Prevalence of smoking in adults aged 40 years and above in China, 2019-2020 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the prevalence of smoking and its change in adults aged ≥40 years in China and provide evidence for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevention and control strategies. Methods: The data of this study were obtained from COPD surveillance in China during 2014-2015 and during 2019-2020. The surveillance covered 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). A multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling were used to select residents aged ≥40 years, and face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect the information about their tobacco use. After complex sampling weighting of the samples, the current smoking rate, average age to start smoking and average daily cigarette consumption of people with different characteristics during 2019-2020 were estimated, and the changes in the current smoking rate and average daily cigarette consumption were analyzed from 2014-2015 to 2019-2020. Results: During 2019-2020, the current smoking rate in adults aged ≥40 years was 27.2%, and the rate was much higher in men (52.1%) than in women (2.5%).The average age of the smokers to start smoking was 20.0 years old, and men usually started smoking at younger age (19.6 years) compared with women (27.9 years). The average daily cigarette consumption of daily smokers was 18.0 sticks, and the consumption of men (18.3 cigarettes) was higher than that of women (11.1 cigarettes). Compared with the surveillance results during 2014-2015, the current smoking rate had decreased by 2.8 percentage points in the general population, 4.1 percentage points in males, 1.6 percentage points in females, and the urban and rural areas fell by 3.1 percentage points and 2.5 percentage points, respectively. The average daily cigarette consumption decreased by 0.6 sticks. Conclusions: In recent years, the current smoking rate and average daily cigarette consumption in adults aged ≥40 years decreased in China, but smoking is still common in more than quarter of this population and more than half of men aged ≥40 years. It is necessary to take targeted tobacco control measures based on population and regional characteristics to further reduce the smoking level of the population.

Performance of pulmonary function test in people aged 40 years and above in China, 2019-2020 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the performance of pulmonary function tests in people aged ≥40 years and its changes in China, and provide evidence for the evaluation of the effect of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevention and control in China. Methods: The subjects of the survey were from COPD surveillance during 2014-2015 and during 2019-2020, which covered 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China. The survey used multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method, the trained investigators conducted face-to-face interview to know whether subjects had previous pulmonary function testing or not. Complex sampling weighting was used to estimate the rate of pulmonary function testing in people aged ≥40 years, and the pulmonary function testing rates of the two COPD surveillance periods were compared. Results: A total of 148 427 persons were included in the analysis, including 74 591 persons during 2014-2015 and 73 836 persons during 2019-2020. In 2019-2020, the pulmonary function testing rate in Chinese residents aged ≥40 years was 6.7% (95%CI: 5.2%-8.2%), the rate in men (8.1%, 95%CI: 6.7%-9.6%) was higher than that in women (5.4%, 95%CI: 3.7%- 7.0%), and the rate in urban residents (8.3%, 95%CI: 6.1%-10.5%) was higher than that in rural residents (4.4%, 95%CI: 3.8%-5.1%). The rate of pulmonary function testing increased with the increase of education level. During 2019-2020, the residents with history of chronic respiratory diseases had the highest rate of pulmonary function testing (21.2%, 95%CI: 16.8%-25.7%), followed by the residents with respiratory symptoms (15.1%, 95%CI: 11.8%-18.4%) , the pulmonary function testing rate in those who knew the name of chronic respiratory disease was higher than that in those who did not knew the name of respiratory disease, and the pulmonary function testing rate in former smokers was higher than that in current smokers and non-smokers. Those exposed to occupational dust and/or harmful gases had a higher rate of pulmonary function testing compared with those who were not exposed, and those who used polluted fuels indoors had a lower rate of pulmonary function testing than those who did not use polluted fuels indoors (all P<0.05). Compared with 2014-2015, the pulmonary function testing rate in residents aged ≥40 years in China increased by 1.9 percentage points during 2019-2020, and the rate of pulmonary function testing in groups with different characteristics all increased, and the rates of pulmonary function testing increased by 7.4 percentage points and 7.1 percentage points in residents with respiratory symptoms and in those with history of chronic respiratory diseases (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with 2014-2015, the rate of pulmonary function testing increased in China during 2019-2020 and the increase in residents with history of chronic respiratory diseases and respiratory symptoms was relatively obvious, but the overall pulmonary function testing rate was still at a low level. Effective measures should be taken to further increase the rate of pulmonary function testing.

