Clinical significance of serum microRNA-146a and inflammatory factors in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia after azithromycin treatment

Abstract Objective This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of serum microRNA-146a and pro-inflammatory factors in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia after azithromycin treatment. microRNA-146a is known to regulate inflammatory responses, and excessive inflammation is a primary characteristic of MPP. Methods Children with MPP received conventional symptomatic therapy along with intravenous administration of azithromycin for one week. Serum levels of microRNA-146a and pro-inflammatory factors were measured using RT-qPCR and ELISA kits, respectively. The correlation between microRNA-146a and pro-inflammatory factors was analyzed by the Pearson method. Pulmonary function indexes were assessed using a pulmonary function analyzer, and their correlation with microRNA-146a and pro-inflammatory factors after treatment was evaluated. Children with MPP were divided into effective and ineffective treatment groups, and the clinical significance of microRNA-146a and pro-inflammatory factors was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and logistic multivariate regression analysis. Results Serum microRNA-146a was downregulated in children with MPP but upregulated after azithromycin treatment, contrasting with the trend observed for pro-inflammatory factors. MicroRNA-146a showed a negative correlation with pro-inflammatory cytokines. Pulmonary function parameters were initially reduced in children with MPP, but increased after treatment, showing positive/inverse associations with microRNA-146a and pro-inflammatory factors. Higher microRNA-146a and lower pro-inflammatory factors predicted better efficacy of azithromycin treatment. MicroRNA-146a, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and forced expiratory volume in the first second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) were identified as independent factors influencing treatment efficacy. Conclusion Azithromycin treatment in children with MPP upregulates microRNA-146a, downregulates pro-inflammatory factors, and effectively improves pulmonary function.

Emerging role of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs in pregnancy-associated diseases / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Accumulating studies have demonstrated that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), functioning as important regulators of transcription and translation, are involved in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy, especially the maternal immune adaptation process. The endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), trophoblast cells, and decidua immune cells that reside at the maternal-fetal interface are thought to play significant roles in normal pregnancy and pregnancy-associated diseases. Here, we reviewed the up-to-date evidence on how microRNA, long non-coding RNA, and circular RNA regulate ESCs, trophoblast cells, and immune cells and discussed the potential applications of these ncRNAs as diagnostic and therapeutic markers in pregnancy complications.

The diagnostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To study the value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in diagnosing severe Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP).Methods:A total of 616 cases of MPP patients in the Children′s Hospital of Soochow University from January 2015 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.During the same period, 100 healthy children were selected as the healthy control group.NLR and PLR between MPP group and healthy control group, and those between severe MPP group and ordinary MPP group were compared by t test or rank sum test.Risk factors for severe MPP were identified.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves were plotted to identify the cut-off point of NLR and PLR in distinguishing MPP from healthy subjects. Results:(1)The median of white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count (N), platelet count (PLT), NLR, PLR, immunoglobulin M (IgM) and the median percentage of CD3 -CD 19+ , CD 19+ CD 23+ in MPP group were significantly higher than those in healthy control group(8.36×10 9/L vs.7.49×10 9/L, 4.41×10 9/L vs.3.11×10 9/L, 340.92×10 9/L vs.234.00×10 9/L, 1.70 vs.0.91, 112.99 vs.70.34, 1.33 g/L vs.1.29 g/L, 20.95% vs.17.10%, 11.25% vs.9.70%), whereas the median of lymphocyte count (L), IgA and the median percentage of CD3 + , CD3 + CD8 + , and CD3 -CD +(16+ 56) were significantly lower(2.64×10 9/L vs.3.37×10 9/L, 0.86 g/L vs.1.30 g/L, 64.55% vs.68.00%, 23.65% vs.24.90%, 10.50% vs.12.20%)( Z=-3.074, -2.413, -2.972, -1.357, -1.863, -2.251, -4.282, -3.420, -2.221, -4.181, -2.784, -2.024, -2.791, all P<0.05). (2)The median of N, NLR, PLR, IgA, IgG, IgM and the average of percentage of CD3 + , CD3 + CD8 + in severe MPP group were significantly higher than those in ordinary MPP group[5.18×10 9/L vs.3.52×10 9/L, 2.39 vs.1.03, 149.32 vs.94.23, 1.29 g/L vs.0.71 g/L, 9.63 g/L vs.8.19 g/L, 1.40 g/L vs.1.29 g/L, (65.53±9.75)% vs.(62.81±9.89)%, (25.35±6.65)% vs.(23.38±6.91)%], whereas the median of L, the median percentage of CD3 -CD 19+ , and CD 19+ CD 23+ were significantly lower than those of ordinary MPP group(2.02×10 9/L vs.3.25×10 9/L, 17.40% vs.21.50%, 9.00% vs.11.70%)( Z/ t=-7.807, -11.313, -10.452, -8.819, -6.162, -3.047, -3.128, -3.270, -9.402, -5.191, -5.214, all P<0.05). (3)Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD3 -CD 19+ was the protective factor for severe MPP, while N, NLR and PLR were the risk factors for severe MPP (all P<0.05), with the risk sequence of NLR>PLR>N.(4)Area under ROC curve analysis of NLR and PLR in the diagnosis of severe MPP: NLR: AUC=0.789, 95% CI: 0.754~0.823, P<0.001; PLR: AUC=0.767, 95% CI: 0.730~0.804, P<0.001; when the critical value of NLR was 1.09, the sensitivity was 98.9%, and the specificity was 70.6%.When the critical value of PLR was 97.47, the sensitivity and specificity were 88.5% and 69.4%. Conclusions:NLR and PLR can be served as independent influencing factors for severe MPP, showing the diagnostic potential in severe MPP.

