Guanxin Danshen Dripping Pills Improve Quality of Life and Cardiovascular Prognoses of CHD Patients after PCI with Anxiety or Depression (GLAD Study): A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the efficacy and safety of Guanxin Danshen Dripping Pills (GXDS) in the treatment of depression or anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).@*METHODS@#From September 2017 to June 2019, 200 CHD patients after PCI with depression and anxiety were included and randomly divided into GXDS (100 cases) and placebo control groups (100 cases) by block randomization and a random number table. Patients in the GXDS and control groups were given GXDS and placebo, respectively, 0.4 g each time, 3 times daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were scores of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7) and the Seattle Angina Pectoris Scale (SAQ). The secondary outcomes included 12 Health Survey Summary Form (SF-12) scores and the first onset time and incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Other indices including blood pressure, blood lipids, microcirculation and inflammatory-related indices, etc. were monitored at baseline, week 4, and week 12.@*RESULTS@#In the full analysis set (200 cases), after treatment, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores in the GXDS group were considerably lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the baseline, the total PHQ-9 scores of the experimental and control groups decreased by 3.97 and 1.18, respectively. The corrected mean difference between the two groups was -2.78 (95% CI: -3.47, -2.10; P<0.001). The total GAD-7 score in the GXDS group decreased by 3.48% compared with the baseline level, while that of the placebo group decreased by 1.13%. The corrected mean difference between the two groups was -2.35 (95% CI: -2.95, -1.76; P<0.001). The degree of improvement in SAQ score, SF-12 score, endothelin and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels in the GXDS group were substantially superior than those in the placebo group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). Similar results were obtained in the per protocol population analysis of 177 patients. Three cases of MACES were reported in this study (1 in the GXDS group and 2 in the placebo group), and no serious adverse events occurred.@*CONCLUSIONS@#GXDS can significantly alleviate depression and anxiety, relieve symptoms of angina, and improve quality of life in patients with CHD after PCI. (Registration No. ChiCTR1800014291).

Review on exposure characteristics and health effects of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances / 环境与职业医学

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a new type of persistent organic pollutants that have received extensive attention in recent years. This article reviewed the population characteristics of environmental exposure to PFAS, as well as the potential health effects. Previous studies have verified that people are exposed to PFAS mainly through ingestion, and food and water are the dominant contributors. In terms of exposure characteristics, geographical, gender, age, and occupational differences have an impact on the level of PFAS exposure in the corresponding populations by influencing their behavioral characteristics and metabolic levels, with occupational exposure receiving more attention, especially in the exploration of novel PFAS. PFAS associate with a variety of adverse health effects caused by hepatorenal toxicity, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, and carcinogenicity. However, some of the conclusions are not completely consistent, and the published epidemiological studies have focused on children and young people, lacking relevant data of the elderly. Future research can pay more attention to the elderly population and carry out validation exploration on controversial conclusions.

Multimorbidity Pattern and Risk for Mortality Among Patients With Dementia: A Nationwide Cohort Study Using Latent Class Analysis

Objective@#Individuals with dementia are at a substantially elevated risk for mortality; however, few studies have examined multimorbidity patterns and determined the inter-relationship between these comorbidities in predicting mortality risk. @*Methods@#This is a prospective cohort study. Data from 6,556 patients who were diagnosed with dementia between 1997 and 2012 using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were analyzed. Latent class analysis was performed using 16 common chronic conditions to identify mortality risk among potentially different latent classes. Logistic regression was performed to determine the adjusted association of the determined latent classes with the 5-year mortality rate. @*Results@#With adjustment for age, a three-class model was identified, with 42.7% of participants classified as “low comorbidity class (cluster 1)”, 44.2% as “cardiometabolic multimorbidity class (cluster 2)”, and 13.1% as “FRINGED class (cluster 3, characterized by FRacture, Infection, NasoGastric feeding, and bleEDing over upper gastrointestinal tract).” The incidence of 5-year mortality was 17.6% in cluster 1, 26.7% in cluster 2, and 59.6% in cluster 3. Compared with cluster 1, the odds ratio for mortality was 9.828 (95% confidence interval [CI]=6.708–14.401; p<0.001) in cluster 2 and 1.582 (95% CI=1.281–1.953; p<0.001) in cluster 3. @*Conclusion@#Among patients with dementia, the risk for 5-year mortality was highest in the subpopulation characterized by fracture, urinary and pulmonary infection, upper gastrointestinal bleeding, and nasogastric intubation, rather than cancer or cardiometabolic comorbidities. These findings may improve decision-making and advance care planning for patients with dementia.

