Pneumonia is a respiratory disease with high pathogenicity and mortality. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a natural therapy that has proven effectiveness and safety. Although TCM has been found to be effective in treating pneumonia, further research is needed to determine the specific mechanism of action. This paper presents a literature search conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases using the keywords "pneumonia" and "network pharmacology." After screening, we retained the literature related to TCM. The study found that, according to network pharmacology prediction, 4 types of TCMs-natural active compounds, single herb medicine, Chinese patent medicines, and multi-component herbal formulations-were effective in treating pneumonia. TCM components demonstrated a multi-target and multi-pathway approach to treat the disease. The diversity of targets and signaling pathways not only facilitates the investigation of TCM's mechanism of action of TCM in pneumonia treatment but also offers novel insights and perspectives for innovative drug research and development.

Cancer immune evasion is one of the important mechanisms for cancer development, which is essential to developing novel immunotherapeutic strategies. The SOX (SRY-related HMG-box) family of transcription factors plays a crucial role in normal physiology as well as in a variety of human diseases especially cancer. It has been shown that SOX is involved in cancer immune evasion processes. This mini-review aimed to summarize how SOX family members induce cancer immune evasion by regulating antigen presentation, shaping the tumor immunosuppressive milieu, and controlling regulatory immune checkpoint inhibitors like programmed death ligand 1. Thorough exploration of SOX family will help uncover the mechanism of cancer immune evasion, and provide new ideas and targets for the development of immunotherapy strategies.

The issue of obesity has emerged as a significant global health challenge; nevertheless, the association between Bell's palsy (BP) and obesity remains ambiguous. In this study, the Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was employed to investigate their relationship, while network pharmacology methods were utilized to unveil the underlying mechanisms.

Premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is a common type of arrhythmia, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common trigger for this condition. Some patients still have PVC, even if ventilation is improved by wearing a respirator. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of arrhythmia treatment, and this is the first report of a patient with PVC caused by OSA treated with TCM. Twenty-four-hour Holter showed that the number of PVCs decreased from 8968 to 0 before and after TCM treatment, and discomfort symptoms disappeared completely.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem with high morbidity and mortality. Tai Ji and Qigong are traditional Chinese meditative movements, benefit COPD patient's physical and mental health.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI), a critical cardiovascular condition, is often associated with serious health risks. Recent studies suggest a link between copper-induced apoptosis and immune cell infiltration. Specifically, abnormal accumulation of copper ions can lead to intracellular oxidative stress and apoptosis, while also affecting immune cell function and infiltration. Nevertheless, studies exploring this relationship in the context of AMI are notably scarce, underscoring the necessity of identifying biomarkers associated with cuproptosis in AMI. Consensus clustering analysis was employed to classify distinct subtypes of AMI in the GSE66360 dataset. Concurrently, differential expression analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across subtypes and between AMI and control samples. We employed Venn diagrams to validate the selection of cuproptosis-related DEGs in patients with AMI. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed to pinpoint potential candidate genes. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated to identify promising biomarkers. The immune infiltration milieu was analyzed using CIBERSORT algorithms. Finally, the expression levels of identified cuproptosis-related biomarkers were validated at the transcriptional level. We classified AMI into 2 distinct cuproptosis-related subtypes, leading to the identification of 157 cuproptosis-related DEGs. Further analysis refined this list to 10 potential candidate genes. Among these, 5 emerged as significant biomarkers for AMI: granzyme A (GZMA), GTPase immunity-associated proteins (GIMPAs) GIMAP7, GIMAP5, GIMAP6, and TRAF3 interacting protein 3 (TRAF3IP3). A comprehensive examination of immune infiltration in AMI samples revealed significant differences in the levels of 11 types of immune cells, with GZMA displaying the highest correlation with activated mast cells and CD8 + T cells. We observed markedly lower expression levels of GZMA, GIMAP6, and TRAF3IP3 in the AMI group compared to controls. This study identified 5 cuproptosis-related biomarkers (GZMA, GIMAP7, GIMAP5, GIMAP6, and TRAF3IP3) associated with AMI, laying a theoretical foundation for the treatment of AMI.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis (PDAP) is the leading cause of PD failure and discontinuation of PD. Several zoonotic pathogens could lead to the development of PDAP. Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii) was a zoonotic pathogen and the cause of Q fever. However, reports of PDAP caused by C. burnetii are rare. We herein report the first case of PDAP caused by C. burnetii in mainland China.

