Clinical Features and CT Imaging Findings of Melioidosis Pneumonia / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo summarize and analyze the clinical features and CT imaging findings of melioidosis pneumonia in order to increase awareness of this disease. MethodsA retrospective study was done on clinical and CT imaging data of 68 cases with melioidosis pneumonia diagnosed from January 1， 2012 to April 1， 2023. ResultsOf the 68 cases， 62 presented with acute infection and 6 chronic infection， 88.2% were male， 85.3% were native residents of Hainan， 85.3% were farmers， 77.9% had onset in summer and autumn， 66.2% had diabetes， 100% had fever as the first clinical symptom， and 88.2% were confirmed positive by blood culture. In most patients， white blood cell count， neutrophil ratio， C-reactive protein and calcitonin levels increased， while lymphocyte ratio decreased， but no statistical difference was found between acute and chronic infection groups （P > 0.05）. Of the patients， 36.8% recovered， 42.6% got better， 11.8% patients became therapy-resistant and 8.8% died. CT image showed pathomorphological changes including nodules/masses， patchy ground-glass attenuation or large patchy consolidation or all of these at the same time. Acute and chronic infection groups had significant difference in pathomorphological changes （P = 0.01）， but no statistical difference in other imaging findings. Moreover， 36.8% of the patients developed extrapulmonary infections， 8.8% of which multi-site abscess formation. ConclusionsMelioidosis Pneumonia should be considered if the patient is the sojourner from epidemic area， or has diabetes， high fever and rapid-developing disease， with additional presence of multiple inflammatory lesions in lung CT.

Clinical, genetic characteristics and follow-up in 14 patients with transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic characteristics in patients with transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP).Methods:Fourteen unrelated TTR-FAP patients diagnosed at Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from September 2014 to February 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinical manifestation, electrophysiology, cardiac function, biopsy and gene mutation were analyzed.Results:In the 14 patients (13 males, 1 female) diagnosed as TTR-FAP, the mean age at onset was 53.9 years (range: 33.0-71.0 years), with a mean course from symptom-onset to diagnosis of 4.1 years. The late-onset type occurred in 9 cases. Seven patients had a family history of TTR-FAP. Distal paresthesia of lower limbs was the commonest initial symptom (8 cases), with sensorimotor neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction seen initially in 4 and 2 cases, respectively. Cardiac involvement occurred in 6/8 of the patients. Nerve conduction studies indicated extremely axonal impairment with demyelinating features. Sural nerve biopsies showed moderate to severe axonal loss of myelinated fibers and the positive rate of Congo red staining was 8/14. Of 8 different TTR mutations detected, V50M was the most common (appearing in 5 cases). No obvious neuropathy progression was seen in the 5 patients who received tafamidis and 2 patients died of dyscrasia. Conclusions:TTR-FAP is more common in males, with sensorimotor axonal polyneuropathy, autonomic dysfunction and cardiac subclinical damage as the predominant symptoms. V50M is the commonest mutation. Tafamidis can delay the progression of disability.

IL-6 promotes pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells and regulates cardiac differentiation in a development-dependent manner / 生理学报

Interleukin 6 (IL-6), an important component of cardiac microenvironment, favors cardiac repair by improving cardiomyocyte regeneration in different models. This study aimed to investigate the effects of IL-6 on stemness maintenances and cardiac differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). The mESCs were treated with IL-6 for two days, and then subjected to CCK-8 essay for proliferation analysis and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to evaluate the mRNA expression of genes related to stemness and germinal layers differentiation. Phosphorylation levels of stem cell-related signal pathways were detected by Western blot. siRNA was used to interfere the function of STAT3 phosphorylation. Cardiac differentiation was investigated by the percentage of beating embryoid bodies (EBs) and qPCR analysis of cardiac progenitor markers and cardiac ion channels. IL-6 neutralization antibody was applied to block the endogenous IL-6 effects since the onset of cardiac differentiation (embryonic day of 0, EB0). The EBs were collected on EB7, EB10 and EB15 to investigate the cardiac differentiation by qPCR. On EB15, Western blot was applied to investigate the phosphorylation of several signaling pathways, and immunochemistry staining was adopted to trace the cardiomyocytes. IL-6 antibody was administered for two days (short term) on EB4, EB7, EB10 or EB15, and percentages of beating EBs at late developmental stage were recorded. The results showed that exogenous IL-6 promoted mESCs proliferation and favored maintenances of pluripotency, evidenced by up-regulated mRNA expression of oncogenes (c-fos, c-jun) and stemness markers (oct4, nanog), down-regulated mRNA expression of germ layer genes (branchyury, FLK-1, pecam, ncam, sox17), and increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and STAT3. siRNA targeting JAK/STAT3 partially attenuated the effects of IL-6 on cell proliferation and mRNA expression of c-fos and c-jun. During differentiation, long term IL-6 neutralization antibody application decreased the percentage of beating EBs, down-regulated mRNA expression of ISL1, GATA4, α-MHC, cTnT, kir2.1, cav1.2, and declined the fluorescence intensity of cardiac α actinin in EBs and single cell. Long term IL-6 antibody treatment decreased the phosphorylation of STAT3. In addition, short term (2 d) IL-6 antibody treatment starting from EB4 significantly reduced the percentage of beating EBs in late development stage, while short term IL-6 antibody treatment starting from EB10 significantly increased the percentage of beating EBs on EB16. These results suggest that exogenous IL-6 promotes mESCs proliferation and favors stemness maintenance. Endogenous IL-6 regulates mESC cardiac differentiation in a development-dependent manner. These findings provide important basis for the study of microenvironment on cell replacement therapy, as well as a new perspective for understanding the pathophysiology of heart diseases.

