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Objective:To analyze the cause and epidemiological characteristics of an outbreak of cutaneous anthrax in Caoxian County, Heze City, Shandong Province, and to provide scientific basis for anthrax prevention and control.Methods:Using on-site epidemiological investigation methods and the "Anthrax Epidemiological Case Investigation Form", case investigations were conducted based on the epidemiological contact history and close contacts of suspected anthrax cases reported by the national health care system ( n = 83). Scorched skin smears, diseased cattle tissues, soil samples from the slaughter site and smears from slaughter utensils were collected from cases for Real-time PCR testing and pathogenic bacteria isolation and culture, respectively. Anthrax determination criteria were carried out with reference to "Anthrax Diagnosis" (WS 283-2020). Results:A total of 13 cases of cutaneous anthrax were found in this outbreak, including 12 clinically diagnosed cases and one confirmed case (positive Real-time PCR test and isolation of a strain of Bacillus anthracis). The epidemiological investigation determined that the source of infection in this outbreak was diseased cattle, the transmission route was through slaughter of diseased cattle, contact with contaminated utensils and related cattle products, and the patients were mainly engaged in occupations related to cattle slaughter or cattle product collection and sale. A total of 84 samples were collected, including 13 skin scabs, 64 environmental samples and 7 beef samples. Thirty-six positive PCR tests were performed, with a positive rate of 42.86% (36/84). Among them, 100.00% (13/13) were positive for skin scab smear specimens, 29.69% (19/64) for environmental samples and 4/7 for beef samples. A total of 8 strains of Bacillus anthracis were isolated, including 6 environmental specimens, 1 suspected case and 1 beef strain, with an overall detection rate of 9.52% (8/84). Eighty-three close contacts were investigated. Thirteen households involved in the epidemic were disinfected by spraying (200 ml/m 2) with chlorine-containing disinfectant (5 000 mg/L), and a total of 40 households involved in the epidemic were disinfected, covering an area of about 10 765 m 2. Forty-five pieces of suspected contaminated clothing were burned and disposed of, and 152 pieces of kitchenware were soaked. Conclusions:Slaughter of infected cattle, contact with contaminated utensils and related cattle products are the main causes of this skin anthrax outbreak. Strengthening market supervision, deepening inter-animal epidemic prevention, carrying out publicity and education on anthrax prevention and control, and enhancing practitioners' awareness of disease prevention is the key to prevent anthrax from occurring.
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OBJECTIVE To study the quality of Codonopsis pilosula with different commodity specification grades， and to provide the data support for market transactions， scientific research and clinical use. METHODS According to the classification standard of commodity specification grades of C. pilosula， 17 batches of C. pilosula from different producing areas， origins and commodity specification grades were collected. The contents of tangshenoside Ⅰ， lobetyolin and atractylenolide Ⅲ were determined by HPLC. The contents of alcohol-soluble extracts were determined by hot dipping method stated in general rule 2201 of Chinese Pharmacopeia （part Ⅳ）. The contents of polysaccharide were determined by phenol-sulfuric acid method （calculated by D-glucose anhydrous）. RESULTS For cultivar of C. pilosula， four specifications and three commodity grades of C. pilosula all contained tangshenoside Ⅰ and lobetyolin； Radix C. pilosula from Shanxi of China and C. pilosula from Wenxian County of China， also contained atractylenolide Ⅲ. In terms of the contents of tangshenoside Ⅰ， lobetyolin and atractylenolide Ⅲ， the content of second class was equivalent to that of first class， even better than the first class， while the content of third class was lower than that of first class and second class； the content of tangshenoside Ⅰ was the highest among the two types of wild C. pilosula. The contents of alcohol-soluble extracts and polysaccharides in first class cultivated C. pilosula were higher than those of second class， and the second class was higher than the third class； wild C. pilosula had low content of alcohol-soluble extracts and polysaccharides. CONCLUSIONS The internal quality of C. pilosula is basically consistent with the classification standard of different commodity specification grades； the content of each indicator in first-class and second-class medicinal herb is high， making them high-quality medicinal herbs.
