ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the distribution patterns of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in patients with chronic hepatitis B （CHB） comorbid with metabolically associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） and analyze their correlation with clinical characteristics and the progression of liver fibrosis. MethodsA cross-sectional study method was employed， and 506 patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD who attended the Hepatology Outpatient Department of Public Health Clinical Center of Chengdu from June 2024 to December 2024 were enrolled. General information， traditional Chinese medicine syndromes information， laboratory indicators， and imaging examination results were collected using case report forms （CRF）. Tongue images of patients were acquired using a tongue diagnosis instrument， and tongue feature parameters were extracted using computer image processing technology. Frequency analysis， factor analysis， and cluster analysis， and other methods were used to explore syndrome categories and distribution patterns. Non-parametric tests were used to compare the differences in clinical characteristics among different syndromes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the correlation between traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and the progression of liver fibrosis. ResultsThe main traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD were mainly dominated by damp-heat accumulation syndrome， liver stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome， and phlegm-blood stasis syndrome， with damp-heat accumulation syndrome accounting for the highest proportion （41.89%）. Compared with those without damp-heat accumulation syndrome， patients with damp-heat accumulation syndrome had significantly lower tongue proper H value， tongue coating H value， and tongue coating a^* value （P<0.05）， significantly higher tongue coating b^* value （P<0.05）， significantly increased levels of white blood cell （WBC）， red blood cell （RBC）， hemoglobin （HGB）， and glucose （GLU）， increased CAP values （P<0.05）， a higher proportion of males （P<0.05）， and a younger age （P<0.05）. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses show that age， hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg）， diabetes， and damp-heat accumulation syndrome are independent risk factors for liver fibrosis （P<0.05）， and that damp-heat accumulation syndrome is predominantly distributed in liver fibrosis stage F0-F1. ConclusionDamp-heat accumulation syndrome is a typical syndrome in patients with CHB comorbid with MAFLD， which is significantly associated with enhanced inflammatory response， metabolic disorders， and early liver fibrosis， and is a key link in disease progression. Clinical attention and early intervention are needed.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) regimen in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor sintilimab as neoadjuvant therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients and the feasibility of the following selective bladder sparing surgery. Materials and Methods: Patients with histopathologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma without distant metastases (T2-4a, N ≤ 1, M0, American Joint Committee of Cancer 8th) and with adequate organ function will be enrolled. The therapeutic regimen was sintilimab 200 mg once on day 8, gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 and cisplatin 35 mg/m2 once on days 1 and 8, every 21 days for four cycles. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR, pT0N0) rate. The secondary end points were ypT < 2 rate, R0 resection rate, event-free survival, and safety. Results: From May 4, 2020, to May 20, 2023, 55 patients were enrolled. Forty-six patients were evaluated for efficacy. Among the 42 patients who underwent surgery, 16 patients (38.0%) achieved pCR. Thirty-three patients (78.6%) achieved pT < 2. With a median follow-up of 15.7 months, the 1-year event-free survival was 91.3%. Notwithstanding the poor pathological baseline characteristic of a high T3-T4a proportion (39.1%), a promising bladder preservation (including 22 patients transurethral resection of bladder tumor, 5 patients partial cystectomy, and 4 surveillances) rate was achieved (67.4%). The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events was neutropenia (n=15, 27.3%), which was related to chemotherapy. There were no grade 3 immune-related adverse events. Conclusion Neoadjuvant GP plus sintilimab is a promising regimen for MIBC patients, with relatively high pT < 2 rate and triggering the emerging roles for the multi-disciplinary team decision-making for bladder sparing surgery.

Background: The transvenous approach to the treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is difficult and requires strict blood pressure and blood flow control; however, the cure rate is very high. Appropriate blood pressure control techniques can greatly benefit these patients.Case: A 55-year-old male patient was found to have an aneurysm complicated with a cerebral AVM (length: 2.0 cm, width: 1.6 cm, height: 1.2 cm). Aneurysm embolization was considered for the first-stage surgery and transvenous AVM embolization for the second-stage surgery. Rapid ventricular pacing (RVP) provided a stable blood flow environment for the surgery, which was completed successfully. Conclusion RVP can thus provide an ideal condition for the embolization of cerebral AVM through the transvenous approach and can be a viable surgical option.