Levels of neutrophil extracellular traps in neonates with acute respiratory distress syndrome / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the changes in cell free-DNA (cf-DNA), a marker of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), in neonates with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and to evaluate its relationship with the severity and early diagnosis of ARDS.@*METHODS@#The neonates diagnosed with ARDS in the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from January 2021 to June 2022 were enrolled in the prospective study. The neonates were divided into mild, moderate, and severe ARDS groups based on the oxygen index (OI) (4≤OI<8, 8≤OI<16, and OI≥16, respectively). The control group was selected from jaundice neonates who were observed in the neonatal department of the hospital during the same period, and they had no pathological factors causing neonatal jaundice. Peripheral blood samples were collected on day 1, day 3, and day 7 after admission for the ARDS group, and on the day of admission for the control group. Serum cf-DNA levels were measured using a fluorescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation of serum cf-DNA levels with serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels.@*RESULTS@#A total of 50 neonates were enrolled in the ARDS group, including 15 neonates with mild ARDS, 25 with moderate ARDS, and 10 with severe ARDS. Twenty-five neonates were enrolled in the control group. Compared with the control group, the serum levels of cf-DNA, IL-6, and TNF-α in all ARDS groups were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the mild ARDS group, the serum levels of cf-DNA, IL-6, and TNF-α in the moderate and severe ARDS groups were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the increase was more significant in the severe ARDS group (P<0.05). The serum levels of cf-DNA, IL-6, and TNF-α in all ARDS groups were significantly increased on day 3 after admission and significantly decreased on day 7 after admission compared with those on day 1 after admission (P<0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between serum cf-DNA levels and IL-6 levels as well as TNF-α levels in 50 neonates with ARDS (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There is an excessive expression of NETs in neonates with ARDS, and dynamic monitoring of serum cf-DNA levels has certain clinical value in evaluating the severity and early diagnosis of ARDS in neonates.

Effects of tigacycline-based combination therapy onprocalcitonin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in patients with multiple drug-resistant acinetobacterbaumannii post-operative abdominal infection in intensive care unit / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To explore the effects of tigacycline-based combination therapy on procalcitonin (PCT), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with multiple drug-resistant acinetobacterbaumannii post-operative abdominal infection in intensive care unit (ICU).Methods:Seventy-five patients with multiple drug-resistant acinetobacter baumannii post-operative abdominal infection in ICU admitted to West Central Hospital of Hainan Prorvincefrom October 2015 to October 2018 were selected and divided into the control group (37cases) and the observation group (38 cases) according to random number table method. The control group was treated with cefoperazone-sulbactam on the basis of routine treatment, while the observation group was treated with tegacycline on the basis of the control group. Both groups were treated for 1 week. The clearance of acinetobacterbaumannii and clinical efficacy of the two groups were counted; the levels of serum PCT, hs-CRP and IL-6 and ummune function were compared.Results:The clearance rate of acinetobacterbaumannii in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group: 76.32%(29/38) vs. 54.05%(20/37), χ2 = 4.10, P = 0.043. Compared with before treatment, the levels of serum PCT, hs-CRP and IL-6 in the two groups were decreased after 1 week of treatment, and the levels of serum PCT, hs-CRP and IL-6 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the levels of peripheral blood CD 3+, CD 4+, CD 4+/CD 8+ were increased and peripheral blood CD 8+ was decreased in both groups, and the levels of peripheral blood CD 3+, CD 4+, CD 4+/CD 8+ in the observation group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05), while the level of peripheral blood CD 8+ in the observation group was lower than that in the control group ( P<0.05). The total effective rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group: 89.47% (34/38) vs. 67.57% (25/37), χ2 = 4.13, P<0.05. Conclusions:Tigacycline combined with cefoperazone-sulbactam in the treatment of intra-abdominal infection after surgery of acinetobacterbaumannii in ICU could reduce the levels of serum PCT, hs-CRP, IL-6, reduce the body′s inflammatory response and improve the immune function, and improve the treatment efficiency of intra-abdominal infection.

