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

Medical institutions, with their clinical practice foundation and abundant human use experience data, have become important carriers for the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and the "cradles" of the preparation of new TCM. To effectively promote the transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and establish an effective evaluation index system for the transformation of new TCM conforming to the characteristics of TCM, consensus experts adopted the literature research, questionnaire survey, Delphi method, etc. By focusing on the policy and technical evaluation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions, a comprehensive evaluation from the dimensions of drug safety, efficacy, feasibility, and characteristic advantages was conducted, thus forming a comprehensive evaluation system with four primary indicators and 37 secondary indicators. The expert consensus reached aims to encourage medical institutions at all levels to continuously improve the high-quality research and development and transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and targeted at clinical needs, so as to provide a decision-making basis for the preparation, selection, cultivation, and transformation of new TCM for medical institutions, improve the development efficiency of new TCM, and precisely respond to the public medication needs.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective:To analyze the predictive role of WT1 expression levels pre-and early post-transplantation on relapse and overall survival(OS)in patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML)undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)during their first complete remission(CR1).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 107 adult AML patients who underwent allo-HSCT during their CR1 at our center between May 2012 and December 2021.The predictive role of bone marrow WT1 expression levels before transplantation and at 3 and 6 months post-transplantation on relapse and OS was explored in combination with relevant clinical factors.Results:The median follow-up time for the 107 patients was 70(range:11-117)months.Among the patients,15 cases died.Kaplan-Meier survial analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival(OS)rate was 85.0％.20 patients experienced relapse,with a median time to relapse of 8(range:0.5-44)months and a l-year cumulative relapse rate of 13.1％.The overall median value of WT1 before transplantation,3 months after transplantation,and 6 months after transplantation was 0.26％(range:0％-23.64％),with an upper quartile value of 0.74％.No statistically significant differences in WT1 expression levels were observed among the pre-transplantation,3-month post-transplantation,and 6-month post-transplantation time points(P=0.227).Univariate analysis showed that patients with WT1 levels＞0.74％at 3 months post-transplantation had a higher 1-year relapse rate(P=0.029)and lower 3-year OS rate(P＜0.001)compared to patients with WT1 levels ≤0.74％.Other significant factors affecting 1-year relapse included stem cell source(P=0.041)and chronic graft-versus-host disease(cGVHD)(P=0.013).For 3-year OS,additional influencing factors were genetic high risk(P=0.048)and stem cell source(P=0.016).Multivariate analysis revealed that WT1 level＞0.74％at 3 months post-transplantation had a trend to affect 1-year relapse rate(HR=3.309,95％CI:0.958-11.431,P=0.058),while the absence of cGVHD was an independent risk factor for 1-year relapse(HR=3.473,95％CI:0.749-16.100,P=0.037).Only WT1 level＞0.74％at 3 months post-transplantation was an independent risk factor for 3-year OS(HR=6.886,95％CI:2.402-19.738,P＜0.001).Conclusion:High WT1 expression level at 3 months post-transplantation in AML patients undergoing allo-HSCT during CR1 affects the 1-year relapse rate and 3-year OS,and is an independent risk factor affecting 3-year OS.These findings suggest that dynamic monitoring of WT1 expression levels has certain value in prognostic assessment of AML patients who received allo-HSCT during CR1.

The scientific research and innovation capabilities of medical students are intrinsically linked to the sustained and high-quality development of national healthcare initiatives.Cultivating outstanding medi-cal students with independent scientific capabilities and innovative consciousness is a critical component in the education and training of high-level medical professionals.Our investigation revealed that within the imperfections of the cultivating model,some faculty and students at medical schools have an insufficient understanding of scientific research and innovation and lack motivation for engaging in such activities,which hinder the progression of scientific research activities.Consequently,we initiated a teaching practice and exploratory study on the"tutorial system"aimed at fostering medical students'scientific research and innovation abilities.Based on the principle of"research informing teaching,teaching and research advan-cing together,"this study implements a"tutorial system"coordinated by tutors,supplemented by graduate and undergraduate student mentors,to cultivate innovative thinking,stimulate interest in scientific re-search,and enhance practical and research skills among medical students.Through collaborative efforts within"scientific research innovation teams,"various educational methods—including preliminary re-search,in-class and extracurricular activities,intra-group and inter-group interactions,and theoretical and practical applications—are employed to improve and strengthen the cultivation of medical students'scientif-ic research and innovation abilities.This study aims to provide valuable references for optimizing medical education management systems and enhancing the quality of medical student training.

