Research progress in assisting in the diagnosis of early Alzheimer's disease through eye structure / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a common degenerative disease of the central nervous system in which neuropathological changes precede cognitive dysfunction and behavioral impairment. Currently, early diagnosis of AD is based on invasive and expensive testing techniques that are difficult to use widely in the clinical setting. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new markers to detect AD at an early stage. The eye, as an extension of the brain, has been found to show earlier onset of ocular pathologic changes in patients with AD compared to brain pathologic changes, such as retinal structural abnormalities, visual dysfunction, retinal abnormal protein accumulation, choroidal thickness changes, decreased corneal nerve fiber density, deposition of abnormal Aβ proteins in the lens, and pupillary light decreased sensitivity of response, etc. This article reviews the ocular pathologic changes in AD patients in recent years to provide new ideas for the early clinical diagnosis of AD.

Chinese Medicine Intervention in Signaling Pathways Related to Diabetic Ulcer： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diabetic ulcer （DU） wound is one of the chronic and serious complications of diabetes characterized by prolonged wound healing， and it is more common in foot and lower extremity ulcers. DU has brought great economic and psychological pressure to patients and seriously affected the quality of life of patients because of its great difficulty in treatment， long treatment process， and high morbidity and mortality. Therefore， how to help the rapid healing of DU wounds， reduce the disability rate and mortality rate， protect limb function， and improve the quality of life is an important topic and hot spot in the field of medical research. The pathogenesis of DU is complex， mainly including microcirculation disorder， peripheral neuropathy， inflammation and infection， and excessive apoptosis of cells， involving physiological processes such as wound inflammation， granulation tissue hyperplasia and re-epithelialization. A large number of previous studies have found that Chinese medicine can regulate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt）， Wnt/β-catenin， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）， Notch， nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）/Smad， and other signaling pathways， regulate abnormal glucose metabolism， improve microcirculation， inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress， regulate cell proliferation and excessive apoptosis， and promote wound tissue growth to promote the rapid healing of DU wounds under the guidance of treatment based on traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome differentiation and internal and external treatment. Therefore， this paper reviewed Chinese medicinal monomers or Chinese medicinal compounds in recent years in regulating the above signaling pathways and the expression of key protein molecules and promoting the rapid healing of DU wounds， aiming to provide ideas and a theoretical basis for the in-depth study and clinical application of Chinese medicine in promoting the healing of DU wounds.

Marsdenia tenacissima injection induces the apoptosis of prostate cancer by regulating the AKT/GSK3β/STAT3 signaling axis / 中国天然药物

Marsdenia tenacissima injection, a standard Marsdenia tenacissima extract (MTE), has been approved as an adjuvant therapeutic agent for various cancers. Our previous study showed that MTE inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa) cells. However, the underlying mechanisms and active ingredients of MTE against PCa were not completely understood. This study revealed that MTE induced significant decreases in cell viability and clonal growth in PCa cells. In addition, MTE induced the apoptosis of DU145 cells by reducing the mitochondrial membrane potential and increasing the expression of Cleaved Caspase 3/7, Cyt c, and Bax. In vivo, DU145 xenografted NOD-SCID mice treated with MTE showed significantly decreased tumor size. TUNEL staining and Western blot confirmed the pro-apoptotic effects of MTE. Network pharmacology analysis collected 196 ingredients of MTE linked to 655 potential targets, and 709 PCa-associated targets were retrieved, from which 149 overlapped targets were screened out. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the HIF-1, PI3K-AKT, and ErbB signaling pathways were closely related to tumor apoptosis. Western blot results confirmed that MTE increased the expression of p-AKTSer473 and p-GSK3βSer9, and decreased the expression of p-STAT3Tyr705in vitro and in vivo. A total of 13 compounds in MTE were identified by HPLC-CAD-QTOF-MS/MS and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. Molecular docking analysis indicated that six compounds may interact with AKT, GSK3β, and STAT3. In conclusion, MTE induces the endogenous mitochondrial apoptosis of PCa by regulating the AKT/GSK3β/STAT3 signaling axis, resulting in inhibition of PCa growth in vitro and in vivo.

