The chemical constituents from the n-butanol fraction of ethanol extract of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) were isolated and purified using chromatographic process including MCI Gel CHP-20, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC method, and one alkyne and two phenylpropanoid derivants were obtained. Their structures were identified as (5R,E)-tetradecane-12-ene-8,10-diyne-1,5,14-triol (1), (E)-8-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl n-butyl cinnamate (2), and (7S,8S)-7-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzene)-7-butyl-8,9-diol (3) by modern spectroscopy methods (1D NMR, 2D NMR, UV, IR and MS). 1-3 are all new compounds. Compounds 1-3 were screened for their anti-renal fibrosis activities in vitro, and none of them showed obvious effect.

Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of injury deaths and its disease burden in Taizhou City from 2009 to 2022, and to provide a basis for the prevention and control of injury. MethodsBased on the injury death surveillance data of Taizhou City from 2009 to 2022, the age-specific and sex-specific mortality rates, as well as the standardized mortality rates after adjusting China’s standardized population age of residents in Taizhou City were calculated. The crude mortality rate, standardized mortality rate, average years of life lost(AYLL), potential years of life lost (PYLL) and potential years of life lost rate (PYLLR) were calculated using Excel 2013 software. Joinpoint 4.2 software was used to estimate the annual percentage change (APC) and analyze the trends of injury mortality and PYLLR from 2009 to 2022. ResultsFrom 2009 to 2022, the standardized mortality rate of injuries in Taizhou City showed a decreasing trend (APC=-4.876%, P<0.001), with a mortality rate of 64.38/100 000 and a standardized mortality rate of 66.68/100 000. There was a statistically significant difference in injury deaths by genders (χ²=7 520.153, P<0.001). From 2009 to 2022, the PYLL and AYLL caused by injuries in Taizhou City were 587 518 person years and 21.91 years, respectively, with a PYLLR of 7.72%. The PYLLR of injuries showed a decreasing trend (APC=-7.454%, P<0.001), in addition, the PYLLR in urban(APC=-7.123%), rural areas (APC=-10.193%), males (APC=-7.595%) and females (APC=-7.046%) all showed a decreasing trend, all differences were statistically significant(all P<0.001). The top five causes of injury deaths leading to PYLL were traffic accident, drowning, accidental fall, suicide and accidental poisoning. ConclusionIn the last decade, injury has been a major cause leading to premature death among residents in Taizhou, with a higher mortality rate in males than that in females, and different injury characteristics caused by different types of injuries. It is necessary to take targeted injury prevention and intervention measures for different key population groups to effectively reduce the disease burden caused by injury deaths.

Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

Objective: To investigate the effects of different storage temperatures and durations on the activities of coagulation factor Ⅷ (Factor Ⅷ, FⅧ) and coagulation factor Ⅸ (Factor Ⅸ, FⅨ) after whole blood collection, so as to provide data support for the optimal storage conditions. Methods: A total of 16 mL of whole blood was collected from each of the 20 healthy volunteers at our blood center and aliquoted into 8 sodium citrate anticoagulant tubes. Two tubes were immediately centrifuged for the measurement of FⅧ and FⅨ activity levels. The remaining 6 tubes of whole blood were respectively stored under room temperature and low-temperature conditions. At 2, 4, and 6 h, the whole blood samples were centrifuged and analyzed for FⅧ and FⅨ activity levels. The mean values of the two immediately tested tubes were used as the control group, while other tubes were designated as the experimental groups for comparison. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0. Results: The activity of FⅧ in whole blood remained stable after 4 hours of storage at both room temperature and low temperature (116.53±25.95 vs 125.22±27.33, 109.77±23.23 vs 125.22±27.33) (P>0.05 for both). However, by 6 hours, FⅧ activity showed a statistically significant decline compared to the control group (108.65±22.92 vs 125.22±27.33, 100.46±20.19 vs 125.22±27.33) (P<0.05 for both), though the room temperature group results were closer to the control values. The activity of FⅨ in whole blood remained stable after 6 hours of storage under both conditions (97.14±19.48 vs 96.76±19.67, 97.10±17.45 vs 96.76±19.6) (P>0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusion: For whole blood samples after collection, storage at either room temperature or low temperature for up to 4 hours does not compromise the accuracy of test results. When stored for 6 hours, FⅨ activity remains stable, whereas FⅧ activity decreases significantly. Notably, FⅧ activity demonstrates better stability at room temperature than under low-temperature conditions within the 6-hour storage.

