Clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 infected with Delta variant in Guangzhou:A real-world study / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infected with Delta variant, so as to provide further references for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A real-world study was conducted to analyze the characteristics of 166 COVID-19 patients infected with Delta variant at Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University.Results:The study enrolled 5 asymptomatic cases, 123 non-severe cases (mild and moderate type), and 38 severe cases (severe and critical type). Among these patients, 69 (41.6%) were male and 97 (58.4%) were female, with a mean age of 47.0±23.5 years. Thirty-nine cases (23.5%) had received 1 or 2 doses of inactivated vaccine. The incidence of severe COVID-19 cases was 7.7% in 2-doses vaccinated patients, which was lower than that of 11.5% in 1-dose and 26.8% in unvaccinated patients. The proportion of severe cases in 2 dose-vaccinated patients was 7.7%, which was lower than that of 11.5% in 1-dose vaccinated patients and 26.8% in unvaccinated patients, but the difference was not significant ( P>0.05). The most common clinical symptom was fever (134 cases, 83.2%), and 39.1% of cases presented with high-grade fever (≥39 °C); other symptoms were cough, sputum, fatigue, and xerostomia. The proportion of fever in severe cases was significantly higher than that of non-severe cases (97.4% vs. 76.4%, P<0.01). Similarly, the proportion of severe cases with high peak temperature (≥39 ℃) () was also higher than that of non-severe cases (65.8% vs. 30.9%, P<0.01). The median minimal Cycle threshold (Ct) values of viral nucleic acid N gene and ORFlab gene were 20.3 and 21.5, respectively, and the minimum Ct values were 11.9 and 13.5, respectively. Within 48 h of admission, 9.0% of cases presented with decreased white blood cell counts, and 52.4% with decreased lymphocyte counts. The proportions of increased C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, interleukin 6, and interleukin 10 were 32.5%, 57.4%, 65.3%, and 35.7%, respectively. The proportions of elevated C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A and interleukin-6 in severe cases were significantly higher than those in non-severe cases ( P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that older age and higher peak temperature were associated with a higher likelihood of severe cases ( OR>3, 95% CI: 2-7, P<0.01). In terms of treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was used in 97.6% of non-severe cases and 100% in severe cases. Other treatments included respiratory and nutritional support, immunotherapy (such as neutralizing antibodies and plasma of recovered patients). The median times from admission to progression to severe cases, of fever clearance, and of nucleic acid conversion were 5 days, 6 days and 19 days, respectively. No deaths were reported within 28 days. Conclusions:The symptoms of Delta variant infection in Guangzhou are characterized by a high proportion of fever, high peak temperature, long duration of fever, high viral load, a long time to nucleic acid conversion, and a high incidence of severe cases. The severe cases exhibit a higher percentage of elderly patients, a longer duration of fever and have a higher fever rate and a higher hyperthermia rate than non-severe cases. Age and hyperthermia are independent risk factors for progression to severe disease. The combination of TCM and Western medicine can control the progression of the disease effectively.

Analysis of OCRL gene mutation in a male infant with Lowe syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify pathological mutation in a Chinese male infant featuring oculocerebrorenal syndrome (also called Lowe syndrome).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of the patient were collected. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood of the infant and his parents. All of the 24 exons and intron-exon splice sites of OCRL gene were amplified with PCR. Mutations were detected by direct sequencing the PCR products.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The infant was found to have carried a c.1499G>A (p.R500Q) mutation in exon 15 of the OCRL gene, which was transmitted from his mother, who was heterozygous for the same mutation. The c.1499G>A mutation, discovered in Chinese population for the first time, has been reported to cause severe Lowe syndrome in other ethnic populations.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The c.1499G>A mutation of the OCRL gene is probably responsible for the disease in the patient. Further study of this mutation may facilitate delineation of the genotype-phenotype correlation of this disease.</p>

Investigation on response of the patient-reported outcome scale of the main-symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated with pulmonary heart disease / 中西医结合学报

To select appropriate descriptors for response of the patient-reported outcome (PRO) scale for the main symptoms of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated with pulmonary heart disease.