Analysis of a surgical series of patients with synchronous multiple ground-glass nodules / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To summarize the clinical experience of surgical resection of synchronous multiple ground-glass nodules (SMGN), and explore the individualized diagnosis and treatment strategy of SMGN. Methods    Clinical data of 84 patients with SMGN who underwent thoracic surgery in Anhui Chest Hospital from July 2016 to August 2018 were analyzed retrospectively, including 18 males (21.4%) and 66 females (78.6%), aged 32-80 (55.6±10.3) years. The results of operation and the information of GGNs were analyzed. Results    Except for 1 patient who was converted to thoracotomy due to extensive dense adhesion of thoracic, other patients underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery successfully. All patients recuperated successfully after operation, without severe perioperative complications or death. Finally, 79 patients were diagnosed as malignant tumors (94.0%), and 5 patients of benign lesions (6.0%). A total of 240 GGNs were removed, among which there were 168 pGGNs, including 68 benign lesions (40.5%) and 100 malignant tumors (59.5%), and 72 mGGNs, including 2 benign nodules (2.8%) and 70 malignant tumors (97.2%). Nodules diameter (P<0.001), consolidation/maximum diameter of nodule ratio (P<0.001), vacuole sign (P<0.001), air bronchograms sign (P=0.001), spine-like process (P=0.001), pleural indentation sign (P<0.001), lobulation sign (P<0.001), and vascular convergence (P=0.002) were correlated with malignant tumor. Conclusion    Analysis of the imaging features of GGNs by thin-section CT scan and three-dimensional reconstruction is of great value in predicting the benign and malignant nodules, which can guide the surgical decision-making and preoperative planning. Through reasonable preoperative planning and following certain principles, simultaneous surgical treatment for SMGN is safe and feasible.

Expression and clinical significance of platelet miRNA after high tibial osteotomy / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore effect and significance of lateral closed high tibial osteotomy on recovery of activity of knee joint.@*METHODS@#From February to December 2018, 78 patients with knee osteoarthritis who were treated by high tibial osteotomy for the first time were selected as the observation group, including 46 males and 32 females, aged from 55 to 73 years old with an average age of (61.78±6.39) years old, the course of disease ranged from 6 to 24 months with an average of (16.52±4.25) months;according to Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grading, 36 patients were gradeⅡand 42 patients were grade Ⅲ. Another 20 healthy people were selected as healthy group, including 13 males and 7 females, aged from 56 to 73 years old with an average of (60.89±7.12) years old. The expression of miR-146 in peripheral blood was compared between observation group and healthy group. At the same time, patients in observation group were followed up for 6 months. The patients whose knee joint function returned to normal or improved significantly during the follow-up period were admitted as the effective group, while the patients whose knee joint function did not improve significantly or tended to aggravate were admitted as the ineffective group. The clinical data and the relative expression of serum miR-146 between effective group and ineffective group were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The relative expression of serum miR-146 in observation group after operation was significantly higher than that in healthy group (@*CONCLUSION@#The expression level of serum miR-146 showed upward trend, which could regulate the differentiation of chondrocyte. The monitoring of miR-146 after operation has reference value for predicting the recovery of bone and joint function after operation.

BRICS report of 2020: The bacterial composition and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical isolates from bloodstream infections in China / 中华临床感染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the bacterial composition and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical isolates from bloodstream infections in China.Methods:The clinical bacterial strains isolated from blood culture were collected during January 2020 to December 2020 in member hospitals of Blood Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System (BRICS). Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI, USA). WHONET 5.6 was used to analyze data.Results:During the study period, 10 043 bacterial strains were collected from 54 hospitals, of which 2 664 (26.5%) were Gram-positive bacteria and 7 379 (73.5%) were Gram-negative bacteria. The top 10 bacterial species were Escherichia coli (38.6%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (18.4%), Staphylococcus aureus (9.9%), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (7.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.9%), Enterococcus faecium (3.3%), Enterobacter cloacae (2.8%), Enterococcus faecalis (2.6%), Acinetobacter baumannii (2.4%) and Klebsiella spp (1.8%). The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus aureus were 27.6% and 74.4%, respectively. No glycopeptide- and daptomycin-resistant Staphylococci were detected. More than 95% of Staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to rifampicin and SMZco. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci strains were detected. Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirabilis were 48.4%, 23.6% and 36.1%, respectively. The prevalence rates of carbapenem-resistance in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were 2.3% and 16.1%, respectively; 9.6% of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were resistant to ceftazidime/avibactam combination. The prevalence rate of carbapenem-resistance in Acinetobacter baumannii was 60.0%, while polymyxin and tigecycline showed good activity against Acinetobacter baumannii. The prevalence rate of carbapenem-resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 23.2%. Conclusions:The surveillance results in 2020 showed that the main pathogens of bloodstream infection in China were gram-negative bacteria, while Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen, and ESBL-producing strains declined while carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae kept on high level. The proportion and the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa were on the rise slowly. On the other side, the MRSA incidence got lower in China, while the overall prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci was low.

Establishment and validation of a nomogram to predict overall survival of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To establish a novel nomogram to predict overall survival of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (g-NEN). Methods: A case control study was conducted. Clinicopathological and follow-up data of patients with g-NEN who were treated in two academic medical centers in Southern China between July 2008 and June 2018 were retrospectively collected, including 174 patients from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center and 102 patients from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Univariate survival analysis using Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate analysis using Cox regression were performed to identify prognostic factors. A nomogram was subsequently established based on prognostic factors. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to verify the performance of the model according to differentiation, calibration and clinical utility. Results: A total of 276 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 189 patients were male and 87 were female. The age at diagnosis was below 60 years old in 150 patients and 60 years or older in 126 patients. There were patients diagnosed with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (g-NEC) and 101 patients with gastric neuroendocrine tumor (g-NET). The number of patients with primary tumor locating at upper, middle and lower parts of stomach was 131, 98 and 47, respectively. As for TNM stage, 72 patients were categorized as stage I, 26 patients stage II, 93 patients stage III, and 85 patients stage IV. Univariate analysis indicated that age, pathological type, primary site, Ki-67 index, T stage, N stage, and M stage were associated with overall survival of g-NEN patients (all P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis testified that high Ki-67 index, advanced T stage and advanced M stage were independent prognostic factors (all P<0.05). The C-index of the nomogram was 0.806 (95%CI: 0.769-0.863). The calibration curve of the nomogram showed that the predicted survival rate was consistent with the actual survival rate in g-NEN patients. The ROC curves and DCA showed that the nomogram had better differentiation and clinical utility than the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th TNM staging system (the area under the ROC curve was 0.862 vs. 0.792). Conclusion: The first nomogram to predict overall survival of patients with g-NEN is established and verified in this study, which provides individual prediction of 3-year overall survival rate and is applicable to both g-NET and g-NEC patients.