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Objective:To explore the clinical features of Mycoplasma pneumoniae(MP)infection in children, and provide data support for the prevention and control of MP.Methods:In this study , a retrospective analysis was used to collect clinical data with respiratory tract infection from January 2018 to February 2022 in the Shenyang Children′s Hospital, and analyze the distribution characteristics of MP positive rate, season, age, sex.Results:In this study, the positive rate of MP was 17.12% (20 299/118 598), in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 22.92% (7 732/33 738), 15.76% (5 736/36 388), 9.81% (1 313/13 379) and 16.60% (4 954/29 849) respectively.The highest positive rates of MP in 2018 and 2019 were 27.72% (1 809/6 527) and 23.45% (1 519/6 478) in summer, respectively, 2020 was spring (19.13%, 216/1 129) and 2021 was autumn (20.09%, 1 665/8 287).The MP positive rates of infancy, early childhood, preschool age and school age were 5.89% (605/10 265), 14.35% (4 639/32 333), 18.51% (10 961/59 203) and 24.37% (4 094/16 798), and MP positive rate increased with age, the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=1 790.971, P<0.05).The positive rate of boys was 14.70% (9 586/65 206), while that of girls was 20.06% (10 713/53 392), the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=594.937, P<0.05). Conclusion:MP can occur all years round, mainly in summer and autumn.Girls are susceptible, especially common in school-age and pre-school children.Prevention and control measures should be taken as soon as possible for susceptible individuals to reduce the infection rate of MP.
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Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is one of the main diseases causing low back pain,which seriously affects the quality of life of patients.Recent studies have discovered that interleukin-6 (IL-6) is highly expressed in the tissues and cells of degenerative intervertebral disc and is closely related to the occurrence and development of IDD.However,the signaling pathway and role of IL-6 in IDD remain to be understood.Therefore,this article reviews the recent studies about the signaling pathway and role of IL-6 in IDD,aiming to facilitate the clinical work and subsequent research progress.
Subject(s)
Humans , Interleukin-6 , Intervertebral Disc Degeneration , Quality of Life , PeptidesABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the clinical features and gene variation characteristics of children with dynein cytoplasmic 1 heavy chain 1 (DYNC1H1) gene associated spinal muscular atrophy with lower extremity predominant (SMALED) 1. Methods: The clinical data of 4 SMALED1 children admitted to Peking University First Hospital from December 2018 to May 2021, who were found to have pathogenic variation of DYNC1H1 gene through genetic testing, except for other genes known to be related to motor retardation, were retrospectively summarized to analyze the phenotype and genotype characteristics. Results: There were 3 males and 1 female. The age of onset was 1 year, 1 day, 1 day and 4 months, respectively. The age of diagnosis was 4 years and 10 months, 9 months, 5 years and 9 months, and 3 years and 1 month, respectively. The clinical manifestations were muscle weakness and muscular atrophy of lower limbs, 2 cases with foot deformity, 1 case with early non progressive joint contracture, 1 case with hip dislocation and 1 case with mental retardation. De novo heterozygous missense variations in DYNC1H1 gene were found in all 4 children. According to the rating of American College of medical genetics and genomics, they were all possible pathogenic and pathogenic variations, with p.R598C, p.P776L, p.Y1109D variations had been reported, and p.I1086R variation had not been reported. Conclusions: For those with unexplained lower limb muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, joint contracture and foot deformity, upper limb motor ability related retention, with or without mental retardation, as well as the motor ability progresses slowly, it is necessary to consider the possibility of SMALED1 and the detection of DYNC1H1 gene when necessary.
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Female , Male , Humans , Intellectual Disability , Retrospective Studies , Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/genetics , Lower Extremity , Muscle Weakness , Muscular Atrophy , Contracture , Cytoplasmic Dyneins/geneticsABSTRACT
Anxiety disorders are currently a major psychiatric and social problem, the mechanisms of which have been only partially elucidated. The hippocampus serves as a major target of stress mediators and is closely related to anxiety modulation. Yet so far, its complex anatomy has been a challenge for research on the mechanisms of anxiety regulation. Recent advances in imaging, virus tracking, and optogenetics/chemogenetics have permitted elucidation of the activity, connectivity, and function of specific cell types within the hippocampus and its connected brain regions, providing mechanistic insights into the elaborate organization of the hippocampal circuitry underlying anxiety. Studies of hippocampal neurotransmitter systems, including glutamatergic, GABAergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic, and serotonergic systems, have contributed to the interpretation of the underlying neural mechanisms of anxiety. Neuropeptides and neuroinflammatory factors are also involved in anxiety modulation. This review comprehensively summarizes the hippocampal mechanisms associated with anxiety modulation, based on molecular, cellular, and circuit properties, to provide tailored targets for future anxiety treatment.