Objective To investigate the effect of senkyunolide I(SEN I)on neuronal apoptosis in sepsis-associated encephalopathy(SAE)rats via modulation of the mixed-lineage kinase 3(MLK3)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase 3(JNK3)signaling pathway.Methods Screening for a SAE model by monitoring neurobehavioral and electroencephalographic alterations in rats with sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture(CLP).Divided into normal control group,sham operation group,sepsis without encephalopathy group,SAE model group,SAE+MLK3/JNK3 signaling pathway inhibitor(URMC-099)group,SAE+low-dose SEN I group(36 mg/kg),and SAE+high-dose SEN I group(144 mg/kg),with 10 animals in each group.After 30 minutes of successful modeling,intraperitoneal injection was administered according to the group,and the administration was completed within 24 hours.HE staining was used to observe the pathological conditions of hippocampal tissue under a light microscope,transmission electron microscopy was used to observe changes in the morphology of neuronal nuclei,cytoplasm,and mitochondrial ultrastructure,TUNEL staining was used to detect hippocampal neuronal apoptosis,and Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of p-JNK3,JNK3,p-MLK3,MLK3,and Fas ligand(Fas-L)proteins.Results Compared with the normal control group and sham surgery group,the sepsis without encephalopathy group showed no significant changes in neuronal structural morphology and neuronal apoptosis,and there were no significant differences in the expression of p-JNK3,JNK3,p-MLK3,MLK3,and Fas-L proteins(P＞0.05).However,the SAE model group had aggravated neuronal structural morphology damage,increased neuronal apoptosis rate,and increased expression level of p-JNK3,JNK3,p-MLK3,MLK3,and Fas-L proteins(P＜0.01);Compared with the SAE model group,the inhibitor URMC-099 and SEN I treatment groups showed significant improvement in neuronal structural and morphological damage,decreased neuronal apoptosis rates,and reduced p-JNK3,JNK3,p-MLK3,MLK3,and Fas-L protein expression(P＜0.01),with the high-dose SEN I group showing more significant improvement.Conclusion SEN I effectively reduces neuronal apoptosis in SAE and exerts neuroprotective effects on SAE by inhibiting the activation of the MLK3/JNK3 signaling pathway.

Background: The transvenous approach to the treatment of cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is difficult and requires strict blood pressure and blood flow control; however, the cure rate is very high. Appropriate blood pressure control techniques can greatly benefit these patients.Case: A 55-year-old male patient was found to have an aneurysm complicated with a cerebral AVM (length: 2.0 cm, width: 1.6 cm, height: 1.2 cm). Aneurysm embolization was considered for the first-stage surgery and transvenous AVM embolization for the second-stage surgery. Rapid ventricular pacing (RVP) provided a stable blood flow environment for the surgery, which was completed successfully. Conclusion RVP can thus provide an ideal condition for the embolization of cerebral AVM through the transvenous approach and can be a viable surgical option.

This study aims to investigate the potential effect of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix on hypercholesterolemia in mice that was induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet and explore its possible mechanism from bile acid reabsorption. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into the following groups: control, model, low-and high-dose(4 and 8 g·kg~(-1), respectively) fresh Rehmanniae Radix, and positive drug(simvastatin, 0.05 g·kg~(-1)). Other groups except the control group were fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet for 6 consecutive weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia. From the 6th week, mice were administrated with corresponding drugs daily via gavage for additional 6 weeks, while continuing to be fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. Serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-c), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-c), and total bile acid(TBA), as well as liver TC and TG levels and fecal TBA level, were determined by commercial assay kits. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe the pathological changes in the liver. Three livers samples were randomly selected from each of the control, model, and high-dose fresh Rehmanniae Radix groups for high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes were mined and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to predict the key pathways and target genes of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. RT-qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) and cholesterol 27α-hydroxylase(CYP27A1) in the liver. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of CYP7A1 and CYP27A1 in the liver as well as farnesoid X receptor(FXR), apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter(ASBT), and ileum bile acid-binding protein(I-BABP) in the ileum. The results showed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly lowered the levels of TC and TG in the serum and liver, as well as the level of LDL-c in the serum. Conversely, it elevated the level of HDL-c in the serum and TBA in feces. No significant difference was observed in the level of TBA in the serum among groups. HE staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy showed that the water extract reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. Further mechanism studies revealed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly down-regulated the protein levels of FXR and bile acid reabsorption-related proteins ASBT and I-BABP. Additionally, it enhanced CYP7A1 and CYP27A1, the key enzymes involved in bile acid synthesis. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix may exert an anti-hypercholesterolemic effect by regulating FXR/ASBT/I-BABP signaling, inhibiting bile acid reabsorption, and increasing bile acid excretion, thus facilitating the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.
Animals ; Male ; Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hypercholesterolemia/genetics* ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/genetics* ; Rehmannia/chemistry* ; Liver/drug effects* ; Humans ; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase/genetics* ; Plant Extracts