Objective: To study the correlation between activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) mixing test results and the inhibitor titers in hemophilia A inhibitor-positive patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 41 patients with severe hemophilia A and inhibitors (and negative for lupus anticoagulant) were included from the hemophilia clinic of Shandong Blood Center from February 2022 to February 2024. All patients underwent APTT mixing test. The Rosner's index (RI, including the immediate RI and the RI after 2-hour water bath incubation [water bath 2h RI]), the time-dependent difference (Δ value), and the corrected percentage were calculated based on results of APTT mixing test. The median (interquartile range) of the corresponding indexes were calculated, and the ROC curves for identification of high inhibitor titers using the four indexes (the immediate RI, the water bath 2h RI, the Δ value, and the corrected percentage) were plotted, The correlations between APTT mixing test and inhibitor titers for coagulation factor Ⅷ (Factor Ⅷ, FⅧ) were investigated. Results: The median (lower quartile, upper quartile) of immediate RI, water bath 2h RI, Δ-value and corrected percentage for FⅧ inhibitor positive patients were 11.0 (5.4, 29.3)%, 45.0 (25.7, 75.0)%, 26.2 (7.6, 41.8) s, and 82.2 (58.5, 91.6)%, respectively. The median (lower quartile, upper quartile) of the immediate RI, water bath 2h RI, Δ-value and corrected percentage were 25.2 (13.0, 37.5)%, 64.1 (44.6, 72.6)%, 38.0 (14.3, 38.3) s, and 66.5 (50.1, 82.1)% for the high-titer inhibitor group, and 5.2 (4.2, 9.4)%, 17.9 (8.8, 28.0)%, 13.0 (7.6, 25.4) s, and 92.3 (88.0, 94.3)% for the low-titer inhibitor group. The AUCs of the ROC curves for discrimination between high and low titer inhibitor were: 0.9105 for immediate RI, 0.9118 for water bath 2h RI, 0.8873 for correcter percentage, and 0.6532 for Δ-value. Conclusion: High-titer inhibitors can be highly suspected in hemophiliac patients with an immediate RI >10% and a water bath 2h RI >45%, and the presence of low-titer inhibitors is suspected in patients with a 4-second < immediate RI <10% and a 13% < water bath 2h RI <45%.

A 43-year-old male patient presented with recurrent edema in different anatomical sites for over 10 years, with facial edema worsening 1 day prior to admission. He had been repeatedly admitted to dermatology, general surgery, and emergency departments of external hospitals due to " acute abdomen" and " laryngeal edema, " resistant to antihistamines and glucocorticoid therapy. Physical examination revealed non-pitting swelling of the right upper eyelid, bilateral cheeks, and lips asymmetrically. On the night of admission, he developed acute laryngeal edema with dyspnea, which was promptly treated, leading to clinical stabilization. Laboratory screening during the attack revealed decreased serum complement C4 levels, along with reduced functional activity and concentration of C1 esterase inhibitor, confirming a diagnosis of type 1 hereditary angioedema. The patient received lanadelumab for prophylaxis and achieved satisfactory clinical outcomes. He remains under long-term follow-up.

Objective To discuss the application of the"rotating guidewire and correcting the filter recovery hook direction technique"("rotation-correction loop technique"for short),a technique invented by the authors in clinical practice,in the retrieval of complex inferior vena cava filter(IVCF),and to discuss its technical skills and advantages.Methods The clinical data of 417 patients carrying an IVCF,who were admitted to the Department of Vascular Surgery of Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University of China to retrieve IVCF between January 2022 and December 2022,were retrospectively analyzed.Taking the time spent on the retrieval of IVCF and the intraoperative radiation dose as the evaluation indicators,the advantages and disadvantages of the standard filter retrieval technique,the"rotation-correction loop technique"and the other loop-assisted techniques were compared.Results Both the intraoperative radiation dose and the time spent on the retrieval of IVCF using"rotation-correction loop technique"were remarkably lower than those of other loop-assisted techniques(P＜0.000 1).Conclusion For the retrieval of complex IVCF,especially for the IVCF which is heavily tilted and/or its recovered hook is attached to the vascular wall,the use of"rotation-correction loop technique"can shorten the time spent on the the retrieval of IVCF and reduce the intraoperative radiation dose.This technique carries high safety and practicability,the device is simple and it can be manipulated by single physician,which is conducive to clinical application and promotion.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,33:289-294)

Cough variant asthma （CVA） is a chronic respiratory disease with cough as its main symptom. The occurrence of CVA is closely related to non-specific airway inflammation， and its pathogenesis involves environmental， genetic， immune， and other factors. In recent years， the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of CVA have attracted the attention of experts and scholars in China and abroad， especially its prominent role in regulating immune balance， relieving cough symptoms in CVA patients， and reducing recurrence. T Helper cells 1 （Th1）， T helper cells 2 （Th2）， T helper cells 17 （Th17）， and regulatory T cells （Treg） are derived from CD4⁺ T cells. Immune imbalance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg is a new hotspot in the pathogenesis of CVA and a potential key target in the treatment of CVA by TCM. Th cell subsets are in dynamic balance under physiological conditions， maintaining respiratory immune homeostasis in which pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory cytokines are balanced. Immature helper T cells （Th0） can be differentiated into Th1， Th2， Th17， Treg， and other cell subsets due to cytokine types in the microenvironment in the stage of CVA maturation. The proliferation of Th2 cells leads to eosinophilic airway inflammation. Excessive differentiation of Th17 cells induces neutrophil airway inflammation. Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg cells are mutually restricted in number and function， and the immune imbalance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg is easy to aggravate the generation of inflammatory response. Restoring immune balance is particularly important for the airway anti-inflammatory therapy of CVA. In this paper， the imbalance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg and the pathogenesis of CVA were systematically expounded. Meanwhile， the latest research on the regulation of immune imbalance by TCM compound， single TCM， and its effective ingredients in the treatment of CVA was reviewed. It provides ideas and references for revealing the scientific connotation of TCM regulating immune balance therapy of CVA， as well as the development of clinical treatment and basic research of CVA.