PPAR-γ activation promotes xenogenic bioroot regeneration by attenuating the xenograft induced-oxidative stress / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Xenogenic organ transplantation has been considered the most promising strategy in providing possible substitutes with the physiological function of the failing organs as well as solving the problem of insufficient donor sources. However, the xenograft, suffered from immune rejection and ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), causes massive reactive oxygen species (ROS) expression and the subsequent cell apoptosis, leading to the xenograft failure. Our previous study found a positive role of PPAR-γ in anti-inflammation through its immunomodulation effects, which inspires us to apply PPAR-γ agonist rosiglitazone (RSG) to address survival issue of xenograft with the potential to eliminate the excessive ROS. In this study, xenogenic bioroot was constructed by wrapping the dental follicle cells (DFC) with porcine extracellular matrix (pECM). The hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced DFC was pretreated with RSG to observe its protection on the damaged biological function. Immunoflourescence staining and transmission electron microscope were used to detect the intracellular ROS level. SD rat orthotopic transplantation model and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) knockout mice subcutaneous transplantation model were applied to explore the regenerative outcome of the xenograft. It showed that RSG pretreatment significantly reduced the adverse effects of H2O2 on DFC with decreased intracellular ROS expression and alleviated mitochondrial damage. In vivo results confirmed RSG administration substantially enhanced the host's antioxidant capacity with reduced osteoclasts formation and increased periodontal ligament-like tissue regeneration efficiency, maximumly maintaining the xenograft function. We considered that RSG preconditioning could preserve the biological properties of the transplanted stem cells under oxidative stress (OS) microenvironment and promote organ regeneration by attenuating the inflammatory reaction and OS injury.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment, Gua Sha, can Induce Subtle Molecular Changes in Gene Expression / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#Here, we explored molecular changes that could potentially mediate healing effects of Gua Sha - a method employed by the Chinese traditional medicine with proven track records of safe and efficient applications dating back to ancient times as well as support from randomized controlled trials performed by modern medical studies - yet remaining almost entirely unexplored by the modern-day high-throughput methods of the -omics sciences.@*METHODS@#We investigated transcriptome changes occurring shortly after Gua Sha treatment in the whole blood of healthy volunteers using bulk RNA-seq analysis. We applied various analytical tools to identify genes with consistent expression changes in multiple individuals in response to Gua Sha and their networks.@*RESULTS@#We found that while the changes were very subtle and individual-specific, we could identify consistent upregulation of three histone genes. Further analysis of the potential regulatory networks of these histone genes revealed the enrichment of functions involved in the immune response and inflammation.@*CONCLUSION@#The significance of these results in the context of potential effects of Gua Sha and the next steps in exploring the molecular mechanisms of action of this technique are discussed.

Research progress on the role and mechanism of premature cellular senescence on wound healing in radiation-induced skin injury / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Radiation skin injury can be induced by medical exposure, occupational exposure, and emergency exposure. Many relevant studies focused on the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced skin injury, but the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully clarified. It has been demonstrated that radiation-induced premature cellular senescence is involved in radiation skin injury. To discuss the relationship between radiation-induced premature cellular senescence and radiation-induced skin injury, this paper reviewed the mechanism of radiation-induced skin injury, the promotion of premature cellular senescence and related signal pathways, and the role of premature cellular senescence in wound healing.

Minimally invasive repair of acute closed Achilles tendon rupture with two-way needle suture technique / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of two-way needle suture technique (TNST) in the minimally invasive repair of acute closed Achilles tendon rupture.Methods:From June 2019 to June 2021, 26 patients with acute closed Achilles tendon rupture were treated at Zhengzhou Orthopedic Hospital. They were 20 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 28 (23, 31) years. The rupture end was (4.2±1.3) cm away from the calcaneal insertion, and the interval from injury to operation 4.3 (2.0, 5.0) d. Preoperative MRI examinations revealed in all the patients closed Achilles tendon rupture which was to be repaired by TNST. The operation time, incision length, incidence of complications, ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion were recorded. The Arner-Lindholm scoring was used to evaluate the clinical efficacy.Results:The operation time was (20.0±5.0) min and the incision length (2.5±0.4) cm. Postoperatively, all incisions healed by the first stage, with no complications like incision infection, skin edge necrosis, deep vein thrombosis at lower limbs, injury to the sural nerve, or re-rupture of the Achilles tendon. All patients were followed up for (12.0±6.0) months. At the last follow-up, the patients walked normally, their incisions healed well, the continuity of the Achilles tendon was good by palpation, their heel lift was strong, and all their activities were restored to the levels before rupture of the Achilles tendon. The ankle dorsiflexion was 22.6°±3.7° and the plantar flexion 25.3°±3.7°, According to the Arner-Lindholm evaluation, the clinical efficacy was rated as excellent in 25 cases and as good in 1 case, giving an excellent and good rate of 100% (26/26).Conclusion:In the minimally invasive repair of acute closed Achilles tendon rupture, TNST shows the advantages of limited surgical invasion, a low incidence of postoperative complications, and reliable curative effects.

