OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore the clinical efficacy and safety of endocrinotherapy combined with Shenqi Pills on hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (HSPC). METHODS: Eighty patients who were diagnosed with HSPC and renal-yang deficiency at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Mayang Miao Autonomous County from 1st April 2021 to 30th April 2024 were randomly divided into 2 groups. The patients in the control group were treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). And the patients in treatment group were treated with Shenqi Pills orally on the basis of the control group. The baseline data of the two groups were analyzed. After 36 months of treatment, the differences between the two groups were compared in terms of overall survival (OS), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, PSA response rate, Functional Assessment Scale for Prostate Cancer Therapy (FACT-P), Chinese medicine evidence scores, testosterone level and safety. RESULTS: A total of 80 study subjects were included in this study, including 42 cases in the treatment group and 38 cases in the control group. There was no statistical difference in the baseline data between the two groups before treatment (P>0.05). At the end of the observation period, a statistically significant difference in OS was found in the treatment group compared to the control group in the subgroup of patients with a disease duration ranged of 0-6 months (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in PSA levels in the treatment group at 3 months (P>0.05). And the differences in the proportion of PSA50 (98.1% vs 91.4%), PSA90 (92.9% vs 84.6%) and the proportion of decrease in PSA (56.7% vs 33.8%) in the treatment group were found compared to those in the control group after 6 months of tre atment. After 12 months of treatment, the scores of FACT-4 and renal-yang deficiency in the treatment group were (95.28±7.93) and (15.73±5.70) respectively, compared to the scores in the control group (［85.46±10.12］ and ［18.20±4.27］ (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in serum testosterone (［0.60±0.24］ nmol/L vs ［1.09±2.10］ nmol/L) between the two groups (P>0.05). After 24 months of treatment, there were significant differences in in the FACT-4 total score (［97.95±7.54］ vs ［80.33±8.58］), renal-yang deficiency syndrome score (［14.64±5.15］ vs ［24.94±8.75］) between the treatment group and the control group (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in serum testosterone ( ［0.73±1.01］ nmol/L vs ［0.59±0.25］ nmol/L) between the two groups (P> 0.05). Better therapeutic results were showed in the treatment group in terms of total FACT-P score, physical situation score, social and family situation score, emotional state score, functional state score, additional score and renal-yang deficiency symptom score (P<0.05). After treatment, there was no serious adverse reaction in the course of treatment, and no obvious abnormality was found in the liver and kidney function of the patients from two groups. CONCLUSION Endocrinotherapy combined with Shenqi Pills is safe and effective in HSPC and can reduce the risk of death in HSPC patients, and the earlier the intervention, the longer the overall survival of the patients. In addition, this treatment regimen can increase the PSA response rate, improve patients' quality of life, and reduce the renal-yang deficiency syndrome score without the risk of elevating serum testosterone levels.
Humans ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Androgen Antagonists/therapeutic use* ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood* ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Testosterone

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disease characterized by abnormal deposition of lipid in hepatocytes. If not intervened in time, NAFLD may develop into liver fibrosis or liver cancer, and ultimately threatening life. NAFLD has complicated etiology and pathogenesis, and there are no effective therapeutic means and specific drugs. Currently, insulin sensitizers, lipid-lowering agents and hepatoprotective agents are often used for clinical intervention, but these drugs have obvious side effects, and their effectiveness and safety need to be further confirmed. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a central role in maintaining energy homeostasis. Activated AMPK can enhance lipid degradation, alleviate insulin resistance (IR), suppress oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and regulate autophagy, thereby alleviating NAFLD. Natural herbal medicines have received extensive attention recently because of their regulatory effects on AMPK and low side effects. In this article, we reviewed the biologically active natural herbal medicines (such as natural herbal medicine formulas, extracts, polysaccharides, and monomers) that reported in recent years to treat NAFLD via regulating AMPK, which can serve as a foundation for subsequent development of candidate drugs for NAFLD.