Early risk factors for death in neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn treated with inhaled nitric oxide / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To evaluate the early risk factors for death in neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) treated with inhaled nitric oxide (iNO).@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on 105 infants with PPHN (gestational age ≥34 weeks and age <7 days on admission) who received iNO treatment in the Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from July 2017 to March 2021. Related general information and clinical data were collected. According to the clinical outcome at discharge, the infants were divided into a survival group with 79 infants and a death group with 26 infants. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the risk factors for death in infants with PPHN treated with iNO. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the cut-off values of the factors in predicting the death risk.@*RESULTS@#A total of 105 infants with PPHN treated with iNO were included, among whom 26 died (26/105, 24.8%). The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that no early response to iNO (HR=8.500, 95%CI: 3.024-23.887, P<0.001), 1-minute Apgar score ≤3 points (HR=10.094, 95%CI: 2.577-39.534, P=0.001), a low value of minimum PaO2/FiO2 within 12 hours after admission (HR=0.067, 95%CI: 0.009-0.481, P=0.007), and a low value of minimum pH within 12 hours after admission (HR=0.049, 95%CI: 0.004-0.545, P=0.014) were independent risk factors for death. The ROC curve analysis showed that the lowest PaO2/FiO2 value within 12 hours after admission had an area under the ROC curve of 0.783 in predicting death risk, with a sensitivity of 84.6% and a specificity of 73.4% at the cut-off value of 50, and the lowest pH value within 12 hours after admission had an area under the ROC curve of 0.746, with a sensitivity of 76.9% and a specificity of 65.8% at the cut-off value of 7.2.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Infants with PPHN requiring iNO treatment tend to have a high mortality rate. No early response to iNO, 1-minute Apgar score ≤3 points, the lowest PaO2/FiO2 value <50 within 12 hours after admission, and the lowest pH value <7.2 within 12 hours after admission are the early risk factors for death in such infants. Monitoring and evaluation of the above indicators will help to identify high-risk infants in the early stage.

Effects of cord blood element levels on neurodevelopment of preterm and full-term children: A cohort study / 环境与职业医学

