Objective To investigate the five-circuit and six-qi features at conception and at birth in the patients with endometrial cancer.Methods From June 2020 to August 2024,the information about the conception time and birth time of 1 099 patients with endometrial cancer admitted to Guang'anmen Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences was collected from the electronic medical record system.The circuit-qi information at conception and at birth of the patients was statistically analyzed,and then the congenital endowment characteristics of the patients were explored.Results The results showed that most of the patients suffering endometrial cancer were born in winter,and the dominant qi at birth of the patients was predominated by taiyang cold-water,and the differences of the distribution of dominant qi at birth were statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in the distribution of yearly circuit,guest qi,and sitian-zaiquan at birth,and in the distribution of seasons,yearly circuit,dominant qi,guest qi,and sitian-zaiquan at conception(P＞0.05),and only an obvious trend of differences was presented.Conclusion There is a certain correlation between the prevalence of endometrial cancer and the five-circuit and six-qi features at conception and at birth.The congenital endowment of patients with endometrial cancer is characterized by yang deficiency with predominant coldness,and the prevalence is related to jueyin wind wood.

Objective To investigate traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome characteristics associated with immunotherapy efficacy in cervical cancer using propensity score matching(PSM),aiming to identify the population benefiting from immunotherapy.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 253 cervical cancer patients,who received the treatment with programmed death receptor 1(PD-1)inhibitors at Guang'anmen Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from January 2020 to October 2024.Clinical data and TCM four-examination data were collected.After balancing the confounders via PSM(1∶1 matching)and with therapeutic efficacy as the dependent variable,multivariate logistic regression was performed to analyze the characteristics of TCM syndrome in the immunotherapy-response group and then a predictive model was constructed.Results(1)After matching with PSM,198 cases were included,99 cases in response group and 99 cases in non-response group.(2)Analysis of the distribution of TCM syndrome elements showed that the differences in the pathogenic syndrome elements of qi deficiency,qi stagnation,blood stasis,heat and phlegm between the two groups were statistically significant(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),while there were no statistically significant differences in the disease-location syndrome elements of uterus,kidneys,lungs,spleen,liver,and heart,as well as in the pathogenic syndrome elements of blood deficiency,yin deficiency,yang deficiency,cold,and dampness(P＞0.05).The main pathogenic syndrome elements in the response group were qi deficiency,blood deficiency and heat,while those in the non-response group were qi stagnation,heat and phlegm.(3)The results of univariate regression analysis showed that targeted therapy(P=0.040),programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1)expression level(P＜0.001),qi deficiency(P=0.009),blood deficiency(P＜0.001),yang deficiency(P＜0.001),yin deficiency(P＜0.001),qi stagnation(P=0.003),blood stasis(P＜0.001),cold(P＜0.001),cold(P＜0.001),heat(P＜0.001),phlegm(P＜0.001),and dampness(P＜0.001)were the factors associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors.(4)The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that previous targeted therapy(OR=0.36,95%CI:0.16-0.83)and pathogenic syndrome elements of qi stagnation(OR=0.23,95%CI:0.10-0.49),phlegm(OR=0.28,95%CI:0.13-0.61)were the risk factors of associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors,while PD-L1 expression level(OR=15.27,95%CI:2.60-89.63),and pathogenic syndrome element qi deficiency(OR=2.90,95%CI:1.42-5.89)were the protective factors associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors in cervical cancer.(5)Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis demonstrated that the area under the ROC curve(AUC)of the predictive model for evaluating PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in cervical cancer was 0.78(95%CI:0.71-0.84),indicating certain predictive value.Conclusion PD-L1 expression level and TCM pathogenic syndrome elements such as qi deficiency,qi stagnation,and phlegm are the independent factors influencing PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in cervical cancer,providing insights for optimizing integrated TCM-western medicine treatment strategies.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),systemic immune-inflammatory index(SII),systemic inflammation response index(SIRI),and aggregate index of systemic inflammation(AISI)in chronic kidney disease(CKD)patients complicated with heart failure.Methods This study enrolled 190 CKD patients complicated with heart failure(case group)and 30 CKD patients without heart failure(control group)who treated in the outpatient and inpatient departments of Wenling Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to December 2024.Differences in NLR,SII,SIRI,and AISI between the two groups were compared,and the relationship between these inflammatory markers and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome types in CKD patients complicated with heart failure was analyzed.Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve were used for evaluating the predictive efficacy of NLR,SII,SIRI,and AISI for illness severity of CKD complicated with heart failure.Results(1)The levels of NLR,SII,SIRI,and AISI in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.01).(2)In CKD patients complicated with heart failure,NLR,SII,SIRI,and AISI were positively correlated with N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)levels(P＜0.01).(3)Among the CKD patients complicated with heart failure of fundamentally deficiency syndromes,spleen-kidney yang deficiency syndrome was the most prevalent,followed by spleen-kidney qi-yin deficiency syndrome,spleen-kidney qi deficiency syndrome,and yin-yang deficiency syndrome.Among the CKD patients complicated with heart failure of incidentally excess syndromes,blood stasis syndrome was the most common,followed by damp-heat syndrome,urinary toxin retention syndrome,and water-damp syndrome.(4)In CKD patients complicated with heart failure of fundamentally deficiency syndromes,NLR,SII,SIRI,and AISI levels ranked in the decreasing sequence in the syndromes of yin-yang deficiency,spleen-kidney yang deficiency,spleen-kidney qi-yin deficiency,and spleen-kidney qi deficiency;in the patients with incidentally excess syndromes,the levels ranked in the decreasing sequence in urinary toxin retention,damp-heat syndrome,blood stasis syndrome,and water-damp syndrome(P＜0.05).(5)Multivariate logistic regression identified NLR,SII,SIRI,and AISI as independent risk factors for illness severity of CKD complicated with heart failure(P＜0.01).(6)ROC curve analysis demonstrated high values of NLR,SII,SIRI,and AISI in differentiating illness severity of CKD complicated with heart failure(P＜0.01).Conclusion Inflammatory markers of NLR,SII,SIRI,and AISI exhibit significant correlation with illness severity of CKD complicated with heart failure,suggesting their potentiality as biological markers for TCM syndrome differentiation and disease progression assessment in this population.

