Effect and mechanism of Astragalus polysaccharide on peritoneal fibrosis and angiogenesis in peritoneal dialysis rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of Astragalus polysaccharide （APS） on peritoneal fibrosis and angiogenesis in rats with peritoneal dialysis （PD）. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into normal control group （Control group）， model group （PD group）， 70 mg/kg APS group （APS-L group）， 140 mg/kg APS group （APS-H group）， and 140 mg/kg APS+40 mg/kg hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α） agonist DMOG group （APS-H+DMOG group）， with 12 rats in each group. PD rat models were constructed in the last four groups of rats. Administration groups were given APS intragastrically and DMOG intraperitoneally. Control group and PD group were given constant volume of normal saline intragastrically， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last medication， the peritoneal ultrafiltration （UF）， mass transfer of glucose （MTG）， the levels of serum creatinine （Scr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） were detected in rats； peritoneal histomorphology and peritoneal fibrosis （peritoneal thickness and proportion of collagen fiber deposition） were observed； the microvascular density and the expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， laminin （LN）， HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） proteins were detected in peritoneal tissue of rats. RESULTS Compared with Control group， the mesothelium of rats in the PD group was loosely arranged and shed， inflammatory cells infiltrated， the peritoneal thickness and proportion of collagen fiber deposition were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. The levels of MTG， Scr and BUN in serum， microvascular density and the expressions of α-SMA， LN， HIF-1α and VEGF proteins were significantly increased， while the level of UF was significantly decreased （P＜ 0.05）； compared with PD group， the levels of above indexes were significantly reversed in APS-L and APS-H groups （P＜0.05）， and the improvement of APS-H group was better than APS-L group （P＜0.05）. Compared with APS-H group， the levels of above indexes in APS-H+DMOG group were all reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS APS inhibits peritoneal fibrosis and angioge-nesis in PD rats by inhibiting HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway.

Changes in the total volume and contour density of oval cells in hepatic lobules of rats with carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic fibrosis： A stereological study / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo quantitatively investigate the changes in the total volume and contour density of hepatic oval cells （HOC） in hepatic lobules of rats with carbon tetrachloride （CCl4）-induced hepatic fibrosis. MethodsA total of 11 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group with 5 rats and hepatic fibrosis group with 6 rats， and CCl4 and olive oil suspension were injected subcutaneously twice a week， 3 mL/kg each time. After five weeks of hepatic fibrosis modeling， five liver tissue blocks with a size of about 1 mm3 were randomly selected from the liver of each rat to prepare one Epon812 epoxy resin-embedded ultrathin section， and the stereological method and transmission electron microscopy were used for the quantitative analysis of the total volume and contour density of HOC in the hepatic lobules of rats. In addition， four liver tissue blocks with a thickness of 2 mm were randomly selected from the remaining liver of each rat to prepare two paraffin-embedded Masson staining sections， and the degree of liver fibrosis in each rat was qualitatively evaluated according to the Metavir staging criteria for liver fibrosis. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups. ResultsThe quantitative stereological analysis showed that the total volume of HOC in hepatic lobules was 15.40±7.63 mm3 in the control group and 146.80±114.00 mm3 in the liver fibrosis group， and compared with the control group， the total volume of HOC in hepatic lobules of rats in the liver fibrosis group was significantly increased by 8.53 times （t=-2.551， P=0.031）； the contour density of HOC in hepatic lobules was 56.20±40.40 in the control group and 566.50±317.00 in the liver fibrosis group， and compared with the control group， the contour density of HOC in hepatic lobules of rats in the liver fibrosis group was significantly increased by 9.08 times （t=-3.539， P=0.006）. Qualitative observation showed that liver fibrosis stage of rats reached stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ according to the Metavir scoring criteria， and massive proliferation of HOC was observed around the proliferation site of hepatic stellate cells in the perisinusoidal space of rats. ConclusionCCl4 induces significant proliferation of HOC in hepatic lobules of rats with liver fibrosis.

