Osteoporosis （OP） is a metabolic disorder characterized by microstructural deterioration of bone and increased bone fragility due to reduced bone mass， which can cause the development of bone-related diseases. This condition imposes significant economic and psychological burdens on patients. While modern medicine has extensively researched the pathogenesis of OP， it remains incompletely understood. Current clinical management primarily relies on anti-resorptive drugs and synthetic metabolic agents. However， long-term use of some medications may yield suboptimal therapeutic outcomes and lead to severe adverse reactions. Given the necessity for prolonged or lifelong treatment for OP， there is a critical need to identify highly effective， safe， and cost-effective pharmaceutical interventions. In light of evolving disease management paradigms and recent advancements in OP research， traditional Chinese medicine has demonstrated emerging advantages in addressing this condition. Through literature review， this study delves into the pathogenesis of OP from five perspectives： hormonal dysregulation， autophagy， ferroptosis， oxidative stress， and intestinal flora alteration. Furthermore， it summarizes the therapeutic efficacy and specific mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine monomers and compound formulas against OP through regulating hormone levels， interfering with autophagy， inhibiting ferroptosis， counteract oxidative stress，and maintain intestinal flora balance. These multifaceted insights are expected to provide theoretical reference and guide future clinical traditional Chinese medicine approaches for preventing and managing OP.

BACKGROUND:Our previous research found that Panax notoginseng can repair the morphological structure of bone cells,which has a good application prospect in the treatment of osteoarthritis,but the specific mechanism of Panax notoginseng is still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To identify the main components of Panax notoginseng using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Q exactive-mass spectrometry(UHPLC-QE-MS),and to explore the mechanism of Panax notoginseng in the treatment of osteoarthritis by combining network pharmacology,molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. METHODS:After identifying the main components of Panax notoginseng by UHPLC-QE-MS technology,the active components were screened by TCMSP database,and the targets of active components were found by TCMSP and Uniprot database.Osteoarthritis targets were screened out through disease databases.After the intersection of drug targets and disease targets,the protein-protein interaction network was constructed by importing STRING database and Cytoscape software,and the"active ingredient-action target"network was constructed to screen key active ingredients.Then the key targets were enriched and analyzed,and the key active components and key targets were verified by molecular docking.Finally,the results with the lowest binding energy were selected for molecular dynamics simulation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 57 active components were identified in the solution of Panax Notoginseng,including 50 intersection targets of components and disease targets,5 key active components(quercetin,ursodeoxycholic acid,kaempferol,naringenin and erythrocyanine),and 5 key targets(interleukin 6,matrix metalloproteinase 9,interleukin 1β,albumin and recombinant chemokine c-motif ligand 2).Gene ontology enriched 642 entries,among which 620 entries represent biological processes,21 entries represent molecular functions,and 1 entry represents cellular components.Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis indicated 63 pathways,mainly including estrogen signaling pathway,interleukin 17 signaling pathway and hyperglycosylation end product-hyperglycosylation end product receptor signaling pathway.Molecular docking showed good binding activity of key active components and key targets.Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the stable interaction between quercetin and matrix metalloproteinase 9.The composition of Panax notoginseng was comprehensively studied,and the material basis of its efficacy was preliminarily clarified.It was predicted that Panax notoginseng could play an anti-inflammatory,cartilage-protective,and immunomodulatory role in treating osteoarthritis through multiple components,targets,approaches and pathways.

BACKGROUND:Mitochondrial autophagy is closely related to the occurrence and development of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head(SONFH),but specific biomarkers and regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:To identify the key biomarkers of mitochondrial autophagy in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head using machine learning algorithms and to conduct an immune infiltration analysis. METHODS:The SONFH datasets GSE123568 and GSE74089 were downloaded from the GEO database,serving as the training and validation sets,respectively.Differentially expressed genes between SONFH and control groups were selected,and weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed.Mitochondrial autophagy-related genes were obtained from MitoCarta3.0 and intersected with differentially expressed genes and module genes.Two machine learning algorithms were utilized to identify key genes of SONFH mitochondrial autophagy,and validated using an external validation set.CIBERSORT and immune infiltration analysis were employed to assess the proportion of immune cells,and ssGSEA was used to analyze the correlation between mitochondrial autophagy genes and immune cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Differential analysis identified a total of 1 163 differentially expressed genes,including 663 upregulated genes and 500 downregulated genes.Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified 4 key modules,comprising 1 412 module genes.Intersection with mitochondrial autophagy genes yielded 39 intersecting genes as disease-related mitochondrial autophagy genes.Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that the biological processes were mainly related to heme metabolism,mitochondrial transport,nucleotide bisphosphate metabolism and thioester metabolism,and the cellular components were mainly related to mitochondrial matrix,mitochondrial outer membrane,organelle outer membrane and mitochondrial inner membrane,and the molecular functions were mainly related to fatty acid ligase activity,iron-sulfur cluster binding,and cofactor A ligase activity.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis mapped out a total of six pathways,which were mainly related to fatty acid degradation,mitochondrial autophagy,butyric acid metabolism,fatty acid biosynthesis and cofactor biosynthesis.Through LASSO regression and RFE-SVM algorithm analysis,four intersecting genes(ALDH5A1,FBXL4,MCL1,and STOM)were identified.The receiver operating characteristic curves of the four core genes and the diagnostic column chart validation set were all greater than 0.9.The occurrence and development of SONFH were related to immune cells such as dendritic cells,bone marrow-derived suppressor cells,regulatory T cells,and central memory CD8 T cells.To conclude,the four key mitochondrial autophagy genes ALDH5A1,FBXL4,MCL1,and STOM play a crucial role in the progression of SONFH through osteoclast differentiation and immune mechanisms.Additionally,all four genes have good disease prediction efficacy and can serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of SONFH.

With the increasing proportion of human papilloma virus(HPV)infection in the pathogenic factors of oro-pharyngeal cancer,a series of changes have occurred in the surgical treatment.While the treatment mode has been im-proved,there are still many problems,including the inconsistency between diagnosis and treatment modes,the lack of popularization of reconstruction technology,the imperfect post-treatment rehabilitation system,and the lack of effective preventive measures.Especially in terms of treatment mode for early oropharyngeal cancer,there is no unified conclu-sion whether it is surgery alone or radiotherapy alone,and whether robotic minimally invasive surgery has better func-tional protection than radiotherapy.For advanced oropharyngeal cancer,there is greater controversy over the treatment mode.It is still unclear whether to adopt a non-surgical treatment mode of synchronous chemoradiotherapy or induction chemotherapy combined with synchronous chemoradiotherapy,or a treatment mode of surgery combined with postopera-tive chemoradiotherapy.In order to standardize the surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer in China and clarify the indications for surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,this expert consensus,based on the characteristics and treat-ment status of oropharyngeal cancer in China and combined with the international latest theories and practices,forms consensus opinions in multiple aspects of preoperative evaluation,surgical indication determination,primary tumor re-section,neck lymph node dissection,postoperative defect repair,postoperative complication management prognosis and follow-up of oropharyngeal cancer patients.The key points include:① Before the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,the expression of P16 protein should be detected to clarify HPV status;② Perform enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the maxillofacial region before surgery to evaluate the invasion of oropharyngeal cancer and guide precise surgical resec-tion of oropharyngeal cancer.Evaluating mouth opening and airway status is crucial for surgical approach decisions and postoperative risk prediction;③ For oropharyngeal cancer patients who have to undergo major surgery and cannot eat for one to two months,it is recommended to undergo percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy before surgery to effectively improve their nutritional intake during treatment;④ Early-stage oropharyngeal cancer patients may opt for either sur-gery alone or radiation therapy alone.For intermediate and advanced stages,HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer general-ly prioritizes radiation therapy,with concurrent chemotherapy considered based on tumor staging.Surgical treatment is recommended as the first choice for HPV unrelated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(including primary and re-current)and recurrent HPV related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy;⑤ For primary exogenous T1-2 oropharyngeal cancer,direct surgery through the oral approach or da Vinci robotic sur-gery is preferred.For T3-4 patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer,it is recommended to use temporary mandibu-lectomy approach and lateral pharyngotomy approach for surgery as appropriate;⑥ For cT1-2N0 oropharyngeal cancer patients with tumor invasion depth＞3 mm and cT3-4N0 HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,selective neck dissection of levels ⅠB to Ⅳ is recommended.For cN+HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,therapeutic neck dissection in regions Ⅰ-Ⅴ is advised;⑦ If PET-CT scan at 12 or more weeks after completion of radiation shows intense FDG uptake in any node,or imaging suggests continuous enlargement of lymph nodes,the patient should undergo neck dissection;⑧ For patients with suspected extracapsular invasion preoperatively,lymph node dissection should include removal of surrounding muscle and adipose connective tissue;⑨ The reconstruction of oropharyngeal cancer defects should follow the principle of reconstruction steps,with priority given to adjacent flaps,followed by distal pedicled flaps,and finally free flaps.The anterolateral thigh flap with abundant tissue can be used as the preferred flap for large-scale postoperative defects.