Objective To investigate the correlation between insulin resistance markers[triglyceride-glucose(TyG)index],inflammatory indicators[neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),C-reactive protein(CRP)],and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndromes in patients with diabetic kidney disease(DKD)complicated by carotid atherosclerosis(CAS).Methods This retrospective study enrolled 300 DKD patients with CAS(case group)and 30 DKD patients without CAS(control group).Differences in TyG index,NLR,and CRP levels were compared between groups.The relationships between these markers and carotid intima-media thickness(IMT)/plaque area were analyzed,along with their variations across TCM syndromes.Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analyses were performed to evaluate the predictive value of TyG index,NLR,and CRP for plaque stability and prognosis.Results(1)The TyG index,NLR,and CRP levels in patients with DKD and CAS were significantly higher than those in patients with DKD alone(P＜0.01).(2)The TyG index,NLR,and CRP were significantly positively correlated with IMT and plaque area(P＜0.01).(3)In patients with DKD combined with CAS,the TyG index,NLR,and CRP levels in those with unstable plaques were significantly higher than those with stable plaques(P＜0.01).(4)Among the distribution of TCM syndromes in patients with DKD combined with CAS,the qi and yin deficiency syndrome had the highest proportion(33.33％),followed by spleen and kidney yang deficiency syndrome(28.67％),yin and yang deficiency syndrome(22.00％),and turbid toxin and stasis obstruction syndrome(16.00％).(5)Among patients with DKD and CAS,the TyG index,NLR,and CRP levels in patients with different TCM syndromes decreased in the following order:turbid toxin and stasis obstruction syndrome,yin and yang deficiency syndrome,spleen-kidney yang deficiency syndrome,and qi and yin deficiency syndrome.(6)Logistic regression analysis results showed that TyG index,NLR,and CRP levels were closely associated with plaque stability in patients with DKD combined with CAS(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(7)ROC analysis showed that these markers have high prognostic value in DKD-CAS(P＜0.01).Conclusion TyG index,NLR,and CRP may serve as potential biomarkers for TCM syndrome differentiation and prognosis assessment in DKD-CAS.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the incidence and influencing factors of depression in family caregivers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, so as to provide the basis for the prevention and treatment of depression among the family caregivers of AD patients. Methods: Publications pertaining to depression in family caregivers of AD patients were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Data, PubMed and other databases from the time of their establishment to June 15, 2023. The evaluation criteria recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale were used to assess the quality of cross-sectional and cohort studies, respectively. Stata 16.0 and Revman 5.4 softwares were used to conduct a meta-analysis on the incidence and influencing factors of depression in family caregivers of AD patients. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias assessment were also performed on the results. Results: A total of 2 324 articles were retrieved, and ultimately 14 articles were included, with a total sample size of 8 313 individuals. There were 6 high-quality articles and 8 moderate-quality articles. Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of depression in family caregivers of AD patients was 37.5% (95%CI: 30.2%-45.1%). Factors associated with depression included patients' high degree of dementia (OR=1.718, 95%CI: 1.059-2.789), patients' low scores on Activities of Daily Living Scale (OR=1.344, 95%CI: 1.059-1.706), patients' psychobehavioral abnormalities (OR=1.248, 95%CI: 1.155-1.348), long duration of caregiving (OR=1.998, 95%CI: 1.637-2.437), less involvement of other family members in caregiving (OR=1.597, 95%CI: 1.237-2.061), low educational level (OR=1.191, 95%CI: 1.044-1.359), poor caregiving skills (OR=3.060, 95%CI: 2.257-4.149), poor self-rated health (OR=2.536, 95%CI: 1.114-5.771) and social support (OR=0.424, 95%CI: 0.232-0.774). The results of depression incidence demonstrated good stability with no significant publication bias. However, publication bias was observed in the influencing factors for depression, which were patients' high degree of dementia and patients' low scores on Activities of Daily Living Scale. Conclusions The incidence of depression in family caregivers of AD patients ranges from 30.2% to 45.1%. It is primarily influenced by the severity of patients' symptoms and ability to perform daily activities, and caregivers' educational level, caregiving skills, health status, caregiving duration and social support.