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of posterior cruciate ligament(PCL) resection on soft tissue elasticity and knee stability in total knee arthroplasty(TKA). METHODS: Six adult cadaveric knee specimens (involving 10 knees) were included in the study. With the assistance of the robotic system(TiRobot Recon, TINAVI, Beijing), total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was performed sequentially using cruciate retaining (CR) prostheses and posterior stabilizing (PS) prostheses. Between the two surgical procedures, the femoral and tibial osteotomy surfaces were not altered;only the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) was resected and the intercondylar fossa was treated. After installing the femoral trial component, a soft tissue balance solver was used to apply tension ranging from 30 N to 90 N in 5 N increments at 0°, 10°, and 90° of knee flexion. Meanwhile, the medial and lateral joint gaps were measured synchronously. Based on the tension-gap coupling data, the equivalent elastic coefficients of the medial and lateral soft tissue sleeves at different knee flexion angles, as well as the range of the joint line convergence angle (JLCA) under fixed varus-valgus stress, were calculated. Additionally, the gap balance status under 80 N of tension was analyzed. Self-control comparisons of each indicator were conducted before and after PCL resection to analyze the change patterns. RESULTS: After PCL resection, in the fully extended position (knee flexion 0°). The medial equivalent elastic coefficient was 32.2 (25.7, 63.3) N·mm^-1 for the CR prosthesis and 27.7 (22.0, 51.9) N·mm^-1 for the PS prosthesis, and the statistically significant difference (P=0.013). The range of JLCA was 0.41°(0.26, 0.55)° for the CR prosthesis, which was smaller than 0.75° (0.40, 0.98)° for the PS prosthesis, and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.041). At 90° of knee flexion, the medial joint gap was 10.7(10.1, 11.7) mm for the CR prosthesis, which was smaller than 12.1(10.9, 15.1) mm for the PS prosthesis, with a statistically significant difference(P=0.011). No statistically significant differences were observed in other joint gaps. CONCLUSION PCL resection reduces the rigidity of the medial soft tissues in the fully extended knee and increases the medial joint gap in the flexed position, thereby affecting knee stability and balance. This finding suggests that PS and CR prostheses may require different morphological designs, and there should be differences in indications and osteotomy strategies between CR-TKA and PS-TKA. CR-TKA is more suitable for patients with preoperative medial soft tissue laxity.
Humans ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament/physiopathology* ; Knee Joint/physiopathology* ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Elasticity ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Adult

Objective: To investigate the positive rate of drug-induced antibodies produced by the clinical application of β-lactam antibiotics, and analyze the differences in the detection methods and related influencing factors. Methods: A total of 350 adult inpatients who developed anemia after using β-lactam antibiotics for 3 days or more in Inner Mongolia People's hospital were selected as the experimental group, and 240 adult inpatients treated with β-lactam antibiotics for 3 days or more who did not develop anemia as the control group. The drug-induced antibody tests, direct antiglobulin tests, and unexpected antibody screening were performed on both groups, and the influencing factors of drug-induced antibodies were analyzed. Results: The numbers of positive cases of drug-induced antibody detected by the drug-coated red blood cell method in the experimental group and the control group were 12(12/350, 3.43%) and 2(2/240, 0.83%) respectively, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). No drug-induced antibodies were detected in either group using the drug addition method. In the experimental group, the red blood cell method detected β-lactam drug-induced antibodies in 12 cases (12/350, 3.43%), while the drug added method detected 0 cases (0/350, 0.00%), with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In the control group, the detection rates of two methods showed no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). In the experimental group, 7 cases of β-lactam antibodies were detected in the cephalosporin group (7/293, 2.40%) and 5 cases in the non-cephalosporin group (5/58, 8.62%), with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the second-generation and third-generation cephalosporin drugs (P>0.05). When the experimental group was stratified according to the history of blood transfusion and the blood type of patients, no statistically significant differences were observed between subgroups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Anemia may be related to the production of drug-induced antibodies followingβ-lactam antibiotics treatment. Therefore, improving the clinical awareness of drug-induced antibodies to β-lactam antibiotics is of great significance to clarify the causes of anemia and reduce unnecessary blood transfusions.

