case-control study, 190 patients with Stanford type A aortic dissection admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from August 2020 to December 2023.According to the different surgical treatment methods, they were divided into repair group ( n=65) and replacement group ( n=125). Patients in the repair group received aortic root repair, while patients in the replacement group received aortic root replacement, that was, Bentall operation. The surgical related indexes, surgical effect, postoperative outcome and mid-term survival rate of the two groups were compared. The measurement data conforming to the normal distribution were expressed by the mean standard deviation ( ± s), and the comparison between groups adopted t-test; The measurement data of skewed distribution were expressed by M( Q1, Q3), and the comparison between groups was conducted using the rank sum test. Counting data were expressed by the number of cases and percentage (%), and the comparison between groups was conducted by chi-square test or Fisher exact probability method. Results:There was no significant difference in distal aortic operation, cardiopulmonary bypass time, hypothermic circulatory arrest time and occlusion time between repair group and replacement group ( P>0.05).There was no significant difference in ventilator-assisted time, intensive care unit stay time, visual analogue score(VAS) after waking up and hospitalization time between repair group and replacement group ( P>0.05).There was no significant difference between the two groups in 30-days mortality rate after discharge (9.2% vs 11.2%) and postoperative complications (18.5% vs 22.4%) ( P>0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between the medium-term survival rate of patients in repair group and replacement group ( χ2=0.46, P=0.500). During the follow-up period, one patient in the replacement group underwent reoperation, including Bentall operation, with an interval of 14 months. Conclusions:the choice of aortic root repair or replacement has no effect on the surgical effect and postoperative complications of Stanford A aortic dissection patients. The short-term and medium-term survival rate of aortic root repair is similar to that of replacement, and no patient received proximal surgery again during the follow-up period, which is feasible and safe.

Luxembourg boasts a strategically advantageous geographical location, a robust economic foundation, and an open cultural environment, all of which serve as essential pillars for the promotion of TCM. Its population is diverse and enjoys a significantly high average life expectancy; however, it faces notable health challenges such as chronic diseases, excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, and an aging population. The citizens benefit from extensive medical coverage, access to high-quality healthcare services, and substantial public investment in healthcare. Modern medicine forms the backbone of its healthcare system while traditional therapies, such as acupuncture and moxibustion, play a complementary role as alternative treatments. The development of TCM in Luxembourg has been influenced by neighboring countries, promoted by TCM experts, and supported by the government. At present, TCM is mainly regulated in Luxembourg based on modern medical regulations and relevant EU standards. Its clinical application in health care and chronic disease management has become increasingly important. Relevant education and training are also gradually promoted through international cooperation with the support of the government. It is suggested to promote the establishment of relevant legal norms of local TCM; promote the service and application of TCM to continuously adapt to market demand and sustainable development; increase support to deepen the research and education of TCM, and realize the in-depth promotion and application of TCM in Luxembourg and even in Europe.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of posterior minimally invasive approach in the treatment of posterior wall acetabular fractures. METHODS: The clinical data of 17 patients with posterior wall acetabular fractures treated with posterior minimally invasive approach between March 2019 and June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 14 males and 3 females with an average age of 41 years ranging from 28 to 57 years. The causes of injury were traffic accident in 12 cases and falling from height in 5 cases. There were 3 cases complicated with posterior hip dislocation and 2 cases complicated with sciatic nerve injury. According to AO/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification, there were 11 cases of type A1.1 and 6 cases of type A1.2. The time from