Background Essential and non-essential elements have an important impact on the development of the central nervous system during fetal development. Due to their less developed brain, preterm infants are more sensitive to element exposure, and are high-risk groups of neurodevelopmental abnormalities. However, it is not clear whether the effects of element exposure in utero on postpartum neurodevelopment are different between full-term infants and preterm infants. Objective To evaluate the effects of element exposure levels during pregnancy on neurodevelopment of children aged 6-24 months (of corrected age), and compare the effects between preterm and full-term children. Methods A prospective study design was adopted and this study was conducted based on the Maoming Birth Cohort Study (MBCS) in Maoming City, Guangdong Province. Twenty elements in cord blood of 197 preterm infants and 297 full-term infants were measured, including 11 essential trace elements [vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), tin (Sn), and iron (Fe)], and 9 non-essential trace elements [aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), thallium (Tl), lead (Pb), uranium (U), cerium (Ce), antimony (Sb), cadmium (Cd), and yttrium (Y)]. The neurodevelopment of the children at 6, 12, and 24 months were evaluated by the Ages and Stages Questionnaires-the Third Edition (ASQ-3). A generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was adopted to evaluate the associations between elements and neurodevelopment in full-term and preterm children separately. Results The positive rates of 10 elements (Mn, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr, Fe, Sb, Tl, Pb, and As) in cord blood were greater than 80%. Among the preterm birth children, the results of GEE analysis showed that after adjusting for the covariates, for each increase of interquartile range (IQR) in ln-transformed concentration, As was associated with problems/delay in the communication and problem-solving sub-scales, with the adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.36 (1.03-1.80) and 1.55 (1.10-2.20), respectively; the adjusted OR (95%CI) of problems/delay in the fine motor and problem-solving sub-scales were 1.44 (1.00-2.07) and 1.76 (1.09-2.84) for Sb, respectively; the adjusted OR (95%CI) of problems/delay in the communication sub-scale was 1.37 (1.09-1.74) for Se. No statistically significant associations between umbilical cord blood element concentrations and neurodevelopment indicators were observed among full-term children. The results of stratified analysis by sex showed that the associations between umbilical cord blood element concentrations and neurodevelopment problems/delay were only significant among female preterm children. Conclusion Exposures to As, Se, and Sb during pregnancy may increase the risk of neurodevelopment problems/delay in preterm children aged 6-24 months, and female seem to be more vulnerable.

Herbal Textual Research on Coptidis Rhizoma in Famous Classical Formulas / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Through the combing of ancient books of Chinese herbal medicine in the past dynasties， a textual research of Coptidis Rhizoma involved the name， origin， medicinal parts， producing area， quality evaluation， harvesting and processing methods in famous classical formulas was conducted in this paper. After textual research， the mainstream varieties of Coptidis Rhizoma in the Ranunculaceae family before Tang and Song dynasties were Coptis chinensis and C. chinensis var. brevisepala， after the Ming and Qing dynasties， C. deltoidea， C. teeta and C. omeiensis were gradually praised. In ancient times， the authentic producing area of Coptidis Rhizoma has the characteristics of gradually moving to the west. The eastern Coptidis Rhizoma was highly praised in the early stage， while in the later stage， western Coptidis Rhizoma like chicken feet was highly praised. In the early stage， western Coptidis Rhizoma probably originated from C. chinensis and its genus， while Coptidis Rhizoma like chicken feet was cultivated， and no wild species has been found so far. As Coptidis Rhizoma has mixed use of multiple origins in ancient books of past dynasties， based on the current shortage of market resources in C. teeta and C. deltoidea， there are also endangered and protected plants of C. chinensis var. brevisepala and C. omeiensis， combined with the mainstream medicines and resources of past generations， it is recommended to choose C. chinensis as the base of the formulas. In ancient times， there were many processing methods for Coptidis Rhizoma， such as frying and wine-， ginger-， honey-processed. In the process of developing famous classical formulas， the appropriate processing specifications of Coptidis Rhizoma should be selected based on the original source records and the requirements of the medicinal material.

HPLC assay of epinephrine sulfonate in epinephrine injection / 药学学报

An HPLC method was established for the assay of epinephrine sulfonate (impurity F) in epinephrine injection. The determination was performed on an AQUASIL C18 (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 3 μm) column with a gradient elution system, and the mobile phase was consisted of monopotassium phosphate solution (mobile phase A) and acetonitrile (mobile phase B). The injection volume was 40 μL. The detection wavelength was at 210 nm and the column temperature was 25 ℃. The total analytical time was 40 min. The results showed that the standard cure of epinephrine sulfonate (impurity F) between peak area and concentration exhibited good linear relationship within the ranges of 0.520-12.480 μg·mL-1 and the R2 = 0.999 8. The average recovery rate was 103.04% and the RSD was 2.00%. The limit concentration of detection was 0.104 μg·mL-1 and the limit concentration of quantitation was 0.520 μg·mL-1. The method could be applied to the determination of epinephrine sulfonate in epinephrine injection with high accuracy and precision, as well as good sensitivity. It could also enhance the quality standards of epinephrine-related products.

