Objective:To analyze the differentially expressed genes in PBMCs of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by bioinformatics methods screening and analyzing the key genes related to ferroptosis, and explore the possible mechanism of ferroptosis involved in the pathogenesis of SLE at the transcription level.Methods:The data sets and samples of healthy people (HC) and SLE patients who met the screening criteria were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), a sub-database of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The differentially expressed genes, GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were analyzed by GEO2R, R language and related software packages. The protein interaction network (PPI) of differential genes was analyzed by STRING, Cytoscape and other tools to explore the key genes and pathways. In addition, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to verify the expression of key genes. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the expression of key genes in PBMCs between the two groups. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship between SLE disease activity and the level of key genes. Results:Six data sets were included in this study. A total of 166 genes related to ferroptosis were differentially expressed between SLE and HC groups. The differential genes were specifically expressed in alveolar macrophages, neutrophils, CD49 + cells and CD31 + cells. GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in multiple signaling pathways closely related to SLE, such as oxidative stress response, infection and TNF signaling pathway. Hub genes screened by different algorithms all suggested RELA as a key gene, and RT-qPCR confirmed that compared with the RELA gene expression level in the HC group [0.75(0.37,1.13)], the expression level in SLE group [2.02 (1.19,4.06)] was increased, the difference was statistically significant ( Z=-3.08, P=0.002), and was positively correlated with the corresponding SLEDAI score of SLE samples ( r=0.52, P=0.019). Conclusion:The ferroptosis of many immune cells, including alveolar macrophages and CD49 + NK cells, is involved in the pathogenesis of SLE. RELA may be involved in the ferroptosis of PBMCs in SLE through the NF-κB pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of mucin 1 (MUC1) on the proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its regulatory mechanism. MethodsThe 60 NPC and paired para-cancer normal tissues were collected from October 2020 to July 2021 in Quanzhou First Hospital. The expression of MUC1 was measured by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the patients with PNC. The 5-8F and HNE1 cells were transfected with siRNA control (si-control) or siRNA targeting MUC1 (si-MUC1). Cell proliferation was analyzed by cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assay, and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry analysis in the 5-8F and HNE1 cells. The qPCR and ELISA were executed to analyze the levels of TNF-α and IL-6. Western blot was performed to measure the expression of MUC1, NF-кB and apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Bcl-2). ResultsThe expression of MUC1 was up-regulated in the NPC tissues, and NPC patients with the high MUC1 expression were inclined to EBV infection, growth and metastasis of NPC. Loss of MUC1 restrained malignant features, including the proliferation and apoptosis, downregulated the expression of p-IкB、p-P65 and Bcl-2 and upregulated the expression of Bax in the NPC cells. ConclusionDownregulation of MUC1 restrained biological characteristics of malignancy, including cell proliferation and apoptosis, by inactivating NF-κB signaling pathway in NPC.

Pogostemon cablin is a famous southern medicine.As the important raw material for modern medicine and industry,Pogostemon cablin becomes required with a large marketing demand.However,due to the serious continuous cropping obstacles in the growth process of Pogostemon cablin,the aggravation of diseases of Pogostemon cablin and the degradation of its quality arose.This paper outlined the ecological factors such as climate factors,soil factors and topographic factors suitable for the growth of Pogostemon cablin,analyzed the continuous cropping obstacles and diseases arising in the cultivation,reviewed the current ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin such as crop rotation,intercropping,relay-cropping and under-forest planting,and also made a comprehensive evaluation of the economic benefits,ecological benefits and social benefits of the ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin,aiming to provide a theoretical basis and a reference for the promotion of the ecological planting mode of Pogostemon cablin.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks,and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020.According to their conditions,they were divided into group A(both twins had BPD),group B(only one twin had BPD),and group C(neither twin had BPD).The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed.Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins.Results A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of<34 weeks were included in this study.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C,birth weight discordance of>25%between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins(OR=3.370,95%CI:1.500-7.568,P<0.05),and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD(P<0.05).The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age(SGA)birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins(OR=5.017,95%CI:1.040-24.190,P<0.05).Conclusions The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age,birth weight discordance between the twins,and SGA birth.

