ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Rongjin Tongbi decoction on sciatica caused by lumbar intervertebral disc herniation with liver and kidney deficiency type based on a randomized controlled study. MethodFrom January 2019 to July 2022， 90 patients in the department of Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital who met the inclusion criteria were selected and divided into two groups according to the random number table， with 45 patients in each group. During the study， 19 cases dropped out， with 41 cases included in the final observation group and 30 cases in the control group. The observation group was given Rongjin Tongbi decoction orally， and the control group was given Loxoprofen Sodium Tablets orally for 28 days. The differences in the visual analog scale （VAS） scores， the Japanese Orthopaedic Association （JOA） scores， activities of daily living （ADL） assessments， TCM clinical symptoms， subjective symptoms， and clinical signs scores between two groups before and after treatment were observed. Liver and kidney functions and gastrointestinal adverse reactions were detected for safety evaluation. ResultBefore treatment， there was no statistically significant difference in scores between the observation group and the control group. After treatment， the absolute values of the differences in VAS and ADL scores in the observation group were higher than those in the control group （P<0.05）. There was no statistically significant difference in the absolute value of the difference in JOA scores between two groups. The absolute value of the difference in TCM clinical symptom scores in the observation group was higher than that in the control group （P<0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in the absolute values of the differences in subjective symptom and clinical sign scores between two groups. The levels of liver and kidney function indicators in both groups before and after the experiment were normal， and there was no significant difference in gastrointestinal reactions. ConclusionRongjin Tongbi decoction can significantly improve the symptoms of sciatica patients caused by lumbar intervertebral disc herniation with liver and kidney deficiency type. After treatment， the patients exhibited significant improvements in pain， activity and other aspects， and it is proven to be safe and reliable， which is conducive to the recovery of physical function.

Objective:This study evaluates the performance of chemiluminescence assay, which is designed to detect Hepatitis D Virus (HDV) Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies.Methods:A comparative analysis was conducted among chemiluminescence anti-HDV IgG reagent, the magnetic particle-based domestic reagent A and domestic reagent B, and the Robo Gene HDV RNA kit, using 1909 HBsAg-positive plasma samples. This comparison aimed to delineate clinical specificity and detection accuracy. The anti-HDV IgG reagent precision was assessed at three different concentration levels following the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute EP5-A2 guidelines. The specificity of the assay was validated using 200 HAV IgM positive, 545 HBsAg-positive but anti-HDV IgG-negative, 350 anti HCV positive plasma samples and 200 healthy human blood samples. Additionally, a concordance study was conducted with 545 HBsAg-positive and 37 anti-HDV IgG-positive plasma samples, comparing the anti-HDV IgG reagent against reagent A.Results:1 909 HBsAg-positive plasma samples were tested using 3 anti HDV IgG reagent and 1 HDV RNA reagent, 19 samples were identified as anti-HDV IgG-positive. The anti-HDV IgG demonstrated superior accuracy and specificity. The assay exhibited excellent precision, with intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) values ranging from 1.57% to 4.30%, and inter-assay CV values between 1.71% and 4.67% for detecting samples at high, medium, and low concentration levels. Concordance with Reagent A showed consistent results in both positive and negative detections.Conclusion:In this study, the anti-HDV IgG reagent (chemiluminescence method) displayed outstanding specificity in detecting clinical samples and exhibited a high conformity rate with commercialized reagents, making it potentially suitable for screening anti-HDV IgG in HBsAg-positive samples.