Effect Evaluation of Strychnos nux-vomica L. with Integrative Methods for Bortezomib-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Multiple Myeloma Patients: A Self-Controlled Clinical Trial / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical effect and adverse reactions of Strychnos nux-vomica in bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN) of patients with multiple myeloma (MM).@*METHODS@#A total of 19 MM patients with BIPN were enrolled and Nux Vomica Capsule (NVC, 0.4 g, thrice daily) were orally administrated for 30 days. Comparative analysis on parameters between pre- and post-therapy, including peripheral neuropathy (PN) grade, neurotoxicity score, Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome score, total neuropathy score (TNS), coagulation function, and serum nerve growth factor (NGF) levels were conducted. The adverse events were monitored.@*RESULTS@#In BIPN of MM patients who received NVC, PN grade was lowered, neurotoxicity score was obviously decreased (P⩽0.01), and both CM syndrome score and TNS were remarkably decreased (P0.05). No evident adverse reactions were observed during the course of treatment.@*CONCLUSION@#Strychnos nux-vomica L. has significantly effect with a good safety in treatment of BIPN in MM patients.

Herbalogical study on historical evolution of collection, processing and efficacy of Citri Exocarpium Rubrum and Citri Grandis Exocarpium / 中国中药杂志

In ancient times, the original plants of Citri Exocarpium Rubrum and Citri Grandis Exocarpium had experienced succession and change, including tangerine(Citrus reticulata), pomelo(C. grandis), and Huazhou pomelo(C. grandis 'Tomentosa'), a specific cultivar of C. grandis produced in Huazhou, Guangdong. Before the Qing Dynasty, tangerine was the main original plant, while Huazhou pomelo came to the fore in the Qing Dynasty. In the 1950 s and 1960 s, the producing area of Huazhou pomelo was destroyed, and thus it had to be supplemented with pomelo. From then on, C. grandis 'Tomentosa' and C. grandis were both listed as the original plants of Citri Grandis Exocarpium in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. This paper reviewed the historical evolution of the collection, processing, and efficacy of Citri Exocarpium Rubrum and Citri Grandis Exocarpium. The research showed that:(1)The harvest time of the original plants of Citri Grandis Exocarpium and Citri Grandis Exocarpium had changed from maturity to immaturity. The collection and processing of Citri Exocarpium Rubrum was first recorded in the Illustrated Classics of Materia Medica in the Song Dynasty. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the mesocarp of Citri Exocarpium Rubrum needed to be removed completely, and Citri Grandis Exocarpium from C. grandis 'Tomentosa' was processed into different specifications such as seven-piece, five-piece, and single piece. Furthermore, processed young fruits of Huazhou pomelo appeared.(2)Citri Exocarpium Rubrum and Citri Grandis Exocarpium were processed with carp skin for the first time in the Master Lei's Discourse on Medicinal Processing. It was suggested that carp skin might be helpful for eliminating bones stuck in throat. During the Song, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties, some other processing methods such as ba-king, stir-frying, and salt-processing appeared. Honey, soil, ginger juice, and alum were firstly used as adjuvants for the processing in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Citri Exocarpium Rubrum was mainly prepared with salt in order to improve the effect of lowering Qi, while it was unnecessary for Citri Grandis Exocarpium from C. grandis 'Tomentosa' because of its obvious effect of lowering Qi and eliminating phlegm. The stir-frying and honey-frying methods helped reduce the strong effect of Citri Grandis Exocarpium from C. grandis 'Tomentosa'.(3)According to the application of Citri Exocarpium Rubrum and Citri Grandis Exocarpium in history, their medicinal use began in Han and Tang Dynasties, developed in Song, Jin, and Yuan Dynasties, and matured in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Citri Grandis Exocarpium from C. grandis 'Tomentosa' was originally applied in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and it still plays an important in role treating COVID-19 nowadays. Moreover, Citri Grandis Exocarpium from C. grandis had cold medicinal property, while Citri Grandis Exocarpium from C. grandis 'Tomentosa' had warm medicinal property, and thus they should not be treated the same. At present, Huazhou pomelo has a certain production scale. Therefore, it is recommended that in the next edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, only C. grandis 'Tomentosa' should be included as the original plant of Citri Grandis Exocarpium, and C. grandis should be deleted. The results are conducive to the further development and utilization of Citri Exocarpium Rubrum and Citri Grandis Exocarpium, and support the rational use of Citri Grandis Exocarpium and its processed products.

