OBJECTIVE To evaluate the anticoagulant efficacy and safety of nafamostat mesylate （NM） in the treatment of uremic patients at high risk of bleeding undergoing continuous veno-venous hemofiltration （CVVH） with different methods （pre- dilution and post-dilution）. METHODS A total of 130 uremic patients at high risk of bleeding who underwent CVVH treatment in the nephrology department of Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital from July 2023 to September 2024 were selected. They were divided into pre-dilution group and post-dilution group according to the random number table method， with 65 cases in each group. Both groups of patients received CVVH treatment under NM anticoagulation. The pre-dilution group adopted the pre-dilution replacement method， while the post-dilution group adopted the post-dilution replacement method. The coagulation， pressure， and usage duration of the filter and dialysis circuit venous reservoirs were compared between the two groups. The changes in prothrombin time （PT）， prothrombin time-international normalized ratio （PT-INR）， activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT）， and fibrinogen （FIB） in the peripheral venous blood before the heparin pump and after the filter at 1， 4 and 7 h of CVVH treatment， as well as 20 min after the end of treatment， were compared between the two groups. The single-compartment urea clearance rate （spKt/V）， β2-microglobulin （β2-MG） clearance rate and the incidence of adverse reactions were duni2007@foxmail.com compared between the two groups. RESULTS Both the pre-dilution and post-dilution groups had 60 patients who completed the study. The incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅲ coagulation of the filter and venous reservoirs， as well as the number of patients with transmembrane and venous pressure alarm intervention in the post- dilution group were significantly higher or more than those in the pre-dilution group （P＜0.05）， while usage time of the filter and the pipeline in the post-dilution group was significantly shorter than that in the pre-dilution group （P＜0.05）. The APTT values before the heparin pump as well as PT and APTT values after the filter at 1 h， 4 h， and 7 h of CVVH treatment in the post-dilution group were significantly higher than those in the pre-dilution group （P＜0.001）. There were no significant differences in PT， PT- INR， APTT and FIB between the two groups of patients 20 min after the end of treatment （P＞0.05）. The spKt/v and β2-MG clearance rates in the post-dilution group were significantly higher than those in the pre-dilution group （P＜0.001）. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS When NM is used as an anticoagulant in the CVVH treatment of uremic patients at high risk of bleeding， compared with the pre-dilution treatment method， the post-dilution treatment method has a higher incidence of filter and dialysis tubing venous reservoir， a shorter usage time of the filter and pipeline， and a greater impact on extracorporeal coagulation， but has a higher solute clearance rate. Clinically， different dilution methods can be selected according to the different treatment needs of patients.

Chronic eczema has a high prevalence in China， significantly impacting patients’ quality of life. Leveraging the unique advantages of pattern identification/syndrome differentiation and treatment， along with a holistic approach， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， which integrates internal and external therapies， has been widely applied in the management of chronic eczema. It has demonstrated significant efficacy and distinctive strengths in alleviating symptoms， reducing recurrence rates， maintaining disease stability， and enhancing patients’ quality of life. Oral administration of TCM（e.g. modified Longdan xiegan decoction） can improve patients’ clinical symptoms through systemic regulation. External use of TCM can directly act on the skin lesion with the help of steaming and washing， hydropathic compress， ointment and other forms. At the same time， it can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms of chronic eczema by combining with non-drug therapies such as acupuncture， moxibustion， acupoint catgut embedding， blood-letting puncture and cupping. In addition， characteristic therapies such as oral administration of TCM combined with external treatment， a combination of various external treatments and a combination of Chinese and Western medicine have also demonstrated certain advantages in regulating immune function， alleviating skin lesions， and relieving itching symptoms. These therapies cooperate with each other， creating a synergistic effect that treats both the symptoms and the root cause simultaneously. It is suggested that more high-quality， large-scale clinical research should be conducted in the future to systematically confirm the therapeutic advantages of TCM and further explore the specific molecular mechanism of action.

Triatoma rubrofasciata is currently the most widely distributed species of Triatoma worldwide, and it is also widespread in southern China. T. rubrofasciata has been proven to transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, and is one of vectors transmitting Chagas disease, which poses a potential risk for transmission of imported Chagas disease in China. Findings from latest studies have shown that T. rubrofasciata naturally infects T. lewisi, T. conorhini, and T. rangeli, which undoubtedly increases significant risks of and challenges to trypanosomiasis control in China. This article briefly describes the species of T. rubrofasciata-transmitted trypanosomes, and summarizes the epidemiological characteristics of trypanosomiasis, so as to provide insights into T. rubrofasciata-transmitted trypanosomiasis surveillance and control, and prevention of trypanosomiasis development and transmission in China.

