ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture combined with bloodletting and cupping in the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria（CSU） and to explore its potential mechanisms of action. MethodsSeventy CSU patients were randomly divided into loratadine group and acupuncture + bloodletting group， with 35 patients in each group. The loratadine group received oral loratadine tablets， 10 mg once daily in the evening. The acupuncture + bloodletting group received acupuncture at Zhongwan （CV 12）， Guanyuan （CV 4）， Tianshu （ST 25）， Zusanli （ST 36）， Sanyinjiao （SP 6）， Xuehai （SP 10）， Quchi （LI 11）， Hegu （LI 4）， Taichong （LR 3）， Baihui （GV 20）， and Shenting （GV 24）， once daily，along with bloodletting and cupping at Dazhui （GV 14） and Geshu （BL 17）， every other day. Both groups were treated for 4 weeks. The 7-day urticaria activity score（UAS7） was assessed before and after the treatment， and levels of serum immunoglobulin E （IgE）， interleukin-4 （IL-4）， interleukin-5 （IL-5）， eosinophil cationic protein （ECP）， plasma tissue factor （TF）， activated factor Ⅶ （FⅦa）， prothrombin fragment 1+2 （F1+2）， D-dimer （D-D） and complement component 5a （C5a） were detected. ResultsA total of 65 patients were included in the final analysis， 32 in the loratadine group and 33 in the acupuncture + bloodletting group. Before treatment， there was no significant difference in UAS7 score， serum IgE， IL-4， IL-5， ECP levels， or plasma TF， FⅦa， F1+2， D-D， C5a levels between groups （P＞ 0.05）. After treatment， both groups showed significant reductions in UAS7 score， serum IgE， IL-4， IL-5， and plasma TF， FⅦa， F1+2， D-D， and C5a levels compared to those before treatment （P＜0.01）. However， after treatment， there was no significant difference in UAS7 score and serum ECP， IgE， IL-4， IL-5 levels between groups （P＞0.05）. The acupuncture + bloodletting group showed lower plasma TF， FⅦa， F1+2， D-D and C5a levels compared to the loratadine group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. ConclusionAcupuncture combined with bloodletting and cupping can effectively improve the skin symptoms of CSU patients and reduce the levels of inflammatory factors. The potential mechanism of action may involve the regulation of the coagulation-complement-mast cell activation axis， thereby inhibiting mast cell degranulation.

Esophagogastric variceal bleeding is a common complication and the leading cause of death in advanced liver cirrhosis， and endoscopic variceal ligation （EVL） and endoscopic cyanoacrylate injection （ECI） are commonly used treatment strategies. Thrombocytopenia is one of the most common hematological complications in liver cirrhosis， and patients with severe thrombocytopenia have the potential risk of bleeding， which may affect treatment decision-making by clinicians and endoscopists. This article reviews the evolution of guidelines and clinical research advances regarding EVL/ECI in China and globally， in order to provide a basis for decision making among clinicians.

Dachengqi Decoction is a classic prescription attacked by Yangming excessive syndromes in clinic, which has the effects of relieving heat, softening and dispersing knots, etc., and is often used in the treatment of gastrointestinal dysfunction caused by various diseases. This article reviewed the recent studies on the chemical compositions and pharmacological effects of Dachengqi Decoction in recent years. On this basis, combined with the "five principles" of TCM quality markers, the quality markers of Dachengqi Decoction were predicted and analyzed. It is suggested that emodin, Rhein, chrysophanol, aloe-emodin, synephrine, hesperidin, naringin, magnolol and magnolol can be used as quality markers of Dachengqi Decoction.