Establishment and application of hepatic organoid model of hepatitis B virus infection / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To establish the hepatic organoid of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection on the basis of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and an inverted colloidal crystal polyethylene glycol scaffold (ICC), and to evaluate the antiviral effect of nucleoside drugs.Methods:iPSC was differentiated into hepatocyte-like cells (HLC), and inoculated into ICC to construct a hepatic organoid. The relative mRNA expressions of Nanog homeobox (NANOG), sex determining region Y-box (SOX) 2, SOX17, forkhead box protein A2 (FOXA2), alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin (ALB) were detected by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Confocal laser microscopy was used to photograph the three-dimension (3D) structure of organs. The expression of sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) in HLC was analyzed by Western blot and immunofluorescence. HepG2.2.15 cells were used to extract HBV virus particles to infect hepatic organoid. The relative expression of HBV pregenome RNA (pgRNA) in cells was detected by RT-qPCR. The expressions of hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in cytoplasm were observed under confocal laser microscopy. A total of 0.5 μmol/L entecavir and 0.5 μmol/L lamivudine were used to treat the infected cells respectively. The relative expression of HBV pgRNA in infected and uninfected cells was detected by RT-qPCR. Independent sample t test and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. Results:Within 21 days of iPSC differentiation, the mRNA expressions of NANOG and SOX2 in stem cells markers decreased ( F=158.90 and 8.31, respectivley; P<0.001 and P=0.002, respectively), while the mRNA expressions of SOX17 and FOXA2 in the endoderm increased first and then decreased ( F=37.23 and 82.57, respectively, both P<0.001). In the later stage of differentiation, the mRNA expressions of AFP and ALB in liver cells increased ( F=4.65 and 34.64, respectively, P=0.012 and P<0.001, respectively), and all differences were statistically significant. NTCP was highly expressed in differentiated cells detected by Western blot and fluorescence microscopy, the protein expression level was 0.803±0.099. Confocal laser microscopy confirmed that the differentiated cells expressed ALB and presented spherical structure in ICC. The expression of HBV pgRNA and the immunostaining of HBsAg and HBcAg confirmed that HBV successfully infected hepatic organoid. Three days after the application of entecavir and lamivudine, the HBV pgRNA level decreased significantly both in entecavir group (0.665±0.220) and lamivudine group (0.503±0.117) compared to the uninfected cells (3.347±0.454), and the differences were both statistically significant ( t=10.53 and 12.72, respectively, both P<0.001). Conclusions:HLC display hepatic specific genes ALB and NTCP. Hepatic organoids constructed with iPSC and ICC have human liver function and can be infected by HBV. Entecavir and lamivudine could effectively inhibit the replication of HBV in hepatic organoids.

High-throughput transcriptional profiling of perturbations by Panax ginseng saponins and Panax notoginseng saponins using TCM-seq / 药物分析学报