Implication of C-reactive protein in development and prognosis of acute lower limb deep venous thrombosis complicated by malignant tumor / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To investigate the implication of C-reactive protein in development and prognosis of acute lower limb deep venous thrombosis (DVT) complicated by malignant tumor.Methods34patients with acute lower limb DVT complicated by malignant tumor(observation group),34 patients with acute lower limb DVT complicated by operation or wound(case control group)and 34 normal volunteers (normal control group) were included in this study.The observation group and case control group were treated with conventional therapy such as thrombolysis and anticoagulation.The serum concentrations of CRP before treatment and 14 days after treatment were detected. Recanalization of lower limb DVT and therapeutic efficacy were compared between observation group and case control group.ResultsThe serum concentrations of CRP in observation group before treatment were significantly higher than those in case control group and normal control group [(47.72±29.88) mg/L vs (30.04±15.84) mg/L and (6.19±2.99) mg/L,F =38.444,P ＜ 0.01].At the 14th day of post-treatment,the serum CRP concentrations in observation group and case control group were significantly lower than those before treatment (P ＜0.05).At the 14th day of post-treatment,the CRP concentrations of observation group and case control groups were significantly decreased,although those of observation group were still significantly higher than those of case control group and normal control [(32.77±19.68) mg/L vs (7.76±7.52) mg/L and (6.19±2.99) mg/L,F =50.087,P ＜ 0.01].However,there was no significant difference between case control group and normal control group on the 14th day of post-treatment (F =1.277,P =0.263).The recanalization rate of observation group at the 14th day of post-treatruent were significantly lower than those in case control group(x2 =7.731,P =0.021).The therapeutic effect rate of observation group at the 14th day of post-treatment were also significantly lower than those in case control group (x2 =6.969,P =0.031).ConclusionCRP may play important roles in occurrence,development and therapeutic effect of acute lower limb DVT complicated by malignant tumor.

Detection of Hb constant spring mutation by four of primers allele-specific PCR / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective To develop a rapid method based on ARMS, named four primers allele-specific PCR(4p-AS PCR), to detect the most common non-deletional ?-thalassemia mutation Hb Constant Spring(Hb CS) by PCR technique. Methods The 4p-ASPCR was used to detect the Hb CS mutation of ?-thalassemia in 38 DNA samples of Hb H disease patients and using PCR-RE and DNA sequencing to confirm the results. Results Among the 38 Hb H disease patients 15 cases was revealed to carry Hb CS, 16 cases were deletional Hb H, and 7 cases need to be defined.Conclusion A simple, rapid and reliable method, named 4P-ASPCR, to detect Hb CS mutation have been developed. It is also may be useful in screen other point mutations such as Hb Quong Sze.

Cloning of human ? thalassemic mutation ? IVS II654(C→T) and establishment of its mammalian expression system / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM: To clone human ?-globin gene carrying a thalassemic mutation IVS II654(C→T) and establish a eukaryotic expression system for high-level expression of human ? IVS II654 gene in mouse erythroleukaemia(MEL) cells. METHODS: The fragments of human ? 654 gene isolated from the ? thalassemia patients homozygous for the ? 654 mutation were amplified by PCR, and cloned to plasmid pBGT51. Then, the human ? LCR and ? 654 gene were subcloned from plasmid pBGT51 to the stable mammalian expression vector pcDNA3.1+ together, and the MEL cells were transfected with this vector using commercially available cationic lipid FuGENE6. The MEL cells were induced for further maturation by DMSO and the expression of human ? 654 gene in the MEL cells was identified by RT-PCR. RESULTS: A mammalian expression system of human ? thalassemic mutation ?IVS II654(C→T) was established. CONCLUSION: The level and the reliability of expression of human ? 654 gene in the MEL cells in vitro are similar to that in vivo in human body. This may be a valuable gene therapy model for human ? thalassemic mutation ?IVS II654(C→T).

Hereditary erythrocyte glucosephosphate isomerase deficiency (A case report and GPI variant characterization) / 中国病理生理杂志

Hereditary erythrocyte glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI) deficiency is thefourth most common cause of non-spherocytic hemolytic anemia. A case of GPI deficiencywas confirmed after screening a panel of 18 red cell enzymes and GSH. The GPI variantwas characterized by biochemical parameters including GPI activity in erythrocytes andplasma, low substrate activity, electrophoretic mobility, pH optimum, Michaelis constant(Km), thermostability, and substrate analogue (GAL-6-P) utilization rate. A new GPIvariant was found and was designated as GPI-Guangzhou.