OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

To investigate the impact of high salt stress on the metabolic pathways and regulatory mecha-nisms involved in synthesizing hydroxyectoine(5-HE)in Virgibacillus salexigens,cultures were supple-mented with 1.5 and 2.5 mol/L NaCl as control and experimental groups,respectively.High-perform-ance liquid chromatography(HPLC)was used to detect the difference in the amount of 5-HE synthesis.Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses identified differential genes and metabolites under varying salt concentrations.Key differential gene expressions related to 5-HE synthesis were validated using qRT-PCR.Results showed that 5-HE synthesis reached 121.9 mg/L at 2.5 mol/L NaCl.Transcriptomic anal-ysis identified 652 differentially expressed genes across 348 KEGG pathways,with 210 upregulated and 442 downregulated,primarily enriched in pathways such as purine metabolism,amino acid biosynthesis,sulfur metabolism,and biotin metabolism.Validation of 13 genes,including lysC,asd,ectA,ectB,ectC,ectD,thrB,thrC,ilvA,ilvE,AGXT,YckA and GlnQ,showed expression trends consistent with transcriptome data.Metabolomic analysis identified 1153 metabolites predominantly enriched in histidine metabolism,lysine degradation,and arginine and proline metabolism.This study preliminarily elucidated the effect of high salt on the 5-HE synthesis pathway,and provided a basis for the subsequent construc-tion of 5-HE high-yielding strains.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of miglitol on regulating the energy metabolism of brown adipocytes by activating UCP1 and preventing cold injury in mice after cold exposure. Methods Primary brown adipocytes were induced into mature adipocytes, the effect of miglitol on the viability of brown adipocytes was investigated by MTT method, the lipid droplet consumption level of cells after drug administration was investigated by Oil Red O staining technology, and the level of UCP1, a key protein of thermogenesis in brown adipocytes, was detected by Western blotting. The activity of anti-frostbite was investigated in cold exposure at 4 ℃ and −20 ℃. KM mice, which were randomly divided into control group, cold exposure group, miglitol group and all-trans retinoic acid group, and after 7 days of repeated administration, the body surface temperature of mice was detected by infrared thermal imaging system, the anal temperature change was detected by anal thermometer, and the expression levels of UCP1 and PGC1-α in adipose tissue were detected by immunoblotting. Results Compared with the control group, the lipid droplet consumption and UCP1 expression levels in brown adipocytes in the miglitol group were significantly increased. The levels of body surface temperature and rectal temperature increased significantly after cold exposure, and the levels of UCP1 and PGC1α in the brown adipose tissue of mice increased significantly, which indicated that the miglitol could activate the critical proteins UCP1 and PGC1α of the thermogenesis pathway, increase the thermogenesis of mice after cold exposure, and thus improve the effect of cold injury for toe swelling. Conclusion Miglitol could play a role in improving cold injury and body temperature in mice by increasing the level of UCP1 and PGC1α, which are key targets of the thermogenesis pathway to promote the thermogenesis of brown fat.

Objective:This study aims to systematically compare the differences in severity, clinical manifestations, and treatment processes between patients with foodborne and iatrogenic botulism, thereby providing evidence-based support for clinical diagnosis and management.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on botulism patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between January 2010 and July 2024. The foodborne group was diagnosed according to the WS/T 83-1996 standard. The iatrogenic group required a documented history of type A botulinum toxin injection and typical clinical manifestations. Individuals with comorbid neurological disorders or incomplete clinical data were excluded. The severity of poisoning was classified into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe, according to the "Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for Botulism". SPSS 26.0 software was used to statistically analyze the distribution of poisoning severity between groups and to compare clinical symptoms and course indicators across severity grades.Results:A total of 220 botulism patients were included in this study, comprising 86 cases of foodborne poisoning (39.1%) and 134 cases of iatrogenic poisoning (60.9%). There was a significant difference in the distribution of poisoning severity between the two groups ( P=0.001), the proportion of severe poisoning was significantly higher in the foodborne group. Analysis of clinical symptoms indicated that, among patients with mild poisoning, the incidence of nausea and vomiting was significantly higher in the foodborne group, compared to that in the iatrogenic group (44.0% vs. 16.4%, P=0.006). In patients with moderate poisoning, the iatrogenic group exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of hoarseness (60.5% vs. 35.7%, P=0.041) and neck weakness (53.5% vs. 17.9%, P=0.003) compared to the foodborne group. Conversely, the foodborne cohort experienced a notably longer interval before seeking medical attention when compared to their iatrogenic counterparts (2.25 d vs. 1.50 d, P=0.003). Among severe poisoning patients, the foodborne group exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing fever (51.5% vs. 25.0%, P=0.044) and abdominal distension accompanied by constipation (69.7% vs. 41.7%, P=0.034) when compared to the iatrogenic group. Furthermore, the foodborne cohort demonstrated a significantly shorter incubation period (1.00 d vs. 2.45 d, P<0.001), an extended length of hospitalization (22.0 d vs. 16.00 d, P=0.001), and a prolonged duration of antitoxin therapy (14.00 d vs. 9.50 d, P<0.001), alongside a markedly higher total dosage administered (315 900 U vs. 163 300 U, P<0.001) compared to their iatrogenic counterparts. Conclusions:Statistically significant differences exist between food-borne and iatrogenic botulism. Food-borne botulism is characterized by acute onset, greater severity, and a prolonged course, predominantly featuring systemic symptoms and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In contrast, iatrogenic botulism primarily manifests with ocular and oropharyngeal muscle symptoms and is generally less severe.

