Comparison of epidemic characteristics and clinical manifestation of chickenpox between adults and children in Shandong Province from 2019 to 2021 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the differences between adults and children in the epidemic characteristics and clinical manifestations of chickenpox and provide a reference for the prevention strategy adjustment of chickenpox. Methods: The incidence data of chickenpox surveillance in Shandong Province from January 2019 to December 2021 were collected. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the distribution of cases, and the chi-square test was used to compare the differences in epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations of varicella cases between adults and children. Results: A total of 66 182 cases of chickenpox were reported from 2019 to 2021, including 24 085 cases of adults chickenpox, the male to female sex ratio was 1∶1 (12 032∶12 053), basically the same for men and women, and 42 097 cases of children chickenpox, with a gender ratio of 1.4∶1, the male to female ratio was 1.4∶1 (24 699∶17 398). Fever in chickenpox cases was mainly low and moderate, but the proportion of moderate fever with temperature between 38.1 and 39.0 ℃ in children cases (35.0%,14 744/42 097) was significantly higher than that in adults (32.0%,7 696/24 085). The number of herpes in chickenpox cases was mainly less than 50, but the proportion of severe cases with 100-200 herpes in children was higher than that in adults. The incidence rate of complications was 1.4% (333/24 085) in adults chickenpox, the incidence rate of complications was 1.7% (731/42 097) in children chickenpox. The incidence of encephalitis and pneumonia in children was higher than in adults, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The proportion of chickenpox cases was mainly outpatient, but the hospitalization rate of children cases was 14.4% (6 049/42 097), higher than that of adults, which was 10.7% (2 585/24 085). Conclusions: There were differences between adult chickenpox and child chickenpox in terms of epidemic and clinical manifestations; the symptoms of child chickenpox were more serious than adult chickenpox. However, the adult chickenpox population is generally susceptible and lacks immune strategy protection, which calls for more attention.

Study of incidence and economic burden of herpes zoster based on community investigation among the aged in Laiwu district, Jinan city, Shandong Province of China / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To understand the incidence and economic burden of herpes zoster among the aged in Laiwu district, Jinan city. Methods: Retrospective cohort study was conducted in 5 communities in Laiwu District, Jinan City from July to September, 2019. A total of 8 300 residents born before July 1, 1959 and aged ≥60 years old were included in the investigation. At the same time, an economic burden survey was carried out among 220 cases who developed herpes zoster after July 1, 2017. A questionnaire was used to collect information on incidence and economic burden of HZ, and comparisons were carried out about the incidence and economic burden of herpes zoster among older people with different characteristics. Results: The age of 8 300 subjects was (71.46±6.71) years old. Male and female accounted for 44.10% and 55.90%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of disease after the age of 60 was 73.61‰ among population aged ≥60 years old. The cumulative incidence was 28.03‰, 71.26‰, 86.09‰, 93.48‰ and 88.10‰ among population aged 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and ≥80 years old,respectively. The average annual incidence of HZ was 9.49‰ and annual incidence was 7.59‰, 7.23‰, 8.43‰, 10.24‰ and 13.98‰ in 2014-2018, respectively. HZ cost was (2 626±667) RMB per patient with a median cost of 715 RMB (interquartile range 303-2 358) on 220 cases who developed disease after July 1, 2017. The cost of outpatient cases was (1 329±1 835) RMB per patient with a median cost of 560 RMB (interquartile range 300-1 320), and the cost of inpatient cases was (14 303±16 571) RMB per patient with a median cost of 8 190 RMB (interquartile range 4 368-15 160). Conclusion: The incidence of HZ is high among population aged≥60 years old, which could cause heavy economic burden for them.

Alkaloid constituents from the fruits of Flueggea virosa / 中国天然药物

Three new indole alkaloids, flueindolines A-C (1-3), along with nine known alkaloids (4-12), were isolated from the fruits of Flueggea virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) Voigt. Compounds 1 and 2 are two new fused tricyclic indole alkaloids possessing an unusual pyrido[1, 2-a]indole framework, and 3 presents a rare spiro (pyrrolizidinyl-oxindole) backbone. Their structures with absolute configurations were elucidated by means of comprehensive spectroscopic analysis, chemical calculation, as well as X-ray crystallography. Chiral resolution and absolute configuration determination of the known compounds 4, 10, and 11 were reported for the first time. The hypothetical biogenetical pathways of 1-3 were herein also proposed.

