1.Phenomics of traditional Chinese medicine 2.0: the integration with digital medicine
Min Xu ; Xinyi Shao ; Donggeng Guo ; Xiaojing Yan ; Lei Wang ; Tao Yang ; Hao LIANG ; Qinghua PENG ; Lingyu Linda Ye ; Haibo Cheng ; Dayue Darrel Duan
Digital Chinese Medicine 2025;8(3):282-299
		                        		
		                        			Abstract
		                        			Modern western medicine typically focuses on treating specific symptoms or diseases, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emphasizes the interconnections of the body’s various systems under external environment and takes a holistic approach to preventing and treating diseases. Phenomics was initially introduced to the field of TCM in 2008 as a new discipline that studies the laws of integrated and dynamic changes of human clinical phenomes under the scope of the theories and practices of TCM based on phenomics. While TCM Phenomics 1.0 has initially established a clinical phenomic system centered on Zhenghou (a TCM definition of clinical phenome), bottlenecks remain in data standardization, mechanistic interpretation, and precision intervention. Here, we systematically elaborates on the theoretical foundations, technical pathways, and future challenges of integrating digital medicine with TCM phenomics under the framework of “TCM phenomics 2.0”, which is supported by digital medicine technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices, medical digital twins, and multi-omics integration. This framework aims to construct a closed-loop system of “Zhenghou–Phenome–Mechanism–Intervention” and to enable the digitization, standardization, and precision of disease diagnosis and treatment. The integration of digital medicine and TCM phenomics not only promotes the modernization and scientific transformation of TCM theory and practice but also offers new paradigms for precision medicine. In practice, digital tools facilitate multi-source clinical data acquisition and standardization, while AI and big data algorithms help reveal the correlations between clinical Zhenghou phenomes and molecular mechanisms, thereby improving scientific rigor in diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and personalized intervention. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including data quality and standardization issues, shortage of interdisciplinary talents, and insufficiency of ethical and legal regulations. Future development requires establishing national data-sharing platforms, strengthening international collaboration, fostering interdisciplinary professionals, and improving ethical and legal frameworks. Ultimately, this approach seeks to build a new disease identification and classification system centered on phenomes and to achieve the inheritance, innovation, and modernization of TCM diagnostic and therapeutic patterns.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.Mutation characteristics of rpoB gene in rifampicin-resistant Brucella strains
Ying ZHENG ; Xiaojing MA ; Liya LIU ; Feng YE ; Wenxi GU ; Xinping YI
Chinese Journal of Endemiology 2024;43(2):94-97
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To analyze the mutation characteristics of rpoB gene in rifampicin-resistant Brucella strains. Methods:DNA of 4 rifampicin-resistant Brucella strains (JSY-26, G-9, WSY-13 and AW-3) isolated from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was selected, rifampicin rpoB gene was amplified by PCR and its nucleotide sequence was sequenced. The rpoB gene sequences of rifampicin-resistant Brucella standard strain (RB51) and sensitive strain (ALT-8) were used as reference, the mutation sites and types of the rpoB gene inside and outside the rifampicin resistance determination region (RRDR) of the 4 rifampicin-resistant Brucella strains were analyzed by Mega 7.0 software. Results:Through sequence alignment, both JSY-26 and WSY-13 strains underwent a single base point mutation at the RRDR 1 576 bp of the rpoB gene, with the base changing from guanine (G) to adenine (A). The G-9 strain underwent a single base point mutation at the RRDR 1 606 bp of the rpoB gene, with the base changing from cytosine (C) to A. The AW-3 strain showed 5 mutations of 3 types outside rpoB gene RRDR at 2 536, 2 537, 2 626, 2 636 and 2 654 bp, namely 3 insertion mutations [thymine (T) insertion once and C insertion twice], 1 deletion mutation (C deletion), and 1 single base point mutation (from G to C mutation).Conclusion:The RRDR mutations in the rpoB gene of the rifampicin-resistant Brucella strains are mainly characterized by single base point mutations, while multiple insertion and deletion mutations occur outside the RRDR.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3.Impact of the interval period after prostate systematic biopsy on MRI interpretation for prostate cancer
