1.Correlation Between Cardiovascular Events and Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis:A Cross-Sectional Study
Fuyuan ZHANG ; Quan JIANG ; Jun LI ; Yuchen YANG ; Xieli MA ; Tian CHANG ; Congmin XIA ; Jian WANG ; Xun GONG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(15):1572-1578
ObjectiveTo explore the correlation between the occurrence of cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis(RA) and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome. MethodsThe cross-sectional study selected 6713 RA patients from 122 centres nationwide, in which general information such as name, gender, age, height, body weight, and course of disease were collected by completing a questionnaire; patients were classified into eight types of syndrome according to the information of their four examinations,i.e. wind-dampness obstruction syndrome, cold-dampness obstruction syndrome, dampness-heat obstruction syndrome, phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome, stasis-blood obstructing collateral syndrome, qi-blood deficiency syndrome, liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome, and qi-yin deficiency syndrome. According to the occurrence of cardiovascular events, they were divided into the occurrence group and the non-occurrence group, and the condition assessment data and laboratory examination indexes were recorded. The test of difference between groups was used to analyse the possible risk factors for the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events, and binary logistic regression was used to analyse the correlation between TCM syndromes and RA cardiovascular events. ResultsA total of 6713 RA patients were included, including 256 cases in occurrence group and 6457 in non-occurrence group. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in terms of height, gender, insomnia, appetite, white blood cell(WBC), hemoglobin(HGB), platelets(PLT), rheumatoid factor(RF), anti-cyclic peptide containing citrulline(CCP), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT), urea creatinine(CREA), and glucose(GLU)(P>0.05). The TCM syndromes between groups showed significant statistic differences(P<0.05). Patients in occurrence group had longer disease duration, heavier body weight, and older age; more severe conditions such as disease activity(DAS-28), number of painful joints(TJC), number of swollen joints(SJC), health questionnaire scores(HAQ), visual analog scores(VAS), restlessness, and fatigue; higher blood sedimentation rate(ESR), low-density lipoprotein(LDL-C), triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), D-Dimer, and lower high-density lipoprotein(HDL-C)(P<0.05). The distribution of syndrome types showed that dampness-heat obstruction syndrome accounted for the largest proportion of patients in both groups and was higher in RA cardiovascular events. Logistic regression analysis showed that the occurrence of RA cardiovascular events was strongly associated with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome[OR=5.937, 95%CI (4.434, 7.949), P<0.001]. ConclusionThe occurrence of RA cardiovascular events were associated with TCM syndromes, and the probability of cardiovascular events in the RA patients with dampness-heat obstruction syndrome was 5.937 times higher than patients with other TCM syndromes.
2.Complex associations among modifiable determinants of circadian syndrome among employed people in southwestern China.
Shujuan YANG ; Peng JIA ; Lei ZHANG ; Yuchen LI ; Peng YU ; Jiqi YANG ; Sihan WANG ; Honglian ZENG ; Bo YANG ; Bin YU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2804-2812
BACKGROUND:
Circadian syndrome (CircS) may be closely linked to lifestyle, psychological, and occupational factors, but evidence is lacking. This study aimed to explore complex associations between lifestyle, psychological and occupational factors and CircS among employed people in southwestern China.
METHODS:
In this study, network analysis was used to identify complex associations between lifestyle, psychological and occupational factors and CircS in employed people from the Chinese Cohort of Working Adults (CCWA). The centrality of each variable was estimated by strength centrality index, which was calculated by the sum of edge weights connected to the variable. Bridge in the network was identified as the variables in the top 80 th percentile of overall bridge strength, which was defined as the most strongly connected variables across lifestyle, psychological and occupational factors and CircS. The differences were assessed in network structures between subgroups divided by the median score of the variable with the strongest bridge strengthen.
RESULTS:
Among 31,105 participants from CCWA, 5213 (16.76%) had CircS. In the constructed network, anxiety (edge weights: 0.28), smoking (edge weights: 0.15), drinking (edge weights: 0.10), perceived noise at work (edge weights: 0.08), and implicit health attitude (edge weights: -0.02) were directly related to CircS, with 83.31% of the variance for CircS explained by these neighboring factors. Anxiety was the most central variable (strength centrality: 1.20) in the network and the strongest bridge (bridge strength: 0.84) connecting all domains of variables. A stronger association between anxiety and CircS was observed in the network of participants with more severe anxiety (edge weight: 0.23) than those with less severe anxiety (edge weight: 0.03).
