ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Shentong Zhuyutang combined with Dilongtang in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation （LDH） with Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome， and its effect on nucleus pulposus reabsorption and immune-inflammatory factors， exploring its therapeutic mechanism from the perspective of reabsorption. MethodsA total of 120 patients with LDH from the Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine， treated between June 2020 and January 2023， were randomly divided into the control group （52 cases， with 8 dropouts） and the observation group （49 cases， with 11 dropouts） according to a random number table. The control group received routine treatment， while the observation group was treated with Shentong Zhuyutang combined with Dilongtang in addition to routine treatment. Visual Analogue Scale （VAS）， Oswestry Disability Index （ODI）， Japanese Orthopaedic Association （JOA） score， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome score were measured before treatment and after 3 courses of treatment. Venous blood samples were collected for the determination of serological indexes. MR examination was performed during the 6-month follow-up to calculate the absorption rate. ResultsAfter treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in VAS， ODI， TCM syndrome score， serum tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， matrix metalloproteinase （MMP）-9， and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） levels， and a significant increase in JOA score compared with pre-treatment values （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the observation group showed significantly lower VAS， ODI， TCM syndrome score， serum TNF-α， MMP-9， and VEGF levels， and a significantly higher JOA score （P<0.05）. The proportion of nucleus pulposus reabsorption in the observation group was 57.14% （28/49）， significantly higher than 21.15% （11/52） in the control group （χ²=6.161， P<0.05）. ConclusionShentong Zhuyutang combined with Dilongtang can effectively relieve pain， improve lumbar function， and alleviate TCM clinical symptoms in LDH patients with Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. Imaging findings suggest that the treatment promotes the reabsorption of nucleus pulposus protrusion， while laboratory testing shows reduced serum levels of TNF-α， MMP-9， and VEGF， which contribute to the rehabilitation of patients.

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of silica dust on the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) through in vitro and animal experiments. Methods i) In vitro experiment. A549 cells were stimulated with 100 mg/L silica suspension for 0, 12, 24 and 48 hours. The cell apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. ii) Animal experiment. Specific pathogen-free male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control, 14-day, 28-day, and 56-day groups, with five mice in each group. The mice in the control group were sacrificed at 56 days after being treated with 40.0 μL 0.9% sodium chloride solution, and the mice in the last three groups were sacrificed at 14, 28 and 56 days after being treated with 40.0 μL silica suspension with a mass concentration of 125 g/L via tracheal exposure method. The lung tissues of mice were collected to measure lung organ coefficients. Masson staining was used to detect the degree of pulmonary fibrosis, and Ashcroft scores were evaluated. The apoptosis of AEC in mice was observed by TUNEL immunofluorescence assay. iii) The mRNA relative expression of apoptosis-related genes in A549 cells and mouse lung tissue was detected using reverse transcription and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results i) In vitro experiment. The apoptosis rate of A549 cells increased with longer silica exposure (all P<0.05). The relative expression of B cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) mRNA in A549 cells in 24 h group and 48 h group decreased (both P<0.05), and the relative expression of BCL-2 associated X protein (BAX) mRNA increased (both P<0.05), compared with 0 h group. The mRNA relative expression of caspase (CASP) -3 and CASP-9 in A549 cells increased with longer silica exposure (all P<0.05). ii) Animal experiment. The lung organ coefficients and Ashcroft score in mice progressively increased (all P<0.05), the degree of pulmonary fibrosis was gradually aggravated, and TUNEL positive cells in lung tissue were gradually increased, while Bax, Casp-3 and Casp-9 mRNA relative expression increased with longer silica exposure (all P<0.05). Conclusion Silica dust may cause pulmonary fibrosis by inducing apoptosis of AEC, with a time-dependent effect. The mechanism may be related to the effect of silica dust on mitochondrial apoptosis through Bcl-2/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling pathway.

