Objective To study the five-year survival status and influencing factors of elderly patients with lung cancer complicated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A cohort study was conducted to follow up 450 patients with lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who were hospitalized in our hospital from January 2018 to December 2023. The endpoint of the follow-up was the end of a five-year period or death. The Life Tables method was used to calculate survival rates and plot survival curves. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the influencing factors of five-year survival. Results The results indicated that the overall five-year survival rate of patients was 4.89%, and it decreased year by year. Cox regression analysis showed that age, gender, family functioning, and psychological status significantly influenced patient survival rate (all P<0.05). Stratified analysis found that the smoking status, family functioning, and psychological status of male patients all had an impact on survival rate (all P<0.05), while the psychological status of female patients had a more significant impact on survival (P=0.008). Conclusion This study provides a scientific basis for comprehensive intervention of elderly lung cancer patients with COPD. It is recommended that clinical attention should be paid to psychological and family factors to improve patient prognosis.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy on the long-term prognosis for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy （DCM） of yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 371 DCM patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. The yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy was defined as the exposure factor. Patients were categorized into exposure group （186 cases） and non-exposure group （185 cases） according to whether they received yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy combined with conventional western medicine for 6 months or longer. The follow-up period was set at 48 months， and the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events （MACE） in both groups. Cox regression analysis was used to explore the impact of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy on the risk of MACE， and subgroup analysis was performed. Changes in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， left ventricular fractional shortening （LVFS）， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ） score were compared between groups at the time of first combined use of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy （before treatment） and 1 year after receiving the therapy （after treatment）. ResultsMACE occurred in 31 cases （16.67%） in the exposure group and 47 cases （25.41%） in the non-exposure group. The cumulative incidence of MACE in the exposure group was significantly lower than that in the non-exposure group ［HR=0.559， 95%CI（0.361，0.895）， P=0.014］. Cox regression analysis showed that yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy was an independent factor for reducing the risk of MACE in DCM patients ［HR=0.623， 95%CI（0.396，0.980）， P=0.041］， and consistent results were observed in different subgroups. Compared with pre-treatment， the exposure group showed decreased TCM syndrome score and MLHFQ score， reduced LVEDD， and increased LVEF and LVFS after treatment （P＜0.05）； in the non-exposure group， TCM syndrome score decreased， LVEF and LVFS increased， and LVEDD reduced after treatment （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the exposure group had higher LVEF and LVFS， smaller LVEDD， and lower TCM syndrome score and MLHFQ score compared with the non-exposure group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionCombining yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy with conventional western medicine can reduce the risk of MACE in DCM patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome， meanwhile improving their clinical symptoms， cardiac function， and quality of life.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of the Yishen paidu formula on renal fibrosis in rats with chronic renal failure （CRF） through the reactive oxygen species （ROS）/thioredoxin-interacting protein （TXNIP）/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 （NLRP3） pathway. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， Yishen paidu formula low-dose （Yishen paidu formula-L） group， Yishen paidu formula high-dose （Yishen paidu formula- H） group， Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-NC group， and Yishen paidu formula-H+ pcDNA-TXNIP group， with 10 rats in each group. Except for control group， all other rats were fed a diet containing 0.5% adenine to establish a CRF model； the rats were then administered corresponding drugs or normal saline intragastrically or via tail vein， once daily， for 8 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the levels of serum creatinine （Scr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， ROS， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-6， and IL-1β were measured in each group. Pathological changes in renal tissue were observed， and the protein expression levels of Collagen Ⅲ， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， transforming growth factor-β1 （TGF-β1）， TXNIP and NLRP3 in renal tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with model group， the renal histopathological damage and fibrosis of rats in Yishen paidu formula-L group and Yishen paidu formula-H group were significantly alleviated. The levels of Scr， BUN， ROS， MDA， TNF- α， IL-6 and IL-1β， and the protein expressions of Collagen Ⅲ， α-SMA， TGF-β1， TXNIP