Impact of Smoke-Free Legislation on Acute Myocardial Infarction and Subtypes of Stroke Incidence in Shenzhen, China, 2012-2016: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study assesses the impact of smoke-free legislation on the incidence rate for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and stroke in Shenzhen.@*METHODS@#Data on ischemic ( n = 72,945) and hemorrhagic ( n = 18,659) stroke and AMI ( n = 17,431) incidence covering about 12 million people in Shenzhen from 2012 to 2016 were used. Immediate and gradual changes in incidence rates were analyzed using segmented Poisson regression.@*RESULTS@#Following the smoke-free legislation, a 9% (95% CI: 3%-15%) immediate reduction was observed in AMI incidence, especially in men (8%, 95% CI: 1%-14%) and in those aged 65 years and older (17%, 95% CI: 9%-25%). The gradual annual benefits were observed only in hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke incidence, with a 7% (95% CI: 2%-11%) and 6% (95% CI: 4%-8%) decrease per year, respectively. This health effect extended gradually to the 50-64 age group. In addition, neither the immediate nor gradual decrease in stroke and AMI incidence rates did not show statistical significance among the 35-49 age group ( P > 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Smoke-free legislation was enforced well in Shenzhen, which would generate good experiences for other cities to enact and enforce smoke-free laws. This study also provided more evidence of the health benefits of smoke-free laws on stroke and AMI.

Review of health hazards and control strategies of sugar-sweetened beverages / 环境与职业医学

The global production and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been on the rise in recent decades. The intake of SSBs has been increasing in China, and it is more prevalent among children and adolescents. As research continues to intensify, more and more studies have shown that, in addition to the increased risks of dental caries and obesity reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), SSBs intake can also increase risks of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gout, and cancer, and early death, adding to the burden of disease. Due to the health risks associated with the overconsumption of SSBs, many countries around the world have taken measures to control the intake. The main measures currently in place are taxation of SSBs, restrictions on marketing and sales of SSBs, front-of-package labeling and reducing availability of SSBs in schools. In China, the main measures currently in place are to control the sales of beverages in schools, with Shenzhen taking the lead in implementing health warning labeling to alcoholic beverages and carbonated beverages, extending the measures to reduce SSBs intake beyond school grounds.

The effect of Jiegeng decoction on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury in mice based on metabolomics / 药学学报

One of the traditional prescriptions for treating lung diseases, Jiegeng decoction (JGT), is still unknown in terms of its chemical makeup and mechanism. In this study, Q-Exactive-Orbitrap MS technology was used to identify the chemical constituents of JGT, and metabolomics was used to examine the effect of JGT on metabolites in the lung tissue of mice with acute lung injury (ALI) model. The potential biomarkers were screened by fold change (FC) > 1.5 or FC < 0.67 and P < 0.05, and enriched for metabolic pathways. A total of 40 compounds, including triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids and glycosides, were identified by mass spectrometry analysis of JGT. All animal experiments were approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. TCM-LAEC2021106). The results showed that JGT improved the lung coefficient, and lung tissue morphology of mice with ALI, lowered the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and reduced myeloperoxidase (MPO) content in lung tissue. The metabolomic results showed that JGT could regulate 22 metabolites associated with ALI, among which leukotriene D4, docosapentaenoic acid, hypoxanthine, L-5-oxoproline, and other metabolites were mainly associated with the body′s inflammatory response and oxidative stress, and were enriched in the pathways of glutathione metabolism, purine metabolism, and primary bile acid biosynthesis. This study analyzed the potential mechanism of JGT in the treatment of ALI through metabolomics, providing an important theoretical basis for the clinical application of JGT.

Investigation on whole blood collection in Tianjin after fully lifting COVID-19 prevention and control measures / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the situation of whole blood collection in Tianjin after COVID-19 prevention and control measures were fully lifted. 【Methods】 The relevant data on whole blood collection of voluntary blood donors in Tianjin 15 days before Spring Festival (2023.01.07-2023.01.21, when China has managed COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious disease instead of Class A infectious diseases) and 15 days before Spring Festival in 2018 (2018.02.01- 2018.02.15) and 2019 (2019.01.21-2019.02.04) before the breakout of COVID-19 were retrospectively collected and compared. 【Results】 The comparison between the above period in 2023, 2018 and 2019 was as follows: the number of blood donors was 6 124 vs 3 940 vs 4 069; blood collection volume (U) was 9 623 vs 7 378 vs 7 808; the proportion of first-time blood donors, local blood donors and group blood donors was 69.17% (4 236/6 124) vs 65.86% (2 595/3 940) vs 62.05% (2 525/4 069), 59.31% (3 632/6 124) vs 23.27% (9170) vs 18.19% (740/4 069) and 43.42% (2 659/6 124) vs 8.05% (317/2 595) vs 0.15% (6/4 069) (all P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 The adjustment of COVID-19 prevention and control policy has a significant impact on voluntary blood donation, and the corresponding adjustment of blood donor recruitment strategy in blood centers should be conducted to increase the whole blood collection.