Deep vein thrombosis(DVT)is a common complication after surgery for lower limb fracture.It has the features of high morbidity,high disability rate and high mortality.At present,the measures for clinical prevention and treatment of post-operative DVT in lower limb fracture mainly include perioperative nursing,intervention with medical auxiliary instruments,western medicine prevention and treatment,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)intervention,and patients'self-cooperation.The patients'self-cooperation is the basis for the smooth implementation of other measures for prevention and treatment,and the patients'active cooperation is the premise of achieving the efficacy of prevention and treatment.Perioperative nursing is helpful for the patients to understand the risk factors of postoperative DVT and the possible risks after the occurrence of DVT,guides the patients to choose the food,assists the patients to do postoperative exercises,improves the level of patients'hemorheological indexes,and reduce the incidence of postoperative DVT.Medical devices are helpful for assisting patients to do postoperative rehabilitation exercises,improving the levels of hemodynamic indicators,promoting patients'rehabilitation and reducing the incidence of postoperative DVT.Western medicines such as low molecular weight heparin,Rivaroxaban,Enoxaparin and other anticoagulant drugs can reduce the aggregation of coagulation factors and blood viscosity,and reduce the incidence of postoperative DVT.TCM interventions mainly include oral administration of Chinese medicine and external treatment such as acupuncture,moxibustion and massage.Oral administration of Chinese medicine is helpful for improving blood flow status.Acupuncture,moxibustion and massage are beneficial to the activation of the function of zang-fu organs,and can stimulate the healthy qi to improve the qi-blood state of the whole body.Each method of prevention and treatment has its advantages and disadvantages.In clinical application,reasonable prevention and treatment methods should be selected according to the specific conditions and individual conditions of the patients.TCM intervention of DVT can be performed in patients with lower limb fracture before and after surgery,and has the advantages of low cost and definite efficacy,which is worthy of continuous research and inheritance and innovation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between occurrence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and various immune cell composition in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). METHODS: The clinical data of 104 patients with AML undergoing allo-HSCT in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and the hematopoietic reconstitution and occurrence of GVHD were analyzed. Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of various types of immune cells in the grafts, the number of graft composition in patients with different degrees of aGVHD was calculated and compared, and to analyze the correlation between the severity of aGVHD in AML patients after allo-HSCT and the immune cell components in the graft. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the time of hematopoietic reconstitution between the high number group of total number of nucleated cells (TNC) and the low number group, while the time of neutrophil and platelet reconstruction in the high number of CD34 group was significantly faster than that in the low number of CD34 group (P＜0.05), and the total hospital stay also tends to be shorten. Compared with patients in 0-Ι aGVHD group, both HLA-matched and HLA-haploidentical transplantation, the infusion amounts of CD3⁺ cells, CD3⁺CD4⁺ cells, CD3⁺CD8⁺ cells, NK cells and CD14⁺ monocytes were higher in patients of Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group， but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05); In addition, in patients with HLA-haploidentical transplantation, the number of CD4⁺CD25⁺ cells in Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group was significantly lower than that in 0-Ι aGVHD group (P<0.05), and the same trend was also observed in HLA-matched transplanted patients, but the difference was not significant (P=0.078). CONCLUSION High number of CD34⁺ cells in the graft is beneficial to hematopoietic reconstitution in AML patients. To a certain degree, high number of CD3⁺ cells, CD3⁺CD4⁺ cells, CD3⁺CD8⁺ cells, NK cells and CD14⁺ cells tend to increase the occurrence of aGVHD, but high number of CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells is beneficial to reduce the incidence of aGVHD in AML patients.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/complications* ; Graft vs Host Disease

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of hypertension and its associated factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.Methods:Consecutive Chinese patients with RA were recruited from August 2015 to September 2019 at Department of Rheumatology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. Demo-graphic data and clinical data were collected including indicators of disease activity, functional assessment and radiographic assessment, comorbidities and previous medications. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the related factors of hypertension in RA patients.Results:There were 674 RA patients recruited with 82.3%(555/674) female and mean age (50±13) years. The prevalence rate of hypertension was 32.9% (222/674), followed by dyslipidemia (9.9%, n=67), type 2 diabetes (8.8%, n=59), hyperuricemia (8.5%, n=43), fatty liver disease (8.0%, n=54), cardiovascular disease (6.2%, n=42) and chronic kidney disease (3.3%, n=22). Compared with those without hypertension, RA patients with hypertension had advanced age with longstanding disease duration, higher disease activity indicators, worse joint destruction, and higher proportions of comorbidities. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that comorbidities including hyperuricemia [ OR=1.977, 95% CI(1.002, 3.900)], dyslipidemia [ OR=1.903, 95% CI(1.102, 3.288)] and fatty liver disease [ OR=2.335, 95% CI(1.278, 4.265)] were risk factors of hypertension after adjustment for age and gender. Conclusion:Hyperten-sion is the most common comorbidity in RA patients which is associated with comor-bidities including hyperuricemia, dyslipidemia and fatty liver disease. Detection and management of hyperten-sion and other cardiovascular disease related comorbidities in RA patients should be emphasized.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of a Chinese pedigree affected by glycogen storage disease (GSD) type Ia with gout as the first manifestation. METHODS: Clinical and biochemical data of the pedigree were collected. Available members of the pedigree were subjected to gene sequencing, and the result was analyzed by bioinformatics software. The pedigree was followed up for five years. RESULTS: The proband was a young female manifesting recurrent gout flare, hypoglycemia, and hypertriglyceridemia. One of her younger brothers also presented with dysplasia and hepatic adenoma. Gene sequencing revealed that the proband and her younger brother both harbored c.1022T>A (p.I1e341Asn) and c.230+5G>A compound heterozygous variants of the G6PC gene , which were inherited from their father and mother, respectively. Among these, the c.230+5G>A is an intron region variant which was unreported previously, and bioinformatics analysis showed that it may impact mRNA splicing of the gene. The proband was treated with raw corn starch, allopurinol, and fenofibrate. Gout was well controlled, and she had given birth to a baby girl without GSD. CONCLUSION GSD Ia should be considered among young gout patients with hypoglycemia and hepatomegaly, for which gene sequencing is warranted. GSD Ia has a good prognosis after comprehensive treatment with diet and medicine.
China ; Female ; Glycogen Storage Disease Type I ; Gout/genetics* ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Male ; Pedigree ; Symptom Flare Up