Textual research principles and suggestions on function and indication of ancient classical formulas / 中国中药杂志

Indication and functions is an important key information in the research and development of the ancient classical formulas, which directly affects the clinical positioning of the compound formulas and their reasonable, effective and safe use after marke-ting. It is also the embodiment of the ultimate vitality of ancient classical formulas. Due to the particularity of ancient classical formulas, it is of great significance to accurately define and describe the functions and indications of classical formulas to exert their unqiue advantages. Based on the analysis of the provenances, classification of clinical indications, and functions of 100 prescriptions in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Formulas(First Batch), this paper summarized the incompleteness, irregularity and inconsistency in the original text, the differences in terminology between ancient and modern times, and the evolution of the meanings of prescriptions in different dynasties. In addition, under the guidance of the general principle of textual researh on ancient classical formulas, which is to inherit the essence, make the past serve the present, link up the past and the present, and bulid consensus, this paper proposed the following ideas: respecting the original meanings and provenances of ancient classical formulas, taking full consideration of the development and evolution, serving the current clinical application and health needs, accurately linking up the ancient and modern terminologies, standardizing the expression of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) terminology, highlighting the characteristics of TCM, attaching importance to the textual research principles and suggestions of post-marketing evidence-based and clinical positioning research, so as to determine the the functions and indications of the ancient classical formulas in a scientific, standardized and reasonable way and better guide the clinical application of the classical formulas.

Herbalogical study on historical evolution of Juhong and Huajuhong / 中国中药杂志

In ancient times, there were two types of "Juhong" came from the tangerines(Citrus reticulata) and the pomelos(C. grandis and its cultivars), which corresponded to Juhong and Huajuhong recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia respectively. In different periods, Juhong basically came from the same species and the same medicinal parts, but there were also some differences. This article sorted out the ancient and modern literature, under the guidance of "Succession theory of Medicinal materials varieties" and "Change theory of Medicinal materials varieties"(XIE Zong-wan), and combined with field investigation, the evolution and reasons of the original plants and medicinal parts of Juhong were analyzed. In the Han Dynasty and before, the peel of tangerines and pomelos were both used as medicine. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the way tangerine peel was used was dried and aged, and then "soaked in hot water and scraped off the mesocarp", which had the essence of only using exocarp as medicine of Juhong already, and its original plant was C. reticalata. In the Song Dynasty, the name of "Juhong" and its medicinal usage were recorded in book on materia medica, and the species and medicinal parts of tangerine were inherited from the previous dynasties. The way tangerine peel was used was only dried and aged without removing the mesocarp. The medicinal material obtained by the way was called Chenpi(dried and aged tangerine peel). The item "Juhong" listing as a separate medicinal material was first recorded in the Collected Discussions from Materia Medica(Bencao Huiyan) in the Ming Dynasty. In the Ming Dynasty, the Dao-di habitat of Juhong was recorded as Guangdong province in most books on materia medica, and the original plants probably were C. reticalata and C. grandis 'Tomentosa'(Huazhou pomelo, a special cultivated species of C. grandis produced in Huazhou, Guangdong, which was recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as "Huajuhong"), according to the records in the local chronicles. During the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, the original plants of Juhong were C. reticalata and C. grandis 'Tomentosa'. Of the two, the latter one was considered as the better. As far the medicinal part, it was still the exocarp, while the whole young fruit of C. grandis 'Tomentosa' began to be used as medicine. After the founding of The People's Republic of China, the exocarps of Citrus reticalata, C. grandis and C. grandis 'Tomentosa' were listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia under "Juhong". From the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Republic of China, C. grandis exocarp was a fake of Juhong. Therefore, it was contradictory to historical records that C. grandis exocarp was listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as Huajuhong. Juhong had been divided into two types as "Juhong" and "Huajuhong" since 1985. The medicinal part of Huajuhong was only the exocarp of immature and nearly mature fruits, but not the whole young fruit, the actual mainstream medicinal part of Huajuhong. The results are helpful to clarify the historical evolution of species and medicinal parts of Juhong and Huajuhong. It is suggested that in the next edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia, only C. grandis 'Tomentosa' should be included as the original plant of Huajuhong, and C. grandis should be deleted, and the young fruit should be added in the medicinal parts besides the exocarp of immature and nearly mature fruit.