Confirmation of HBV infection of HBsAg-negative NAT suspicious sample from blood donors / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To explore the HBV infection of initially reactive but discriminatory test non-reactive (NAT suspicious) samples of voluntary blood donors after PANTHER individual nucleic acid testing (ID-NAT) in Tianjin. 【Methods】 From January to August 2021, after routine testing and PANTHER ID-NAT, a total of 66 HBsAg-NAT reactive but discriminatory test non-reactive samples(referred to as NAT suspicious samples) were tested from 69 362 blood samples. Among which, 23 samples were selected by simple random sampling method and enriched by ultra-high speed centrifugation. HBV DNA was detected by supersensitive fluorescence quantification PCR (qPCR)and ID-NAT, and electrochemiluminescence was supplemented for two and half pairs of hepatitis B detection. 【Results】 Among 23 suspicious NAT samples, 14 were confirmed HBV DNA positive by serological and molecular biological tests, and the anti-HBc positive rate of HBV infected individuals was 92.8%. 92.8% (13/14) of the infected individuals were occult hepatitis B virus infection(OBI). A total of 10 samples were detected for viral load by qPCR, of which 5 were quantifiable, with viral load of (11~464) IU/mL and a median of 15.4 IU/mL. 【Conclusion】 60% of the NAT suspicious samples were detected as HBV DNA positive. Anti-HBc testing can exclude most OBI undetectable by NAT, and the sensitivity of NAT should be improved to ensure the safety of blood transfusion.

Determination of monosaccharide composition of polysaccharide and free monosaccharides in Cistanches Herba by ion chromatography-integral pulsed amperometry / 药学学报

Polysaccharides and free monosaccharides are important active components in Cistanches Herba, which have functions of anti-aging and immunological activity regulation. The study of monosaccharide composition in polysaccharide and free monosaccharide can lay a foundation for the study of primary structure, spatial structure of Cistanche polysaccharide and biological activity of Cistanches Herba. In this study, a method of water extraction and alcohol precipitation was used to extract Cistanche polysaccharide. Trifluoroacetic acid was selected as the hydrolytic acid for polysaccharide hydrolysis. An orthogonal experimental method is established. Three levels of acid concentration, hydrolysis temperature and hydrolysis time were selected to investigate the optimal hydrolysis condition. The optimal hydrolysis condition was 0.08 mol·L-1 trifluoroacetic acid hydrolysis at 100 ℃ for 3 h. The free monosaccharides of Cistanches Herba were extracted by water extraction. The established ion chromatogram integrated pulsed amperometry method can efficiently separate 11 monosaccharides in a short time. The method has good repeatability and high sensitivity, methodological experiment results meet the requirements of quantitative determination. It can accurately determine the monosaccharide composition of Cistanche polysaccharide and free monosaccharide content. Ion chromatography does not require derivatization operation and the pre-treatment steps are simple. This method can measure fructose, but PMP derivation-HPLC method can't. The monosaccharide composition of Cistanche polysaccharide include fucose, arabinose, rhamnose-galactose, glucose, xylose, mannose, fructose, ribose and glucuronic acid, among which the contents of glucose and fructose are relatively high. The free monosaccharides in the water extract of Cistanches Herba include glucose, fructose and mannose.

Progress of diagnosis and treatment for gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms / 肿瘤研究与临床

Gastrointestinal neuroendocrine neoplasm (GI-NEN) is an important part of digestive system tumor. With the progress of diagnosis and the further understanding of GI-NEN, the diagnostic rate is increasing. However, GI-NEN is a rare tumor, thus clinicians are not familiar with the diagnosis and treatment. Misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis of GI-NEN often occur, and the treatment regimen is not standardized. In recent years, some progresses of the diagnosis and treatment have been made in GI-NEN, especially in the aspects of pathology, imaging diagnosis, radionuclide therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, which have improved the diagnosis rate and efficacy for GI-NEN. This paper reviews recent literatures of GI-NEN, summarizes its epidemiology, pathological diagnosis, image diagnosis, surgery, targeted therapy, radionuclide therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and separates GI-NEN into metastatic and non-metastatic groups for detailed review to provide a reference for guiding clinical diagnosis and treatment as well as exploring the new treatment regimens of GI-NEN.

Prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms and dyspnea and related factors in residents in China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the prevalence of chronic cough, chronic expectoration and dyspnea and related factors in residents aged ≥40 years in China, and provide basic data for the prevention and control of chronic respiratory diseases. Methods: Data were from 2014-2015 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease surveillance in China. The information about chronic respiratory symptoms were collected by face-to-face interview. The prevalence rates of chronic cough, chronic expectoration, dyspnea and chronic respiratory symptoms and their 95%CI were estimated with complex sampling weights. Results: A total of 75 082 subjects were included in the analysis. The prevalence rates of chronic cough, chronic expectoration, dyspnea and chronic respiratory symptoms in the Chinese aged ≥40 years were 3.75% (95%CI: 3.38%-4.11%), 5.83% (95%CI: 5.40%-6.26%), 2.45% (95%CI: 2.02%-2.87%) and 8.93% (95%CI: 8.25%-9.62%), respectively. The prevalence rates of chronic cough, chronic expectoration, dyspnea and chronic respiratory symptoms in patients with chronic respiratory diseases were relatively higher, which were 10.27%, 13.85%, 6.43%, 20.72% respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, region, education level, occupation, BMI, family history of respiratory diseases, history of severe respiratory infections in childhood, exposure to dust or chemicals in workplace and smoking status affected the prevalence of chronic cough, chronic expectoration and dyspnea. The prevalence of the three types of chronic respiratory symptoms increased significantly with age, which were higher in western region, smokers and underweight/obese subjects. The three prevalence rates mentioned above were higher in those with a history of severe respiratory infection in childhood, those exposed to biomass fuel in household, and those exposed to dust or chemicals in workplace. Conclusions: The prevalence rate of chronic respiratory symptoms was high in residents aged ≥40 years in China. Many factors affected the prevalence of chronic respiratory symptoms. Comprehensive prevention and control measures targeting risk factors should be taken to reduce the burden of chronic respiratory diseases.

The role of a disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with throm bospondin typeⅠmotifs-8 in lung adenocarcinomaand its mechanism / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To explore the role of a disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with throm bospondin typeⅠmotifs-8(ADAMTS8) gene in lung adenocarcinoma and its mechanism.Methods:Selected lung adenocarcinoma data sets GSE75037 and GSE116959 and lung adenocarcinoma transcriptome data and clinical information from the TCGA database; useed R software to analyze differential genes in lung adenocarcinoma tissues, and performed GO enrichment analysis and KEGG signal pathway enrichment for differential genes set analysis; analyzed the expression of ADAMTS8 gene in lung adenocarcinoma and its correlation with patient survival and prognosis; CCK-8 experiment detects the effect of ADAMTS8 overexpression or knockdown on the proliferation of A549 cells; Western blot detected ADAMTS8 overexpression or knockdown effect on Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Results:The combined analysis found that 395 genes were up-regulated in lung adenocarcinoma samples, and 716 genes were down-regulated; ADAMTS8 was under-expressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues, and its expression level was related to tumor stage; low-expression of ADAMTS8 was associated with shorter survival time, poor prognosis, Cox regression analysis showed that ADAMTS8 can be used as an independent prognostic marker for patients with lung adenocarcinoma; CCK-8 results showed that overexpression of ADAMTS8 can inhibit the proliferation of A549 cells, knocking down ADAMTS8 can promote the proliferation of A549 cells ( P<0.05); Western blot results showed that after overexpression of ADAMTS8, the protein levels of β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-Myc in cells were significantly reduced ( P<0.05), while knocking down ADAMTS8 could cause the protein levels of β-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-Myc in cells increased significantly ( P<0.05). Conclusions:ADAMTS8 is under-expressed in lung adenocarcinoma and can be used as an independent prognostic marker for patients. Overexpression of ADAMTS8 may inhibit the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma cells by inhibiting the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

The value of serum anti-Mullerian hormone combined with transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography in predicting ovarian reserve function in infertility patients / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) combined with transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography (vaginal color ultrasound) for ovarian reserve function in infertility patients.Methods:A total of 105 infertility patients diagnosed and treated in Dezhou People′s Hospital from January 2018 to October 2020 were selected as study subjects. Among them, 32 patients with less than 5 eggs obtained after the first treatment (low ovarian response) were included in group A, and 73 patients with 5 to 15 eggs obtained (normal ovarian response) were included in group B. Serum AMH levels were measured, antral follicle count (AFC), ovarian volume (OV), and ovarian stromal peak diastolic systolic velocity (PSV) were recorded by vaginal ultrasound. The levels of above index in A, B groups, patients aged > 35 years old, and those aged ≤35 years old were compared. Moreover, the correlation among serum AMH level and aged, ultrasonic parameters were analyzed. The efficacy of serum AMH level and AFC, OV and PSV in predicting low ovarian response was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The levels of serum AMH, AFC, OV and PSV in group A were lower than those in group B: (0.69 ± 0.28) μg/L vs. (1.43 ± 0.44) μg/L, (8.52 ± 2.29) eggs vs. (11.15 ± 2.56) eggs, (3.12 ± 0.70) cm 3 vs. (4.50 ± 1.31) cm 3, (8.80 ± 2.14) cm/s vs. (15.80 ± 4.43) cm/s, the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The levels of serum AMH, AFC, OV and PSV in aged > 35 years old group were lower than those in aged ≤35 years old group: (0.64 ± 0.20) g/L vs. (1.71 ± 0.46) μg/L, (8.35 ± 2.68) eggs vs. (12.17 ± 2.79) eggs, (3.05 ± 0.78) cm 3 vs. (5.02 ± 1.26) cm 3, (9.01 ± 3.04) cm/s vs. (17.90 ± 4.19) cm/s, the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Serum AMH level was negatively correlated with age ( r = -0.317, P<0.05), and positively correlated with AFC, OV and PSV ( r = 0.288, 0.326, 0.370, P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity for the evaluation of low ovarian response by AMH+AFC+OV+PSV were 96.90% and 100.00% respectively. Conclusions:The sensitivity and specificity of serum AMH combined with vaginal color ultrasound for the evaluation of ovarian reserve function in infertility patients are both high.