Panax ginseng(PG)and Panax notoginseng(PN)are highly valuable Chinese medicines(CM).Although both CMs have similar active constituents,their clinical applications are clearly different.Over the past decade,RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)analysis has been employed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of extracts or monomers.However,owing to the limited number of samples in standard RNA-seq,few studies have systematically compared the effects of PG and PN spanning multiple conditions at the transcriptomic level.Here,we developed an approach that simultaneously profiles transcriptome changes for multiplexed samples using RNA-seq(TCM-seq),a high-throughput,low-cost workflow to molecularly evaluate CM perturbations.A species-mixing experiment was conducted to illustrate the accuracy of sample multiplexing in TCM-seq.Transcriptomes from repeated samples were used to verify the robustness of TCM-seq.We then focused on the primary active components,Panax notoginseng sa-ponins(PNS)and Panax ginseng saponins(PGS)extracted from PN and PG,respectively.We also char-acterized the transcriptome changes of 10 cell lines,treated with four different doses of PNS and PGS,using TCM-seq to compare the differences in their perturbing effects on genes,functional pathways,gene modules,and molecular networks.The results of transcriptional data analysis showed that the tran-scriptional patterns of various cell lines were significantly distinct.PGS exhibited a stronger regulatory effect on genes involved in cardiovascular disease,whereas PNS resulted in a greater coagulation effect on vascular endothelial cells.This study proposes a paradigm to comprehensively explore the differences in mechanisms of action between CMs based on transcriptome readouts.

Association between oral health behavior during pregnancy and premature birth based on case-control study / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To investigate the relationship between maternal oral health behavior during pregnancy and premature birth. 【Methods】 A total of 248 preterm and 700 non-preterm pregnant women who delivered in Northwest Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Shaanxi Province from January to December 2022 were included in case group and control group, respectively. General demographic characteristics and oral health behavior during pregnancy were collected by questionnaires, and the oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14) was used to assess the oral health related life quality of pregnant women. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between maternal oral health behavior during pregnancy and premature birth. 【Results】 During pregnancy, maternal frequent eating after brushing teeth (OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.03-2.57), unused fluoride toothpaste (OR=2.03, 95%CI: 1.25-3.05), late visit to the doctor for oral discomfort (OR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.02-1.96), brushing teeth less than twice one day (OR=1.77, 95%CI: 1.13-2.78) or less than 3 minutes each time (OR=1.52, 95%CI: 1.09-2.11), and elevated OHIP-14 score (OR=1.07, 95%CI: 1.04-1.10) increased the risk of premature birth. 【Conclusion】 Poor oral health behavior during pregnancy may increase the risk of premature birth. Therefore, more efforts should be made to publicize oral health knowledge and guide pregnant women to establish good oral health habits so as to improve oral health and promote maternal and child health.

Protein Kinase CK2 Modulates the Calcium Sensitivity of Type 3 Small-conductance Calcium-activated Potassium Channels in Colonic Platelet-derived Growth Factor Receptor Alpha-positive Cells From Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Mice

Background/Aims@#The gastrointestinal symptom of diabetes mellitus, chronic constipation, seriously affects patients’ life. Whereas, the mechanism of chronic constipation is still ambiguous, resulting in a lack of effective therapies for this symptom. As a part of the smooth muscle cells, interstitial cells of Cajal, and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha-positive (PDGFRα+ ) cells syncytium (SIP syncytium), PDGFRα+ cells play an important role in regulating colonic motility. According to our previous study, in PDGFRα+cells in colons of diabetic mice, the function of the P2Y1 purinergic receptor/type 3 small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK3) channel signaling pathway is strengthened, which may lead to colonic dysmotility. The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes in SK3 channel properties of PDGFRα+ cells in diabetic mice. @*Methods@#Whole-cell patch clamp, Western blotting, superoxide dismutase activity measurement, and malondialdehyde measurement were main methods in the present study. @*Results@#The present study revealed that when dialysed with low calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) solution, the SK3 current density was significantly decreased in PDGFRα+ cells from diabetic mice. However, the SK3 current density in PDGFRα+ cells was enhanced from diabetic mice when dialysed with high Ca 2+ solution. Moreover, hydrogen peroxide-treatment mimicked this phenomenon in SK3 transgenic HEK293 cells. The subunit of SK3 channels, protein kinase CK2, was up-regulated in colonic muscle layers and hydrogen peroxidetreated HEK293 cells. Additionally, protein phosphatase 2A, the subunit of SK3 channels, was not changed in streptozotocin-treated mouse colons or hydrogen peroxide-treated HEK293 cells. @*Conclusion@#The diabetic oxidative stress-induced upregulation of CK2 contributed to modulating SK3 channel sensitivity to Ca 2+ in colonic PDGFRα+ cells, which may result in colonic dysmotility in diabetic mice.