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotype and the associated pathogenic genes in a family exhibiting autosomal dominant inherited optic atrophy (ADOA).Methods:A pedigree analysis was conducted on a Han Chinese family with ADOA comprising two generations and four individuals from Henan Province.The family with two ADOA patients was recruited at Henan Eye Hospital between July and October 2023.Detailed medical histories were collected for the proband and family members.Comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluations were performed, including assessments of visual acuity, visual field, fundus photography, electroretinogram (ERG), visual evoked potential (VEP), and optical coherence tomography.Additionally, hearing, electromyography, and magnetic resonance imaging were performed on the proband to assess the presence of systemic symptoms.Peripheral blood samples were collected from four family members, and whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on the proband, with subsequent validation via Sanger sequencing for the other family members.The pathogenicity and protein struture of the novel variant were analyzed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Henan Eye Hospital (No.HNEECKY-2019[15]).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:The proband was a 15-year-old female with a 4-year history of vision loss in the left eye and optic atrophy, mild thinning of central macular foveal thickness, locally mild thinning of ganglion cell complex layer thickness, low VEP amplitude, and partial visual field defects in both eyes, and no significant hearing impairment or dystonia on systemic examination.The proband's mother had partial optic nerve atrophy and slightly decreased central macular foveal thickness in both eyes, and mild ERG abnormalities, but no significant VEP abnormalities.WES identified a heterozygous nonsense variant c. 676C>T (p.Gln226Ter) in exon 6 of the OPA1 gene of the proband and her mother.This variant has not been previously reported in the literature, nor is it listed in the Human Gene Mutation Database, the Thousand Genomes Project, or the Genome Aggregation Database, which results in a premature termination codon at glutamine position 226.Protein structure analysis showed that p. Gln226Ter of the OPA1 protein induces alterations in the hydrogen bonding of the protein binding to surrounding residues, which in turn leads to protein function alterations.The variant was classified as potentially pathogenic according to the ACMG standards and guidelines. Conclusions:Patients in this ADOA family present with adolescent-onset optic atrophy in both eyes, with a predominance in the left eye.The c. 676C>T variant in OPA1 gene might be the causative variant in this ADOA family.Notably, this is the first report of this specific variant.

Cancer toxin is a specific pathogenesis leading to the heterogeneity of breast cancer.The nature and virulence of the cancer toxin determine the differences in the heterogeneity of breast cancer,which can dynamically evolve over time and space,resulting in varying invasion abilities and characteristics of the tumor.Cancer cells in the primary lesion possess"toxicity"that targets specific organs for metastasis,and cancer toxins can influence the metastatic propensity of different types of breast cancer.Therefore,breast cancer treatment strategies based on the theory of cancer toxins emphasize the continuous eradication of the cancer toxin,focusing on differentiating its strength and nature,protecting unaffected areas first,identifying the state based on symptoms,and targeting accordingly to combat resistance arising from tumor heterogeneity.This article aims to provide a new theoretical basis for the treatment strategies of different types of breast cancer.