Aim To establish the fingerprint of raw bupleurum and vinegar bupleurum,investigate the difference in their anti-liver fibrosis effects,and ex-plore the relationship between the chemical composition of raw bupleurum and vinegar bupleurum and their an-ti-liver fibrosis efficacy.Methods The fingerprints of 10 batches of raw bupleuri and 10 batches of bupleuri were established by UPLC method.The liver fibrosis cell model in vitro was established by TGF-β induced LX-2 hepatic stellate cells.The liver fibrosis cell mod-el was analyzed with collagen type Ⅰ(col1a1)and α-smoothmuscleactin.The expression of α-SMA protein was used as the pharmacodynamic index.MetaboAna-lyst5.0 was used to screen the difference markers af-fecting the quality of raw bupledges and vinegar bu-pledges with VIP value＞1 as the criterion.Orthogo-nal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA)was used to screen the main components of raw bupleurum and vinegar bupleurum against liver fibro-sis.Results There were 18 peaks in the UPLC fin-gerprints of raw bupleurum and vinegar bupleurum,and the analysis results showed that there were nine main differences between raw bupleurum and vinegar bupleurum,among which peaks 9,7 and 6 could be considered as bupleurin d,bupleurin a and bupleurin f.The results of spectral effect relationship showed that the main components of bupleurum anti-liver fibrosis were peaks 11,12,14,15 and 18.Conclusions The established fingerprint method of raw bupleurum and vinegar bupleurum is simple and feasible,and the important components of anti-liver fibrosis activity are screened through the spectrum effect relationship,which provides a basis for clarifying the material basis of anti-liver fibrosis effect of raw bupleurum and vine-gar bupleurum.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and is characterized by alternating periods of inflammation and remission. Although UC incidence is lower in Taiwan than in Western countries, its impact remains considerable, demanding updated guidelines for addressing local healthcare challenges and patient needs. The revised guidelines employ international standards and recent research, emphasizing practical implementation within the Taiwanese healthcare system. Since the inception of the guidelines in 2017, the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease has acknowledged the need for ongoing revisions to incorporate emerging therapeutic options and evolving disease management practices. This updated guideline aims to align UC management with local contexts, ensuring comprehensive and context-specific recommendations, thereby raising the standard of care for UC patients in Taiwan. By adapting and optimizing international protocols for local relevance, these efforts seek to enhance health outcomes for patients with UC.