Effects of echinacoside on renal injury in uremia rats and its mechanism / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of echinacoside （ECH） on renal injury in uremia （URE） rats and its mechanism. METHODS URE model of the rat was established by 5/6 nephrectomy. Successfully modeled rats were grouped into uremia group （URE group）， ECH low-dose [10 mg/（kg·d）] group， ECH medium-dose [20 mg/（kg·d）] group， ECH high-dose [40 mg/（kg·d）] group， ECH high-dose+anisomycin [p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK） pathway activator] group [ECH-H+Ani group， 40 mg/（kg·d） ECH +2 mg/（kg·d） anisomycin]， with a sham operation group， 12 mice in each group. Each drug group was given corresponding ECH intragastrically， while ECH-H+Ani group was further injected with anisomycin via the tail vein， once a day， for 8 consecutive weeks. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， β2-microglobulin （β2-MG）， serum creatinine （Scr）， neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin （NGAL）， kidney injury molecule-1 （KIM-1）， cystatin C （Cys-C） and 24 h urine protein （24 h UP） as well as the levels of malondialdehyde （MDA） and superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity in renal tissue were all detected； pathological changes of renal tissue were observed； the rate of positive expression of α-smooth muscle protein （α-SMA） and E-cadherin， and the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） p65 were determined in renal tissue of rats. RESULTS Compared with URE group， glomerular swelling， damage and necrosis of renal tubular epithelial cells and inflammatory cell infiltration were relieved significantly in ECH groups. The renal injury score， levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， BUN， Scr， β2-MG， 24 h UP， NGAL， KIM- 1， Cys-C and MDA， the positive expression rate of α-SMA in renal tissue， the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK and NF-κB p65 were decreased in dose-dependent manner， while SOD activity and the positive expression rate of E-cadherin were obviously increased in dose-dependent manner （P＜0.05）. Anisomycin significantly attenuated the improvement effect of high-dose ECH on renal injury in URE rats （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ECH may inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress， enhance renal function， and improve renal injury in uremic rats by inhibiting the activation of p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Establishment and validation of bioactivity measurement method for recombinant human midkine / 药学学报

To establish and optimize a method for the detection of recombinant human midkine (rhMK) activity and verify its methodology, cell counting kit-8 (cck-8) method was used to measure the proliferation activity of rat knee chondrocytes. The specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity and robustness of the method were also verified in this study. The established method was proven to have good specificity because the buffer of rhMK and recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist have no obvious active effect; the recoveries of the samples with relative activities of 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150% were in the range of 80.0% to 124.0% by statistical analysis, the relative standard deviations (RSD) of relative potency were all within 20%, the linear correlation coefficient, R2 ≥ 0.98, suggesting that the accuracy, precision and linearity of the method were good; the robustness correlation coefficient, R2 ≥ 0.92 and the ratio of maximum to minimum of sigmoidal dose-response were no less than 1.5, indicating that robustness of the methods was good. In conclusion, a bioactivity measurement method for rhMK was established and fully validated in this study and it provides a reliable method for the bioactivity analysis of rhMK routine samples during the development. This study was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc. (approval number: 2019-0008-06).

Discussion on the Four-Season Pathogenesis and Treatment of Insomnia Based on the “Circular Movement of Yang Qi Ascending and Descending” / 中医杂志

In the perspective of the theory of “circular movement of yang qi ascending and descending”， the author explores the four-season pathogenesis and treatment of insomnia based on the seasonal changes of the body's yin-yang balance. It is believed that the core pathogenesis of insomnia lies in the spleen and stomach deficiency and the internal buildup of dampness. The four-season pathogenesis of insomnia focuses can be categorized into four aspects： abnormal ascending of yang qi in the spring， leading to the liver fire inflammation or the liver qi stagnation； Predominance of yang qi in the upper side of the heart and gallbladder fire in the summer； Lung disorder and abnormal descent of yang qi， resulting in yang-heat conversion into dryness or disharmony between nutrient qi and defensive qi； Abnormal hiding of yang qi， manifesting as floating yang or deficiency in both yin and yang in the winter. It is advocated to dynamically grasp the pathogenesis of insomnia in accordance with the changes in time. A treatment framework called “restoring ascending and descending of yang qi” is proposed， with the core focus on resolving dampness and strengthening the spleen， while also addressing the liver and strengthen the spleen， clearing and descending the heart and gallbladder， purifing and descending the lung qi， and suppressing hyperactive the yang and invigorating the kidneys in different seasons. This enrichment of the traditional Chinese medicine time medicine research in insomnia treatment， based on the characteristics of seasonal rhythmic time， aims to better serve clinical practice and provide ideas for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of insomnia.

