Objective To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound in treating pulmonary nodules, providing evidence-based medical evidence for TCM intervention in pulmonary nodules. Methods Computer search of PubMed, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed was conducted to select randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TCM compound intervention in pulmonary nodules, with the retrieval time from the inception to November 29, 2023. The Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies, and Review Manager 5.4 was used for Meta-analysis. Results A total of 18 RCTs were included, covering 8 provinces across the country, with a total sample size of 1301 patients. The TCM compounds used in the included studies all incorporated the method of dissolving phlegm and dissipating nodules. There was a high risk of bias uncertainty in the included studies. Meta-analysis results suggested that TCM compound could significantly reduce the diameter of pulmonary nodules [MD=−1.41, 95%CI (−1.70, −1.13), P<0.001], decrease the number of nodules [MD=−0.37, 95%CI (−0.73, −0.01), P=0.05], alleviate clinical symptoms [MD=−4.84, 95%CI (−6.04, −3.64), P<0.001], and improve lung function [forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), MD=0.55, 95%CI (0.09, 1.01), P=0.02; FEV1/forced vital capacity, MD=6.12, 95%CI (4.47, 7.78), P<0.001]. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the probability of malignancy between the experimental group and the control group [MD=−0.01, 95%CI (−0.01, 0.00), P=0.09]. Conclusion TCM compound can significantly reduce the diameter of pulmonary nodules, decrease the number of nodules, alleviate clinical symptoms, and improve lung function, but future multicenter, large-sample, high-quality RCTs are still needed to further explore and verify this conclusion.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the potential link between myopia in adolescents and exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). METHODS: This investigation included 1971 subjects with accessible PFAS level data, myopia status, and associated variables from four cycles of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). The investigation focused on specific PFAS compounds found in the serum, including perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), chosen for their frequent detection. Owing to the skewed nature of the PFAS level data, the PFAS levels were log-transformed (Ln-PFAS) prior to analysis. Logistic regression, restricted cubic spline modeling, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis were used to examine the associations between exposure to PFASs and the onset of myopia. RESULTS: PFOA levels were significantly associated with myopia risk (OR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.05-1.69; P = 0.019). More specifically, with respect to the first quartile, the second quartile (OR_Q2: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.16-2.46; P = 0.007), third quartile (OR_Q3: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.03-2.03; P = 0.035), and highest quartile (OR_Q4: 1.58; 95% CI: 1.12-2.21; P = 0.010) of participants presented with increased myopia risk. Mediation analysis revealed that PFOA and myopia risk were partially mediated by serum albumin (ALB), with a mediation percentage of 22.48% (P = 0.008). A nonlinear inverted U-shaped relationship was identified between the level of PFOA and myopia risk (P for nonlinearity = 0.005). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest a potential link between exposure to PFOA and the likelihood of myopia development in young individuals and a mediating effect of serum ALB on this relationship. Notably, PFOA was identified as a key PFAS significantly contributing to the observed link between PFAS exposure and myopia risk. The potential threat of PFOA to myopia should be examined further.
Humans ; Fluorocarbons/adverse effects* ; Myopia/blood* ; Adolescent ; Male ; Female ; Prevalence ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Environmental Pollutants/adverse effects* ; United States/epidemiology* ; Alkanesulfonic Acids/blood* ; Caprylates/blood* ; Serum Albumin/metabolism* ; Child ; Sulfonic Acids

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic value of native T1 mapping in differentiating Oxford classification (MEST-C) scores in patients with IgA nephropathy.Methods:In this prospective study, patients who underwent both T1 mapping and renal biopsy at the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital between April 2023 and October 2024 were consecutively enrolled. Two radiologists, blinded to clinical and pathological information, measured renal T1 mapping parameters, including cortical T1 (cT1), medullary T1 (mT1), the corticomedullary difference (ΔT1), and the corticomedullary ratio (T1 ratio). Clinical and renal biopsy data based on the Oxford classification from patients with IgA nephropathy were collected. The Oxford classification includes five indicators: Mesangial hypercellularity (M), Endocapillary hypercellularity (E), Segmental glomerulosclerosis or adhesion (S), Tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis (T), and Cellular or fibrocellular