Study on the mechanism of Yishen tongluo formula improving abnormal lipid metabolism based on SREBPs pathway / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Yishen tongluo formula （YSTLF） in improving abnormal lipid metabolism based on the sterol regulatory element binding proteins （SREBPs） pathway. METHODS Using C57BLKS/J （db/db） mice as model and C57BLKS/J （db/m） mice as normal control， the mechanism of 1， 2.5 and 5 g/kg YSTLF improving abnormal lipid metabolism of db/db mice was investigated by determining the liver coefficient， the contents of serum total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， low-density lipoprotein （LDL） and high-density lipoprotein （HDL）， observing steatosis and lipid accumulation in liver tissue of mice， detecting the protein expressions of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 as well as mRNA transcription levels of Srebp- 1c， Srebp-2 and their downstream lipid metabolism-related target genes （Fasn， Acc1， Scd5， Fads1， Hmgcr， Dhcr24， Insig-1， Fdps） in liver tissue of mice. Using low-fat cultured human liver cancer cell HepG2 as an in vitro cell model for abnormal lipid metabolism， and 25-HC （SREBPs inhibitor， 10 μmol/L） as the control， the effects of 125， 250 and 500 μg/mL YSTLF on protein expressions of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 as well as mRNA transcription of SREBP-1c， SREBP-2 and their downstream lipid metabolism-related target genes were investigated to verify the mechanism in vitro. RESULTS 1， 2.5， 5 g/kg YSTLF significantly reduced the levels of TC， TG and LDL， the percentage of lipid droplet-positive region in liver tissue and liver coefficient， significantly down-regulated protein expressions of Pre-SREBP-1， n-SREBP-1， Pre-SREBP-2 and n-SREBP-2， and mRNA transcription of Srebp-1c， Srebp-2 and their downstream target genes in liver tissue， while significantly increased HDL level， with statistical significance （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. In the cell experiment in vitro， the expressions of the above-mentioned proteins and genes in the cells treated with YSTLF at 125， 250 and 500 μg/mL for 24 hours were consistent with those in the animal experiment； there was no significant difference in the expressions of the above-mentioned proteins and genes between inhibitor control group and 250， 500 μg/mL YSTLF groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS YSTLF can regulate the expression of transcription factor SREBPs， so as to inhibit the high expression of fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis-related genes， promote the degradation of TC and TG， improve the abnormality of lipid metabolism and inhibit lipid accumulation， thus playing the role of lipid-lowering.

Clinical and genetic analysis of a pedigree with Wolfram syndrome / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the clinical features and genetic background of autosomal recessive Wolfram syndrome caused by WFS1 gene mutation.METHODS: A pedigree with autosomal recessive Wolfram syndrome was studied by clinical examination, gene analysis and bioinformatics.RESULT: It was found that the proband and his brother had diabetes, color weakness and optic neuropathy. In addition, his brother had diabetes insipidus. Whole-exome sequencing(WES)analysis showed that there were two heterozygous variations in the WFS1 gene exon 8 of the two brothers: c.941G&#x0026;#x003E;A(p.W314X)and c.2309T&#x0026;#x003E;G(p.F770C), and were co-separated from the clinical phenotype in this family.CONCLUSION: The compound heterozygous mutation of WFS1 gene is associated with Wolfram syndrome in this pedigree. Among them, c.941G&#x0026;#x003E;A(p.W314X)has not been reported yet.

Research on the driving mechanism of residents′ willingness to participate in tiered medical care based on harmonious management theory / 中华医院管理杂志