Research advances on dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors in the treatment of tumors and bacterial infections / 药学学报

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a well-known key target in the treatment of tumors, bacterial infections, and parasitic infections; and it plays a critical role in the biosynthesis of cellular DNA. DHFR inhibitors interfere with one-carbon metabolism by inhibiting substrate binding to DHFR, thereby inhibiting cell proliferation. Research on DHFR inhibitors has continued since the 1940s. To date, a variety of DHFR inhibitors have come into the market, primarily used for anti-tumor, antibacterial, antiparasitic, and anti-inflammatory therapy. This review summarizes the research progress of DHFR inhibitors with antitumor or antibacterial effects in recent years based on the classification of single-target and dual-target and looks forward to the opportunities and challenges faced by the work in this field.

Referral criteria of the SPOT Vision Screener for children under 6 years old / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To revise the referral criteria for the SPOT Vision Screener in children under 6 years old and assessed its accuracy based on the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus(AAPOS)uniform guidelines for instrument-based pediatric vision screen validation 2021.METHODS: Children who visited the Maternal and Child Health Center of Yuhuatai District in Nanjing city from January 2022 to April 2023 were included in the study and underwent SPOT refractive screening, cycloplegic retinoscopy, and other examinations. Abnormal children were defined according to AAPOS guidelines with amblyopia risk factors(ARFs)and visually significant refractive error(VSRE). Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to calculate the optimal referral criteria and compared with manufacturer criteria, Wu's criteria, and Peterseim's criteria.RESULTS: A total of 959 children were examined, with 342 in the &#x003C;4-year-old group and 617 in the ≥4-year-old group. The optimal referral criteria for the &#x003C;4-year-old group were myopia ≤-2.75 D, hyperopia ≥+2.25 D, astigmatism ≤-2.75 D, and anisometropia ≥1.00 D. For the ≥4-year-old group, the criteria were myopia ≤-1.75 D, hyperopia ≥+2.00 D, astigmatism ≤-2.25 D, and anisometropia ≥1.00 D. The Youden index was 0.38 and 0.52, respectively, which were higher than other criteria.CONCLUSION: The use of new referral criteria for refractive screening in children under 6 years old demonstrates higher accuracy compared to previous criteria. It provides valuable guidance for pediatric eye care and vision health in children.

A "4D" systemic view on meridian essence: Substantial, functional, chronological and cultural attributes / 中西医结合学报

The term Jingluo, translated as meridian or channel, is a core component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has played a fundamental role in guiding the clinical practice of acupuncture for thousands of years. However, the essence of the meridian remains elusive and is a source of both confusion and debate for researchers. In this study, a "4D" systemic view on the essence of the meridian, namely substantial, functional, chronological, and cultural dimensions, was proposed based on a review of the ancient medical classics, recent research developments, and results from clinical practice. Previous studies have primarily focused on the substantial dimension of the meridian system, with scant interpretation about its functional domain. Neither systemic data nor evaluations have been adequately documented. Additionally, a limited but increasing number of studies have focused on the chronological and cultural dimensions. More investigations that embody the holistic concept of TCM and integrate the systemic modes and advanced techniques with dominant diseases of TCM need to be performed to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the essence of meridians. The goal of this study is to yield useful information in understanding the essence of meridians and provide a reference and perspective for further research.