Objective:To analyze the effect of mucosal ligament preservation on the outcome of arthroscopic repair of meniscus injury.Methods:A total of 77 patients with knee meniscus tears caused by sports injuries who underwent arthroscopic meniscus repair or suture in Zhengzhou Orthopaedic Hospital from June 2022 to June 2023, were retrospectively analyzed. Including 45 males and 32 females, aged 38.57±13.54 years (range, 52-87 years), body mass index 24.72±4.01 kg/m 2 (range, 34.14-13.61 kg/m 2). All patients complained of knee pain, limited activity and walking weakness. The symptoms were not relieved after 1 month of conservative treatment, which seriously affected daily work and life. According to the intraoperative treatment of mucosal ligament, the patients were divided into mucosal ligament preservation group and mucosal ligament removal group. The visual analogue score (VAS), Lysholm score, and total blood loss were compared between the two groups. Results:All patients successfully completed the operation and were followed up for an average of 5.23±2.16 months (range, 3-9 months). The operation time was 47.59±16.81 min in mucosal ligament preservation group and 45.25±15.93 min in mucosal ligament removal group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( t=0.628, P=0.532). The total blood loss in the mucosal ligament preservation group was 246±193 ml, which was less than 343±211 ml in the mucosal ligament removal group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.095, P=0.040). None of the patients received allogeneic blood transfusion. The hematocrit of the mucosal ligament preservation group was 42.48%±4.57% before operation and 39.42%±4.65% on the third day after operation, while that of the mucosal ligament removal group was 41.24%±4.16% and 38.95%±3.80%. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=0.016, P=0.004; t=0.004, P=0.016). There was no significant difference between the two groups before operation and on the third day after operation ( t=0.217, P=0.545; t=0.629, P=0.159). The preoperative VAS score of mucosal ligament preservation group was 7.25±1.10, which was higher than that of 3 months after operation (0.83±1.06), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=0.062, P<0.001). The preoperative VAS score of mucosal ligament removal group was 7.16±1.21, which was higher than that of 3 months after operation (1.05±1.13), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=0.017, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in VAS scores between the two groups before operation and at 3 months after operation ( t=0.144, P=0.740; t= 0.273, P=0.603). The preoperative Lysholm score of mucosal ligament preservation group was 31.76±7.54, which was significantly lower than that of 3 months after operation 87.30±4.12 ( t=-39.329, P<0.001); The Lysholm score of the mucosal ligament removal group was 34.13±7.32 before operation, which was lower than 89.05±4.45 at 3 months after operation, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-40.172, P<0.001); There was no significant difference in Lysholm score between the two groups before operation and 3 months after operation ( t=1.395, P=0.167; t=1.766, P=0.081). Conclusion:The preservation of mucosal ligament in arthroscopic surgery for meniscus injury does not prolong the operation time. It can reduce the total intraoperative blood loss, and the postoperative knee function recovery is similar to that of mucosal ligament removal.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), as well as associations with advanced fibrosis.Methods:CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy at Tianjin Second People′s Hospital from June 2016 to September 2019 were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether they had concomitant MAFLD; a CHB group and a MAFLD-CHB group. t-tests and Chi-square tests were used to compare pathological characteristics and basic features in the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze factors associated with advanced fibrosis. Results:The CHB group included 110 patients, and the MAFLD-CHB group included 272 patients. There were significant differences in smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension incidence, body metabolic index, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, fasting plasma glucose, and platelets (PLT) between the two groups (all P<0.05). The MAFLD-CHB group had a higher incidence of advanced fibrosis than the CHB group ( P<0.05). In logistic regression analysis MAFLD [odds ratio ( OR)=2.204, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.018-4.774, P=0.045], GGT ( OR=1.008, 95% CI 1.002-1.013, P=0.005), and