and NLRP3 were significantly decreased， while SOD levels were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Moreover， the changes were more pronounced in the Yishen paidu formula-H group （P＜0.05）. Compared with Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-NC group， above indexes of rats in Yishen paidu formula-H+pcDNA-TXNIP group were reversed significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Yishen paidu formula can inhibit renal fibrosis in CRF rats by suppressing the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Sangpi Zhike prescription in treating cough after respiratory syncytial virus （RSV） infection through the "lung-intestine co-treatment" approach using network pharmacology and animal experimental validation. MethodsActive ingredients and targets of Sangpi Zhike prescription were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology （TCMSP） database. Disease targets were obtained from GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man（OMIM） databases. Protein-protein interaction （PPI） networks and drug-component-target networks were constructed using overlapping targets between drugs and diseases to identify core targets. Gene ontology（GO） and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes（KEGG） pathway enrichment analyses were performed on the overlapping targets. Sixty mouse models were established： 10 as the normal group， and the remaining mice were infected with RSV via slow nasal drip of RSV suspension， with cough induced using capsaicin solution. After modeling， mice were divided into a model group， a Montelukast Sodium group （1 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and low， medium， and high dose groups of Sangpi Zhike prescription （4.875，9.75，and 19.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 10 mice per group. From day 14 after RSV infection， the normal and model groups received saline via gavage， while other groups received corresponding drug treatments once daily for 5 d. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe pathological changes in lung and intestinal tissue. The protein content of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2） and phosphorylated （p）-ERK1/2 in the lung and colon tissue of mice was detected by Western blot. Real-time polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） detected ERK1/2 mRNA expression in lung and intestinal tissue. Immunohistochemistry assessed p-MEK1/2， p-ERK1/2， p-c-Fos protein levels， and inflammatory cytokines interleukin（IL）-4 and （TNF）-α in lung and colon tissue. ResultsNetwork pharmacology identified 184 active ingredients and 684 targets in Sangpi Zhike prescription， with 1 344 RSV-related disease targets and 209 overlapping targets. Core targets included TNF， Fos， and Jun. KEGG enrichment revealed 179 pathways， primarily mitogen-activated protein kinase（MAPK）， cancer， TNF， and IL-17 signaling pathways. Animal experiments showed that， compared to those of the normal group， the lung tissue sections of the model group showed typical inflammatory damage， infiltration of inflammatory cells， rupture of alveolar septa， extensive alveolar fusion， and disruption of tight junctions between single-layer columnar epithelial cells in the intestinal tissue. The values of p-ERK1/2 and ERK1/2 in lung and intestinal tissue were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the expression level of ERK1/2 mRNA was significantly elevated （P<0.01）. The levels of ERK1/2， p-MEK1/2， p-ERK1/2， p-c-Fos， IL-4， and TNF-α along the ERK pathway were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared to the model group， Sangpi Zhike prescription groups showed reduced lung and intestinal inflammation， decreased p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 ratios （P<0.05，P<0.01）， lower ERK1/2 mRNA levels， and downregulated ERK pathway proteins （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionSangpi Zhike prescription alleviates cough and intestinal symptoms after RSV infection via the "lung-intestine co-treatment" mechanism by suppressing expression levels of ERK1/2， p-MEK1/2， p-ERK1/2， p-c-Fos， IL-4， and TNF-α on ERK pathway components， thereby mitigating lung and intestinal pathological damage.

BACKGROUND:BCR/ABL gene is a specific gene of Ph chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia,and its expression level has become a sensitive indicator for monitoring minimal residual disease before and after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.However,whether the expression level of BCR/ABL gene before transplantation affects the efficacy of transplantation and how to guide the early intervention of relapse with tyrosine kinase inhibitors after transplantation is still inconclusive.OBJECTIVE:To explore the relationship between BCR/ABL gene expression and recurrence in patients with Ph chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia before and after related and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.METHODS:Twenty-four patients with Ph chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia who achieved complete hematological remission and underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were selected at the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology between January 2015 and December 2022.Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to dynamically detect the expression levels of BCR/ABL genes during treatment,representing minimal residual disease.Based on BCR/ABL gene expression,tyrosine kinase inhibitors combined with chemotherapy was administered before transplantation to select the timing of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.After transplantation,the disease status was evaluated to guide the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors,and an early intervention plan for recurrence was developed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Follow-up was until December 2023,with a median follow-up time of 49(12-82)months.There were 8 cases of hematological recurrence,with a median recurrence time of 14(8-39)months and a cumulative recurrence rate of 33％(8/24).Univariate analysis showed that recurrence after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was not significantly correlated with gender,age,extramedullary complications,time from diagnosis to transplantation,HLA typing,acute graft-versus-host disease,and chronic graft-versus-host disease(P＞0.05).There was a significant correlation between the relief treatment course and minimal residual disease levels before transplantation.The second hematology completely resolution and positive minimal residual disease before transplantation had a higher hematological recurrence rate(P＜0.05).The 3-year cumulative recurrence rate,disease-free survival rate,and overall survival rate were 27％,63％,and 74％;the 5-year cumulative recurrence rate,disease-free survival rate,and overall survival rate were 38％,57％,and 74％,respectively.It is concluded that Ph chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients with BCR/ABL gene positive before transplantation have a higher recurrence rate.BCR/ABL gene expression after transplantation can guide the application of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and serve as a basis for early intervention in recurrence.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes,as a type of extracellular vesicle,have become a key medium for cell-to-cell communication due to their nanoscale size and enrichment of various bioactive substances.The study of exosome secretion regulation not only has important scientific value,but also has broad application prospects in clinical practice,and is of great significance for promoting medical progress and improving human health.OBJECTIVE:To review the biological characteristics,biological functions,biogenesis process and biochemical regulation mechanism of exosomes,and to explore the application prospects of exosomes in disease diagnosis,treatment and vaccine development,so as to provide theoretical basis and reference for basic research and clinical transformation of exosomes.METHODS:The first author searched PubMed and CNKI databases in October 2024 for relevant literature published from January 2010 to October 2024.Key words were"exosomes,biological functions,biogenesis,secretion or release,regulatory mechanisms,application prospects"in Chinese and English.Finally,92 articles were included for analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The secretion level of exosomes can be regulated through physical or biochemical means.Exosomes show broad application prospects in the fields of disease diagnosis,treatment,and vaccine development,and may play a key role in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases as well as cancer.This review provides valuable information for the clinical translation and application research of exosomes,helping to promote future progress in exosome research and application.

Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive system and ranks sixth among newly diagnosed malignant tumors worldwide. Transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β） regulates cell differentiation， proliferation， apoptosis， and other physiological and pathological mechanisms and exerts cancer-suppressive and pro-cancerous dual effects in the process of tumor development. In recent years， with the continuous exploration of the mechanism of liver cancer， it has been found that the conversion of the cancer-suppressive effect into a pro-cancerous effect of this pathway plays a key role in the development of liver cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） provides a unique perspective for the classification， diagnosis， and treatment of liver cancer with its comprehensive regulatory effects of multi-components， multi-targets， and multi-pathways. This paper summarized that the cancer-suppressive mechanisms of the TGF-β signaling pathway included promoting cancer cell cycle arrest， apoptosis， autophagy， et al， while the pro-cancerous mechanisms included promoting cancer cell proliferation， invasion and metastasis， immunosuppression， angiogenesis， et al. The TCM compounds intervening this pathway were sorted out， including Jianpi Huayu compound， Fuyang Baoyuan compound， Yipi Yanggan compound， Fuzheng Jiedu compound， compound Astragalus and Salvia， Biejia Jianwan， Dahuang Zhechong pill， and Qingxiang powder. The single TCMs mainly included Schizocapsa plantaginea， Dendrobii Caulis， Gleditsia sinensis， and Dracaena cochinchinensis. The active ingredients of TCM are mainly concentrated on flavonoids， alkaloids， glycosides， phenolics， terpenoids， polysaccharides， and other kinds of compounds. At the same time， it summarized that the liver cancer inhibition mechanism of TCM by regulating this pathway mainly included promoting apoptosis of liver cancer cells， blocking the cell cycle， and inhibiting liver cancer cell proliferation， migration， invasion， angiogenesis， immune escape， etc. The mechanism aims to give full play to the advantages of TCM and precisely regulate the TGF-β signal， thereby exerting positive anti-tumor effects， opening up a new direction for the precise targeted treatment of liver cancer， and providing a scientific basis and a new strategy for the application of TCM in the treatment of liver cancer.