Background: This study was performed to characterize the incidence, costs, and risk factors associated with renal and cardiovascular adverse outcomes following primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods: Patients with STEMI who underwent pPCI using iso-osmolar contrast were enrolled at 39 centers. The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and major adverse renal and cardiovascular events (MARCE) was analyzed, as well as inpatient costs. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors. Results: Among 2,293 patients, the incidence of AKI and MARCE within 72 hours post-pPCI was 4.14% (n = 95) and 4.40% (n = 101), respectively. AKI and/or MARCE were associated with systolic blood pressure (AKI: odds ratio [OR], 1.009; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.000–1.018), hypertension (AKI: OR, 1.815; 95% CI, 1.133–2.906; MARCE: OR, 1.760;95% CI, 1.118–2.769), anterior wall infarction (AKI: OR, 1.895; 95% CI, 1.196–3.004; MARCE:OR, 1.939; 95% CI, 1.240–3.032), Killip class (AKI: OR, 1.465; 95% CI, 1.117–1.922; MARCE:OR, 1.467; 95% CI, 1.131–1.903), and serum creatinine (SCr; MARCE: OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 1.000–1.012). Hospitalization costs for patients with STEMI who developed AKI or MARCE were significantly higher than for those without AKI (9,595 ± 5,795 vs. 8,279 ± 3,872 USD, P = 0.003) or without MARCE (9,890 ± 5,616 vs. 8,255 ± 3,859 USD, P < 0.001). Conclusions In patients with STEMI undergoing pPCI with iso-osmolar contrast, the incidence of AKI and MARCE was associated with higher hospitalization costs. Systolic blood pressure, hypertension, anterior wall infarction, Killip class, and SCr were identified as risk factors for these outcomes.

Objective To investigate the alterations in metabolic molecules and pathways during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the lungs of mice induced by silica exposure. Methods A total of 30 specific pathogen-free male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group and a silicosis model group. Mice were intratracheally instilled with 40 µL of either 0.9% sodium chloride solution or silica suspension at a mass concentration of 125 g/L. At 7, 14, and 28 days post-exposure, five mice from each group were sacrificed to evaluate lung histopathological changes. The mRNA expression of EMT-related genes was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Untargeted metabolomics was used to identify metabolites in mouse lung tissues, and differential metabolites (DMs) and metabolic pathways were analyzed. Results Following silica exposure, lung tissues of mice in the silicosis model group showed progressively aggravated pathological changes, including increased inflammatory cell infiltration, thickening of alveolar walls, collagen deposition, and progressive pulmonary fibrosis, with typical silicotic nodules forming by day 28. The Ashcroft scores and the mRNA expression of cadherin (Cdh)2 and vimentin of mice in the silicosis model group increased (all P<0.05), along with decreased Cdh1 mRNA expression compared with the control group at all the three time points (all P<0.05). The Ashcroft scores and the mRNA expression of Cdh2 and vimentin of mice in the silicosis model group increased with the increase of observation time after silica exposure (all P<0.05), while mRNA expression of Cdh1 decreased (all P<0.05). Metabolomics analysis indicated that silica exposure specifically altered the expression of lipids and disrupted multiple metabolic pathways during EMT in lung tissues of silicosis model group mice,with glycerophospholipid metabolism being most obviously affected (P<0.05). Conclusion Silica exposure may induce EMT in mouse lung tissue, resulting in pulmonary fibrosis in a time-dependent manner. The underlying mechanism may be associated with silica-induced disturbances in glycerophospholipid metabolism in mouse lung tissue.