Subject(s)
Humans , Hippocampus/physiology , Anxiety , Anxiety Disorders , Neurotransmitter Agents , NeuropeptidesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the distribution characteristics of non-bacterial pathogens in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children.@*METHODS@#A total of 1 788 CAP children admitted to Shenyang Children's Hospital from December 2021 to November 2022 were selected. Multiple RT-PCR and capillary electrophoresis were used to detect 10 viral pathogens and 2 atypical pathogens, and serum antibodies of Chlamydial pneumoniae (Ch) and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) were detected. The distribution characteristics of different pathogens were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Among the 1 788 CAP children, 1 295 children were pathogen-positive, with a positive rate of 72.43% (1 295/1 788), including a viral pathogen positive rate of 59.68% (1 067/1 788) and an atypical pathogen positive rate of 22.04% (394/1 788). The positive rates from high to low were MP, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza B virus (IVB), human metapneumovirus (HMPV), human rhinovirus (HRV), human parainfluenza virus (HPIV), influenza A virus (IVA), bocavirus (BoV), human adenovirus (HADV), Ch, and human coronavirus (HCOV). RSV and MP were the main pathogens in spring; MP had the highest positive rate in summer, followed by IVA; HMPV had the highest positive rate in autumn; IVB and RSV were the main pathogens in winter. The positive rate of MP in girls was higher than that in boys (P<0.05), and there were no significant differences in other pathogens between genders (P>0.05). The positivity rates of certain pathogens differed among age groups (P<0.05): the positivity rate of MP was highest in the >6 year-old group; the positivity rates of RSV and Ch were highest in the <1 year-old group; the positivity rates of HPIV and IVB were highest in the 1 to <3 year-old group. RSV, MP, HRV, and HMPV were the main pathogens in children with severe pneumonia, while MP was the primary pathogen in children with lobar pneumonia, and MP, IVB, HMPV, RSV, and HRV were the top 5 pathogens in acute bronchopneumonia.@*CONCLUSIONS@#MP, RSV, IVB, HMPV, and HRV are the main pathogens of CAP in children, and there are certain differences in the positive rates of respiratory pathogens among children of different ages, genders, and seasons.
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Humans , Child , Female , Male , Infant , Child, Preschool , Pneumonia , Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human , Antibodies , Community-Acquired Infections , Hospitalization , Influenza B virus , Mycoplasma pneumoniaeABSTRACT
Ligustrum lucidum is a woody perennial plant of genus Ligustrum in family Oleaceae. Its dried fruit has high medicinal value. In this study, the authors evaluated the variability and species identification efficiency of three specific DAN barcodes(rbcL-accD, ycf1a, ycf1b) and four general DAN barcodes(matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, ITS2) for a rapid and accurate molecular identification of Ligustrum species. The results revealed that matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, ITS2 and ycf1a were inefficient for identifying the Ligustrum species, and a large number of insertions and deletions were observed in rbcL-accD sequence, which was thus unsuitable for development as specific barcode. The ycf1b-2 barcode had DNA barcoding gap and high success rate of PCR amplification and DNA sequencing, which was the most suitable DNA barcode for L. lucidum identification and achieved an accurate result. In addition, to optimize the DNA extraction experiment, the authors extracted and analyzed the DNA of the exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp and seed of L. lucidum fruit. It was found that seed was the most effective part for DNA extraction, where DNAs of high concentration and quality were obtained, meeting the needs of species identification. In this study, the experimental method for DNA extraction of L. lucidum was optimized, and the seed was determined as the optimal part for DNA extraction and ycf1b-2 was the specific DNA barcode for L. lucidum identification. This study laid a foundation for the market regulation of L. lucidum.
Subject(s)
Ligustrum/genetics , Seeds , Fruit , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Research DesignABSTRACT
The oral cavity is the second largest microbial bank in humans after the intestinal canal, colonizing a large number of microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi and protozoa. The great number of microbial cells, good DNA stability, and individual has a unique microbial community, these characteristics make the human microbiome expected to become a new biomarker for forensic individual identification. This article describes the characteristics of human oral microorganisms and microbial molecular markers in detail, analyzes the potential application value of microorganisms in forensic individual identification, and reviews the research progress of human oral microorganisms in forensic individual identification.
