Gouty arthritis （GA） is caused by monosodium urate（MSU） deposition due to purine metabolism disorders. In traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， it falls under the category of "dampness-heat Bi syndrome"， with core pathogenesis involving dampness-heat accumulation and dysfunction of the spleen and kidney. The dampness-heat syndrome is the most common and the primary syndrome type during acute attacks. In Western medicine， GA is associated with purine metabolism imbalance and inflammation triggered by MSU crystals， involving pathways such as NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome activation and Toll-like receptor 2/4 （TLR2/4） signaling. Clinically， colchicine and similar drugs are commonly used to treat GA， although long-term use carries potential side effects. Ermiao Formula analogs originate from ancient prescriptions， including Ermiao， Sanmiao， and Simiao compound formulas. All contain Atractylodis Rhizoma and Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex. Ermiaowan follow a 1∶1 formulation ratio. Sanmiaowan add Cyathulae Radix. Simiaowan further incorporate Coicis Semen. These formulas are rich in active ingredients， including alkaloids， terpenoids， flavonoids， and sterols， and treat GA through multi-component， multi-pathway， and multi-target mechanisms. Ermiaosan primarily exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting pathways such as TLR4/nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB） or regulating immune responses to reduce the release of inflammatory mediators， while also suppressing xanthine dehydrogenase （XDH） and xanthine oxidase （XO） activity to decrease uric acid production. Sanmiaowan enhance uric acid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects through the guiding herb Cyathulae Radix， while also protecting cartilage from damage. Simiaowan utilizes Coicis Semen to regulate intestinal flora， alleviate dampness-heat symptoms， and exert multi-pathway anti-inflammatory and uric acid-lowering effects. The active ingredients contribute differently to uric acid metabolism regulation， anti-inflammation， antioxidant activity， and bone repair， resulting in varying therapeutic effects due to differences in formula composition. In summary， formulas derived from Ermiaosan demonstrate significant efficacy in treating dampness-heat type GA. This review summarizes their research progress and mechanisms， providing a reference for clinical application， new drug development， and further studies.

AIM:To explore the clinical characteristics, time course, and influencing factors associated with the spontaneous regression of retinopathy of prematurity(ROP).

METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from infants diagnosed with ROP. The clinical outcomes were systematically evaluated, including the rates and process of spontaneous regression across different ROP stages and zones. Potential factors for spontaneous regression were also examined.

RESULTS: A total of 138 infants(138 eyes, for patients with bilateral involvement, the more severely affected eye was chosen)with ROP were included, consisting of 77 males and 61 females. The mean gestational age was 30.0±2.3 wk. Spontaneous regression was observed in 113 cases. The regression rates for stages 1, 2, and 3 were 100%, 81%, and 23%, respectively. Regression was observed in 100% of zone Ⅲ cases and 74% of zone II cases, but did not occur in zone I or in cases with plus disease. Higher gestational age and birth weight were associated with increased rates of spontaneous regression. The median postmenstrual age(PMA)at the onset of ROP regression was 39.8 wk and at the completion of regression was 48.4 wk, with a median regression duration of 8 wk. Zone II and higher-stage ROP(stages≥2)were associated with a later onset and completion of regression, as well as a longer regression duration. Further analysis revealed that mechanical ventilation duration>14 d and retinal hemorrhage were identified as risk factors impeding the spontaneous regression of ROP.

CONCLUSION: The spontaneous regression rate of ROP varies with stage, zone, gestational age, and birth weight. The regression rate is high for stage 1 and zone Ⅲ ROP, whereas it is lower for stage 2, zone II, and more severe forms of ROP, which require close monitoring or active intervention. The time course of spontaneous regression of ROP also differs by disease stage and zone.Mechanical ventilation lasting>14 d and retinal hemorrhage are risk factors impeding the spontaneous regression of ROP.

