Gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome (GHRS) is associated with lung-heat syndrome and is related to recurrent respiratory infection. Upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) lung heat syndrome is common in children. The study will explore the effect of GHRS on the structure and function of gut microbiota in children with URTI lung-heat syndrome.

Participants were divided into both groups using the self-developed URTI scale and the “GHRS Diagnostic Scale · Pediatric Part”: GHRS-positive children (LS group) and GHRS-negative children (L group). General information, clinical symptoms, and stool were collected. We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing technology to determine the gene sequence of the V3–V4 region in feces and measure the gut microbiota of the both groups at the genus level.

A total of 23 children were included in the both groups. There were 12 cases in the LS group and 11 cases in the L group. There was no statistical difference between the both groups in age, gender, height, weight, and body mass index. The effective sequences shared by the both groups accounted for 85.66% of the total. In the gut microbiota, there was no difference in the α diversity and the β diversity between the both groups. Compared with the L group, the LS group had a significant increase in the relative abundance of the Ruminococcus gnavus group, Prevotella-9, Staphylococcus, and Actinomyces (P < .05). The functions of the both groups of microbiota primarily concentrate on metabolism, genetic information processing, and environmental information processing. The relative abundance of signaling molecules and interactions in the LS group were higher than that in the L group (P < .05). The redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that the URTI score had the greatest impact on the distribution of microbiota.

GHRS may affect the development of URTI lung-heat syndrome by changing the relative abundances of gut microbiota.

To explore the relationship between gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome and the incidence of pneumonia and recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRTIs) in children.

A prospective cohort study was conducted in the pediatric outpatient department of Beijing Dongfang Hospital. Children without respiratory tract infections (RTIs) were consecutively recruited according to the selection criteria. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to record traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptoms and demographic and physiological characteristics. Gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome was considered to be a predisposing factor and was diagnosed according to a scale with reliability and validity. The participants were followed up for 12 months. Participants and their parents or guardians were contacted via clinical interviews and telephone every 6 months. Episodes of pneumonia and RTIs were recorded in detail.

A total of 420 children were included. Of participants, 370 (88.10%) were followed up for 12 months. The mean number of RTI episodes per participant was 5.37 (95% CI: 5.14 to 5.60). In total, 186 participants in the gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome group and 184 participants in the non-gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome group completed the 12-month follow-up period. The baseline of both groups was comparable. The incidence of RRTIs in children with gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.01 to 1.59) times that in children without gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome. Logistic regression analysis revealed that abnormally increased appetite with frequent hunger, foul breath, dry stools, and dark red or purple fingerprints were positively correlated with the incidence of pneumonia. Irascibility and feverish feelings in the palms and soles were positively correlated with the occurrence of RRTI.

Gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome is a risk factor for RRTIs in children. Studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up time are warranted to confirm the degree of causal risk associated with RTIs.

To investigate the association between gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome (GHRS) and adult chronic eczema.

This case–control study compared GHRS/GHRS accompanied by damp-heat syndrome (GHRS-DHS) and other patient characteristics between subjects with (cases) and without chronic eczema (controls) to identify potential factors associated with this condition. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data via face-to-face interviews. Participants were recruited from Dongzhimen Hospital affiliated with Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A logistic regression analysis was performed on the collected data, and odds ratios (ORs) were calculated.

A total of 168 cases and 172 controls were recruited. Among the cases of adult chronic eczema, there were 79 subjects with GHRS and 68 with GHRS-DHS. Sex (P = .02, OR = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.32–0.91), GHRS (P = .04, OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.02–3.51), GHRS-DHS (P < .001, OR = 4.89, 95% CI: 2.36–10.15), high sweet food consumption (P = .04, OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.03–3.97), and mental stress (P = .01, OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.26–4.47) were each found to be associated with chronic eczema. Furthermore, GHRS had a weak positive correlation with eczema EASI severity as measured by the eczema area and severity index (EASI) (P = .003).

GHRS/GHRS-DHS may be associated with adult chronic eczema. In the future, prospective cohort studies with larger samples should be conducted to investigate the cause and effect association between GHRS and adult chronic eczema.

To explore the mechanism of Yinlai Decoction (YD) intervening the mice model of FM1 influenza virus compound with high-fat and protein-diet by detecting the survival rate, lung injury, the expression of inflammatory cytokines.