Baichuan LIU ; Xu BAI ; Xiaohui DING ; Yun ZHANG ; Zhe DONG ; Honghao XU ; Xiaojing ZHANG ; Mengqiu CUI ; Jian ZHAO ; Shaopeng ZHOU ; Yuwei HAO ; Huiyi YE ; Haiyi WANG
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2024;58(4):401-408
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To investigate the impact of the interval period between biopsy and MR examination on tumor detection and extraprostatic extension (EPE) assessment for prostate cancer (PCa) using multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI).Methods:The study was cross-sectional and retrospectively included 130 patients with PCa who underwent RP and preoperative systematic biopsies followed by mpMRI between January 2021 and December 2022 in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to interval following biopsy (group A,<3 weeks, 31 cases; group B, 3-6 weeks, 67 cases; group C,>6 weeks, 32 cases). The percentages of hemorrhage volume in the total prostate were drawn on T 1WI and calculated. The junior, senior and expert radiologists independently localized the index lesions and calculated the accuracy for tumor detection, in addition to assessing the probabilities of EPE according to EPE grade. The correlation between the hemorrhage extent and interval was analyzed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. The accuracy for tumor detection was compared using χ2 test among groups. The diagnostic performance of the radiologists for EPE prediction was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the differences between the corresponding area under the curve (AUC) were compared using the DeLong test. Results:The percentage of hemorrhage was correlated with the interval between biopsy and MR examination ( r=-0.325, P<0.001). The detection accuracy of junior radiologist was 83.9% (26/31), 76.1% (51/67), and 78.1% (25/32) in group A, B and C, respectively; no differences were observed in the detection accuracy among three groups ( χ2=0.76, P=0.685). The detection accuracy of senior radiologist was 83.9% (26/31), 80.6% (54/67), and 71.9% (23/32) in 3 groups with no differences ( χ2=1.53, P=0.464). The detection accuracy of expert radiologist was 80.6% (25/31), 77.6% (52/67), and 93.8% (30/32) with no differences ( χ2=3.95, P=0.139). The AUC (95% CI) for predicting EPE were 0.830 (0.652-0.940), 0.704 (0.580-0.809), 0.800 (0.621-0.920) in the group A, B and C for junior radiologist; 0.876 (0.708-0.966), 0.768 (0.659-0.863), 0.896 (0.736-0.975) for senior radiologist; and 0.866 (0.695-0.961), 0.813 (0.699-0.895), 0.852 (0.682-0.952) for expert radiologist, respectively. No differences were observed among the subgroups in each radiologist ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The interval period does not significantly affect the detection accuracy and EPE assessment of PCa using mpMRI. There is probably no necessity for prolonged intervals following systematic biopsy to preserve the clarity of MRI interpretation for PCa.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.A preliminary study on the construction and application of the common prosperity model for the oral health of the elderly in economic acceleration zone
Zhuo CHEN ; Shengmei LEI ; Xiaoting SHEN ; Piao YE ; Xiaojing CHENG ; Qianming CHEN
Chinese Journal of Stomatology 2024;59(9):935-941
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To evaluate preliminary application effects of a provincial-county-township-village four-level network framework which aims at promoting oral health of the elderly, and to conduct preliminary evaluations of the application of this model in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases among the elderly in economically accelerated areas.Methods:Based on the population survey in June 2022, the study focuses on the elderly (≥85 years old) veterans who fought in the Korean War and currently resided in Wuyi County, an old revolutionary base area in Zhejiang Province with accelerated economic development. A four-level network medical service model matrix was constructed, spanning from the provincial level to the county, township, and village. Digital oral health records were established, and in-home dental treatment was provided for elderly individuals who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pre-treatment and 3-months follow-up visits were conducted, and the impact of oral health was recorded using a scale, along with a survey of denture satisfaction.Results:A total of 54 elderly individuals received the geriatric oral healthcare services. After a 3-months follow-up, the mean total score of