The role and molecular mechanism of miR-494 in disease development and progression / 生理学报

MicroRNA-494 (miR-494) is a small non-coding RNA located in chromosome 14q32.31 and regulates post-transcriptional gene expression by promoting the degradation of its target mRNAs via binding to the 3' untranslated regions (3'UTR). It has been reported that miR-494 plays an important role in the occurrence, development and prognosis of various diseases. Several signaling pathways modulated by miR-494 including the PTEN/PI3K/AKT, nuclear factor κ-B (NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/SMAD, and Wnt/β-catenin are associated with physiological regulation and pathological process in many diseases. The stably expression of miR-494 in the blood stream suggests its potential as a biological marker for disease diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Based on recent research, we summarize the role and molecular mechanism of miR-494 in disease development and progression. We also discuss its potential as a marker for clinical diagnosis and prognosis of various diseases.

Effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection on mouse and human uterine natural killer cells / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To examine the effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection on the proportion, quantity, differentiation and function of mouse and human uterine natural killer cells (uNK cells), so as to explore the role of uNK cells in abortion of early pregnancy caused by T. gondii infection. Methods Pregnant mice were injected intraperitoneally with T. gondii tachyzoites on day 6.5 of pregnancy, and the abortion mouse model caused by T. gondii infections was constructed. Mouse uterine lymphocytes were isolated on day 9.5 of pregnancy. Human uterine lymphocytes were isolated from fresh human decidual specimens after abortion in normal early pregnancy and co-cultured with tachyzoites of the T. gondii RH strain for 48 h at T. gondii/uterine lymphocytes ratios of 0.5:1, 1:1 and 2:1. The phenotypes of mouse uNK cells (CD122, NK1.1, DX5) and human uNK cells (CD3, CD56, CD11b, CD27) and the expression of intracellular cytokines interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by flow cytometry. Mouse and human uNK cells were sorted by magnetic beads, and the cytotoxicity of uNK cells was tested using the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay at effector/target cell ratios of 1:1, 5:1, 10:1 and 20:1 with mouse or human uNK cells as effector cells and mouse YAC-1 cells or human K562 cells as target cells. Results On day 9.5 of pregnancy, the mouse abortion rate was significantly higher in the infected group than that in the control group (83.02% vs. 3.51%; χ2 = 71.359, P < 0.001). Significantly lower absolute number of uNK cells [(4 547 ± 1 610) cells/mouse vs. (8 978 ± 3 339) cells/mouse; U = 2.000, P < 0.05], lower NK1.1 expression on uNK cell surface [(74.53 ± 8.37)% vs. (93.00 ± 1.11)%; U = 0.000, P < 0.05], higher proportion of NK1.1-DX5-cells [(20.10 ± 8.03)% vs. (5.04 ± 0.68)%; U = 0.000, P < 0.05], lower proportion of NK1.1+ DX5+ cells [(21.70 ± 12.48)% vs. (45.75 ± 2.26)%; U = 0.000, P < 0.05] and higher IFN-γ expression [(16.74 ± 1.36)% vs. (8.13 ± 1.90)%; U = 0.000, P < 0.05] were detected in the infected group than in the control group, while no significant difference was seen in TNF-α expression between the two groups [(67.98 ± 9.20)% vs. (52.93 ± 10.42)%; U = 2.000, P > 0.05]. The mouse uNK cells showed a strong cytotoxicity in the infected group, and the cytotoxicity gradually increased with the effector/target cell ratio. The cytotoxicity of uNK cells against YAC-1 cells was 2.30%, 4.32%, 8.12% and 12.65% in the infected group and 1.21%, 1.63%, 2.51% and 3.22% in the control group at effector/target cell ratios of 1:1, 5:1, 10:1 and 20:1, respectively. Following co-culture of human uterine lymphocytes and tachyzoites of the T. gondii RH strain for 48 h, the proportion [TOX 2:1 group vs. control group: (6.61 ± 1.75)% vs. (17.48 ± 4.81)%; F = 7.307, P < 0.01], and absolute number of human uNK cells in uterine lymphocytes of human uNK cells in uterine lymphocytes [TOX 2:1 group vs. control group: (12 104 ± 5 726) cells/well vs. (65 285 ± 21 810) cells/well; H = 11.540, P < 0.01] were significantly lower in the infected group than in the control group. A lower proportion of CD56brightCD16- NK cells [TOX 2:1 group vs. control group: (25.25 ± 5.90)% vs. (36.03 ± 4.51)%; F = 3.213, P > 0.05] and higher proportion of CD56dimCD16+ NK cells [TOX 2:1 group vs. control group: (11.15 ± 2.15)% vs. (7.09 ± 2.24)%; F = 2.992, P > 0.05] were detected in uNK cells in the infected group than in the control group, and the ratio of CD56brightCD16- cells/CD56dimCD16+ cells was significantly lower in the infected group than in the control group [TOX2:1 group vs. control group: (2.37 ± 0.92) vs. (5.58 ± 2.39); H = 8.228, P < 0.05]. In addition, the proportion of CD11b+CD27- cells in human uNK cells was significantly higher in the infected group than in the control group [TOX 2:1 group vs. control group: (30.28 ± 6.91)% vs. (17.48 ± 4.67)%; H = 6.556, P < 0.05], while no significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of IFN-γ [TOX 2:1 group vs. control group: (14.13 ± 1.28)% vs. (15.19 ± 1.64)%; F = 1.639, P > 0.05] or TNF-α expression [TOX 2:1 group vs. control group: (54.76 ± 10.02)% vs. (50.33 ± 3.67)%; F = 0.415, P > 0.05]. Human uNK cells presented a strong cytotoxicity in the infected group, and the cytotoxicity gradually increased with the effector/target cell ratio. The cytotoxicity of human uNK cells against K562 cells was 11.90%, 28.11%, 49.91% and 73.35% in the infected group and 12.21%, 21.63%, 33.51% and 48.22% in the control group at effector/target cell ratios of 1:1, 5:1, 10:1 and 20:1, respectively. Conclusions T. gondii infection presents diverse effects on the differentiation and secretion ability of mouse and human uNK cells. However, T. gondii infection causes a reduction in the absolute number and enhances the cytotoxicity of both mouse and human uNK cells.