PLT ( OR=0.995, 95% CI 0.991-0.999, P=0.019) were associated with advanced fibrosis (all P<0.05). In the MAFLD-CHB group type 2 diabetes ( OR=3.281, 95% CI 1.375-7.832, P=0.007), GGT ( OR=1.011, 95% CI 1.003-1.018, P=0.005), and PLT ( OR=0.993, 95% CI 0.988-0.998, P=0.004) were associated with advanced fibrosis ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Patients with MAFLD-CHB are more likely to develop advanced fibrosis than patients with CHB alone. In the MAFLD-CHB group type 2 diabetes mellitus was associated with advanced fibrosis. It is important to strictly control relevant risk factors in MAFLD-CHB patients, especially in patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE To explore the potential mechanism of action of Gexia zhuyu decoction in the intervention of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） based on ferroptosis. METHODS With the help of network pharmacology， the central targets of Gexia zhuyu decoction intervening in ferroptosis of MAFLD were screened， then gene ontology， Kyoto Encyclopedia Gene and Genomes enrichment analysis and molecular docking were performed. Juvenile zebrafish with normal development at 3 d post-fertilization were randomly divided into control group， model group （5 mmol/L thioacetamide）， magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate group （positive control， 5 mg/mL）， and Gexia zhuyu decoction low- ， medium- and high- concentration groups （20， 40， 80 μg/mL， calculated by crude drugs）. After cultured for 72 h， the contents of alanine transaminase （ALT）， aspartate transaminase （AST）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， glutathione （GSH）， reactive oxygen species （ROS） and Fe2+ were determined； the cellular structure of the liver tissues and hepatic steatosis were observed； the protein expression of silence information regulator 1 （SIRT1）， nuclear factor- erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） and glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） were detected. RESULTS The central targets of potential active ingredients of Gexia zhuyu decoction that act on ferroptosis in MAFLD included tumor proteins p53， SIRT1， Nrf2， etc.， which were enriched in biological processes such as positive/negative regulation of RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter transcription， cellular components such as nucleus and cytoplasm， molecular functions such as protein binding， as well as signaling pathways such as ferroptosis and the cancer pathway， and they might be tightly linked to the main active ingredients. Compared with model group， the contents of ALT， AST， TC， TG， MDA， ROS and Fe2+ were all decreased significantly in each administration group， while the contents of SOD and GSH were increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the pathological damage of liver tissue cells had improved， and the accumulation of liver lipids had decreased. The protein expressions of SIRT1， Nrf2 and GPX4 had been significantly upregulated （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Gexia zhuyu decoction can regulate lipid metabolism， improve the level of oxidative stress， maintain Fe2+ homeostasis， and inhibit the process of ferroptosis in juvenile zebrafish with MAFLD， and the above effects may be related to the activation of the SIRT1/Nrf2/GPX4 axis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)has become the most common liver disease in the world and is an important risk factor for the progression to hepatocellular carcinoma.However,the pathogenesis of NAFLD remains unclear,and there is still a lack of specific treatment measures.Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins(SREBP)are an important nuclear transcription factor,which mainly maintains the balance of lipid metabolism inside the body by activating the genes associated with the synthesis and uptake of cholesterol,fatty acids,and triglycerides,and therefore,SREBP are a target for the treatment of metabolic diseases.This article reviews the latest advances in SREBP in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and the latest evidence of SREBP-targeted therapy for NAFLD.It is worth noting that recent studies have shown that SREBP inhibition can cause liver injury together with autophagy damage.Therefore,excessive inhibition of lipogenesis may exert a counterproductive effect on the treatment of NAFLD.In conclusion,SREBP is a promising therapeutic target for NAFLD;the molecular mechanism of SREBP in lipid metabolism is regulated by many factors,and these factors are being deeply explored and analyzed,which has an important clinical significance for the treatment of NAFLD.