Subject(s)
Humans , Microbiota , Forensic MedicineABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of renal leukocyte chemotactic factor 2 amyloidosis (ALECT2).Methods:The patients with renal ALECT2 diagnosed by renal biopsy in Peking University First Hospital, Shanxi Medical University Second Hospital and Shanxi Bethune Hospital from January 2001 to October 2021 were retrospectively enrolled. According to whether the patients had concurrent glomerular diseases, they were classified into two groups: isolated ALECT2 group and ALECT2 with concurrent renal diseases group. Clinicopathological data of the two groups were compared. Light microscopy, immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy were applied to investigate pathological characteristics of renal tissues. Mass spectrometry was used to analyze the composition of renal amyloid deposits. Gene sequencing was employed to detect the leukocyte chemotactic factor 2 ( LECT2) gene sequence in peripheral blood of the patients. Results:Sixteen patients with ALECT2 were enrolled in this study and nine of them had concurrent renal diseases. The age of 16 patients was (65.00±8.45) years old. The sex ratio of males to females was 7 to 9. Most of patients were Han ethnicity (15/16). Eight patients came from Shanxi province. Fifteen patients presented with varying degree of proteinuria [2.16(1.07, 4.72) g/24 h]; 5 patients had nephrotic syndrome; 11 patients had renal insufficiency; 12 patients had microscopic hematuria. Part of patients also had hypertension (12/16) and diabetics (6/16). Compared with isolated ALECT2, the ALECT2 group with concurrent renal diseases had a higher proportion of nephrotic syndrome (5/9 vs 0/7, P=0.034). Renal biopsy results showed that all patients (16/16) had amyloid deposits in the interstitium of renal cortex with varying degree of inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis, and glomeruli (12/16) and arterioles (14/16) were involved by amyloid deposits. The amyloid deposits were strongly congophilic and immunohistochemistry for LECT2 was positive. By semi-quantitative analysis, the proportions of glomerular and overall amyloid loads in ALECT2 with concurrent renal diseases group were lower than those in isolated ALECT2 group (both P<0.05). Electron microscopy revealed randomly oriented and non-branching fibrils with a diameter of 8-12 nm. The LECT2 peptides were detected by mass spectrometry in renal amyloid deposits of 8 patients, and homozygous G allele of LECT2 was found in 7 patients by gene sequencing. Complete follow-up data of 13 patients showed that 2 patients died, 1 patient developed end-stage renal disease at the time of renal biopsy, and most of the rest patients had stable renal function (8/10). Conclusions:Patients with renal ALECT2 mainly present with proteinuria, along with a high incidence of renal insufficiency, microscopic hematuria, and concurrent renal diseases. The pathologic feature is the preferential deposition of amyloid in renal cortical interstitium.
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Leptin, an adipocyte-derived peptide hormone, has been shown to facilitate breathing. However, the central sites and circuit mechanisms underlying the respiratory effects of leptin remain incompletely understood. The present study aimed to address whether neurons expressing leptin receptor b (LepRb) in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) contribute to respiratory control. Both chemogenetic and optogenetic stimulation of LepRb-expressing NTS (NTSLepRb) neurons notably activated breathing. Moreover, stimulation of NTSLepRb neurons projecting to the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) not only remarkably increased basal ventilation to a level similar to that of the stimulation of all NTSLepRb neurons, but also activated LPBN neurons projecting to the preBötzinger complex (preBötC). By contrast, ablation of NTSLepRb neurons projecting to the LPBN notably eliminated the enhanced respiratory effect induced by NTSLepRb neuron stimulation. In brainstem slices, bath application of leptin rapidly depolarized the membrane potential, increased the spontaneous firing rate, and accelerated the Ca2+ transients in most NTSLepRb neurons. Therefore, leptin potentiates breathing in the NTS most likely via an NTS-LPBN-preBötC circuit.
Subject(s)
Leptin/pharmacology , Membrane Potentials , Neurons/metabolism , Solitary Nucleus/metabolismABSTRACT
Sporotrichosis has been classified as "neglected tropical diseases" by the World Health Organization. In recent years, researches on sporotrichosis have gradually increased. This review summarizes recent progress in sporotrichosis in terms of pathogens, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and vaccines.
