Background: and Purpose This study aimed to investigate early changes in interstitial fluid (ISF) flow in patients with severe carotid stenosis after carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS). Methods: We prospectively recruited participants with carotid stenosis ≥80% undergoing CAS at our institute between October 2019 and March 2023. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were performed 3 days before CAS. MRI with DTI and MMSE were conducted within 24 hours and 2 months after CAS, respectively. The diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index was calculated from the DTI data to determine the ISF status. Increments were defined as the ratio of the difference between post- and preprocedural values to preprocedural values. Results: In total, 102 participants (age: 67.1±8.9 years; stenosis: 89.5%±5.7%) with longitudinal data were evaluated. The DTI-ALPS index increased after CAS (0.85±0.15; 0.85 [0.22] vs. 0.86±0.14; 0.86 [0.21]; P=0.022), as did the MMSE score (25.9±3.7; 24.0 [4.0] vs. 26.9±3.4; 26.0 [3.0]; P<0.001). Positive correlations between increments in the DTI-ALPS index and MMSE score were found in all patients (rs=0.468; P<0.001). Conclusion An increased 24-hour post-CAS DTI-ALPS index suggests early improvement in ISF flow efficiency. The positive correlation between the 24-hour DTI-ALPS index and 2-month MMSE score increments suggests that early ISF flow improvement may contribute to long-term cognitive improvement after CAS.

COVID-19 has been prevalent for three years. The virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is weaken as it mutates continuously. However, elderly patients, especially those with underlying diseases, are still at high risk of developing severe infections. With the continuous study of the molecular structure and pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2, antiviral drugs for COVID-19 have been successively marketed, and these anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs can effectively reduce the severe rate and mortality of elderly patients. This article reviews the mechanism, clinical medication regimens, drug interactions and adverse reactions of five small molecule antiviral drugs currently approved for marketing in China, so as to provide advice for the clinical rational use of anti-SARS-CoV-2 in the elderly.

Objective ， To investigate the role of serum chemokines and oxidative and antioxidant biomarkers in occupational （ silicosis） Methods silicosis hereinafter referred to as . A total of 58 patients with stage Ⅰ silicosis were selected as the - （ ）， research subjects using convenient sampling method. The serum levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 Nrf2 -（ - ） - （ - - ） - heme oxygenase 1 HO 1 and 8 isoprstaglandin F2α 8 iso PGF2α were determined by enzyme linked immunesorbent assay. （ ） （ - ） The serum levels of lipid peroxide LPO and total antioxidant capacity TAOC were determined by chemistry colorimetric method. - - （ - ）， Luminex flow fluorescence technology was used to detect the serum levels of interferon γ inducible protein10 IP10 macrophage （ ）- ， - - （ ） inflammatory protein MIP 1α MIP1β and macrophagederived chemokine MDC . The above indicators were analyzed by factor Results - analysis. The information extraction rate of the original indicators of the nine biomarkers was 58.5%96.5%. Four common ， ， （ ） ， factors were extracted including Nrf2 antioxidant signaling pathway helper T cell Th 1 dominant chemotaxis the total ， ， ， ， ， oxidation/antioxidant balance and Th2 dominant chemotaxis whose variance contribution rates were 32.2% 19.1% 16.4% ， ， Conclusion - and 11.8% respectively and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 79.5%. Both the oxidant antioxidant ， disturbance and the dominance chemotaxis are involved in the occurrence and development of silicosis and the Nrf2 antioxidant signaling pathway plays the most critical role.

Today, there is greater awareness on the association between oral diseases and respiration diseases after the outbreak of COVID-19. However, confusion regarding the oral health management and medical risk prevention for patients with chronic airway diseases has been remained among dental clinicians. Therefore, the dental experts of the Fifth General Dentistry Special Committee, Chinese Stomatological Association, combined with the experts of respiratory and critical care medicine, undertook the formation of consensus on the oral health management of patients with chronic airway diseases in order to help dental clinicians to evaluate medical risks and make better treatment decision in clinical practice. In the present consensus report, the relationship of oral diseases and chronic airway diseases, the oral health management and the treatment recommendations of patients with chronic airway diseases are provided.
COVID-19 ; Consensus ; Humans ; Oral Health ; Oral Medicine

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of tinnitus in Sichuan and Chongqing. Methods: We designed a tinnitus epidemiological questionnaire. The multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling methods was applied to obtain study subjects in six areas (Nanchong, Jiangjin, Fengdu, Yunyang, Suining and Ya'an), which were selected for epidemiological investigation. Home visit completion of epidemiological questionnaires was conducted. The trained investigators guided the respondents to fill in the tinnitus epidemiological questionnaires, and the epidemiological status of six areas on prevalence and risk factor was investigated. SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Sampling population were 10 289, in which 9 273 were valid questionnaires. There were 4 281 males and 4 992 females, with an average age of 47.3 years, among which 34.83% (3 230/9 273) had tinnitus. 3.99% (370/9 273) were diagnosed with bothersome tinnitus. In a multivariable logistic regression mod, the following factors were associated with onsetting of tinnitus: sleep disorder [Odds Ratio(OR)=3.74] and noise exposure(OR=1.99). The risk of disease was lowest in the age of 30-40 years old, while the risk of disease was higher for people under 30 and over 40. In another multivariable logistic regression mode, the following factors were associated with having bothersome tinnitus: older people were more likely to suffer from tinnitus, sleep disorders (OR=4.68) and noise exposure (OR=1.56). Conclusions: The prevalence of tinnitus in Sichuan and Chongqing is about 34.83%, but most of the tinnitus is short-lived and has low loudness, which will not affect the patients. Only a small number of patients with tinnitus (3.99%) persist and affect their health and need treatment. The occurrence and exacerbation of tinnitus may be related to sleep, age, and noise exposure.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tinnitus/epidemiology*

