Fibromyalgia syndrome （FMS） is a refractory， chronic non-articular rheumatic disease characterized by widespread pain throughout the body， for which there are no satisfactory therapeutic drugs or options. There are rich Chinese medical therapies， and some non-drug therapies， such as acupuncture， Tai Chi， and Ba-Duan-Jin， have shown satisfactory efficacy and safety and definite advantages of simultaneously adjusting mind and body. FMS is taken as a disease responding specifically to traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2018. In order to clarify the research progress in FMS and the clinical advantages of TCM/integrated Chinese and Western medicine， the China Academy of Chinese Medicine organized a seminar for nearly 20 experts in Chinese and Western medicine， including rheumatology， psychology， acupuncture and moxibustion， and encephalopathy， with the topic of difficulties in clinical diagnosis and treatment of FMS and advantages of TCM and Western medicine. The recommendations were reached on the difficulties in early diagnosis and solutions of FMS， mitigation of common non-specific symptoms， preferential analgesic therapy， TCM pathogenesis and treatment advantages， and direction of treatment with integrated Chinese and Western medicine. FMS is currently facing the triple dilemma of low early correct diagnosis， poor patient participation， and unsatisfactory benefit from pure Western medicine treatment. To solve the above problems， this paper suggests that rheumatologists should serve as the main diagnostic force of this disease， and they should improve patient participation in treatment decision-making， implement exercise therapy， and fully utilize the holistic and multidimensional features of TCM， which is effective in alleviating pain， improving mood， and decreasing adverse events. In addition， it is suggested that FMS treatment should rely on both TCM and Western medicine and adopt multidisciplinary joint treatment， which is expected to improve the standard of diagnosis and treatment of FMS in China.

Objective:To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as a preoperative planning strategy for lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) in improving the quality of LVA and the outcome of short-term limb volume reduction in patients with secondary upper limb lymphedema.Methods:Patients with breast cancer-related upper extremity lymphedema who underwent LVA at the Department of General Surgery Cancer Center Division of Breast Surgery of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital from August 2021 to August 2023 were enrolled retrospectively. According to whether preoperative ultrasound lymphography was performed, the patients were divided into CEUS assisted group and control group. In the CEUS assisted group, preoperative CEUS lymphography combined with high-frequency ultrasound color Doppler imaging was utilized for precise localization of lymphatic vessels and recipient veins, as well as surgical target planning for LVA. In the control group, preoperative indocyanine green lymphography was employed to guide surgical exploration. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the number of LVA surgical exploration incisions per limb and the number of successful anastomoses per limb between the two groups. The success rate of anastomosis (total number of successful anastomoses/total number of surgical exploration incisions) was compared by the chi-square test. The duration of single anastomosis, mean arm circumference, and the difference between preoperative and postoperative mean arm circumference were compared by independent sample t-test. Paired-sample t-test was used to compare the improvement of the mean arm circumference of the operated limb of the two groups after 3 months of follow-up. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 47 female patients were enrolled, including 27 patients in the CEUS assisted group, with an average age of (57.1±9.0) years and a median edema course of 2 years. There were 20 cases in the control group, with an average age of (58.1±9.6) years and a median duration of edema of 2 years. The CEUS group, compared with the control group, exhibited a higher number of surgical exploration incisions per limb [6.0 (4.0, 7.0) cases vs. 5.0 (3.0, 6.0) cases], a greater number of successful anastomoses per limb [5.0 (3.0, 6v0) cases vs. 3.0 (2.0, 3.0) cases], and a significantly increased overall success rate of anastomosis [82.8% (125/151) vs. 61.4% (54/88)]. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the preoperative and postoperative mean arm circumference difference [(6.2±3.3) cm vs. (3.9±1.9) cm]. The duration of single anastomosis was significantly shortened [(57.4±16.0) min vs. (92.8±18.5) min], with statistically significant differences observed in all comparisons (all P < 0.05). The preoperative and postoperative mean arm circumference were compared between the CEUS group [(31.4±4.6) cm vs. (25.3±4.7) cm] and the control group [(31.3±4.3) cm vs. (27.5±3.8) cm], respectively, with statistically significant differences observed in both groups (both P < 0.01). Conclusion:CEUS lymphography, as a preoperative planning strategy for LVA, can significantly increase the number and success rate of LVA anastomosis in patients with secondary upper limb lymphedema, shorten the duration of single anastomosis, and improve the short-term effect of limb volume reduction after LVA.