Development and validation of a preoperative model in differentiating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma from hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To develop and validate a preoperative prediction model based on laboratory parameters in differentiating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:Data from 833 patients with primary liver cancers treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2016 and May 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 652 males and 181 females, aged (59.0±11.1) years, with 649 patients diagnosed to have HCC and 184 patients ICC. Based on the different admission time, they were divided into a development cohort ( n=577) and a validation cohort ( n=256). Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent differential factors which were then included in the nomogram. The discrimination and calibration ability of the nomogram were evaluated by using concordance indexes (C-index) and calibration curves. Results:Female ( OR=4.989, 95% CI: 2.547-9.772), hepatitis B surface antigen positivity ( OR=0.144, 95% CI: 0.074-0.279), α-fetoprotein (21-399 ng/ml, OR=0.142, 95% CI: 0.072-0.283; ≥400 ng/ml, OR=0.023, 95% CI: 0.006-0.095), carcinoembryonic antigen (>4.7 ng/ml, OR=2.667, 95% CI: 1.352-5.261) and carbohydrate antigen 199 >39 ng/ml ( OR=11.019, 95% CI: 5.739-21.159) were independent differential factors for ICC. A nomogram was established by incorporating these 5 factors. The C-indexes were 0.942 (95% CI: 0.919-0.965) and 0.949 (95% CI: 0.914-0.985) in the development and validation cohorts, respectively. Calibration curves showed good agreement between the predicted risk by the nomogram and real outcomes. Conclusion:In this study, a preoperative nomogram for differential diagnosis between ICC and HCC was established. The model could aid clinicians in clinical treatment decision making.

Analysis on the response measures and outcomes of four epidemics of infectious diseases in Shanghai based on a time axis / 上海预防医学

Objective To compare the response measures and outcomes of SARS-CoV(2003), H1N1 influenza(2009), H7N9 influenza(2013)and COVID-19(2020)in Shanghai and provide scientific evidence for the emergency response of public health emergencies. Methods We compared the response measures and outcomes of the four epidemics in Shanghai in the aspects of government response, prevention and control system, scientific and technological support, social mobilization and prevention effects, using critical incident analysis based on the time axis of the epidemics from literature review. Results In response to the four epidemics of infectious diseases occurred in 2003-2020, Shanghai has generally made some significant effort and flexible measures in the first month of the epidemics, including"closure of live poultry markets"and"three closed-loops and four 100% coverage"and other specific prevention and control measures, which have enhanced the prevention and control system. However, we identified that the construction of prevention and control system for public health emergencies remained inefficient, compared to rapid economic development. The majority of the construction measures were principally post-epidemic. In addition, there were many challenges, such as passive response, temporary response teams and measures, and difficulties in the flexible bottom-up response for residents, families and industries without standard operating procedure and guidelines. Conclusion It may be an effective measure for the prevention and control of infectious diseases to build joint prevention and control measures with mass participation and regular drills, in the perspectives of strategic, tactical and operational levels of epidemic prevention and control.

Generation of a Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome monkey model by base editing

Many human genetic diseases, including Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), are caused by single point mutations. HGPS is a rare disorder that causes premature aging and is usually caused by a de novo point mutation in the LMNA gene. Base editors (BEs) composed of a cytidine deaminase fused to CRISPR/Cas9 nickase are highly efficient at inducing C to T base conversions in a programmable manner and can be used to generate animal disease models with single amino-acid substitutions. Here, we generated the first HGPS monkey model by delivering a BE mRNA and guide RNA (gRNA) targeting the LMNA gene via microinjection into monkey zygotes. Five out of six newborn monkeys carried the mutation specifically at the target site. HGPS monkeys expressed the toxic form of lamin A, progerin, and recapitulated the typical HGPS phenotypes including growth retardation, bone alterations, and vascular abnormalities. Thus, this monkey model genetically and clinically mimics HGPS in humans, demonstrating that the BE system can efficiently and accurately generate patient-specific disease models in non-human primates.

