AIM To explore the ameliorative effects of Ziyin Mingmu Pills on mouse retinitis pigmentosa(RP)and the possible mechanism.METHODS The RP transgenic mice(rd10)were randomly divided into the model group,the Leding group(0.15 g/kg)and the low and high dose Ziyin Mingmu Pills groups(4.50,9.00 g/kg),in contrast to the C57BL/6 mice of the normal group,with 12 mice in each group.The mice had their retinal pathological changes detected by HE staining;their visual function detected by electroretinogram(ERG);their fundus conditions and retinal thickness detected by optical coherence tomography(OCT);their retinal blood perfusion detected by laser speckle blood flow technique;their mRNA expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin mRNA detected by digital PCR;and their protein expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin detected by immunofluorescence staining.RESULTS Compared with the normal group,the model group displayed pathological changes in the fundus and retina and decreased amplitudes of ERG a wave and b wave(P＜0.01);decreased retinal thickness(P＜0.01);decreased retinal blood perfusion(P＜0.01);and decreased retinal expressions of Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc,Cyclin mRNA and protein(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the groups intervened with Ziyin Mingmu Pills or Leding shared improved pathological changes in the fundus and retina tissue,and increased retinal thickness(P＜0.01);increased retinal blood flow(P＜0.01);increased amplitudes of ERG a wave and b wave(P＜0.01);and increased retinal Shh,Ptc,Smo,Gli1,N-myc and Cyclin mRNA and protein expressions(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Ziyin Mingmu Pills can improve the fundus pathological changes and visual function to delay RP in mice because of their efficacy in ameliorating retinal thickness and blood flow possibly by activating Shh signaling pathway.

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is an increasingly common liver disease worldwide. MAFLD is diagnosed based on the presence of steatosis on images, histological findings, or serum marker levels as well as the presence of at least one of the three metabolic features: overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic risk factors. MAFLD is not only a liver disease but also a factor contributing to or related to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which is the major etiology responsible for morbidity and mortality in patients with MAFLD. Hence, understanding the association between MAFLD and CVD, surveillance and risk stratification of MAFLD in patients with CVD, and assessment of the current status of MAFLD management are urgent requirements for both hepatologists and cardiologists. This Taiwan position statement reviews the literature and provides suggestions regarding the epidemiology, etiology, risk factors, risk stratification, nonpharmacological interventions, and potential drug treatments of MAFLD, focusing on its association with CVD.

The mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) has been recently identified as a neurotrophic factor, but its role in hepatic fibrosis is unknown. Here, we found that MANF was upregulated in the fibrotic liver tissues of the patients with chronic liver diseases and of mice treated with CCl₄. MANF deficiency in either hepatocytes or hepatic mono-macrophages, particularly in hepatic mono-macrophages, clearly exacerbated hepatic fibrosis. Myeloid-specific MANF knockout increased the population of hepatic Ly6C^high macrophages and promoted HSCs activation. Furthermore, MANF-sufficient macrophages (from WT mice) transfusion ameliorated CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis in myeloid cells-specific MANF knockout (MKO) mice. Mechanistically, MANF interacted with S100A8 to competitively block S100A8/A9 heterodimer formation and inhibited S100A8/A9-mediated TLR4-NF-κB signal activation. Pharmacologically, systemic administration of recombinant human MANF significantly alleviated CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis in both WT and hepatocytes-specific MANF knockout (HKO) mice. This study reveals a mechanism by which MANF targets S100A8/A9-TLR4 as a "brake" on the upstream of NF-κB pathway, which exerts an impact on macrophage differentiation and shed light on hepatic fibrosis treatment.

This article reported a case of neonatal CHARGE syndrome complicated by congenital esophageal atresia. A prenatal ultrasound examination at 30 weeks of gestation revealed polyhydramnios and a small magenblase of the fetus, then fetal MRI suggested congenital esophageal atresia. The infant was born with severe asphyxia at 37 +5 gestational weeks by cesarean section due to placental abruption with a birth weight of 2 310 g. Gastric tube could not be placed after resuscitation. Congenital esophageal atresia complicated by tracheoesophageal fistula was diagnosed by esophageal imaging. Bilateral choanal atresia was detected by electronic nasopharyngoscopy and MRI. Moreover, skull defect, suspected meningocele were also observed. CHARGE syndrome was confirmed by whole exome sequencing, revealing a frameshift deletion of c.2155delA (p.Thr719GlnfsTer9) in the CHD7 gene. The infant died after withdrawing treatment.