Objective:To construct and validate a theoretical model of residents′ willingness to participate in tiered medical care based on harmonious management theory, providing reference for promoting the tiered medical care system and aiding governmental decision-making.Methods:Based on the harmonious management theory and literature review, a model capturing residents′ propensity to engage in tiered medical care was formulated. Using convenience sampling method, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 2 067 residents from 24 communities in Zhejiang province from April to May 2022. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on the survey results, and multilevel linear regression and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the driving mechanism of residents′ willingness to participate in tiered medical care.Results:The willingness rate of residents to participate in tiered medical care was 69.7%, which was at an average level. Regression insights highlighted the positive influence of policy support perception ( β=0.170, P<0.01), awareness of management mechanisms ( β=0.093, P<0.01), cognitive attitudes ( β=0.102, P<0.01), and trust levels ( β=0.244, P<0.01) on residents′ participation willingness. In contrast, resource allocation perceptions lacked a significant effect ( β=0.065, P>0.05). The structural equation model revealed that cognitive attitudes played a mediating role in the " policy system perception → participation willingness" and " management mechanism perception → participation willingness" pathways, with effect sizes of 0.030 and 0.039, respectively. Trust levels also mediated these paths, with effect sizes of 0.039 and 0.045, and entirely mediated the " resource allocation perception → participation willingness" path, registering an effect size of 0.053. Conclusions:The harmonious management theory can be used to explain the formation mechanism of residents′ willingness to participate in tiered medical care. The government and medical institutions urgently need to further improve residents′ awareness of tiered medical care, focus on enhancing residents′ trust, and further improve policies and management measures such as financial investment, medical insurance reimbursement, and referral systems.

Theoretical exploration and research pathways of the harmonious symbiotic mechanism in the tiered medical treatment system / 中华医院管理杂志

The tiered medical treatment system stands as a cornerstone in the deepening reforms of China′s medical and health sectors, playing a crucial role in building a healthy China. Exploring the harmonious coexistence mechanism of multiple entities on the supply and demand sides of the tiered diagnosis and treatment system, and promoting the formation of a scientific and reasonable tiered diagnosis and treatment order, has become an urgent public proposition that needs to be answered and has significant social impact. Addressing the challenges in China′s tiered medical treatment system, particularly its need for a more systematic, comprehensive, and collaborative approach, this study is informed by a thorough literature review. Based on the harmonious management and symbiosis theories, the authors proposed a theoretical concept and future research path for the formation of a harmonious symbiotic mechanism in the tiered diagnosis and treatment system, in order to pave the way for exploring the harmonious symbiotic mechanism in the tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

Tendon manipulation based on meridian tendon theory can improve the treatment of knee osteoarthritis / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe any effect of tendon manipulation on the joint pain, joint motion and gait of persons with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Methods:Sixty-one KOA patients were randomly divided into an observation group ( n=31) and a control group ( n=30). Both groups received ultrasonic physiotherapy and exercise trai-ning (including quadriceps femoris training and heel raising training), while the observation group was additionally provided with daily tendon manipulation, five times a week for 3 weeks. Before and after the treatment, knee pain (using a visual analog scale (VAS)), motor function (using the Western Ontario and McMaster University (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index scale), step length, gait speed and the double support phase ratio were evaluated in both groups using three-dimensional gait analysis equipment. Results:After the treatment the average VAS scores, as well as the joint pain, stiffness and dysfunction and the total WOMAC scores of both groups had decreased significantly. There was significant improvement in the average stride length, walking speed and the proportion of double support phase among the observation group, and the latter two measurements had also improved significantly in the control group. After the intervention, the average pain, WOMAC scores and gait descriptors of the observation group were significantly superior to the control group′s results.Conclusion:Tendon manipulation can usefully supplement routine rehabilitation in the treatment of KOA, improving walking efficiency and thus life quality.

Paclitaxel drug-coated balloons combined with bare metal stents vs. bare metal stents for the treatment of superficial femoral atherosclerosis obliterans / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of drug-coated balloons (DCB) combined with bare metal stents (BMS) and BMS only for superficial femoral atherosclerosis obliterans.Methods:The clinical and follow-up data of 80 patients (82 limbs) who received combined treatment or BMS implantation at Cardiovascular Surgery Department of China Japan Friendship Hospital from Jan 2017 to Aug 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:43 patients (43 limbs) were included in combined treatment group. 37 patients (39 limbs) were in BMS only. The average lesion length of combined group was longer than BMS group (19.54±7.04 cm vs. 16.25±6.43 cm, P=0.031). The primary patency rate of combined group at 36 months was not statistically different with BMS only group (56.9% vs. 38.5%, P=0.171). The subgroup analysis of superficial femoral artery TASC C/D (Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus) and CTO (chronic total occlusion) lesions indicated that efficacy of the combined group was superior to BMS only group. The patency rates of the combined group compared with the BMS group at 36 months were 57.6% vs. 23.8%, P=0.046, 60.2% vs. 31.4%, P=0.028, respectively. There was no significant difference in the FCD-TLR (free from clinical driven target lesion revascularization) between the two groups at 36 months (72.6% vs. 66.5%, P=0.706). There was no significant difference in major adverse events between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Paclitaxel drug-coated balloon combined with bare metal stent is a safe and effective treatment for superficial femoral atherosclerosis obliterans, which is superior to bare metal stent, especially in TASC C/D and chronic total occlusive lesions.

Carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid artery near-occlusion / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of carotid endarterectomy(CEA) in the treatment of symptomatic carotid artery near-occlusion(CNO).Methods:Clinical symptoms, imaging examination, treatment and prognosis of 122 symptomatic CNO patients admitted to China-Japan Friendship Hospital from Jan 2014 to Jan 2020 undergoing CEA were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the collapse condition,full collapse group(54 cases) and non-full collapse group(68 cases).Results:The difference was insignificant between the two groups at the 30-day and 12-month occurrence rate of primary endpoints(1.85% vs. 4.41%, P=0.629;7.41% vs. 4.41%, P=0.698).Postoperative re-stenosis occurred in one case in the non-full collapse group 8 months after CEA. Conclusions:CEA can achieve good curative effect for patients with CNO with recurrent symptoms, irrelevant to the existence of distal full collapse. The shunt can prevent intraoperative hypoperfusion and postoperative hyperperfusion.

Management of mesh infection after tension-free repair of inguinal hernia / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the characteristics and surgical management of mesh infection after tension-free repair of inguinal hernia.Methods:The clinical and follow-up data of 87 patients with mesh infection after tension-free repair of inguinal hernia at the Department of Hernia and Abdominal Wall Surgery,Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from 2018 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:The most frequent type of repair was plug implantation, accounting for 57.5% of the procedures. The most common clinical presentation was a chronic sinus. 79.3% patients had a >3-month history of chronic infection. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common bacteria. All patients underwent open debridement. Fifty-one patients had a complete removal of the infected mesh, and 36 had partial removal. All patients were followed up for 18.7-54.2 months. There was no significant difference in the incidence of wound infection, seroma, hematoma, inguinal hernia recurrence, and chronic pain between those with complete removal and that partial removal (all P>0.05). Seventeen cases suffered recurrent sinus in the partial mesh removal group, and the incidence was significantly higher than that in the complete mesh removal group ( P<0.001). Conclusion:Infected mesh removal is an effective treatment for mesh infection after tension-free repair of inguinal hernia and should be removed as completely as possible.

Correlation between metabolic syndrome and hyperuricemia in perimenopausal women / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To assess the prevalence of metabolic syndrome(MS) and its relationship with hyperuricemia(HUA) in perimenopausal women in Anning city, Yunnan province.Methods:This is a cross-sectional survey. In May 2021, a multi-stage stratified sampling method was used to collect demographics and clinical data [ethnicity, living community, height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides(TG), serum uric acid, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C), alanine transaminase(ALT), etc] in a total of 6 721 perimenopausal women aged 45-60 years.Results:A total of 6 721 perimenopausal women were included in this study. The prevalences of MS and HUA were 14.05%(95% CI 13.22%-14.88%) and 6.46%(95% CI 5.88%-7.07%), respectively. The average age, HDL-C, urea, direct bilirubin, and albumin levels in the perimenstrual HUA population were lower than those in the non-HUA population while the levels of TG, ALT, heart rate, body mass index(BMI), and creatinine were higher(all P<0.05). The prevalence of HUA in perimenopausal women with ethnic minorities and family history of chronic diseases was higher than that in Han nationality and without family history of chronic diseases. The prevalence of MS in perimenopausal women was increased with the increase of serum uric acid( Z=-15.313 8, P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression model showed that HUA was positively correlated with MS( OR=1.526, 95% CI 1.192-1.954) after adjusting for covariates such as BMI and ethnicity, and the incidence of MS in perimenopausal women in HUA group was 1.526 folds higher than that in non-hyperuricemia group. Conclusion:HUA is highly positively correlated with MS in perimenopausal women. The management of uric acid level in perimenopausal women should be strengthened.