Comparison of clinical characteristics between sporadic gastrinoma and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1-related gastrinoma / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To compare clinical characteristics of sporadic gastrinoma and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1)-related gastrinoma. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with clinical manifestations of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, pathological diagnosis as neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) and complete clinical and follow-up data were enrolled. Patients with only high gastric acid secretion but without evidence of NEN, or with other concurrent non-NEN tumors were excluded. According to the above criteria, the clinicopathological data of 52 cases of gastrinoma diagnosed from April 2003 to December 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, were collected. Patients who met the diagnostic criteria of gastrinoma and met one of the following conditions were diagnosed as MEN1-related gastrinoma: (1) the presence of pathogenic mutations in the MEN1 gene confirmed by genetic testing; (2) NENs involving two or more endocrine glands, namely, pituitary, parathyroid, thymic, pancreatic, and adrenal NENs; (3) NEN and at least one first-degree relatives diagnosed as MEN1. The remaining gastrinomas were defined as sporadic gastrinoma. Student's t test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. Clinicopathological characteristics, endoscopic findings, imaging characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of sporadic and MEN1-related gastrinoma were compared. Results: Among 52 patients with gastrinoma, 33 were sporadic gastrinoma and 19 were MEN1-related gastrinoma. The common symptoms of both sporadic and MEN1-related gastrinomas were diarrhea (24/33, 72.7%; 17/19, 89.5%) and abdominal pain (19/33, 57.6%; 9/19, 47.4%). Compared with sporadic gastrinoma, MEN1-related gastrinoma needed longer time for diagnosis [(7.4±4.9) years vs. (3.9±5.2) years, t=-2.355, P=0.022), were more likely multiple tumors [47.4% (9/19) vs. 15.2% (5/33), χ(2)=6.361, P=0.012], had smaller diameter [(1.7±1.0) cm vs. (3.1±1.8) cm, t=2.942, P=0.005), presented the lower tumor grade [G1: 83.3% (15/18) vs. 39.4% (13/33); G2: 11.1% (2/18) vs. 54.5% (18/33); G3: 5.6% (1/18) vs. 6.1% (2/33), Z=-2.766, P=0.006], were less likely to have serum gastrin which was 10 times higher than normal [11.8% (2/17) vs. 56.0% (14/33), χ(2)=8.396, P=0.004], had higher probability of complication with type 2 gastric neuroendocrine tumors (g-NET) [31.6% (6/19) vs. 3.0%(1/33), χ(2)=6.163, P=0.013], and had lower rate of liver metastasis [21.1% (4/19) vs. 51.5% (17/33), χ(2)=4.648, P=0.031). There was no obvious difference between sporadic gastrinomas and MEN1-related gastrinomas in endoscopic findings. Both types presented enlarged and swollen gastric mucosa under the stimulation of high gastric acid, and multiple ulcers in the stomach and duodenum could be seen. Gastrinoma with type 2 g-NET presented multiple polypoid raised lesions in the fundus and body of the stomach. (68)Ga-SSR-PET/CT scan had a 100% detection rate for both types while (18)F-FDG-PET/CT scan had a higher detection rate for sporadic gastrinoma compared with MEN1-related gastrinoma [57.9% (11/19) vs. 20.0% (3/15), χ(2)=4.970, P=0.026]. Among the patients with sporadic gastrinoma, 19 received surgical treatment, 1 underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection, 8 underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE), and 5 underwent surgery combined with TAE. Among patients with MEN1-related gastrinoma, 13 received surgical treatment, and the other 6 received conservative treatment. The median follow-up of all the patients was 21.5 (1-129) months, and the 5-year survival rate was 88.4%. The 5-year survival rate of patients with sporadic and MEN1-related gastrinomas was 89.5% and 80.0% respectively (P=0.949). The 5-year survival rate of patients with and without liver metastasis was 76.2% vs. 100%, respectively (P=0.061). Conclusions: Compared with sporadic gastrinoma, MEN1-related gastrinoma has longer diagnosis delay, smaller tumor diameter, lower tumor grading, lower risk of liver metastasis, and is more likely to complicate with type 2 g-NET, while there is no difference in survival between the two tumor types.