CONCLUSION
Anxiety had the strongest association with CircS and was the central factor with the highest strength centrality, also the bridge with the highest bridge strength in the network.
Humans
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Male
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Female
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Adult
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China
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Middle Aged
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Life Style
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Chronobiology Disorders/epidemiology*
3.A high clinically translatable strategy to anti-aging using hyaluronic acid and silk fibroin co-crosslinked hydrogels as dermal regenerative fillers.
Jialing CHENG ; Zhiyang CHEN ; Demin LIN ; Yanfang YANG ; Yanjing BAI ; Lingshuang WANG ; Jie LI ; Yuchen WANG ; Hongliang WANG ; Youbai CHEN ; Jun YE ; Yuling LIU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(7):3767-3787
An ideal dermal filler should integrate filling, repair, and anti-aging effects, with immediate tissue augmentation, slow degradation, and progressive stimulation of collagen regeneration. However, commonly used hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels, while effective for rapid filling, suffer from limited duration of support, weak cell adhesion, and an inability to promote collagen regeneration. Silk fibroin (SF), a natural protein from silkworm cocoons, is known for its excellent cell adhesion and collagen-stimulating abilities. However, its limited gelation capability restricts its potential application as a standalone injectable hydrogel. Based on a complementary strategy, this study combines the rapid gelling properties of HA with the collagen regenerative properties of SF to create a co-crosslinked HA-SF hydrogel. The composite hydrogel merges HA's rapid filling effect with SF's strong tissue adhesion and collagen-stimulating abilities. The formulation, physicochemical properties, degradation, biocompatibility, and filling effects of the HA-SF hydrogel were systematically investigated. HA-SF hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical properties and ensures long-term support while maintaining injectability. Interestingly, after intradermal injection in the UVB-induced photoaging model, HA-SF hydrogel not only enhances hydrogel-cell interaction but also continues to stimulate collagen regeneration, especially type III collagen. This dual action achieves the biological effects of repair and anti-aging while maintaining the filling effect. Proteomic analysis confirms that repair and anti-aging effects are enhanced by the regulation of skin fibroblasts and modulation of amino acid and lipid metabolism. This composite hydrogel holds strong promise for clinical applications, offering a safer, long-lasting, and more natural injectable filler that combines filling, repair, and anti-aging into one system.
4.Photodynamic enhancement of PROTAC prodrug activation in hypoxic tumors.
Zhongliang FU ; Chunrong YANG ; Yuchen YANG ; Meichen PAN ; Hongwei HOU ; Jinghong LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(9):4945-4960
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for targeted protein degradation. However, the clinical application of PROTACs may be hindered by off-target toxicity resulting from non-tissue-specific protein degradation and ingenious prodrug strategies may open new avenues to addressing this concern. Herein, we propose a light-induced positive feedback strategy to use photodynamic therapy (PDT) to improve the activation efficiency of PROTAC prodrugs, monitor PROTAC release, and combine PROTAC to induce tumor cell apoptosis. In the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, the azo bond in AZO-PRO selectively cleaves, triggering the release of the potent protein degrader PRO and the multifunctional photosensitizer. Once activated, the fluoresce signal of the photosensitizer dramatically recovers, allowing monitoring of prodrug activation. Additionally, upon irradicating the tumor site using near-infrared (NIR) laser, PDT exacerbates tumor hypoxia, further promoting AZO-PRO activation. Our work introduces a novel approach to efficiently track and activate PROTAC prodrugs, enhance their antitumor efficacy, and mitigate off-target systemic toxicity.
5.New insights into translational research in Alzheimer's disease guided by artificial intelligence, computational and systems biology.