Urate oxidase (Uox) plays a pivotal role in uric acid (UA) degradation, and it has been applied in controlling serum UA level in clinical treatment of hyperuricemia (HUA). However, because Uox is a heterogenous protein to the human body, the immune rejections typically occur after intravenous administration, which greatly hampers the application of Uox-based agents. In this study, we used Lactococcus lactis NZ9000, a food-grade bacterium, as a host to express exogenous Uox genes, to generate the Uox-expressing engineered strains to treat HUA. Aspergillus flavus-derived Uox (aUox) and the "resurrected" human-derived Uox (hUox) were cloned into vector and expressed in NZ9000, to generate engineered strains, respectively. The engineered NZ9000 strains were confirmed to express Uox and showed UA-lowering activity in a time-dependent manner in vitro. Next, in an HUA mice model established by oral gavage of yeast paste, the UA levels were increased by 85.4% and 106.2% at day 7 and day 14. By contrast, in mice fed with NZ9000-aUox, the UA levels were increased by 39.5% and 48.3% while in mice fed with NZ9000-hUox were increased by 57.0% and 82.9%, suggesting a UA-lowering activity of both engineered strains. Furthermore, compared with allopurinol, the first-line agent for HUA treatment, mice fed with NZ9000-aUox exhibited comparable liver safety but better kidney safety than allopurinol, indicating that the use of engineered NZ9000 strains not only alleviated kidney injury caused by HUA, but could also avoided the risk of kidney injury elicited by using allopurinol. Collectively, our study offers an effective and safe therapeutic approach for HUA long-term treatment and controlling.
Animals ; Lactococcus lactis/metabolism* ; Urate Oxidase/genetics* ; Mice ; Uric Acid/blood* ; Hyperuricemia ; Humans ; Administration, Oral ; Aspergillus flavus/genetics* ; Male

【Objective】 To explore the clinical features, treatment and prognosis of paraganglioma of the urinary bladder (PUB). 【Methods】 The clinical data of 41 PUB patients treated at our hospital during Sep.2012 and Sep.2022 were collected. The clinical features, surgical records, pathological reports and follow-up records were retrospectively analyzed. Patients’ survival was estimated with Kaplan-Meier estimator. The differences among groups were compared with Log-rank test. 【Results】 Among the 41 patients, 20 were male and 21 were female, with a median age of 52 years. All patients were treated with surgery, including transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) in 16 cases, partial cystectomy (PC) in 23 cases, and radical cystectomy (RC) in 2 cases. All patients were followed up for 4.0 to 125.0 months, with a median of 59.0 months. Local recurrence occurred in 5 patients, and distant metastasis occurred in 5 patients. Survival analysis showed that the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rate were 95.7% and 84.8%, respectively. Further analysis showed statistically significant differences in OS and RFS among groups with different maximum tumor diameters, growth patterns, and Ki-67 expressions (P<0.05). For patients with a maximum tumor diameter ≤2.8 cm, there was no significant difference in OS and RFS among different surgical groups. 【Conclusion】 PUB is rare, and a definitive diagnosis is based on pathology. In addition, the main treatment is surgery and the prognosis is good.

Objective To evaluate the risk of recurrence or metastasis of breast cancer by LNG-IUS via meta-analysis. Methods We searched literature in the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, EMBASE, CBM, CNKI, VIP, and WanFang database.The retrieval period was from January 2014 to October 2021.Data extraction and quality evaluation were conducted for the included randomized controlled study (RCT) to analyze whether LNG-IUS can increase the risk of recurrence or metastasis of breast cancer. Results A total of 1309 Chinese and English studies were retrieved; 5 RCTs were included in this study, and 446 patients were enrolled.The combined total effect value in the fixed-effect model with RD (95%CI)0.03(-0.03-0.08), Z=1.05, P=0.29) indicated that the LNG-IUS+tamoxifen group did not increase the risk of recurrence or metastasis of breast cancer compared with the tamoxifen group.The funnel diagram was basically symmetrical, suggesting that the publication bias was small. Conclusion Wearing the LNG-IUS does not increase the risk of relapse or metastasis of breast cancer significantly, and it provides certain safety for patients with breast cancer.