Objective:To analyze the influencing factors of low liver regeneration in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) after portal vein embolization (PVE).Method:Clinical data of 62 patients with HCCA undergoing PVE at Henan Provincial People's Hospital (People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University) from January 2019 to March 2024 were retrospectively analyzed, including 33 males and 29 females, aged (59.1±10.3) years. Patients were divided into two groups based on the median regeneration rate of remnant liver volume (28.6%) three weeks after PVE: low regeneration ( n=31, <28.6%) and high regeneration group ( n=31, ≥28.6%). The proportion of lymph node metastasis, history of alcohol consumption, liver fibrosis, biliary tract infection, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were compared between two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to indentify the influencing factors of low liver regeneration in patients with HCCA after PVE surgery. Results:The proportion of lymph node metastasis, history of alcohol consumption, liver fibrosis, biliary tract infection, ALP, and level of TNF-α were higher in the low regeneration group than those in the high regeneration group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with regional lymph node metastasis ( OR=2.561, 95% CI: 1.265-5.185), history of alcohol consumption ( OR=2.616, 95% CI: 1.321-5.181), liver fibrosis ( OR=2.351, 95% CI: 1.265-4.369), biliary tract infection ( OR=2.461, 95% CI: 1.226-4.940), elevated level of ALP ( OR=2.687, 95% CI: 1.351-5.344), and elevated level of TNF-α ( OR=2.781, 95% CI: 1.452-5.326) had an increased risk of low liver regeneration after PVE (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Regional lymph node metastasis, history of alcohol consumption, liver fibrosis, biliary tract infection, and elevated ALP and TNF-α are risk factors for low liver regeneration in patients with HCCA after PVE surgery, which should be noted in clinical practice.

Objective To explore the effect of quercetin on renal inflammation and cell apoptosis in diabetic rats and its possible mechanisms.Methods Twenty-four adult male SD rats were randomized equally into normal control group,high-glucose and high-fat feeding group,streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic model group,and quercetin treatment(daily dose 100 mg/kg)group.Pathological changes of the renal tissues of the rats were observed with HE staining,serum inflammatory factor levels were determined with ELISA,and renal expression of NF-κB was observed by immunohistochemistry.Fast blood glucose(FBG),serum levels of triglyceride(TG),BUN,and Scr,and 24-h urine protein content of the rats were measured,and renal expressions of HMGB1,RAGE,NF-κB,Bax,Bcl-2,and caspase-3 were detected with Western blotting.Results The diabetic rats showed significantly increased levels of FBG,TG,BUN,and Scr,renal hypertrophy index,24-h urinary protein content,serum IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α levels and renal expressions HMGB1,RAGE,NF-κB,Bax,and caspase-3 with decreased renal expression of Bcl-2.All these changes were significantly alleviated by quercetin treatment of the rats.Conclusion Quercetin can ameliorate kidney injury in diabetic rats possibly by inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway to reduce renal inflammation and renal cell apoptosis.

Objective To explore the effect of quercetin on renal inflammation and cell apoptosis in diabetic rats and its possible mechanisms.Methods Twenty-four adult male SD rats were randomized equally into normal control group,high-glucose and high-fat feeding group,streptozotocin(STZ)-induced diabetic model group,and quercetin treatment(daily dose 100 mg/kg)group.Pathological changes of the renal tissues of the rats were observed with HE staining,serum inflammatory factor levels were determined with ELISA,and renal expression of NF-κB was observed by immunohistochemistry.Fast blood glucose(FBG),serum levels of triglyceride(TG),BUN,and Scr,and 24-h urine protein content of the rats were measured,and renal expressions of HMGB1,RAGE,NF-κB,Bax,Bcl-2,and caspase-3 were detected with Western blotting.Results The diabetic rats showed significantly increased levels of FBG,TG,BUN,and Scr,renal hypertrophy index,24-h urinary protein content,serum IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α levels and renal expressions HMGB1,RAGE,NF-κB,Bax,and caspase-3 with decreased renal expression of Bcl-2.All these changes were significantly alleviated by quercetin treatment of the rats.Conclusion Quercetin can ameliorate kidney injury in diabetic rats possibly by inhibiting the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway to reduce renal inflammation and renal cell apoptosis.