Variations of serum bone resorption biomarkers of children of the coal-burning fluorosis area / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the concentration of serum bone resorption markers NTX and TRACP-5b of children aged 8-14 years in a coal-burning fluorosis area and its relationship with age, and to provide population data for the study of pathogenesis of skeletal fluorosis.@*Methods@#Totally 123 children of 8-14 schoolage in the two primary schools in Doujing Township, Shuicheng County, Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province were randomly selected as the exposed group. According to the matching principle, 64 children were randomly selected as a control from a primary school in a nondisease area Huaga Town. The dental fluorosis was investigated, and the concentrations of serum NTX and TRACP-5b were measured.@*Results@#The detection rate of dental fluorosis in the fluorosis area was 94.3% and 0 in the control area. The concentrations of serum NTX in fluorosis area children were 13.04 (10.76, 15.64), 14.82 (12.15, 18.26)nmol/L in the early adolescence and middle-aged period, which lower than the control area 15.73(14.36, 18.61), 16.45(15.45, 22.02)nmol/L( P <0.05); The serum TRACP-5b levels in children with fluorosis were 276.74(237.63, 312.75), 270.14(242.82, 321.97), 305.95(259.78, 339.87)nmol/L in prepubertal, early adolescence and middle youth, lower than the control area 370.88 (304.47, 452.84), 353.30 (262.05, 393.19), 420.22 (376.96, 544.60)nmol/L( Z =-3.03, -2.66, -3.10, P <0.05). Serum NTx and TRACP-5b in fluorosis area were negatively correlated with dental fluorosis in children( r =-0.51, -0.37, P <0.01).@*Conclusion@#Fluorosis can reduce the concentrations of serum bone resorption markers NTX and TRACP-5b in children of different age groups. TRACP-5b may be more sensitive to fluoride exposure than NTX, but the specific mechanism remains to be further studied.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and Huntington disease / 神经科学通报·英文版

Huntington disease (HD) is a chronic autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease. The gene coding Huntingtin has been identified, but the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease are still not fully understood. This paper reviews the involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in pathogenesis of HD.

Clinical experience from treatment of seven SARS patients / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the clinical experience from treatment of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Retrospective analysis of seven patients with SARS in Ditan hospital treated since April 22 in 2004 was performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the 7 patients, 2 were male, 5 were female, and the average age was (35.3 plus/minus 11.3) years. The main clinical manifestations were fever, cough, minor or serious dyspnea, nausea, signs of injury to other organs, and so on. The treatment regiments included oxygen, small dosage and short period of methylprednisolone (1 to 2 mg/kg), use of ventilator, psychological intervention, and treatment of underlying diseases, after which, all the 7 patients recovered.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Rational use of methylprednisolone and timely use of ventilator were the key steps of treatment.</p>

The treatment of molecular adsorbents recirculating system artificial liver in severe liver failure patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effectiveness and mechanisms of molecular adsorbents recirculating system (MARS) treatment in severe liver failure patients with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>60 single MARS treatments were performed for 6 - 24 hours on 24 severe liver failure patients with MODS.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MARS therapy was associated with marked reduction of albumin bound toxins and water soluble toxins, together with a significant removal of NO and certain cytokines, such as TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8, and INF-gamma. These were associated with a improvement of the patients' clinical conditions including hepatic encephalopathy, deranged hemodynamic situation, as well as renal and respiratory function, thus resulted into marked decrease of sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (from 9.72+-1.89 to 6.98+-2.34), and improving outcome: 9 patients were able to be discharged from the hospital or bridged to successful liver transplantation. The overall survival rate of 24 patients was 37.5%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>There is positive therapeutic impact and safety to use MARS on liver failure patients with MODS. The effectiveness of MARS is correlated with reducing the levels of NO and cytokines, except for completely removing of accumulated toxins in liver failure patients.</p>