Qishen Taohong Granule () as Adjuvant Therapy for Improving Cardiac Function and Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Randomized Controlled Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To confirm the improvement of cardiac function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) via Chinese medicine (CM) Qishen Taohong Granule (, QTG).@*METHODS@#This study was a single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Seventy-six patients from 27 to 84 years old diagnosed with CHF New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II or III in stage C were enrolled and randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive QTG or trimetazidine (TMZ), in addition to their standard medications for the treatment of CHF. The study period was 4 weeks. The primary outcomes included cardiac function evaluated by NYHA classification and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), as well as QOL evaluated by CHF Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Survival Scale (CHFQLS). The secondary outcomes included 6-min walking test (6MWT), CM syndrome score, symptom and sign scores and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). All indices were measured at baseline and the end of the trial.@*RESULTS@#At the 4-week follow-up period, the effective rate according to NYHA classification in the QTG group was better than that in the TMZ group (74.29% vs. 54.29%, P<0.05). But there was no significant difference in post-treatment level of LVEF between the two groups (P>0.05). The CHFQLS scores improved by 13.82±6.04 vs. 7.49±2.28 in the QTG and TMZ groups, respectively (P<0.05). Subgroup analysis of the CHFQLS results showed that physiological function, role limitation and vitality were significantly higher in the QTG group than in the TMZ group (15.76±7.85 vs. 7.40±3.36, P<0.05; 16.00±8.35 vs. 10.53±4.64, P<0.05; 15.31±8.09 vs. 7.89±4.60, P<0.05). Compared with TMZ group, treatment with QTG also demonstrated superior performance with respect to 6MWT, CM syndrome, shortness of breath, fatigue, gasping, general edema and NT-proBNP level. No significant adverse reactions or adverse cardiac events occurred during treatment in either group.@*CONCLUSION@#In addition to conventional treatments, the use of QTG as an adjuvant therapy significantly improved cardiac function and QOL in patients with CHF class II or III in stage C. [Registration No. ChiCTR1900022036 (retrospectively registered)].

HIV screening results of college group blood donors in Tianjin from 2012 to 2021 / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To analyze the infection characteristics and prevalence of HIV among college group voluntary blood donors in Tianjin, China, so as to provide data support for improving the promotion and recruitment strategies of voluntary blood donors, ensuring the safety of blood for clinical use, and formulating HIV prevention and control strategies for adolescents. 【Methods】 The college donors with anti-HIV(+ ) and HIV RNA(+ ) results in Tianjin from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021 were selected and analyzed. The relationships among HIV positive rate(anti-HIV+ or HIV RNA+ ), solo anti-HIV positive rate(anti -HIV+ and HIV RNA-), solo HIV RNApositive rate(anti-HIV- and HIV RNA+ ) and double positive rate(anti-HIV+ and HIV RNA+ ) between different years, gender, residence status, age and blood donation history(primary or repeated blood donation) were counted. 【Results】 The HIV positive rate and solo HIV RNA positive rate of college group blood donors from 2012 to 2021 showed a trend with significant increasing(χ2=49.266, 71.379, P<0.05). The HIV positive rate in the controls was significantly higher than that in the college blood donors(χ2=92.414, P< 0.05). The HIV positive rate and solo anti-HIV positive rate showed no differences by genders, but the male presented significant higher positive rate in solo HIV RNA and double positive results than the females(χ2=6.059, 10.900, P<0.05). The HIV positive rate of local resident was significantly lower than those nonlocal students(χ2=47.523, P<0.05). The HIV positive rate differed significantly by ages, with the highest at the age of 18 and the lowest at the age of 21(P<0.05). The difference of HIV double positive rates between the first-time and repeated donors was marginal, while the other three positive rates in thefirst-time donors were significantly higher than those in the repeated donors (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 In recent years, the HIV positive rate and solo HIV RNA positive rate of college group blood donors present an increasing tendency. The consultation and education on HIV-related issues should be strengthened among college students during blood donation publicity, so as to ensure the safety of blood use and prevent the spread of AIDS in schools.

Characteristics of elderly apheresis platelet donors and analysis of pre-donation testing results / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To study and analyze the characteristics of 56-60 years old apheresis platelet donors and the results of pre-donation blood testing in Tianjin, so as to provide reference for the management of blood stations and the maintenance and retention of blood donors. 【Methods】 The information of platelet donors were collected by Tianjin Blood Center from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2021.The donors aged 56-60(the observation group) were compared with donors aged 18-55(the control). The number of blood donations, male to female ratio, donation frequency, proportion of two-therapeutic-amount donation, rate of deferred donation, incidence of adverse reactions to blood donation, etc of the two groups were studied. The pre-donation test results of the two groups were also compared through the analysis of the unqualified factors of blood routine. 【Results】 From 2012 to 2021, there were 2 837 platelet donors aged 56-60 in Tianjin, and the donation frequency and proportion of two-therapeutic-amount donation were significantly higher than those in the control. The blood routine indexes were significantly different between two groups, but all fluctuated within the normal range(P<0.05). More donors in the observation group than the control were deferred due to unqualified blood routine indexes, mainly caused by Hb deferral. 【Conclusion】 In the past 9 years, the number of apheresis platelet donors aged 56-60 in Tianjin has been stablely increasing. Elderly donors always meet the health requirements of donations according to the results of blood tests. Close monitor of the blood routine indexes, however, should be paid to such population to ensure the elderly donor health and donation safety.

Whole blood donation related adverse reactions and predisposing factors: a study of blood donors interviewed within 2 weeks after donation / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To study the adverse reactions(ADRs) in blood donors after whole-blood donation in terms of frequency and types, so as to explore the predisposing factors of adverse reactions. 【Methods】 A questionnaire was designed to investigate ADRs within 2 weeks after whole blood donation. A total of 812 whole blood donors were randomly selected from September to October 2021. They were interviewed by trained medical staff before leaving the site after blood donation, then followed up by telephone 24 hours and 2 weeks after blood donation. The frequency and type of ADRs were surveyed, and the physical examination data such as gender, age, blood pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and weight were collected to, analyze the predisposing factors that correlated with ADRs. 【Results】 Finally, 734 people [90.39% (734/812)], with valid demographic and physical examination information, were included in this study after on-site interviews and two follow-ups within two weeks after blood donation. The incidence of ADRs was 13.22% (97/734), of which the incidence of on-site vasovagal reactions during blood donation was 10.49% (77/734) (with the constituent ratio as 79.38%, 77/97)and the incidence of ADRs ≤ 2 weeks after leaving the blood collection site was 2.73% (20/734, including 12 donors had (1.63%, 12/734) local symptoms)(with the constituent ratio as 20.62%, 20/97). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the factors influencing the occurrence of ADRs were as follows: 400mL-blood donation (OR 6.312, 95% CI 3.336-11.944), 45~60kg weight (OR 3.744, 95% CI 2.017-6.949), MAP ≤ 90 mmHg (OR 3.101, 95% CI 1.416-6.788), novel blood donor (OR 2.237, 95% CI 1.199-4.174), age of 18~30 years (OR 2.197, 95% CI1.107-4.361), female (OR 1.871, 95% CI 1.026-3.413); blood pressure, occupation, education background, body mass index (BMI) and Hb of blood donors were not the influencing factors and risk predictors of ADRs. 【Conclusion】 The application of on-site interview and two follow-ups after donation can effectively obtain the true information of blood donors′ ADRs, which can timely grasp and predict the relevant factors affecting the occurrence of ADRs, so as to take targeted preventive measures to ensure the safety of blood donors.

Establish deferral criterion for HIV serological testing in blood donors / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To establish deferral criterion of HIV ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay(ECLIA) by using receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) method to screen HIV reactive blood donors suitable for entering the re-entry process and improve the management efficiency of reactive blood donors. 【Methods】 The test results of 92 001 blood donors from February to September 2019 were analyzed, and 177 reactive samples were screened by conventional screening mode (twice ELISA and once nucleic acid), supplemented with electrochemiluminescence immunoassay assay (ECLIA), and confirmed by Western blotting (WB). Screening reactive samples were divided into three groups: group A was both serological and nucleic acid reactivity, group B was only serological reactive, and group C was only nucleic acid reactivity. Its efficacy in blood donor classification was assessed by drawing ROC curves with 99% specific corresponding S/CO low values as the deferral criterion of the corresponding serological method. 【Results】 1) A total of 177 HIV reactive samples were detected in conventional mode, including 34 in group A, 142 in Group B and 1 in Group C. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 100%, 0.75% and 100%, respectively. ECLIA detection mode (once ECLIA and once NAT), a total of 67 HIV reactive samples including 34 in group A, 32 in group B and 1 in group C, with positive predictive values of 100%, 3.7% and 100%, respectively.2) The HIV test results showed diversity, with 36 true positive samples including 1 HIV elite controller and 3 early HIV infections (1 HIV ELISA antigen/antibody window and 2 ELISA HIV antibody window), and 32 serological and NAT cases were reactive infections.3) The deferral limit of ELISA 1 and ELISA 2 in conventional screening mode were 20.25 and 9.85, respectively, can screen 97.14% (34/35) of all true positive samples in group A and B, except for one ELISA HIV antibody window (ELISA 2 reactivity). The positive predictive values were 93.94% and 92.85%, respectively. The ECLIA deferral limit of 7.83 can screens all true positive samples in Groups A and B (35/35)in ECLIA mode. The positive predictive value was 94.59%. 【Conclusion】 The establishment of deferral limits in this study can effectively screen HIV-positive blood donors, and the number of screened blood donors is greatly reduced, which is helpful to fine and scientific management of HIV-reactive blood donors. The deferral limit values of different testing reagents are quite different, so each laboratory should choose appropriate testing methods to establish the deferral limit values suitable for the laboratory according to its own testing ability, so as to provide technical support for optimizing the process of returning blood donors to the team.

ECLIA and confirmation results of HIV reactive samples in blood screening / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To perform electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) and Western blotting (WB) confirmation tests for HIV reactive samples in blood screening, and analyze the correlation between ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), ECLIA results and confirmed infection, so as to provide data support for the application of ECLIA in blood screening. 【Methods】 177 HIV reactive samples in blood screening testing detected by our laboratory from February to October 2019 were collected, of which 137 were reactiv to isolated ELISA reagent e, 39 to dual ELISA reagent, and 1 in window period. Ten maker-negative samples were randomly selected to undergo ECLIA with the above 177 samples. HIV reactive samples were sent to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmation tests, and the results were analyzed and compared. 【Results】 Among the 177 HIV reactive samples, 66 were ECLIA reactive, 111 negative, and the 10 maker-negative samples remained negative. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and total concordance rate of ECLIA were 97.1%, 81.1%, 55%, 99.1% and 84.2%, respectively, showing better performance than that of two ELISA reagents(P0.05). The positive predictive value and specificity were tested by chi-square test, and the difference between ECLIA and reagent 2 was statistically significant (P<0.05). The ECLIA results showed significant correlation with the confirmation results with good consistency(examed by Kappa test). Among the three reagents, ECLIA presented highest accuracy and largest Youden index. 【Conclusion】 ECLIA presents high detection sensitivity, which can improve the detection ability of early HIV infection and shorten the window period of HIV detection, therefore should be popularized in blood screening.