The general models for intermediates quality analysis in the production process of Yaobitong capsule were established by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with chemometrics, realizing the rapid determination of notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rd and moisture. The spray-dried fine powder and total mixed granule were selected as research objects. The contents of five saponins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and the moisture content was determined by drying method. The measured contents were used as reference values. Meanwhile, NIR spectra were collected. After removing abnormal samples by Monte Carlo cross validation (MCCV), Monte Carlo uninformative variables elimination (MC-UVE) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were used to select feature variables respectively. Based on the feature variables, quantitative models were established by partial least squares regression (PLSR), extreme learning machine (ELM) and ant lion optimization least squares support vector machine (ALO-LSSVM). The results showed that CARS-ALO-LSSVM model had the optimum effect. The correlation coefficients of the six index components were greater than 0.93, and the relative standard errors were controlled within 6%. ALO-LSSVM was more suitable for a large number of samples with rich information, and the prediction effect and stability of the model were significantly improved. The general models with good predicting effect can be used for the rapid quality determination of Yaobitong capsule intermediates.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of rituximab (RTX) in the treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), explore the influencing factors of the therapeutic effect and construct a nomogram model for predicting the therapeutic effect.Methods:A single retrospective study was conducted in IMN patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2017 to December 2022. All patients received monotherapy with RTX and were followed up for at least 12 months. RTX regimen adopted a B-cell guided regimen to achieve 0 cells/μl of peripheral blood CD19+ B cells through multiple administrations, followed by monitoring every 2?3 months and adding doses as needed to maintain this state. The complete response rate, partial response rate, and composite response rate at 6 months, 12 months and the end of follow up were analyzed. Logistic stepwise regression and R language were applied to construct a nomogram model for efficacy prediction. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test were used to internally validate the nomogram model.Results:A total of 147 IMN patients were included in the study, with age of 56 (47, 65) years, 99 (67.4%) males. There were 69 (46.9%) newly treated patients, 78 (53.1%) retreatment patients. The follow-up time was 14.4 (12.0, 15.0) months. The total RTX dose was 1 800 (1 200, 2 400) mg. The composite response rates at 6 months, 12 months and the end of the follow-up were 36.7% (54/147), 59.9% (88/147) and 63.3% (93/147), respectively. The complete remission rates at 6 months, 12 months and the end of the follow-up were 6.1% (9/147), 13.6% (20/147) and 19.7% (29/147), respectively. Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that age ≥ 65 years ( OR=0.335, 95% CI 0.135?0.833), retreatment ( OR=0.333, 95% CI 0.144?0.771), high cholesterol ( OR=0.716, 95% CI 0.577?0.888), high serum creatinine ( OR=0.978, 95% CI 0.963?0.993) and B-cell reconstruction within 6 months ( OR=0.273, 95% CI 0.115?0.645) were independent correlated factors affecting composite remission. Based on these factors, a nomogram model for predicting the therapeutic effect of RTX in IMN patients was constructed. The ROC curve indicated that the accuracy of this model in predicting composite remission was good ( AUC=0.814, 95% CI 0.744-0.883). The calibration curve showed that the predicted composite response rate had a good fit with the actual response rate (Hosmer-Lemeshow test χ2=11.917, P=0.155). Conclusions:RTX has good efficacy and safety as a monotherapy for IMN patients. The constructed nomogram prediction model has high discrimination and accuracy to predict the efficacy of RTX treatment for IMN.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae(MP)infection among pediatric inpatients with respiratory tract infections(RTIs)at Children's Hospital of Hebei Province,providing evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 79 546 children hospitalized for RTIs between January 2016 and February 2024.Nasopharyngeal aspirates or deep sputum samples were collected,and polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to detect nucleic acids of 13 respiratory pathogens,including MP and adenovirus.The epidemiological trends across different years,seasons,genders,and age groups were analyzed.Results Among the 79 546 enrolled cases(male:47 437,59.6%;female:32 109,40.4%),the MP-positive rate was 17.7%(14 106/79 546),peaking in 2023(28.8%)and reaching the lowest in 2021(7.0%).Except for the period from July 2020 to March 2021 with exceptionally low MP positivity,epidemic peaks consistently occurred between August and February or March of the following year.Seasonal analysis revealed significantly higher MP positivity in autumn and winter compared to spring(P<0.001).Female children exhibited a higher MP-positive rate(20.1%,6444/32 109)than males(16.2%,7662/47 437)(P<0.001).The MP-positive rate increased with age:infancy(3.2%,849/26 741),toddlerhood(9.3%,1935/20 763),preschool(21.2%,3918/18 448),and school-age(54.5%,7404/13 594)(P<0.001).Co-infections with other respiratory pathogens were observed in 37.3%(5264/14 106)of MP-positive cases,with human rhinovirus(HRV)being the most frequent co-pathogen(43.3%,2279/5264 of mixed infections).Conclusion MP is a major pathogen of RTIs in hospitalized children at Children's Hospital of Hebei Province.Infections occur year-round but predominantly in autumn,with higher susceptibility in females and school-age children.Targeted preventive measures should be implemented during peak seasons to mitigate transmission risks.

