Practice and principle of traditional Chinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 / 医学前沿

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played an important role in the prevention and treatment of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in China. The integration of Chinese and Western medicine is an important feature of Chinese COVID-19 prevention and treatment. According to a series of evidence-based studies, TCM can reduce the infection rate of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in high-risk groups. For patients with mild and moderate forms of COVID-19, TCM can relieve the related signs and symptoms, shorten the period of nucleic-acid negative conversion, and reduce conversion rate to the severe form of the disease. For COVID-19 patients with severe and critical illnesses, TCM can improve inflammatory indicators and blood oxygen saturation, shorten the hospital stay, and reduce the mortality rate. During recovery, TCM can improve patients' symptoms, promote organ function recovery, boost the quality of patients' life, and reduce the nucleic-acid repositive conversion rate. A series of mechanism research studies revealed that capability of TCM to treat COVID-19 through antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects, immune regulation, and protection of organ function via a multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway approach.

Osteoimmunology research in rheumatoid arthritis: From single-cell omics approach / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Cellular immune responses as well as generalized and periarticular bone loss are the key pathogenic features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Under the pathological conditions of RA, dysregulated inflammation and immune processes tightly interact with skeletal system, resulting in pathological bone damage via inhibition of bone formation or induction of bone resorption. Single-cell omics technologies are revolutionary tools in the field of modern biological research.They enable the display of the state and function of cells in various environments from a single-cell resolution, thus making it conducive to identify the dysregulated molecular mechanisms of bone destruction in RA as well as the discovery of potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Here, we summarize the latest findings of single-cell omics technologies in osteoimmunology research in RA. These results suggest that single-cell omics have made significant contributions to transcriptomics and dynamics of specific cells involved in bone remodeling, providing a new direction for our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in the study of osteoimmunology in RA.

Investigation of depression and anxiety among patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion and analysis of the influence factors / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective · To investigate the status of depression and anxiety in patients with recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) and the possible influence factors and to provide theoretical support for further psychological intervention. Methods · RSA patients and women with no history of RSA were invited to complete a questionnaire, including basic information, Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). All data were analyzed by SPSS. Results · Of all 1064 cases included in this study, 725 were RSA cases, 217 cases with one spontaneous abortion and 122 in control group with no history of spontaneous abortion. Our results showed that both RSA patients and patients with one spontaneous abortion have significantly higher SDS and SAS scores than control group. Furthermore, non-pregnant RSA patients with lower education level, lower household income and 3-5 years of marriage have significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety. Patients with multiple miscarriages (≥4), history of induced abortion and no live birth, score significantly higher in SDS. Conclusion · Whether pregnant or not, RSA patients are much easier to become depressive and anxious, which may be associated with education level, household income, length of marriage, numbers of pregnancy losses and previous live birth. Women with one spontaneous abortion also show a significant higher tendency of depression and anxiety. These patients should be given proper psychological intervention if necessary.

Effect of aspirin on uterine hemodynamics in patients with early recurrent spontaneous abortion / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective·To study the hemodynamic parameters of uterine at midluteal phase in patients with early recurrent spontaneous abortion (ERSA) and the effect of aspirin on them. Methods·Transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the parameters of uterine blood flow and the endometrial thickness at midluteal phase of 271 women with ERSA (ERSA group) and 66 women without a history of recurrent spontaneous abortion (control group). Then ERSA group were administered with aspirin 50 mg/d orally for 2 months and other individualized treatment, and the effect of aspirin on parameters of uterine blood flow and the early pregnancy outcome of them were observed. Results·At midluteal phase, the endometrium was significantly thinner in ERSA group than that in control group. Pulsatility index (PI) of endometrial blood flow and mean PI (mPI), mean resistance index (mRI), and mean systolic/diastolic ratio value (mS/D) of uterine arteries were statistically significantly higher in ERSA group in comparison to control group (P<0.05). Following aspirin treatment, resistance to uterine blood flow reduced significantly in ERSA group (P=0.000), and the endometrial thickness increased in the patients with endometrial thickness less than 7 mm (P=0.000). Only 163 ERSA patients were re-examined by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography after aspirin treatment, among whom 136 women was pregnant after individualized treatment. Among these pregnant patients, 97 cases were pregnant for more than or equal to 12 weeks, while 10 cases aborted during the first 12 weeks, and the early pregnancy outcomes of the other 29 cases were still unclear. Conclusion·In comparison with normal fertile women, ERSA patients have significantly higher resistance to uterine blood flow and thinner endometrium. Aspirin can improve uterine blood perfusion, which improves early pregnancy outcome.

Role of TLR2 in AngⅡ-induced cardiac fibrosis in hypertensive mice / 中华老年心脑血管病杂志

Objective To study the role of TLR2 in AngⅡ-induced cardiac fibrosis in hypertensive mice .Methods Eighteen wild C57 mice were randomly divided into blank control group ,AngⅡgroup and TLR2 blocking group (6 in each group) .A hypertension model was established by sub-cutaneous infusion of AngⅡthrough a mini-pump for 7 days .Cardiac fibrosis in mice was observed with immunohistochemical staining .Results The area of cardiac fibrosis was significantly larger and the expression levels of collagen Ⅰ and TGF-βwere significantly higher in Ang Ⅱgroup than in blank control group (P<0 .05) .The area of cardiac fibrosis was 71 .2% smaller ,the expression level of collagen Ⅰ was 75 .5% ,and the expression level of TLR2 was 77 .7% lower in TLR2 blocking group than in Ang Ⅱgroup (P<0 .05) .Conclusion TLR2 is involved in Ang Ⅱ-induced cardiac fibrosis in hypertensive mice .