ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of action of Wendantang on ApoE^-/- hyperlipidemic mice using non-targeted metabolomics technology. MethodsMale C57BL/6J mice served as the normal control group （n=6）， and they were fed with regular chow， while male ApoE^-/- mice constituted the high-fat group （n=30）， and they were fed with a 60% high-fat diet. After 11 weeks of model establishment， the mice in the high-fat group were randomly divided into the model group， simvastatin group （3.3 mg·kg^-1）， and high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose groups of Wendantang （26， 13， 6.5 g·kg^-1， respectively， in terms of crude drug amount）， with six mice in each group. The normal control group and the model group were gavaged with an equivalent volume of normal saline， and all groups continued to be fed their respective diets， receiving daily medication for 10 weeks with weekly body weight measurements. Serum levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglycerides （TG）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， free fatty acids （NEFA）， blood glucose （GLU）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） were detected in the mice. Pathological changes in liver tissue were observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS） was employed for metabolomic analysis of mouse liver tissue. ResultsCompared to the normal control group， the model group exhibited significantly increased body weight， blood lipid levels， and liver function （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with disordered liver tissue structure， swollen hepatocytes， and accompanying vacuolar fatty degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared to the model group， the simvastatin group and Wendantang groups showed significantly reduced body weight， TG， NEFA， GLU， ALT， and AST levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with a significant increase in HDL-C levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， demonstrating a dose-dependent effect. The lesion of the liver tissue section was obviously improved after administration， tending towards a normal liver tissue morphology. Analysis of liver metabolites revealed 86 differential metabolites between the normal control group and the model group， with the high-dose group of Wendantang able to regulate 56 of these metabolites. Twenty-two differential metabolites associated with hyperlipidemia were identified， mainly including chenodeoxycholic acid， hyocholic acid， taurine， glycocholic acid， dihydroceramide， hydroxy sphingomyelin C14∶1， arachidonic acid， and linoleic acid， enriching 22 metabolic pathways， with 4 being the most significant （P<0.05）， namely primary bile acid biosynthesis， sphingolipid metabolism， unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis， and linoleic acid metabolism pathways. ConclusionWendantang can improve blood lipid levels and liver function in ApoE^-/- hyperlipidemic mice， which may be related to the regulation of primary bile acid biosynthesis， sphingolipid metabolism， unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis， and linoleic acid metabolism pathways.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which the combination of berberine （BBR） and baicalin （BAI） ameliorates type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat from the perspectives of gut microbiota and metabolomics. MethodsAntibiotics were used to induce pseudo-sterile mice. Thirty pseudo-sterile mice were randomized into a normal fecal microbiota transplantation group （n=10） and a T2DM （syndrome of internal accumulation of dampness-heat） fecal microbiota transplantation group （n=20）. The mice were then administrated with suspensions of fecal microbiota from healthy volunteers and a patient with T2DM due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat by gavage， respectively. Each mouse received 200 µL suspension every other day for a total of 15 times to reshape the gut microbiota. The T2DM model mice were then assigned into a model group （n=8） and a BBR-BAI group （n=11）. BBR was administrated at a dose of 200 mg·kg^-1， and BAI was administrated in a ratio of BBR-BAI 10∶1 based on preliminary research findings. The administration lasted for 8 consecutive weeks. Fasting blood glucose （FBG）， glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c）， insulin （INS）， triglycerides （TG）， total cholesterol （CHOL）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels were measured to evaluate the effects of the BBR-BAI combination on glucose and lipid metabolism and liver function in T2DM mice. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to observe pathological changes in the colon tissue. The expression of claudin-1， zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1）， and occludin in the colon tissue was determined by Western blot. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was employed to assess the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in the colon tissue. The fecal microbiota composition and differential metabolites were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， respectively. ResultsThe BBR-BAI combination lowered the FBG， HbA1c， and INS levels （P<0.05， P<0.01） and alleviated insulin resistance （P<0.01） in T2DM mice. Additionally， BBR-BAI elevated the levels of ZO-1， occludin， and claudin-1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated the expression levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 in the colon （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that BBR-BAI increased the relative abundance of Ligilactobacillus， Phascolarctobacterium， and Akkermansia （P<0.05）， while significantly decreasing the relative abundance of Alistipes， Odoribacter， and Colidextribacter （P<0.05）. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS identified 28 differential metabolites， which were primarily involved in arachidonic acid metabolism and α-linolenic acid metabolism. ConclusionBBR-BAI can ameliorate T2DM due to internal accumulation of dampness-heat by modulating the relative abundance of various bacterial genera in the gut microbiota and the expression of fecal metabolites.

