ObjectiveTo clarify the graded quantitative diagnostic characteristics of lung qi deficiency syndrome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） based on latent class analysis combined with a hidden structure model. MethodsClinical data， including the four diagnostic methods of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， were collected from 745 COPD patients with lung qi deficiency syndrome. Latent class modeling was performed using R 4.1.2 software， and each patient was classified into one of three severity categories （mild， moderate， or severe） based on probabilistic parameterization， parameter estimation， and model fitting. A database was established for different severity levels of lung qi deficiency syndrome. Based on this， Lantern 5.0 software was used to construct hidden structure models for mild， moderate， and severe lung qi deficiency syndrome， and syndrome differentiation rules were developed through comprehensive clustering. ResultsA latent class model was constructed using 28 symptoms and signs with a frequency greater than 10%. Considering TCM theory and model simplicity， the optimal model was determined when the number of latent classes was three， categorizing lung qi deficiency syndrome into mild （298 cases）， moderate （164 cases）， and severe （283 cases）. Hidden structure models were separately developed for each severity level， and syndrome differentiation rules were established. A comparison of common symptoms in the syndrome differentiation rules for mild and moderate lung qi deficiency syndrome showed no statistically significant differences in diagnostic values and weights （P＞0.05）， leading to their combined analysis and the development of a unified syndrome differentiation rule. Value and weight of quantitative diagnosis of mild-to-moderate lung qi deficiency syndrome were as followed： shortness of breath （diagnostic value 9.3， diagnostic weight 86.92%）， dyspnea on exertion （8.2， 76.64%）， low voice and reluctance to speak （6.7， 62.62%）， poor appetite （4.0， 37.38%）， loose stools （4.0， 37.38%）， weak cough sound （2.9， 27.10%）， wheezing （2.3， 21.50%）， fatigue （1.8， 16.82%）， spontaneous sweating （1.7， 15.89%）， susceptibility to colds （1.6， 14.95%）， swollen tongue （1.4， 13.08%）， teeth marks on the tongue edge （1.2， 11.21%）， deep pulse （1.6， 14.95%）， with a diagnostic threshold of 10.3. Value and weight of quantitative diagnosis of severe lung qi deficiency syndrome were as followed： weak cough sound （15.1， 61.13%）， soreness and weakness of the waist and knees （12.6， 51.01%）， shortness of breath （11.1， 44.94%）， low voice and reluctance to speak （8.3， 33.60%）， frequent nocturia （6.1， 24.70%）， spontaneous sweating （3.7， 14.98%）， susceptibility to colds （3.5， 14.17%）， teeth marks on the tongue edge （7.8， 31.58%）， pale tongue body （1.9， 7.69%）， white tongue coating （5.5， 22.27%）， thin pulse （1.5， 6.07%）， with a diagnostic threshold of 23.7. ConclusionThe combination of latent class analysis and a hideen structure model effectively clarified the graded quantitative diagnostic characteristics of lung qi deficiency syndrome， providing a reference for the quantitative diagnosis of other fundamental syndromes in TCM.