Construction and Application of YOLOv3-Based Diatom Identification Model of Scanning Electron Microscope Images / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To construct a YOLOv3-based model for diatom identification in scanning electron microscope images, explore the application performance in practical cases and discuss the advantages of this model.@*METHODS@#A total of 25 000 scanning electron microscopy images were collected at 1 500× as an initial image set, and input into the YOLOv3 network to train the identification model after experts' annotation and image processing. Diatom scanning electron microscopy images of lung, liver and kidney tissues taken from 8 drowning cases were identified by this model under the threshold of 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 respectively, and were also identified by experts manually. The application performance of this model was evaluated through the recognition speed, recall rate and precision rate.@*RESULTS@#The mean average precision of the model in the validation set and test set was 94.8% and 94.3%, respectively, and the average recall rate was 81.2% and 81.5%, respectively. The recognition speed of the model is more than 9 times faster than that of manual recognition. Under the threshold of 0.4, the mean recall rate and precision rate of diatoms in lung tissues were 89.6% and 87.8%, respectively. The overall recall rate in liver and kidney tissues was 100% and the precision rate was less than 5%. As the threshold increased, the recall rate in all tissues decreased and the precision rate increased. The F1 score of the model in lung tissues decreased with the increase of threshold, while the F1 score in liver and kidney tissues with the increase of threshold.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The YOLOv3-based diatom electron microscope images automatic identification model works at a rapid speed and shows high recall rates in all tissues and high precision rates in lung tissues under an appropriate threshold. The identification model greatly reduces the workload of manual recognition, and has a good application prospect.

The value of IL-6 in the diagnosis, treatment and prognostic improvement of urosepsis at 2 hours after percutaneous nephrolithotomy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To explore the value of IL-6 in the diagnosis, treatment and improving prognosis of urosepsis at 2 hours after percutaneous nephrolithotomy.Methods:Twenty-five patients with urosepsis undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy in the Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from January 2019 to June 2021 were analyzed retrospectively, including 6 males and 19 females, aged (55.4±11.6) years, and there were 10 cases with hypertension, 11 cases with diabetes and 14 cases with hydronephrosis. There were 10 cases with Stone volume>353mm 2, 22 cases with pyuria, 12 cases with positive nitrite and 18 cases with positive urine culture before operation. Among them, 13 patients were classified into experimental group with the test of IL-6 at 2 hours after operation and 12 patients were classified into control group without the test of IL-6 at 2 hours after operation. IL-6>1 000 pg/ml at 2 hours after operation as the standard for diagnosis of urosepsis was used to guide the anti-infective treatment after percutaneous nephrolithotomy. The operation time, severity of urinary sepsis (severe sepsis and septic shock), diagnostic time of urosepsis after operation, and hospital stay after operation were compared between the two groups. Results:There were 13 patients including 9 females with average age of (52.4±12.2) years in the experimental group, and there were 6 cases with hypertension, 5 cases with diabetes and 9 cases with hydronephrosis, 5 cases with stone volume>353mm 2, 12 cases with pyuria, 7 cases with positive nitrite and 10 cases with positive urine culture before operation. There were 12 patients including 10 females with average age of (58.7±10.5) years in the control group, and there were 4 cases with hypertension, 6 cases with diabetes, 5 cases with hydronephrosis, 3 cases with stone volume>353mm 2, 10 cases with pyuria, 5 cases with positive nitrite, and 8 cases with positive urine culture before operation. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of gender( P=0.645), average age ( P=0.182), hypertension( P=0.688), diabetes( P =0.695), hydronephrosis( P=0.238), stone volume>353 mm 2( P=0.673), pyuria( P=0.593), positive nitrite( P=0.695), and positive urine culture( P=0.673). There was not significant difference in the general clinical data of gender, age, hypertension, diabetes, stone burden, hydronephrosis, pyuria, positive nitrite and positive urine culture between the two groups ( P>0.05). The mean value of IL-6 in the test group was (6 824.4±1 473.3) pg/ml. The operative time of the experimental group with (100.8±27.8) minutes was longer than that of the control group with (88.3±39.3) minutes, but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant ( P=0.645). The diagnostic time of urosepsis after operation in the test group with (3.6±2.0) hours was shorter than that in the control group with (6.0±3.0) hours, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.023). The postoperative hospital stay in the test group with (6.1±1.6) days was shorter than that in the control group with (8.2±2.3) days, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.014). Three patients with severe sepsis and septic shock in the test group, which were less than that of eight patients with severe sepsis and septic shock in the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.047). Conclusion:The detection of IL-6 at 2 hours after percutaneous nephrolithotomy can early diagnose urosepsis, reduce the severity of postoperative urosepsis, shorten the postoperative hospital stay, and improve the prognosis.

