Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of statutory infectious diseases in Yichang City from 2015 to 2023 and evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in infectious disease prevention and control, and to provide a basis for formulating prevention and control strategies. Methods Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze annual incidence rates. SARIMA and SARIMA intervention models were constructed to predict the incidence rates of infectious diseases. Interrupted time series analysis (ITS) was applied to assess the control effectiveness. Results The average annual incidence rate from 2015 to 2023 was 787.47/100 000, with the top five diseases being influenza, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, and diarrheal diseases. The average incidence rate from 2015 to 2019 (654.31/100 000) was significantly higher than that from 2020 to 2022 (489.01/100 000) (χ²= 3 499.6, P < 0.05). The total incidence rate in 2023 (2 396.51/100 000) was significantly higher than the average annual incidence rates from 2015-2019 (χ²= 108 186.1, P < 0.05) and 2020-2022 (χ²= 112 869.4, P < 0.05). SARIMA model results indicated that the actual incidence rate from 2020 to 2022 decreased by 73.49% compared to the predicted rate without intervention, with the highest decline observed in respiratory infectious diseases (79.57%). The SARIMA-intervention model showed a 55.48% relative decrease in the total incidence rate for 2023, with the largest reduction in respiratory infectious diseases (63.28%) and a slight increase in intestinal infectious diseases (5.48%). Conclusion NPIs effectively reduce the incidence of statutory infectious diseases in the short term, especially for acute respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases. However, long-term effectiveness faces challenges, necessitating the development of differentiated prevention and control strategies.

Objective To analyze the infection status and epidemic trends of soil-borne nematode infections in Yubei, Chongqing City, in 2010,2021, and 2022. Methods The local populations from four survey sites of four towns in 2010 and five sites of five towns in 2021 and 2022 were surveyed regarding their basic information using a unified form. Fecal samples of the participants were collected and tested for soil-borne nematode infections using the modified Kato-Katz thick smear method. Results In 2010, 2 049 participants were surveyed, followed by 1 000 participants in 2021 and 2022. The overall prevalence of parasitic infections declined significantly from 3.86% to 0.20%. In 2010, soil-transmitted nematode included hookworms(3.81%) and roundworms(0.29%). In 2021, the infection rates of roundworms and hookworms were 1.70% and 0.10% respectively. Notably, only Ascaris was identified in 2022(0.20%). The≥60 age group consistently exhibited the highest infection rates across all surveys, followed by the 40-59 age group. The infection rates of males in the three surveys were 3.31%,1.92%, and 0.20% respectively, and those of females were 4.37%, 1.46%, and 0.20% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the infection rates between males and females. Educational attainment was inversely associated with infection; in 2010, the highest prevalence was observed among those with primary education or below, whereas in 2021, illiterate or semi-literate individuals showed the highest susceptibility. The occupational distribution of infections in 2010 indicated that retirees (8.33%), farmers(4.86%), and homemakers or unemployed individuals(3.45%)were the most affected. However, in 2021 and 2022, farmers emerged as the predominant occupational group with soil-transmitted nematode infections. Conclusions The infection rate of soil-borne nematodes showed a decreasing trend in Yubei, and the infection species changed from hookworms in 2010 to Ascaris in 2022. Farmers, the elderly, and people with low education levels should continue to be the focus of preventive and control efforts.

ObjectiveAs a common lifestyle habit, alcohol consumption has a controversial association with the onset of Parkinson’s disease (PD). To demonstrate the correlation between alcohol consumption and PD and to identify associated genes, we integrated findings from clinical surveys, genomics, transcriptomics, and animal experiments. MethodsWe investigated the alcohol consumption rates (including both before and after disease onset) among 244 PD patients in China and 177 PD patients from the U.S. NHANES database. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data for three alcohol-related traits and seven PD-related datasets from the MRC IEU OpenGWAS database. Transcriptomic data from the substantia nigra of PD patients were obtained from three GEO datasets (GSE7621, GSE20141, and GSE49036) to analyze RIT2 gene transcription. Finally, three groups of animal experiments (water/20% ethanol/20% liquor, with 4 C57BL/6J mice per group) were conducted to examine changes in brain RIT2 gene expression and transcriptomic profiles following alcohol consumption. ResultsThe alcohol consumption rates among PD patients in China and the U.S. (9%-18.87%) were significantly lower than the general population rates of 15%-45% in their respective regions (P<0.001), suggesting a possible negative association between alcohol consumption and PD. Subsequently, in 21 bidirectional MR analyses using 3 alcohol-related GWAS datasets and 7 PD-related GWAS datasets, the forward MR analyses (alcohol intake as exposure, PD as outcome) yielded 12 negative associations (OR_IVW<1) and 9 positive associations (OR_IVW>1). Among these, only two