The scientific research and innovation capabilities of medical students are intrinsically linked to the sustained and high-quality development of national healthcare initiatives.Cultivating outstanding medi-cal students with independent scientific capabilities and innovative consciousness is a critical component in the education and training of high-level medical professionals.Our investigation revealed that within the imperfections of the cultivating model,some faculty and students at medical schools have an insufficient understanding of scientific research and innovation and lack motivation for engaging in such activities,which hinder the progression of scientific research activities.Consequently,we initiated a teaching practice and exploratory study on the"tutorial system"aimed at fostering medical students'scientific research and innovation abilities.Based on the principle of"research informing teaching,teaching and research advan-cing together,"this study implements a"tutorial system"coordinated by tutors,supplemented by graduate and undergraduate student mentors,to cultivate innovative thinking,stimulate interest in scientific re-search,and enhance practical and research skills among medical students.Through collaborative efforts within"scientific research innovation teams,"various educational methods—including preliminary re-search,in-class and extracurricular activities,intra-group and inter-group interactions,and theoretical and practical applications—are employed to improve and strengthen the cultivation of medical students'scientif-ic research and innovation abilities.This study aims to provide valuable references for optimizing medical education management systems and enhancing the quality of medical student training.

Objective:To analyze the predictive role of WT1 expression levels pre-and early post-transplantation on relapse and overall survival(OS)in patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML)undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)during their first complete remission(CR1).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 107 adult AML patients who underwent allo-HSCT during their CR1 at our center between May 2012 and December 2021.The predictive role of bone marrow WT1 expression levels before transplantation and at 3 and 6 months post-transplantation on relapse and OS was explored in combination with relevant clinical factors.Results:The median follow-up time for the 107 patients was 70(range:11-117)months.Among the patients,15 cases died.Kaplan-Meier survial analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival(OS)rate was 85.0％.20 patients experienced relapse,with a median time to relapse of 8(range:0.5-44)months and a l-year cumulative relapse rate of 13.1％.The overall median value of WT1 before transplantation,3 months after transplantation,and 6 months after transplantation was 0.26％(range:0％-23.64％),with an upper quartile value of 0.74％.No statistically significant differences in WT1 expression levels were observed among the pre-transplantation,3-month post-transplantation,and 6-month post-transplantation time points(P=0.227).Univariate analysis showed that patients with WT1 levels＞0.74％at 3 months post-transplantation had a higher 1-year relapse rate(P=0.029)and lower 3-year OS rate(P＜0.001)compared to patients with WT1 levels ≤0.74％.Other significant factors affecting 1-year relapse included stem cell source(P=0.041)and chronic graft-versus-host disease(cGVHD)(P=0.013).For 3-year OS,additional influencing factors were genetic high risk(P=0.048)and stem cell source(P=0.016).Multivariate analysis revealed that WT1 level＞0.74％at 3 months post-transplantation had a trend to affect 1-year relapse rate(HR=3.309,95％CI:0.958-11.431,P=0.058),while the absence of cGVHD was an independent risk factor for 1-year relapse(HR=3.473,95％CI:0.749-16.100,P=0.037).Only WT1 level＞0.74％at 3 months post-transplantation was an independent risk factor for 3-year OS(HR=6.886,95％CI:2.402-19.738,P＜0.001).Conclusion:High WT1 expression level at 3 months post-transplantation in AML patients undergoing allo-HSCT during CR1 affects the 1-year relapse rate and 3-year OS,and is an independent risk factor affecting 3-year OS.These findings suggest that dynamic monitoring of WT1 expression levels has certain value in prognostic assessment of AML patients who received allo-HSCT during CR1.

Objective To investigate the clinical application of three-dimensional intracavitary/free-hand interstitial brachytherapy technique in radical radiotherapy for cervical cancer. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on the clinical data of patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical radiotherapy using CT-guided three-dimensional intracavitary/free-hand interstitial brachytherapy technique in The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from April 2019 to September 2021. The short-term efficacy and adverse reactions were analyzed, and the independent predictors affecting short-term efficacy were evaluated by logistic risk regression model. Results A total of 182 patients were included, and all patients successfully completed the treatment. Clinical efficacy assessment performed 3 months after treatment revealed an overall response rate of 90.65%; the incidence of grade 3 and 4 adverse reactions in the lower gastrointestinal tract was 4.4% during treatment. After reclassifying stage IIIC patients according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 staging system and including factors affecting the stage, it was found that the tumor volume before brachytherapy was the main factor affecting the clinical efficacy of patients at this stage (P = 0.004). Conclusion As a key method in radical radiotherapy for cervical cancer, three-dimensional intracavitary/free-hand interstitial brachytherapy technique is safe and effective and can be quickly popularized in primary hospitals beyond regional cancer centers for cervical cancer brachytherapy.