Primary ectopic meningiomas (PEMs) are extremely rare, with limited literature available on the subject. Understanding their clinical and radiological characteristics is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

The aim was to investigate the ability of serum sulfatide levels at diagnosis to reflect the cross-sectional activity and further longitudinally predict the occurrence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) during the follow-up period in patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), regardless of kidney involvement at diagnosis. This study included 67 patients first diagnosed with AAV with available clinical data, including Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and blood samples at diagnosis. Serum sulfatide levels were assessed using stored serum samples at the time of diagnosis. The median age of the 67 patients (40.3% men and 59.7% women) was 61.0 years. During follow-up, 10 (14.9%) patients progressed to ESKD, and 4 (6.0%) died. Serum sulfatide levels significantly correlated with Five-Factor Score (r = -0.242), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (r = -0.315), and renal manifestation of the BVAS items (r = -0.296), but not BVAS at diagnosis. The cutoff of serum sulfatide levels at diagnosis for ESKD progression was 332.5 pg/mL. However, no significant cutoff of serum sulfatide levels for all-cause mortality was obtained. Patients with serum sulfatide levels ≤ 332.5 pg/mL at diagnosis exhibited both significantly higher frequency of ESKD progression (22.7% vs 0%, P = .012) and lower ESKD-free survival rate than those without (P = .011). This study highlighted the clinical usefulness of measuring serum sulfatide levels at the time of diagnosis as a biomarker to predict ESKD progression in patients with AAV regardless of kidney involvement at diagnosis.

Cardiac arrest (CA) is a life-threatening event with a high mortality rate, and neurological injury following cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a leading cause of death and disability in survivors. While prolonged CPR is often associated with poor neurological outcomes, there is limited evidence of successful recovery following extended resuscitation efforts. This study aims to highlight the potential for recovery after prolonged CPR by reporting a case of a patient who underwent 152 minutes of CPR, regained consciousness, and made a full recovery. The purpose is to explore whether advanced life-support techniques, such as extracorporeal CPR (ECPR), can improve survival and neurological outcomes even after prolonged CA.

This randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluated the effects of 2% OPTIMEALTH® OR toothpaste in regulating dental plaque microbiota and alleviating gingivitis.

The aim of this review was to provide a review of the pharmacological treatments for pregnancy complications in adults. This review analyzed medications used for pregnancy complications in phase IV clinical trials based on the ClinicalTrials.gov database. The search included completed trials only. As of September 1, 2023, a total of 29,654 phase IV clinical trials were identified, of which 298 were related to pregnancy complications. Of these, 24 clinical trials met the inclusion criteria for the current study. In the 24 included clinical trials, we found 9 trials for overactive bladder with 5005 participants in total, 236 of which had adverse effects from the drugs used. Six trials for preeclampsia were conducted on 663 participants, with only 1 adverse drug effect reported. Three trials each were conducted on urinary tract infections and gestational diabetes mellitus (115 and 656 participants, respectively) without any adverse drug effects reported. One trial each focused on anemia, dystocia, and placentation disorders (80, 1003, and 14 participants, respectively) without any adverse drug effects reported. The trials reported minimal adverse drug effects, suggesting potential effectiveness and safety in managing these complications. While the trials mentioned minimal adverse effects, close monitoring and individualized patient care are essential, as are evaluating the risk-benefit ratio and the specific circumstances of each patient.

Truncus arteriosus is a cyanotic congenital heart disease in which the great vessels of the heart fail to separate in utero. Consequently, a single truncal vessel arises from the heart to supply the systemic, coronary, and pulmonary circulations. This lesion causes the total mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, with an early onset of pulmonary vascular disease. Patients rarely survive beyond the first year of life. This case report highlights a rare survival without intervention up to the ninth year of life.