Curettage is the main treatment method for oral maxillofacial cystic lesions,but simple curettage may easily damage surrounding structures such as adjacent teeth and nerves,leading to incomplete removal of the cyst and large jaw defects.The curettage assisted by endoscopy can provide a good surgical field for the surgeons,can clearly identify the important anatomical structure during the operation and can remove the cyst wall tissue as much as possible,thereby reducing the damage and reducing the recurrence rate of the lesion.This article combines the characteristics of maxillofacial surgery with clinical treatment experience,summarizes relevant literature from both domestic and international sources,and engages in discussions with experts in order to provide reference for the clinical treatment of jaw cystic lesions with endo-scope assisted curettage.

BACKGROUND: The onset and clinical presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are sex-related. Few studies have investigated the distinctions in clinical characteristics and treatment preferences in male and female SLE patients in the initial cohort. This study aimed to improve the understanding of Chinese SLE patients by characterizing the different sexes of SLE patients in the inception cohort. METHODS: Based on the initial patient cohort established by the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group, a total of 8713 patients (795 men and 7918 women) with newly diagnosed SLE were enrolled between April 2009 and March 2021. Of these, 2900 patients (347 men and 2553 women) were eligible for lupus nephritis (LN). A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, organ damage, initial treatment regimens, and renal pathology classification was performed according to sex. RESULTS: In the SLE group, as compared to female patients, male patients had a later age of onset (male vs. female: 37.0 ± 15.8 years vs. 35.1 ± 13.7 years, P  = 0.006) and a higher SLE International Collaborative Clinic/American College of Rheumatology damage index score (male vs. female: 0.47 ± 1.13 vs. 0.34 ± 0.81, P  = 0.015), LN (male vs. female: 43.6% vs. 32.2%, P < 0.001), fever (male vs. female: 18.0% vs. 14.6%, P  = 0.010), thrombocytopenia (male vs. female: 21.4% vs. 18.5%, P  = 0.050), serositis (male vs. female: 14.7% vs. 11.7%, P  = 0.013), renal damage (male vs. female: 11.1% vs. 7.4%, P < 0.001), and treatment with cyclophosphamide (CYC) (P < 0.001). The frequency of leukopenia (male vs. female: 20.5% vs. 25.4%, P  = 0.002) and arthritis (male vs. female: 22.0% vs. 29.9%, P < 0.001) was less in male patients with SLE. In LN, no differences were observed in disease duration, SLE Disease Activity Index score, renal biopsy pathological typing, or 24-h urine protein quantification among the sexes. In comparisons with female patients with LN, male patients had later onset ages (P  = 0.026), high serum creatinine (P < 0.001), higher end-stage renal failure rates (P  = 0.002), musculoskeletal damage (P  = 0.023), cardiovascular impairment (P  = 0.009), and CYC use (P  = 0.001); while leukopenia (P  = 0.017), arthritis (P  = 0.014), and mycophenolate usage (P  = 0.013) rates were lower. CONCLUSIONS Male SLE patients had more severe organ damage and a higher LN incidence compared with female SLE patients; therefore, they may require more aggressive initial treatment compared to female patients.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sex Characteristics ; East Asian People ; Severity of Illness Index ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/diagnosis* ; Lupus Nephritis/pathology* ; Registries ; Cyclophosphamide/therapeutic use* ; Thrombocytopenia ; Leukopenia/drug therapy* ; Arthritis