Shulan JIANG ; Zixi TIAN ; Yuchen YANG ; Xiang LI ; Feiyan ZHOU ; Jianhua CHENG ; Jihui LYU ; Tingting GAO ; Ping ZHANG ; Hongbin HAN ; Zhiqian TONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(10):5099-5126
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive and functional deterioration, with pathological features such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates in the extracellular spaces of parenchymal neurons and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles formed by the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. Despite a thorough investigation, current treatments targeting the reduction of Aβ production, promotion of its clearance, and inhibition of tau protein phosphorylation and aggregation have not met clinical expectations, posing a substantial obstacle in the development of drugs for AD. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI), computational biology (CB), and systems biology (SB) have emerged as promising methodologies in AD research. Their capacity to analyze extensive and varied datasets facilitates the identification of intricate patterns, thereby enriching our comprehension of AD pathology. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the utilization of AI, CB, and SB in the diagnosis of AD, including the use of imaging omics for early detection, drug discovery methods such as lecanemab, and complementary therapies like phototherapy. This review offers novel perspectives and potential avenues for further research in the realm of translational AD studies.
6.Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Approaches of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Secondary Gynecological and Obstetric Diseases Based on the Theory of "Bi (痹) of both Body and Viscera"
Hui XU ; Quan JIANG ; Congmin XIA ; Rouman ZHANG ; Xun GONG ; Chuanhui YAO ; Zixia LIU ; Yuchen YANG ; Xieli MA
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(23):2438-2442
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) may lead to secondary gynecological and obstetric disorders such as decreased ovarian reserve function, menstrual abnormalities, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Based on "bi (痹) of both body and viscera" theory, this paper proposed that the core mechanism of SLE secondary gynecological and obstetric diseases lies in the mutual transformation between "body bi" and "viscera bi", which together affect the uterus. Physiologically, uterus forms an internal-external network with the body and viscera through the meridians and blood vessels. Pathologically, when the healthy qi is deficient, nourishment of the body and viscera is impaired; when toxins and stasis accumulate, pathogenic factors disturb the uterus through the chong (冲) and ren (任) meri-dians. The resulting obstruction in the uterus can, in turn, manifest externally and aggravate damage to the body and viscera. Therefore, the pathogenesis of SLE secondary gynecological and obstetric diseases follows a dynamic trajectory of "body bi first, body bi affecting viscera, and then bi of both body and viscera". In treatment, the principle of harmonizing and balancing the healthy qi is emphasized. The main approach is to regulate the viscera, stabilize the body, and nourish the uterus, with the coordination of nourishing the viscera through the body, thereby achieving simultaneous treatment of both body and viscera. This highlights the guiding significance of the "bi of both body and viscera" theory in preventing and treating SLE secondary gynecological and obstetric diseases.
7.Distritution Characteristics of TCM Syndromes and Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine Efficacy in 2506 Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients with Different Course of Disease:A Real-World Retrospective Study
Zhengyao SHEN ; Jingtao LI ; Yuchen YANG ; Shujuan ZHANG ; Quan JIANG ; Xun GONG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(23):2453-2459
ObjectiveTo investigate the syndrome evolution patterns, characteristics of the used herbal medicinals, and efficacy variations across different stages of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progression. MethodsBased on the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN), 2,506 RA patients were retrospectively enrolled and categorized into <6 months group (166 cases), 6 months to <5 years group (1063 cases), 5 to <20 years group (1067 cases), and ≥20 years group (210 cases). Syndromes were differentiated before and after traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment, including damp-heat obstruction, wind-damp obstruction, cold-damp obstruction, blood stasis obstructed in the collaterals, phlegm-stasis obstruction, liver-kidney insufficiency, qi and blood deficiency, and qi-yin deficiency. The syndrome evolution rate was calculated for high-frequency syndromes before and after treatment. Analysis was conducted on top 20 frequently used Chinese herbs at the first diagnosis. Clinical