Interpretation of updated international guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of gastroenter-opancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms / 中华胃肠外科杂志

The incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) is continuously increasing with gastrointestinal tract and pancreas being the most common primary sites. Currently, the guidelines proposed by European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) are being widely applied. Among these, ENETS and NANETS guidelines were proposed in 2017 while ESMO and NCCN recently updated their guidelines for gastroenteropancreatic NEN in 2020 and 2021, respectively. This article interprets the diagnosis and treatment of gastroenteropancreatic NEN based on the newly updated ESMO and NCCN guidelines. The diagnosis of gastroenteropancreatic NEN depends on histological assessment including morphological evaluation, grading and immunohistochemistry results. Combination of different imaging methods can help determine tumor staging and risk assessment. Decision-making of treatment and follow-up strategies is based on primary tumor site, tumor classification, tumor grade, tumor type, functional status etc.

Feasibility of radiofrequency ablation for cancer patients with atrial fibrillation / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To analyze the impact of cancer on the recurrence rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) after AF radiofrequency ablation and further evaluate the feasibility of radiofrequency ablation therapy in cancer patients with AF. Methods: This study was a single-center, retrospective study. Cancer patients with AF undergoing radiofrequency ablation for the first time in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from May 30, 2008 to September 30, 2018 were included (cancer group). AF patients without cancer undergoing radiofrequency ablation for the first time during the same period served as non-cancer group. Clinical data including age, gender, past history, cancer and AF-related parameters, etc. were analyzed. Patients were followed up after radiofrequency ablation. The primary endpoints were AF recurrence or all-cause death. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to analyze the effect of cancers on the recurrence after AF ablation. The multivariate cox regression analysis was further applied to correct for other confounding factors to analyze whether the impact of cancers on the recurrence of atrial fibrillation was statistically significant. Results: A total of 90 patients were enrolled, there were 30 patients in the cancer group (mean age (64.8±6.6) years, 16 (53.3%) males) and 60 patients in the non-cancer group (mean age (63.6±6.2) years, 32 (53.3%) males). Clinical data, such as age, gender, and cancer treatment, were similar between the two groups. During an average follow-up period of (328.7±110.2) days, there were 6 AF recurrences (recurrence rate 20.0%) in the cancer group, and 17 AF recurrences (recurrence rate 28.3%) in the control group. AF recurrence rate was similar between the two groups (P>0.05). During the follow-up period, there was no all-cause death in the two groups. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that cancer was not related to AF recurrence after radiofrequency ablation (P = 0.383). After adjusting for other confounding factors, the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that cancer was not an independent predictor of AF recurrence after radiofrequency ablation (HR=0.508, 95%CI: 0.192-1.342, P = 0.172). Conclusions: The combination of cancer has no impact on the recurrence of AF after radiofrequency ablation. For cancer patients with AF, radiofrequency ablation therapy can be considered as a feasible heart rhythm control treatment strategy.

Thromboxane A2 receptor contributes to the activation of rat pancreatic stellate cells induced by 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) activation plays a critical role in the development of chronic pancreatitis. Previous studies confirmed that thromboxane A2 receptor (TxA2r) was overexpressed in activated PSCs in rats. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of TxA2r in the activation of PSCs induced by 8-epi-prostaglandin F2α (8-epi-PGF2α).@*METHODS@#TxA2r expression in both quiescent and activated PSCs was detected by immunocytochemistry and immunoblot assay. Isolated PSCs were treated with 8-epi-PGF2α (10, 10, 10 mol/L) for 48 h, and SQ29548 (10, 10, and 10 mol/L), a TxA2r-specific antagonist for 48 h, respectively, to identify the drug concentration with the best biological effect and the least cytotoxicity. Then isolated PSCs were treated with SQ29548 (10 mol/L) for 2 h, followed by 10 mol/L 8-epi-PGF2α for 48 h. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I. Comparisons between the groups were performed using Student's t test.@*RESULTS@#TxA2r was up-regulated in activated PSCs in vitro compared with quiescent PSCs (all P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, different concentrations of 8-epi-PGF2α significantly increased mRNA levels of α-SMA (10 mol/L: 2.23 ± 0.18 vs. 1.00 ± 0.07, t = 10.70, P < 0.001; 10 mol/L: 2.91 ± 0.29 vs. 1.01 ± 0.08, t = 10.83, P < 0.001; 10 mol/L, 1.67 ± 0.07 vs. 1.00 ± 0.08, t = 11.40, P < 0.001) and collagen I (10 mol/L: 2.68 ± 0.09 vs. 1.00 ± 0.07, t = 24.94, P < 0.001; 10 mol/L: 2.12 ± 0.29 vs. 1.01 ± 0.12, t = 6.08, P < 0.001; 10 mol/L: 1.46 ± 0.15 vs. 1.00 ± 0.05, t = 4.93, P = 0.008). However, different concentrations of SQ29548 all significantly reduced the expression of collagen I (10 mol/L: 0.55 ± 0.07 vs. 1.00 ± 0.07, t = 10.47, P < 0.001; 10 mol/L: 0.56 ± 0.10 vs. 1.00 ± 0.07, t = 6.185, P < 0.001; 10 mol/L: 0.27 ± 0.04 vs. 1.00 ± 0.07, t = 15.41, P < 0.001) and α-SMA (10 mol/L: 0.06 ± 0.01 vs. 1.00 ± 0.11, t = 15.17, P < 0.001; 10 mol/L: 0.28 ± 0.03 vs. 1.00 ± 0.11, t = 11.29, P < 0.001; 10 mol/L: 0.14 ± 0.04 vs. 1.00 ± 0.11, t = 12.86, P < 0.001). After being treated with SQ29548 (10 mol/L) and then 8-epi-PGF2α (10 mol/L), the mRNA levels of α-SMA (0.20 ± 0.08 vs. 1.00 ± 0.00, t = 17.46, P < 0.001) and collagen I (0.69 ± 0.13 vs. 1.00 ± 0.00, t = 4.20, P = 0.014) in PSCs were significantly lower than those of the control group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The results show that 8-epi-PGF2α promoted PSCs activation, while SQ29548 inhibited PSCs activation induced by 8-epi-PGF2α. The result indicated that TxA2r plays an important role during PSC activation and collagen synthesis induced by 8-epi-PGF2αin vitro. This receptor may provide a potential target for more effective antioxidant therapy for pancreatic fibrosis.