negative associations reached statistical significance: alcohol intake frequency (OR_IVW=0.75, 95% CI: 0.60-0.93, P=0.010) and alcohol consumption (OR_IVW=0.20, 95% CI: 0.05-0.83, P=0.026). The forward MR analysis (alcohol intake→PD) identified 235 SNPs, annotated to 316 genes, while the reverse MR analyses (PD→alcohol intake) identified 37 SNPs, annotated to 53 genes. Notably, only the RIT2 gene appeared in both the forward and reverse MR analyses (alcohol intake→PD: rs28597806, rs8083110; PD→alcohol intake: rs4588066). RIT2 is selectively expressed in the human brain (FPKM: 5.259±2.103), with low or no expression in peripheral tissues (FPKM: <1). Analysis of three human substantia nigra transcriptomic datasets revealed a decreasing trend in RIT2 gene expression in PD patients (GSE20141 array signal: 3.49±1.23 vs. 2.33±0.87, P=0.044). Animal experiments demonstrated that administration of 20% ethanol or 20% liquor (approximately 8% ethanol) stimulated a >2-fold upregulation of RIT2 gene expression in the mouse brain. Furthermore, transcriptomic sequencing revealed that the two alcohol-treated groups exhibited 96 (20% ethanol vs. water control) and 4 (20% liquor vs. water control) differentially expressed genes, respectively, indicating that low-dose alcohol consumption can achieve RIT2 upregulation while minimizing impact on other brain genes. In addition to its anti-infective effects, low-dose alcohol consumption primarily influences signaling pathways related to neurodegenerative diseases such as PD and Prion diseases. ConclusionAlcohol consumption is generally considered as a harmful lifestyle habit. However, some studies have also shown a lower risk of mortality among individuals who consume low doses of alcohol (100 g/week of ethanol) or drink occasionally. Currently, one of the research focuses on alcohol consumption is whether the human body can benefit from low-dose alcohol intake. This study provides new evidence supporting a negative association between alcohol consumption and PD, and for the first time, through MR analysis, identifies the RIT2 gene as a potential mediator of the effect of alcohol consumption on PD. RIT2 is selectively expressed in the human brain. Building upon existing evidence indicating downregulated RIT2 gene expression in PD pathogenesis, our experiments confirm that low-dose alcohol consumption can upregulate RIT2 expression in the brain. In brief, alcohol consumption may suppress the pathogenesis of PD by upregulating RIT2 expression in the substantia nigra. China is facing a serious problem of population aging. This study offers important insights for long-term PD prevention and treatment strategies, with the aim of benefiting more potential PD patients through lifestyle modifications, thereby improving the quality of life of the aging population and reducing the economic burden on healthcare.

Acupuncture and moxibustion therapy is a kind of treatment and health care method with original advantages of China.With the rapid development of epigenetics and systems biology technology,non-coding RNA(ncRNA)related research has made continuous breakthroughs in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion.This article collected the basic research literature on acupuncture and moxibustion related to ncRNA,and reviewed the research subsystems related to microRNA(miRNA),long chain non coding RNA(lncRNA)and circular RNA(circRNA).NcRNAs are widely involved in the growth,development and reproduction of the organism,as well as in the occurrence and development of various diseases,which fits with the multi-layer,multi-pathway and multi-target action network of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy.Taking ncRNAs as the breakthrough point to explore the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in depth is not only conducive to promoting the exploration of new targets of acupuncture and moxibustion effect,but also can reveal the epigenetic regulation axis of acupuncture and moxibustion effect molecules,and provide ideas and methods for clinical diagnosis and treatment of diseases and evaluation of efficacy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Maxing Kugan decoction （MKD） on inflammatory response and apoptosis in rats with oleic acid （OA）-induced acute lung injury （ALI） and explore its mechanism of action. MethodsSixty Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly assigned into six groups： a control group， a model group， a dexamethasone-treated group （2 mg·kg^-1）， and three MKD-treated groups at low， medium， and high doses （3.1， 6.2，12.4 g·kg^-1）. Each group was administered either an equivalent volume of normal saline or the corresponding concentration of MKD by gavage for seven consecutive days. The model group and each administration group were used to establish the ALI model by tail vein injection of OA （0.2 mL·kg^-1）. Twelve hours after modeling， blood gas analyses were conducted， and the wet-to-dry （W/D） weight ratio of lung tissue was measured for each group. Additionally， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to quantify the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） of the rats. Cell damage and apoptosis in lung tissue were examined via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling （TUNEL） assays， and the results were subsequently scored. The expression levels of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）/nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB） signaling pathway and apoptosis-related proteins and mRNAs were assessed using Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited a significant decrease in partial