ObjectiveTo investigate the change in the activity of hepatitis B virus （HBV）-specific CD8⁺ T cells after pegylated interferon-α-2b （PEG-IFN-α-2b） therapy in HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection. MethodsA total of 53 HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection who attended The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University and Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Mdical University from April 2020 to June 2022 were enrolled and treated with PEG-IFN-α-2b （180 μg/week， subcutaneous injection） antiviral therapy. The study endpoint was HBsAg clearance （course of treatment<48 weeks） or 48 weeks （course of treatment≥48 weeks）. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated at baseline and study endpoint， and peripheral blood T cell counts were measured. Enzyme-linked immunospot assay was used to measure the frequency of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells secreting perforin， granzyme B， and interferon-γ. A total of 17 HLA-A^*02-restricted patients were selected， and CD8⁺ T cells were purified to establish direct- and indirect-contact co-culture systems for HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells and HepG2.2.15 cells. The level of lactate dehydrogenase in supernatant was measured to calculate the mortality rate of HepG2.2.15 cells， and the levels of HBV DNA， cytotoxic molecules， and cytokines in supernatant were also measured. Flow cytometry was used to measure the expression of apoptosis ligands， and the cytotoxicity of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells was evaluated. The independent samples t-test or the paired t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. ResultsThe HBsAg clearance rate at study endpoint was 30.19% （16/53）. There were no significant differences in peripheral blood T cell counts （CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD8⁺ T cells） between baseline and study endpoint （P>0.05）. At study endpoint， there was a significant increase in the frequency of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells secreting perforin， granzyme B， and interferon-γ （U=177.50， t=11.90， U=186.50， all P<0.001）， and the patients with HBsAg clearance had a significantly higher frequency of such HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells than those without HBsAg clearance （U=120.50， t=2.73， U=121.50， all P<0.01）. In the direct- and indirect-contact co-culture systems at study endpoint， HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells induced a significant reduction in HBV DNA in the supernatant of HepG2.2.15 cells （all P<0.001） and significant increases in the secretion of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α （all P<0.05）； in the direct-contact co-culture system， HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells induced significant increases in the mortality rate of HepG2.2.15 cells （13.62%±3.27% vs 11.39%±2.40%， t=2.27， P=0.030） and the secretion of perforin and granzyme B （t=72.50， U=52.50， both P<0.05）. In the direct- and indirect-contact co-culture systems， compared with HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells from the patients without HBsAg clearance， the HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells from patients with HBsAg clearance had a significantly greater reduction in HBV DNA （P<0.05） and significant increases in the secretion of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α （P<0.05）. ConclusionPEG-IFN-‍α‍-2b therapy can help to achieve a relatively high HBsAg clearance rate in HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection， and the activity of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells is significantly enhanced， which is closely associated with HBsAg clearance.

Objective To analyze the clinical significance of subjective visual vertical (SVV) tests at different head deflection angles in assessing utricle function in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Methods A total of 61 BPPV patients who were treated at the Hearing Impairment and Vertigo Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from August 2022 to May 2023 were retrospectively included, and 29 healthy adults were selected as controls. SVV tests were performed on all research subjects at different head deflection angles: upright head (0°), left head 45° (L45°), right head 45° (R45°). The test results between the two groups were compared. Results SVV absolute value at R45° in BPPV group was lower than that in the control group (P＝0.003); there was no significant difference in SVV values at 0° and L45° between the two groups. There was no statistical difference in SVV values at different head deflection angles between the control group and the left BPPV group. SVV absolute value at R45° in right BPPV group was lower than that in the control group (P＜0.001); there was no statistical difference in SVV values at 0° and L45° between the two groups. Conclusions SVV test can provide subjective information about the utricle, and SVV tests at different head deflection angles can fine-tune evaluate the function of the utricle in BPPV patients.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of modified Ditan Decoction （涤痰汤） on chronic intermittent hypoxia cognitive function and the potential function mechanism. MethodsTwenty-four Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， and a modified Ditan Decoction group， with eight rats in each group. Rats in the modified Ditan Decoction group were administered the decoction by gavage at 14.8 ml/（kg·d）， while the normal group and the model group received the same dose of normal saline. Thirty minutes after daily gavage， the rats in all three groups were placed in an intermittent hypoxia chamber. The oxygen concentration for the model group and the modified Ditan Decoction group was adjusted daily for 8 hours using a computer program to establish the model， while the normal group was exposed to the same airflow rate of ambient air. The intervention was continued for 12 weeks to establish a chronic intermittent hypoxia rat model. The Y-maze test was used to evaluate spatial working memory in the rats. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging （rs-fMRI） was performed to detect whole-brain regional homogeneity （ReHo） and seed-based functional connectivity （FC）. Brain regions showing significant differences in rs-fMRI were selected for further analysis. Immunofluorescence was used to detect β-amyloid （Aβ） deposition and the number of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 （IBA1）-positive microglial cells. Immunohistochemistry was employed to assess the expression of synaptophysin （SYP）， the excitatory synapse marker vesicular glutamate transporter 1 （Vglut1）， and the inhibitory synapse marker vesicular γ-aminobutyric acid transporter （VGAT）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed a reduced spontaneous alternation rate in the Y-maze test. The smoothed Z-score standardized regional homogeneity （SzReHo） value in the left entorhinal cortex significantly increased， and the FC value from this seed point to the left basal forebrain significantly reduced. Additionally， the model group exhibited significantly higher Aβ fluorescence intensity and Iba1 positivity in the left entorhinal cortex， decreased expression of SYP， Vglut1， and VGAT， along with an increased Vglut1/VGAT ratio （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the model group， the modified Ditan Decoction group demonstrated an increased spontaneous alternation rate， a significantly reduced SzReHo value in the left entorhinal cortex， and a significantly increased FC value from this region to the left basal forebrain. Furthermore， this group showed significantly lower Aβ fluorescence intensity and Iba1 positivity in the left entorhinal cortex， increased levels of SYP， Vglut1， and VGAT， and a decreased Vglut1/VGAT ratio （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionModified Ditan Decoction can reconstruct the projection from the left basal forebrain to the entorhinal cortex in chronic intermittent hypoxia， thereby reducing Aβ aggregation and excessive microglial activation in the left entorhinal cortex. This process improves the excitation/inhibition imbalance caused by synaptic remodeling， ultimately enhancing cognitive function in rats of chronic intermittent hypoxia.