AIM:To observe the morphological and structural changes of foveal cone photoreceptors in patients with age-related macular degeneration(ARMD)using adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy(AOSLO)and to evaluate its application value in ARMD.METHODS:This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Patients with ARMD who visited the Department of Ophthalmology, Army Medical Center of PLA, Army Medical University, and underwent AOSLO examination between September 2025 and October 2025 were enrolled as the experimental group(ARMD group). Age-matched individuals who underwent AOSLO examination during the same period and had either age-related cataract or pseudophakia with a normal macular region were selected as the control group(CON group). The AOSLO device was used to image a 2.4°×2.4° area of the fovea, and parameters including parafoveal cone photoreceptor density(PCPD), average inter-cell spacing, cell dispersion, and cell regularity were analyzed.RESULTS:A total of 53 participants(66 eyes)were included, comprising 24 patients(33 eyes)in the ARMD group [comprising 6 participants(6 eyes)in the intermediate ARMD group and 22 participants(27 eyes)in the late ARMD group(4 participants had one eye in the intermediate group and the other in the late ARMD group)], and 29 participants(33 eyes)in the CON group. The ARMD group included 13 males and 11 females, with a mean age of 69.36±9.79 y. The control group included 17 males and 12 females, with a mean age of 64.64±10.31 y. Compared to the CON group, the ARMD group exhibited significantly lower PCPD(31635±4887 vs 38524±3578 cells/mm2, P<0.01)and cell regularity(95.16%±0.75% vs 96.07%±0.67%, P<0.01), along with significantly greater average inter-cell spacing(4.43±0.26 vs 4.22±0.23 μm, P<0.01)and cell dispersion(20.23%±2.72% vs 16.47%±1.85%, P<0.01). Subgroup analysis within the ARMD group revealed that PCPD was significantly lower in the late ARMD subgroup(30831±4826 cells/mm2)compared to the intermediate ARMD subgroup(35254±3534 cells/mm2, P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Photoreceptor pathology in ARMD patients, as assessed by AOSLO, is characterized by decreased PCPD and cell regularity, as well as increased inter-cell spacing and dispersion. These structural alterations are closely associated with photoreceptor cell lesions. AOSLO, as a non-invasive and quantitative imaging modality, demonstrates promising application prospects in the clinical diagnosis of ARMD.

Liver cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the digestive system and ranks sixth among newly diagnosed malignant tumors worldwide. Transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β） regulates cell differentiation， proliferation， apoptosis， and other physiological and pathological mechanisms and exerts cancer-suppressive and pro-cancerous dual effects in the process of tumor development. In recent years， with the continuous exploration of the mechanism of liver cancer， it has been found that the conversion of the cancer-suppressive effect into a pro-cancerous effect of this pathway plays a key role in the development of liver cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） provides a unique perspective for the classification， diagnosis， and treatment of liver cancer with its comprehensive regulatory effects of multi-components， multi-targets， and multi-pathways. This paper summarized that the cancer-suppressive mechanisms of the TGF-β signaling pathway included promoting cancer cell cycle arrest， apoptosis， autophagy， et al， while the pro-cancerous mechanisms included promoting cancer cell proliferation， invasion and metastasis， immunosuppression， angiogenesis， et al. The TCM compounds intervening this pathway were sorted out， including Jianpi Huayu compound， Fuyang Baoyuan compound， Yipi Yanggan compound， Fuzheng Jiedu compound， compound Astragalus and Salvia， Biejia Jianwan， Dahuang Zhechong pill， and Qingxiang powder. The single TCMs mainly included Schizocapsa plantaginea， Dendrobii Caulis， Gleditsia sinensis， and Dracaena cochinchinensis. The active ingredients of TCM are mainly concentrated on flavonoids， alkaloids， glycosides， phenolics， terpenoids， polysaccharides， and other kinds of compounds. At the same time， it summarized that the liver cancer inhibition mechanism of TCM by regulating this pathway mainly included promoting apoptosis of liver cancer cells， blocking the cell cycle， and inhibiting liver cancer cell proliferation， migration， invasion， angiogenesis， immune escape， etc. The mechanism aims to give full play to the advantages of TCM and precisely regulate the TGF-β signal， thereby exerting positive anti-tumor effects， opening up a new direction for the precise targeted treatment of liver cancer， and providing a scientific basis and a new strategy for the application of TCM in the treatment of liver cancer.

Esophageal cancer is a prevalent malignant tumor of the digestive tract in China, and radical surgery remains the cornerstone of its comprehensive treatment. However, multifactorial challenges such as postoperative gastrointestinal tract reconstruction, traumatic stress, and tumor-related metabolic disturbances render esophageal cancer patients highly susceptible to malnutrition. Perioperative nutritional support therapy plays a crucial role in enhancing surgical safety, improving clinical outcomes, and elevating patients' quality of life by regulating metabolic homeostasis, preserving organ function, and optimizing the immune microenvironment. This article reviews the mechanisms underlying malnutrition in esophageal cancer, methods for nutritional status assessment, and precision intervention pathways based on multi-omics evaluations. The aim is to strengthen clinicians' awareness of standardized perioperative nutritional management for esophageal cancer patients and promote its clinical implementation, thereby facilitating postoperative recovery and improving long-term quality of life.