pressure of oxygen （PaO₂）， blood oxygen saturation （SaO₂）， and oxygenation index （PaO₂/FiO₂）， along with a marked increase in partial pressure of carbon dioxide （PaCO₂） and lung W/D ratio （P<0.01）. Additionally， levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in BALF were significantly elevated （P<0.01）. Histopathological analysis of lung tissue showed significant inflammatory infiltration， tissue edema， alveolar septal thickening， and apoptosis of lung tissue. Pronounced increases were observed in the mRNA expression levels of p38 MAPK， NF-κB p65， inhibitor of NF-κB （IκBα）， B-cell lymphoma-2 associated x protein （Bax）， and Caspases-3， as well as the protein expression levels of p-p38 MAPK， p-NF-κB p65， p-IκBα， Bax， Caspases-3， and cleaved Caspases-3， while the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 was downregulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， MKD significantly elevated PaO₂， SaO₂， and PaO₂/FiO₂ while reducing PaCO₂ and W/D ratio in rats （P<0.01）. It also greatly reduced TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β levels in BALF （P<0.01） and alleviated inflammatory infiltration， tissue edema， alveolar septal thickening， and apoptosis of lung tissue. Additionally， it downregulated the mRNA expression of p38 MAPK， NF-κB p65， IκBα， Bax， Caspases-3， as well as protein expression of p-p38 MAPK， p-NF-κB p65， p-IκBα， Bax， Caspases-3， and cleaved Caspases-3 in lung tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while significantly upregulating mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. ConclusionMKD exerts a protective effect on OA-induced ALI rats， potentially through the regulation of the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit inflammation and apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Maxing Kugan decoction （MKD） on inflammatory response and apoptosis in rats with oleic acid （OA）-induced acute lung injury （ALI） and explore its mechanism of action. MethodsSixty Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly assigned into six groups： a control group， a model group， a dexamethasone-treated group （2 mg·kg^-1）， and three MKD-treated groups at low， medium， and high doses （3.1， 6.2，12.4 g·kg^-1）. Each group was administered either an equivalent volume of normal saline or the corresponding concentration of MKD by gavage for seven consecutive days. The model group and each administration group were used to establish the ALI model by tail vein injection of OA （0.2 mL·kg^-1）. Twelve hours after modeling， blood gas analyses were conducted， and the wet-to-dry （W/D） weight ratio of lung tissue was measured for each group. Additionally， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to quantify the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） of the rats. Cell damage and apoptosis in lung tissue were examined via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling （TUNEL） assays， and the results were subsequently scored. The expression levels of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）/nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB） signaling pathway and apoptosis-related proteins and mRNAs were assessed using Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited a significant decrease in partial pressure of oxygen （PaO₂）， blood oxygen saturation （SaO₂）， and oxygenation index （PaO₂/FiO₂）， along with a marked increase in partial pressure of carbon dioxide （PaCO₂） and lung W/D ratio （P<0.01）. Additionally， levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in BALF were significantly elevated （P<0.01）. Histopathological analysis of lung tissue showed significant inflammatory infiltration， tissue edema， alveolar septal thickening， and apoptosis of lung tissue. Pronounced increases were observed in the mRNA expression levels of p38 MAPK， NF-κB p65， inhibitor of NF-κB （IκBα）， B-cell lymphoma-2 associated x protein （Bax）， and Caspases-3， as well as the protein expression levels of p-p38 MAPK， p-NF-κB p65， p-IκBα， Bax， Caspases-3， and cleaved Caspases-3， while the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 was downregulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， MKD significantly elevated PaO₂， SaO₂， and PaO₂/FiO₂ while reducing PaCO₂ and W/D ratio in rats （P<0.01）. It also greatly reduced TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β levels in BALF （P<0.01） and alleviated inflammatory infiltration， tissue edema， alveolar septal thickening， and apoptosis of lung tissue. Additionally， it downregulated the mRNA expression of p38 MAPK， NF-κB p65， IκBα， Bax， Caspases-3， as well as protein expression of p-p38 MAPK， p-NF-κB p65， p-IκBα， Bax， Caspases-3， and cleaved Caspases-3 in lung tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while significantly upregulating mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. ConclusionMKD exerts a protective effect on OA-induced ALI rats， potentially through the regulation of the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit inflammation and apoptosis.

Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome and pediatric heart failure (PHF) has a high mortality rate. Early diagnosis is crucial for treatment and management of PHF. In clinical practice, various tests and examinations play a key role in the diagnosis of PHF, including continuously updated biomarkers, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. This article focuses on summarizing relevant research on biomarkers, examinations, combined testing, clinical models, and the grading and staging of PHF diagnosis, aiming to provide insights and directions for the diagnosis of PHF.