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AIM: To quantify the lacrimal punctum using anterior segment optical coherence tomography(AS-OCT)and analyze the correlation between the epiphora and primary punctal stenosis.METHODS: A cross-sectional study. There were 43 healthy volunteers(57 eyes)and 44 patients(62 eyes)with primary lacrimal punctal stenosis and epiphora enrolled in the Lacrimal Center of the Third Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from September 2020 to January 2021. The inferior punctum of all subjects were scanned by AS-OCT, and the images were quantified in order to observe the AS-OCT image features. The outer punctal diameter, punctal depth, tear well diameter and tear well depth were all measured simultaneously. The inferior punctum's punctal reserve and punctal reserve ratio were estimated according to the available parameter data.RESULTS: 1)The measured parameters conforming to normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation. The observation group's outer punctal diameter, tear well diameter, tear well depth, and punctal reserve ratio were 458.19±63.58μm, 200.34±84.69μm, 188.95±87.50μm and 0.32±0.18, respectively, while the control group's outer punctal diameter, tear well diameter, tear well depth and punctal reserve ratio were 655.53±82.62μm, 230.26±107.02μm, 275.30±144.34μm, 0.46±0.23, respectively. The parameters in observation group were all lower than those of control group(P<0.05); 2)Parameter data that did not conform to normal distribution were expressed as medians and quartiles, and the results were as follows: the punctal depth in the observation group was 265.50μm(interquartile range 204.25-328.77)μm and the punctal reserve was 71.53μm(interquartile range 46.12-111.37)μm, respectively, while the punctal depth in the control group was 468.76μm(interquartile range 420.50-588.88)μm and the punctal reserve was 182.16μm(interquartile range 131.36-309.84)μm. This difference was statistically significant(P<0.05); 3)In the observation group, there was a negative correlation between the epiphora and the outer punctal diameter(r=-0.448, P<0.05), a positive correlation between the epiphora and tear well depth(r=0.335, P<0.05), and a negative correlation between the epiphora and the punctal reserve and punctal reserve ratio coefficient(r=-0.520, -0.566, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The AS-OCT can aid in enhancing punctal morphology cognition; The outer punctal diameter and tear well depth are related to the epiphora; The primary punctal stenosis patients with smaller outer punctal diameters are more likely to have the symptom of epiphora, and in patients with punctal stenosis, the greater the potential capacity of the punctum to hold tears, the lesser the degree of epiphora.
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ObjectiveTo predict the possible quality markers （Q-markers） of Arisaema Cum Bile in the prevention and treatment of stroke based on ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spetrometry （UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） v2.0. MethodUPLC-QTOF-MS/MS was employed with the mobile phase of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution （A）-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution （B） for gradient elution （0-3 min， 0.2%-5%B； 3-5 min， 5%-8%B； 5-8 min， 8%-10%B； 8-14 min， 10%-25%B； 14-18 min， 25%-50%B； 18-20 min， 50%-70%B； 20-21 min， 70%-98%B； 21-23 min， 98%B； 23-24 min， 98%-0.2%B； 24-26 min， 0.2%B）， the flow rate of 0.5 mL·min-1 and electrospray ionization （ESI）. High quality MS/MS data were scanned in positive and negative ion modes with scanning range of m/z 50-1 500. A local database of the chemical constituents in Arisaema Cum Bile was established by UNIFI 1.8. Then the chemical constituents in Arisaema Cum Bile were characterized by matching with the local database and comparing with the reference substances and literature information. TCMIP v2.0 was used to obtain the targets corresponding to the identified components of Arisaema Cum Bile and stroke， and the "disease-formula" correlation analysis was carried out to screen the core targets by topological eigenvalues. DAVID 6.8 was used for enrichment analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway of core targets. According to the "five principles" of Q-markers and combined with literature reports， the Q-markers of Arisaema Cum Bile in the prevention and treatment of stroke were predicted， and the core components acting on these target genes were obtained. Cytoscape 3.8.0 was employed to draw the network diagram of "medicinal materials-active ingredients-target genes-pathways". Finally， AutoDock Vina 1.2.2 was used to calculate and verify the molecular docking between the candidate components and the key targets. ResultA total of 76 chemical components was identified in positive and negative ion modes， 85 core targets were collected for Arisaema Cum Bile in the prevention and treatment of stroke. A total of 31 stroke-related pathways， 23 target genes and 9 main active components of Arisaema Cum Bile acting on these genes were screened， and then we determined 4 possible Q-markers for Arisaema Cum Bile in the prevention and treatment of stroke according to the "five principles". ConclusionThe possible Q-markers of Arisaema Cum Bile for stroke are gallic acid， apigenin-6，8-di-C-glucoside， apigenin and cholic acid， and the target of these four components may be estrogen receptor alpha （ESR1）.