ObjectiveTo investigate the awareness and clinical practice of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B （2022 edition） among clinicians. MethodsFrom July 19 to December 31， 2024， a self-designed electronic questionnaire was distributed via the WeChat mini program to collect related data from 1 588 clinicians nationwide， including their awareness and practice based on 18 questions regarding testing and referral， diagnosis and treatment， and follow-up. ResultsAmong all respondents， only 350 clinicians correctly understood all the updated key points of antiviral indications and treatment for special populations in the 2022 edition of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B， with an overall awareness rate of 22.0%. Only 20% ‍—‍ ‍40% of the patients with positive HBV DNA and an age of >30 years receive antiviral therapy， while 80% ‍—‍ ‍100% of the patients with positive HBV DNA and a family history of hepatitis B cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma receive antiviral therapy. The median follow-up rates at 1 year， 3 years， and 5 years were 67.5% 57.5% and 47.5%，respectively， showing a trend of gradual reduction， which might be associated with the influencing factors such as insufficient time for follow-up management by clinicians， insufficient awareness of the disease among patients， and poor adherence to follow-up. ConclusionThere is a gap between the awareness and practice of guidelines for the prevention and treatment of chronic hepatitis B （2022 edition） among clinicians. It is recommended to further strengthen training and focus on the whole process of “detection， diagnosis， treatment， and management” for patients with chronic hepatitis B in healthcare institutions， in order to promote the implementation of the guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of palliative care on drug use, medical service utilization and medical expenditure of patients with advanced cancer. METHODS: A cohort of patients including pal-liative care and standard care was constructed using the medical records of the patients in Peking University Cancer Hospital from 2018 to 2020, and coarsened exact matching was used to match the two groups of patients. The average monthly opioid consumption, hospitalization rate, intensive care unit (ICU) rate and operation rate, and the average monthly total cost were selected to evaluate drug use, medical service utilization and medical expenditure. Chi-square test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to compare the differences between the two groups before and after exposure and the change in the palliative care group. The net impact of palliative care on the patients was calculated using the difference-in-differences analysis. RESULTS: In this study, 180 patients in the palliative care group and 3 101 patients in the stan-dard care group were finally included in the matching, and the matching effect of the two groups was good (L₁ < 0.1). Before and after exposure, the average monthly opioid consumption in the palliative care group was significantly higher than that in the standard care group (Before exposure: 0.3 DDD/person-month vs. 0.1 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01; After exposure: 0.7 DDD/person-month vs. 0.1 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01; DDD refers to defined daily dose), palliative care significantly increased the average monthly opioid consumption in the patients (0.3 DDD/person-month, P < 0.01). The hospitalization rate (48.9% vs. 74.3%, P < 0.01) and operation rate (3.9% vs. 8.8%, P < 0.01) of the patients in palliative care group were significantly lower than those in standard care group, and the ICU rate became similar between the two groups (1.1% vs. 1.6%, P=0.634). Palliative care significantly reduced the patients ' hospitalization rate (-25.6%, P < 0.01), ICU rate (-4.9%, P < 0.01) and operation rate (-14.5%, P < 0.01). Before and after exposure, the average monthly total costs of pal-liative care group were slightly higher than those of standard care group (Before exposure: 20 092.3 yuan vs. 19 132.8 yuan, P=0.725; After exposure: 9 719.8 yuan vs. 8 818.8 yuan, P=0.165). Palliative care increased the average monthly total cost by 2 208.8 yuan, but it was not statistically significant (P=0.316). CONCLUSION Palliative care can increase the opioid consumption in advanced cancer patients, reduce the rates of hospitalization, ICU and surgery, but has no significant effect on medical expenditure.
Humans ; Palliative Care/economics* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Analgesics, Opioid/economics* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Hospitalization/economics* ; Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data* ; Health Expenditures/statistics & numerical data* ; Adult ; Drug Utilization/statistics & numerical data* ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/statistics & numerical data*

Pyoderma gangrenosum(PG)is a rare autoinflammatory disease,characterized mainly by painful and necrotic skin ulcers.The etiology of PG is unknown,and its treatment is quite challenging.This article reports a case of recurrent pyoderma gangrenosum successfully treated with adalimumab combined with tofacitinib,along with a review of relevant literature.The patient,a 54-year-old male,presented with scrotal ulcers accompanied by pain for 20 days,worsening and involving the groin area for 5 days,and fever for 1 day.Dermatological examination revealed two painful ulcers on the scrotum with raised edges,clear boundaries,and a small amount of purulent discharge on the surface;the right groin area and the medial left thigh showed irregular infiltrative erythematous plaques,with scattered clustered pustules on them,central necrosis appearing purplish-brown,surrounded by a red halo with clear boundaries.Based on the patient's past medical history,clinical manifestations,and auxiliary examinations,the diagnosis was consistent with pyoderma gangrenosum.After treatment with adalimumab combined with tofacitinib,the patient's symptoms were significantly improved,and the ulcers healed.At the 6-month follow-up,the skin lesions had not recurred.For refractory PG that is ineffective to conventional treatments,adalimumab combined with tofacitinib is an effective and safe treatment option,providing a new combination therapy regimen for PG.