Objectives:To assess the prognostic impact of the neoadjuvant rectal (NAR) score following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), as well as its value in guiding decisions for adjuvant chemotherapy.Methods:Between August 2015 and August 2018, patients were eligible from the STELLAR phase III trial (NCT02533271) who received short-course radiotherapy plus consolidation chemotherapy and for whom the NAR score could be calculated. Based on the NAR score, patients were categorized into low (＜8), intermediate (8-16), and high (＞16) groups. The Kaplan-Meier method, log rank tests, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the NAR score on disease-free survival (DFS).Results:Out of the 232 patients, 24.1%, 48.7%, and 27.2% had low (56 cases), intermediate (113 cases), and high NAR scores (63 cases), respectively. The median follow-up period was 37 months, with 3-year DFS rates of 87.3%, 68.3%, and 53.4% ( P＜0.001) for the low, intermediate, and high NAR score groups. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the NAR score (intermediate NAR score: HR, 3.10, 95% CI, 1.30-7.37, P=0.011; high NAR scores: HR=5.44, 95% CI, 2.26-13.09, P＜0.001), resection status ( HR, 3.00, 95% CI, 1.64-5.52, P＜0.001), and adjuvant chemotherapy ( HR, 3.25, 95% CI, 2.01-5.27, P＜0.001) were independent prognostic factors for DFS. In patients with R0 resection, the 3-year DFS rates were 97.8% and 78.0% for those with low and intermediate NAR scores who received adjuvant chemotherapy, significantly higher than the 43.2% and 50.6% for those who did not ( P＜0.001, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the 3-year DFS rate (54.2% vs 53.3%, P=0.214) among high NAR score patients, regardless of adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions:The NAR score is a robust prognostic indicator in LARC following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy, with potential implications for subsequent decisions regarding adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings warrant further validation in studies with larger sample sizes.

Objectives:To assess the prognostic impact of the neoadjuvant rectal (NAR) score following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), as well as its value in guiding decisions for adjuvant chemotherapy.Methods:Between August 2015 and August 2018, patients were eligible from the STELLAR phase III trial (NCT02533271) who received short-course radiotherapy plus consolidation chemotherapy and for whom the NAR score could be calculated. Based on the NAR score, patients were categorized into low (＜8), intermediate (8-16), and high (＞16) groups. The Kaplan-Meier method, log rank tests, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to evaluate the impact of the NAR score on disease-free survival (DFS).Results:Out of the 232 patients, 24.1%, 48.7%, and 27.2% had low (56 cases), intermediate (113 cases), and high NAR scores (63 cases), respectively. The median follow-up period was 37 months, with 3-year DFS rates of 87.3%, 68.3%, and 53.4% ( P＜0.001) for the low, intermediate, and high NAR score groups. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the NAR score (intermediate NAR score: HR, 3.10, 95% CI, 1.30-7.37, P=0.011; high NAR scores: HR=5.44, 95% CI, 2.26-13.09, P＜0.001), resection status ( HR, 3.00, 95% CI, 1.64-5.52, P＜0.001), and adjuvant chemotherapy ( HR, 3.25, 95% CI, 2.01-5.27, P＜0.001) were independent prognostic factors for DFS. In patients with R0 resection, the 3-year DFS rates were 97.8% and 78.0% for those with low and intermediate NAR scores who received adjuvant chemotherapy, significantly higher than the 43.2% and 50.6% for those who did not ( P＜0.001, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the 3-year DFS rate (54.2% vs 53.3%, P=0.214) among high NAR score patients, regardless of adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusions:The NAR score is a robust prognostic indicator in LARC following neoadjuvant short-course radiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy, with potential implications for subsequent decisions regarding adjuvant chemotherapy. These findings warrant further validation in studies with larger sample sizes.