the oral health impact profile-14 questionnaires was (3.27±3.00), which was significantly lower than the score (32.82±7.15) in pre-treatment ones ( Z=-2.94, P=0.003). Scores in dimensions such as physical pain, functional limitations, psychological discomfort, psychological disorders, and physical disorders were all significantly lower than the pre-treatment scores ( P<0.05). The visual analogue score for denture satisfaction was 48.64±1.21, indicating a satisfaction rate of 100% (11/11). Conclusions:These findings confirm the favorable preliminary application effects of the four-level network framework in improving the prevention and treatment of oral diseases among the elderly in economically accelerated areas.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
5.Protective effect of Lonicerae japonicae flos extract against doxorubicin-induced liver injury in mice
Yuming ZHANG ; Shicheng XIA ; Linlin ZHANG ; Mengxi CHEN ; Xiaojing LIU ; Qin GAO ; Hongwei YE
Journal of Southern Medical University 2024;44(8):1571-1581
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To explore the mechanism underlying the protective effect of Lonicerae japonicae flos(LJF)extract against doxorubicin(DOX)-induced liver injury in mice.Methods Network pharmacology methods were used to obtain the intersection genes between LJF targets and disease targets,based on which the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed using STRING database for screening the core targets using Cytoscape software.DAVID database was used for bioinformatics analysis,and the core components and core targets were verified using molecular docking study.In a mouse model of DOX-induced liver injury,the effect of LJF extract on liver pathologies,serum levels of ALT and AST,and hepatic expressions of HYP,ROS,TNF-α,IL-6,COL-IV and P53 proteins were evaluated using HE and Masson staining,ELISA,and Western blotting.Results We identified 12 core targets from 43 intersection genes involving cancer pathway,IL-17 signaling pathway,and TNF signaling pathways.Molecular docking study suggested that 10 core components of LJF could bind to different core targets.The mice with DOX-induced liver injury showed elevated serum AST and ALT levels with obvious liver injury and fibrosis,increased ROS content,and enhanced expressions of TNF-α,IL-6,HYP,COL-IV and P53 proteins in the liver tissue.All these changes in the mouse models were significantly alleviated by treatment with LJF extract,suggesting obviously lowered levels of oxidative stress,inflammation and fibrosis in the liver tissues.Conclusion LJF extract is capable of alleviating DOX-induced liver injury in mice by downregulating Trp53,TNF and IL-6 to reduce liver oxidative stress,inflammation and fibrosis.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
6.Added Value of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Histogram in Predicting Extraprostatic Extension of Prostate Cancer
Honghao XU ; Baichuan LIU ; Xiaohui DING ; Xiaojing ZHANG ; Haiyi WANG ; Huiyi YE
Chinese Journal of Medical Imaging 2024;32(9):938-944
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Purpose To explore the additional value of apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)histogram in predicting extraprostatic extension(EPE)of prostate cancer.Materials and Methods Consecutive patients undergoing multi-parameter MRI and subsequent radical prostatectomy from January 2021 to December 2022 were retrospectively included in this study.Two radiologists independently estimated EPE by using national cancer institute grading system for extraprostatic extension(EPE grade system),with disagreement resolved by discussion.Histogram metrics were derived from three-dimensional volumes of interest encompassing the entire lesion on ADC maps using FireVoxel,obtaining mean ADC,1st,5th,10th,25th,50th,75th,90th,95th and 99th ADC values.The ADC histograms between the groups with and without EPE were compared.Multivariable Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictive factors of EPE,and a combined model was developed.Receiver operator characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance,and the area under the curve was calculated and compared.Results Thirty-four patients(34%)had pathologic confirmed EPE after radical prostatectomy.ADC histogram parameters showed significant differences between patients with and without EPE(P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed 99th ADC(OR=0.609,P=0.008)and EPE grade system(OR=4.158,P<0.001)were independent predictors of EPE.For predicting EPE,the area under the curve of 99th ADC,EPE grade system and the combined model were 0.756,0.805 and 0.856,respectively.The area under the curve of 99th ADC and the EPE grade system in identifying EPE showed no significant difference.The diagnostic efficacy of combined model was significantly superior to that of 99th ADC or EPE grading system(Z=2.223,2.208,both P<0.05).Conclusion The ADC histogram parameters demonstrate additional value for preoperative prediction of EPE.Combining the 99th ADC histogram parameter with the EPE grade system may improve the diagnostic efficacy of EPE.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
