Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal deformity in adolescents, with potential causes etiologies associated with mesenchymal stem cells, genetic factors, histological features, and biomechanical aspects. Biomechanically, the pelvis, serving as the central and majort load-bearing structure, exhibits morphological and alignment abnormalities highly correlated with the development of AIS. Recent studies have extensively explored three-dimensional pelvic parameters and kinematics, demonstrating that abnormal pelvic characteristics may contribute to AIS onset and progression and are increasingly incorporated into clinical interventions. This review summarizes sagittal and coronal features of the spine-pelvis, as well as the influence of three-dimensional kinematic features on the pathogenesis of AIS, providing insights for advancing the study of spine-pelvis features related to AIS.
Humans ; Scoliosis/pathology* ; Adolescent ; Spine/pathology* ; Pelvis/pathology* ; Biomechanical Phenomena

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate how spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) exerts its analgesic effects through regulating brain function in lumbar disc herniation (LDH) patients by utilizing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS: From September 2021 to September 2023, we enrolled LDH patients (LDH group, n=31) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs, n=28). LDH group underwent rs-fMRI at 2 distinct time points (TPs): prior to the initiation of SMT (TP1) and subsequent to the completion of the SMT sessions (TP2). SMT was administered once every other day for 30 min per session, totally 14 treatment sessions over a span of 4 weeks. HCs did not receive SMT treatment and underwent only one fMRI scan. Additionally, participants in LDH group completed clinical questionnaires on pain using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, whereas HCs did not undergo clinical scale assessments. The effects on the brain were jointly characterized using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). Correlation analyses were conducted between specific brain regions and clinical scales. RESULTS: Following SMT treatment, pain symptoms in LDH patients were notably alleviated and accompanied by evident activation of effects in the brain. In comparison to TP1, TP2 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Sup_R and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Paracentral_Lobule_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Additionally, the most substantial enhancement in ReHo values was observed for the Cuneus_R, while the most prominent reduction was noted for the Olfactory_R (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Moreover, a comparative analysis revealed that, in contrast to HCs, LDH patients at TP1 exhibited the most significant increase in ALFF values for Temporal_Pole_Sup_L and the most notable decrease in ALFF values for Frontal_Mid_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Furthermore, the most significant enhancement in ReHo values was observed for Postcentral_L, while the most prominent reduction was identified for ParaHippocampal_L (voxelwise P<0.005; clusters >30; FDR correction). Notably, correlation analysis with clinical scales revealed a robust positive correlation between the Cuneus_R score and the rate of change in the VAS score (r=0.9333, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Long-term chronic lower back pain in patients with LDH manifests significant activation of the "AUN-DMN-S1-SAN" neural circuitry. The visual network, represented by the Cuneus_R, is highly likely to be a key brain network in which the analgesic efficacy of SMT becomes effective in treating LDH patients. (Trial registration No. NCT06277739).
Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Manipulation, Spinal/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/physiopathology* ; Pain Management ; Rest ; Case-Control Studies

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of Tongdu Tiaoshen acupuncture combined with low-frequency electrical pulse in the treatment of neurogenic bladder (NB) caused by spinal cord injury (SCI); To explore its effects on urodynamics.Methods:A randomized controlled trial study was conducted. A total of 116 patients with NB caused by SCI in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to June 2024 were selected as the observation objects and divided into 2 groups with random number table method, with 58 cases in each group. On the basis of conventional bladder function training, the control group was given low-frequency electronic pulse therapy, while the observation group was treated with the Tongdu Tiaoshen method on the basis of the control group. Both groups were treated continuously for 3 months. The urination conditions of the patients were observed before and after the treatment respectively, and the residual urine volume, single urine volume within 24 hours, the number of urine leaks within 24 hours, and the number of urinations within 24 hours were recorded; urodynamic parameters such as bladder volume, urine flow rate, detrusor pressure, bladder compliance, and detrusor contractility were measured using a urodynamic analyzer; the severity of NB symptoms was evaluated using the Chinese version of the Neurogenic Bladder Symptom Scale (NBSS), and the quality of life was evaluated using the Chinese version of the Short Form Health Assessment Scale (SF-Qualiveen). The levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. Adverse reactions were recorded during the treatment period and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.Results:The total effective rate was 91.38% (53/58) in the observation group and 75.86% (44/58) in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=5.10, P=0.024). After treatment, the residual urine volume, single urine volume within 24 hours, frequency of urine leakage within 24 hours, and frequency of urination within 24 hours in the observation group were lower than those in the control group ( t values were -15.68, 3.75, -3.81, and -7.54 respectively, P<0.01). The bladder capacity, urine flow rate, detrusor pressure, bladder compliance and detrusor contractility were higher than those of the control group ( t values were 11.04, 7.49, 9.76, 5.65 and 4.36 respectively, P<0.01), while the NBSS score and SF-Qualiveen score were lower than those of the control group ( t values were -10.82 and -9.83 respectively, P<0.01). No obvious adverse reactions occurred in either group during the treatment period. Conclusion:Tongdu Tiaoshen acupuncture combined with low-frequency electrical pulses can improve the bladder function of NB caused by SCI, restore urodynamics, and improve the quality of life. Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of inflammatory responses.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the curriculum design and teaching mode reform in Health Statistics through the assessment by postgraduate students so as to enhance the teaching performance of the course.Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among the postgraduate students of grade 2023 at a certain medical university.The survey covered such aspects as students'mastery and application of the course learning content,their evaluation and satisfaction with the course,etc.Descriptive approaches were employed to analyze and summarize the data.Results Students achieved a good command of theoretical knowledge and its application.They highly evaluated the teacher,the course content and its practicality,demonstrated a strong interest in learning,expressed a high level of satisfaction with the course,and manifested a strong willingness to continue studying the course.The learning of the course met the expectations of the students.The final exam scores in the later stage of curriculum reform(78.60±10.58)was higher than that before the reform(75.78±7.97,P<0.05);the excellent rate after the reform was 53.6%,which was higher than the 33.5%before the reform(P<0.05).Conclusion The construction of a course system that integrates knowledge,skills the mixed teaching mode of case-based teaching and the combination of theory and statistical software package operation are beneficial for enhancing postgraduate students'learning and application of the course in health statistics.It also strengthens the design and training of course application aspects for students in clinical medicine and dental medicine disciplines.