Objective:To explore the patterns of failure after postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy for gastric cancer.Methods:Clinical data of patients diagnosed with gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction carcinoma with pathological stages T 3-4N 0 or T xN 1-3 admitted to Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from May 2009 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received postoperative radiotherapy. During the follow-up, tumor recurrence was confirmed by imaging or endoscopic or pathological data, etc. According to the location of tumor recurrence, recurrence patterns were divided into local, regional and distant recurrence. Differences in recurrence patterns among different groups were compared using t-test and Chi-square test. Patient survival was assessed through Kaplan-Meier method. Results:A total of 76 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 49 years old (27-67 years old), 34 cases (45%) were classified as T 3 stage, 40 cases (53%) of T 4 stage, and 75 cases (99%) of N 1-3 stage, respectively. Seventy-three patients (92%) were classified as stage Ⅲ, and 38 patients (50%) underwent D2 dissection. The median follow-up time was 32.8 months (7.1-138.5 months). The median time of recurrence was 17.6 months (2.9-113.6 months). The median survival time after recurrence was 8.19 months (0.6-91.9 months). There were 13 cases (17%) of local recurrence, 6 cases (8%) of regional recurrence, and 72 cases (95%) of distant metastasis in patients. Peritoneal metastasis (33 cases, 43%) and distant lymph node metastasis (12 cases, 16%) were the main patterns of distant recurrence. Conclusions:By intensity-modulated radiotherapy technology, adjuvant radiotherapy yields favorable local and regional control for gastric cancer. Distant metastasis is still the main pattern of recurrence.

Objective:To analyze clinical features, short-term efficacy and side effects of salvage re-irradiation therapy for patients with locally recurrent esophageal cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy, to investigate the prognostic factors of re-irradiation with precise radiotherapy techniques.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with locally recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after definitive chemoradiotherapy treated in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2008 to December 2016. The patients underwent re-irradiation therapy (re-RT) or re-irradiation therapy concurrent chemotherapy (re-CCRT). The main observation index was after-recurrence survival (ARS), which was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method for survival analysis. Univariate analysis was conducted by log-rank test, and multivariate analysis was performed by Cox regression model.Results:A total of 109 patients were included, with a median age of 66 years (43-89 years), and a median follow-up time of 120.8 months (79.0-176.5 months). The objective response rates (ORR) and dysphagia improvement rates (DIR) in all patients were 64.2% and 63.0%, respectively. The median ARS and 1-, 3-, 5-, 8-year survival rates in all patients were 7.8 months and 32.1%, 9.2%, 7.3% and 2.3%, respectively. The median ARS and 1-, 3-, 5-years survival rates were 10.8 months and 45.9%, 13.5%, 10.8% for patients with time to recurrence (TTR) ≥24 months, significantly longer than those of 5.7 months and 25.0%, 6.9%, 5.6% for patients with TTR<24 months ( χ2=7.99, P=0.005). The median ARS in groups with re-irradiation dose of ≤50 Gy,>50-54 Gy, and>54 Gy groups were 5.7, 10.0 and 8.1 months, respectively ( χ2=6.94, P=0.031). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 30.4%, 5.1%, and 3.8% for re-RT versus 36.7%, 20.0%, and 16.7% for re-CCRT ( χ2=2.12, P=0.145). Multivariate analysis showed that TTR ( HR=0.607, 95% CI=0.372-0.991, P=0.046) and lesion length ( HR=0.603, 95% CI=0.371-0.982, P=0.042) were the independent factors for ARS. There was no significant difference in ≥2 grade pneumonitis and 2-3 grade radiation esophagitis between the re-RT and re-CCRT groups ( χ2=0.25, P=0.619; χ2=0.51, P=0.808). The morbidity of ≥2 grade myelosuppression in the re-RT group was significantly lower than that in the re-CCRT group (3.7% vs. 36.7%, χ2=18.15, P<0.001). Conclusions:Precise re-irradiation therapy for patients with locally recurrent esophageal cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy can alleviate dysphagia, but ARS remains poor. Re-irradiation dose range from>50-54 Gy may be suitable for locally relapse patients as salvage treatment. Patients with TTR≥24 months and lesion length ≤5 cm obtain favorable prognosis.