Objective:To analyze the association between the rs562556 polymorphism of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9(PCSK9)gene and the degree of coronary artery stenosis in the patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods:A total of 200 patients diagnosed with AMI from January 2021 to December 2022 were selected as AMI group,and 200 healthy individuals during the same period were selected as control group.According to the Gensini scoring standard,the patients in AMI group were divided into low risk group(Gensini score≤40,n=78)and medium-high risk group(Gensini score>40,n=122).The levels of lipid metabolism indicators in serum of the patients in two groups were detected by fully automatic biochemical analyzer;enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method was used to detect the PCSK9 levels in serum of the patients in two groups;ultraviolet spectrophotometry was used to detect the single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)of PCSK9 gene of the patients in two groups;Spearman correlation analysis was used to detect the correlation between the rs562556 polymorphism of the PCSK9 gene and the degree of the disease and the levels of lipid metabolism indicators in serum of the patients.Results:Compared with control group,the percentage of smokers of the patients in AMI group was significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with control group,the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-c)and PCSK9 in serum of the patients in AMI group were significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with low risk group,the levels of LDL-c and PCSK9 in serum of the patients in medium-high risk group were significantly increased(P<0.05).The distribution of PCSK9 gene rs1800487 genotype in both control and AMI groups conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg(H-W)equilibrium(χ2=0.677,P=0.713;χ2=0.970,P=0.831).Compared with control group,the distribution frequencies of PCSK9 gene rs562556 genotype AA and allele A of the patients in AMI group were significantly increased(P<0.05).In the AMI patients,the distribution of PCSK9 gene rs562556 genotype in both low risk and medium-high risk groups conformed to the H-W equilibrium(χ2=0.045,P=0.978;χ2=1.290,P=0.525).Compared with low risk group,the distribution frequencies of genotype AA and allele A of PCSK9 gene rs562556 of the patients in medium-high risk group were significantly increased(P<0.05).The PCSK9 gene rs562556 genotype AA was positively correlated with the degree of AMI(r=0.193,P=0.006)and LDL-c level(r=0.301,P<0.01).Allele A was positively correlated with the LDL-c level(r=0.168,P=0.017).Conclusion:The PCSK9 gene rs562556 genotype AA is positively correlated with the degree of coronary artery stenosis of the AMI patients,and its polymorphism may promote the development of AMI by upregulating the LDL-c level.

Objective To observe the effects of Gegen Qinlian Decoction on pancreatic endoplasmic reticulum stress in mice with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM);To explore its mechanism of action in the treatment of T2DM.Methods Totally 75 SPF male db/db mice were randomly divided into model group,metformin group,and Gegen Qinlian Decoction high-,medium-,low-dosage groups,with 15 mice in each group.15 db/m mice were set as the blank group.The administration groups received corresponding medicine for gavage for 12 weeks.Body mass,fasting blood glucose(FBG)and glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)in mice were detected,HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of pancreatic tissue,the apoptosis of islet cells was determined by TUNEL staining,Western blot was used to detect pancreatic tissue glucose regulatory protein 78(GRP78),protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK),p-PERK,activated transcription factor 4(ATF4)and C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP)protein expression,RT-PCR was used to detect pancreatic tissue PERK,ATF4,CHOP mRNA expressions.Results Compared with the blank group,the body mass,FBG and HbA1c contents in the model group significantly increased(P<0.01);the pancreatic tissue structure was incomplete,with blurry boundaries and vacuoles inside,leading to a significant increase in pancreatic islet cells apoptosis(P<0.01);the expressions of GRP78,p-PERK,ATF4,and CHOP proteins in pancreatic tissue significantly increased(P<0.01),and the mRNA expressions of PERK,ATF4 and CHOP significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the body mass,FBG and HbA1c contents of mice in each administration group significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01);pathological changes in pancreatic tissue was reduced,and islet cells apoptosis decreased to varying degrees(P<0.05,P<0.01);the expressions of GRP78,p-PERK,ATF4 and CHOP proteins in pancreatic tissue significantly decreased(P<0.01)in Gegen Qinlian Decoction high-and medium-dosage groups and the metformin group,and the expressions of PERK,ATF4 and CHOP mRNA significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion Gegen Qinlian Decoction may decreased pancreatic islet cells apoptosis,protect pancreatic cell function,and delay the progression of T2DM by inhibiting the endoplasmic reticulum stress PERK/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway,and down-regulating the expressions of related genes and proteins.

Since COVID-19 infection,many infected patients have developed multiple systemic symptoms that persist long after 3 months of infection,which is called Long COVID.Numerous studies have shown that fatigue is the most common symptom among the many symptoms of Long COVID that has severely impacted the quality of their life.Therefore,it is particularly important to understand the mechanisms by which Long COVID causes fatigue symptoms.This article summarizes the possible mechanisms of Long COVID fatigue,including immune response,oxidative stress,and affecting the central nervous system,by combing through the relevant literature,aiming to increase clinical awareness of fatigue induced by Long COVID and to provide certain ideas for its treatment.