crescents (C). Spearman correlation analysis was applied to evaluate the associations between MEST-C scores and T1 parameters. The diagnostic performance of T1 parameters for discriminating among scores of the Oxford classification was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:A total of 124 patients with IgA nephropathy were included in this study [66 males, 58 females; age 19-70 years, 39 (30, 51) years]. Except for the E indicator, M, S, T, and C were significantly correlated with renal T1 values ( ρ=0.177-0.414, all P<0.05). cT1 showed the best diagnostic efficacy for the S score, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.798, a sensitivity of 68.7%, and a specificity of 88.0%. The best T1 parameter for differentiating the T score was the T1 ratio, with an AUC of 0.687, a sensitivity of 57.9%, and a specificity of 79.1%. Conclusion:Native T1 mapping can be used for the non-invasive assessment of the S and T scores in the Oxford classification of patients with IgA nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE T o establish the automatic diagnosis system for varicella pneumonia based on multi-slice spiral computed tomography(MSCT)and verify its application value.METHODS The clinical data were collected from 295 patients with varicella who were treated in the hospital from Jan.2016 to Mar.2023 and assigned as the training set,the pulmonary imaging findings were acquired from the MSCT chest scanning.The automatic diagno-sis system for varicella pneumonia was established based on MSCT with the use of convolutional neural network technology.Totally 279 patients with varicella who were treated during the same period were chosen as the valida-tion set,the result of comprehensive diagnosis was set as gold standard,and the efficiency of the above system in diagnosis of varicella pneumonia was observed.RESULTS Totally 279 patients with varicella were included in the validation group,243 of whom had varicella pneumonia,and 36 had simple varicella infection.The sensitivity of the automatic diagnosis system established based on MSCT was 97.53％in diagnosis of the varicella pneumonia of the validation group,with the specificity 91.67％,the accuracy 96.77％,respectively higher than 93.83％,83.33％and 92.47％of MSCT,and it was highly consistent with the gold standard(Kappa=0.919,P＜0.001);there was consistency between MSCT and the gold standards(Kappa=0.675,P＜0.001).CONCLUSION The au-tomatic diagnosis system for varicella pneumonia established based MSCT can raise the sensitivity,specificity and accuracy in diagnosis of varicella pneumonia and have the advantages of automation and convenience,and serve as a new tool for clinical diagnosis of varicella pneumonia.

Objective:To compare and analyze the similarities and differences in clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, pathological characteristics, and prognosis between urticarial vasculitis (UV) and chronic spontaneous urticaria with pigmentation (CSUwp) .Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and follow-up results from 35 UV patients and 54 CSUwp patients who attended the Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University from 2014 to 2024. The clinical characteristics (duration of rash, pigmentation, petechiae and ecchymosis, itching, burning sensation, fever, fatigue, skin lesion characteristics, etc.) , laboratory test results, pathological features, and prognosis were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was carried out by t test, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Results:There were no significant differences in gender, age, or age of onset between the UV group and CSUwp group (all P < 0.05) . The proportions of patients with petechiae/purpura (68.57% [24/35] vs. 11.11% [6/54]) , and those with burning sensation (22.86% [8/35] vs. 3.70% [2/54]) were significantly higher in the UV group than in the CSUwp group (both P < 0.05) . Compared with the CSUwp patients, the UV patients presented with a greater number of lesions, larger lesion areas, and more frequent involvement of the lower limbs (all P < 0.05) , also showed significantly higher incidence rates of peripheral blood complement reduction, perivascular neutrophil infiltration, nuclear dust, fibrinoid necrosis of the vessel wall, and erythrocyte extravasation (all P < 0.05) , as well as more extensive dermal perivascular inflammation ( Z = -4.506, P < 0.001) . Among patients who achieved remission, the natural disease course was significantly longer in the CSUwp patients than in the UV patients (6.00 [2.5, 24] months vs. 2.00 [0.5, 24] months; Z = -2.618, P = 0.009]. However, the survival analysis showed no significant difference in the natural disease course or clinical outcomes between the two groups ( χ2 = 2.771, P = 0.096) . There were also no significant differences in rash duration or in the incidence rates of itching, angioedema, or joint pain between the two groups (all P > 0.05) . Conclusions:UV patients exhibited certain differences from CSUwp patients in clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, histopathological features, and prognosis. However, whether their natural disease courses differ requires further follow-up studies to confirm.