Objective To explore the mechanism of the gut-lung axis in paraquat-induced lung injury in mice, with a focus on analyzing the changes in intestinal gene expression and their potential roles. Methods Specific pathogen-free C57BL/6 wild-type mice were randomly divided into control, low-dose, and high-dose groups, with 10 mice in each group. Mice in the three groups received a single intragastric administration of paraquat solution at doses of 0, 25, or 50 mg/kg body weight. The mice were euthanized on day 21. Lung histopathological changes were assessed, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the intestinal tissues of mice in these two groups were analyzed through transcriptomics. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted to explore potential mechanisms of the gut-lung axis in paraquat-induced lung injury and fibrosis. Results Paraquat exposure induced dose-dependent pulmonary injury and fibrosis in the mice. The Ashcroft score of lung tissue was higher in the mice of low-dose group than that in the control group (P<0.05). Both the lung organ coefficient and Ashcroft score of lung tissues in the mice of high-dose group were higher than those in the control group and the low-dose group (all P<0.05). The result of transcriptomic analysis showed 146 DEGs, including 91 upregulated and 55 downregulated genes, in intestinal tissues of mice in the low-dose group, and 57 DEGs, including 47 upregulated and 10 downregulated genes in the high-dose group, compared with the control group. Notably, 19 DEGs were commonly altered in both low- and high-dose groups. The result of GO enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were primarily involved in biological processes including "immune response", "oxidative stress" and "cell differentiation". The result of KEGG enrichment analyses showed that DEGs were primarily involved in key processes including "oxidative stress response path way", "immune response path way" and "digestion and absorption path way". Conclusion Paraquat exposure alters intestinal gene expression, particularly in genes in biological processes related to immune responses and oxidative stress. These changes may mediate inflammatory signaling via the gut-lung axis and contribute to the development of paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE To establish a quantitative fingerprint analysis method for sugar components in Yuanhu Zhitong oral liquid using high performance liquid chromatography-charged aerosol detection(HPLC-CAD). METHODS Chromatographic column was NH2P-50 4E(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) column. Water(A) and acetonitrile(B) were used as the mobile phase in the gradient elute mode. The column temperature was 30 ℃. The injection volume was 10 μL. The flow rate was 0.6 mL·min−1. The evaporation temperature of CAD was 35 ℃. The acquisition frequency was 10 Hz. The power function value was 1.0. RESULTS The linear relationship of the quantitative component was good within the quantitative range, with R2>0.999. The relative standard deviations(RSDs) of instrument precision, intermediate precision and method repeatability were all <3%. The test solution was stable within 24 h. The average recoveries at low, medium and high concentration levels ranged 97.15%−101.13%. There were 5 common peaks in the fingerprint. The RSDs of instrument precision, method repeatability and sample stability were all <4%. CONCLUSION The established analytical method is stable, accurate and reproducible. It can be used to detect sugar excipients in the preparations.

Objective:To analyze the current status and hotspots of myopia research in the past 10 years and the future development direction based on the bibliometric method.Methods:Relevant original research and reviews on myopia published from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2022 were retrieved from the Web of Science core database.Co-occurrence analysis of countries, research organizations, and authors was performed using the VOSviewer software.Cluster analysis of keywords and co-cited references was performed using the CiteSpace software.Results:A total of 9 745 articles were included, involving 123 countries/regions, 7 150 institutions, and 29 343 authors.The analysis revealed that the global publication in myopia has been increasing, with China having the highest publication, and research from the United States being the most cited.Keyword analysis showed that the early hotspots of myopia mainly focused on refractive surgery, diagnosis and treatment of complications, genetics, and epidemiological characteristics, while recent research has rapidly shifted towards myopia prevention and control.The results of the cluster analysis of the co-cited references showed that myopia research contained several clusters, such as #0 school-aged children, #1 small incision lenticule extraction, #2 myopia control, #3 refractive error, #4 contact lenses, etc.The current research frontier focuses on myopia management technology, myopia and retinal and choroidal vessels, and the application of artificial intelligence in myopia.Conclusions:Myopia research in the past 10 years covers a wide range of disciplines, including ophthalmology, molecular biology, genetics, optometry and epidemiology.In the future, there is a need to further explore the etiology and pathogenesis of myopia, enhance early identification and screening methods, improve management techniques for myopia, advance artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis of myopia to develop more effective and safe strategies for myopia prevention and control.

