ObjectiveFor prepubertal and urgently treated malignant tumor patients, ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation represent more appropriate fertility preservation methods. Current clinical practices often involve freezing ovarian tissue with high concentrations of cryoprotectants (CPAs) and thawing with water baths. These processes lead to varying degrees of toxicity and devitrification damage to ovarian tissue. Therefore, this paper proposes optimized methods for vitrification of ovarian tissues based on sodium alginate hydrogel encapsulation and magnetic induction nanowarming technology. MethodsFirstly, the study investigated the effects of sodium alginate concentration, the sequence of hydrogel encapsulation and CPAs loading on vitrification efficiency of encapsulated ovarian tissue. Additionally, the capability of sodium alginate hydrogel encapsulation to reduce the required concentration of CPAs was validated. Secondly, a platform combining water bath and magnetic induction nanowarming was established to rewarm ovarian tissue under various concentrations of magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic field strengths. The post-warming follicle survival rate, antioxidant capacity, and ovarian tissue integrity were evaluated to assess the efficacy of the method. ResultsThe study found that ovarian tissue encapsulated with 2% sodium alginate hydrogel exhibited the highest follicle survival rate after vitrification. The method of loading CPAs prior to encapsulation proved more suitable for ovarian tissue cryopreservation, effectively reducing the required concentration of CPAs by 50%. A combination of 8 g/L Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles and an alternating magnetic field of 300 Gs showed optimal warming effectiveness for ovarian tissue. Combining water bath rewarming with magnetic induction nanowarming yielded the highest follicle survival rate, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and preserved tissue morphology. ConclusionSodium alginate hydrogel encapsulation of ovarian tissue reduces the concentration of CPAs required during the freezing process. The combination of magnetic induction nanowarming with water bath provides an efficient method ovarian tissue rewarming. This study offers novel approaches to optimize ovarian tissues vitrification.

Objective:Analyzed the clinicopathological features of thymoma with alopecia areata, and discussed the pathogenesis and treatment methods.Methods:The clinicopathologic data of patients with thymoma who underwent surgery from August 1, 2015 to July 31, 2020 in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University were reviewed. Transversally analyzed the patients of thymoma with alopecia areata and longitudinally compared with the patients of thymoma without alopecia areata after 1﹕10 matched by propensity score matching.Results:A total of 252 patients of thymoma were enrolled, including 6 patients with alopecia areata, accounting for 2.38%. The anti-AchR antibody, CD4 + /CD8 + T inversion in serum and myasthenia gravis were present in the all 6 thymoma patients with alopecia areata, which were significantly higher than those in the group of thymoma without alopecia areata. Besides myasthenia gravis, the proportion of complicated with other autoimmune diseases in thymoma patients with alopecia areata was significantly higher than that of thymoma patients without alopecia areata[83.33%(5/6) vs. 20.00%(12/60), P=0.003]. After operation, 5 patients’ alopecia areata were improved in 6 thymoma patients with alopecia areata(83.33%, 5/6). Conclusion:The thymoma patients with alopecia areata always complicated with myasthenia gravis and other autoimmune diseases. The pathogenesis may be associated with autoimmune CD8 + T lymphocytes produced by thymoma. At present, surgery is still the most effective way to improve thymoma-associated alopecia areata.