Objective:This study aims to evaluate the quality and explore the preliminary clinical applications of a domestically developed hepatitis D virus nucleic acid quantification reagent (abbreviated as"domestic HDV RNA reagent").Methods:The sensitivity and accuracy of the reagent were evaluated in accordance with the WHO HDV RNA international standard, employing the Bio-Rad CFX Opus 96 real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR analysis system. Serial dilutions of pseudo-viruses or cell culture-derived virus were used to determine the linear range of the domestic HDV RNA reagent. Specificity was assessed using positive samples of HAV, HBV, HCV infection, and HEV national reference materials. Precision was evaluated with samples at both high and low concentrations. In a comparative analysis, 30 HDV IgG positive samples were tested using both the domestic HDV RNA reagent and the RoboGene HDV RNA kit based on the ABI 7500 FAST DX system. The Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used to examine the correlation between the two reagents.Results:The domestic HDV RNA reagent demonstrated a high sensitivity of up to 6 IU/ml, consistent with that of the comparator reagent. The calibration curve for WHO HDV RNA standards had a slope of -3.286, with an amplification efficiency of 101.6%. The linear detection range spanned from 10 to 10 8 IU/ml for eight HDV genotypes. The domestic HDV RNA reagent exhibited exceptional specificity, without cross-reactivity observed with HAV, HBV, HCV, or HEV. Accuracy assessments at five concentration levels met the required standards, with intra-assay precision coefficient of variation ( CV) ranging from 1.20% to 4.20%, and inter-assay precision CV from 1.20% to 7.90%. The detection results for HDV IgG positive samples were highly correlated with the comparator reagent ( r=0.984, P<0.001), achieving a diagnostic accuracy of 100% compared to sequencing results. Conclusion:In this study, the domestic HDV RNA reagent possesses excellent specificity, accuracy, precision, and a broad linear range, attaining a sensitivity level on par with international reagents of the same type.

Background::Liver cancer is largely resistant to chemotherapy. This study aimed to identify the effective chemotherapeutics for β-catenin-activated liver cancer which is caused by gain-of-function mutation of catenin beta 1 ( CTNNB1), the most frequently altered proto-oncogene in hepatic neoplasms. Methods::Constitutive β-catenin-activated mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were established by deleting exon 3 ( β-cateninΔ(ex3)/+ ), the most common mutation site in CTNNB1 gene. A screening of 12 widely used chemotherapy drugs was conducted for the ones that selectively inhibited β-cateninΔ(ex3)/+ but not for wild-type MEFs. Untargeted metabolomics was carried out to examine the alterations of metabolites in nucleotide synthesis. The efficacy and selectivity of methotrexate (MTX) on β-catenin-activated human liver cancer cells were determined in vitro. Immuno-deficient nude mice subcutaneously inoculated with β-catenin wild-type or mutant liver cancer cells and hepatitis B virus ( HBV); β-cateninlox(ex3)/+ mice were used, respectively, to evaluate the efficacy of MTX in the treatment of β-catenin mutant liver cancer. Results::MTX was identified and validated as a preferential agent against the proliferation and tumor formation of β-catenin-activated cells. Boosted nucleotide synthesis was the major metabolic aberration in β-catenin-active cells, and this alteration was also the target of MTX. Moreover, MTX abrogated hepatocarcinogenesis of HBV; β-cateninlox(ex3)/+ mice, which stimulated concurrent Ctnnb1-activated mutation and HBV infection in liver cancer. Conclusion::MTX is a promising chemotherapeutic agent for β-catenin hyperactive liver cancer. Since repurposing MTX has the advantages of lower risk, shorter timelines, and less investment in drug discovery and development, a clinical trial is warranted to test its efficacy in the treatment of β-catenin mutant liver cancer.

This case report described an 80-year-old male patient with Parkinson disease(PD)complicated with myasthenia gravis(MG).Six years ago,the patient was diagnosed with PD based on the motor symptoms including bradykinesia and static tremor and treated with levodopa-benserazide and piribedil sustained-release tablets.He was admitted to the hospital due to left eyelid ptosis one month ago.The result of Neostigmine test was positive and anti-acetylcholine receptor(AChR)antibodies of serum was positive,which met the diagnostic criteria for myasthenia gravis(MG).The symptom of MG improved significantly after treatment with glucocorticoid and pyridostigmine but the PD symptoms worsened.The symptoms of PD were improved after withdrawal of pyridostigmine and use of the levodopa-benserazide and his condition maintained stable at 3 years of follow-up.The PD complicated with MG was fairly rare.We also reviewed the literature on the possible comorbidity mechanism and treatment strategies to improve the comprehensive understanding and ability of diagnosis and treatment of clinicians.