Objective To analyze the evaluation value of serum troponin Ⅰ(TnⅠ)combined with soluble CD163(sCD163)in the disease condition and prognosis of the patients with acute cholecystitis.Methods The clinical data of 125 patients with acute cholecystitis admitted and treated in the hospital from October 2022 to October 2023 were retrospectively collected.The patients were divided into the mild group(n=33),moderate group(n=51)and severe group(n=41)according to the severity of disease condition.The levels of serum TnⅠ,sCD163,interleukin(IL)-6,C reactive protein(CRP),total bilirubin(TBIL)and alanine aminotrans-ferase(ALT)were detected.The patients were divided into the good prognosis group(n=95)and poor prog-nosis group(n=30)according the occurrence of complications such as abdominal pain,dyspepsia and cholan-gitis within postoperative 3 months.The preoperative indicators were compared between the two groups.The influencing factors of prognosis in the patients were evaluated by the logistic regress analysis.The receiver op-erating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the diagnostic efficiency of TnⅠ and sCD163 in evalua-ting the disease condition and prognosis of the patients.Results The levels of TnⅠ,sCD163,IL-6,CRP,TBIL and ALT in the mild group were(0.78±0.23)μg/L,(25.01±3.15)mg/L,(62.52±7.61)pg/mL,(32.47±4.11)mg/L,(35.65±4.61)μmol/L and(79.75±7.23)U/L respectively,which were lower than those in the moderate group and severe group(P＜0.05).The TnⅠ level in the good prognosis group was(0.99±0.37)μg/L,which was lower than(1.82±0.51)μg/L in the poor prognosis group(P＜0.05);the sCD163 level in the good prognosis group was(27.46±3.50)mg/L,which was lower than[(33.12±4.13)mg/L]in the poor prognosis group(P＜0.05).The logistic analysis showed that TnⅠ,SCD163,IL-6,CRP,TBIL and ALT all were the important factors affecting the prognosis in the patients;the ROC curve showed the area under the curve(AUC)of TnⅠ combined with SCD163 for evaluating the disease condition was 0.966(95％CI:0.937-0.995),which for evaluating the prognosis was 0.948(95％CI:0.903-0.993).Conclusion Serum TnⅠ com-bined with sCD163 has a high application value in the assessment of the disease condition and prognosis in the patients with acute cholecystitis.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of adjusting the dose of imatinib dose in the context of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) who are receiving adjuvant therapy after complete resection of their tumors.Methods:This was a descriptive study. Inclusion criteria were (1) complete surgical resection with a pathological diagnosis of GIST, (2) postoperative adjuvant therapy with imatinib and dosage adjustment, (3) multiple TDM of imatinib, and (4) complete clinical, pathological, and follow-up data. The data of 70 patients with GISTs treated at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between January 2015 and December 2023 were collected retrospectively. The study cohort comprised 15 (21.4%) men and 55 (78.6%) women of median age 60 years (range: 25–82). Of the eligible patients, 49 (70.0%) were at high-risk, 14 (20.0%) at intermediate-risk, six (8.6%) at low-risk, and one (1.4%) at very low risk. Patients were followed up by the gastrointestinal stromal tumor clinic every 2–3 months and their plasma concentrations of imatinib were checked. The dose was adjusted to 300 mg/d or 200 mg/d depending on whether they had had ≥ grade III adverse reactions, and whether the first plasma concentration of imatinib was ≥ 1,500 μg/L or between the expected range of 760 μg/L–1,100 μg/L. Studied indicators included adverse reactions, quality of life before and after dose adjustment, and overall survival and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after dose adjustment.Results:Before dose adjustment, all 70 patients received 400 mg of imatinib daily, with initial TDM values of 1,900 ± 568 μg/L, for a median duration of 8.3 months. After dose adjustment, 60 patients received 300 mg daily, with a TDM of 1,216 ± 350 μg/L, whereas 10 received 200 mg daily, with a TDM of 1,023 ± 269 μg/L. The median duration of treatment after dose adjustment was 23.4 months. Compared with those whose dosages were not