Cardiac fibroblast paracrine factors modulate mouse embryonic stem cells / 生理学报

The study aims to investigate the effects of cardiac fibroblast (CF) paracrine factors on murine embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Conditioned mediums from either neonatal cardiac fibroblasts (ConM-NCF) or adult cardiac fibroblasts (ConM-ACF) were diluted by 1:50 and 1:5, respectively, to investigate whether these conditioned mediums impact murine ESCs distinctly with RT-real time PCR techniques, cell proliferation essay, ELISA and by counting percentage of beating embryoid bodies (EBs) during ESCs differentiation. The data showed that the paracrine ability of CFs changed dramatically during development, in which interleukin 6 (IL6) increased with maturation. ConM-NCF 1:50 and ConM-NCF 1:5 had opposite effects on the pluripotent markers, although they both reduced mouse ESC proliferation. ConM-ACF 1:50 promoted ESCs pluripotent markers and proliferation, while ConM-ACF 1:5 exerted negative effects. All CF-derived conditioned mediums inhibited cardiac differentiation, but with distinguishable features: ConM-NCF 1:50 slightly decreased the early cardiac differentiation without altering the maturation tendency or cardiac specific markers in EBs at differentiation of day 17; ConM-ACF 1:50 had more significant inhibitory effects on early cardiac differentiation than ConM-NCF 1:50 and impeded cardiac maturation with upregulation of cardiac specific markers. In addition, IL6 neutralization antibody attenuated positive effect of ConM-ACF 1:50 on ESCs proliferation, but had no effects on ConM-NCF 1:50. Long-term IL6 neutralization reduced the percentage of beating EBs at early developmental stage, but did not alter the late cardiac differentiation. Taken together, both the quality and quantity of factors and cytokines secreted by CFs are critical for the ESC fate. IL6 could be a favorable cytokine for ESC pluripotency and the early cardiac differentiation.

Primary Study of Henan Cerebral Palsy Register and Rehabilitation Management System / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To introduce the construction of Henan Cerebral Palsy Register and Rehabilitation Management System (HCPRRMS) and to explore the construction project of regional register and surveillance of cerebral palsy. Methods:The construction process, registration content and preliminary results of HCPRRMS were systematically introduced. Results:HCPRRMS was independent developed in 2014. Since March, 2015, the system has been used to register information of patients with cerebral palsy in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Until September, 2019, a total of 23 child rehabilitation institutions had used the registration management system. There were 1357 patients with cerebral palsy registered in this system, in which 936 cases (68.98%) were male, 501 cases (36.92%) were with gestational weeks < 37, 443 cases (32.65%) were with birth weight < 2500 g, and 430 cases (31.69%) were born with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Among them, the spastic cerebral palsy patients (1117 cases, 86.74%) accounted for the highest proportion. There was significant difference among types of cerebral palsy and the classification of GMFCS. A total of 1117 patients with cerebral palsy showed MRI-identified brain abnormalities, in which, periventricular leukomalacia accounted for the most (480 cases). For the complications, epilepsy accounted for 14.44% (196 cases), vision impairment accounted for 8.03% (109 cases), hearing impairment accounted for 11.64% (158 cases). Among 769 cases aged more than two years, language-speech dysfunction accounted for 52.66% (424 cases); and among 216 cases aged more than four years, mental retardation accounted for 37.96% (82 cases). Conclusion:HCPRRMS could help to understand the risk factors, clinical characteristics, and complications of cerebral palsy.