Objective To establish a method for qualitative detection of the presence or absence of all KIR genes by quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Q-PCR).Methods Based on the polymorphism of high-resolution level KIR alleles in Chinese population and the IPD-KIR database,KIR gene-specific primers were designed to amplify all the 16 KIR genes and 2DS4-Normal and 2DS4-Deleted subtypes by Q-PCR.Meanwhile,one negative control and one positive control specific amplifying human growth hormone(HGH)gene fragment were set to monitor the false positive and false negative results in PCR amplification,respectively.A total of 302 samples with known KIR genotype previously identified by KIR PCR-SSP commercial kit were randomly selected for blind inspection to verify the reliability of KIR Q-PCR method established by au-thors.Results The results of 300 samples detected by our KIR Q-PCR method were consistent with the known results,but two samples showed inconsistent results.One sample was negative for 2DS5 by Q-PCR but positive by PCR-SSP,another sample was positive for 2DS1 by Q-PCR but negative by PCR-SSP.The two doubtful samples were genotyped by sequencing-based typing(PCR-SBT)for 2DS5and2DS1,respectively.PCR-SBT results confirmed that the results of Q-PCR test was correct.Conclusion The KIR Q-PCR method established in this paper can provide accurate and reliable results for testing the presence or absence of KIR genes.