Objective To compare the difference of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the urine of diabetic patients comorbid with or without depression. Methods Patients with type 2 diabetes who met the diagnostic criteria of prevention and treatment guidelines and were treated in inpatient department of Sixth People’s Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiaotong University, from November 2019 to November 2020 were included in the study. Depression screening was performed using PHQ9 scale. According to the scores, the patients were divided into two groups: diabetic patient group and diabetic patient comorbidity depression group. The morning urine was collected and VOCs in urine were detected using a miniature gas tester. Results A total of 161 patients with diabetes mellitus, including 141 patients in the diabetic group and 20 patients in the diabetic comorbidity depression group. The results indicated that the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the method are 80%, 98% and 92.8% respectively. There were differences in urine volatile organic compounds between the two groups. Conclusions Compared with diabetic patients, the composition of volatile organic compounds in urine may change after diabetic comorbidity depression, which can provide experimental reference for early clinical diagnosis of depression.

Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter (VWM) is one of the most prevalent inherited childhood white-matter disorders, and the pathogenic gene has been confirmed as EIF2B gene. VWM is characterized by chronic progressive neurological deterioration with cerebellar ataxia, usually less prominent spasticity and relatively mild mental decline. There are episodes of rapid and major neurological deterioration provoked by stresses, such as fever, minor physical trauma and acute fright, which is a characteristic clinical feature of VWM. Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings are diagnostic in almost all patients,and the disappearance of the cerebral white matter occurs in a diffuse "melting away" pattern. The onset of VWM can be at any age from fetal stage to adult stage, and the clinical phenotypes vary immensely. Gene diagnosis is the golden standard for VWM. This article reported a patient with a course of 17 years, who was misdiagnosed as Wilson′s disease because of low serum ceruloplasmin, and was finally diagnosed as VWM by reinterpretation of whole exome sequencing, which is worthy of clinicians′ vigilance and consideration.

Objective:To investigate the cognitive status of fatigue among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) in the community and analyze its influencing factors.Methods:From May to July 2020, a total of 250 patients with CHD in the community were selected as the research objects by multi-stage sampling method. The general information questionnaire and Fatigue Cognition Questionnaire for Patients with CHD were used for investigation. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors. A total of 250 questionnaires were distributed and 245 were effectively recovered.Results:The total score of fatigue cognition of 245 patients with CHD in the community was 6 (4, 7) . Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in the total scores of fatigue cognition among community CHD patients with different education level, duration of disease, grading of cardiac function, whether pay attention to fatigue knowledge, number of combined chronic diseases and treatment methods ( P<0.05) . Multiple linear regression analysis showed that education level, duration of disease, whether pay attention to fatigue knowledge, number of combined chronic diseases and treatment methods were the main influencing factors on fatigue cognition of CHD patients in the community ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The cognition of patients with CHD in the community on fatigue needs to be improved, and community medical workers should take corresponding measures to increase the attention and active response of patients with CHD to fatigue.

Objective:To assess and compare the performance of limiting-antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay (LAg-Avidity EIA) and pooling PCR in the surveillance for recent infection rates of HIV-1 in men who have sex with men (MSM).Methods:Blood samples were collected from MSM selected through snowball sampling method in sentinel surveillance in 13 prefectures of Yunnan province from 2016 to 2017. The samples were tested for HIV-1 antibody. The confirmed positive samples were tested by LAg-Avidity EIA. The negative samples were tested by pooling PCR. The recent infection rates of HIV-1 were estimated by the algorithm based on LAg-Avidity EIA and pooling PCR respectively. The two results were compared.Results:During 2016-2017, a total of 5 363 blood samples were collected from MSM, in which 407 samples were HIV-1 positive (including 177 positive tested previously) and 4 956 samples were HIV-1 negative. A total of 211 samples(91.7%) were tested by LAg-Avidity EIA, 69 were confirmed to be recent infections. A total of 4 469 samples were tested by pooling PCR, 8 were confirmed to be acute infections. The recent infection rates of HIV-1 from 2016 to 2017 estimated by LAg-Avidity EIA were 3.36% and 4.84%, and the recent infection rates estimated by pooling PCR were 3.27% and 3.02% respectively. The differences in recent infection rates of HIV-1 estimated by the two algorithms were not significant.Conclusions:The recent infection rates of HIV-1 estimated by LAg-Avidity EIA and pooling PCR in sentinel surveillance in MSM in Yunnan had good consistency from 2016 to 2017. Using the two methods might have a better stability in continuous surveillance for recent infection rates of HIV-1.