Effect of Bimin Decoction on Aquaporin 5 in Nasal Mucosa of Allergic Rhinitis Rats with Lung and Spleen Qi Deficiency Syndrome Via NF-κB Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To observe the effect of Bimin decoction(BMD) on nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathway and aquaporin 5(AQP5) expression in allergic rhinitis (AR) rats with lung and spleen Qi deficiency syndrome(LSQDS), in order to study the mechanism in treating AR. Method::Fifty-six SD rats were randomly divided into seven groups: control group, AR group, LSQDS AR group, BMD low dose two weeks group and four weeks group, BMD high dose two weeks group and four weeks group. The control group did not intervened, the AR group established the AR disease model with ovalbumin (OVA) as the allergen, the other five groups established the LSDQS model with smoke and senna gavage, and also established the AR disease model with OVA sensitization at the same time as the AR group. After the model was established successfully, four BMD intervention groups were separately given low dose BMD (11.3 g·kg-1) for 2 weeks and 4 weeks, and high dose BMD (22.6 g·kg-1) for 2 weeks and 4 weeks. To observe the general situation of the rats, hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the nasal mucosa, immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the expression levels of NF-κB and AQP5, real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction technique (Real-time PCR)was used to detect mRNA levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6). Result::The typical AR symptoms were found in AR rats, the AR symptoms and lung and spleen Qi deficiency symptoms were found in AR rats with LSQDS at the same time, and the AR symptoms and lung and spleen Qi deficiency symptoms were significantly improved after the intervention of BMD. Compared with the control group, the typical histopathological changes of nasal mucosa were found in AR group and LSQDS AR group, with a higher behavioral score (P<0.05), and the expression of NF-κB and AQP5 protein increased (P<0.05), the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 and AQP5 mRNA increased (P<0.05). Compared with AR group, the pathological changes of nasal mucosa in LSQDS AR group were more serious, and the expression of NF-κB protein in nucleus increased (P<0.05), the expression of TNF-α and AQP5 mRNA increased (P<0.05). Compared with LSQDS AR group, the pathological changes of nasal mucosa in the groups which interfered by BMD were improved, and the expression of NF-κB and AQP5 protein decreased (P<0.05), the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6 and AQP5 mRNA decreased (P<0.05). Compared with BMD low-dose two-week group, the expression of NF-κB protein in nucleus decreased (P<0.05) in BMD high dose four week group. Conclusion::Compared with AR group, the AR condition of the rats with LSQDS is more serious under the same allergen stimulation, BMD can treat AR and reduce the over secretion of glands, which may be related to inhibit the expression of AQP5 by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Follow-up of a family with slow-channel congenital myasthenia syndrome and analysis of the factors of therapeutic efficacy / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To describe clinical characteristics, genetic mutation and therapeutic response of a family diagnosed as slow-channel congenital myasthenia syndrome (SCCMS) and analyze the factors of the efficacy of channel blockers therapy.Methods:Clinical data and therapeutic response in three patients from a family of SCCMS from Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University in May 2017 were collected. The clinical data, mutations and response to therapy of all literature SCCMS cases in the English database of Pubmed and Chinese database of Wanfang until December 31, 2018 were analyzed statistically.Results:The proband was a 48-year-old female who referred to Xuanwu Hospital for limb weakness for 40 years. The proband′s elder daughter presented with onset of the birth and delayed motor milestones, scoliosis and difficulty in walking. The younger daughter was born healthy with normal motor milestones, while fatigue and weakness gradually appeared. The antibodies of myasthenia gravis were negative. No repetitive compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) were detected in three patients. Repetitive nerve stimulation showed decrements. Gene test revealed heterozygous mutation of CHRNE p.εV279F, a known pathogenic mutation of SCCMS. Seventeen SCCMS cases were reported in literature. A total of 20 patients with SCCMS were described in terms of clinical manifestation, mutation, drug therapy and efficacy in detail. According to the literature description, they were divided into significant benefit group and mild to modest benefit group to channel blocker therapy. The age of onset in 10 patients with significant benefit was 1.50 (0.75, 28.25) years from birth to 43 years, and that in 10 patients with mild to modest benefit was 2.50 (0, 6.25) years from birth to 11 years. There was no significant difference between the two groups. The age at the initial channel blocker therapy in the group with significant benefit was (23.40±13.29) years from 12 to 43 years, whereas that in the group with mild to modest benefit was (34.10±13.43) years from 20 to 62 years, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The delay time of treatment (age at the beginning of treatment with channel blockers-age of onset) in patients with significant benefit was 13.0 (10.25, 15.00) years, which was 32.50 (19.25, 38.00) years in patients with mild to modest benefit ( Z=-3.374, P=0.000). According to the response of cholinesterase inhibitor, eight patients were in the effective group, 10 patients were in the ineffective group and two patients were without cholinesterase inhibitor. The age of onset in the effective group was 0 (0, 4.75) years, while that in the ineffective group was 6.50 (1.00, 28.25) years ( Z=-2.315, P=0.021).The age of treatment with channel blockers was (27.90±12.99) years in the effective group and (32.00±13.21) years in the ineffective group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The delay time of channel blocker treatment in effective group was (30.25±11.07) years, while that in ineffective group was (14.30±9.60) years ( t=-3.274, P=0.005). Conclusions:In SCCMS, the effect of channel blockers was related to the delay time of treatment. Channel blocker was more effective the sooner it was started after the onset of symptoms. The average age of onset of SCCMS patients with positive responses to cholinesterase inhibitor was younger, but the delay time of channel blocker therapy was longer, resulting in poor therapeutic effect.