Relationship between frailty and orthostatic hypotension in the elderly in nursing homes / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective:To understand the predictive effect of orthostatic hypotension on frailty in nursing homes, and the effect of frailty on heart rate and blood pressure in supine positionand orthostatic position.Methods:A total of 214 elderly cases in three nursing homes (the Golden Years of Jinjialing Retirement Life Center, Hangzhou Boyang Pension Service Co., Ltd, Hangzhou Langhe International Medical Care Center) were interviewed by the general information questionnaire, the Frail Scale and Barthel Index. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate were measured by electronic sphygmomanometer in supine position and orthostatic position of 1 and 3 minutes.Results:The incidence of frailty combined with orthostatic hypotension was 26.64%(57/214) in the elderly in nursing homes. The incidence of orthostatic hypotension in the robust elderly, pre-frailty and frailty gradually increased, 14.29%(5/35), 20.00%(12/60), 47.90%(57/119). The differences of heart rate and systolic blood pressure in supine position between the elderly with and without frailty were significant ( t=2.16, 3.25, P<0.05), the differences of systolic pressure difference in orthostatic position of 1 and 3 minutes between the elderly with and without frailty were significant ( H=3.16, 4.08, P<0.01). There was significant difference in systolic pressure between the prefrail elderly and the elderly without frailty in lying position ( t=2.02, P<0.05). The differences of systolic and diastolic pressure differences in orthostatic position of 3 minutes between the frail elderly and pre-frail elderly were significant ( H=3.13,2.44, P<0.05). Ordered Logistic regression analysis showed that orthostatic hypotension was a risk factor for frailty ( OR=2.425, 95% CI were 1.133-4.988, P<0.05). Conclusions:Elderly adults with orthostatic hypotension in nursing homes have a higher prevalence of frailty. Frailty also impairs blood pressure regulation during postural changes. Nurses should attach importance to the assessment, education and intervention of frailty and orthostatic hypotension.

Stasis Caused by Depression and Coronary Heart Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Anxiety and depression are common comorbidities of coronary heart disease and are considered as independent risk factors in addition to traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Anxiety，depression and other mental abnormalities belong to the category of "depressive syndrome" of traditional Chinese medicine，which can lead to stasis of blood due to the lack of Qi flow. "Blood stasis" involves abnormal blood rheology， vascular endothelial dysfunction， chronic inflammatory response， abnormal lipid metabolism and other comprehensive pathological changes， and is the core pathogenesis of coronary heart disease in traditional Chinese medicine. "Depressive syndrome"can aggravate the development of coronary heart disease by promoting blood stasis in multiple ways. Prescriptions and herbs of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis can have a clinical effect by promoting blood circulation （improving physiological functions） and removing blood stasis （eliminating pathological changes）. In clinical practice， strengthening the screening of the mental and psychological status of patients with coronary heart disease and providing early and effective psychological interventions and combined Chinese and Western medicine drug treatment can significantly improve the clinical symptoms and prognosis of patients. This article was the first to put forward the academic view of "stasis caused by depression" for the first time，and discuss the modern biological research progress of "depression" in Chinese medicine that promotes blood stasis and aggravates coronary heart disease，in order to provide a basis for the subsequent development of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease. The aim is to provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent systematic research on the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease with emotional abnormalities in Chinese medicine.