efficacy of the 28-joint disease activity score based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) and 28-joint disease activity score based on C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) before and after treatment were assessed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors affecting the efficacy of TCM treatment. ResultsPatients with course of disease shorter than 6 months predominantly presented with cold-dampness obstruction syndrome (49/166, 29.5%), wind-dampness obstruction syndrome (46/166, 27.7%), and dampness-heat obstruction syndrome (43/166, 25.9%). For patients with course of disease logner than 6 months and shorter than 5 years and those within 5 to 20 years, the dominant syndrome was dampness-heat obstruction syndrome (324/1063, 30.5% and 318/1067, 29.8%, respectively). In patients with disease duration ≥20 years, liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome and dampness-heat obstruction syndrome both predominated, each accounting for 25.24% (53/210). The syndromes with more than 100 cases before treatment and a syndrome evolution rate greater than 10% after treatment were dampness-heat obstruction (201/738, 27.2%), liver-kidney insufficiency (119/367, 32.4%), and phlegm-stasis obstruction syndromes (73/172, 42.4%). These were classified as high-frequency syndromes. After treatment, damp-heat obstruction syndrome and liver-kidney insufficiency syndrome primarily evolved into wind-damp obstruction syndrome, while phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome evolved into damp-heat obstruction and cold-damp obstruction syndrome. The top two commonly used Chinese herbs across all groups were Gancao (Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae) and Baishao (Radix Paeoniae Alba). In the <6 months group and the 6 months to <5 years group, high-frequency herbs also included Fangfeng (Radix Saposhnikoviae), Duhuo (Radix Angelicae Pubescentis), Chuanxiong (Rhizoma Chuanxiong), and Qianghuo (Radix et Rhizoma Notopterygii). In the 5 to <20 years group and the ≥20 years group, the usage of Huangqi (Radix Astragali), Fuling (Poria), Niuxi (Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae), and Danggui (Radix Angelicae Sinensis) increased, while the proportion of Fangfeng and Duhuo decreased. After treatment, the DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP scores in all groups significantly decreased (P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in clinical efficacy based on DAS28-ESR and DAS28-CRP across all groups (P<0.01). Multivariate logistic regression revealed significantly reduced treatment efficacy in the 6 months-5 years group (OR=0.4), 5~20 years group (OR=0.5), and ≥20 years group (OR=0.4) compared to the <6 months group. ConclusionRA syndromes follow a progression pattern from excess to deficiency, with corresponding transition in herbal usage from pathogen-eliminating to healthy qi-reinforcing approaches. TCM intervention can significantly reduce disease activity of RA, with superior efficacy in patients with disease duration shorter than 6 months.
8.Study on effect of LINC00342 in cervical cancer
Mi GONG ; Yuchen SONG ; Shanshan QIN ; Ting WANG ; Yijun YANG
Chongqing Medicine 2024;53(21):3233-3239
Objective To investigate the effect of long non-coding RNA-LINC00342 in cervical cancer.Methods The bioinformatic analysis was performed by the cervical cancer data sets(GSE6791 and GSE63514)in GEO database.The potential oncogene LINC00342 was screened out.qRT-PCR was adopted to detect the expression level of LINC00342 in cervical cancer tissue and paracancerous normal cervical tissues of 50 cases of cervical cancer,and its relationship with the prognosis of the patients was analyzed.The correlation between LINC00342 with the other pathological features in the patients with cervical cancer was analyzed.In the cervical cancer cell lines Hela and SiHa cells,after transfecting si-LINC00342 and si-NCS,the LINC00342 expression level in the cells was detected by qRT-PCR.The cellular invasive and migration were detected by CCK-8/EdU proliferation test,Transwell invasion and migration test.Results The data sets of GSE6791 and GSE63514 and clinical tissue samples all showed that LINC00342 was highly expressed in cervical cancer tis-sues(P<0.05).The clinical tissue samples related tests showed that the expression level of LINC00342 was correlated with the prognosis of the patients(HR=4.911,P=0.036 1);the LINC00342 level had no relation with the factors such as age of the patients and tumor histological type(P>0.05),but was closely related to the tumor size and tumor stage(P<0.05).The cellular experiments showed that knocking down LINC00342 expression could significantly inhibit the proliferation,invasion and migration abilities of cervical cancer cells(P<0.05).Conclusion LINC00342 is highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues,which is a potential biomar-ker of the occurrence,development and poor prognosis of cervical cancer.