injury to operation was 5-8 days, with an average of 6.2 days. The incision length, intraoperative blood loss, and operation time were recorded. The quality of posterior wall fracture reduction were evaluated by Matta criteria, and hip function were evaluated by modified Merle d'Aubign-Postel score criteria at 6 months after operation and last follow-up. RESULTS: The operation was successfully completed in 17 cases. The length of incision ranged from 7 to 9 cm, with an average of 8.3 cm, and all incisions healed by first intention. The intraoperative blood loss ranged from 200 to 350 mL, with an average of 281 mL. The operation time ranged from 45 to 70 minutes, with an average of 57 minutes. Two patients had sciatic nerve injury before operation, and the sciatic nerve function recovered completely at 3 months after operation; the other 15 patients had no symptoms of sciatic nerve injury after operation. All the 17 patients were followed up 14-27 months, with an average of 19.5 months. At 1 week after operation, according to the Matta criteria, anatomical reduction was achieved in 12 cases and satisfactory reduction in 5 cases, with a satisfaction rate of 100%. According to the modified Merle d'Aubign-Postel scoring system, the hip function score was 13-18 (mean, 16.1) at 6 months after operation. Among them, 5 cases were excellent, 9 were good, and 3 were fair, with an excellent and good rate of 82.4%. At last follow-up, the hip function score was 7-18 (mean, 13.7), of which 3 cases were excellent, 9 were good, 3 were fair, and 2 were poor, with an excellent and good rate of 70.6%. During the follow-up, there was no infection, failure of internal fixation, and femoral head necrosis, and heterotopic ossification occurred in 2 cases. CONCLUSION The posterior minimally invasive approach has the advantages of less trauma, shorter operation time, less blood loss, without cutting off the external rotator muscle. Exposure through the gluteus medius-piriformis space and piriformis-supercilium space can provide sufficient safe exposure for the posterior wall acetabulum fracture, which is a reliable alternative approach for the posterior acetabular fracture.
Humans ; Acetabulum/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Fractures, Bone/diagnostic imaging* ; Treatment Outcome ; Operative Time

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanism of Liangxue Tuizi Formula （凉血退紫方， LXTZF） in treating Henoch-Schönlein Purpura （HSP） by examining its regulatory effect on neutrophil extracellular trap （NETs） dysregulation via the rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma kinase （RAF）/mitogen-activated protein kinase （MEK）/extracellular signal-regulated kinase （ERK） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy Wistar rats were randomly allocated into a blank control group （n=14） and a modeling group （n=56）. Rats in the modelling group underwent an eight-week modelling period to establish HSP rat models with blood-heat syndrome via modified ovalbumin （OVA） induction method combined with oral administration of heat-property Chinese herbal medicine. Fifty successfully modeled rats were subsequently randomly divided into five groups （n=10 per group）， model group， compound glycyrrhizin group， LXTZF group， RAF inhibitor group， and LXTZF + RAF agonist group. Additionally， 10 rats were selected from the original blank control group for the final experiment. From the 11th week of modelling， rats in the blank control group and the model group received 1 ml/（100 g·d） ultrapure water via oral administration， in addition to 0.5 ml/（kg·d） 0.9% sodium chloride solution via intraperitoneal injection. The LXTZF group and the compound glycyrrhizin group received 7.5 g/（kg·d） LXTZF granule suspension via gavage， 13.5 mg/（kg·d） compound glycyrrhizin suspension via gavage， respectively. The RAF inhibitor group received 1 mg/（kg·d） GW5074 suspension via intraperitoneal injection and ultrapure water via oral administration； the LXTZF + RAF agonist group received 7.5 g/（kg·d） LXTZF granule suspension via gavage and 1 mg/（kg·d） paclitaxel suspension via intraperitoneal injection. All administrations were performed once daily for 4 weeks. After intervention， skin tissue histopathology was examined by hematoxylin and eosin （H&E） staining， immunoglobulin A （IgA） deposition was assessed via immunofluorescence， serum levels of neutrophil elastase （NE）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 （VCAM-1） were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， serum myeloperoxidase （MPO） level was determined by a colorimetric assay； the mRNA expression levels of RAF， MEK， and ERK in skin tissue were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （RT-qPCR）； and the protein