Compound oleum lithospermi in improving clinical symptoms of mild to moderate diaper dermatitis: a multicenter, open-labeled, randomized controlled clinical study / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To evaluate clinical efficacy and safety of topical compound oleum lithospermi in the treatment of mild to moderate diaper dermatitis.Methods:A multicenter, randomized, positive-drug parallel-controlled clinical trial was conducted in 19 hospitals from July 2019 to August 2020. Children aged 0 - 12 months with mild to moderate diaper dermatitis were enrolled and randomly divided into 2 groups using a random number table: test group topically treated with compound oleum lithospermi, and control group topically treated with zinc oxide cream. The treatment was carried out 6 - 8 times a day for 7 days. Visits were scheduled on days 0 and 7, and total response rate and clinical healing time were evaluated. Changes in the dermatitis family impact (DFI) score were compared between the test group and control group, and adverse events were recorded. Statistical analysis was carried out by using independent-sample t test for normally distributed continuous data, Wilcoxon rank sum test for non-normally distributed continuous data, and chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test for unordered categorical data; survival curves were drawn, and log-rank test was used for comparisons between two groups. Results:A total of 343 children with diaper dermatitis were enrolled in this study. Among them, 31 children violated the protocol, so 312 were included in the per protocol set, including 157 in the test group and 155 in the control group, and all completed the visits on days 0 and 7. The total response rate was significantly higher in the test group (87.26%, 137/157) than in the control group (78.71%, 122/155; χ2 = 4.04, P = 0.044) . The clinical healing time was significantly shorter in the test group (5.33 days) than in the control group (6.13 days; χ2 = 4.67, P = 0.025) . After 7-day treatment, the DFI score significantly decreased in both the 2 groups compared with that before the treatment, but there was no significant difference in the DFI score between the 2 groups (test group: 4.02 ± 6.96, control group: 3.58 ± 5.90, Z = -0.39, P = 0.686) . The incidence of adverse events was 2.92% (5/171) and 5.45% (9/165) in the test group and control group respectively, and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups ( χ2 = 0.03, P = 0.865) . Conclusion:Compound oleum lithospermi can markedly reduce the clinical severity of diaper dermatitis, improve the total response rate, shorten the clinical treatment period, and improve the quality of life of children′s families with a favorable safety profile.

Feasibility and safety of rapid frozen pathological examination of prostate biopsy tissue combined with RP in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To explore the feasibility and safety of the clinical application of the diagnosis and treatment mode combining rapid frozen pathological examination of prostate biopsy tissue with radical prostatectomy.Methods:Suspected prostate cancer patients with PSA>10 ng/ml and PI-RADS score ≥4 in, Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from April to September 2021 were collected. The included patients underwent mpMRI/TRUS image fusion-guided transperineal prostate targeted biopsy with 16G biopsy needle, 2-3 needles for biopsy, and rapid frozen pathological examination. Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) was performed immediately for patients with prostate cancer with rapid freezing pathology. For undiagnosed prostate cancer, 18G biopsy needle for prostate targeted + systematic biopsy were used, 18-22 needles for systematic biopsy, and routine pathological examination. The baseline data, frozen pathological results, perioperative conditions, pathological results and follow-up data of all patients were collected.Results:Eleven patients were included in the study, the mean age of the patients was 69.9(66-73) years, the mean BMI was 22.8(19-26) kg/m 2, the mean PSA was 23.2(14.25-32.00), the mean prostate volume was 45(32-52) ml, mean PSAD 0.54(0.33-0.75). PI-RADS score was 4 in 3 cases and 5 in 8 cases; digital rectal examination was positive in 5 cases. All 11 cases underwent rapid freezing and the pathological results showed that: 9 cases were prostate adenocarcinoma, and RALP was performed immediately. The operation time was 111.5(96-126) min, the intraoperative blood loss was 78.9(55-105) ml, and the postoperative extubation time was 4.3(3.5-5.0) days, postoperative hospital stay 5.8(5.0-6.5) days. Postoperative pathology showed that Gleason score 3+ 4=7 in 1 case, 4+ 3=7 in 3 cases, 8 points in 4 cases, and 10 points in 1 case; 3 cases had positive resection margins, and 1 case had seminal vesicle invasion, the average number of dissected lymph nodes was 10.9 (8.5-14.0), and there was no tumor metastasis. Pathological T staging included 2 cases of T 2b stage, 5 cases of T 2c stage, 1 case of T 3a stage, and 1 case of T 3b stage. Two patients were undiagnosed by rapid freezing pathology, of which one was prostate adenocarcinoma with a Gleason score of 4+ 3=7, and then received RALP; the other one was prostate inflammation. 11 patients were followed up; the postoperative follow-up time was 3-7 months, with an average of 5.2 months. Among the 10 patients who underwent RALP, 8 patients recovered urinary continence 2 weeks after surgery, and all recovered within 2 months after surgery. Three patients with positive surgical margins were given regular androgen deprivation therapy in the second week after surgery. PSA did not drop below 0.1 ng/ml in patients with positive margins and seminal vesicle invasion 3 months after surgery. No complications of Clavien grade Ⅰ or higher occurred after operation and during follow-up. Conclusions:For patients with high suspicion of prostate cancer, rapid frozen pathological examination of prostate biopsy tissue is performed. RALP is performed immediately for patients with prostate cancer. The results show that this diagnosis and treatment model could be safe and feasible.