Objective:To investigate the frequency of myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) in peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their relationship with renal injury.Methods:The frequency of peripheral mDC and pDC in 102 SLE patients and 10 healthy controls were detected by flow cytometry. The quantitative data were expressed by [ M( P25, P75)]. The measurement data of the two groups with non-normal distribution was analyzed by Mann Whitney U test. The correlation between the two groups was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation analysis and multiple linear regression. Results:The frequency of pDC [14.00%(7.92%, 19.65%) vs 24.55%(19.68%, 32.90%), Z=-3.163, P<0.01] and mDC [21.25%(13.28%, 32.83%) vs 34.85%(24.58%, 41.93%), Z=-2.607, P<0.01] in the peripheral blood of 102 patients with SLE were significantly lower than those of healthy controls. The frequency of pDC [9.09%(7.31%, 17.38%) vs 24.55%(19.68%, 32.90%), Z=-3.033, P=<0.01] and mDC [9.40%(7.88%, 21.60%) vs 34.85%(24.58%, 41.93%), Z=-3.231, P<0.01] in 12 patients with newly diagnosed SLE were also significantly lower than those in healthy controls. After adjustedfor confounding factors, multivariate analysis showed that SLEDAI level was the main factor influencing the frequency of pDC ( P=0.019) and mDC ( P<0.01). In addition, pDC[8.02%(2.25%, 9.97%) vs 16.70%(11.80%, 24.60%), Z=-2.490, P=0.015] and mDC[8.80%(5.99%, 12.80%) vs 20.20%(11.20%, 42.80%), Z=-2.226, P=0.029] in patients with active LN were also significantly lower than that of patients with stable LN. The mDC frequency was positively correlated with the levels of complement C3 ( r=0.455, P<0.01) and C4 ( r= 0.289, P, P<0.01). Conclusion:The frequency of mDC and pDC in SLE patients is significantly abnormal, which is closely related to disease activity. In addition, pDC and mDC may be involved in the occurrence and development of LN.

【Objective】 To detect autoantibodies in Chinese systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and analyze the relationship between clinical phenotype and autoantibodies in SSc. 【Methods】 We sequentially included 93 SSc patients. Their general information and clinical data were gathered. The differences in clinical characteristics among autoantibody negative and positive groups were analyzed statistically. 【Results】 Anti-nuclear antibodies were detected in 82 (88.2%) SSc patients. The positive rate of autoantibodies was detected in 26 cases (28.0%) of anti-Scl-70 antibody, 24 cases (25.8%) of anti-SSA/Ro-52 antibody, 19 cases (20.4%) of anti-U1-snRNP antibody, and 16 cases (17.2%) in anti-CENP-B antibody, respectively. The patients with positive anti-SSA/Ro-52 antibody had a significantly higher morbidity rate of pulmonary arterial hypertension (P=0.016). Patients with anti-Scl-70 antibody showed a higher incidence rate of digital tip ulcers or gangrene (P=0.004) and cardiac damage (P=0.014). The patients with anti-U1-snRNP antibody had a higher prevalence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (P=0.047) and Raynaud’s phenomenon (P=0.019), and showed an increased trend in the occurrence of interstitial lung disease (P=0.058). Those with anti-CENP-B antibody had a lower IgG level (P=0.049) and higher ALP (P=0.010) and γ-GT (P=0.003). The incidence of autoimmune liver disease was increased in anti-CENP-B positive patients (P=0.001). 【Conclusion】 Different autoantibodies in SSc are associated with clinical phenotype, and may contribute to the diagnosis, evaluation, and prognostic judgment of the disease.