expression of RAF， MEK， ERK， as well as phosphorylated MEK （p-MEK） and phosphorylated ERK （p-ERK）， were analyzed by Western Blot. ResultsSkin tissue in the blank control group rats remained normal， whereas the model group exhibited neutrophil infiltration and haemorrhage with red blood cell rupture. In all drug intervention groups， neutrophil infiltration and haemorrhagic exudation reduced markedly， with LXTZF group demonstrating the most pronounced improvement. Compared with the blank control group， rats in the model group exhibited enhanced IgA fluorescence intensity in skin tissue， elevated serum levels of NE， MPO， TNF-α and VCAM-1， increased mRNA expression of RAF， MEK， ERK1 and ERK2， as well as heightened RAF protein levels and p-MEK/MEK and p-ERK/ERK ratios （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the drug intervention groups exhibited reduced IgA fluorescence intensity in skin tissue， along with decreased serum levels of NE， MPO， TNF-α， and VCAM-1 （P＜0.05）. In LXTZF group and RAF inhibition groups， reduced mRNA expression of RAF， MEK， ERK1， and ERK2 was observed in rat skin tissue， alongside decreased RAF protein levels and reduced p-MEK/MEK and p-ERK/ERK ratios （P＜0.05）. Compared with LXTZF + RAF agonist group， the compound glycyrrhizin group， LXTZF group， and RAF inhibitior group exhibited reduced IgA fluorescence intensity in skin tissue， decreased serum NE， MPO， TNF-α， and VCAM-1 levels， and decreased MEK mRNA expression and p-MEK/MEK ratio （P＜0.05）. ConclusionThe potential mechanism by which LXTZF treats Henoch-Schönlein purpura with blood heat syndrome may involve blocking the RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway in skin tissue， and suppressing excessive formation of NETs， thereby reducing IgA deposition in dermal microvessels and attenuating systemic inflammatory responses.

Following the principles of evidence-based medicine,in accordance with the structure and drafting rules of standardized documents,based on literature research,according to the characteristics of chronic cough in children and issues that need to form a consensus,the TCM Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough in Children was formulated based on the Delphi method,expert discussion meetings,and public solicitation of opinions.The guideline includes scope of application,terms and definitions,eti-ology and diagnosis,auxiliary examination,treatment,prevention and care.The aim is to clarify the optimal treatment plan of Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease,and to provide guidance for improving the clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in children with Chinese medicine.

Objective To investigate the syndrome differentiation characteristics of children with atopic dermatitis(AD)and the immune imbalance status in children with different syndrome types of AD.Methods A total of 159 AD children and 100 normal control children were enrolled.The peripheral blood eosinophil(Eo)count was measured by impedance method,total serum immunoglobulin E(IgE)by immunoturbidimetric assay,and interferon-gamma(IFN-γ),interleukin-4(IL-4),interleukin-5(IL-5)and interleukin-17(IL-17)were measured by multiple microspheres flow immunofluorescence assay.Results Among 159 AD children,syndrome of heart-fire and spleen-deficiency was most commom,accounting for 38.4%,followed by syndrome of blood-deficiency and wind-dryness(22.0%),syndrome of heat accumulation in heart and spleen(20.1%)and syndrome of spleen-deficiency and dampness-accumulation(19.5%).Compared with normal control group,there was no significant difference in serum IFN-γ level among different syndrome types of AD.The levels of peripheral blood Eo,serum total IgE,IL-4 and IL-17 in AD with heart-fire and spleen-deficiency syndrome were significantly increased(P<0.05).The levels of peripheral blood Eo,IL-4,IL-5 and IL-17 in AD with blood-deficiency and wind-dryness syndrome were significantly increased(P<0.05).The levels of IL-4,IL-5 and IL-17 in AD with heat accumulation in heart and spleen syndrome were significantly increased(P<0.05).The levels of peripheral blood Eo and serum IL-4 in AD with spleen-deficiency and dampness-accumulation syndrome were significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Heart-fire and spleen-deficiency syndrome is the most common type in children with AD,however,the main type under 3 years old is heat accumulation in heart and spleen syndrome.Th2/Th17 immune imbalance are the main pathogenesis in heart-fire and spleen-deficiency syndrome,blood-deficiency and wind-dryness syndrome and heat accumulation in heart and spleen syndrome,and Th2 immune imbalance is the main pathogenesis of spleen-deficiency and dampness-accumulation syndrome.