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Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, the sun-dried mature fruit of Ligustrum lucidum, is cool, plain, sweet, and bitter, which can be used as both food and medicine, with the effects of improving vision, blacking hair, and tonifying liver and kidney. It takes effect slowly. However, little is known about the genetic information of the medicinal plant and it is still a challenge to distinguish Ligustrum species. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of L. lucidum was obtained by genome skimming and then compared with that of five other Ligustrum species, which had been reported. This study aims to evaluate the interspecific variation of chloroplast genome within the genus and develop molecular markers for species identification of the genus. The result showed that the chloroplast genome of L. lucidum was 162 162 bp with a circular quadripartite structure of two single-copy regions separated by a pair of inverted repeats. The Ligustrum chloroplast genomes were conserved with small interspecific difference. Comparative analysis of six Ligustrum chloroplast genomes revealed three variable regions(rbcL-accD, ycf1a, and ycf1b), and ycf1a and ycf1b can be used as the species-specific DNA barcode for Ligustrum. Phylogeny analysis provided the best resolution of Ligustrum and supported that L. lucidum was sister to L. gracile. This study clarified the genetic diversity of L. lucidum from provenance, which can serve as a reference for further analysis of pharmacological differences and breeding of excellent varieties with stable drug effects.
Subject(s)
Fruit , Genome, Chloroplast , Ligustrum/genetics , Phylogeny , Plant BreedingABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of renal light and heavy chain amyloidosis (AHL).Methods:Ten patients with renal AHL diagnosed by renal biopsy in Peking University First Hospital and Institute of Nephrology of Peking University from January 2015 to June 2020 were enrolled. Clinicopathological data of these patients was collected and reviewed.Results:AHL typically affected older patients, with a male/female ratio of 7:3. The clinical manifestations were mainly edema and heavy proteinuria. At the same time, 7/10 of patients presented with nephrotic syndrome, 7/10 presented with microscopic hematuria, and 3/10 presented with renal insufficiency. Laboratory examinations showed monoclonal immunoglobulin in blood and urine in all patients, and IgGλ was the most common one (5/10). Decreased serum complement could be seen in some patients. The ratio of serum free κ light chain and free λ light chain was abnormal in all patients who underwent serum free light chain test. None of the 10 patients met the diagnostic criteria of multiple myeloma. Except for one of the 10 patients who was diagnosed as Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, the rest were diagnosed as monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS). Bone marrow of 2/6 of patients were positive for amyloid. Cardiac involvement was confirmed in only one patient. Renal biopsy demonstrated amorphous eosinophilic material, which was Congo red positive, was deposited in glomerular mesangial area (10/10), capillary vessels (8/10), renal interstitium (9/10), peritubular capillary walls (9/10) and arterioles (8/10). This material showed apple green birefringence under polarized light. Immunofluorescence showed that single heavy chain and single light chain were positive at the same time, which was consistent with the results of mass spectrometry analysis. Ultrastructural evaluation revealed randomly oriented, non-branching fibrils with a diameter of 8-12 nm.Conclusions:Main clinical manifestations of AHL amyloidosis are edema and massive proteinuria, along with a high incidence of hematuria, a low portion of heart involvement and high frequency of whole molecule of monoclonal immunoglobulin (IgGλ dominant) by serum immunofixation electrophoresis. Renal pathology shows the commonly involved kidney compartments of amyloid deposits are glomerular capillary walls and peritubular capillary walls in patients with AHL amyloidosis.
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Objective:To investigate the effect of a breathing pattern intervention (RPI) on the oral feeding of pre-term infants with suck-swallow-breath (SSwB) coordination disorder.Methods:Sixty pre-term infants with SSwB coordination disorder were divided into an observation group ( n=30) and a control group ( n=30) using a random number table. Both groups were given routine feeding training, including oral exercise intervention, non-nutritive sucking training, and swallowing induction training during nursing, while the observation group was additionally provided with 15 minutes of breathing pattern training once a day, including breathing pattern observation, resistive breathing training prior to eating and passive breathing pattern intervention during eating. Before and after the 7-day intervention, the Pre-term Infant Oral Feeding Readiness Assessment (PIOFRA) was used to evaluate each subject′s oral feeding ability. Rate of transfer (RT), proficiency (PRO), minimum oxygen partial pressure (SaO 2) and SaO 2 fluctuations were also recorded during the feeding process. Results:After 1 week of the intervention, significant improvement was observed in both groups. In the observation group the average RT (2.76±0.36ml/min), PRO, minimum SaO 2, the number of SaO 2 fluctuations, and PIOFRA score (33.28±0.58) were all significantly better than the control group′s averages. Conclusion:Breathing pattern intervention based on routine feeding training can enhance breathing coordination during swallowing and ultimately improve the oral feeding of pre-term infants with SSwB coordination disorders in a relatively short period of time.