Objective:To understand the infection status of HCV and Treponema pallidum (TP) in HIV/AIDS cases in Yunnan province,and identify the risk factors. Methods:Between January 1 and June 30 in 2020,a cross-sectional survey was conducted in Yunnan. Two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used to detect anti-HCV, the positive results of both two kits indicated HCV infection. ELISA and syphilis toluidine red untreated serum test were applied to identify TP infection. Both Excel 2016 and SPSS 22.0 software were used for statistical analysis, and logistic regression model was conducted to identify the relevant factors of HCV and TP infection.Results:A total of 5 922 HIV/AIDS cases were included in this study, the infection rates of HCV and TP were 6.5% (383/5 922) and 5.8% (344/5 922) respectively. The co-infection rate of HCV and TP was 0.4% (22/5 922). The risk for HCV infection in HIV/AIDS cases was higher in younger age groups compared with age group ≥50 years (15-19:a OR=3.53;20-29:a OR=3.02;30-39:a OR=2.91;40-49:a OR=3.61), in males than in females (a OR=2.31), in the married and unmarried than in the divorced or widowed (married:a OR=1.61;unmarried:a OR=1.63), in other ethnic groups than in Han ethnic group (a OR=1.70), in people with lower education level than in people with education level of college and above (primary school degree and below:a OR=4.69;middle school:a OR=3.96), in people living in the central and western Yunnan than in people living in eastern Yunnan (central Yunnan:a OR=2.46; western Yunnan:a OR=7.08), in injection drug users than in MSM (a OR=131.08). The risk of TP infection in HIV/AIDS cases was higher in people with education level of college and primary school than in middle school degree (primary school and below:a OR=1.73;college and above:a OR=1.77), in people with other occupations than in farmers (a OR=1.39), in people living in eastern Yunnan than in people living in western Yunnan (a OR=1.75); in MSM than in people with heterosex (a OR=9.75). Conclusions:A certain proportion of HIV/AIDS cases reported between January and June in 2020 in Yunnan were co-infected with HCV and TP, many factors were associated with the co-infection. It is suggested to strengthen HCV and TP tests in HIV/AIDS cases and conduct active treatment of the co-infection.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of linked color imaging (LCI) for the colorectal polyp detection, especially detection of adenoma.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the patients who underwent LCI or white light imaging(WLI) mode of LASEREO colonoscopy from May 2018 to March 2019.The differences of the detection rates in the global polyps, adenomatous polyps, flat polyps, small polyps (≤5 mm) and right-sided polyps under two modes were compared. Color differences between the adenomatous polyps and surrounding mucosa (ΔE) were examined under two modes, based on L *a *b * color space by the Commission Internationale de L′Eclairage in 1976. Results:The global polyp detection rate, especially adenoma detection rate, in LCI group was higher than that in WLI group(45.53% VS 32.83%, P=0.038; 53.65% VS 39.62%, P=0.009). The color difference(ΔE) between adenomatous polyps and surrounding mucosa in LCI group was significantly higher than that in WLI group(27.24±8.67 VS 15.28±6.68, P<0.001). In addition, the detection rates of flat polyps, small polyps and right-sided polyps in LCI group were higher than those in WLI group (61.98% VS 47.17%, P=0.005; 60.94% VS 42.77%, P=0.001; 45.83% VS 32.70%, P=0.012). Conclusion:LCI can effectively improve the colorectal polyp detection rate, especially adenoma detection rate, which is worthy of clinical application.