Epidemiology shows women have a higher incidence of osteoarthritis (OA) than men. However, there is not enough evidence to suggest a direct correlation between female reproductive factors and OA. Therefore, this study will employ Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate whether there is a causal relationship between the 2. This study used a 2-sample MR analysis with single nucleotide polymorphisms significantly associated with female reproductive factors as instrumental variables (IV). We used inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger regression, weighted median method to infer a causal relationship between female reproductive factors and OA, Cochran Q heterogeneity test by IVW and MR-Egger method, MR PRESSO method and IVW-radial method to detect outliers, MR_pleiotropy_test function and MR PRESSO method for multivariate validity test, and calculation of F-value was used to assess the presence of weak IVs. Finally, the stability of the findings was assessed using the leave-one-out method. Our research shows that there is no reliable causal relationship between an increase in Age at menarche (years) (AAM) and Age at menopause (years) (AM) and OA, that an increase in Age first had sexual intercourse (years) (AFS) is associated with a decreased risk of knee OA and/or hip OA and hand OA, that an increase in Age at first live birth (years) (AFB) is associated with a decreased risk of knee OA and/or hip OA and knee OA, and that an increase in Number of live births (NOB) is associated with an increased risk of knee OA and/or hip OA. This study provides genetic support for an increase in AFS as a reduced knee OA and/or hip OA and hand OA risk factor, an increase in AFB as a reduced knee OA and/or hip OA and knee OA risk factor, and an increase in NOB as an increased knee OA and/or hip OA risk factor. Further studies are needed to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the causal associations between AFS, AFB, and NOB and site-specific OA.

Associations of autoimmune diseases are rare but interesting and challenging situations from a diagnostic, pathophysiological, and therapeutic point of view. This article studies a rare association of autoimmune diseases by discussing the pathophysiological hypotheses and an original therapeutic management. The coexistence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis and spondyloarthritis has rarely been described.

To summarize the current evidence about effectiveness and accuracy of using ultrasound-guided compared to blind arthrocentesis in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

Organic chronic subdural hematoma is extremely rare in clinical practice, with unclear etiology and pathogenesis. Its clinical manifestations and treatment approaches are diverse, making diagnosis challenging and prone to misdiagnosis or mistreatment, adversely affecting patient care and quality of life.

This study aims to explore the effect of integrated care mode on patients in Da Vinci robot-assisted urology surgery and provide a new nursing scheme for clinic. A total of 93 patients from August 2022 to March 2024 were selected and divided into intervention group (43 cases) and control group (50 cases). The operation time, blood loss, first postoperative exhaust time, time to get out of bed, pain score (visual analog scale), psychological status (self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale), quality of life score (36-Item Short Form Survey), catheter retention time, patient satisfaction, incision healing, incidence of urinary system infection, nutritional status, and complication rate were compared between the 2 groups. There were no significant differences in baseline data and operative time between the 2 groups (P > .05), but the amount of intraoperative blood loss in the intervention group (250.32 ± 50.23) mL was less than that in the control group (320.56 ± 65.34) mL (P < .05). The first postoperative exhaust time and getting out of bed time in the intervention group were shorter than those in the control group (P < .05), and the pain visual analog scale score was lower than that in the control group (P < .05). The scores of self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale of mental state were better than those of the control group (P < .05), and the scores of quality of life were higher (P < .05). The retention time of catheter was shorter than that of the control group (P < .05), the patient satisfaction was 93.02% higher than that of the control group 78.00% (P < .05), and the grade A incision healing rate was 90.70% higher than that of the control group 76.00% (P < .05). The incidence of urinary system infection (4.65%) was lower than that of the control group (16.00%) (P < .05), the changes of serum albumin level and body weight were lower than that of the control group (P < .05), and the complication rate of 6.98% was lower than that of the control group (22.00%) (P < .05). Although the integrated medical care model did not significantly shorten the operation time, it was beneficial to the postoperative recovery of patients in many aspects.