adjusted, the incidence of bone marrow suppression was significantly lower (74.3% [52/70] vs. 51.4% [36/70], χ 2=9.202, P=0.010); as were the incidences of edema (95.7% [67/70] vs. 50.0% [35/70], χ 2=40.526, P<0.001); skin reactions (70.0% [49/70] vs. 32.9% [23/70), χ 2=22.495, P<0.001); and gastrointestinal reactions (38.6% [27/70] vs. 10.0% [7/70], χ 2=15.899, P<0.001) in those whose dosages were adjusted. The average total scores for physical health before and after dose adjustment were 76 ± 5 and 88 ± 4, respectively; whereas the mental health scores were 75 ± 6 and 89 ± 4, respectively. The median follow-up period was 36 months (range 6–126). During the first 3 years of follow-up, five high-risk patients with non-gastric GISTs developed recurrences. The 3-year overall survival rate was 100%, and the 3-year RFS rate was 92.8%, high-risk patients having a 3-year RFS rate of 89.8%. Conclusion:The adverse reactions and quality of life of GIST patients with severe adverse reactions to adjuvant imatinib therapy after complete resection can be mitigated by appropriately reducing the dosage of imatinib under the guidance of TDM.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of adjusting the dose of imatinib dose in the context of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) who are receiving adjuvant therapy after complete resection of their tumors.Methods:This was a descriptive study. Inclusion criteria were (1) complete surgical resection with a pathological diagnosis of GIST, (2) postoperative adjuvant therapy with imatinib and dosage adjustment, (3) multiple TDM of imatinib, and (4) complete clinical, pathological, and follow-up data. The data of 70 patients with GISTs treated at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between January 2015 and December 2023 were collected retrospectively. The study cohort comprised 15 (21.4%) men and 55 (78.6%) women of median age 60 years (range: 25–82). Of the eligible patients, 49 (70.0%) were at high-risk, 14 (20.0%) at intermediate-risk, six (8.6%) at low-risk, and one (1.4%) at very low risk. Patients were followed up by the gastrointestinal stromal tumor clinic every 2–3 months and their plasma concentrations of imatinib were checked. The dose was adjusted to 300 mg/d or 200 mg/d depending on whether they had had ≥ grade III adverse reactions, and whether the first plasma concentration of imatinib was ≥ 1,500 μg/L or between the expected range of 760 μg/L–1,100 μg/L. Studied indicators included adverse reactions, quality of life before and after dose adjustment, and overall survival and recurrence-free survival (RFS) after dose adjustment.Results:Before dose adjustment, all 70 patients received 400 mg of imatinib daily, with initial TDM values of 1,900 ± 568 μg/L, for a median duration of 8.3 months. After dose adjustment, 60 patients received 300 mg daily, with a TDM of 1,216 ± 350 μg/L, whereas 10 received 200 mg daily, with a TDM of 1,023 ± 269 μg/L. The median duration of treatment after dose adjustment was 23.4 months. Compared with those whose dosages were not adjusted, the incidence of bone marrow suppression was significantly lower (74.3% [52/70] vs. 51.4% [36/70], χ 2=9.202, P=0.010); as were the incidences of edema (95.7% [67/70] vs. 50.0% [35/70], χ 2=40.526, P<0.001); skin reactions (70.0% [49/70] vs. 32.9% [23/70), χ 2=22.495, P<0.001); and gastrointestinal reactions (38.6% [27/70] vs. 10.0% [7/70], χ 2=15.899, P<0.001) in those whose dosages were adjusted. The average total scores for physical health before and after dose adjustment were 76 ± 5 and 88 ± 4, respectively; whereas the mental health scores were 75 ± 6 and 89 ± 4, respectively. The median follow-up period was 36 months (range 6–126). During the first 3 years of follow-up, five high-risk patients with non-gastric GISTs developed recurrences. The 3-year overall survival rate was 100%, and the 3-year RFS rate was 92.8%, high-risk patients having a 3-year RFS rate of 89.8%. Conclusion:The adverse reactions and quality of life of GIST patients with severe adverse reactions to adjuvant imatinib therapy after complete resection can be mitigated by appropriately reducing the dosage of imatinib under the guidance of TDM.