ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

To investigate the effects of Pithecellobium clypearia extract on the tissue structure,in-flammatory lesions as well as microbial diversity in the intestinal of yellow-feathered broilers.2401-day-old yellow-feathered broilers were randomly divided into four groups(groups A,B,C and D),groups A,B and C were supplemented with Pithecellobium clypearia extract in basal diets with concentrations of 0.5,1.0 and 2.0 g/kg,respectively.Group D served as the control group without adding Pithecellobium clypearia extract in diets,and the full trial period lasted for 70 d.Duodenum and jejunum samples were collected on the 20th,40th and 70th days of the test,the vil-lous/crypt ratio of duodenum and jejunum were calculated,and the mRNA expression level of in-flammatory cytokine as well as related pathways were detected in each group,respectively.In addition,the contents of cecum were collected at 70 th day of the experiment and the microbial di-versity in cecum were also analysed by 16S rDNA sequencing.The results showed that adding 0.5 and 1.0 g/kg of Pithecellobium clypearia extract in the diet could significantly increase the veloci-ty height/crypt depth ratio of duodenum and jejunum(P＜0.05)compared to control group,as well as the mRNA expression level of tight junction protein(CLDN1 and CLDN5)in jejunum,which further improved the structure of mucous of intestinal.Pithecellobium clypearia extract could significantly(P＜0.05)decrease the mRNA expression level of inflammatory cytokine inclu-ding IL-1β,IL-8 and TNF-α,as well as the related pathway genes such as TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB in jejunum,thus reduced the inflammatory lesions in intestinal.Pithecellobium clypearia ex-tract also could significantly increase the abundance of beneficial microbial such as Parabacteroide and Prevotellaceae,while significantly decrease the abundance of pathogenic microbial such as Proteobacteria in cecum(P＜0.05)and improve the microbial diversity in intestinal.In summary,Pithecellobium clypearia extract could improve the structure of intestinal tissue and the gut barri-er function,as well as the microbial diversity in cecum,and also decrease the inflammatory lesions in jejunum,which is helpful to the intestinal health for yellow-feathered broilers.The present study provides scientific basis for the development of Pithecellobium clypearia as a safe feed additive in the future.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and current status of surgical management for esophageal cancer in China.Methods:A national database was setup through a network platform. The clinical data of esophageal cancer treated by surgery was collected from 70 major hospitals in China between January 2009 and December 2014.Results:Complete data of 8 181 cases of esophageal cancer patients who underwent surgery were recorded in the database and recruited in the analysis. Among them, 6 052 cases were male and 2 129 were female, the average age was 60.5 years.The epidemiological investigation results showed that 148 cases (1.8%) had history of psychological trauma, 7 527 cases (92.0%) were lower social economic status, 5 072 cases (62.0%) were short of fresh vegetables and fruits, 6 544 cases (80.0%) ate rough food frequently, 3 722 cases (45.5%) drank untreated water directly from lake or river or shallow well, 3 436 cases (42.0%) had a unhealthy eating habit, including habits of eating food fast (507 cases, 6.2%), eating hot food or drinking hot tea/soup (998 cases, 12.2%), eating fried food (1 939 cases, 23.7%), 4 410 cases (53.9%) had the habits of smoking cigarettes and 2 822 cases (34.5%) drank white wine frequently.The pathological results showed that 7 813 cases (95.5%) were squamous cell carcinoma, 267 cases were adenocarcinoma (3.3%), 25 cases were adenosquamous cell carcinoma (0.3%) and 50 cases were small cell carcinoma (0.6%). A total of 1 800 cases (22.0%) received preoperative neoadjuvant therapy due to locally advanced disease or difficulty of resection. The esophagectomies were performed through left thoracotomy approach in 5 870 cases (71.8%), through right chest approach in 2 215 cases (27.1%), and the remain 96 cases (1.2%) received surgery though other approaches.A total of 8 001 cases (97.8%) underwent radical resection, the other 180 cases (2.2%) received palliative resection. The 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 0.5%, the overall ≥ grade Ⅱ postoperative complication rate was 11.6% (951 cases). The 1-yr, 3-yr, and 5-yr overall actual survival rates were 82.6%, 61.6%, and 52.9%, respectively.Conclusions:The data analysis of the national database for esophageal cancer shows that bad eating habits or eating rough food without enough nutrients, lower social and economic status, drinking white wine and smoking cigarettes frequently may be correlated with tumorigenesis of esophageal cancer. However, strong evidences produced by prospective observation studies are needed. Overall, the long-term survival of esophageal cancer patients has been improved gradually due to the application of advanced surgical techniques and reasonable multimodality treatment.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and current status of surgical management for esophageal cancer in China.Methods:A national database was setup through a network platform. The clinical data of esophageal cancer treated by surgery was collected from 70 major hospitals in China between January 2009 and December 2014.Results:Complete data of 8 181 cases of esophageal cancer patients who underwent surgery were recorded in the database and recruited in the analysis. Among them, 6 052 cases were male and 2 129 were female, the average age was 60.5 years.The epidemiological investigation results showed that 148 cases (1.8%) had history of psychological trauma, 7 527 cases (92.0%) were lower social economic status, 5 072 cases (62.0%) were short of fresh vegetables and fruits, 6 544 cases (80.0%) ate rough food frequently, 3 722 cases (45.5%) drank untreated water directly from lake or river or shallow well, 3 436 cases (42.0%) had a unhealthy eating habit, including habits of eating food fast (507 cases, 6.2%), eating hot food or drinking hot tea/soup (998 cases, 12.2%), eating fried food (1 939 cases, 23.7%), 4 410 cases (53.9%) had the habits of smoking cigarettes and 2 822 cases (34.5%) drank white wine frequently.The pathological results showed that 7 813 cases (95.5%) were squamous cell carcinoma, 267 cases were adenocarcinoma (3.3%), 25 cases were adenosquamous cell carcinoma (0.3%) and 50 cases were small cell carcinoma (0.6%). A total of 1 800 cases (22.0%) received preoperative neoadjuvant therapy due to locally advanced disease or difficulty of resection. The esophagectomies were performed through left thoracotomy approach in 5 870 cases (71.8%), through right chest approach in 2 215 cases (27.1%), and the remain 96 cases (1.2%) received surgery though other approaches.A total of 8 001 cases (97.8%) underwent radical resection, the other 180 cases (2.2%) received palliative resection. The 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 0.5%, the overall ≥ grade Ⅱ postoperative complication rate was 11.6% (951 cases). The 1-yr, 3-yr, and 5-yr overall actual survival rates were 82.6%, 61.6%, and 52.9%, respectively.Conclusions:The data analysis of the national database for esophageal cancer shows that bad eating habits or eating rough food without enough nutrients, lower social and economic status, drinking white wine and smoking cigarettes frequently may be correlated with tumorigenesis of esophageal cancer. However, strong evidences produced by prospective observation studies are needed. Overall, the long-term survival of esophageal cancer patients has been improved gradually due to the application of advanced surgical techniques and reasonable multimodality treatment.