Immunotherapy has been widely used in cancer treatment in recent years and functions by stimulating the immune system to kill tumor cells. Radiation therapy (RT) uses radiation to induce DNA damage and kill tumor cells. However, this activates the body's immune system, promoting the release of tumor-related antigens from inactive dendritic cells, which stimulates the recurrence and metastasis of tumors in immune system tissues. The combination of RT and immunotherapy has been increasingly evaluated in recent years, with studies confirming the synergistic effect of the two antitumor therapies. Particularly, the combination of RT by dose adjustment with different immunotherapies has positive implications on antitumor immunity as well as disease prognosis compared with respective monotherapies. This review summarizes the current research status, progress, and prospects of RT combined with immunotherapy in cancer treatment. It additionally discusses the prevalent concerns regarding the dose, time window, and toxicity of this combination therapy.
Humans ; Neoplasms/radiotherapy* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Radiotherapy/methods*

Objective To identify potential quality risks of Xiaoer Huatan Zhike Granules(Pediatric Phlegm-Resolving and Cough-Relieving Granules)through National Drug Sampling and Inspection,evaluate their overall quality,and propose improvements to the quality standards.Methods Samples from 34 manufacturers were tested using official standards.Exploratory methods were developed to enhance risk analysis,including thin-layer chromatography(TLC)identification,content uniformity testing,quantitative assays,and screening for unauthorized additives(e.g.,colorants).Results All batches met the official standards(100.0%compliance rate).However,deficiencies were observed:most manufacturers lacked controls for ephedrine hydrochloride content uniformity and quantification,omitted key ingredient identifications(e.g.,herbal components),and exhibited insufficient TLC specificity(e.g.,TLC of Ipecac tincture showed only one spot instead of multiple alkaloid-specific spots).Exploratory studies revealed risks in total emetine/cephaeline content,morroniside A/platycodin D content,ephedrine hydrochloride uniformity,and unauthorized colorant addition.Conclusions The overall quality of this variety is good,but the enterprise should improve the quality control measures throughout the entire process and establish stricter internal control standards;The official standards,unchanged for approximately 30 years,fail to address current regulatory requirements.The statutory quality standards need to be revised and improved.Qualitative or quantitative indicators for all drug flavors in the prescription should be added,and the content uniformity inspection of ephedrine hydrochloride should be increased.

Objective To investigate the protective effect of LncRNA MEG3 on the retina in early-stage diabetic rats through regulation of the COX-2/PGE2/VEGF signaling pathway.Methods 50 male SD rats of SPF grade were selected for the study.Among them,10 rats were assigned to the control group,while 40 rats were used to establish diabetic retinopathy models.A total of 32 rats successfully underwent modeling and were subsequently divided into four groups(n=8 per group):model group,negative control group,MEG3 overexpression group,and MEG3 overexpression+COX-2 inhibitor group.Histopathological changes,vascular permeability,glucose and lipid metabolism,inflammatory factors,oxidative stress indices,PGE2 levels,as well as the relative mRNA and protein expression levels of COX-2 and VEGF were evaluated in each group.Results Compared with the control group,HDL-C,CAT,GSH-PX,and SOD levels were significantly decreased,whereas the mRNA and protein expression levels of vascular permeability,TG,TC,LDL-C,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α,MDA,PGE2,COX-2,and VEGF were significantly increased in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the negative control group,HDL-C,CAT,GSH-PX,and SOD levels were significantly increased in the MEG3 overexpression group,while the mRNA and protein expression levels of vascular permeability,TG,TC,LDL-C,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α,MDA,PGE2,COX-2,and VEGF were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the MEG3 overexpression group,HDL-C,CAT,GSH-PX,and SOD levels were further increased in the MEG3 overexpression+COX-2 inhibitor group,and the mRNA and protein expression levels of vascular permeability,TG,TC,LDL-C,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α,MDA,PGE2,COX-2,and VEGF were further decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion LncRNA MEG3 is capable of regulating the COX-2/PGE2/VEGF pathway,enhancing glucose and lipid metabolism in rats,suppressing the expression of inflammatory factors,attenuating stress responses,and alleviating diabetic retinopathy.