Analysis on academic characteristics and medication rules of traditional Chinese medical master Liu Zu-yi for treating insomnia / 中国中药杂志

To analyze the academic characteristics and medication rules of traditional Chinese medical master Liu Zu-yi for treating insomnia. Totally 178 cases of insomnia treated by Professor Liu were collected,and the treatment data were input into traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system( TCMISS) by using data mining methods,such as essential information,frequency statistics of symptoms,syndrome type statistics,extraction of syndrome elements,frequency statistics of drugs; and four properties and five tastes of drugs,distribution of meridians,regularity of prescriptions,new prescription analysis were mined. It was found that the most commonly used drugs( over 100 times) were Albiziae Cortex,Longgu,Polygoni Multiflori Caulis,Ostreae Concha,Ziziphi Spinosae Semen,Crataegi Fructus; the commonly used couplet medicines were Longgu-Ostreae Concha,Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Polygoni Multiflori Caulis,Ziziphi Spinosae Semen-Albiziae Cortex-Polygoni Multiflori Caulis; and seven new prescriptions in treating insomnia were explored,such as prescriptions containing Hordei Fructus Germinatus,Ziziphi Spinosae Semen,Galli Gigerii Endothelium Corneum,Rehmanniae Radix,Lilii Bulbus. Based on the introduction and discussion of Professor Liu's academic views and characteristics on insomnia treatment and the illustrative evidences added to the typical case list,this paper combines the academic characteristics,data support and typical medical records to verify each other,and objectively summarizes his academic experience for treating insomnia. Treatment shall focus on the primary cause of disease in three aspects; syndrome differentiation shall distinguish between excessive disease and deficient disease; therapy shall reinforce deficiency and reduce diarrhea,regulate the five internal organs,and emphasizes the heart and liver,particularly the liver; medication shall focus on the drugs for calming the mind and protecting the stomach and spleen,which are commonly combined with three types of traditional Chinese medicine with effect in introducing Yangqi( Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum,Prunellae Spica,Polygoni Multiflori Caulis) and restraining Yangqi( Longgu,Ostreae Concha,Ziziphi Spinosae Semen); nursing care focuses on preserving the body and tranquilizing the mind by means of three methods for tranquilizing the mind and three methods for preserving the body.

Research progress of the uremic toxin indoxyl sulfate in cardiovascular complication of end-stage renal diseases / 生理学报

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most common complications and the main cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease. Uremic toxins are the primary cause of cardiovascular disease in renal insufficiency. In patients with chronic kidney disease, the protein-bound uremic toxins represented by indoxyl sulfate are difficult to be removed by conventional dialysis and are extremely toxic. In recent years, studies have confirmed that the occurrence of cardiovascular disease induced by chronic kidney disease is closely related to the accumulation of indoxyl sulfate. Indoxyl sulfate can induce oxidative stress to cause endothelial injury, smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, and promote the occurrence of atherosclerosis, thereby affecting multiple systems throughout the body. This article reviews the research progress of uremic toxin indoxyl sulfate in end-stage renal diseases associated cardiovascular diseases.

Full Sibling Identification by IBS Scoring Method and Establishment of the Query Table of Its Critical Value / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To establish a query table of IBS critical value and identification power for the detection systems with different numbers of STR loci under different false judgment standards.@*METHODS@#Samples of 267 pairs of full siblings and 360 pairs of unrelated individuals were collected and 19 autosomal STR loci were genotyped by Goldeneye™ 20A system. The full siblings were determined using IBS scoring method according to the 'Regulation for biological full sibling testing'. The critical values and identification power for the detection systems with different numbers of STR loci under different false judgment standards were calculated by theoretical methods.@*RESULTS@#According to the formal IBS scoring criteria, the identification power of full siblings and unrelated individuals was 0.764 0 and the rate of false judgment was 0. The results of theoretical calculation were consistent with that of sample observation. The query table of IBS critical value for identification of full sibling detection systems with different numbers of STR loci was successfully established.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The IBS scoring method defined by the regulation has high detection efficiency and low false judgment rate, which provides a relatively conservative result. The query table of IBS critical value for identification of full sibling detection systems with different numbers of STR loci provides an important reference data for the result judgment of full sibling testing and owns a considerable practical value.