Objective:To analyze the expression of cell division cycle associated protein 5 (CDCA5) in pancreatic cancer tissues and its correlation with prognosis based on the bioinformatics.Methods:The RNA sequencing data (HTSeq-FPKM) and corresponding clinical information of 168 pancreatic cancer samples from January to December 2021 were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and the data of 179 pancreatic patients from January to December 2021 were downloaded from the GEPIA2 database, and 171 normal pancreatic tissues from TCGA and GTEx databases were simultaneously integrated. The relative expression level of CDCA5 mRNA in pancreatic cancer patients in GEPIA2 database and its relationship with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were explored. Combined with the clinical data of the patients, univariate and multivariate Cox regression model analysis was used to analyze the factors influencing the OS of pancreatic cancer patients. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to investigate the possibly involved signal pathways of CDCA5 in pancreatic cancer.Results:In the GEPIA2 database, the relative expression level of CDCA5 mRNA in pancreatic cancer tissues was higher than that in normal pancreatic tissues, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The pancreatic cancer patients were divided into the high CDCA5 mRNA expression group (89 cases) and the low CDCA5 mRNA expression group (89 cases) according to the median of relative expression level of CDCA5 mRNA (the case equal to the median value was not subgrouped). Survival analysis showed that patients with high CDCA5 mRNA expression had shorter OS ( P = 0.024) and DFS ( P = 0.025) compared with those with low CDCA5 mRNA expression. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that in TCGA database, N staging ( HR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.24-3.72, P = 0.006) and CDCA5 expression ( HR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.23-2.38, P = 0.001) were independent influencing factors of OS for pancreatic cancer patients. The results of GSEA enrichment analysis indicated that high CDCA5 mRNA expression was enriched in 13 biological pathways [all P < 0.05, false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.005] including cell cycle, DNA replication, homologous recombination, pyrimidine metabolism, mismatch repair, pentose phosphate pathway, glycolysis gluconeogenesis and p53. The expression of CDCA5 mRNA was positively correlated with the expressions of HK2, PKM, PGK1, ALDOA, EN01 and LDHA (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:CDCA5 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and is associated with poor prognosis of patients, and it can be used as a prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer.

Objective: To establish a method for the determination of manganese in urine by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) without the use of matrix modifier. Methods: The urine samples were 5 times diluted with 1% nitric acid then directly determined by AAS. Zeeman was used for background correction. Results: The linear range for determination of manganese in urine was 5~60 μg/L (urine) . The correlation coefficient was greater than 0.995 with the detection limit of 1.5 μg/L and with the lower limit of quantification of 5.0 μg/L. The relative standard deviations (RSDs) of within-run precision was between 1.1%~4.3%, the RSDs of between-run precision was between 3.3%~7.0%. The average recovery was 102.6%. The samples can be stored for 14 days at room temperature, 4℃, -8 ℃ and -35 ℃. Conclusion The method is feasible for determination of manganese in urine.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between human leukocyte antigen( HLA)-B~* 13 : 01 allele and liver dysfunction in patients with occupational medicamentosa-like dermatitis due to trichloroethylene( OMDT). METHODS: Twenty patients with OMDT were chosen as study subjects by using a convenient sampling method. The sequence-based genotyping method was used for detecting HLA-B~* 13 : 01 allele in the DNA samples from peripheral blood of all study subjects. The serum levels of total protein,albumin,total bilirubin,direct bilirubin and alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities in patients were examined. The correlation between the number of HLA-B~* 13 : 01 alleles and the liver function indices was also analyzed. RESULTS: There were 16 patients carrying HLA-B~* 13: 01 allele. The serum total protein in the HLA-B~* 13: 01 carriers was higher than that of non-carriers( P < 0. 05). The serum total protein was positively correlated with the number of patients carrying HLA-B~* 13: 01 alleles( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: The degree of liver function damage in OMDT patients may be related to carrying the HLA-B~* 13: 01 allele.