Clinical performance of Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampin assay for diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic performance of Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis/rifampin (Xpert MTB/RIF) assay for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Methods:Clinical data of 226 patients with AIDS and suspected pulmonary TB in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University from July 2017 to November 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Fluorescence staining microscopy of sputum smear, BACTEC MGIT 960 liquid culture (or Roche solid culture) and Xpert MTB/RIF assay were implemented respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF in the diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection and rifampin resistance were analyzed. Results:Totally 226 patients of suspected pulmonary TB were enrolled. There were 94(41.6%) patients had positive mycobacterium culture, in which 51 (54.3%) were MTB and 43 (45.7%) were nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). Using the positive MTB culture of sputum and mycobacterial protein from BCG of Rm 0.64 in electrophoresis (MPB64) as reference standard, the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF assay for MTB diagnosis were 72.6%(95% confidence interval ( CI) 66.7%-78.4%) and 97.1% (95% CI 95.0%-99.3%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF assay for MTB diagnosis in patients with positive sputum smear were 76.7%(95% CI 67.7%-85.8%) and 90.0(95% CI 83.6%-96.5%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF assay for MTB diagnosis in patients with negative sputum smear were 50.0%(95% CI 41.8%-58.2%)and 99.3%(95% CI 97.9%-100.0%), respectively. With phenotypic resistance as reference standard, the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF assay for rifampicin resistance were 75.0% and 100.0%, respectively. Conclusion:Among AIDS patients, the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF assay for pulmonary TB diagnosis is pretty good and could differentiate MTB from NTM rapidly, which has good application value.

Renal Pathology and clinical features of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection complicated with kidney diseases / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To analyze the pathological patterns, clinical features, and prognosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection complicated with kidney disease.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 21 renal damage cases in HIV-infected patients undergoing renal biopsy from June 2016 to November 2019 in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University was conducted. The clinical features, renal pathological patterns, therapies and outcomes were summarized and analyzed.Results:The age of 21 patients was (45.4±11.0) years. There were 19 men and two women. The CD4 + T lymphocyte count was (473.7±218.4) cells/μL. The HIV RNA levels were measured in 20 patients, and 13 cases (65.0%) were less than 40 copies/mL. A total of 18 cases (85.7%) had initiated antiretroviral therapy before renal biopsy, and the treatment time was 12 (1, 47) months. As for the clinical diagnosis, 14 cases (66.7%) were nephrotic syndrome and seven cases (33.3%) were nephritic syndrome. Renal pathology reports showed that HIV immune-complex kidney disease was the most common pathology pattern, accounting for 42.9% (9/21), followed by podocytopathy and diabetic nephropathy, both accounting for 23.8% (5/21), respectively. The IgA nephropathy (23.8%, 5/21) was the most common subtype of HIV immune-complex kidney disease, while minimal change disease (19.0%, 4/21) was the most common one of podocytopathy. However, classic HIV-associated nephropathy was not found in the study. The follow-up period was (12.5±9.2) months. During this period, the nephropathy conditions of nine patients were improved, eight were stable, two deteriorated, and two died. Conclusions:IgA nephropathy, minimal change disease and diabetic nephropathy are the top three patterns of renal pathology in patients with HIV infection. Most cases have good prognosis after treatments. For HIV-infected patients with serious renal damage, timely kidney biopsy is vital to determine pathological pattern, and to subsequently guide the clinical treatment and evaluate the prognosis.

Research Progress in the Mechanism of Neuropathic Pain and the Intervention Effect of Electroacupuncture / 上海针灸杂志

Neuropathic pain is a chronic pain caused by primary nervous system damage and nerve dysfunction. Its pathogenesis is complex and diverse. It is difficult to treat clinically. In recent years, researchers used electroacupuncture to treat neuropathic pain and obtained a desirable effect. This article summarizes recent years’ studies on the main mechanisms of neuropathic pain and the intervention effect of electroacupuncture to provide reference for following studies on electroacupuncture treatment of neuropathic pain.