Objective:To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as a preoperative planning strategy for lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) in improving the quality of LVA and the outcome of short-term limb volume reduction in patients with secondary upper limb lymphedema.Methods:Patients with breast cancer-related upper extremity lymphedema who underwent LVA at the Department of General Surgery Cancer Center Division of Breast Surgery of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital from August 2021 to August 2023 were enrolled retrospectively. According to whether preoperative ultrasound lymphography was performed, the patients were divided into CEUS assisted group and control group. In the CEUS assisted group, preoperative CEUS lymphography combined with high-frequency ultrasound color Doppler imaging was utilized for precise localization of lymphatic vessels and recipient veins, as well as surgical target planning for LVA. In the control group, preoperative indocyanine green lymphography was employed to guide surgical exploration. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the number of LVA surgical exploration incisions per limb and the number of successful anastomoses per limb between the two groups. The success rate of anastomosis (total number of successful anastomoses/total number of surgical exploration incisions) was compared by the chi-square test. The duration of single anastomosis, mean arm circumference, and the difference between preoperative and postoperative mean arm circumference were compared by independent sample t-test. Paired-sample t-test was used to compare the improvement of the mean arm circumference of the operated limb of the two groups after 3 months of follow-up. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 47 female patients were enrolled, including 27 patients in the CEUS assisted group, with an average age of (57.1±9.0) years and a median edema course of 2 years. There were 20 cases in the control group, with an average age of (58.1±9.6) years and a median duration of edema of 2 years. The CEUS group, compared with the control group, exhibited a higher number of surgical exploration incisions per limb [6.0 (4.0, 7.0) cases vs. 5.0 (3.0, 6.0) cases], a greater number of successful anastomoses per limb [5.0 (3.0, 6v0) cases vs. 3.0 (2.0, 3.0) cases], and a significantly increased overall success rate of anastomosis [82.8% (125/151) vs. 61.4% (54/88)]. Additionally, there was a significant increase in the preoperative and postoperative mean arm circumference difference [(6.2±3.3) cm vs. (3.9±1.9) cm]. The duration of single anastomosis was significantly shortened [(57.4±16.0) min vs. (92.8±18.5) min], with statistically significant differences observed in all comparisons (all P < 0.05). The preoperative and postoperative mean arm circumference were compared between the CEUS group [(31.4±4.6) cm vs. (25.3±4.7) cm] and the control group [(31.3±4.3) cm vs. (27.5±3.8) cm], respectively, with statistically significant differences observed in both groups (both P < 0.01). Conclusion:CEUS lymphography, as a preoperative planning strategy for LVA, can significantly increase the number and success rate of LVA anastomosis in patients with secondary upper limb lymphedema, shorten the duration of single anastomosis, and improve the short-term effect of limb volume reduction after LVA.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of serological indicators and evaluate the diagnostic value of a new established combined serological model on identifying the minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) in patients with compensated cirrhosis.Methods:This prospective multicenter study enrolled 263 compensated cirrhotic patients from 23 hospitals in 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities of China between October 2021 and August 2022. Clinical data and laboratory test results were collected, and the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was calculated. Ammonia level was corrected to the upper limit of normal (AMM-ULN) by the baseline blood ammonia measurements/upper limit of the normal reference value. MHE was diagnosed by combined abnormal number connection test-A and abnormal digit symbol test as suggested by Guidelines on the management of hepatic encephalopathy in cirrhosis. The patients were randomly divided (7∶3) into training set ( n=185) and validation set ( n=78) based on caret package of R language. Logistic regression was used to establish a combined model of MHE diagnosis. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve, Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve. The internal verification was carried out by the Bootstrap method ( n=200). AUC comparisons were achieved using the Delong test. Results:In the training set, prevalence of MHE was 37.8% (70/185). There were statistically significant differences in AMM-ULN, albumin, platelet, alkaline phosphatase, international normalized ratio, MELD score and education between non-MHE group and MHE group (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that AMM-ULN [odds ratio ( OR)=1.78, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.05-3.14, P=0.038] and MELD score ( OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.04-1.20, P=0.002) were independent risk factors for MHE, and the AUC for predicting MHE were 0.663, 0.625, respectively. Compared with the use of blood AMM-ULN and MELD score alone, the AUC of the combined model of AMM-ULN, MELD score and education exhibited better predictive performance in determining the presence of MHE was 0.755, the specificity and sensitivity was 85.2% and 55.7%, respectively. Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve showed that the model had good calibration ( P=0.733). The AUC for internal validation of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.752. In the validation set, the AUC of the combined model for diagnosing MHE was 0.794, and Hosmer-Lemeshow test showed good calibration ( P=0.841). Conclusion:Use of the combined model including AMM-ULN, MELD score and education could improve the predictive efficiency of MHE among patients with compensated cirrhosis.