Background: Disease-modifying therapy is the standard treatment for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in remission. The primary objective of the current analysis was to assess the efficacy and safety of two teriflunomide doses (7 mg and 14 mg) in the subgroup of Chinese patients with relapsing MS included in the TOWER study. Methods: TOWER was a multicenter, multinational, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group (three groups), placebo-controlled study. This subgroup analysis includes 148 Chinese patients randomized to receive either teriflunomide 7 mg (n = 51), teriflunomide 14 mg (n = 43), or placebo (n = 54). Results: Of the 148 patients in the intent-to-treat population, adjusted annualized relapse rates were 0.63 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44, 0.92) in the placebo group, 0.48 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.70) in the teriflunomide 7 mg group, and 0.18 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.36) in the teriflunomide 14 mg group; this corresponded to a significant relative risk reduction in the teriflunomide 14 mg group versus placebo (-71.2%, P = 0.0012). Teriflunomide 14 mg also tended to reduce 12-week confirmed disability worsening by 68.1% compared with placebo (hazard ratio: 0.319, P = 0.1194). There were no differences across all treatment groups in the proportion of patients with treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs; 72.2% in the placebo group, 74.5% in the teriflunomide 7 mg group, and 69.8% in the teriflunomide 14 mg group); corresponding proportions for serious adverse events were 11.1%, 3.9%, and 11.6%, respectively. The most frequently reported TEAEs with teriflunomide versus placebo were neutropenia, increased alanine aminotransferase, and hair thinning. Conclusions: Teriflunomide was as effective and safe in the Chinese subpopulation as it was in the overall population of patients in the TOWER trial. Teriflunomide has the potential to meet unmet medical needs for MS patients in China. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00751881; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00751881?term=NCT00751881&rank=1.
China ; Crotonates ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Double-Blind Method ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Multicenter Studies as Topic ; Multiple Sclerosis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Toluidines ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUND: miR-15b plays an important role in the initiation and development of tumors, based on which, we speculate that miR-15b may be involved in the migration and invasion of glioma stem cells (GSCs). However, there is no relevant report and the mechanism of action is also unclear. OBJECTIVE: To identify the effects of miR-15b on the migration and invasion of GSCs and the mechanisms involved in this process. METHODS: Quantitative PCR was performed to evaluate the expression of miR-15b in the gliomas tissues, normal brain tissues, GSCs and non-GSCs. After knockdown of ATP-binding cassette superfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) by ABCG2 specific siRNA, Transwell assay was performed to determine the effect of ABCG2 on GSCs migration and invasion. Additionally, the GSCs were transfected with miR-15b mimics or inhibitor to up-regulate or down-regulate the expression of miR-15b. At 48 hours after transfection, Transwell assay was used to detect the effect of miR-15b on GSCs migration and invasion; ELISA and gelatin zymography assays were performed to determine the matrix metalloproteinase-2/-9 (MMP-2/-9) expression and activity after treatment with miR-15b. CD133-positive or non-CD133-positive cells were directly injected subcutaneously into nude mice. Tumor formation was observed within 30 days after injection. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: miR-15b was significantly down-regulated in gliomas tissues compared with normal brain tissues, which was negatively correlated with the stage of gliomas. In addition, miR-15b was significantly down-regulated in GSCs compared with non-GSCs. Up-regulation of miR-15b significantly reduced the migration and invasion ability of GSCs (P < 0.01), and down-regulation of miR-15b significantly enhanced the cell migration and invasion of GSCs (P < 0.01). By target prediction analysis, we obtained that ABCG2 was a potential target gene of miR-15b. Luciferase assay confirmed that miR-15b targeted ABCG2 directly, and migration and invasion of GSCs were dramatically reduced by ABCG2 siRNA (P < 0.01). ELISA results showed that up-regulation miR-15b significantly inhibited MMP-2/-9 expression. ELISA and gelatin zymography assay results showed that ABCG2 siRNA did not affect MMP-2/-9 expression, but significantly inhibited the activity of MMP-2/-9. In the in vivo tumor model, GSCs were more tumorigenic as compared with non-GSCs from the same tumor in vivo. To conclude, miR-15b regulates the migration and invasion of GSCs by targeting the ABCG2 signaling pathway, and up-regulation of miR-15b can suppress the migration and invasion of GSCs.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of levodopa combined with entacapone in the treatment of Parkinson ’ s di-sease.Methods Fifty -four patients with Parkinson ’ s disease were randomly divided into treatment group(n=27) and control group(n=27). Control group was given levodopa 0.25 g oral, tid.Treatment group was treated with entacapone 0.2 g oral tid, on the basis of the control group . Two groups were treated for 16 weeks.The clinical efficacy , serum levels of interleukin(IL) -1β, IL-6, malonaldehyde, superoxide dismutase ( SOD) and glutathione peroxidase ( GSH-Px) , scores of unified Parkin-son’ s disease rating scale ( UPDRS) and incidence of adverse drug reac-tions were compared between two groups .Results After treatment , the total effective rate of treatment group was significantly higher than that of control group (92.59%vs 70.37%, P<0.05).After treatment, among the treatment and control group , the levels of serum IL -1βwere (32.32 ±0.32), (45.35 ±6.01)pg? L -1, IL-6 were (4.03 ±0.54), (6.78 ±0.82)pg? L-1, malonaldehyde were (14.72 ±2.21), (19.37 ±2.44)mmol? mg -1, UPDRS-Ⅱscore were (3.98 ±1.56), (11.74 ±1.25) point and UPDRS-Ⅲscore were (26.43 ±3.28), (31.54 ±4.17) point, and those indexes in treatment group after treat-ment were significantly lower than those of control group ( P<0.05 ) .After treatment , the levels of serum SOD were (135.55 ±17.84), (120.93 ±18.38)U? μg-1 and GSH-Px were (99.74 ±12.43), (90.73 ±10.84)U? μg-1 in treatment and control group , also the those indexes in treatment group after treatment were significantly higher than those in control group ( P<0.05 ).The adverse drug reactions were based on the symptoms of nervous system , diges-tive system and skin for two groups.Also, the incidence of adverse drug reactions in control group was 14.81%, treat-ment group was 11.11%, the difference had no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05 ).Conclusion Levodopa combined with entacapone have a definitive clinical efficacy for the treatment of Parkinson ’ s disease , without increasing the incidence of adverse drug reactions .