AIM To explore the effects of Zishui Qinggan Decoction on the mouse model of depression induced by chronic restraint stress(CRS)via ERK/GSK3β/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway.METHODS Except for those of the blank group,the mice of other groups were induced into depression models by CRS,and divided into the model group,the fluoxetine hydrochloride group(10 mg/kg)and the low,medium and high dose Zishui Qinggan Decoction groups(8.835,17.670 and 35.340 g/kg)for the corresponding drug intervention and simultanous CRS treatment.The mice had their sugar water preference experiment and behavior experiment on the 7th and 14th day after administration;the observation of the hippocampal morphological changes by HE staining,the detection of the superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity and malondialdehyde(MDA)level in serum by kits,the detection of levels of serum 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-1β(IL-1β)by ELISA,the detection of the hippocampal mRNA expressions of BDNF,TNF-α and IL-1β by RT-qPCR method,and the detection of the hippocampal protein expressions of ERK1/2,p-ERK1/2,GSK3β,p-GSK3β,CREB and BDNF by Western blot method 14 days after administration.RESULTS Compared with the model group,after 14 days of administration,both fluoxetine hydrochloride group and medium-dose Zishui Qinggan Decoction group displayed increased preference rate of sugar water(P<0.01),shortened immobility time of tail suspension and forced swimming(P<0.01),improved hippocampal damage of nerve cells,decreased levels of serum MDA,TNF-α and IL-1β(P<0.05,P<0.01),increased SOD activity and 5-HT level(P<0.05,P<0.01),decreased hippocampal mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β(P<0.01),and decreased expressions of BDNF mRNA and p-ERK1/2,p-GSK3β,CREB and BDNF proteins(P<0.05,P<0.01).CONCLUSION Zishui Qinggan Decoction can improve the depression-like behaviors in mice exposed to CRS,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of hippocampal ERK/GSK3β/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo explore the syndrome elements and evolving patterns of patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute on chronic liver failure （HBV-ACLF） at different stages. MethodsClinical information of 1,058 hospitalized HBV-ACLF patients， including 618 in the early stage， 355 in the middle stage， and 85 in the late stage， were collected from 18 clinical centers across 12 regions nationwide from January 1， 2012 to February 28， 2015. The “Hepatitis B-related Chronic and Acute Liver Failure Chinese Medicine Clinical Questionnaire” were designed to investigate the basic information of the patients， like the four diagnostic information （including symptoms， tongue， pulse） of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， and to count the frequency of the appearance of the four diagnostic information. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were employed to determine and statistically analyze the syndrome elements and patterns of HBV-ACLF patients at different stages. ResultsThere were 76 four diagnostic information from 1058 HBV-ACLF patients， and 53 four diagnostic information with a frequency of occurrence ≥ 5% were used as factor analysis entries， including 36 symptom information， 12 tongue information， and 5 pulse information. Four types of TCM patterns were identified in HBV-ACLF， which were liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern， qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern， liver-kidney yin deficiency pattern， and spleen-kidney yang-deficiency pattern. In the early stage， heat （39.4%， 359/912） and dampness （27.5%， 251/912） were most common， and the pattern of the disease was dominated by liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （74.6%， 461/618）； in the middle stage， dampness （30.2%， 187/619） and blood stasis （20.7%， 128/619） were most common， and the patterns of the disease were dominated by liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （53.2%， 189/355）， and qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern （27.6%， 98/355）； and in the late stage， the pattern of the disease was dominated by qi deficiency （26.3%， 40/152） and yin deficiency （20.4%， 31/152）， and the patterns were dominated by qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern （36.5%， 31/85）， and liver-gallbladder damp-heat pattern （25.9%， 22/85）. ConclusionThere are significant differences in the distribution of syndrome elements and patterns at different stages of HBV-ACLF， presenting an overall trend of evolving patterns as "from excess to deficiency， transforming from excess to deficiency"， which is damp-heat → blood stasis → qi-blood yin-yang deficiency.

Aural vertigo frequently encountered in the otolaryngology department of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） mainly involves peripheral vestibular diseases of Western medicine， such as Meniere's disease， benign paroxysmal positional vertigo， vestibular neuritis， and vestibular migraine， being a hot research topic in both TCM and Western medicine. Western medical therapies alone have unsatisfactory effects on recurrent aural vertigo， aural vertigo affecting the quality of life， aural vertigo not relieved after surgery， aural vertigo with complex causes， and children's aural vertigo. The literature records and clinical practice have proven that TCM demonstrates unique advantages in the treatment of aural vertigo. The China Association of Chinese medicine sponsored the "17th youth salon on the diseases responding specifically to TCM： Aural vertigo" and invited vertigo experts of TCM and Western medicine to discuss the difficulties and advantages of TCM diagnosis and treatment of aural vertigo. The experts deeply discussed the achievements and contributions of TCM and Western medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of aural vertigo， the control and mitigation of the symptoms， and the solutions to disease recurrence. The discussion clarified the positioning and advantages of TCM treatment and provided guidance for clinical and basic research on aural vertigo.