Application of Modified FuMai Decoction （复脉汤加减方） based on Sanjiao （三焦） Theory / 中医杂志

Review of historical literature showed that the understanding of the indicated disease location of Modified FuMai Decoction （复脉汤加减方） has evolved from the upper jiao （焦） to the middle and lower jiao. Initially， it is used for the treatment of yin deficiency of both yin and yang in the upper jiao， changes to supplement stomach and produce fluids in the middle jiao， and is used to protect yin， clear the pathogens， conslidate yin and subdue yang so as to store the true yin of lower jiao. The unchanging principle of Fumai Decoction modifications is nourishing yin， while the changing aspects are determining the secondary treatment methods based on disease location of sanjiao， concomitant disease natures， internal injury or external contraction， warm disease or cold damage， thereby choosing the corresponding added or subtracted herbs， and providing reference for the application of classical formulas.

Antithrombotic therapy resumption after intracranial hemorrhage / 中华神经科杂志

Patients with intracranial hemorrhage and indications of antithrombotic therapy are common in clinical practice. However, whether and when to start anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy after intracranial hemorrhage are still debatable. Clinicians are posed with huge challenges without available guidelines. Through reviewing relevant literature, this article analyzed the risks of thromboembolism and hemorrhage recurrence after initiation of anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy in patients with intracranial hemorrhage due to various etiologies. This article also presented the initiation time and specific antithrombotic plan in current clinical practice, aiming to propose references for clinicians.

Clinical application of 3.0 T MR imaging without contrast in coronary artery based on compressed SENSE technology / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore the optimal acceleration factor and feasibility of the compressed SENSE (CS) technique in non-contrast MR coronary angiography (NMRCA) for clinical practice.Methods:The image data of completed coronary CTA and 3.0 T NMRCA sequence in 31 patients with suspected coronary heart disease were prospectively recruited at Fuyang People′s Hospital from August 2021 to November 2021. NMRCA sequences included conventional SENSE2 sequence and CS sequences with acceleration factors of 4, 5, and 6, respectively. The subjective scores of image quality and the objective scores, the contrast ratios between assessed coronaries and myocardium (CMCR) were compared among the 4 groups using the Friedman and Wilcoxon rank sum test.Results:Compared with the conventional SENSE2 [(343±46)s], the scan time of CS4 (269±36), CS5 (214±29) and CS6 (178±26) s were shortened by 21.5%, 37.5% and 48.0%, respectively. There was a good consistency between the subjective scores of the four groups (Kappa=0.769, 95% Cl 0.738-0.800). There was no significant difference in subjective score and CMCR value between CS4 and SENSE2 ( P>0.05). The coronary artery segments of CS5 and CS6 were significantly different from SENSE2 group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:For 3.0 T NMRCA, CS technology shows high feasibility. The CS4 can reduce imaging time while ensuring high-quality coronary arterial images, which has a well-established clinical application value for NMRCA.