Ischemic stroke is feature by high incidence,high disability and high mortality.Inflammation plays an important role in the occurrence and development of ischemic stroke.Activated microglia exhibit two different phenotypes of proinflammatory(M1)and anti-inflammatory(M2),and regulating the transformation of microglia from M1 to M2 is the key to clinical benefit.Recent studies have shown that autophagy plays a key role in regulating phenotypic transformation of microglia.How to exert the regulatory role of autophagy and promote the transformation of microglia into M2 type has become a hotspot of clinical research in reducing secondary brain injury after stroke.This paper reviews the research progress of autophagy regulation of microglia polarization in ischemic stroke,aim-ing to provide a reference for further clinical and basic research in this field.

Objective:To study the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic surgery in treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:The clinical data of 58 patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent surgical treatment from January 2010 to January 2018 at Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 50 males and 8 females, ranging in age from 28 to 78 (53.0±10.8) years old. Patients were divided into laparoscopic group ( n=27) and laparotomy group ( n=31) according to different surgical procedures. The differences in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, postoperative anal exhaustion time, postoperative complications and prognosis between the two groups were compared. Results:The intraoperative blood loss of laparoscopy group and laparotomy group were 100.0(50.0, 400.0) ml vs 300.0(100.0, 500.0) ml, the postoperative anal exhaustion time were (2.7±0.6) d vs (3.3±0.6) d, the hospital stay were (14.8±3.8) d vs (21.4±6.3) d, and these differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The operative time of the two groups were (243.4±27.2) min vs (217.5±34.7) min, with no statistical significance ( t=0.59, P=0.344). There were no significant differences between the two groups in postoperative complications (bile leakage, abdominal infection, hemorrhage, pleural effusion and hepatic encephalopathy) (all P>0.05); thetumor free survival, 1-year, and 3-year overall survival rates of the two groups were also not significantly different (both P>0.05). Conclusion:Laparoscopic surgery is safe and effective in the treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma, and its prognosis is similar to laparotomy, its complications are not significantly increased, which is worthy of promotion in clinic.

Objective:To investigate the value of the extrahepatic bile duct and main pancreatic duct segment patterns on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for differentiating the periampullary carcinoma (PAC).Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 125 patients with PAC who were admitted to Wuxi No.2 People’s Hospital from June 2013 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 72 males and 53 females, aged (64.9±8.6) years. According to its anatomy, the extrahepatic bile duct (B) was divided into suprapancreatic and intrapancreatic (including ampullary) segments, and the main pancreatic duct (P) was divided into tail-body and head segments. MRCP patterns: i. the extrahepatic bile duct or main pancreatic duct visible without dilatation, ii. cutoff of the distal extrahepatic bile duct or main pancreatic duct with upstream dilatation, iii. cutoff of the intrapancreatic or head segment with upstream dilatation and remnant intrapancreatic or head segments invisible, iv. cutoff of the intrapancreatic or head segment with upstream dilatation and nondilated remnant intrapancreatic or head segments, were represented as 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Segment patterns of B1/P0+ B1/P1, B0/P2+ B0/P3+ B2/P2+ B2/P3+ B3/P3, B3/P0, and B0/P0+ B2/P0 on MRCP were compared in PAC patients.Results:Of the 125 patients, there were 57 (45.6%) with pancreatic head carcinoma, 36 (28.8%) with ampullary carcinoma, 20 (16.0%) with distal cholangiocarcinoma, and 12 (9.6%) with periampullary duodenal carcinoma. Segment patterns of B0/P2+ B0/P3+ B2/P2+ B2/P3+ B3/P3 were found in 52 patients with pancreatic head carcinoma (91.2%, 52/57), with a significant difference between PAC (χ 2=110.66, P<0.001). Segment patterns of B1/P0+ B1/P1were found in 36 patients with ampullary carcinoma (100.0%, 36/36), fallowed by 11 (91.7%, 11/12) with periampullary duodenal carcinoma, with a significant difference between PAC (χ 2=129.95, P<0.001). Segment pattern of B3/P0 presented in 16 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma (80.0%, 16/20), with a significant difference between PAC (χ 2=62.45, P<0.001). The segment patterns of B0/P0+ B2/P0 were only seen in 3 of 57(5.3%) patients with pancreatic head carcinoma. Conclusion:On MRCP, cutoff of the head segment with upstream dilatation and remnant head segment invisible or nondilated indicates the pancreatic head carcinoma. Cutoff of the intrapancreatic segment with upstream dilatation, remnant intrapancreatic segment visible, and main pancreatic duct nondilated, indicates the distal cholangiocarcinoma. And cutoff of the distal extrahepatic segment with upstream dilatation and main pancreatic duct dilatation or not, indicates the ampullary or periampullary duodenal carcinoma.