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic, fluctuating inflammatory condition that primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract. Although the incidence of CD in Taiwan is lower than that in Western countries, the severity of CD presentation appears to be similar between Asia and the West. This observation indicates the urgency for devising revised guidelines tailored to the unique reimbursement system, and patient requirements in Taiwan. The core objectives of these updated guidelines include the updated treatment choices and the integration of the treat-to-target strategy into CD management, promoting the achievement of deep remission to mitigate complications and enhance the overall quality of life. Given the diversity in disease prevalence, severity, insurance policies, and access to medical treatments in Taiwan, a customized approach is imperative for formulating these guidelines. Such tailored strategies ensure that international standards are not only adapted but also optimized to local contexts. Since the inception of its initial guidelines in 2017, the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (TSIBD) has acknowledged the importance of continuous revisions for incorporating new therapeutic options and evolving disease management practices. The latest update leverages international standards and recent research findings focused on practical implementation within the Taiwanese healthcare system.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of different doses of compound sodium chloride injection combined with norepinephrine on prevention of hypotension after lumbar anesthesia in the patients undergoing caesarean section.Methods:A total of 150 patients with a singleton fetus, aged 18-45 yr, at ≥37 weeks of gestation, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, with height ≥150 cm, weighing ≤100 kg, with body mass index < 40 kg/m 2, scheduled for elective caesarean section under lumbar anesthesia, were divided into 3 groups ( n=50 each) by the random number table method: compound sodium chloride injection 4, 8 and 12 ml·kg -1·h -1 groups (group A, group B, group C). Compound sodium chloride injection 4 ml/kg was intravenously injected for liquid preload before lumbar anesthesia, and 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine 12.5 mg was injected to the subarachnoid space for lumbar anesthesia. Norepinephrine was intravenously injected at a dose of 6 μg immediately after intrathecal injection, followed by an infusion of 0.05 μg·kg -1·min -1, and infusion was stopped at 5 min after delivery. Compound sodium chloride injection was intravenously infused simultaneously at a rate of 4, 8 and 12 ml·kg -1·h -1 in A, B and C groups, respectively. The maximum diameter of inferior vena cava (IVCmax) and the minimum diameter of inferior vena cava (IVCmin) were measured by ultrasound, and inferior vena cava collapse index (IVC-CI) was calculated at 1 min before fluid preload (T 1), immediately after fluid preload (T 2), at 5 min after anesthesia (T 3), at 5 min after fetal delivery (T 4) and immediately before leaving the operating room (T 5). The incidence of intraoperative adverse events (hypotension, severe hypotension, bradycardia, hypertension, nausea, and vomiting) and neonatal outcomes (umbilical artery blood gas index and Apgar score at 1 and 5 min after birth) were recorded. Results:Compared with group A, IVCmin was significantly increased and IVC-CI was decreased at T 5 in group B, and IVCmin and IVCmax were significantly increased and IVC-CI was decreased at T 5 in group C ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in IVCmax, IVCmin and IVC-CI at each time point between group B and group C ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of hypotension, severe hypotension, bradycardia, hypertension, nausea and vomiting among the three groups ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the results of blood gas analysis of the umbilical artery and Apgar score at each time point after birth among the three groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Compound sodium chloride injection 4, 8 and 12 ml·kg -1·h -1 combined with norepinephrine can effectively prevent the occurrence of hypotension after lumbar anesthesia in the patients undergoing caesarean section without increasing maternal and infant adverse events, and the effect of 8 and 12 ml·kg -1·h -1 for volume supplementation is better than that of 4 ml·kg -1·h -1.

Clinical efficacy is the basis for the development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), and the evaluation of clinical efficacy of TCM has always been the focus of attention. The technical and methodological difficulties in the evaluation process often restrict the generation of high-level evidence. Therefore, methodological research should be deepened and innovative practice should be carried out to study the application of scientific research methods in the evaluation of the advantages of TCM. After more than ten years of development, the clinical efficacy evaluation of TCM, on the basis of the initially classic placebo randomized controlled trials, has successively carried out a series of meaningful attempts and explorations in N-of-1 trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, real world studies, narrative medicine studies, systematic evaluation, and other aspects, laying the foundation for the transformation of TCM from "experience" to "evidence". This paper focused on the clinical efficacy evaluation of TCM, summarized the main connotation and development status of efficacy evaluation indicators, standards, and methods, and put forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions for the problems of indicator selection, standard formulation, and methodology optimization in the research process. It is clear that scientific and objective evaluation of the efficacy of TCM is an urgent problem to be solved at present.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Case-Control Studies ; Narrative Medicine

Amid the modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), the safety of TCM has attracted much attention. At the moment, the government, scientific research teams, and pharmaceutical enterprises have made great efforts to explore methods and techniques for clinical safety evaluation of TCM. Although considerable achievements have been made, there are still many problems, such as the non-standard terms of adverse reactions of TCM, unclear evaluation indicators, unreasonable judgment methods, lack of evaluation models, out-of-date evaluation standards, and unsound reporting systems. Therefore, it is urgent to further deepen the research mode and method of clinical safety evaluation of TCM. Based on the current national requirements for the life-cycle management of drugs, this study focused on the problems in the five dimensions of clinical safety evaluation of TCM, including normative terms, evaluation modes, judgment methods, evaluation standards, and reporting systems, and proposed suggestions on the development of a life-cycle clinical safety evaluation method that conformed to the characteristics of TCM, hoping to provide a reference for future research.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/adverse effects* ; Social Change