Objective To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI)caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators. Method The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests(RUCAM)scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI.Based on Chinese herbal medicine,cardiovascular drugs,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),anti-infective drugs,and other drugs,patients were divided into five groups.Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology.Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed. Results 73 patients were enrolled.Age among five groups was statistically different(P=0.032).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.033)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.007)in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in patients with Chinese herbal medicine(IL-6:P<0.001;TNF-α:P<0.001)and cardiovascular medicine(IL-6:P=0.020;TNF-α:P=0.001)were lower than those in NSAIDs group.There was a positive correlation between ALT(r=0.697,P=0.025),AST(r=0.721,P=0.019),and IL-6 in NSAIDs group. Conclusion Older age may be more prone to DILI.Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI,TNF-α and IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of modified femoral neck osteotomy(mFNO)in the surgical treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS)and severe spinal kyphosis combined with hip flexion contracture.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 61 AS patients(103 hips)with spinal kyphosis and hip flexion contracture who underwent pedicle subtraction osteotomy(PSO)and total hip arthroplasty(THA)from January 1,2019 to November 15,2023.Data on mFNO operation time,blood loss,preoperative and postoperative values of the angle of the trunk and lower limb(ATL),hip passive range of motion(ROM),visual analogue scale(VAS),and incidence of in-hospital compli-cations were recorded.Statistical analysis was performed using paired-samples t test.P＜0.05 was con-sidered statistically significant.Results:The study ultimately included 10 cases,9 males and 1 female,with an average age of(41.30±9.03)years.These patients underwent surgery for a total of 52 times,including 19 hips both receiving mFNO and THA,and 14 times PSO.The average operation time for nine bilateral mFNO was(133.11±34.81)min,with blood loss of(433.33±187.10)mL.A unilateral mFNO took 60 min with 200 mL of blood loss.The preoperative ATL of 19 hips was 40.37°±13.66°,and the postoperative ATL value was 88.47°±12.46°(P＜0.05).The preoperative VAS score was 0,while the postoperative VAS score was 5.95±1.51(P＜0.05).The preoperative hip extension ROM was 37.37°±18.13°,while the postoperative hip extension ROM was-4.95°±21.24°(P＜0.05).Hip flexion ROM improved from 37.37°±18.13° to 50.79°±20.36° after FNO(P＜0.05).There were three cases of in-hospital complications(3/52,5.67％):One case of postoperative atelectasis fol-lowing PSO(1/52,1.92％),one greater trochanter fracture identified during THA(1/52,1.92％),and one early dislocation post-THA(1/52,1.92％).Conclusion:mFNO significantly improves the ATL in AS patients with severe spinal kyphosis combined with hip flexion contracture,facilitating PSO and THA surgeries.

Objective To investigate the effects of set inspiratory pressure(SIP),set expiratory pressure(SEP)and SIP/SEP on the peak expiratory flow rate(PEF)and expiratory volume(EV)of the simulated lungs during treatment with a mechanical in-exsufflation(MIE)device so as to provide references for enhancing airway clearence during clinical treatment.Methods A MIE was connected to the simulated lungs,and airway resistance and lung compliance were set for healthy adults,adults with lung infection,adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and adults with acute respiratory distress syndrome under the state of no spontaneous respiration in the simulated lungs.The MIE differential pressure(the difference between the SIP and SEP)was set to 60,40 and 30 cmH2O(1 cmH2O=98.06 Pa),and SIP/SEP was set to 1∶1,1∶2 and 2∶3 under the state of fixed differential pressure.The average values of PEF and EV were recorded after MIE's 5 cycles of operation under each parameter setting state.The time of appearance of PEF during MIE therapy was analzyed,the average values of PEF and EV under different parameter setting states were compared,and investigations were carried out on the correlations between SIP and SEP with PEF and EV,respectively.SPSS 20.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.Resulb Under different physiological conditions PEF during MIE therapy all appeared at the initial expiration,and peaked when the pressure was released.The PEF and EV increased with the growing of the MIE differential pressure;the maximum values of PEF and EV emerged when SIP/SEP was 1:1 with the same differential pressure.The Spearman correlation coefficients of SIP with PEF and EV were 0.919 and 0.990,and those of SEP with PEF and EV were-0.737 and-0.674,and the correlations between SIP and PEF and EV were higher than those between SEP and PEF and EV.Conclusion Increased MIE differential pressure results in enhanced airway clearence;cough effect is maximized and airway clearence is enhanced when SIP/SEP is set as 1∶1 with the same differencial pressure.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(6):65-70]

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective:To investigate the anti-chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML)activity of Nur77-specific agonist Csn-B combined with imatinib by promoting Nur77 expression,and explore the potential role of its signaling pathway.Methods:Firstly,CCK-8 and Transwell assay were used to detect the inhibitory effects of Csn-B,imatinib,and their combination on the proliferation and migration of K562 cells.Furthermore,the apoptosis rate of K562 cells treated with Csn-B,imatinib,and their combination was detected by flow cytometry.The expression levels of Nur77,Pim-1,Drp1,p-Drp1 S616,Bcl-2 and Bax in K562 cells were detected by Western blot.Finally,the expression levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in K562 cells treated with Csn-B,imatinib and their combination were detected by immunofluorescence assay.Results:The level of Nur77 in CML patients decreased significantly compared with normal population in dataset of GSE43754(P＜0.001).Csn-B combined with imatinib could significantly inhibit the proliferation and migration of K562 cells(both P＜0.001),and induce apoptosis(P＜0.001).Csn-B promoted Nur77 expression in K562 cells,and synergistically enhanced imatinib sensitivity when combined with imatinib.Csn-B combined with imatinib could significantly enhanced ROS levels in K562 cells and mitochondria compared with single-drug treatment(both P＜0.001).Conclusion:Csn-B combined with imatinib can enhance ROS expression and induce apoptosis of K562 cells through Nur77/Pim-1/Drp1 pathway.