Objective To investigate the effects of long intergenic non-coding RNA 467(linc00467)on the proliferation,apoptosis and migration,invasion ability of endometrial carcinoma cells.Methods Human endometrial carcinoma cells HC1A,Ishikawa,KLE and RL-95-2 were cultured in vitro,the expression level of linc00467 in the four cells was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).Endometrial carcinoma cell lines HEC-1A and Ishikawa with the highest linc00467 expression levels were selected for subsequent experiment.Two Iinc00467 lentivirus silencing expression vectors of sh-linc00467#1 and sh-linc00467#2,and empty lentivirus plasmids were constructed,respectively;the HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in logarithmic growth phase were divided into sh-NC group,sh-linc00467#1 group,and sh-linc00467#2 group.The cells in the sh-NC group were transfected with empty lentivirus plasmids,the cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group were transfected with sh-linc00467#1 and sh-linc00467#2,respectively;the relative expression level of linc00467 in cells of the three groups was detected by RT-qPCR,the proliferation ability of cells in the three groups was detected by 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine(EdU)assay and colony formation assay,the migration ability of cells in the three groups was detected by scratch assay,the invasion ability of cells in the three groups was detected by Transwell assay,and the cell apoptosis in the three groups was detected by flow cytometry.Results The relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA in HEC-1A cells was significantly higher than that in KLE and RL-95-2 cells(P＜0.05);the relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA in Ishikawa cells was significantly higher than that in KLE and RL-95-2 cells(P＜0.05);there was no statistically significant difference in the relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA between HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells(P＞0.05);the relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA in KLE cells was significantly lower than that in RL-95-2 cells(P＜0.05).The relative expression levels of linc00467 mRNA in HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group were significantly lower than those in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the relative expression level of linc00467 mRNA in HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467 # 1 group and the sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).The number of EdU positive HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group was significantly lower than that in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the number of EdU positive HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).The number of cloned HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group was significantly lower than that in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the number of cloned HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).The apoptosis rates of HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group were significantly higher than that in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the apoptosis rates of HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467 #2 group(P＞0.05).The scratch healing rates of HEC-1A and Ishikawa cells in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group were significantly lower than those in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the scratch healing rates of HEC-1 A and Ishikawa cells between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).The number of invasive cells of HEC-1 A and Ishikawa in the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group was significantly lower than that in the sh-NC group(P＜0.01);there was no statistically significant difference in the number of invasive cells of HEC-1 A and Ishikawa between the sh-linc00467#1 group and sh-linc00467#2 group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Down-regulation of linc00467 expression can inhibit the proliferation,migration and invasion,and promote apoptosis of endometrial carcinoma cells.

The interaction of gut microbiota and its metabolites with the host not only plays an important role in maintaining gut homeostasis and host health, but also is a key link in responding to pathogen infections. A thorough understanding of the changes in gut microbiota and its metabolites during infection, as well as their role and mechanism in host defense against infection, is helpful to guide anti-infection treatment. This review focuses on the role of gut microbiota and their metabolites in host defense against bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, and reveals that they can exert anti-infection effects through resistance mechanisms (inducing antimicrobial substances, training immunity, inhibiting pathogen respiration, directly neutralizing pathogens, immune regulation) and tolerance mechanisms (altering energy metabolism patterns of microbiota, cell proliferation and tissue damage repair, maintaining physiological signal transduction in extraintestinal organs, inflammation regulation, maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier), and also summarizes measures to regulate gut microbiota against pathogen infections, in order to provide more ideas for novel anti-infection prevention and treatment strategies targeting gut microbiota and its metabolites.

OBJECTIVE To explore the protective mechanism of amifostine on acute radiation injury mice. METHODS Thirty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal control group， model group and amifostine group （150 mg/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Thirty minutes before irradiation， the mice in the amifostine group were intraperitoneally injected with amifostine； normal control group and model group were given constant volume of normal saline intraperitoneally； then acute radiation injury was induced by 4 Gy X-ray radiation in both model group and amifostine group. The white blood cell count （WBC）， platelet count and red blood cell （RBC） count in mice were detected 2 hours before irradiation and on days 1， 4， 7， 10 and 14 after irradiation； the changes in the proportion of WBC （neutrophils， lymphocytes and monocytes） on the 7th day after irradiation were analyzed. The 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the structure of gut microbiota in mice feces on the 7th day after irradiation， then its correlation with WBC was analyzed. RESULTS The counts of WBC on the 1st， 4th， 7th and 10th day after irradiation， platelet count on the 10th day after irradiation and RBC count on the 1st day after irradiation in the amifostine group were significantly higher than those in model group （P＜0.05）. Compared with normal control group，β diversity of gut microbiome showed significant change， relative abundance of Firmicutes increased and that of Bacteroidetes decreased in model group. Amifostine could reverse the change in β diversity of gut microbiome， and the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. The model group consisted of four distinct species， namely Allobaculum， Erysipelotrichia， Erysipelotrichales and Erysipelotrichaceae， which were significantly negatively correlated with the proportion of peripheral blood lymphocytes （P＜0.01）； amifostine group consisted of two distinct species， namely Lactobacillus murinus and L. crispatus， which were significantly negatively correlated with the proportion of neutrophils （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Amifostine significantly improves irradiation-induced injury by regulating dysbiosis of LY201816） gut microbiota.