OBJECTIVE Healthcare-associated infection(HAI)surveillance is a crucial tool for healthcare manage-ment and public health prevention,the World Health Organization(WHO)released simplified technical guidelines of HAI surveillance to enhance the HAI surveillance in areas with limited medical resources.This study explores the applicability and implementation pathways of the WHO's simplified standards for HAI surveillance in China.METHODS This study used text analysis and qualitative interviews to compare the differences of HAI sur-veillance criteria between China and WHO.Interviews were conducted with professionals of infection prevention and control(IPC)to explore the opportunities and challenges of implementing WHO simplified standards in China.RESULTS Twenty-two IPC professionals with long-term experiences participated in the interviews.Main themes derived from the interview were:WHO simplified standards could enhance the sensitivity of HAI surveil-lance,this approach provided insights for a risk early warning surveillance and improved surveillance in primary healthcare institutions.It also increased the international comparability of Chinese HAI surveillance results.How-ever,the implementation of the WHO simplified standards required further pilot validation,higher levels of infor-matic surveillance and clinical diagnostic capabilities.CONCLUSION This study explores the feasibility and accept-ability of the WHO's simplified HAI surveillance in China,provides references for the transformation of China's HAI surveillance models and systems.

To investigate the impact of high salt stress on the metabolic pathways and regulatory mecha-nisms involved in synthesizing hydroxyectoine(5-HE)in Virgibacillus salexigens,cultures were supple-mented with 1.5 and 2.5 mol/L NaCl as control and experimental groups,respectively.High-perform-ance liquid chromatography(HPLC)was used to detect the difference in the amount of 5-HE synthesis.Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses identified differential genes and metabolites under varying salt concentrations.Key differential gene expressions related to 5-HE synthesis were validated using qRT-PCR.Results showed that 5-HE synthesis reached 121.9 mg/L at 2.5 mol/L NaCl.Transcriptomic anal-ysis identified 652 differentially expressed genes across 348 KEGG pathways,with 210 upregulated and 442 downregulated,primarily enriched in pathways such as purine metabolism,amino acid biosynthesis,sulfur metabolism,and biotin metabolism.Validation of 13 genes,including lysC,asd,ectA,ectB,ectC,ectD,thrB,thrC,ilvA,ilvE,AGXT,YckA and GlnQ,showed expression trends consistent with transcriptome data.Metabolomic analysis identified 1153 metabolites predominantly enriched in histidine metabolism,lysine degradation,and arginine and proline metabolism.This study preliminarily elucidated the effect of high salt on the 5-HE synthesis pathway,and provided a basis for the subsequent construc-tion of 5-HE high-yielding strains.

OBJECTIVE Healthcare-associated infection(HAI)surveillance is a crucial tool for healthcare manage-ment and public health prevention,the World Health Organization(WHO)released simplified technical guidelines of HAI surveillance to enhance the HAI surveillance in areas with limited medical resources.This study explores the applicability and implementation pathways of the WHO's simplified standards for HAI surveillance in China.METHODS This study used text analysis and qualitative interviews to compare the differences of HAI sur-veillance criteria between China and WHO.Interviews were conducted with professionals of infection prevention and control(IPC)to explore the opportunities and challenges of implementing WHO simplified standards in China.RESULTS Twenty-two IPC professionals with long-term experiences participated in the interviews.Main themes derived from the interview were:WHO simplified standards could enhance the sensitivity of HAI surveil-lance,this approach provided insights for a risk early warning surveillance and improved surveillance in primary healthcare institutions.It also increased the international comparability of Chinese HAI surveillance results.How-ever,the implementation of the WHO simplified standards required further pilot validation,higher levels of infor-matic surveillance and clinical diagnostic capabilities.CONCLUSION This study explores the feasibility and accept-ability of the WHO's simplified HAI surveillance in China,provides references for the transformation of China's HAI surveillance models and systems.

Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in adolescents, with high recurrence rate and high suicide rate, seriously endangering the physical and mental health development of adolescents. Adolescent depression animal models can mimic the human depression phenotype, which can help to study the disease pathogenesis, find effective therapeutic targets, and develop new antidepressant drugs. Therefore, in order to screen animal models that better meet the experimental requirements, this paper reviews the articles on animal models of adolescent depression, comprehensively summarises and analyses the modelling methods and principles, strengths and weaknesses, and behavioural evaluations of the commonly used animal models of adolescent depression (stress models, genetic models, chemically-induced models, surgical injury models and composite models), and look forward to the development direction of animal models of depression in adolescence. It also looks forward to the development direction of adolescent depression animal models, aiming to better simulate the development of the disease, provide a variety of animal models for adolescent depression animal model related research, and lay the foundation for subsequent research.

This review discusses the application,mechanism,challenges,and future research directions of interferon-α(IFN-α)in antiviral research and treatment.It provides an overview of the basic biological characteristics of IFN-α,including its mechanism of action in the antiviral immune response.The arti-cle explores the use of IFN-α in treating various viral diseases,such as COVID-19,chronic hepatitis C,and hepatitis B,high-lighting the challenges faced in clinical treatment.To address these challenges,it discusses the focus of future research.This review offers a comprehensive understanding of the application ofα-interferon in modern medicine,demonstrating its importance in the field of antiviral treatment,while also pointing out the limitations of current treatment practices and potential directions for future research.