A high-fat and protein-diet mouse model was built. Mice were randomly divided to groups of blank control, normal diet, high-fat and protein-diet (HPD), the Ribavirin, the Shuanghuanglian, the Xiaoer huashi Pill and the YD, all infected with FM1 virus via nose after four days' high-fat and protein-diet. The electrogastrography (EGG) was recorded, as well as the serum levels of the gastrin and plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were observed. Mice in the blank control group were shame-infected with 0.05 mL saline, while the mice in other groups were infected by 0.05 mL mouse lung-adapted FM1 virus. Interventions were performed by stomach perfusion for next seven days. Same dose saline was given in the blank control, normal diet and HPD groups. The life protection and mean survival days were calculated. The lung injuries were observed by H&E method. The expression of gastrin and VIP were detected by radioimmunoassay. The serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA.

Compared with normal diet group, EGG dominant frequency, EGG swing, instability coefficient increased in HPD group. Compared with HPD group, Ribavirin group and YD group showed significantly higher survival rate and IL-10 and IFN-γ levels significantly increased while the IL-6 and TNF-α levels significantly decreased. Compared with blank control group, severe lung cirrhosis injuries were found in HPD group, and mild injuries were found in YD group and Ribavirin group.

The YD can regulate the level of cytokines, and improve the pathological damages of lung tissue, and then protect the mice with high-fat and protein-diet from being injured from the FM1 virus.

To examine the effects of accumulated heat in GI tract (AHGIT) on lung tissue protein expression in pneumonic mice.

Nebulized lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were administered to induce a pneumonic mouse model (M1), and a high-calorie/protein diet combined with nebulized LPS was used to induce AHGIT pneumonia (M2). Isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) proteomics was applied to study lung protein expression, followed by bioinformatics analysis.

M1 mice developed alveolar damage with prominent septum thickening, vascular dilation, hyperaemia and infiltration of large amounts of inflammatory cells. M2 mice developed more severe pathological responses. A total of 2626 proteins were reliably identified in the lung tissue. Compared with normal mice, the M1 mice had 344 differentially expressed proteins in their lungs, which are involved in the following biological processes: response to organic substance, response to cytokine, response to external stimulus, defense response and immune system process. They are also involved in the following Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways: ECM-receptor interaction, leukocyte transendothelial migration, Fc gamma R-mediated phagocytosis, complement and coagulation cascades, and antigen processing and presentation. Compared with the M1 group, the M2 mice had 164 differentially expressed proteins in their lungs, including 14 upregulated and 150 downregulated proteins. These proteins are involved in the following biological processes: small molecule metabolism, ribose phosphate metabolic process, cell adhesion and biological adhesion. The relevant KEGG pathways included oxidative phosphorylation, Citrate cycle (TCA cycle), complement and coagulation cascades, and vascular smooth muscle contraction.

AHGIT aggravated the lung inflammatory damage in the mice with LPS-induced pneumonia. It may affect the mouse substance/energy metabolism, and therefore the immune function, to aggravate the LPS-induced inflammatory damage.

To explore the association between dietary habits and recurrent respiratory infection (RRI) in children aged 0–14 years.

This case–control study compared dietary data of children with (cases) and without RRI (controls) collected via structured questionnaire. Participants were recruited from Chinese medicine clinics, hospitals, and children's learning institutions in Beijing. A logistic regression analysis and odds ratio (OR) calculations were conducted using SPSS 17.0 software.

A total of 241 questionnaires were collected (case:control ratio: approximately 2:1). Frequent consumption of processed foods (OR = 2.988, 95% confidence intervals 1.375–6.491) and high-sugar foods (OR = 2.268, 95% confidence intervals 1.163–4.424), frequent picky eating (OR = 2.614, 95% confidence intervals 1.363–5.014), and a meat-heavy diet with fewer vegetables (OR = 1.830, 95% confidence intervals 1.358–2.467) correlated positively correlated with RRI. Additionally, 57.80% of the children with RRI were addicted to high-sugar foods, compared with 41.57% of the children without RRI (P = .015). Furthermore, 63.16% of the children with RRI were picky eaters, compared with 48.31% of the children without RRI (P = .024). Finally, 30.92% of the children with RRI frequently consumed processed foods, compared with only 17.98% of the children without RRI (P = .027).

Although RRI correlates positively with several dietary habits, in the future, prospective cohort studies with larger samples are needed to generalize these findings.