Intra-Articular Injection of miR-29a-3p of BMSCs Promotes Cartilage Self-Repairing and Alleviates Pain in the Rat Osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND@#Stem cells intra-articular injection stagey indicated a potential therapeutic effect on improving the pathological progress of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the long-term effect of stem cells intra-articular injection on the cartilage regeneration remains unclear. miR-29a-3p is predicted to be a critical target for inhibiting insulin-like growth factor-1 expression and may aggravate the progression of OA. @*METHODS@#In this study, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of intra-articular injection of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transfected with miR-29a-3p inhibitor in OA. @*RESULTS@#miR-29a-3p inhibitor transfection did not influence cell viability of BMSCs, while the chondrogenic differentiation potential of BMSCs was significantly improved. Interestingly, intra-articular injection of BMSCs with miR-29a-3p inhibition significantly prevented articular cartilage degeneration by up-regulating the expression of Sox 9, Col-2a1, aggrecan and down-regulating the expression of matrix metalloproteinase, as well as relieved pain in OA. @*CONCLUSION@#The double effects on cartilage protection and pain relief indicated a great potential of intra-articular injection of miR-29a-3p inhibitor-transfected BMSCs for the treatment of OA.

Cupping Therapy for Diseases: An Overview of Scientific Evidence from 2009 to 2019 / 中国结合医学杂志

Cupping therapy has been accepted worldwide, and many studies have been conducted to reveal its curative effects and mechanisms. To comprehensively evaluate the effect of cupping therapy, database including China Network Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journal Database VIP, Wan Fang Database, Chinese Biomedicine (CBM), PubMed and Web of Science were searched from 2009-2019. We summarized all the meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials and the mechanisms studies of cupping therapy in the previous 10 years, hoping to provide a reference for the clinical applications and studies.

Deciphering Potential Correlations between New Biomarkers and Pattern Classification in Chinese Medicine by Bioinformatics: Two Examples of Rheumatoid Arthritis / 中国结合医学杂志

Biological complexity and the need for personalized medicine means that biomarker development has become increasingly challenging. Thus, new paradigms for research need to be created that bring together a different classifier of individuals. One potential solution is collaboration between biomarker development and Chinese medicine pattern classification. In this article, two examples of rheumatoid arthritis are discussed, including a new biomarker candidate casein kinase 2 interacting protein 1 (CKIP-1) and a micro RNA 214. The authors obtained a "snapshot" of pattern classification with disease in biomarker identification. Bioinformatics analyses revealed underlying biological functions of two biomarker candidates, in varying degrees, are correlated with Chinese medicine pattern of rheumatoid arthritis. The authors' initial attempt can provide a new window for studying the win-win potential correlation between the biomarkers and pattern classification in Chinese medicine.