Pathological Observation of Blood Stasis Syndrome in Non-diabetic Peripheral Neuropathies: A Retrospective Analysis Based on Nerve Biopsy / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the pathological features of blood stasis syndrome (BSS) in non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy.@*METHODS@#Clinical data of 31 patients with non-diabetic peripheral neuropathy who had undergone nerve biopsy during December 2004 and December 2010 in Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. According to Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome differentiation and signs, 26 patients were blood stasis type and 5 patients were non-blood stasis type. Clinical and pathological data were compared in detail.@*RESULTS@#Clinically, although both groups shared similar symptoms of limb numbness, weakness and sensory disturbances, the prevalence of neuralgia was much grievous in BSS group (73.1%, 26/31) compared with the non-BSS group (0%, 0/5). As for signs, dermal nutrients disturbance (84.6%, 22/26), dark or purple tongue (100.0%, 26/26), and sublingual varices (80.7%, 21/26) were more common in the BSS group than the non-BSS group (0%, 60%, 20%, respectively). The prevalence of qi deficiency cases (19/26) in the BSS group was significantly higher compared with the non-BSS group (1/5). The unique histological manifestations of BSS were axonal degeneration (16/26 vs 2/5 in non-BSS group), which was the hallmark of ischemia. Cases with BSS had prominent microangiopathy (61.5%, 16/26), manifested as epineurium vasculitis (inflammatory cell infiltrated to the vessel wall, obliteration and recanalization, vascular proliferation, extravascular hemosiderin deposition), angiotelectasis, proliferation and hyaline degeneration of endoneurium capillary. In the BSS group, impaired blood-nerve barrier was indicated by sub-perineurial edema (46.2%, 11/26) and endoneurial edema (15.4%, 4/26). The Renaut body (15.4%, 4/26) and amyloid deposition (3.8%, 1/26) found in the BSS group were absent in the non-BSS group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#BBS was common in non-diabetic peripheral neuropathies. The nerves exhibited ischemic alteration of primary axon degeneration and secondary demyelination. The interstitial tissue revealed microcirculation impairment, blood-nerve barrier disturbance, amyloid deposition and proliferation changes. The high prevalence of qi deficiency also highlights the therapy of promotion of blood circulation and removal of blood stasis.

Correlation analysis between rotator cuff tear and the superior migration of humeral head / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the association between rotator cuff tear and the proximal migration of humeral head.@*METHODS@#In this research, we retrospectively selected 30 patients with unilateral rotator cuff tear in Peking University People's Hospital from September 2015 to May 2016, who received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray of the painful shoulder before enrollment in this study, the duration between the two examinations was no longer than 1 week, and also there was no past history of surgery in the selected shoulders. There was no other exclusion criteria. Upward migration index (UMI) was the ratio between the distance of humeral head center to the lower surface of acromion, and the radius of humeral head circle, which could help to minimize the effect of anatomy difference and imaging magnification, compared with the traditional acromiohumeral distance (AHD). Then we introduced this index to stratify the selected 30 patients into 3 groups, and each group contained 10 patients, UMI of group 1 was >1 and ≤1.2, UMI of group 2 was >1.2 and ≤1.4, UMI of group 3 was >1.4. As the supraspinatus was most commonly affected by pathological change among the four rotator cuff tendons, we took it as the research object. Then we used the Spearman correlation analysis to evaluate the relationship between UMI and fatty degeneration, rotator cuff tear size and the thickness of ruptured supraspinatus tendon from X-ray and MRI.@*RESULTS@#In the A-P view, the average UMI was 1.33 (1.02-1.51, SD: ±0.22). UMI and the tear size had a significant negative correlation (R=-0.584, P<0.01), and also there was a negative correlation between the fatty degeneration of the supraspinatus (R=-0.312, P=0.033). However, there was no correlation between UMI and the thickness of ruptured supraspinatus (R=0.127, P=0.071).@*CONCLUSION@#UMI is related with the fatty degeneration of supraspinatus and the tear size. The reduction of UMI is a predictable and reliable mark of rotator cuff tear and degeneration in clinic. Physicians can use physical examination and X-ray first when facing the patients with shoulder pain, which is convenient and helpful for evaluating rotator cuff tears.

Co-existence of blaOXA-23 and blaVIM in carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates belonging to global complex 2 in a Chinese teaching hospital / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) have been a challenging concern of health-care associated infections. The aim of the current study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology and clonal dissemination of CRAB isolates in a Chinese teaching hospital.@*METHODS@#Non-duplicate clinical A. baumannii isolates were collected from inpatients, and we measured the minimal inhibitory concentrations to determine antimicrobial susceptibility. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing were performed to detect carbapenem-resistance genes and occurrence of transposons among CRAB isolates. Moreover, the genetic diversity among isolates and clonal dissemination were determined by repetitive element PCR-mediated DNA fingerprinting (rep-PCR) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST).@*RESULTS@#A total of 67 CRAB isolates displayed resistance to most of the antibiotics tested in this study, except tigecycline. We detected blaOXA-23, blaOXA-51, blaOXA-58, and blaVIM genes in 94.0%, 100.0%, 1.5%, and 80.6% of the CRAB isolates, respectively. Nevertheless, 74.6% of the CRAB isolates co-harbored the blaOXA-23 and blaVIM. Only one type of transposons was detected: Tn2008 (79.1%, 53/67). Although 12 distinctive types (A-L) were determined (primarily A type) ST195 was the most prevalent sequence type (ST). ST368, ST210, ST90, ST829, and ST136 were also detected, and all belonged to clonal complex 208 (CC208) and global complex 2 (GC2).@*CONCLUSION@#The blaOXA-23 and blaVIM genes contributed to the resistance among CRAB isolates collected in our study. Notably, most of the CRAB strains co-harbored blaOXA-23 and blaVIM genes, as well as Tn2008, which could contribute to clonal dissemination. The prevalence of such organisms may underlie hospital acquired infections.