Objective:To investigate the current status of prevention and treatment of esophagogastric variceal bleeding (EVB) in cirrhotic portal hypertension patients in Ningxia region.Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 820 cirrhotic portal hypertension patients who were admitted to 21 medical centers in Niangxia region from January 2018 to December 2020 were collected, including 85 cases in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region People′s Hospital, 73 cases in the Fifth People′s Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 59 cases in the Wuzhong People′s Hospital, 52 cases in the Qingtongxia People′s Hospital, 50 cases in the Guyuan People′s Hospital, 47 cases in the Yuanzhou District People′s Hospital of Guyuan City, 47 cases in the Yinchuan Second People′s Hospital, 40 cases in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, 40 cases in the Tongxin People′s Hospital, 35 cases in the Yinchuan First People′s Hospital, 34 cases in the Third People′s Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 32 cases in the Zhongwei People′s Hospital, 30 cases in the Lingwu People′s Hospital, 30 cases in the Wuzhong New District Hospital, 30 cases in the Yanchi People′s Hospital, 29 cases in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 28 cases in the Shizuishan Second People′s Hospital, 25 cases in the Shizuishan First People′s Hospital, 21 cases in the Haiyuan People′s Hospital, 20 cases in the Pengyang People′s Hospital, 13 cases in the Longde People′s Hospital. There were 538 males and 282 females, aged (56±13)years. Observation indicators: (1) clinical charac-teristics of cirrhotic portal hypertension patients; (2) overall prevention and treatment of EVB in cirrhotic portal hypertension patients; (3) prevention and treatment of EVB in cirrhotic portal hypertension patients from different grade hospitals. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was analyzed using the chi-square test. Results:(1) Clinical characteristics of cirrhotic portal hypertension patients: of 820 cirrhotic portal hypertension patients, 271 cases were in compensated stage and 549 cases were in decompensated stage. Of the 271 cases in compensated stage, there were 183 maels and 88 females, aged (53±12)years. There were 185 Han people, 85 Hui people and 1 case of other ethic group. The etiological data of liver cirrhosis showed 211 cases of viral hepatitis B, 4 cases of alcoholic liver disease, 8 cases of viral hepatitis C, and 48 cases of other etiology. There were 235 cases of Child-Pugh grade A and 36 cases lack of data. Of the 549 cases in decompensated stage, there were 355 males and 194 females, aged (57±14) years. There were 373 Han people, 174 Hui people and 2 cases of other ethic group. The etiological data of liver cirrhosis showed 392 cases of viral hepatitis B, 33 cases of alcoholic liver disease, 10 cases of viral hepatitis C, and 114 cases of other etiology. There were 80 cases of Child-Pugh grade A, 289 cases of grade B, 170 cases of grade C and 10 cases lack of data. (2) Overall prevention and treatment of EVB in cirrhotic portal hypertension patients: of 271 patients in compensated stage, 38 cases received non-selective β-blocker (NSBB) therapy, 16 cases received endoscopic treatment, 6 cases received interventional therapy. Of 549 patients in decompensated stage, 68 cases received NSBB therapy, 46 cases received endoscopic treatment, 28 cases received interventional therapy. (3) Prevention and treatment of EVB in cirrhotic portal hypertension patients from different grade hospitals: of 271 patients in compensated stage, 181 cases came from tertiary hospitals, of which 28 cases received NSBB therapy, 15 cases received endoscopic treatment, 6 cases received interventional therapy. Ninety cases came from secondary hospitals, of which 10 cases received NSBB therapy, 1 cases received endoscopic treatment. There was no significant difference in NSBB for prevention of EVB between tertiary and secondary hospitals ( χ2=0.947, P>0.05), while there was a significant difference in endoscopic treatment for prevention of EVB between tertiary and secondary hospitals ( χ2=5.572, P<0.05). Of 549 patients in decompensated stage, 309 cases came from tertiary hospitals, of which 22 cases received NSBB therapy, 29 cases received endoscopic treatment, 22 cases received interventional therapy. Two hundreds and fourty cases came from secondary hospitals, of which 46 cases received NSBB therapy, 17 cases received endoscopic treatment, 6 cases received interven-tional therapy. There were significant differences in NSBB and interventional therapy for prevention of EVB between tertiary and secondary hospitals ( χ2=18.065, 5.956, P<0.05). Conclusions:The proportion of receiving EUB prevention in cirrhotic portal hypertension in Ningxia is relatively low. For patients with compensated liver cirrhosis, the proportion of NSBB therapy and endoscopic treatment in the secondary hospitals was lower than that in tertiary hospitals. For patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis, the proportion of interventional treatment in secondary hospitals is lower than that of tertiary hospitals, but the proportion of NSBB in secondary hospitals taking is higher than that of tertiary hospitals.