Effects of 3D laparoscopic trans-sacrococcygeal and transabdominal perineal in the treatment of low rectal cancer / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of 3D laparoscopic trans-sacrococcygeal and transabdominal perineal in the treatment of low rectal cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 86 patients with low rectal cancer admitted to Qilu Hospital of Shandong University(Qingdao) from January 2017 to January 2020 were collected retrospectively, and they were divided into the control group and the observation group by the different surgical approaches, with 43 cases in each group. The control group was treated with 3D laparoscopic transabdominal perineal resection of rectal cancer, and the observation group was treated with 3D laparoscopic trans-sacrococcygeal resection of rectal cancer. Perioperative indexes in the two groups were recorded. The levels of carbohydrate antigen (CA)242, CA724, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were compared before and 6 months after the surgery. Follow-up was arranged to record the local recurrence rate and survival rate.Results:The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, exhaust time, hospitalization time in the observation group were lower than those in the control group: (182.04 ± 50.87) min vs. (210.59 ± 61.03) min, (89.18 ± 12.57) ml vs. (116.58 ± 22.09) ml, (2.94 ± 0.58) d vs. (4.56 ± 1.07) d, (10.65 ± 2.03) d vs. (14.06 ± 2.84) d, the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The urination function of the observation group recovered well after the surgery, and there was statistical significance in the grading of urination function between the two groups ( P<0.05). The levels of CEA, CA242 and CA274 in the observation group at 6 months after the surgery were lower than those in the control group: (4.13 ± 0.46) μg/L vs. (5.01 ± 0.72) μg/L, (14.01 ± 5.16) kU/L vs. (16.97 ± 5.76) kU/L, (4.19 ± 0.68) kU/L vs. (4.97 ± 0.87) kU/L, the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The survival rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group: 88.37%(38/43) vs. 69.77%(30/43); and the recurrence rate was lower than that in the control group: 4.65%(2/43) vs. 27.91%(12/43), the differences were statistically significant ( χ2 = 4.50, 8.53, P<0.05). Conclusions:3D laparoscopic trans-sacrococcygeal resection of rectal cancer can effectively shorten the operation time, reduce the amount of bleeding, but also improve the patient's anal function, and has low local recurrence rate, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Experts consensus on the procedure of dental operative microscope in endodontics and operative dentistry / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

The dental operative microscope has been widely employed in the field of dentistry, particularly in endodontics and operative dentistry, resulting in significant advancements in the effectiveness of root canal therapy, endodontic surgery, and dental restoration. However, the improper use of this microscope continues to be common in clinical settings, primarily due to operators' insufficient understanding and proficiency in both the features and established operating procedures of this equipment. In October 2019, Professor Jingping Liang, Vice Chairman of the Society of Cariology and Endodontology, Chinese Stomatological Association, organized a consensus meeting with Chinese experts in endodontics and operative dentistry. The objective of this meeting was to establish a standard operation procedure for the dental operative microscope. Subsequently, a consensus was reached and officially issued. Over the span of about four years, the content of this consensus has been further developed and improved through practical experience.

Progress in research of influenza vaccination in pregnant women / 中华流行病学杂志

Influenza is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by influenza virus. Pregnancy is associated with physiologic and immunological changes that may increase the risk for influenza virus infection and influenza-related complications. Influenza vaccination is the most effective way to prevent influenza virus infection. WHO and many countries have classified pregnant women as a priority population for influenza vaccination, however, there are still many challenges for promoting influenza vaccination in pregnant women in China, influenza vaccination coverage in pregnant women remains low and some influenza vaccine package inserts list pregnancy as an absolute contraindication. In this paper, we summarize the research progress in the effects of influenza infection and influenza vaccination during pregnancy both at home and abroad, then discuss the strategies to promote influenza vaccination in pregnancy for the purpose of providing reference for the related research and policy development in China.