【Objective】 To evaluate musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) detected subclinical synovitis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with different clinical remission criteria so as to explore the clinical characteristics of subclinical synovitis. 【Methods】 Forty-six consecutive patients with RA in clinical remission [disease activity score-28 (DAS28)≤2.6] underwent clinical and MSUS examinations at baseline and 1 year follow-up. Clinical remission was defined according to the DAS28 using the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) and C-reactive protein level (DAS28-CRP), clinical disease activity index (CDAI), simplified clinical disease activity index (SDAI), and American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism criteria Boolean (ACR/EULAR criteria). Subclinical synovitis was assessed by MSUS. Differences between the subclinical synovitis and non-subclinical synovitis groups were analyzed. 【Results】 The percentages of patients who achieved DAS28-ESR, DAS28-CRP, CDAI, SDAI, and ACR/EULAR remission at baseline and 1 year were 97.8%, 95.6%, 67.4%, 54.3%, 52.2% and 91.3%, 93.5%, 54.3%, 50.0%, and 45.6%, respectively. Subclinical synovitis was detected in 55.5%, 54.5%, 45.2%, 40.0%, 41.6% and 45.2%, 46.5%, 40.0%, 39.1%, and 38.1% of these patients, respectively. There were 45.6% and 41.3% patients who fulfilled all the criteria, yet 38.1% and 36.8% still had evidence of subclinical synovitis at baseline and 1 year. Compared with the patients without subclinical synovitis, those with subclinical synovitis had a significantly positive rate of anti-CCP antibody and a higher disease activity score at baseline (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 MSUS detected subclinical synovitis is common. The positive anti-CCP antibody and higher disease activity score at baseline may be related to subclinical synovitis in patients with RA in clinical remission.

ABSTRACT:Objective To investigate the clinical features of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA)in western China and its outcomes after one-year treatment with disease modifying anti-rheumatoid drugs (DMARDs) so as to provide evidence for effective therapy.Methods We made a retrospective analysis of 240 RA patients treated in our department from May 2013 to June 2014.We compared the 47 seropositive and 25 seronegative RA patients in clinical features,laboratory parameters and outcomes after one-year DMARDs medication.Results The percentage of seronegative RA was 10.4% (25/240).The number of swollen small joints was significantly smaller in seronegative RA group (P<0 .0 1 ).Compared with those in seropositive RA,the level of hemoglobin was lower,the level of platelets was higher,and the level of alkaline phosphatase was lower in seronegative RA (P<0 .0 5 ).The remission rate was higher in seronegative RA group than in seropositive RA group after one-year DMARDs administration (P<0.05).Conclusion Seronegative RA is not rare in clinic.Even though seronegative RA patients often present fewer swollen small joints, it is difficult to distinguish between seronegative and seropositve RA just based on the clinical features.Besides,hematological damage is more severe in some patients with seronegative RA.Only after one-year treatment with DMARDs,the remission rate is higher in seronegative RA patients than in seropositve RA ones.

Since its introduction as an alternative intestinal microbiota alteration approach, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been increasingly used as a treatment of choice for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), but no reports exist regarding FMT via percutaneous endoscopic cecostomy (PEC). This report describes the case of a 24-year-old man with a 7-year history of recurrent, steroid-dependent UC. He received FMT via PEC once per day for 1 month in the hospital. After the remission of gastrointestinal symptoms, he was discharged from the hospital and continued FMT via PEC twice per week for 3 months at home. The frequency of stools decreased, and the characteristics of stools improved soon thereafter. Enteral nutrition was regained after 1 week, and an oral diet was begun 1 month later. Two months after the FMT end point, the patient resumed a normal diet, with formed soft stools once per day. The follow-up colonoscopy showed normal mucus membranes; then, the PEC set was removed. On the subsequent 12 months follow-up, the patient resumed orthobiosis without any gastrointestinal discomfort and returned to work. This case emphasizes that FMT via PEC can not only induce remission but also shorten the duration of hospitalization and reduce the medical costs; therefore, this approach should be considered an alternative option for patients with UC.
Cecostomy* ; Colitis, Ulcerative* ; Colonoscopy ; Diet ; Enteral Nutrition ; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Membranes ; Mucus ; Ulcer* ; Young Adult