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with eosinophilic granulo-matosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and improve the understanding of the disease.Methods:EGPA patients who fulfilled the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria were recruited from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital Sun Yat-sen University between December 2003 and April 2020. Their demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory and auxiliary examinations were analyzed retrospectively. Mann-whitney U test and χ2 test were used for statistical analysis. Results:Among 52 EGPA patients, 34 (65.4%) were males and the median age at disease onset was 47(38-55) years. The median time from disease onset to diagnosis was 30(4-96) months. The most common initial symptoms were respiratory (61.5%) and nose/paranasal sinus (21.2%) involvement. The most common department for the first visit was respiratory medicine (53.8%), followed by rheumatology (11.5%). 44.2% EGPA patients were diagnosed by rheumatologists. The most common clinical manifestations were asthma (88.5%), nose/paranasal sinusitis (84.6%), pulmonary (76.9%) and nervous system (61.5%) in volvement. Eight(15.4%) patients were positive for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). Patients with positive ANCA had lower incidence of asthma, but higher incidence of general symptoms especially arthralgia and renal involvement, elevated eosinophil count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), Birmingham vasculitis activity score and vasculitis damage index than patients with negative ANCA (all P<0.05). 21.2%-34.6% EGPA patients had poor prognostic factors. Conclusion:Early diagnosis of EGPA is important. EGPA patients with positive ANCA may be more severe than patients with negative ANCA. The management should be a multi-disciplinary collaboration between rheumatologists and pulmonologists.

Objective:To improve the awareness of cholesterol crystal embolism syndrome (CCE) inrheumatologists.Methods:The clinical characteristics of 40 Chinese CCE patients admitted to our department (one case) were summarize and in the literature (thirty-nine cases) were reviewed.Results:Among these 40 patients, 87.5%(35/40) were male and the mean age was (68±6) years. All patients suffered from athero-sclerosis and 87.5%(35/40) of them had precipitating factors such as endovascular intervention, vascular surgery, anticoagulant, or thrombolytic therapy. The clinical manifestations included renal insufficiency (90.0%, 36/40), blue toe syndrome (82.5%, 33/40), ulceration or gangrene (25.0%, 10/40), and livedo reticularis (15%, 6/40). Acute phase reactant was tested in 25 cases, of whom 84.0%(21/25) showed elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and 56.0%(14/25) showed elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).Conclusion:Rheumatologists should be alert that CCE is one of the differential diagnosis of systemic vasculitis, especially for patients with severe atherosclerosis.

Objective:To improve the differential diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) with hypertension and renal insufficiency.Methods:The clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of a SSc patient with hypertension and renal insufficiency were reported and discussed.Results:A middle-aged female patient with a history of SSc for 5 years, headache and gross hematuria for 10 days was admitted. Abrupt increase in blood pressure and creatinine, glomerular hematuria, proteinuria, low complement C3 and C4, positive antinuclear antibody (ANA), anti-dsDNA antibody and perinuclear antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (pANCA) were presented. Renal pathology showed lupus nephritis (LN) (type Ⅳ). After glucocorticoid pulse therapy, followed by cyclophosphamide, belimumab, and symptomatic treatment, the symptoms were relievedand lupus disease activity were decreased.Conclusion:For SSc patients with increased blood pressure and creatinine, the presence of other diseases should be considered in addition to scleroderma renal crisis. Renal biopsy and pathological examination should be performed to confirm the diagnosis and avoid misdiagnosis.

Pathological scar is a kind of skin fibrotic disease caused by abnormal wound healing, including hypertrophic scar and keloid. Pathological scar may lead to aesthetic flaws, limb dysfunction and local discomfort in patients. Due to the complexity of the wound healing process, the formation of scar is affected by many factors. In addition to traditional surgical, laser, cryostatic and hormone injection methods for the treatment of pathological scar, there are new therapies, such as mesenchymal stem cell therapy, fat transplantation, interferon, and botulinum toxin. They are widely used in clinical practice, but with such problems as high prices and many side effect. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history in treating pathological scar. In recent years, in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that TCM has effect IN reducing inflammation, inhibiting fibroblast proliferation, regulating fibroblast activation and migration, inducing fibroblast apoptosis and autophagy, promoting the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) and reducing angiogenesis in general. Besides, TCM has also a certain regulatory role in the signaling pathways, such as transforming growth factor-β₁ (TGF-β₁)/Smads, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) and sonic hedgehog (Shh). There are still some contradictions in relevant studies, and specific mechanisms remain to be further improved. This paper summarizes the study content, findings and relevant mechanisms of different TCM based on in vivo and in vitro experiments, analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of TCM in the prevention and treatment of pathological scar, and its prospects in clinical application, so as to provide basis and ideas for future scar studies.