Objective: To investigate the positive rate of drug-induced antibodies produced by the clinical application of β-lactam antibiotics, and analyze the differences in the detection methods and related influencing factors. Methods: A total of 350 adult inpatients who developed anemia after using β-lactam antibiotics for 3 days or more in Inner Mongolia People's hospital were selected as the experimental group, and 240 adult inpatients treated with β-lactam antibiotics for 3 days or more who did not develop anemia as the control group. The drug-induced antibody tests, direct antiglobulin tests, and unexpected antibody screening were performed on both groups, and the influencing factors of drug-induced antibodies were analyzed. Results: The numbers of positive cases of drug-induced antibody detected by the drug-coated red blood cell method in the experimental group and the control group were 12(12/350, 3.43%) and 2(2/240, 0.83%) respectively, with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). No drug-induced antibodies were detected in either group using the drug addition method. In the experimental group, the red blood cell method detected β-lactam drug-induced antibodies in 12 cases (12/350, 3.43%), while the drug added method detected 0 cases (0/350, 0.00%), with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). In the control group, the detection rates of two methods showed no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). In the experimental group, 7 cases of β-lactam antibodies were detected in the cephalosporin group (7/293, 2.40%) and 5 cases in the non-cephalosporin group (5/58, 8.62%), with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the second-generation and third-generation cephalosporin drugs (P>0.05). When the experimental group was stratified according to the history of blood transfusion and the blood type of patients, no statistically significant differences were observed between subgroups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Anemia may be related to the production of drug-induced antibodies followingβ-lactam antibiotics treatment. Therefore, improving the clinical awareness of drug-induced antibodies to β-lactam antibiotics is of great significance to clarify the causes of anemia and reduce unnecessary blood transfusions.

Objective: To analyze the results of national external quality assessment (EQA) for transfusion compatibility test from 2018 to 2023, with the aim of providing references for improving laboratory testing quality and ensuring the safety of clinical blood transfusion. Methods: Three EQA programs were conducted annually, each distributing 22 quality assessment samples. Participating transfusion laboratories were required to complete testing within specified deadlines and to submit results along with documentation of testing methodologies, reagents, and equipment used. National Center for Clinical Laboratories (NCCL) conducted statistical analysis of laboratory results, evaluated testing outcomes and related circumstances, and provided feedback to participating laboratories. EQA data from transfusion laboratories across China from 2018 to 2023 were collected and systematically analyzed. Results: From 2018 to 2023, the qualification rates for all five items (ABO forward typing, ABO reverse typing, Rh blood group typing, antibody screening, and cross-matching) were 67.59%, 77.11%, 77.38%, 72.78%, 79.96%, and 85.16%, respectively. The mean qualification rates for ABO forward typing, ABO reverse typing, RhD blood group typing, antibody screening, and cross-matching over the past six years were 96.25%±0.59%, 90.45%±4.52%, 96.05%±0.71%, 90.88%±2.86%, and 88.34%±3.48%, respectively. The qualification rates in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023 all showed a stable trend of "blood stations>tertiary hospitals>secondary hospitals". The mean qualification rate of laboratories in secondary hospitals from 2018 to 2023 was significantly lower than those of laboratories in tertiary hospitals and blood stations (P<0.05), while no significant difference was observed between laboratories in tertiary hospitals and blood stations (P>0.05). The micro column agglutination method was the most widely used in all five tests. In the four test items, namely ABO forward typing, ABO reverse typing, antibody screening, and cross-matching, there was a statistically significant difference in the qualification rate of micro column agglutination method compared to other methods (P<0.05). There was a statistical difference in the qualification rate between manual and automated detection using micro column agglutination method in the cross-matching tests (P<0.05), whereas no significant difference was noted for the other test items (P>0.05). Conclusion: From 2018 to 2023, the number of laboratories participating in EQA activities has been increasing year by year, and the qualification rate has shown an overall upward trend. The type of laboratory is a key factor affecting the qualification rate, and the testing capabilities of some laboratories still need to be improved. The micro column agglutination method is widely used in transfusion compatibility tests. The established EQA program effectively monitors quality issues in laboratories, drives continuous improvement, and ensures sustained enhancement of testing standards to safeguard clinical blood safety.