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Objective:To screen appropriate techniques of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) prevention in primary care based on patient-centered model.Methods:The preliminary list of techniques used for CVD prevention in primary care was formed through literature study and focus group discussion. The evaluation index system of technical suitability was constructed by literature research and expert judgment. Delphi method was used to screen and evaluate the list of appropriate techniques.Results:Thirteen experts in fields of general practice and cardiovascular medicine were invited for consultation. The formed index system of appropriate techniques in primary care composed of five aspects: scientificity, effectiveness, applicability, economy and requirement, with the weight coefficients of 0.205, 0.202, 0.205, 0.196 and 0.192, respectively. Twenty-four experts in fields of general medicine, cardiovascular medicine, public health and mental health were selected for two rounds of Delphi expert consultation. The experts′ positive coefficients of the first round and second consultation were 91.67%(22/24) and 100.00%(22/22), respectively. The experts′ authoritative coefficient of two rounds was both 0.92 with the coefficient of variation all<0.3. A list of techniques was developed consisting of 25 appropriate techniques of CVD prevention in primary care. The comprehensive evaluation showed that the top three were techniques of history collection and physical examination, techniques of recognition and referral of acute patients and techniques of patient reception in general practice.Conclusion:Based on the patient-centered model, after screening and evaluation this study has developed a list of appropriate techniques for CVD prevention and management at primary care, which provides technical support to general practitioners and their teams for better care of cardiovascular diseases in their practice.
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Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations and surgical outcomes of pediatric epilepsy patients with epileptic spasms (ES) as the main form of seizure, so as to analyze the correlative factors with prognosis and improve the understanding of the operation and preoperative positioning for such patients.Methods:The clinical data of patients with ES who underwent surgery therapy from June 2014 to December 2015 in Pediatric Epilepsy Center, Peking University First Hospital were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Demographic characteristics, seizure forms, etiology, electroencephalogram (EEG), cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), operative methods, pathological findings as well as surgical outcomes evaluated by Engel classification during follow-up of the subjects were collected.Correlative factors with the prognosis were explored by comparing the data between patients with optimal outcome (Engel Ⅰ) and those with poor outcomes (Engel Ⅱ-Ⅳ).Results:A total of 25 pediatric patients were enrolled, including 16 males (64.0%) and 9 females (36.0%). The age of onset was (0.81±0.68) years, the age at operation was (2.98±1.63) years, and the course of disease was (2.17±1.48) years.Besides, 84.0% (21/25 cases) of the ES patients had multiple forms of seizures and partial seizure (19 cases) was the most common.MRI of the heads of all the children showed definite lesions, including 11 patients (44.0%) with lesions limited to one brain lobe and 14 patients (56.0%) involving multiple brain lobes or hemisphere.The most common etiology was focal cortical dysplasia (13 cases), followed by intracranial developmental tumors (3 cases). All patients underwent resection surgery, including resection of lesion (3 cases), single brain lobe resection (9 cases), multiple brain lobe dissection (3 cases) and hemisphere dissection (10 cases). During a follow-up period of 4.0 to 5.5 years, 1 patient was lost.Among the remaining 24 cases, 18 (75.0%) cases achieved good outcomes and wee classified as EngelⅠ, 2 cases (8.3%) and 4 cases(16.7%) were classified as Engel Ⅱand Ⅳ, respectively.The univariate comparison between the good epilepsy prognosis group and the poor epilepsy prognosis group showed that, patients whose EEG abnormalities are consistent with the anatomical lesions during the inter ictal tend to have good prognosis( P=0.006). Conclusions:(1) Optimal therapeutic effects were observed in ES patients with definite lesions treated by surgical therapy.(2) Interictal EEG consistent with the lesion side may suggest a good prognosis for surgical treatment.(3) Structural causes should be screened as soon as possible if a patient with ES is drug-refractory and presents clues of focal origin.