Aim To observe the effect of lipopolysac-charide(LPS)induced supernatant of BV-2 cells on the inflammatory response and apoptosis of HT22 neu-rons.Methods After the concentration and time of LPS were determined by CCK-8 method,BV-2 cells were cultured with medium without LPS and medium containing LPS,the morphological changes of BV-2 microglia were observed by inverted microscope,and the CD86/CD206 ratio of BV-2 microglia was detected by immunofluorescence.Subsequently,BV-2 cell cul-ture supernatants were isolated and added to HT22 neuronal culture to observe the effect on the inflamma-tory response of HT22 neurons.The proliferation of HT22 neurons was detected by CCK-8 method and EdU method.The structural changes of HT22 neurons were observed under the microscope and examined by urani-um-lead staining.The levels of cytokines interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-10(IL-10),nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent as-say(Elisa).Neuronal apoptosis was detected by the TUNEL method.The protein expressions of Bax,Bcl-2 and inflammatory factors were detected by Western blot.Results After induction with 1 mg·L-1 LPS,BV-2 cells exhibited increased cell body size,thicker protrusions on both side,and some cells showed de-formed protrusions,the CD86/CD206 ratio in BV-2 cells decreased,promoting the transformation of BV-2 cells from M2 type to M1 type.After treating with the culture supernatant of BV-2 cells,HT22 neuronal cell activity and proliferation were reduced,axons short-ened,and the number of cells decreased.Neuronal cell bodies were enlarged and some cells were de-formed,with damaged cell membranes,round cell nu-clei but displaced nucleoli from the normal position,swollen mitochondria with vacuoles,reduced internal ridge structures,and increased levels of inflammatory factors NF-κB,IL-1 β,and TNF-α(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),while the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 de-creased(P＜0.05),protein expression of the pro-apoptotic indicator Bax increased(P＜0.01),and the protein expression of the anti-apoptotic indicator Bcl-2 decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusion After induction of BV-2 cell polarization by LPS,the supernatant could inhibit HT22 neuronal cell viability,upregulate inflam-matory factor expression and promote apoptosis.