Performance of screening of contacts of COVID-19 cases in same flight / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To understand the performance of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid detection in screening of contacts of COVID-19 cases in same flights and provide evidence for the effective screening of persons at high risk for the infection in domestic flights. Methods: The information of passengers who took same domestic flights with COVID-19 cases in China from April 1, 2020 to April 30, 2022 were retrospectively collected,and χ2 test was used to analyze positive nucleic acid detection rates in the passengers in different times before the onsets of the index cases, in different seat rows and in epidemic periods of different 2019-nCoV variants. Results: During the study period, a total of 433 index cases were identified among 23 548 passengers in 370 flights. Subsequently, 72 positive cases of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid were detected in the passengers, in whom 57 were accompanying persons of the index cases. Further analysis of the another 15 passengers who tested positive for the nucleic acid showed that 86.67% of them had onsets or positive detections within 3 days after the diagnosis of the index cases, and the boarding times were all within 4 days before the onsets of the index cases. The positive detection rate in the passengers who seated in first three rows before and after the index cases was 0.15% (95%CI: 0.08%-0.27%), significantly higher than in the passengers in other rows (0.04%, 95%CI: 0.02%-0.10%, P=0.007),and there was no significant difference in the positive detection rate among the passengers in each of the 3 rows before and after the index cases (P=0.577). No significant differences were found in the positive detection rate in the passengers, except the accompanying persons, among the epidemics caused by different 2019-nCoV variants (P=0.565). During the Omicron epidemic period, all the positive detections in the passengers, except the accompanying persons, were within 3 days before the onset of the index cases. Conclusions: The screening test of 2019-nCoV nucleic acid can be conducted in the passengers took the same flights within 4 days before the onsets of the index cases on board. Passengers who seated within 3 rows from the index cases can considered as the close contacts at high risk for 2019-nCoV, for whom screening should be conducted first and special managements are needed. The passengers in other rows can be classified as general risk persons for screening and management.

Relapse risk analysis in anti-aquaporin 4-IgG positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders patients treated with immunosuppressant / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To investigate the relapse risk factors of anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4)-IgG positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) patients treated with immunosuppressant.Methods:Data (from January 2011 to June 2021) of AQP4-IgG positive NMOSD patients treated with immunosuppressant for longer than 5 years from MSNMObase, a hospital-based electronic registry for multiple sclerosis and related disorders in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, were collected. Clinical features and risk factor differences between patients with and without relapse under the immunosuppressive therapy were analyzed.Results:One hundred and twelve patients with AQP4-IgG positive NMOSD were included, 105 (93.8%) of which were female. The disease onset age was (34.9±11.3) years, 13(11.6%) had an older disease onset age than 50 years (late onset), and the disease duration was 8.1 (6.6, 11.4) years. Sixty-four (57.1%) patients had relapse, and the proportion of late onset patients was significantly lower in relapse group than in non-relapse group [4/64(6.3%) vs 9/48(18.8%), χ2=4.18, P=0.041]. Compared with those without relapse, both the annualized relapse rate (ARR) before treatment [1.07 (0.36, 2.25) vs 0.34 (0, 1.11), Z=2.92, P=0.003] and the proportion of patients with relapse before treatment [54/64(84.4%) vs 33/48(68.8%), χ2=3.86, P=0.049] were significantly higher for patients in relapse group. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed the relapse risk of late-onset patients was lower than that of early-onset patients ( HR=0.26, 95% CI 0.10-0.73, P=0.010) and patients with higher ARR before treatment showed a higher risk of relapse under the immunosuppressive therapy ( HR=1.55,95% CI 1.26-1.91, P<0.001). Conclusion:AQP4-IgG positive NMOSD patients with younger disease onset age than 50 years or with frequent relapses before treatment had a higher relapse risk under the immunosuppressive therapy, and they may need highly effective treatments.

The useage of near-infrared spectroscopy in the field of cognitive impairment assessment / 中华神经科杂志

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a new optical imaging technique, which can indirectly reflect the auto-regulation of cerebral blood perfusion and the brain activation by monitoring blood oxygen saturation. This technique has been widely used in neurocritical care in recent years. The basic principle of NIRS and its application in cognitive impairment were reviewed, and the comparison of this technique and functional magnetic resonance imaging which has been commonly used in brain activation assessment was discussed. In the future, NIRS is expected to be more widely used in the field of cognitive impairment assessment.