Objective:To analyze clinical efficacy of intensity-modulated chemoradiotherapy for patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma and identify prognostic factors.Methods:Clinical data of patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma who received intensity-modulated chemoradiotherapy in the Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 1, 2010 to January 1, 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Regular follow-up was carried out. The main indexes included disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS) and overall survival (OS), and adverse reactions were recorded. The survival curve was delineated by Kaplan-Meier method and the influencing factors of survival were analyzed by Cox regression models.Results:A total of 65 patients were enrolled with 19 (29%) males and 46 (71%) females. According to the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 7 th edition staging, there were 7 (11%), 28 (43%), 10 (15%), and 20 (31%) patients with stage I, II, IIIa, and IIIb, respectively. Before the chemoradiotherapy, 2 (3%) patients received chemotherapy and 12 (18%) patients received local resection. The median dose of radiotherapy was 54 Gy (range: 45-64 Gy) and the main concurrent chemotherapy regimen was capecitabine combined with cisplatin ( n=34, 52%). The completion rate of radiotherapy during concurrent chemoradiotherapy was 100%, and the chemotherapy completion rate was 88%. During the therapy, 5 patients (8%) were interrupted but completed concurrent chemoradiotherapy in full dose, and 8 patients (12%) reduced the dose of concurrent chemotherapy due to the toxicities. During the chemoradiotherapy, 15 cases (23%) experienced grade 3-4 leukopenia, and 17 cases (26%) experienced grade 3-4 radiation dermatitis. No treatment-related death occurred during the treatment. The median follow-up time was 50.4 months (range: 4.4-142.2 months), local recurrence occurred in 7 cases (11%), distant metastasis occurred in 3 cases (5%), and the 5-year DFS, LRFFS and OS rates were 78.8%, 86.5% and 85.1%, respectively. Cox univariate analysis indicated that T stage was significantly associated with DFS ( P=0.006), and tended to be associated with OS ( P=0.054). Conclusions:Intensity-modulated radiotherapy combined with concurrent chemotherapy is an effective treatment for anal squamous cell carcinoma, with tolerable acute toxicities. T stage is an influencing factor of DFS in anal squamous cell carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND:Ferroptosis-related genes have been found to play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.However,there is currently a lack of immune expression of ferroptosis-related signature genes in rheumatoid arthritis and the construction of competing endogenous RNA(CeRNA)interaction networks.Machine learning,as a powerful signature gene selection algorithm based on bioinformatics,can more accurately identify ferroptosis-related signature genes that dominate the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. OBJECTIVE:To screen ferroptosis-related signature genes in rheumatoid arthritis using bioinformatics and machine learning methods,and to analyze the correlation between ferroptosis-related signature genes and immune infiltration and the construction of CeRNA network of ferroptosis-related signature genes. METHODS:Rheumatoid arthritis-related microarrays were obtained from the GEO database,and ferroptosis-related genes and their differential gene expression were extracted using R language.The differentially expressed genes were screened using machine learning methods.The LASSO regression and SVM-RFE methods were used for signature gene screening,and the genes filtered by both were re-intersected to finally obtain the signature genes in rheumatoid arthritis.Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the accuracy of the screened signature genes for disease diagnosis.Immune infiltration of rheumatoid arthritis and normal synovial tissues was analyzed using the CIBERSORT algorithm,and the correlation between the signature genes and immune cells was analyzed.Finally,the CeRNA network of ferroptosis-related signature genes for rheumatoid arthritis was constructed and the disease signature genes were validated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 150 ferroptosis-related genes in rheumatoid arthritis were obtained,including 55 up-regulated genes and 95 down-regulated genes.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses identified 18 GO significantly correlated entries and 30 KEGG entries respectively,mainly involving metal ion homeostasis,ferric ion homeostasis and oxidative stress response.Machine learning analysis finally identified disease signature genes GABARAPL1 and SAT1.GSEA analysis found that adipocytokine signaling pathway,drug metabolism cytochrome P450,fatty acid metabolism,PPAR signaling pathway,tyrosine metabolism were mainly concentrated when GABARAPL1 was highly expressed,and chemokine signaling pathway,intestinal immune network on IGA production were mainly concentrated when SAT1 was highly expressed.Immune infiltration analysis found that nine immune cells were significantly different in rheumatoid arthritis and normal synovial tissues,in which plasma cells,T-cell CD8,and T-cell follicular helper were highly expressed and the rest were lowly expressed in the disease group.Single gene and immune cell correlation analysis found that GABARAPL1 was positively correlated with dendritic resting cells,activated NK cells,and macrophage M1,with the most significant correlation with dendritic resting cells,while SAT1 was positively correlated with T cell CD4 and γδ T cells and negatively correlated with NK resting cells.GSVA analysis found that SAT1 was upregulated in ascorbic acid and aldehyde metabolism,while downregulated in B-cell receptor signaling pathway,Toll-like receptor signaling pathway,T-cell receptor signaling pathway,and natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity.GABARAPL1 showed a down-regulation trend in PPAR signaling pathway,metabolism of nicotinate and nicotinamide,tryptophan metabolism,fatty acid metabolism,and steroid biosynthesis.Sixty long non-code RNAs may play a key role in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.To conclude,the occurrence of rheumatoid arthritis is significantly correlated with the abnormal expression of rheumatoid arthritis-induced ferroptosis-related signature genes,and the signature genes induce disease development via relevant signaling pathways.By analyzing rheumatoid arthritis-related long non-code RNAs-mediated ceRNA networks,potential therapeutic targets and signaling pathways can be identified to further elucidate its pathogenesis and provide a reference basis for subsequent experimental studies.