Objective To evaluate the value of bronchoscopy specimens' microRNA-21 (miRNA-21) and microRNA-431 (miRNA-431) in the development and prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods A total of 43 confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis patients admitted to Shaanxi Provincial Tuberculosis Prevention Hospital from May 2022 to July 2023 were included as the study group, and 43 healthy volunteers during the same period were included as the control group. In the study group, the severity of lung lesions was classified as mild in 14 cases, moderate in 19 cases, and severe in 10 cases. According to the prognosis, patients were divided into poor prognosis and good prognosis groups. The miRNA-21 and miRNA-431 levels of patients with different disease severity and prognosis in the study group and the control group were compared, and the factors affecting the development and prognosis of tuberculosis were analyzed by logistic multivariate analysis, and a prediction model for the development and prognosis of tuberculosis was established. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of the model. Results The levels of miRNA-21 and miRNA-431 in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the difference between groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). In the study group, the levels of miRNA-21 and miRNA-431 were positively correlated with the severity of the disease, and the levels in severe pulmonary tuberculosis patients were significantly higher than those in mild and moderate pulmonary tuberculosis patients, with statistically significant differences between the groups (P<0.05). In the study group, the levels of miRNA-21 and miRNA-431 in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with poor prognosis were significantly higher than those in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with good prognosis, with statistically significant differences between the groups (P<0.05). Using miRNA-21 and miRNA-431 expression as independent variables, and the development and prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis as dependent variables, logistic regression analysis was performed. The results showed that the high expression of miRNA-21 and miRNA-431 were both influential factors for the development and prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cutoff value of the prediction model was 0.0895, and the area under the curve (AUC) of miRNA-21, miRNA-431 and combined were 0.614 (0.651-0.732), 0.671 (0.686-0.811), and 0.891 (0.787-0.993). Conclusions The high expression levels of miRNA-21 and miRNA-431 in patients with tuberculosis are closely related to the development of the disease and can predict the prognosis of patients with tuberculosis to a certain extent. The comprehensive application value of combined diagnosis is high, and it is recommended to promote clinical use.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Xiaojianzhong Decoction plus Dachaihu Decoction in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG),and to provide scientific evidence for the clinical application of the formula.Methods The clinical observation was carried out in 80 CAG patients with spleen deficiency and stasis-heat syndrome of normal-people pulse type(the ratio of patients'pulse to the number of respirations within one minute being 4-5 evaluated by Changsangjun pulse-taking method)who attended the clinic of the Department of Gastroenterology of Shunde Hospital,Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine,from January 2020 to December 2023.According to the treatment method,the patients were divided into the treatment group and the control group,with 40 cases in each group.The control group was given conventional western medicine treatment,and the treatment group was given Xiaojianzhong Decoction plus Dachaihu Decoction.Seven days constituted one course of treatment,and the treatment covered 6 months.The changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome score,gastroscopy score,pathological score and gastric function indicators in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)After 6 months of treatment,the total effective rate of the treatment group was 90.00%(36/40),and that of the control group was 60.00%(24/40).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the scores of TCM syndromes in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of the scores in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the gastroscopy scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference between the two groups after treatment(P＞0.05).(4)After treatment,the total pathological scores of the two groups and the scores of the gastric mucosal atrophy and intestinal metaplasia of the gastric antrum,gastric angle and gastric body in the treatment group were significantly improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the improvement of the gastroscopy scores in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).No statistically significant differences were presented in the scores of the gastric mucosal dysplasia and chronic inflammation of gastric antrum,gastric angle and gastric body in the two groups and in the scores of the gastric mucosal atrophy and intestinal metaplasia of gastric antrum,gastric angle and gastric body in the control group when compared with those before treatment(P＞0.05).(5)After treatment,the serum levels of gastric function indicators of pepsinogen Ⅰ(PGⅠ),pepsinogen Ⅱ(PGⅡ)and gastrin 17(G-17)in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(6)There were no obvious adverse reactions occurring in the two groups during the treatment,with high safety.Conclusion Xiaojianzhong Decoction plus Dachaihu Decoction can significantly enhance the clinical efficacy of CAG patients with spleen deficiency and stasis-heat syndrome of normal-people pulse type,significantly improve the gastrointestinal function and pathological scores of the patients,and has high safety.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Massage

The Baimai Ointment with the effect of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals demonstrates a definite effect on Baimai disease with pain, spasm, stiffness and other symptoms, while the pharmacodynamic characteristics and mechanism of this agent remain unclear. In this study, a rat model of chronic compression of L4 dorsal root ganglion(CCD) was established by lumbar disc herniation, and the efficacy and mechanism of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of CCD were preliminarily explored by behavioral tests, side effect evaluation, network analysis, antagonist and molecular biology verification. The pharmacodynamic experiment indicated that Baimai Ointment significantly improved the pain thresholds(mechanical pain, thermal pain, and cold pain) and gait behavior of CCD model rats without causing tolerance or obvious toxic and side effects. Baimai Ointment inhibited the second-phase nociceptive response of mice in the formalin test, increased the hot plate threshold of normal mice, and down-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. Network analysis showed that Baimai Ointment had synergistic effect in the treatment of CCD and was related to descending inhibition/facilitation system and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, behavioral tests, Western blot, and immunofluorescence assay revealed that the pain-relieving effect of Baimai Ointment on CCD may be related to the regulation of the interaction between neuroactive ligand and receptors(neuroligands) such as CHRNA7, ADRA2A, and ADRB2, and the down-regulation of the expression of NOS2/pERK/PI3K, the core regulatory element of HIF-1 signaling pathway in spinal microglia. The findings preliminarily reveal the mechanism of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of Baimai disease, providing a reference for the rational drug use and further research of this agent.
Rats ; Mice ; Animals ; Chronic Pain/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism* ; Ligands ; Signal Transduction ; Hyperalgesia/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

In 2006, 2014 and 2020, the positive rates of HBsAg in 560, 384 and 402 children aged 1 to 14 years were 4.5%, 2.6% and 2.5%, respectively, with no statistically significant differences (P>0.05). The positive rate of anti-HBs was highest in 2014 (57.8%) and lowest in 2006 (34.1%) (P<0.05). The positive rate of anti-HBc was highest in 2006 (15.7%), and decreased in 2014 (7.8%) and 2020 (5.7%) (P<0.001). The timely rate of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine for children in Lhasa in 2006, 2014 and 2020 was 7.7% (43/560), 50.3% (193/384) and 94.8% (381/402), respectively. The overall vaccination rates were 15.4% (86/560), 35.2% (135/384) and 96.0% (386/402), respectively, showing a trend of gradual increases (χtrend values were 718.63 and 589.59, both P values<0.001).
Child ; Humans ; Hepatitis B Vaccines ; Hepatitis B/prevention & control* ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; Hepatitis B virus ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; Vaccination