Gut microbiota has been recognized as an extrahepatic manifestation of gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) in observational studies. However, the directionality and causality of the association and whether cytokines act as a mediator remain unclear. We aim to estimate the casual relationship between gut microbiota, inflammatory cytokines and GERD using a 2-sample Mendelian randomization method. Gut microbiota, cytokines, and GERD were identified using summary data from the genome-wide association studies and the FinnGen consortium. The primary method for causal estimation was the inverse-variance weighted approach, complemented by a range of sensitivity analyses aimed at assessing heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, and the robustness of the findings. Furthermore, mediation analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between gut microbiota and GERD, with 5 cytokines, and to calculate the mediated proportions. We found 3 positive and 3 negative causal associations observed between genetic predisposition in gut microbiota and GERD. Additionally, 2 positive and 3 negative causal associations were identified between cytokines and GERD. Our analysis unveiled that TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand levels (TRAIL) mediated the causal relationships between the genera Family XIII UCG001 and Senegalimassilia, and GERD. We identified causal effects between 6 bacterial traits, 5 inflammatory cytokines, and GERD. Notably, we furnished causal evidence linking TRAIL levels to a substantial proportion of the risk attributed to genus Family XIII UCG001 and genus Senegalimassilia, thereby mediating the risk of GERD. These findings offer novel avenues for therapeutic interventions targeting individuals with GERD.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are present in and are important components of the tumor microenvironment (TME). TAMs differentiate into 2 functionally distinct morphologies, classically activated (M1)-type TAMs and alternatively activated (M2)-type TAMs, when stimulated by different cytokines. The 2 types of TAMs exhibit distinct properties and functions. M1 TAMs secrete high levels of pro-inflammatory and chemotactic factors, exerting proinflammatory, antitumor effects. Conversely, M2 TAMs alter the extracellular matrix, facilitate cellular immune escape, and stimulate tumor angiogenesis, thereby promoting anti-inflammatory responses and tumor growth. The ratio of M1 TAMs to M2 TAMs in the TME is closely related to the prognosis of the tumor. Tumor cells and other cells in the TME can regulate the polarization of TAMs and thus promote tumor progression through the secretion of various substances; however, polarized TAMs can also act on various cells in the TME through the secretion of exosomes, thus forming a positive feedback loop. Therefore, modulating the phenotype of TAMs in the TME or blocking the polarization of M2 TAMs might be a new approach for cancer treatment. However, the intracellular signaling pathways involved in the polarization of TAMs are poorly understood. The AKT signaling pathway is an important signaling pathway involved in the polarization, growth, proliferation, recruitment, and apoptosis of TAMs, as well as the action of TAMs on other cells within the TME. This paper reviews the AKT signaling pathway in the polarization of TAMs and the regulation of the TME and provides new ideas for tumor immunotherapy.

Older age and comorbidities are risk factors for increased coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity, but few studies have explored their interaction. This study aimed to assess the actual impacts of these factors on disease severity in COVID-19. The enrolled COVID-19 patients were divided into 4 age subgroups (≤44, 45-59, 60-74, and ≥75 years). Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the association between comorbidities and disease severity; Kappa consistency test was implemented to verify the study results. Of the 1663 patients with COVID-19, 287 had severe disease. The disease severity was correlated with the age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index in each age group. In the 4 subgroups, the odds ratio of age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index declined with age. After removing age interference, diabetes and cardio-cerebrovascular diseases were the main risk factors for severe disease in patients aged <75 years, whereas only chronic lung disease was associated with disease severity in patients aged ≥75 years. When comorbidities alone were used to predict disease severity, only the predictions were consistent with real outcomes in patients aged ≥75 years, compared with the predictions of high-risk comorbidities mentioned in World Health Organization and Chinese guidelines (Kappa 0.106, P < .05). Although older age and comorbidities were risk factors for severe COVID-19, their effects on disease severity varied across age groups. Additionally, comorbidities had a greater impact on COVID-19 severity in younger patients.