ObjectiveBased on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS）， the chemical constituents of Qili Qiangxin capsules was identified， and their distribution in vivo was analyzed. MethodsUPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS was used to detect the sample solution of Qili Qiangxin capsules， as well as the serum， brain， heart， lung， spleen， liver and kidney tissues of mice after oral administration. Using the Thermo Xcalibur 2.2 software， the compound information database was constructed， and the molecular formulas of compounds corresponding to the quasi-molecular ions were fitted. Based on the information of retention time， accurate relative molecular mass and fragments， the compounds and their distribution in vivo were analyzed by comparing with the data of reference substances and literature. ResultsA total of 233 compounds， including 70 terpenoids， 60 flavonoids， 23 organic acids， 17 alkaloids， 20 steroids， 7 coumarins and 36 others， were identified or predicted from Qili Qiangxin capsules， 73 of which were identified matching with standard substances. Tissue distribution results showed that 71， 17， 38， 33， 32， 58 and 43 migrating components were detected in blood， brain， heart， lung， spleen， liver and kidney， respectively. Thirty-seven components were absorbed into the blood and heart， including quinic acid， benzoylaconitine benzoylmesaconine and so on. Fourteen components were absorbed into the blood and six tissues， including calycosin， methylnissolin， formononetin， alisol B， alisol A and so on. ConclusionThis study comprehensively analyzes the chemical components of Qili Qiangxin capsules and their distribution in vivo. Among them， astragaloside Ⅳ， salvianolic acid B， ginsenoside Rb₁， ginsenoside Rb₃， ginsenoside Rd， ginsenoside Rg₃， calycosin-7-glucoside， and sinapine may be the important components for the treatment of heart failure， which can provide useful reference for its quality control and research on pharmacodynamic material basis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible associations between physical function assessment scales, such as Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS), with all-cause mortality in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. METHODS: A total of 108 ADHF patients were analyzed from October 2020 to October 2022, and followed up to May 2023. The association between baseline clinical characteristics and all-cause mortality was analyzed by univariate Cox regression analysis, while for SPPB and BBS, univariate Cox regression analysis was followed by receiver operating characteristic curves, in which the area under the curve represented their predictive accuracy for all-cause mortality. Incremental predictive values for both physical function assessments were measured by calculating net reclassification index and integrated discrimination improvement scores. Optimal cut-off value for BBS was then identified using restricted cubic spline plots, and survival differences below and above that cut-off were compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test. The clinical utility of BBS was measured using decision curve analysis. RESULTS: For baseline characteristics, age, female, blood urea nitrogen, as well as statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors, were predictive for all-cause mortality for ADHF patients. With respect to SPPB and BBS, higher scores were associated with lower all-cause mortality rates for both assessments; similar area under the curves were measured for both (0.774 for SPPB and 0.776 for BBS). Furthermore, BBS ≤ 36.5 was associated with significantly higher mortality, which was still applicable even adjusting for confounding factors; BBS was also found to have great clinical utility under decision curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS BBS or SPPB could be used as tools to assess physical function in ageing ADHF patients, as well as prognosticate on all-cause mortality. Moreover, prioritizing the improvement of balance capabilities of ADHF patients in cardiac rehabilitation regimens could aid in lowering mortality risk.