Objective To demonstrate the changes in flexor digitorum and extensor digitorum tension in the affected hands with shear-wave elastography (SWE) before and after manual digitorum sensory stimulation (MDSS) in hemiplegic patients with stroke. Methods A total of 51 hemiplegic post-stroke inpatients in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University from April to June, 2020, underwent MDSS completed by a researcher who used a bare thumb and index finger to squeeze each nail bed as well as the sides of each fingertip in the affected hand. The stimulation intensity was the minimum that could cause finger extension without obvious pain, and the interval between two stimulations was five to ten seconds. Muscular tension of the flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus, flexor pollicis longus and extensor digitorum were assessed with modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) and shear-wave velocity (SWV) of SWE on the affected side before and immediately after MDSS. MAS score was -1 as low muscular tension. Results The MAS scores of all the muscles significantly reduced after MDSS (|Z| > 2.843, P < 0.001); while the changes of SWV were not significantly in all the muscles with initially MAS score of 0 or -1 (t < 1.052, P > 0.05), and it reduced in those muscles with initial MAS scores of one to three (t > 2.672, P < 0.05). The SWV were positively correlated with the MAS scores both before and after MDSS (r > 0.334, P < 0.05). Conclusion MDSS can effectively, immediately, and safely relieves muscle spasms of the flexor digitorum and facilitate active finger extension in the affected hand for hemiplegic patients with stroke. SWE is useful for quantitatively and objectively evaluating muscular tension in the affected hand for hemiplegic patients with stroke.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features of elderly patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) aged ≥80 years. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 3642 patients with pancreatitis who were admitted to Department of Gastroenterology in The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2013 to December 2019, and according to age, they were divided into young group (aged ＜65 years) with 2955 patients, middle-aged group (aged 65-79 years) with 558 patients, and elderly group (aged ≥80 years) with 129 patients. Related clinical data were collected and analyzed, including sex, age, etiology, predisposing factors, past medical history, disease severity, complication, and clinical outcome. The independent samples one-way ANOVA-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups and the least significant difference t-test was used for comparison within each group; the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups; the chi-square test or the Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups; the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of ordinal categorical variables. ResultsIn the young group, there were 1721 male patients and 1234 female patients; in the middle-aged group, there were 214 male patients and 334 female patients; in the elderly group, there were 48 male patients and 81 female patients; the middle-aged group and the elderly group had a significantly higher proportion of female patients than the young group (62.8% vs 61.6% vs 41.8%, P＜0.05). High-fat diet was the main predisposing factor for all three groups, and compared with the young group, the elderly group had a significantly lower proportion of patients with AP induced by alcohol or high-fat diet+alcohol (P＜0.05). The elderly group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with the etiology of biliary diseases than the middle-aged group and the young group (798% vs 69.2% vs 41.4%, χ2=204.127, P＜0.05), as well as a significantly lower proportion of patients with the etiology of hyperlipidemia, alcohol, or biliary diseases+hyperlipidemia (all P＜0.05). Among the 129 patients in the elderly group, 83 (64.3%) had mild AP, 23 (17.8%) had moderate-severe AP, and 23 (17.8%) had severe AP; there was a significant difference in the constituent ratio of disease severity between the elderly group and the middle-aged/young groups (H=1972.5, P＜005). The elderly group and the middle-aged group had a significantly lower proportion of patients with recurrence than the young group (both P＜0.05). There