OBJECTIVETo investigate the depression in arteriosclerosis obliterans (ASO) patients and its risk factors.

METHODSThe self-rating depression scale (SDS) was applied in 228 ASO patients hospitalized in the vascular surgery department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from March 2010 to October 2011. The risk factors of depression were analyzed by using univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSOf these 228 ASO patients, 133 (58.3%) were found to be depressive. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that female (OR=0.15,95% CI:0.05-0.45), hypertension (OR=4.63,95% CI:1.90-11.29), coronary heart disease (OR=3.62,95%CI:1.43-9.18), as well as Fontaine 2a (OR=20.76,95% CI:3.21-134.28), 2b (OR=26.34,95% CI:4.20-164.97), 3(OR=192.28,95% CI:25.97-1423.51), and 4(OR=291.41,95% CI:28.67-2962.21) were the risk factors of depression in ASO patients.

CONCLUSIONSASO patients can easily develop depression. Female, hypertension, coronary heart disease, and Fontaine 2a, 2b,3,and 4 are the risk factors of depression in ASO patients.

Arteriosclerosis Obliterans ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Logistic Models ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Tripterygium glycosides (TG) on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and endothelin-1 in the kidney of diabetic rats and explore the possible mechanism underlying the protective effect of TG against diabetic nephropathy.

METHODSSixty 8-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (n=10) and streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) model group (n=50). The diabetic model rats were then randomly divided into DM group, low-dose (8 mg/kg) and high-dose (16 mg/kg) TG treatment groups, and Irbesartan (50 mg/kg) treatment group. After 8 weeks, the levels of blood glucose (BG), 24-h urine protein (24 h Upro), serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were measured. The pathological changes in the renal tissues were examined by optical microscopy, and the mean glomerular area (MGA) and mean glomerular volume (MGV) were measured with pathological image analysis. Immunohistochemical and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of HIF-1α and ET-1 protein in the renal tissue, and their mRNA expressions were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.

RESULTSHIF-1α and ET-1 expression increased in the kidney of diabetic rats. Compared with the diabetic model rats, the rats receiving TG and Irbesartan treatment showed decreased levels of Scr, BUN, 24h Upro, MGA and MGV, improved renal histopathology, and reduced expression of HIF-1α and ET-1 mRNA and protein in the renal tissue. These changes were more obvious in high-dose TG treatment group. Correlation analysis showed that the expression of HIF-1α was positively correlated with that of ET-1, and they were both positively correlated with kidney weight index (KW/BW), 24 h Upro, MGA, and MGV.

CONCLUSIONHIF-1α and ET-1 are overexpressed in the kidney of diabetic rats. TG can improve kidney damage in diabetic rats and delay the development of diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting the HIF-1α and ET-1 expression.

Animals ; Biphenyl Compounds ; pharmacology ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Urea Nitrogen ; Creatinine ; blood ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; metabolism ; Endothelin-1 ; metabolism ; Glycosides ; pharmacology ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tetrazoles ; pharmacology ; Tripterygium ; chemistry