The Dionex CaboPac^TM PA10 BioLC^TM Analyical 2 mm × 250 mm column was used with a protective column (Dionex CaboPac^TM PA10 BioLC^TM Guard 2 mm × 50 mm). 100 mmol·L^-1 sodium hydroxide solution was used as eluent; the flow rate was 0.25 mL·min^-1. Sample tray temperature: 35 ℃. The pulse amperometric detector was adopted, and the waveform was Gold CWE, Ag-AgCl RE, Carbo, Quad. The samples were cultured with 8 concentrations of glycogen substrates (0.31, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg·mL^-1). D-Glucose concentrations were measured at 5 different time points (T0, T1, T2, T3 and T4). The glucose concentration from T1 to T4 minus the glucose concentration at T0. The reaction rate was calculated at different glycogen substrate concentrations. These reaction rates are plotted against substrate concentrations using Michaelis-Menten equation. The kinetic parameters were expressed as V_max (nmol·mg^-1·min^-1) and K_m (mg·mL^-1). The RSD of glucose standard curve R² (n = 6, linear range: 1.25-500 μmol·L^-1) was 0.1% and the RSD (n = 6) of the slope of the standard curve was 2.2%. The mean limit of quantitation was 0.14 μmol·L^-1, and the mean limit of detection was 0.05 μmol·L^-1. The RSD of K_m and V_max were 4.4% and 4.6% respectively in three separate experiments. The durability of the method was good. The method was developed for the on-line automatic determination of the hydrolysis kinetics of acid α-glucosidase (GAA) for injection by ion chromatography. The method has good precision, repeatability and durability, and can be used for the determination of glycogen hydrolysis kinetics of GAA for injection, and could reference value for the enzyme kinetics evaluation of recombinant enzyme replacement therapy.

According to the requirements of the regulatory authorities, degree of modification (DP) should be included in the characterisation of the PEGylated protein drug substance, and is one of the critical quality attributes for quality control. In this study, based on the fundamental assumption that the refractive index (RI) signal and the ultraviolet (UV) signal of PEGylated protein are equal to the sum of the corresponding signal produced by the polyethylene glycol (PEG) and protein parts of the conjugates in their uncoupled state, we developed a method to determine the DP of PEGylated recombinant human growth hormone (inpegsomatropin). In this method, 20 μL of 1 mg·mL^-1 human growth hormone (hGH) standard, 2 mg·mL^-1 PEG reference substance and 1 mg·mL^-1 drug substance solution were each injected to size exclusion chromatographic (SEC) column for separation, detected with ultraviolet and refractive index (UV-RI) detectors in series. Finally, the DP was calculated as the formula derived from the fundamental assumption. The developed SEC-UV-RI method showed good specificity, repeatability (RSD = 0.63%, n = 9) and accuracy, with a recovery of 100.0%, compared with the result obtained from the simultaneously established classical acid hydrolysis method, demonstrating pretty handleability and accessibility, and is appropriate for quality control test of DP for this drug substance.

Objective To analyze the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on colorectal adenoma detection rate (ADR) in fatigue state of endoscopists. Methods A total of 784 patients undergoing colonoscopy at the Endoscopy Center of Hengshui People's Hospital in Hebei Province were enrolled. Patients were divided into group A (n=405, time from 14: 00 to 15: 59) and group B (n=379, time from 16: 00 to 17: 30) based on the operation time. Patients in both groups who underwent AI-assisted examination were included in AI subgroup, while those without AI assistance were included in non-AI subgroup. Baseline data, including age, gender and bowel preparation quality [assessed by the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score] were collected. The ADR and polyp detection rate (PDR) for colorectal lesions were calculated for both groups, and the ADR was compared between groups with and without AI assistance. Results The overall ADR was 32.10% in the group A, which was higher than 26.91% in the group B, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Without AI assistance, the ADR in the group A was 25.85%, which was significantly higher than 17.30% in the group B (P < 0.05). In the group B with AI assistance, the ADR was significantly higher than that in the group A without AI assistance (P < 0.05). Without AI assistance, the PDR in the group A was 33.17%, which was significantly higher than 22.70% in the group B (P < 0.05). After using AI assistance, there was no significant difference in PDR between the two groups (P>0.05). In the group A, the ADR was 38.50% in the AI subgroup (n=200) and 25.80% in the non-AI subgroup (n=205), with a statistically significant difference (P=0.006). In the group B, the ADR was 36.08% in the AI subgroup (n=194) and 17.30% in the non-AI subgroup (n=185), with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). Conclusion AI-assisted colonoscopy can effectively improve the ADR of endoscopists under fatigue conditions.