Objective To explore the therapeutic effect of cornuside on diabetic retinopathy(DR)in rats and ana-lyze the acting mechanism of the reactive oxygen species(ROS)/thioredoxin interacting protein(TXNIP)/NOD-like recep-tor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)signaling pathway in this process.Methods A total of 56 suc-cessfully modeled DR rats were randomly divided into the model group,the cornuside 20 mg·kg-1 group,the cornuside 40 mg·kg-1 group,the calcium dobesilate 5.8 mg·kg-1 group,with 14 rats in each group;while,meanwhile another 14 healthy rats were selected as the control group.After the corresponding intervention of rats in each group,retinal tissue in-flammation,oxidative stress indicators,fasting blood glucose(FBG),and angiogenic factor levels were detected by the en-zyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transfer-ase dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL)staining were used to observe retinal histopathology and retinal cell apoptosis,re-spectively.The mRNA expression of ROS,TXNIP,and NLRP3 in the retinal tissue was detected by the quantitative fluores-cence polymerase chain reaction(PCR).The apoptosis of retinal cells and the protein expression of the ROS/TXNIP/NL-RP3 signaling pathway were detected by Western blotting.Results Compared with the control group,the model group showed disordered arrangement of retinal cells and a significant decrease in the cell number,accompanied by nuclear con-densation and edema;interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),malondialdehyde(MDA),FBG,angiopoie-tin-1(Ang-1),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),retinal cell apoptosis rate,ROS,and the mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of TXNIP and NLRP3 increased significantly,while superoxide dismutase(SOD)and B cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)protein expression levels decreased significantly(all P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the arrangement of retinal cells in the cornuside 20 mg·kg-1 group,the cornuside 40 mg·kg-1 group,and the calcium dobesilate 5.8 mg·kg-1 group gradually became normal,the number of retinal cells increased,and the nuclear condensation and edema were relieved;IL-6,TNF-α,MDA,FBG,Ang-1,VEGF,retinal cell apoptosis rate,ROS,and the mRNA and protein expression level of TXNIP and NLRP3 decreased significantly,while the protein expression level of SOD and Bcl-2 increased signifi-cantly(all P＜0.05).In the intergroup comparison of the pathological damage of retinal tissue and the improvement degree of the above quantitative indexes in DR rats,the cornuside 40 mg·kg-1group was superior to the cornusin 20 mg·kg-1 group(all P＜0.05);the calcium dobesilate 5.8 mg·kg-1 group was superior to the cornusin 20 mg·kg-1 group,but infe-rior to the cornuside 40 mg·kg-1 group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Cornuside can mitigate retinal inflammation,oxi-dative stress,and pathological damage in DR rats and inhibit blood glucose,retinal angiogenesis,and cell apoptosis.The acting mechanism of cornuside may be related to the inhibition of the ROS/TXNIP/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Objective:To compare and analyze the similarities and differences in clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, pathological characteristics, and prognosis between urticarial vasculitis (UV) and chronic spontaneous urticaria with pigmentation (CSUwp) .Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and follow-up results from 35 UV patients and 54 CSUwp patients who attended the Department of Dermatology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University from 2014 to 2024. The clinical characteristics (duration of rash, pigmentation, petechiae and ecchymosis, itching, burning sensation, fever, fatigue, skin lesion characteristics, etc.) , laboratory test results, pathological features, and prognosis were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was carried out by t test, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Results:There were no significant differences in gender, age, or age of onset between the UV group and CSUwp group (all P < 0.05) . The proportions of patients with petechiae/purpura (68.57% [24/35] vs. 11.11% [6/54]) , and those with burning sensation (22.86% [8/35] vs. 3.70% [2/54]) were significantly higher in the UV group than in the CSUwp group (both P < 0.05) . Compared with the CSUwp patients, the UV patients presented with a greater number of lesions, larger lesion areas, and more frequent involvement of the lower limbs (all P < 0.05) , also showed significantly higher incidence rates of peripheral blood complement reduction, perivascular neutrophil infiltration, nuclear dust, fibrinoid necrosis of the vessel wall, and erythrocyte extravasation (all P < 0.05) , as well as more extensive dermal perivascular inflammation ( Z = -4.506, P < 0.001) . Among patients who achieved remission, the natural disease course was significantly longer in the CSUwp patients than in the UV patients (6.00 [2.5, 24] months vs. 2.00 [0.5, 24] months; Z = -2.618, P = 0.009]. However, the survival analysis showed no significant difference in the natural disease course or clinical outcomes between the two groups ( χ2 = 2.771, P = 0.096) . There were also no significant differences in rash duration or in the incidence rates of itching, angioedema, or joint pain between the two groups (all P > 0.05) . Conclusions:UV patients exhibited certain differences from CSUwp patients in clinical characteristics, laboratory test results, histopathological features, and prognosis. However, whether their natural disease courses differ requires further follow-up studies to confirm.