Objective:To summarize and analyze the clinical characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) combined with ischaemic stroke and the factors associated with poor prognosis.Methods:A total of 50 patients with SLE combined with ischaemic stroke in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2014 to June 2024 were included in the study, the clinical data of the patients were retrospectively collected and summarized, the Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess the normality of data, and the factors related to poor prognosis were analyzed by logistic regression analyses.Results:Fifty patients with SLE combined with ischaemic stroke had a mean age of (47.1±15.5)years, 80.0%(40/50) were female, the duration of SLE was (5.6±6.3)years, the mean SLEDAI-2K score was (14.3±4.1), the rate of anticardiolipin antibody positivity was 30.0%(15/50), and the rate of β 2-glycoprotein Ⅰ antibody positivity was 28.0%(14/50). The most common clinical manifestations of stroke were impaired limb movement (34.0%) (17/50), cerebral infarction mainly in the cerebral hemisphere (82.0%)(41/50), combined with cerebral haemorrhage in 6.0%(3/50), cerebral leukoencephalopathy in 26.0%(13/50), and cerebral atrophy in 24.0%(12/50). In terms of treatment, the most used immunosuppressant was cyclophosphamide (34.0%, 17/50), 64.0%(32/50) of patients received aspirin, 32.0%(16/50) received clopidogrel and 14.0%(7/50) received anticoagulation. Four deaths and 12 cases of severe disability were found in 50 patients at follow-up, and SLEDAI-2000 scores were positively correlated with the above poor prognosis using univariate [ OR(95% CI)=1.407(1.123,1.764), P=0.003] and multivariate [ OR(95% CI)=1.388(1.097, 1.756), P=0.006] regression analyses. Conclusion:Patients with SLE combined with ischaemic stroke had high disease activity in SLE, and SLEDAI-2000 scores were positively associated with poor prognosis of death and severe disability.

Forensic medicine has been designated as a first-level discipline,presenting new opportunities and challenges for the development of forensic medicine.Since the 1980s,the establishment of foren-sic medicine discipline and the cultivation of high-level forensic talents have become hot topics in the development of forensic medicine in China.Since the 13th Five-Year Plan,the forensic team of Shanxi Medical University has been aiming at the forefront,proposing the development goals of"Five First-class"and the discipline development path"Six Major Achievements".It has selected benchmark disci-plines,identified gaps in disciplinary development,unified thoughts,formulated completion timelines,concentrated superior resources,assigned tasks to individuals,and created an"Organized Fill-in-the-Blank Format"forensic medicine discipline construction model with the characteristics of the new era.The construction model of forensic medicine has achieved good results in the goals,discipline frame-work,scientific research,talent cultivation,discipline team and platform construction,forming a rela-tively complete discipline construction and management system,and accumulating valuable experience for the construction of first-level discipline and high-level talent cultivation of forensic medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and topical efficacy of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (POG) and investigate the molecular mechanisms of its therapeutic effects in atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS: The effects of POG on human keratinocyte cell viability and its anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated using cell counting kit-8 assay and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequently, the impact of POG on the differentiation of cluster of differentiation (CD) 4⁺ T cell subsets, including T-helper type (Th) 1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T (Treg), was examined through in vitro experiments. Network pharmacology analysis was used to elucidate POG's therapeutic mechanisms. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of topically applied POG was further evaluated in a calcipotriol-induced mouse model of AD. The protein and transcript levels of inflammatory markers, including cytokines, lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (Lck) mRNA, and LCK phosphorylation (p-LCK), were quantified using immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: POG was able to suppress cell proliferation and downregulate the transcription of interleukin 4 (Il4) and Il13 mRNA. In vitro experiments indicated that POG significantly inhibited the differentiation of Th2 cells, whereas it exerted negligible influence on the differentiation of Th1, Th17 and Treg cells. Network pharmacology identified LCK as a key therapeutic target of POG. Moreover, the topical application of POG effectively alleviated skin lesions in the calcipotriol-induced AD mouse models without causing pathological changes in the liver, kidney or spleen tissues. POG significantly reduced the levels of Il4, Il5, Il13, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (Tslp) mRNA in the AD mice. Concurrently, POG enhanced the expression of p-LCK protein and Lck mRNA. CONCLUSION Our research revealed that POG inhibits Th2 cell differentiation by promoting p-LCK protein expression and hence effectively alleviates AD-related skin inflammation. Please cite this article as: Zhao H, Ma X, Wang H, Ding XJ, Kuai L, Song JK, Zhang Z, Yang D, Gao CJ, Li B, Zhou M. Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin mitigates atopic dermatitis by inhibiting Th2 differentiation through LCK phosphorylation modulation. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 309-319.
Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Humans ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Phosphorylation/drug effects* ; Mice ; Th2 Cells/drug effects* ; Keratinocytes/drug effects* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Calcitriol/analogs & derivatives*