A novel retrograde tibial nail for treatment of distal tibial fracture: preliminary results / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of a novel retrograde tibial nail (RTN) in the treatment of distal tibial fractures.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted in the 11 patients with distal tibial fracture who had been admitted to Department of Traumatic Orthopedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School from July 2020 to July 2021. There were 5 male and 6 females, aged from 18 to 70 years (average 54.7 years). By the AO/OTA classification, there were 7 extra-articular distal fractures (3 cases of type 43-A1, 3 cases of type 43-A2 and one type 43-A3) and 4 intra-articular fractures (2 cases of type 43-C1 and 2 cases of type 43-C2); by the Gustilo classification, there were 7 closed fractures and 4 open fractures (2 cases of type I and 2 cases of type Ⅱ). All fractures were fixated with a novel RTN. Deformities like distal tibial varus and valgus as well as fracture-related complications were observed after operation while the curative effects evaluated by the ankle-hindfoot score of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS).Results:This cohort was followed up for an average of 7.4 months (from 5 to 12 months). All patients obtained clinical union and recovered daily life and work. Radiographic evaluation showed no distal tibial varus or valgus. There were no such complications as postoperative infection, exposure of bone and internal fixation, compartment syndrome, or neurovascular lesion. According to the ankle-hindfoot score of AOFAS, 7 cases were excellent and 4 cases good.Conclusion:This novel retrograde tibial nail may result in good efficacy in the treatment of distal tibial fracture, but its advantages still need further verification.

Consideration on implementation of co-administration of Seasonal Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines during pandemic in China / 中华预防医学杂志

Influenza is an infectious respiratory disease caused by the influenza viruses. Older people, infants and people with underlying medical conditions could have a higher risk of severe influenza symptoms and complications. The co-infection of Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) with influenza viruses could lead to the complication of prevention, diagnosis, control, treatment, and recovery of COVID-19. Influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine overlapped in target populations, vaccination time, and inoculation units. Although there was insufficient evidence on the immunogenicity and safety of co-administration of influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine, World Health Organization and some countries recommended co-administration of inactivated influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine. This review summarized domestic and international vaccination policies and research progress, and put forward corresponding suggestions in order to provide scientific support for the formulation of vaccination strategy on seasonal influenza vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine.

Time distribution of positive nucleic acid detection in imported cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 in China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the time distribution of the first positive nucleic acid detection in imported cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 reported nationwide in China and provide references for further improvement of the prevention and control of COVID-19 in international travelers. Methods: The data of imported cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 reported by provinces from 24 July 2020 and 23 July 2021 were collected for the analysis on the time distribution of the first positive nucleic acid detection after entering China. Results: A total of 7 199 imported cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 were reported in 28 provinces during 24 July 2020 to 23 July 2021. The median interval (Q1, Q3) from the entry to the first positive nucleic acid detection of SARS-CoV-2 was 1 (0, 5) day. The imported cases who had the first positive nucleic acid detections within 14 days and 14 days later after the entry accounted for 95.15% (6 850/7 199) and 4.85% (349/7 199) respectively. Among these cases, 3.65% (263/7 199), 0.88% (63/7 199) and 0.32% (23/7 199) had the first positive nucleic acid detections within 15-21 days, 22-28 days and 28 days later after the entry respectively. The proportion of asymptomatic infections were 47.24% (3 236/6 850) and 63.61% (222/349) among the cases who had the first positive nucleic acid detections within 14 days and 14 days later after the entry respectively. A total of 39.54% (138/349) of cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 with the first positive nucleic acid detections 14 days later after the entry had inter-provincial travel after the discharge of entry point isolation. Conclusions: About 5% of the imported cases infected with SARS-CoV-2 were first positive 14 days later after the entry. In order to effectively reduce the risk of domestic COVID-19 secondary outbreaks caused by imported cases, it is suggested to add a nucleic acid test on 8th -13th day after the entry.