Humans ; Heart Failure/diagnosis* ; Child ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Echocardiography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the predictive factors for plastic bronchitis (PB) in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and to establish a nomogram prediction model for PB occurrence. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on children with MPP hospitalized at The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2023 to June 2024. The patients were randomly divided into a training set (n=562) and a validation set (n=240) at a ratio of 7:3 using simple random sampling. In the training set, patients were categorized into a PB group (n=70) and a non-PB group (n=492) based on the occurrence of PB. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to exclude collinearity among variables, followed by univariate analysis and LASSO regression to identify predictive factors. A nomogram prediction model for PB in children with MPP was constructed. The discriminative ability of the model was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, model calibration was evaluated with calibration curves, and clinical utility was appraised through decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the non-PB group, the PB group exhibited significantly longer disease duration prior to bronchoscopy, prolonged fever duration, higher fever peaks, higher proportions of patients with a family history of allergy and personal allergy history, and a higher proportion of patients with pleural effusion, as well as significantly elevated levels of white blood cell count, neutrophil percentage, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, fibrinogen, D-dimer, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, immunoglobulin A, and interleukin-6, along with a significantly lower lymphocyte percentage (all P<0.05). LASSO regression analysis identified pleural effusion, procalcitonin, D-dimer, and lactate dehydrogenase as major predictive factors for PB occurrence in children with MPP. The nomogram model based on these factors demonstrated good discriminative ability (area under the ROC curve: 0.852 in the training set and 0.830 in the validation set), with satisfactory calibration and clinical benefit. CONCLUSIONS The nomogram prediction model based on pleural effusion, procalcitonin, D-dimer, and lactate dehydrogenase provides effective predictive performance for the occurrence of PB in children with MPP.
Humans ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/complications* ; Nomograms ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Bronchitis/etiology* ; Infant ; ROC Curve ; Adolescent

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Qingda Granule (QDG) in ameliorating hypertension-induced cardiac damage and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: Twenty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used to develope a hypertension-induced cardiac damage model. Another 10 Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as normotension group. Rats were administrated intragastrically QDG [0.9 g/(kg•d)] or an equivalent volume of pure water for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, histopathological changes, cardiac function, levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers were measured. Furthermore, to gain insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of QDG against hypertension-induced cardiac injury, a network pharmacology study was conducted. Predicted results were validated by Western blot, radioimmunoassay immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: The administration of QDG resulted in a significant decrease in blood pressure levels in SHRs (P<0.01). Histological examinations, including hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson trichrome staining revealed that QDG effectively attenuated hypertension-induced cardiac damage. Furthermore, echocardiography demonstrated that QDG improved hypertension-associated cardiac dysfunction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric method indicated that QDG significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response levels in both myocardial tissue and serum (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Both network pharmacology and experimental investigations confirmed that QDG exerted its beneficial effects in decreasing hypertension-induced cardiac damage by regulating the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)/angiotensin II (Ang II)/Ang II receptor type 1 axis and ACE/Ang II/Ang II receptor type 2 axis.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Hypertension/pathology* ; Renin-Angiotensin System/drug effects* ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Rats ; Inflammation/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect and safety of Lu'e Biyan Formula (LBF) combined with loratadine in the treatment of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (AR) patients with Fei (Lung)-qi deficiency-coldness (FQDC) syndrome. METHODS: From September 2023 to December 2024, moderate to severe AR patients with FQDC syndrome were recruited from the Outpatient Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Pulmonary Diseases Part 1, China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to a test group and a control group by using a random number table at a ratio of 1:1. Both groups received oral loratadine tablets (10 mg, once daily) for 2 weeks. In addition, the test group received oral LBF (30 mL, twice daily), and the control group received a placebo of LBF. Changes in the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), Total Non-nasal Symptom Score (TNNSS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ), and Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores before and after treatment were compared between groups. Moreover, the total effective rates and disease recurrence rates were compared. Adverse events (AEs) during the study period were also recorded. RESULTS: Totally 109 participants were recruited, and the full analysis set included 105 cases, 54 in the test group and 51 in the control group. Compared with the pre-treatment values, the scores of sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction, nasal itching, TNSS, TNNSS, VAS, RQLQ, and CM syndrome were significantly reduced in both groups at 1 and 2 weeks post-treatment and 12 weeks post-drug withdrawal (P<0.01). After treatment, the aforementioned scores in the test group were all markedly lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). Moreover, the total effective rate in the test group was higher than that in the control group (98.15% vs. 70.59%, P<0.01). After 12 weeks of drug withdrawal, there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between groups (13.21% vs. 22.22%, P>0.05). No obvious AEs were observed in either group following treatment. CONCLUSIONS The combination of LBF with loratadine can effectively alleviate the symptoms of moderate to severe AR patients with FQDC syndrome, thereby improving their quality of life. This therapy demonstrated both precise effect and high safety. (Trial registration No. ITMCTR2025000589).
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Rhinitis, Allergic/drug therapy* ; Female ; Adult ; Double-Blind Method ; Quality of Life ; Qi ; Middle Aged ; Loratadine/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Syndrome ; Lung/drug effects* ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome