OBJECTIVE To improve the efficiency and quality of dispensed oral drug management in the inpatient pharmacy， and ensure the safety of drug use in patients. METHODS SWOT （strength， weakness， opportunity， threat） analysis method was used to analyze the internal strengths and weaknesses， as well as the external opportunities and threats in the construction of a closed-loop management system for dispensed oral drugs in the inpatient pharmacy of our hospital， and propose improvement strategies. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS A refined， full-process， closed-loop traceability management system for dispensed oral drugs in the inpatient pharmacies was successfully established， which is traceable in origin， trackable in destination， and accountable in responsibility. After the application of this system， the registration rate of dispensed drug information and the correctness rate of registration content both reached 100%. The proportion of overdue drug varieties in the same period of 2024 decreased by 77.78% compared to March 2020， the inventory volume decreased by 29.50% compared to the first quarter of 2020， the per-bed medication volume decreased by 32.14% compared to the first quarter of 2020； the average workload per post in the same period of 2023 increased by 49.09% compared to 2019， the dispensing accuracy rate reached 100%， and the improvement rate of quality control problem increased by 25.25% compared to 2021. This system effectively improves the safety and accuracy of dispensed oral drug management in the inpatient pharmacy.

Objective To investigate the effects of Echinococcus multilocularis infection on levels of memory T (Tm) cells and their subsets in lymph nodes of mice at different stages of infection, so as to provide new insights into immunotherapy for alveolarechinococcosis. MethodsTwenty-four C57BL/6J mice aged 6 to 9 weeks were randomly divided into the infection group and the control group, of 12 mice in each group. Mice in the infection group were administered with 3 000 E. multilocularis protoscoleces via portal venous injection, while animals in the control group were administered with an equal volume of physiological saline. Three mice from each group were sacrificed 4, 12 weeks and 24 weeks post-infection, and lymph nodes were sampled and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) to investigate the histopathological changes of mouse lymph nodes in the infection group. The expression and localization of T lymphocyte surface markers CD3, CD4, and CD8 were observed in mouse lymph nodes using immunohistochemical staining. In addition, lymphocyte suspensions were prepared from mouse lymph nodes in both groups at different time points post-infection, and the levels of Tm cell subsets and their secreted cytokines were detected using flow cytometry. Results HE staining showed diffuse structural alterations in the subcapsular cortical and paracortical regions of mouse lymph nodes in the infection group 4 weeks post-infection with E. multilocularis. Immunohistochemical staining detected CD3, CD4 and CD8 expression in mouse lymph nodes in both groups. Flow cytometry revealed higher proportions of CD4⁺ Tm cells [(55.3 ± 4.8)% vs. (38.8 ± 6.1)%; t = -4.259, P < 0.05] and CD4⁺ tissue-resident Tm (Trm) cells [(57.7 ± 3.7)% vs. (34.1 ± 11.2)%; t = -3.990, P < 0.05] in mouse lymph nodes in the infection group than in the control group 4 weeks post-infection, and higher proportions of CD4⁺ Tm cells [(34.6 ± 3.2)% vs. (23.3 ± 7.5)%; t = -2.764, P < 0.05] and CD4⁺ Trm cells [(44.0 ± 1.9)% vs. (31.2 ± 1.5)%; t = -4.039, P < 0.05] in mouse lymph nodes in the infection group than in the control group 24 weeks post-infection. The proportions of CD8⁺ Tm cells were higher in the infection group than in the control group 4 weeks [(56.8 ± 2.7)% vs. (43.9 ± 5.2)%; t = -4.416, P < 0.01] and 12 weeks post-infection [(25.4 ± 2.7)% vs. (12.0 ± 2.6)%; t = -2.552, P < 0.05], while the proportions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α⁺ CD4⁺ T cells [(15.7 ± 5.0)% vs. (49.4 ± 6.4)%; t = 7.150, P < 0.01], TNF-α⁺CD8⁺ T cells [(20.7 ± 5.5)% vs. (57.5 ± 8.4)%; t = -6.694, P < 0.01], and TNF-α⁺ CD8⁺ Tm cells [7.0% (1.0%) vs. 31.0% (11.0%); Z = -2.236, P < 0.05] were lower in the infection group than in the control group 24 weeks post-infection. Conclusions Tm cells levels are consistently increased in lymph nodes of mice at different stages of E. multilocularis infection, with Trm cells as the predominantly elevated subset. The impaired capacity of CD8⁺ Tm cells to secrete the effector molecule TNF-α in mouse lymph nodes at the late-stage infection may facilitate chronic parasitism of E. multilocularis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Huayu Tongluo (transforming stasis and unblocking collaterals) moxibustion on cognitive function and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cognitive decline. METHODS: Ninety patients with T2DM and cognitive decline were randomly divided into a moxibustion group (n=45, 3 cases dropped out, 2 cases were eliminated) and a waiting moxibustion group (n=45, 2 cases dropped out). Both groups received routine hypoglycemic treatment for 12 weeks. The moxibustion group additionally received Huayu Tongluo moxibustion at Baihui (GV20), Shenting (GV24), and Dazhui (GV14). Pressing moxibustion was applied to Baihui (GV20) for 20 min, while suspended moxibustion was applied to Shenting (GV24) and Dazhui (GV14) for 20 min each. Treatments of moxibustion were administered every other day (three times per week) for 12 weeks. All patients were followed up for 12 weeks, during which their original hypoglycemic medication regimen was maintained. Before treatment, after 12 weeks of treatment, and at the 12-week follow-up, the scores of Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Addenbrooke's cognitive examination Ⅲ (ACE-Ⅲ), symbol digit modalities test (SDMT), and Athens insomnia scale (AIS) and the insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were observed in the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, the MoCA scores, MMSE scores, ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (attention, memory, language fluency, language, visuospatial ability) and total scores, and SDMT scores were increased (P<0.01), while the AIS scores were decreased (P<0.05) in the moxibustion group after treatment and at follow-up. Compared with before treatment, the MMSE score, ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (memory, attention) and total score after treatment, as well as the ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (language, memory, attention) and total score, and SDMT score at follow-up were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the waiting moxibustion group. Compared with before treatment, HOMA-IR was decreased in both groups after treatment and at follow-up (P<0.01). At follow-up, ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (attention, memory), and the total score in the moxibustion group were lower than those after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the ACE-Ⅲ language subscale score, total ACE-Ⅲ score, and SDMT score in the waiting moxibustion group were higher than those after treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05). After treatment and at follow-up, compared with the waiting moxibustion group, the moxibustion group had higher MoCA scores, MMSE scores, SDMT scores, ACE-Ⅲ subscale scores (attention, memory, language fluency) and total scores (P<0.05, P<0.01), and lower HOMA-IR (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Huayu Tongluo moxibustion can effectively improve cognitive function in patients with T2DM and cognitive decline. This improvement may be associated with the reduction in insulin resistance.
Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Moxibustion ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Cognition ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Cognitive Dysfunction/therapy*

Geniposidic acid(GA), a natural iridoid, exists in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, bark, fruits, and seeds of medicinal plants of Rubiaceae, Eucommiaceae, and Plantaginaceae. Modern pharmacological studies have revealed that GA has multiple pharmacological activities, including organ-protective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-osteoporosis, anti-neurodegenerative, and anti-cardiovascular effects. GA can enhance cell/organism defenses by upregulating key anti-inflammatory and antioxidant cytokines, while downregulating key node proteins in pro-inflammatory signaling pathways such as AhR and TLR4/MyD88, thereby exerting pharmacological effects such as organ protection. Pharmacokinetic investigations have suggested that after oral administration, GA can be distributed in multiple organs(kidney, liver, heart, spleen, lung, etc.). In addition, the pharmacokinetic behavior of GA could be significantly altered under disease conditions, as demonstrated by a marked increase in systematic exposure. This article comprehensively summarizes the reported pharmacological activities and mechanisms and systematically analyzes the pharmacokinetic characteristics and key parameters of GA, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis and scientific reference for the precise clinical application of GA-related Chinese patent medicines, as well as for the investigation and development of innovative drugs based on GA.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Animals ; Iridoid Glucosides/chemistry* ; Plants, Medicinal/chemistry* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVE: To explore prevalence, incidence and possible factors of immediate herniated discs after posterior cervical expansive open-door laminoplasty (EODL). METHODS: Totally 29 patients with cervical spinal stenosis and intervertebral disc herniation who underwent EODL from October 2020 to December 2021 were collected, including 24 males and 5 females, aged from 43 to 81 years old with an average of (61.3±9.0) years old;the courses of disease ranged from 1 to 120 months with an average of (36.4±37.0) months. Three or more intervertebral discs on C₃-C₇ were observed. The clinical efficacy was evaluated according to Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score before operation, 3 days and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after operation, respectively. The changes of herniated disc before and after operation were measured by multipoint area method and two-dimensional distance method, and incidence and percentage of herniated disc regression were further calculated. Cervical imaging parameters such as Cobb angle (C₃-C₇), intervertebral angle, T₁ slope (T₁S), spinal canal sagittal diameter, K-line angle, dural sac sagittal diameter were measured and compared before and after operation. Pearson correlation was used to analyze correlation between cervical sagittal imaging parameters and disc herniation changes before and after operation. RESULTS: All patients obtained grade A wound healing, and 14 of them were followed up for 3(1.00, 5.25) months. There were no immediate or long-term postoperative complications. Totally 101 herniated intervertebral discs were measured, of which 79 regression numbers were obtained by area measurement. The number of intervertebral disc regressions by distance measurement was 77. There was no statistically significant difference in Cobb angle, intervertebral angle, T₁S and K-line angle of C₃-C₇ (P>0.05), however, there were statistically significant differences in sagittal diameter of spinal canal, sagittal diameter of dural sac, and JOA score before and after operation(P<0.05). The regression ratio of disc herniation ranged from 5% to 50%, and regression ratio of disc herniation was greater than 25% in 45.57%(36/79). Disc herniation in C_4,5 was positively correlated with sagittal plane diameter in C₅(r=0.423, P=0.028). There was a negative correlation between changes of C_3,4 and C_3,4 intervertebral angle (r=-0.450, P=0.041). The improvement rate of cervical JOA score immediately after operation was (59.54±15.07) %, and postoperative follow-up improved to (76.57±14.66) %. CONCLUSION Herniated disc regression immediately after EODL is a common occurrence, and EODL should be selected as far as possible under the premise of satisfying surgical indications. The regression of disc herniation is positively correlated with spinal canal sagittal diameter, and spinal canal should be enlarged as far as possible in the appropriate scope during EODL, so as to create more opportunities and conditions for disc regression and achieve better clinical results.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Spinal Stenosis/diagnostic imaging* ; Laminoplasty/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; Intervertebral Disc/surgery*