In contrast to the well-established genomic 5-methylcytosine (5mC), the existence of N⁶-methyladenine (6 mA) in eukaryotic genomes was discovered only recently. Initial studies found that it was actively regulated in cancer cells, suggesting its involvement in the process of carcinogenesis. However, the contribution of 6 mA in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) still remains uncharacterized. In this study, a pan-cancer type analysis was first performed, which revealed enhanced 6 mA metabolism in diverse cancer types. The study was then focused on the regulation of 6 mA metabolism, as well as its effects on TSCC cells. To these aspects, genome 6 mA level was found greatly increased in TSCC tissues and cultured cells. By knocking down 6 mA methylases N6AMT1 and METTL4, the level of genomic 6 mA was decreased in TSCC cells. This led to suppressed colony formation and cell migration. By contrast, knockdown of 6 mA demethylase ALKBH1 resulted in an increased 6 mA level, enhanced colony formation, and cell migration. Further study suggested that regulation of the NF-κB pathway might contribute to the enhanced migration of TSCC cells. Therefore, in the case of TSCC, we have shown that genomic 6 mA modification is involved in the proliferation and migration of cancer cells.
AlkB Homolog 1, Histone H2a Dioxygenase/metabolism* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Site-Specific DNA-Methyltransferase (Adenine-Specific)/metabolism* ; Tongue Neoplasms/metabolism*

Objective:To analyze the medication rule of TCM compound prescription in the treatment of Primary Liver Cancer (PLC) in the National Patent Database by the method of data mining.Methods:By searching for the compound prescriptions of TCM which were included in the National Patent Retrieval Platform for the treatment of PLC, and analyzing the frequency, association and cluster of those included compound prescriptions through the inheritance and assistance platform of TCM.Results:A total of 350 patent prescriptions for the treatment of PLC were included, involving 425 Chinese medicines; the top 10 frequently appeared herbal medicines were Hedyotis diffusa, Radix Astragali, Scutellaria barbata, Atractylodes macrocephala, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Ginseng, Radix Bupleuri, Rhizoma Curcumae, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Angelica sinensis; according to the function of those medicines, the top three frequently appeared herbal medicines were those with deficiency-tonifying heat-clearing and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis functions; the property of the medicine were mainly cold, warm and mild; the taste of the medicine were mainly bitter, sweet and acrid; the meridians of the medicines mainly belong to liver, spleen and lung. It was found that there were 12 association rules, and the medicine pair that were closely correlated was " Hedyotis diffusa- Scutellaria barbata", and the most frequently appeared medicines could be grouped into 8 groups. Conclusions:The TCM patent compound prescriptions mainly play the role of replenishing qi and invigorating the spleen, supplemented by the products of clearing heat and detoxification, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, which is consistent with the basic treatment principle of PLC "invigorate the upright and dispel the evil, attack the evil and tonify the body". This study explores the basic medication rules of TCM patent compound prescription in the treatment of PLC, in order to provide guidance for clinical practice.