Metabonomics: A Useful Tool to Reveal Underlying Relationships between Altered Chinese Medicine Syndromes and Ultrafiltration in Treatment of Heart Failure / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To reveal the underlying relationships between Chinese medicine (CM) syndromes and ultrafiltration (UF) in the treatment of heart failure based on a metabonomic approach.@*METHODS@#Seventeen acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients were enrolled, and their CM syndromes before and after UF were collected. In addition, their venous plasma collected before and after UF was used for liquid chromatographmass spectrometer-based metabonomic analysis. Both reversed phase liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography were used to analyze the plasma samples. Partial least-squares to latent structure-discriminant analyses were used for data analysis.@*RESULTS@#An obvious difference was observed pre- and post-treatment. A total of 17 potential biomarkers associating with alterd syndromes with UF including hypoxanthine, 1-methylhistidine, phytosphingosine, O-decanoyl-R-carnitine, etc. were screened out, showing a significant change after UF. The major adjusted metabolic pathways were purine metabolism, histidine metabolism, leucine and isoleucine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, carnitine shuttle, sphingolipid metabolism and phospholipid metabolism.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Metabonomic approach is a useful tool to identify potential biomarkers of altered syndromes link to UF and could provide a theoretical basis for further research on the therapeutic mechanism of UF combined with CM.

Occult Andersson lesions in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: undetectable destructive lesions on plain radiographs / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Andersson lesions (ALs) are not uncommon in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Plain radiography (PR) is widely used for the diagnosis of ALs. However, in our practice, there were some ALs in AS patients that could not be detected on plain radiographs. This study aimed to propose the concept of occult ALs and evaluate the prevalence and radiographic characteristics of the occult ALs in AS patients.@*METHODS@#A total of 496 consecutive AS patients were admitted in the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University between April 2003 and November 2019 and they were retrospectively reviewed. The AS patients with ALs who met the following criteria were included for the investigation of occult ALs: (1) with pre-operative plain radiographs of the whole-spine and (2) availability of pre-operative computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the whole-spine. The occult ALs were defined as the ALs which were undetectable on plain radiographs but could be detected by CT and/or MRI. The extensive ALs involved the whole discovertebral junction or manifested as destructive lesions throughout the vertebral body. Independent-samples t test was used to compare the age between the patients with only occult ALs and those with only detectable ALs. Chi-square or Fisher exact test was applied to compare the types, distribution, and radiographic characteristics between detectable and occult ALs as appropriate.@*RESULTS@#Ninety-two AS patients with a mean age of 44.4 ± 10.1 years were included for the investigation of occult ALs. Twenty-three patients had occult ALs and the incidence was 25% (23/92). Fifteen extensive ALs were occult, and the proportion of extensive ALs was significantly higher in detectable ALs (97% vs. 44%, χ2 = 43.66, P < 0.001). As assessed by PR, the proportions of osteolytic destruction with reactive sclerosis (0 vs. 100%, χ2 = 111.00, P < 0.001), angular kyphosis of the affected discovertebral units or vertebral body (0 vs. 22%, χ2 = 8.86, P = 0.003), formation of an osseous bridge at the intervertebral space adjacent to ALs caused by the ossification of the anterior longitudinal ligament (38% vs. 86%, χ2 = 25.91, P < 0.001), and an abnormal height of the affected intervertebral space were all significantly lower in occult ALs (9% vs. 84%, χ2 = 60.41, P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Occult ALs presented with more subtle radiographic changes. Occult ALs should not be neglected, especially in the case of extensive occult ALs, because the stability of the spine might be severely impaired by these lesions.