Viral etiology of 363 elderly people with influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infections in Pudong New Area, Shanghai / 上海预防医学

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of common respiratory viruses among influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) in Pudong New Area, Shanghai , so as to help estimate the disease burden and conduct the valuable control strategies . Methods Respiratory specimen ( throat swab or sputum ) from cases older than 65 years old with ILI/SARI were collected from outpatient and inpatient settings in four sentinel hospitals in Pudong New Area . Each specimen was tested by multiplex PCR for eight target viral etiologies , including influenza virus , human rhinoviruses ( HRV ) , human para-influenza virus ( PIV ) , adenoviruses ( ADV ) , respiratory syncytial virus ( RSV ) , human metapneumovirus ( hMPV ) , human coronavirus ( hCoV ) and human bocavirus ( hBoV) .Chi-square tests or Fisher's Exact Test were used to compare and analyze . Results From January 1st, 2014 to June 30st, 2016, a total of 363 elderly cases with ILI/SARI were enrolled, with 202 (55.65%) male and a median age of 70 years old.142(39.12%) patients were detected posi-tive for any one of the eight viruses.Influenza was the predominant virus (20.94%, 76/363), with the positive proportion of ( 29 .83%) among ILI cases and ( 12 .09%) among SARI cases .The Influenza infection presented two seasonal peaks in winter ( December to February ) and summer ( July to September ) . Conclusion Influenza is identified as the leading viral pathogen both among ILI and SARI cases older than 65 years old, and two seasonal epidemic peaks areobserved in Shanghai .Influenza vacci-nation strategy should be advocated for the elderly population in Shanghai .

Epidemiologic and clinical features of hand, foot, and mouth disease caused by Coxsackie virus A16 infection in Suzhou and analysis of polymorphisms ofOAS1 / 临床儿科杂志

Objective To explore the epidemiologic and clinical features of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by Coxsackie virus A16 (CA16) in Suzhou from 2010 to 2014, and analyze the relationship between the SNPs of oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) and HFMD caused by CA16 infection.MethodsThe clinical data of children diagnosed with HFMD caused by CA16 during 2010 and 2014 were collected. The epidemiological characteristics were analyzed. Among them, 167 cases were selected to make comparison of the clinical features with 166 cases of HFMD caused by EV71 infection in the same period. The genotyping ofOAS1 rs10774671 was detected by TaqMan probe technique in 167 cases of CA16 infection children, 166 cases of EV71 infection children with HFMD and 163 healthy children. The relationship between polymorphism of gene and infection of CA 16 was analyzed.ResultsA total of 9 016 children with HFMD were included. CA16 nucleic acid detected to be positive in 762 cases. The detection rate was 8.45%. CA16 infection was most commonly in summer. Children under 5 years old accounted for 94.62% infected. Compared with EV71 infected children, CA16 infected children had shorter fever time, severer oral herpes, ulcer, and rash in hand, foot and hip, lesser nervous system involvement, fewer cases of high lactate dehydrogenase, high C reactive protein, high IgM or IgG, and signiifcant changes in the percentage of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, CD3+CD8+ and CD3-CD19+ (P all?

Mutations in a Large Pedigree with Y-STR Genetic Markers / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the mutation of Y-STR loci in meiotic allelic transmission in a large pedigree.@*METHODS@#The oral swabs of 163 male individuals were collected from a Lin pedigree. Twenty-two Y-STR genetic markers were typed with AGCU Y24 fluorescent detection kit (AGCU Y24 system), which also contained 16 Y-STR markers included in Yfiler multiple amplification kit (Yfiler system). The genotyping results of Y-STR loci were compared between each two males in the pedigree.@*RESULTS@#There were 20 and 30 kinds of haplotypes obtained with Yfiler and AGCU Y24 systems in 163 male individuals from the Lin pedigree, respectively. The rates referred to haplotype differences (RRHD) of these two typing systems between male pairs were 0.910 5 and 0.922 7, respectively. The average number of marker differences were 6.582 1 and 9.824 8, respectively. The RRHD increased along with the incidents of meiosis.@*CONCLUSION@#Y-STR mutation leads to different Y-STR haplotypes among the male members in a paternal pedigree and the rate of difference increases along with the incidents of meiosis.