7.Expert consensus on difficulty assessment of endodontic therapy
Huang DINGMING ; Wang XIAOYAN ; Liang JINGPING ; Ling JUNQI ; Bian ZHUAN ; Yu QING ; Hou BENXIANG ; Chen XINMEI ; Li JIYAO ; Ye LING ; Cheng LEI ; Xu XIN ; Hu TAO ; Wu HONGKUN ; Guo BIN ; Su QIN ; Chen ZHI ; Qiu LIHONG ; Chen WENXIA ; Wei XI ; Huang ZHENGWEI ; Yu JINHUA ; Lin ZHENGMEI ; Zhang QI ; Yang DEQIN ; Zhao JIN ; Pan SHUANG ; Yang JIAN ; Wu JIAYUAN ; Pan YIHUAI ; Xie XIAOLI ; Deng SHULI ; Huang XIAOJING ; Zhang LAN ; Yue LIN ; Zhou XUEDONG
International Journal of Oral Science 2024;16(1):15-25
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Endodontic diseases are a kind of chronic infectious oral disease.Common endodontic treatment concepts are based on the removal of inflamed or necrotic pulp tissue and the replacement by gutta-percha.However,it is very essential for endodontic treatment to debride the root canal system and prevent the root canal system from bacterial reinfection after root canal therapy(RCT).Recent research,encompassing bacterial etiology and advanced imaging techniques,contributes to our understanding of the root canal system's anatomy intricacies and the technique sensitivity of RCT.Success in RCT hinges on factors like patients,infection severity,root canal anatomy,and treatment techniques.Therefore,improving disease management is a key issue to combat endodontic diseases and cure periapical lesions.The clinical difficulty assessment system of RCT is established based on patient conditions,tooth conditions,root canal configuration,and root canal needing retreatment,and emphasizes pre-treatment risk assessment for optimal outcomes.The findings suggest that the presence of risk factors may correlate with the challenge of achieving the high standard required for RCT.These insights contribute not only to improve education but also aid practitioners in treatment planning and referral decision-making within the field of endodontics.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
8.Risk factors for biliary stricture and prognosis after orthotopic liver transplantation
Decai KONG ; Xiaojing ZHANG ; Yangguang YUN ; Haoyu DUAN ; Junfeng YE
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2024;40(11):2253-2259
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To investigate the risk factors for biliary stricture within two years after orthotopic liver transplantation,and analyze the survival.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the data of 495 patients who underwent liver transplantation at Liver Transplantation Center of The First Hospital of Jilin University from January 2014 to January 2022,and according to the presence or absence of biliary stricture within two years after liver transplantation,the 495 patients were divided into stricture group with 89 patients and non-stricture group with 406 patients.The risk factors for biliary stricture and prognosis were analyzed.The independent-samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used for the analysis of risk factors,and the Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.Results Recipient sex(hazard ratio[HR]=1.808,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.055-3.098,P=0.031),preoperative total bilirubin of the recipient(HR=1.002,95%CI:1.001-1.003,P=0.001),cold ischemia time(HR=1.003,95%CI:1.001-1.005,P=0.007),history of abdominal surgery for the recipient(HR=3.851,95%CI:2.273-6.524,P<0.001),and mismatch of donor-recipient bile ducts(HR=1.962,95%CI:1.041-3.698,P=0.037)were identified as independent risk factors for biliary stricture within two years after transplantation.The median follow-up time was 4.09 years,and the 1-,3-,and 5-year survival rates were 92.7%,80.5%,and 75.4%,respectively,after liver transplantation.The onset of biliary stricture within two years after liver transplantation had no significant impact on the survival of patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation.Conclusion Recipient sex,preoperative total bilirubin of the recipient,cold ischemia time,history of abdominal surgery for the recipient,and mismatch of donor-recipient bile ducts are independent risk factors for biliary stricture within two years after transplantation.The onset of biliary stricture within two years after transplantation does not affect the survival time of patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