A stereological observation of nuclear volumes and diameters of hippocampal neurons in aging rats / 解剖学报

Objective To determine if there is atrophy of neuronal nuclei in the aging rat hippocampus.Methods The entire hippocampal formation in a cerebral hemisphere (on a random side) was removed from normal male SD rats aged 1, 2 and 3 years (each age-group 5 rats), serial sections (section thickness 40 |xm) were cut after embedding in a resin of glycol methacrylate, and 3-4 sections were systematically sampled and stained with periodic acid, Schiff' s reagent and hematoxylin. The nuclear sizes of hippocampal neurons were estimated with stereological methods, first, the nuclei were sampled in a uniform random way using the optical disector; then, a Feret diameter of the largest nuclear profile at its focal plane (optical section) was measured as the nuclear diameter, and the nuclear volume was measured at the clearest focal plane of the nucleolus with the nucleator. Results The mean diameters and volumes of the neuronal nuclei in the whole hippocampus were 8.7-9.2 |xm and 392-457 (Jim, respectively, in the 3 age-groups, without significant statistical difference between groups. There were no significant difference between groups, either, in the nuclear diameter or volume in each hippocampal region——the GA (hippocampus proper), dentate gyrus or subiculum. Conclusion In general, no age-related changes have been observed in the nuclear sizes of neurons in the whole hippocampus in the rat from middle to old age.

Rare Variants of Monogenic Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases -Related Genes: A Study in a Cohort of Patients with Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases / 罕见病研究

  Objective  This study aimed at describing the frequency of rare variants of monogenic cerebral small vessel diseases (CSVD) in a cohort of patients with CSVD, and to explore its clinical relevance.  Methods  This study included CSVD patients visiting the Neurology Department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH) from March 2017 to January 2022, collecting their demographic and clinical information and DNA samples for whole-exome sequencing. Descriptive analysis and statistical analysis were conducted exploring the differences between monogenic CSVD-related gene mutation carriers and noncarriers.  Results  A total of 292 patients were included, 51.03% of whom carried one or more rare variants of monogenic CSVD-related genes. The most common rare low-frequency variants were located in the NOTCH3 gene (70 patients, 23.97%), followed by HTRA1 and COL4A1/COL4A2 (22 patients, 7.53%) respectively. Among the subgroup of patients without a family history of stroke (n=176), the frequency of rare variants was as high as 47.16%. Compared with non-carriers, the carriers were diagnosed at a younger age (58.76±13.71 vs. 63.46±13.21, P=0.003). No difference was found in phenotypes among single-SNP carriers, multiple-SNPs carriers, and noncarriers.  Conclusions  The frequency of rare mutation of monogenic CSVD-related genes were relatively high in Chinese CSVD cohort. The most common rare variant was within the NOTCH3, followed by HTRA1 and COL4A1/COL4A2 genes. For CSVD patients of unknown causes, genetic screening should not be neglected even if there is not a family history of the disease.

Clinical and laboratory findings of patients with anti-dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein 6 encephalitis: two cases report / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To identify anti-dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein 6 (DPPX) antibody in patients with encephalitis of unknown etiology and describe the clinical features of anti-DPPX antibody-associated encephalitis in Chinese patients.Methods:For patients registered in the Peking Union Medical College Hospital Encephalitis and Paraneoplastic Syndrome Registration Project from 2016 to 2019 with negative findings in autoimmune encephalitis routine antibody profile and paraneoplastic antibody profile, but with positive tissue-based assay (TBA) results, further tests for rare antibodies, including cell-based assay (CBA) of anti-DPPX antibody, were performed. Patients positive for anti-DPPX antibody were enrolled and the clinical data were collected.Results:Two patients with anti-DPPX antibody-associated encephalitis were found from 2016 to 2019 among about 15 000 patients. Both were females, aged 46 and 75 years. One patient had diarrhea, cachexia, cognitive dysfunction, agitation, myoclonus, tremor, and seizures. The other had cognitive impairment, restlessness, memory loss, disorientation, and sleep disturbance. The second patient had medical history of systemic lupus erythematosus and secondary Sj?gren′s syndrome.Conclusions:TBA should be combined with CBA in identification of anti-DPPX antibody to confirm the diagnosis. Anti-DPPX antibody-associated encephalitis has clinical manifestations of encephalopathy with diarrhea and cachexia, and can coexist with systemic lupus erythematosus.