Despite therapy with potent antiviral agents, chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remain at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While metabolites have been rediscovered as active drivers of biological processes including carcinogenesis, the specific metabolites modulating HCC risk in CHB patients are largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that baseline plasma from CHB patients who later developed HCC during follow-up exhibits growth-promoting properties in a case-control design nested within a large-scale, prospective cohort. Metabolomics analysis reveals a reduction in long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) in the baseline plasma of patients with HCC development. LCACs preferentially inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells in vitro at a physiological concentration and prevent the occurrence of HCC in vivo without hepatorenal toxicity. Uptake and metabolism of circulating LCACs increase the intracellular level of acetyl coenzyme A, which upregulates histone H3 Lys14 acetylation at the promoter region of KLF6 gene and thereby activates KLF6/p21 pathway. Indeed, blocking LCAC metabolism attenuates the difference in KLF6/p21 expression induced by baseline plasma of HCC/non-HCC patients. The deficiency of circulating LCACs represents a driver of HCC in CHB patients with viral control. These insights provide a promising direction for developing therapeutic strategies to reduce HCC risk further in the antiviral era.

The incidence of cancer is closely correlated with age,as 75％of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)patients are aged at least 65 years.The availability of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)has altered the available NSCLC therapeutic pattern.Limited studies on elderly patients have demonstrated that ICIs as monotherapy provide substantial ben-efits for patients aged 65-75 years,showing no significant difference compared to younger patients.This benefit is also observed in combination with immune-combined chemotherapy or radiotherapy.For individuals older than 75 years,the survival effect was not evident,though.Immune-related adverse events(irAEs)with ICIs alone were similar in incidence across age catego-ries.Immune-combination chemotherapy resulted in a higher incidence of irAEs than chemotherapy alone,and patients &ge;75 years of age were more likely to experience higher-grade irAEs.Besides the fact that immunosenescence in older patients influ-ences the immune milieu in a multifaceted manner,which in turn impacts the effectiveness of immunotherapy,the prognosis is also influenced by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status(ECOG PS)score,among other factors.For certain individuals aged &ge;75 years or in poor physical health,immunotherapy combined with low-intensity chemotherapy has emerged as a viable treatment option.However,there are fewer related studies,so there should be a conscious effort to increase the number of elderly patients enrolled in the trial and a comprehensive assessment to explore individualized treatment op-tions.To provide additional references and guidance for immunotherapy in elderly NSCLC patients and to propose new thera-peutic perspectives in combination with their characteristics,this review aims to summarize and analyze the pertinent studies on the application of programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1(PD-L1)inhibitors in these patients.

Background and objective The malignant tumor that has the highest global morbidity and death rate is lung cancer,which primarily affects the elderly.The therapy landscape for non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)has trans-formed with the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs).The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of immune monotherapy and immunotheray combined with chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC aged 75 years and above.Methods This study retrospectively analyzed 111 patients with advanced NSCLC who were at least 75 years old and received treatment at the First or Fifth Medical Centers of the People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2018 to October 2022.These patients underwent first-line or second-line treatment,with 70 receiving immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy and 41 receiving immunotherapy alone.Propensity score matching(PSM)was used to match the baseline characteristics of the patients,including age,Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status(ECOG PS)score,and the number of treatment lines.The study endpoints included objective response rate(ORR),progression-free survival(PFS),overall survival(OS),and safety assessment.Results The median OS for the immunotherapy combined with chemother-apy group was 27.87 months,and the median PFS was 11.50 months.The median OS for the immune monotherapy group was 34.93 months,and the median PFS was 17.00 months.There were no significant differences in OS(P=0.722)and PFS(P=0.474)between the two groups,but a significant difference was observed in ORR(P=0.025).After PSM matching,each group comprised 27 patients.The median OS for the immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy group was 17.70 months,the median PFS was 8.97 months.The median OS for the immune monotherapy group was 17.87 months,and the median PFS was 11.53 months.No significant differences were observed in OS(P=0.635),PFS(P=0.878)and ORR(P=0.097).In terms of safety,the overall inci-dence of adverse events(AEs)before matching was 62.86％ in the immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy group,which was higher than 41.46％ in the immune monotherapy group(P=0.029),while there was no difference in the incidence of AEs of grade 3 or above between the two groups(P=0.221).After matching,AEs occurred in 17(62.96％ )patients in the immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy group and 13(48.15％ )in the immune monotherapy group.There were no significant differences in the overall incidence of AEs(P=0.273)or the incidence of grade 3 or above(P=0.299)between the two groups.Conclusion Im-munotherapy combined with chemotherapy does not significantly improve OS or PFS in patients with NSCLC aged 75 years and above when compared to immunotherapy alone,and this conclusion was further validated by the analysis after PSM.The safety assessment suggests that before matching,the incidence of AEs of any grade in the immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy group was higher.Still,the two groups had no difference in the incidence of AEs of grade 3 or above.Following matching,the tol-erability of the treatment was similar in both groups.According to the safety assessment,the unique circumstances and course of treatment for geriatric patients with advanced NSCLC should be considered.

Objective:To explore the application of viral load (VL) testing in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody screening positive but western blot (WB) negative samples, provide scientific basis for laboratory diagnosis of such populations.Methods:For the HIV antibody retest samples from the initial screening laboratory of Zaozhuang City Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2021 to 2023, as well as samples from the voluntary counseling and testing at outpatient clinic of our unit that showed a negative WB test result, VL and CD4 + T lymphocyte counts were tested. Four weeks later, the patients were followed up and blood samples were collected by the current district (city) Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and sent to the confirmation laboratory for confirming testing. Results:Among the thirty-two patients, there were fifteen cases with target not detected (TND) by using VL. After four weeks, the follow-up results were all negative. There was one case with a VL test result of 20-5 000 copies/ml, and after four weeks, the follow-up result was positive. There were sixteen cases with a VL test result of >5 000 copies/ml. After four weeks, the follow-up results were all positive. Person correlation analysis was conducted between the log value of VL and CD4 + T lymphocyte count, and the result showed a certain degree of negative correlation ( r=-0.63, P=0.006). Conclusions:VL testing can assist in distinguishing patients with positive HIV antibody screening and negative WB results, and VL testing and WB testing should complement each other, combined with CD4 + T lymphocyte count and epidemiological history to make a diagnosis.

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness and safety of domestic upper gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).Methods:A total of 160 patients undergoing EUS at Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University (Center1) and Shenzhen People's Hospital (Center 2) from March to July 2021 were randomly selected by stratified blocked randomization, and were treated with SonoScape EG-UG5T (the test group) or Fujifilm EG-580UT (the control group). The primary outcome was the ultrasound image quality excellence rate, and the comparison was verified by non-inferiority. The secondary outcomes were the endoscopic image quality excellence rate, the operational performance excellence rate, and the system stability evaluation. The safety evaluation was based on the occurrence of intraoperative and postoperative adverse events in the subjects.Results:In the intention-to-treat analysis set (ITT), the excellence rate of ultrasound image quality in the test group and the control group was 100.0% (78/78) and 100.0% (77/77), respectively. The rate difference between the two groups was 0.0% (95% CI: -4.7%-4.8%). In the per protocol analysis set (PPS), the excellence rate of ultrasound image quality in the test group and the control group was 100.0% (78/78) and 100.0% (75/75), respectively. The rate difference between the two groups was 0.0% (95% CI: -4.7%-4.9%). The lower limit of the confidence interval of ultrasound image quality excellence rate of both data sets was greater than the non-inferiority threshold value of -8%, which inferred that the non-inferiority hypothesis of the test machine non-inferior to the control machine was valid. The endoscopic image quality excellence rate and the operational performance excellence rate of the test group and the control group was 100.0% in both the ITT and PPS analyses, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups ( P=1.000). The system instability event rate was 0.0% (0/78) in the test group and 3.9% (3/77) in the control group ( P=0.120). No adverse event occurred in either group. Conclusion:The domestic upper gastrointestinal endoscopic ultrasound is standard-compliant for clinical application under normal conditions in terms of effectiveness, safety, and stability.