were no significant differences in local complications between the three groups (all P＞0.05), and as for systemic complications, compared with the young group, the elderly group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with pneumonia (3.9% vs 2.2%, P＜0.05), acute kidney injury (AKI) (6.2% vs 2.5%, P＜0.05), or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) (7.8% vs 4.0%, P＜0.05). Compared with the middle-aged group and the young group, the elderly group had a significantly lower proportion of cured patients (67.4% vs 76.3% vs 820%, P＜0.05) and a significantly higher proportion of patients with improvement (23.3% vs 147%/12.7%, P＜0.05). The elderly group and the middle-aged group had a significantly higher proportion of patients withdrawn from treatment than the young group (8.5%/5.9% vs 3.4%, P＜0.05). There was 1 death in the elderly group (0.8%), 9 deaths in the middle-aged group (1.6%), and 16 deaths in the young group (0.5%), and there was no significant difference between the three groups (P＞0.05). There were no significant differences in length of hospital stay and hospital costs between the three groups (P＞0.05). ConclusionAP patients aged ≥80 years are mainly female and are often caused by biliary factors, and they are likely to develop the complications such as pneumonia, AKI, and MODS.

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential association between early-stage inflammatory response and late-stage infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 219 patients with moderate-severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) and 53 patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) who were admitted to The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from June 2019 to June 2020, and according to the presence or absence of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) at the initial stage of the disease, they were divided into SIRS group with 160 patients and non-SRIS group with 112 patients. Baseline data, serological markers, complications, and mortality rate were included for analysis. The t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between multiple groups, and the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. A logistic regression analysis was used to screen out valuable variables; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to compare the diagnostic value of variables, and the Z-test was used for pairwise comparison of area under the ROC curve (AUC). ResultsCompared with the non-SIRS group, the SIRS group had significantly higher white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (all P＜0.05) and a significantly higher proportion of patients with acute peripancreatic necrosis (ANC), IPN, pancreatic necrosis (PN), organ dysfunction, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), SAP, critically-ill acute pancreatitis (CAP), death, BISAP score ＞2, CTSI score ＞2,or RANSON score ＞2 (all P＜0.05). The univariate analysis showed that SIRS duration, obesity, CRP, WBC, blood urea nitrogen, PN, ANC, SAP, MODS, RANSON score, BISAP score, and CTSI score were risk factors for IPN in patients with AP (all P＜005), and the multivariate analysis showed that SIRS duration (odds ratio ［OR］=1.307, 95% confidence interval ［CI］: 1.081-1580, P=0006) and ANC (OR=42.247, 95% CI: 10.829-164.818, P＜0.001) were risk factors for IPN; when ANC was excluded, SIRS duration (OR=1.430, 95% CI: 1.207-1.694, P＜0.001) and PN (OR=5.296, 95% CI: 1.845-15.203, P=0.002) were risk factors for IPN. The ROC curve showed that SIRS duration (AUC=0.772, Youden index=0.521), RANSON score (AUC=0701, Youden index=0.319), BISAP score (AUC=0.741, Youden index=0.377), and CTSI score (AUC=0.765, Youden Index=0.414) had a certain value in predicting IPN, and there was no significant difference in AUC between any two indices. The long-duration SIRS group(＞4 d) had a significantly higher proportion of patients with PN, ANC, IPN, SAP, or CAP than the non-SIRS group(0 d), the transient SIRS group(1~2 d), and the persistent SIRS group(3~4 d) (all P＜0.05), and the persistent SIRS group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with SAP than the non-SIRS group (P＜0.05). ConclusionAP patients with SIRS in the early stage are likely to develop organ failure and local complications, and there is a significant increase in the risk of IPN when SIRS duration is ＞4.5 days.