Avian influenza virus is a new recombinant virus , which can cause severe respiratory symptoms ,such as short course,acute disease,and a high mortality rate.The purpose of this paper was to summarize the current status of this virus in terms of its epidemiology ,genetic evolution and virulence .By introducing the advancement in the research of this subtype virus, we hope to provide data and evidence ,for effective surveillance and prevention of this virus .

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants of HBsAg-positive mothers.Methods A total of 286 HBsAg-positive pregnant women and their infants were recruited from the Third People's Hospital of Taiyuan during July 2011 to January 2013.The infants were immunized with hepatitis B vaccine according to the 0-1-6 month vaccination schedule and followed up for 12 months.The serum HBV DNA level of mothers,neonates and infants were detected by electro chemilum inescence immunoassay kits and fluorescene quantiative polymerase chain rection.Results Among 286 infants,the rate of non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine was 18.53％ (53/286).Non-conditional logistic regression analysis indicated that the mother's HBV DNA level ≥ 1 × 107 copies/ml (0R=2.592,95％CI:1.121-5.996) and natural birth (OR=1.932,95％CI:1.021-3.654) were the risk factors for non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine,the risks were 2.592 times and 1.932 times higher compared with the infants whose mothers were HBV DNA negative and the infants whose mothers had cesarean delivery.There was no multiplicative or additive interaction between high HBV DNA load and natural birth (OR=1.055,95％CI:0.209-5.321),(RERI=1.617,95％CI:-4.038-7.272;AP=0.364,95％CI:-).527-1.225;SI=1.195,95％CI:0.270-13.135).After stratified analysis of mother's HBV DNA level,delivery mode of mothers was not associated with non/low-response of their infants.Conclusion The mother's load of HBV DNA ≥ 1 × 107 copies/ml might be the factor for non/low-response to hepatitis B vaccine in infants of HBsAg positive mothers.