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*

Objective:To study on the association between vasoactive-inotropic score(VIS) and mortality of total arch replacement in Stanford type A aortic dissection(TAAD) patients.Methods:Data of TAAD patients admitted from January 2018 to November 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 187 patients were finally included in the analysis. 30-day mortality was calculated and the patients were divided into death group(18 cases) and non-death group(169 cases). The VIS at each time point and perioperative indexes of the two groups were compared. The value of VIS in predicting mortality was analyzed.Results:The 30-day mortality was 9.63%(18/187). The operation time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, ventilator assistance time, the incidence of tracheotomy and major postoperative complications in the death group were significantly higher than those in the non-death group( P<0.05). VIS of death group was significantly higher than that of non-death group( P<0.05). At each time point, the area under ROC curve(AUC) of VIS was greater than 0.500( P<0.05), among which AUC of ICU 48 h VIS was the largest(0.817), and the best cut-off point of ICU 48 h VIS was determined to be 9, sensitivity 61.1%, specificity 92.3%. Logistic regression analysis showed that ICU 48 h VIS was an independent risk factor for predicting the death of total arch replacement in TAAD patients( OR=1.465, 95% CI: 1.194-1.796, P<0.001). Conclusion:When ICU 48 h VIS≥9, the risk of death was increased in patients with total arch replacement of TAAD. VIS may be a useful reference index for predicting the mortality of total arch replacement in TAAD patients in the early postoperative period.

Objective To observe the characteristics of brain activation of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and healthy controls at functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with olfactory stimulation,determine the locations of activation in areas of olfactory center and explore the MS olfactory related network.Methods Eighteen MS patients from the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from February 2017 to March 2018 were enrolled as MS group,and 20 matched healthy adults during the same period served as controls.The Visual Analogue Scale was used to evaluate olfactory function in all subjects,the rest structure MRI was performed first,and volatile gases of lavender and rose solution were used to alternately stimulate olfactory during fMRI scanning.The brain activation was obtained by using matlab2013a and SPM8 softwares.The distribution and quantity of demyelination lesions were counted on T2 weighted image,and Spearman correlation analysis was done with SPSS 17.0 software package.Results The activated brain areas in the healthy control group included bilateral middle frontal gyrus,bilateral insula,bilateral supramarginal gyrus,bilateral orbitofrontal gyrus,right thalamus,right central anterior gyrus,bilateral cingulated gyrus,bilateral hippocampus,bilateral amygdala and bilateral superior frontal gyrus (t =2.11,P＜0.05).The activated brain areas in the MS group included right cerebellum,left insula,left superior temporal gyrus,right inferior frontal gyrus (t=2.19,P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the MS group showed statistically significant decrease in activated values in right insula,right amygdala,right inferior frontal gyrus,right frontal middle gyrus,and the left supramarginal gyrus (t=2.04,P＜0.05).The distribution and number of demyelination lesions and major activation of brain regions with olfactory in the MS group demonstrated no significant correlation (r=-0.524,P=0.054).Conclusions Multiple brain areas involved in the olfactory processing and olfactory-related brain network existed.The activation of olfactory center had dominance in the right brain.The activation of the brain area in the MS group was significantly reduced,and the activation voxel and activation intensity were weakened.The olfactory-related brain network changed in MS patients.The distribution and number of demyelination lesions had no significant effect on the major activation of brain regions with olfactory stimulation.

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

OBJECTIVETo explore early clinical effect of acetabular cup in total hip replacement for the treatment of Crowe II developmental dysplasia of hip.

METHODSEighteen patients (18 hips) with Crowe type II developmental dysplasia of hip were treated with total hip replacement from September 2001 to July 2013. Among them,including 13 males and 5 females aged from 42 to 60 years old with an average of 47.6 years old; the courses of diseases ranged from 9 to 22 years with an average of 13.5 years. All the patients had hip joint pain, limb shortening and limited hip function before operation. Harris score of hip joint were used to evaluate recovery of function at 1 day and 12 months after operation. Prosthetic coverage of acetabular cup at 1 week after operation was observed by using radiography.

RESULTSEighteen patients (18 hips) were followed up from 12 to 24 months with an average 17 months. All incisions were healed at stage I. No deep vein thrombosis, hip dislocation, periprosthetic joint infection and prosthesis loosening were occurred. No revision surgery during follow-up period. Prosthetic coverage of acetabular cup was more than 80% at 1 week after operation. Harris score were increased from 42.67 ± 5.06 before operation to 94.79 ± 3.27 at 12 months after operation (t = -45.269, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONFor type Crowe II developmental dysplasia of hip patients, 15° face-changing acetabular cups in THR could obtain higher actebular component coverage rate and satisfactory early clinical effects.

Acetabulum ; surgery ; Adult ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; instrumentation ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hip Dislocation, Congenital ; surgery ; Hip Joint ; surgery ; Hip Prosthesis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged