Associations between indoor volatile organic compounds and nocturnal heart rate variability of young female adults: A panel study / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the association between short-term exposure to indoor total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and nocturnal heart rate variability (HRV) among young female adults.@*METHODS@#This panel study recruited 50 young females from one university in Beijing, China from December 2021 to April 2022. All the participants underwent two sequential visits. During each visit, real time indoor TVOC concentration was monitored using an indoor air quality detector. The real time levels of indoor temperature, relative humidity, noise, carbon dioxide and fine particulate matter were monitored using a temperature and humidity meter, a noise meter, a carbon dioxide meter and a particulate counter, respectively. HRV parameters were measured using a 12-lead Holter. Mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the association between the TVOC and HRV parameters and establish the exposure-response relationships, and two-pollutant models were applied to examine the robustness of the results.@*RESULTS@#The mean age of the 50 female subjects was (22.5±2.3) years, and the mean body mass index was (20.4±1.9) kg/m2. During this study, the median (interquartile range) of indoor TVOC concentrations was 0.069 (0.046) mg/m3, the median (interquartile range) of indoor temperature, relative humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, noise level and fine particulate matter concentration were 24.3 (2.7) ℃, 38.5% (15.0%), 0.1% (0.1%), 52.7 (5.8) dB(A) and 10.3 (21.5) μg/m3, respectively. Short-term exposure to indoor TVOC was associated with significant changes in time-domain and frequency-domain HRV parameters, and the exposure metric for most HRV parameters with the most significant changes was 1 h-moving average. Along with a 0.01 mg/m3 increment in 1 h-moving average concentration of indoor TVOC, this study observed decreases of 1.89% (95%CI: -2.28%, -1.50%) in standard deviation of all normal to normal intervals (SDNN), 1.92% (95%CI: -2.32%, -1.51%) in standard deviation of average normal to normal intervals (SDANN), 0.64% (95%CI: -1.13%, -0.14%) in percentage of adjacent NN intervals differing by more than 50 ms (pNN50), 3.52% (95%CI: -4.30%, -2.74%) in total power (TP), 5.01% (95%CI: -6.21%, -3.79%) in very low frequency (VLF) power, and 4.36% (95%CI: -5.16%, -3.55%) in low frequency (LF) power. The exposure-response curves showed that indoor TVOC was negatively correlated with SDNN, SDANN, TP, and VLF when the concentration exceeded 0.1 mg/m3. The two-pollutant models indicated that the results were generally robust after controlling indoor noise and fine particulate matter.@*CONCLUSION@#Short-term exposure to indoor TVOC was associated with significant negative changes in nocturnal HRV of young women. This study provides an important scientific basis for relevant prevention and control measures.

Chronic Injury of Mice Bone Marrow Multipotent Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Induced by Ionizing Radiation / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the chronic injury and its possible mechanism of ionizing radiation on multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells (MPPs) by determining the related indicators of MPPs in bone marrow of mice post-radiation.@*METHODS@#Sixteen C57BL/6 adult mice were randomly divided into normal control and irradiation groups, 8 mice in each group. The mice in irradiation group were exposed to 6 Gy X-ray. The proportion of bone marrow MPPs, their apoptosis and proliferation 2 months after irradiation were detected by flow cytometry. Mitochondrial activity and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in each MPPs population were detected by Mitotracker Red and DCFDA probes, and the senescent state of MPPs in the bone marrow was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Ionizing radiation could reduce the proportion of MPPs in mouse bone marrow. The proportions and numbers of MPP1, MPP3 and MPP4 in the bone marrow were significantly decreased after whole-body irradiation with 6 Gy X-ray (P<0.05). In addition, radiation significantly reduced the colony-forming capacity of MPPs in bone marrow (P<0.05), the proportions of apoptotic cells in the MPP1 and MPP4 cell populations increased significantly in the bone marrow (P<0.05). The activity of mitochondria was significantly reduced in the bone marrow MPP2, MPP3 and MPP4 cell populations compared with that of the control group (P<0.05). It was also found that the radiation could significantly increase the ROS levels of MPPs in bone marrow, and the content of ROS in the MPP2, MPP3 and MPP4 cell population of the bone marrow was significantly increased(P<0.05). The senescent cells ratios of MPP1, MPP3 and MPP4 cells in the bone marrow after irradiation were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Ionizing radiation can cause chronic MPPs damage in mice, which is closely associated with persistent oxidative stress, cells apoptosis, and cellular senescence.

Study on Platelet Adhesion and Aggregation Induced by Gradient Shear Stress Using Microfluidic Chip Technology / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effect of gradient shear stress on platelet aggregation by microfluidic chip Technology.@*METHODS@#Microfluidic chip was used to simulate 80% fixed stenotic microchannel, and the hydrodynamic behavior of the stenotic microchannel model was analyzed by the finite element analysis module of sollidwork software. Microfluidic chip was used to analyze the adhesion and aggregation behavior of platelets in patients with different diseases, and flow cytometry was used to detect expression of the platelet activation marker CD62p. Aspirin, Tirofiban and protocatechuic acid were used to treat the blood, and the adhesion and aggregation of platelets were observed by fluorescence microscope.@*RESULTS@#The gradient fluid shear rate produced by the stenosis model of microfluidic chip could induce platelet aggregation, and the degree of platelet adhesion and aggregation increased with the increase of shear rate within a certain range of shear rate. The effect of platelet aggregation in patients with arterial thrombotic diseases were significantly higher than normal group (P<0.05), and the effect of platelet aggregation in patients with myelodysplastic disease was lower than normal group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The microfluidic chip analysis technology can accurately analyze and evaluate the platelet adhesion and aggregation effects of various thrombotic diseases unde the environment of the shear rate, and is helpful for auxiliary diagnosis of clinical thrombotic diseases.

Characteristics and management mechanism of imported malaria from overseas during the malaria elimination phase in Wuhan City / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To analyze the characteristics of imported malaria epidemic from overseas in Wuhan, to explore the management mechanism of on-site cases, and to accumulate experience for the treatment of imported malaria in large cities after malaria elimination. Methods The epidemiological data on imported malaria from abroad during the period of malaria elimination (2010-2019) in Wuhan were collected. The gender, age and severe illness-related factors of the cases were analyzed. Based on the characteristics of the epidemic and the current situation of prevention and control, the content and experience of the “Municipal-District 24-7” case mechanism were discussed. Results The medical resources in Wuhan were the best in the central region, resulting in a large number of imported malaria cases, with a total of 474 cases reported from 2010 to 2019 (40.79% of the total number of cases in Hubei Province), including 359 cases of falciparum malaria, 36 severe cases and one death (the death rate was 0.28%). The patients were mainly young and middle-aged men aged 20 to 49 years old (97.26%). There were many referral cases (40.30%), and there was no seasonal clustering of cases reported. The undiagnosed proportion at the first visit was 44.85%, and the time of attack-diagnosis was 4 days or more in 61.00% of cases. The occurrence of severe cases was related to unconfirmed diagnosis at the first visit (χ2=35.46, P<0.001) and attack-diagnosis time (Z=-6.49, P<0.001). Conclusion Imported malaria occurs frequently in Wuhan, mainly falciparum malaria. However, “Municipal-District 24-7” case mechanism has effectively curbed the occurrence of severe and death cases and provided valuable experience for case management in similar cities in China.

Chronic injury of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells induced by different doses of radiation / 环境与职业医学

Background The chronic injury of the hematopoietic system caused by ionizing radiation (IR) is often ignored. The essential cause of this injury is the damage of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Objective To explore the long-term effects of IR at different radiation doses and at different radiation fractions of the same radiation dose on HSPCs in the bone marrow of mice, and to provide a scientific basis for reducing the chronic damage to the hematopoietic system caused by IR. Methods A total of 16 male C57BL/6 mice aged 8-10 weeks were randomly divided into four groups that received different doses or fractions of total body X-ray irradiation, including 1.5 Gy×4 irradiation group (n=5), 3 Gy irradiation group (n=4), 6 Gy irradiation group (n=4), and non-irradiation group (n=3). Two months after irradiation, bone marrow cells from each mouse were collected and counted. The clone forming ability of bone marrow cells was analyzed by cobblestone area-forming cell (CAFC) assay. The proportion of HSPCs was measured by flow cytometry. The cell cycle of HSPCs was assessed by antigen identified by monoclonal antibody Ki 67 (Ki-67) and 7-amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) double staining. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of HSPCs were estimated with a 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) probe. The cellular senescence of HSPCs was evaluated with a 5-dodecanoylaminofluorescein di-β-D-galactopyranoside (C12FDG) probe. The expression of senescence related genes such as P16, P19, P21, and P27 was measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results There was no significant change in the numbers of bone marrow cells 2 months after different doses and fractions of radiation (P>0.05). The clone forming ability of bone marrow cells was significantly decreased after 3 Gy and 6 Gy irradiation when compared to non-irradiated mice (P<0.01). HSPCs responded inconsistently to different doses and fractions of irradiation. Overall, there was no significant change in long-term hematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) proportion after irradiation (P>0.05), the proportions of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), short-term hematopoietic stem cells (ST-HSCs), and multipotent progenitors 2 (MPP2) increased after irradiation (P<0.05), and the proportions of LSK, MPP1, MPP3, and MPP4 cells decreased after irradiation (P<0.05); except for HPCs and MPP2, the proportion of HSPCs in G0 phase was decreased (P<0.05). The ROS production in HSPCs was increased significantly after 6 Gy irradiation (P<0.05), while the ROS levels after 3 Gy and 1.5 Gy×4 irradiation were similar to that of the non-radiation group (P>0.05). The cellular senescent proportion of HPCs, LSK, and HSCs increased after irradiation (P<0.05). The expression levels of senescence related genes P16, P19, and P21 in HSCs were significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusion The responses of HSPCs in bone marrow to IR vary depending on doses and fractions of irradiation. Increased ROS production and cellular senescence may be involved in the damage process of HSPCs under radiation settings.

Association of ambient fine particulate air pollution with hospitalization costs and stays for depression in China: a multicity analysis / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To explore the effect of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution on depression hospitalization cost and length of stay in 57 cities of China. Methods: A total of 84 207 patients with depression in 57 cities of China from January 2013 to December 2017 were selected as the subjects. The demographic characteristics and hospitalization status of the patients were obtained from the database of basic medical insurance for urban workers and urban residents in China. The environmental exposure data of the same period were obtained from the national air quality real-time release platform of China Environmental Monitoring Station. A generalized additive model based on quasi-Poisson distribution was used to analyze PM2.5 exposure effect in each city, and the nonlinear mixing of moving average temperature, relative humidity and date was controlled by natural smooth spline function. Results: Among the included cities, southern cities accounted for 50.88% (29), and the number of female inpatients, hospitalization costs and hospitalization days accounted for 62.65%, 63.50% and 60.85% (42 735 cases, 567.78 million yuan and 1.14 million days, respectively). The proportion of hospitalized cases, hospitalization cost and length of stay in the age group of 40 to 64 years old were 59.15% (40 346 cases), 53.92% (482.15 million yuan) and 52.07% (0.98 million days), respectively. PM2.5 level was positively correlated with the number of hospitalized cases with depression, hospitalization cost and length of stay. When the 3-day moving average of PM2.5 exposure level increased by 10 μg/m3, the number of hospitalization cases increased by 0.64%. The attributed percentage (95%CI) of hospitalized cases, hospitalization costs and length of stay were 3.35% (0.57%-6.04%), 3.04% (0.52%-5.48%) and 3.07% (0.49%-5.56%), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the attributed percentage of hospitalization cases, hospitalization cost and length of stay to PM2.5 exposure ranged from 3.97% to 4.68%, 4.04% to 4.33% and 4.13% to 4.30% in northern China, male and cold season, respectively. Conclusion: PM2.5 exposure is associated with the increase of hospitalization cost and length of stay among Chinese urban population with depression.

Benefit of ultrasound in the phenotype recognition of psoriatic arthritis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the difference in phenotype recognition of PsA patients in two clinical scenarios, physical examination with and without ultrasound assessment.@*METHODS@#PsA patients who visited the rheumatology and clinical immunology department of Peking University First Hospital between January 2010 and October 2020, with complete data of clinical and ultrasound assessment were enrolled. The phenotypes were first identified based on physical examination only, and then combined with enthesitis and dactylitis shown on power doppler and gray-scale ultrasound. The phenotype groupings without and with ultrasound assessment were presented with Wayne diagram. The distributions of different clinical phenotypes were compared by using χ2 test or Fisher's exact test. The differences of clinical phenotypes with and without ultrasound assessment were compared by using Wilcoxon signed rank test.@*RESULTS@#A total of 227 patients with PsA were enrolled with one or more clinical domains. Physical examination revealed that psoriasis was in 209 (92.1%, 209/227) patients, nail involvement in 98 (43.2%, 98/227) patients, peripheral arthritis in 219 (96.5%, 219/227) patients, axial involvement in 25 (11.0%, 25/227) patients, dactylitis in 80 (35.2%, 80/227) patients, and enthesitis in 18 (7.9%, 18/227) patients. Besides 18 patients with clinical enthesitis, ultrasound scan revealed acute enthesitis in 80 patients, with hypoechogenicity (55 cases), tendon thickening (62 cases), and presence of Doppler signals (48 cases). Similarly, dactylitis on ultrasound was found in 18 patients besides those patients with clinical dactylitis. Compared with the phenotypes recognized based on physical examination only, the additional ultrasound assessment revealed that the most common phenotypes, peripheral arthritis was significantly less frequently recognized (49.8% vs. 27.8%, P < 0.001), however on the other hand, the proportion of the patients with peripheral arthritis and enthesitis was significantly increased (4.4% vs. 18.1%, P < 0.001). The phenotype of peripheral arthritis combined with enthesitis, and dactylitis was also dramatically increased (1.8% vs. 17.6%, P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#Ultrasound is a useful tool to identify enthesitis and dactylitis. With the aid of ultrasound assessment, rheumatologists can better identify the lesions of PsA, accurately identify the phenotypes, and further guide the subsequent treatment.

Agreement between ultrasound-detected inflammation and clinical signs in ankles and feet joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the agreement between clinical signs (tenderness and/or swelling) in ankles and feet joints and ultrasound findings in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).@*METHODS@#RA patients with at least 1 tender and/or swollen joint in bilateral ankles and metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints detected by physical examination were enrolled and underwent ultrasound examination by greyscale (GS) and power Doppler (PD) mode. The agreement between clinical signs and ultrasound-detected inflammation (joint effusion, synovitis, or tenosynovitis) was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#In the study, 113 consecutive RA patients were included, with mean age of (52.5±12.6) years, median duration of 60 (13, 129) months, mean disease activity score in 28 joints based on erythrocyte sedimentation rate [DAS28 (ESR)] of 5.1±1.7, mean disease activity score in 28 joints based on C reactive protein[DAS28 (CRP)]of 4.6±1.5. The tenderness and swelling was most commonly detected in ankles (52.7% and 31.9%, respectively), while GS (+) synovitis was most frequently detectable in MTP2 (34.1%), followed by ankles (32.7%) and MTP1 (27.9%), and PD (+) synovitis was most frequently detectable in MTP1 (14.2%), followed by ankles (12.4%) and MTP2 (10.6%). The prevalence of tenosynovitis was 41.1%, which mostly located in tibialis posterior tendon (22.1% of GS positive and 17.6% of PD positive). The highest prevalence of joint effusion was detected in ankles (9.7%), while that of bone erosion in MTP5 (19%). The overall concordance rate between positive clinical signs and ultrasound-determined joint inflammation was poor in the above joints (κ < 0.2, P < 0.05), in which swelling had the highest κ coefficient with ultrasound-determined joint inflammation in ankles (κ=0.225, P < 0.05). Moreover, swelling had the highest κ coefficient with synovitis in ankles (κ=0.231, P < 0.05).The concordance between tenosynovitis and signs in ankles was also poor (κ < 0.20, P < 0.05). There was no significant agreement between joint effusion and clinical signs (P > 0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The overall concordance between clinical signs and inflammation on ultrasound was poor in ankles and feet joints. Tenderness and swelling was more common in ankles, while more lesions were detected by ultrasound at MTP joints. Ultrasound is useful in assessing the lesions besides physical examination in patients with RA.

The effectiveness and safety of multimodal endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke in elderly patients / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of multimodal endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke in elderly patients.Methods:A total of 263 elderly patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled as research subjects from January 2017 to December 2018.Patients were divided into two groups: the intravenous thrombolytic therapy group and the endovascular therapy group.Treatment outcomes were compared by using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)and the modified Rankin Scale(mRS).Results:Of 263 patients, 125 were in the intravenous thrombolytic therapy group and 138 were in the intravascular therapy group.The rate of good/excellent outcomes was higher in the endovascular treatment group than in the intravenous thrombolytic therapy group(97.8% vs.91.2%, χ2=5.713, P<0.05). The NIHSS score and mRS score were lower in the endovascular treatment group than the in intravenous thrombolytic therapy group[(2.3±0.3) vs.(6.0±1.8), (1.1±0.1) vs.(2.3±0.3), t=9.067 and 16.970, P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(8.6% vs.8.0%, χ2=0.041, P>0.05). Conclusions:Multimodal mechanical thrombus retrieval is a safe and effective treatment for intracranial large vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke patients and should be recommended and promoted.

Risk factors associated with osteoporosis and fracture in psoriatic arthritis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Although there are few studies mentioned there may be some relationship between psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and osteoporosis, clinical data in real world still need to be clarified in China. The aim of this study was to assess the areal and volumetric bone mineral density (BMD), frequency of fracture, and risk factors in patients with PsA.@*METHODS@#A total of one hundred PsA patients who visited Peking University First Hospital and one hundred age- and sex-matched healthy controls with DXA data were enrolled in the study. Patients with clinical fractures confirmed by X-ray during follow-up were also recorded. Clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded and compared between the abnormal BMD group and the normal BMD group, as well as between the fracture and non-fracture groups. Risk factors for fracture and low BMD were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Mean BMD at the total hip and femoral neck was significantly lower in PsA patients than that in healthy controls (0.809 ± 0.193 vs. 0.901 ± 0.152 g/cm2, P  = 0.041; 0.780 ± 0.146 vs. 0.865 ± 0.166 g/cm2, P  = 0.037, respectively). Moreover, lumbar spine BMD was negatively correlated with psoriasis duration, swollen joint count and DAS28-CRP (r = -0.503, -0.580, -0.438; P < 0.05). Total hip BMD and femoral neck BMD were negatively correlated with HAQ (r = -0.521, -0.335; P < 0.05). Fractures occurred in 29 patients during the follow-up period. Logistic regression analysis showed that older age (OR 1.132 [95%CI: 1.026-1.248), P < 0.05], higher HAQ score (OR 1.493, 95%CI: 1.214-1.836, P < 0.01), higher disease activity index for psoriatic arthritis (OR 1.033, 95% CI: 1.002-1.679, P < 0.05) and hip joint involvement (OR 6.401, 95% CI: 4.012-44.180, P < 0.05) were risk factors for fracture in the multivariate model.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Increased risks of osteoporosis and fracture were found in PsA patients compared to healthy controls. Besides age, high disease activity and hip joint involvement were risk factors for decreased BMD and fracture.

Biomechanical affect of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy on adjacent segments with different degrees of degeneration:a finite element analysis / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the biomechanical affect of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy(PTED) on adjacent segments with different degrees of degeneration and related risk of adjacent segment diseases (ASD) caused by this operation.@*METHODS@#A healthy male adult volunteer was selected, and the lumbosacral vertebra image data was obtained by CT scan, and the external contour of the bone structure was reconstructed. On this basis, the external contour of the bone structure was fitted by using the smooth curve in 3D-CAD software, and the complete three-dimensional finite element modelof the non degenerate L@*RESULTS@#In the finite element model without adjacent segmental disc degeneration, the annulus fibrosus von Mises stress and intradiscal pressure of the PTED model showed only a slight increase under most stress conditions, and a slight decrease in a few conditions, and there was no significant change trend before and after surgery. In the original degenerated adjacent segment disc model, the biomechanical indicators related to disc degeneration in the pre- and post-PTED model showed significant deterioration, leading to an increased risk of potential adjacent spondylopathy.@*CONCLUSION@#PTED surgery will not lead to the significant deterioration of postoperative biomechanical environment of non-degeneration adjacent intervertebral discs, and the original degeneration of adjacent intervertebral discs is a important risk factor for ASD.

Identification of Chinese medicine sea snake based on cytochrome B (Cytb) / 中国中药杂志

The identification of species primordium has been one of the hot issues in the identification of traditional Chinese medicine. Sea snake is one of the most valuable Chinese medicinal materials in China. In order to understand the origin and varieties of sea snake in the market, we studied the molecular identification of 46 sea snakes by cytochrome B(Cytb). After comparison and manual correction, the sequence length was 582 bp, and the content of A+T(58.9%) was higher than that of G+C(41.1%). There exist 197 variable sites and 179 parsimony-informative sites of the sequence. There are 44 kinds of sequence alignment with consistency equal to 100%, and 2 kinds equal to 96%. A total of 408 Cytb effective sequences were downloaded from GenBank database, with a total of 68 species. Phylogenetic tree of a total of 454 sea snake sequences with the samples in this study were constructed by neighbor-joining trees and Bayesian inference method, respectively, which can identify 42 samples of medicinal materials, while 4 samples can not be identified because of their low node support. The results showed that the species of the sea snake medicine were at least from 2 genera and 5 species, namely, Aipysurus eydouxii, Hydrophis curtus, H. caerulescen, H. curtus, H. ornatus and H. spiralis. This study suggested that the original species of commercial sea snake are very complex and can provide insight into the identification of sea snakes.

Analysis of risk factors influencing the detection rate of urate crystal by dual energy computed tomography / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the risk factors of detection of uric acid crystals by dual energy CT (DECT) in patients with gout diagnosed by gold standard.@*METHODS@#From June 2011 to December 2018, clinical data of 29 patients were collected who were diagnosed with acute or chronic gout by positive polarized light analysis of joint synovial fluid in First Hospital of Peking University. Chi-square test, Logistic regression and t-test were used. The relationship between DECT and the clinical data, laboratory examination and drug treatment were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#In this study, 29 patients were included, of whom, 22 patients were detected with uric acid crystals by DECT, and 7 patients were not. According to whether the uric acid crystals were detected or not by DECT, the patients were divided into two groups. Compared with the negative group, the patients were older in positive group [(47±12) vs. (39±11) years, P=0.15], had higher body bass index (BMI) [(27.9±3.7) vs. (22.8±2.1) kg/m2, P=0.002], longer gout disease duration [(135±102) vs.(45±53) months, P=0.035], higher in the highest serum uric acid in history [(643±121) vs. (543±103) μmol/L, P=0.043]. Although uric acid near DECT in positive group was higher than in negative group, there was no statistical difference [(558±150) vs. (513±89) μmol/L, P=0.497]. Comparing positive group with negative group, the percentage of the patients in acute phase was higher than in chronic phase [18(81.8%) vs. 4(57%), P=0.311];the percentage of the patients taking uric-acid-lowering drugs was higher than the other group [22(100%) vs. 5 (71%), P=0.052];the percentage of the patients with recurrent typical attacks was higher than that of those without typical attacks [22 (100%) vs.6 (85%), P=0.241]. The consistency of symptoms and the finding of uric acid crystals by DECT had been compared between the joints. The right knee joint had the highest consistency (Kappa=0.627), followed by the left MTP1 (Kappa=0.58), the right metatarsophalangeal 1(MTP1, Kappa=0.551) and the left knee (Kappa=0.494), all of which had statistical significance. The consistency of the ankle joint was lower (the right ankle joint: Kappa=0.19, the left ankle joint: Kappa=0.256), showing no statistical significance. BMI (kg/m2) [2.307 (1.139-4.670), P=0.02], gout duration (years) [0.306 (0.906-4.881), P=0.186], and the highest uric acid level in history (mg/dL) [0.023 (0.981-2.764), P=0.137] had relationship to the positive result of urate crystals in DECT.@*CONCLUSION@#Gout patients with larger BMI, higher previous highest uric acid value and longer gout duration had higher sensitivity of the positive result in DECT.

Risk factors and diagnostic value for ultrasound-detected tendon monosodium urate crystal deposition in patients with gout / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate frequency and patterns, risk factors of MSU (monosodium urate) crystal deposition at lower extremity tendon by ultrasonography in gout patients, and to explore diagnostic value by ultrasonography.@*METHODS@#Patients diagnosed with gout and age matched healthy controls had ultrasound scanning of both feet and knees including joints and tendons (achilles, quadriceps, and patellar tendon). Readers who scored the ultrasound scans for MSU crystal deposition were blinded to the patients' clinical diagnoses. Clinical characteristics were compared between positive and negative crystal deposition groups by US, and risk factors of MSU deposition in tendons were analyzed. Diagnostic values of MSU deposition were evaluated by ultrasonography according with positive MSU crystal in synovial fluid or tophi by polarized microscopy.@*RESULTS@#Eighty patients and eighty healthy controls were included. Thity-three patients (47.5%) had tophi by physical examination. The achilles tendon was the most commonly involved tendon site 41(51.2%), followed by the quadriceps tendons 22(27.5%), and patella tendon 10(12.5%). There were no MSU deposition in healthy control group at tendon by ultrasonography. Compared with negative MSU deposition at tendon site by ultrasonography, tendon MSU positive patients had longer mean gout duration [(87.3±40.9) months vs. (7.7±2.6) months, P=0.001];higher frequency of gout flare [2(1, 2) /year vs. 1(1, 1) /year, P=0.001]; higher BMI [(26.3±2.5) kg/m2vs. (23.3±2.1) kg/m2, P=0.05]. Also, the mean serum uric acid and creatinine levels were higher in tendon MSU positive group [(584.6±87.6) μmol/L vs. (460.4±96.7) μmol/L, P=0.001] and [(90.9±33.3) μmol/L vs. (70.6±40.2) μmol/L, P=0.02] separately. Logistic regression analysis showed gout duration and flare frequency were independent risk factors for MSU deposition at tendon by ultrasonography (P < 0.01). Joint or tophi aspirations were performed in all the eighty gout patients, and positive MSU crystals in synovial fluid analysis by polarized microscopy were defined as the golden standard of gout diagnosis. When compared with the golden standard, the sensitivity and specificity were 94.0% and 78.0% separately for MSU deposition at tendon by ultrasonography.@*CONCLUSION@#Tendon involvement at the lower extremity tendons in gout is very common. Long gout disease duration and high frequency of gout flare are both independent risk factors of tendon MSU deposition by ultrasonography. Ultrasonography had good sensitivity and specificity for detecting tendinous tophi and aggregates.

Depression and anxiety in patients with psoriatic arthritis: Prevalence and associated factors / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), to investigate whether there is a difference in the prevalence of depression and anxiety between PsA and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and to identify associated risk factors for depression and anxiety in PsA patients.@*METHODS@#PsA and RA patients who visited Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology in Peking University First Hospital from May 2018 to Sep 2019 were recruited. Self-rating anxiety scale and self-rating depression scale were surveyed and compared between PsA and RA patients. Demographics and clinical features including age, gender, disease duration, disease activity score, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), and medical application were collected. Power Doppler and grey-scale ultrasound of joints, tenosynovitis and enthesis were performed. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to identify the factors associated with mood disorders and the odds ratio of depression and anxiety between the PsA and RA patients.@*RESULTS@#Among the 114 enrolled PsA patients, 37 (32.5%) had mood disorders, in which 36 (31.6%) with depression and 15 (13.2%) with anxiety. Compared with 201 RA patients, PsA patients showed greater odds for depression [adjusted OR (95%CI): 2.7 (1.1-6.4)]. Depression was more often observed in the PsA than in the RA patients (31.6% vs. 18.9%, P=0.011). The similar trend for anxiety was also observed, although the difference was insignificant (13.2% vs. 8.5%, P=0.185). Age (OR=0.95, P=0.008), psoriasis duration (OR=0.94, P=0.018), pain visual analogue scale (OR=1.47, P=0.011), PASI score (OR=1.07, P=0.007) and presence of ultrasound enthesitis (OR=4.13, P=0.009) were identified as factors associated with depression in the PsA patients. PASI score (OR=1.07, P=0.001) was identified as associated factor for anxiety in the PsA patients.@*CONCLUSION@#The prevalence of depression and anxiety is elevated in PsA patients. Depression is significantly more prevalent in PsA patients than in RA patients. Younger age, shorter psoriasis duration, worse pain and presence of ultrasound enthesitis are associated with depression, while severe psoriasis rash is associated with both depression and anxiety in PsA patients.

Therapeutic options and risk factors of mortality in patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infections / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics, therapeutic options and risk factors of mortality in patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) bloodstream infection, and to provide evidence for clinical treatment option and prognosis evaluation of CRAB bloodstream infections. Methods:A retrospective study was carried out in 224 patients with confirmed diagnosis of CRAB bloodstream infection during the period from January 2012 to December 2017 in West China Hospital, Sichuan University. The patients were divided into the death group and the survival group according to the survival status 28 days after collecting blood samples. The clinical features and therapeutic options of antibacterial drugs were reviewed. Student′s t test was used for analyzing normally distributed data and Mann-Whitney U test for non-normal data.Chi-square test was used for categorical variables. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of mortality associated with CRAB bloodstream infection. Results:Among 224 cases of CRAB bloodstream infection, 121 cases died (54.02%). These patients were mainly in intensive care unit (ICU) and hematology department. The common underlying diseases were severe acute pancreatitis and severe cardiovascular events. The interleukin (IL)-6 level (median (interquartile range)) in the death group (480.40 ng/L (1 432.95 ng/L)) was higher than that of the survival group (107.05 ng/L (263.08 ng/L)), the difference was statistically significant ( Z=4.526, P<0.01). The procalcitionin (PCT) levels in the death group and the survival group were 3.81 μg/L (17.26 μg/L) and 2.12 μg/L (12.74 μg/L), respectively, with no difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). The death rate of empirical treatment with a single or more non-active antimicrobial agents was 57.14% (64/112), that of monotherapy with active agent was 45.68% (37/81), and that of combination therapy with at least one active drug was 64.52% (20/31). The differences had no statistical significance ( P=0.130). The logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors of mortality associated with CRAB bloodstream infection were renal dysfunction (odds ratio ( OR)=2.181, P=0.024) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS; OR=20.376, P<0.01). Conclusions:The fatality rate of patients with CRAB bloodstream infection is high. These patients with renal dysfunction or MODS have poor prognosis. In addition to early effective antibacterial therapy, individual comprehensive treatment should be implemented in order to improve the curative effect.

Silencing long non-coding RNA HIF1A-AS2 inhibits proliferation, invasion and migration of cervical cancer cells / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the inhibitory effects of silencing long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) HIF1A-AS2 on epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor stem cell-like phenotype in cervical cancer cells.@*METHODS@#We designed 3 shRNA constructs for silencing HIF1A-AS2 in CaSki cells, and the shRNA with the strongest interference effect was selected for subsequent experiment. CaSki cells were transfected with shRNA-NC or Sh-HIF1A-AS2, and the changes in cell viability, invasion ability, EMT, expressions of EMT-related proteins, formation of cell spheres and expressions of stem cell markers were detected.@*RESULTS@#Transfection with shRNA-NC and Sh-HIF1A-AS2 did not significantly affected the viability of CaSki cells (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Silencing HIF1A-AS2 can inhibit proliferation, invasion and migration of cervical cancer cells

Monitoring metrics for short-term exposure to ambient ozone and pulmonary function and airway inflammation in healthy young adults / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the associations of different monitoring metrics for short-term exposure to ambient ozone (O3) with pulmonary function and airway inflammation in healthy young adults.@*METHODS@#A total of 97 healthy young college students were recruited and followed in a panel study conducted from December 2017 to June 2018. Each participant underwent 3 follow-up visits, and lung function and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were measured at each visit. Ambient air pollutant concentrations were obtained from the environment monitoring station of Beijing closest to the participant residences, and meteorological data were collected from China Meteorological Data Service Center. Linear mixed-effect models were applied to assess the associations between different monitoring metrics for ambient O3 short-term exposure with pulmonary function or airway inflammation in the healthy young adults.@*RESULTS@#During the study period, the P50 (P25, P75) values for ambient O3 concentration expressed as daily 1-hour maximum (O3-1 h max), daily maximum 8-hour average (O3-8 h max) and 24-hour average (O3-24 h avg) were 102.5 (76.8, 163.0) μg/m3, 91.1 (68.3, 154.3) μg/m3 and 61.6 (36.9, 81.7) μg/m3, respectively. The different monitoring metrics for short-term exposure to ambient O3 were significantly associated with reduced forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and increased FeNO. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in 6-d moving average of O3-1 h max (IQR=71.5 μg/m3) was associated with a 6.2% (95%CI: －11.8%, －0.5%) decrease in FEV1 and a 63.3% (95%CI: 13.8%, 134.3%) increase in FeNO. An IQR increase in 7-d moving average of O3-8 h max (IQR=62.0 μg/m3) was associated with a 6.2% (95%CI: －11.6%, －0.7%) decrease in FEV1and a 75.5% (95%CI: 19.3%, 158.0%) increase in FeNO. An IQR increase in 5-d moving average of O3-24 h avg (IQR=32.9 μg/m3) was associated with a 3.7% (95%CI: －7.1%, －0.2%) decrease in FEV1and a 25.3% (95%CI: 3.6%, 51.6%) increase in FeNO. There was no significant association between the three monitoring metrics for O3 exposure and peak expiratory flow (PEF).@*CONCLUSION@#Short-term exposure to ambient O3 was associated with decreased lung function and increased airway inflammation among the healthy young adults, and daily 1-hour maximum was more sensitively to the respiratory effects of O3.

Change of ultrasonographic signs during urate lowering therapy in patients with gout / 中国实用内科杂志

OBJECTIVE: To explore related factors of changes in gouty patients by ultrasonography after initiation of uric acid lowering therapy. METHODS: There were 72 gout patients enrolled who admitted to First hospital of Peking University from December 2012 to June 2017. All the patients had clinical and ultrasound examination at both knees, ankles and feet joints at the baseline. Regular uric acid lowering therapy started for one year. The endpoint was the last time who repeat the ultrasound examination during the follow up.According with uric acid level and its measuring time, the area under the curve was calculated to reflect the uric acid burden. RESULTS: In the 216 jonts of 72 patients, double contour sign were detectable in 112/216(51.85%), tophi were detectable in71/216(32.87%).Among MTP Joints, DCS was detected in 32/144(22.22%), and tophi in 47/144(32.64%). Among Knees joints, DCS was detected in 33/144(22.92%), tophi in 4/144(2.78%). Among ankle joints, DCS was detected in 47/144(32.64%), tophi in 20/144(13.89%).DCS disappearance occurred in 38/55(69.09%) joints positive for DCS at baselineTime-to-disappearance was 148 days(985～133 days). Tophi disappeared completely in 18/45 joints(40%). Time-to-disappearance was 382.5 days(686～397.25 days). There was no significant difference in age, BMI, duration of disease and complications between DCS persisted group and DCS disappearance group.SUA in the DCS disappeared group at baseline, second, third, fourth and ninth months of follow-up. was significantly lower than that of the non-disappeared group. SUA load in the DCS group was significantly lower than the non-disappeared group. Post hoc tests showed that SUA levels fell significantly from baseline through fourth month of follow-up in DCS disappearance group, and SUA of the sixth months was the lowest. CONCLUSION: To screen for specific features of gout such as DCS or tophi by US at initiation of ULT and during follow-up is a useful, and effective way to detect the lowering and often disappearance of burden of urate load in gouty joints.

Observation on therapeutic effect of " acupuncture" on premature ovarian insufficiency of kidney deficiency / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical efficacy of " acupuncture" and oral estradiol and dydrogesterone tablets (femoston) on premature ovarian insufficiency of kidney deficiency.@*METHODS@#A total of 50 patients with premature ovarian insufficiency of kidney deficiency were randomized into an observation group and a control group, 25 cases in each one.In the observation group, " acupuncture" was applied at Baihui (GV 20), Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4), Qihai (CV 6), Zhongji (CV 3), Yaoyangguan (GV 3), Yaoshu (GV 2), Mingmen (GV 4), etc. once every 2 days, 1 month as a course. In the control group, femoston was prescribed for oral administration, one tablet per time, once a day, 1 month as a course. Both of the two groups were given consecutive treatment for 3 courses. Before and after treatment, the clinical symptoms, menstrual improvement as well as the changes of estradiol (E), luteotrophic hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in serum were observed in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the clinical symptoms and menstrual conditions were improved (<0.01), the levels of FSH and LH were significantly reduced (<0.01), and the levels of E were significantly increased in the two groups (<0.01). There were no significant difference in menstrual improvement rate and menstrual improvement time between the observation group and the control group (<0.05), the recurrence rate of menopause and clinical symptom score improvement in the observation group were superior to the control group (<0.05). In the observation group, the level of E in serum was lower and the levels of FSH and LH in serum were significantly lower than those in the control group (<0.05, <0.01). In the observation group, the rate of adverse reaction was 4.0% (1/25), which was lower than 36.0% (9/25) in the control group (<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#" acupuncture" has better therapeutic effect for premature ovarian insufficiency of kidney deficiency. It is superior to femoston in improving clinical symptoms and recurrence rate of menopause as well as reducing the levels of FSH and LH.