Objective To explore the effect of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-12(IL-12) on immune response to hepatitis B vaccination in infants of HBsAg-positive mothers.Methods A total of 91 neonates whose mothers were HBsAg-positive were included and followed up for 12 months.HBV DNA and HBV serological markers in the peripheral blood of the neonates and infants were detected with fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA),and the levels of IL-6 and IL-12 in the peripheral blood of the neonates and infants were detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results The non-/hypo-response rate to hepatitis B vaccination was 35.16％ (32/91) in the 91 infants.In the neonatal period and infantile period,the level of IL-6 in non-/hypo-response group was lower than that in high-response group,while the level of IL-12 was higher than that in high-response group,and there was significant difference (P＜0.01).From the neonatal period to the infantile period,the level of IL-6 increased,while the level of IL-12 descended in both groups,and there was significant difference (P＜0.01).Furthermore,the level of anti-HBs of infants was positively correlated with the level of IL-6 (rs =0.70,0.79,P＜ 0.01),and was negatively correlated with the level of IL-12 (rs=-0.71,-0.72,P＜0.01) in the neonatal period and the infantile period.From the neonatal period to the infantile period,the increased level of IL-6 was positively associated with the level of anti-HBs (rs =-0.74,P＜0.01),while the decreased level of IL-12 was negatively associated with the level of anti-HBs (rs=-0.42,P＜0.01).The level of IL-6 was negatively correlated with the level of IL-12 in the neonatal period and the infantile period (rs=-0.68,-0.70,P＜0.01).Conclusions IL-6 might promote the immune response to hepatitis B vaccination in infants whose mothers were HBsAg-positive,while IL-12 might inhibit the immune response.IL-6 and IL-12 would affect the immune response to hepatitis B vaccination in infants of HBsAg-positive mothers at the same time.

Objective To explore the relationship between HBeAg in HBsAg positive mothers and CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (Treg) in newborns,as well as how they would influence the increasing risk on HBV intrauterine transmission.Methods We collected information on general demographic characteristics and delivery on 270 HBsAg positive mothers and their newborns from the Third People's Hospital of Taiyuan.Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) were used to detect HBV DNA and HBV serological markers in peripheral blood from both mothers and neonates.The expression of Treg and other immune cells in peripheral blood of neonates were detected with flow cytometry (FCM).Results Maternal HBeAg positive rates were associated with an increased risk of intrauterine transmission (0R=4.08,95％ CI:1.89-8.82).Rates of T.reg in newborns born to HBsAg-positive mothers were higher than that of the negative group (Z=2.29,P=0.022).Each pair of the subjects was assigned to five different groups according to the HBeAg titers of mothers.Frequencies of both Treg and HBeAg in newboms and HBV DNA in mothers between the above said 5 groups showed similar trends of changing patterns and the differences between groups were statistically significant (x2=18.73,P＜0.001;x2=181.60,P＜0.001;x2=183.09,P＜0.001).Results from partial correlation analysis showed that after adjusting for neonatal HBeAg and maternal HBV DNA,mother's HBeAg titers were positively related to the percentage of Treg in their newboms (rs=0.19,P=0.039).In addition,the frequencies of Treg were negatively correlated with pDC and CD4 + T cell in their newborns (rs=-0.21,P=0.017;r,=-0.23,P=0.009).Conclusion HBeAg from HBsAg positive mothers might have inhibited the function of neonatal DC cells and T cells to reduce the immune response to HBV by up-regulating the proportion of Treg and finally increased the risk of HBV intrauterine transmission.

Objective To explore the effect of osthole on mast cells and expression of STAT5 gene and protein in them. Methods Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis was made in mice to copy eczema model, then the allergic mast cells were separated, and the ovalbumin was used to induce allergy of mast cells. Different concentrations of osthole were used to intervene the sensitized mast cells.Then the sensitized mast cells were divided into blank control group, osthole high-dose group and low-dose group.At the end of the experiment, morphology of the mast cells was detected by immunofluorescence technology.MTT assay was used to detect the influence of drugs on mast cells proliferation. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of STAT5 gene and protein. Results As compared with blank control group, the number of mast cells in the osthole groups was significantly reduced, cells and nuclei obviously shrank, even apoptosis of some cells could be observed; the inhibition rate of mast cells in osthole groups was significantly increased in concentration-dependent manner ( P<0. 01 ) . As compared with blank control group (2.16±0.57), gene expression of STAT5 was significantly decreased in osthole high-dose group (0.59±0.12) and low-dose group (0.82±0.13) (P<0.01).The protein expression of STAT5 was also significantly decreased in osthole high-dose group and low-dose group as compared with blank control group (P<0.01). Conclusion Osthole can inhibit the proliferation of sensitized mast cells, and reduce the expression of STAT5 gene and protein.