9.Curative Effect of Tripterygium wilfordii Polyglycoside Tablets in Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Real World Based on Propensity Score Matching
Xieli MA ; Quan JIANG ; Xun GONG ; Congmin XIA ; Chuanhui YAO ; Tian CHANG ; Zixia LIU ; Yuchen YANG ; Jiameng LIU ; Zhengyao SHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(18):125-131
ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycoside tablets (TWP) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the real world. MethodDiagnosis and treatment data of patients with RA in Chinese medicine rheumatology registration research information platform information database (CERTAIN) from January 1,2019 to January, 2024 were collected. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, data were screened. The included data were divided into an exposure group and a control group according to the use of TWP or not. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used in both groups to keep the baseline balanced and comparable. The disease activity score (DAS28-ESR) of 28 joints based on the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)before and after treatment was compared between the two groups, as well as health assessment questionnaire (HAQ),visual analogue scale (VAS),tender joint count (TJC),swollen joint count (SJC), patient's global assessment (PGA),evaluator's global assessment (EGA),laboratory indexes, clinical curative effect, and adverse reactions. ResultA total of 3 978 patients were included,including 929 in the exposure group and 3 049 in the control group. Before PSM,there were significant differences in demographic information,DAS28-ESR score,PGA,EGA,HAQ,VAS scores,SJC, and TJC between the two groups (P<0.05). After successful PSM matching,922 patients in the exposure group and 922 patients in the control group were included. There was no significant difference in demographic information and DAS28-ESR between the two groups before treatment,and the differences in other indexes between the two groups decreased to varying degrees. After treatment,the DAS28-ESR,PGA,EGA,HAQ,SJC,TJC,VAS scores, ESR,and IgG immune index of the two groups were significantly lower (P<0.01). Compared with those in the control group after treatment,the DAS28-ESR,PGA,EGA,HAQ,VAS scores, and ESR in the exposure group after treatment decreased more significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01). There was no significant difference in TJC in the exposure group after treatment. However, TJC in the exposure group was significantly higher than that in the control group before treatment (P<0.05). In terms of TJC reduction,the exposure group performed better than the control group. There was no significant difference in SJC and IgG between the exposure group and the control group after treatment. After treatment,the clinical symptoms of poor appetite,insomnia and many dreams,upset,fatigue,and fear of wind and cold in the two groups were improved. Except that the proportion of women in the exposure group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01),there was no significant difference in the incidence of other adverse reactions between the two groups after treatment. ConclusionTWP to treat RA can effectively reduce DAS28-ESR,PGA,EGA,HAQ,TJC,and VAS scores and improve the general symptoms. Except for the women at childbearing age with fertility requirements that TWP is not applicable,it shows good security.
10.Continuous vital signs monitoring using wireless wearable devices in patients after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer: A prospective self-control study
Xiaoli MEI ; Yuchen HUANG ; Jian ZHOU ; Yuanyuan SONG ; Ailin LUO ; Mei YANG ; E ZHENG ; Yang QIU ; Beinuo WANG ; Zhenghao DONG ; Hu LIAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(02):229-235
Objective To explore the reliability and safety of continuous monitoring of vital signs in patients using wireless wearable monitoring devices after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung cancer. Methods The patients undergoing VATS for lung cancer in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May to August 2023 were prospectively enrolled. Both wireless wearable and traditional wired devices were used to monitor the vital signs of patients after surgery. Spearman correlation analysis, paired sample t test and ratio Bland-Altman method were used to test the correlation, difference and consistency of monitoring data measured by the two devices. The effective monitoring rate of the wireless wearable device within 12 hours was calculated to test the reliability of its continuous monitoring. Results A total of 20 patients were enrolled, including 15 females and 5 males with an average age of 46.20±11.52 years. Data collected by the two monitoring devices were significantly correlated (P<0.001). Respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation data collected by the two devices showed no statistical difference (P>0.05), while heart rate measured by wireless wearable device was slightly lower (=−0.307±1.073, P<0.001), and the blood pressure (=1.259±5.354, P<0.001) and body temperature(=0.115±0.231, P<0.001) were slightly higher. The mean ratios of heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure and body temperature collected by the two devices were 0.996, 1.004, 1.000, 1.014, and 1.003, respectively. The 95% limits of agreement (LoA) and 95% confidence interval of 95%LoA of each indicator were within the clinically acceptable limit. The effective monitoring rate of each vital signs within 12 hours was above 98%. Conclusion The wireless wearable device has a high accuracy and reliability for continuous monitoring vital signs of patients after VATS for lung cancer, which provides a security guarantee for subsequent large-scale clinical application and further research.

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