9.Protective effect of Lonicerae japonicae flos extract against doxorubicin-induced liver injury in mice
Yuming ZHANG ; Shicheng XIA ; Linlin ZHANG ; Mengxi CHEN ; Xiaojing LIU ; Qin GAO ; Hongwei YE
Journal of Southern Medical University 2024;44(8):1571-1581
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To explore the mechanism underlying the protective effect of Lonicerae japonicae flos(LJF)extract against doxorubicin(DOX)-induced liver injury in mice.Methods Network pharmacology methods were used to obtain the intersection genes between LJF targets and disease targets,based on which the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed using STRING database for screening the core targets using Cytoscape software.DAVID database was used for bioinformatics analysis,and the core components and core targets were verified using molecular docking study.In a mouse model of DOX-induced liver injury,the effect of LJF extract on liver pathologies,serum levels of ALT and AST,and hepatic expressions of HYP,ROS,TNF-α,IL-6,COL-IV and P53 proteins were evaluated using HE and Masson staining,ELISA,and Western blotting.Results We identified 12 core targets from 43 intersection genes involving cancer pathway,IL-17 signaling pathway,and TNF signaling pathways.Molecular docking study suggested that 10 core components of LJF could bind to different core targets.The mice with DOX-induced liver injury showed elevated serum AST and ALT levels with obvious liver injury and fibrosis,increased ROS content,and enhanced expressions of TNF-α,IL-6,HYP,COL-IV and P53 proteins in the liver tissue.All these changes in the mouse models were significantly alleviated by treatment with LJF extract,suggesting obviously lowered levels of oxidative stress,inflammation and fibrosis in the liver tissues.Conclusion LJF extract is capable of alleviating DOX-induced liver injury in mice by downregulating Trp53,TNF and IL-6 to reduce liver oxidative stress,inflammation and fibrosis.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
10.Diagnostic value of magnetically controlled capsule gastroscope in elderly patients with suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Xiaoxiong WANG ; Fang WANG ; Yufeng GUO ; Ting YE ; Jingjing WANG ; Xiaojing GU ; Shaoqi YANG
Chinese Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2024;41(9):702-706
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of magnetically controlled capsule gastroscope in elderly patients with suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding.Methods:A total of 102 patients with suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding who underwent magnetically controlled capsule gastroscopy (MCCG) in General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from October 2020 to September 2022 were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups according to age: 38 patients in group A (≤65 years old) and 64 patients in group B (> 65 years old). The case data, changes of vital signs, detection of lesions and adverse reactions of the two groups were compared.Results:There were significant differences in combined diseases between group A and group B. The stomach examination time in group A was significantly shorter than that of group B (15.49±2.04 min VS 16.61±2.02 min, t=-2.685, P=0.009). There was significant difference in small intestine examination time between the two groups (331.69±14.96 min VS 337.83±14.28 min, t=-1.229, P=0.227). The incidence of adverse reactions in group A was significantly lower than that in group B [0.00%(0/38) VS 6.25%(4/64), χ2=6.186, P=0.013]. The changes of vital signs before, during and after examination were not statistically different. The detection rates of upper gastrointestinal lesions were 92.1% (35/38) and 98.4% (63/64), respectively. The positive rates of upper gastrointestinal bleeding under MCCG were 60.0% (21/35) and 50.8% (32/63), respectively. Patients with unexplained upper gastrointestinal bleeding under MCCG received small intestine examination. The detection rates of small intestinal lesions by small intestine examination were 84.6% (11/13) and 91.7% (22/24), respectively. Conclusion:MCCG demonstrates excellent diagnostic accuracy in elderly patients with suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Additionally, it is safe and suitable for use in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities, allowing for concurrent small intestine examination.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            
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