Combination of Activating Blood Circulation and Detoxifying Chinese Medicines Played an Anti-Inflammatory Role in Unstable Angina Patients after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Multicenter, Open-Labeled, Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the combined anti-inflammatory effect of activating blood circulation and detoxifying Chinese medicines in unstable angina (UA) patients.@*METHODS@#This study was an open-labeled, randomized controlled trial conducted in 5 centers in Beijing. A total of 154 patients were randomized into two groups at a 1:1 ratio by random numbers. Based on the conventional treatment, patients in the activating blood circulation (ABC) group were treated with Guanxin Danshen Droping Pill (, 0.4 g, thrice daily), and patients in the activating blood circulation and detoxifying (ABCD) group were treated with Guanxin Danshen Droping Pill (0.4 g, thrice daily) and Andrographis tablet (0.2 g, thrice daily) for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the serum level of high sensitive C reaction protein (hs-CRP), and the secondary outcome index included the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), thrombomodulin (TM), the score of angina pectoris, the score of blood stasis syndrome, and the score of Chinese medicine symptoms, observed at week 0 and week 4.@*RESULTS@#A total of 144 patients completed the trial (ABC group, n=70; ABCD group, n=74). There were no significant differences in the clinical baseline characteristics between the two groups. When compared with the ABC group, ABCD group showed better performance in reducing the level of inflammatory factors, especially hs-CRP (P<0.05), IL-6 (P<0.01) and TNF-α (P<0.01). In term of clinical symptoms, ABCD group played a better role in improving the scores of angina pectoris and blood stasis syndrome than ABC group (all P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The combination of Guanxin Danshen Dropping Pill and Andrographis tablet exert significant anti-inflammatory effect on UA patients, which is superior to single Guanxin Danshen Dropping Pill. (Registration No. ChiCTR-TRC-13004072).

Correlation of Platelet and Coagulation Function with Blood Stasis Syndrome in Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the correlation of platelet and coagulation function with blood stasis syndrome (BSS) in coronary heart disease (CHD).@*METHODS@#The protocol for this meta-analysis was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42019129452). PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (Embase), the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched from inception to 1st June, 2020. Trials were considered eligible if they enrolled BSS and non-BSS (NBSS) patients with CHD and provided information on platelet and coagulation function. The platelet function, coagulation function, and fibrinolytic activity were compared between the BSS and NBSS groups. Forest plots were generated to show the SMDs or ESs with corresponding 95% CIs for each study. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were performed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity.@*RESULTS@#The systematic search identified 1,583 articles. Thirty trials involving 10,323 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, platelet aggregation rate, platelet P selectin, fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), thromboxane B2 (TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha (6-keto-PGF1 α), and TXB2/6-keto-PGF1 α were higher in the BSS group than in the NBSS group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Activated partial thromboplastin time was lower in the BSS group than in the NBSS group in the acute phase of CHD (P<0.01). The R and K values in thromboelastography and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and t-PA/PAI-1 were lower in the BSS group than in the NBSS group (all P<0.01). No difference was found in the results of platelet count, plateletcrit, maximum amplitude, von Willebrand factor, prothrombin time, thrombin time, international normalized ratio, etc. between groups.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Increased platelet function, hypercoagulability, and decreased fibrinolytic activity were found among CHD patients with BSS.

Formins: the key regulators of plant cell morphology and development / 生物工程学报

Formins are widely distributed in eukaryotes such as fungi, plants and animals. They play crucial roles in regulating the polymerization of actin, coordinating the synergistic interactions between actin and microtubules, and determining cell growth and morphology. Unlike formins from fungi and animals, plant formins have been evolved into two plant-specific types. Generally, type Ⅱ formins are believed to regulate the polarized growth of cells, and type Ⅰ formins may regulate the cell expansion and division processes. Recent studies on the function of plant formins suggest it is inappropriate to classify the function of formins purely based on their structures. This review summarizes the domain organization of formins and their corresponding functions, as well as the underpinning mechanisms. Furthermore, the unsolved or unexplored issues along with future perspectives on plant formins are proposed and discussed.