Direct medical costs of tuberculosis patients and its influencing factors in Hainan Province / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract： Objective　To investigate and analyze the factors influencing the direct medical costs of tuberculosis patients in Hainan Province, so as to provide scientific reference for reducing the medical burden of patients and adjusting the medical insurance reimbursement policies in the local area. Methods　Using the total health expenditure accounting data of Hainan Province in 2020, including the outpatient and inpatient data of 14 provincial medical institutions, 235 city and county level medical institutions, and other relevant data from the 2020 Hainan Statistical Yearbook and Health Financial Yearbook, the direct medical costs of tuberculosis patients in the province in that year were calculated, and the influencing factors were explored using single factor analysis and multivariate generalized linear model. Results　The final number of cases included in this study was 11 979, including 7 526 males (62.83%) and 4 453 females (37.17%). The total direct medical costs of patients were 43.207 3 million yuan, of which the total outpatient costs were 2.733 9 million yuan (6.32%) and the total inpatient costs were 40.473 4 million yuan (93.67%). In the cost composition analysis, the drug cost was 17.971 million yuan (41.44%), the examination cost was 8.854 7 million yuan (20.49%), other costs were 16.445 5 million yuan (38.06%), and the median (quartile) M(P25,P75) direct medical cost of each patient was 177.50 (66.73,764.89) yuan. The multivariate generalized linear model analysis showed that hospitalization, new rural cooperative medical insurance (NRCMI) and urban employee medical insurance were the influencing factors of the increase in direct medical costs of tuberculosis patients the median (quartile) M(P25,P75) of direct medical costs are 10 425.04 (6 560.87,17 374.9), 10 246.5 (5 871.28,17 220.33), 3 177.2 (293.09,7 730.23) yuan respectively; the OR(95%CI) values were -3.505 (-3.499- -3.517), 1.559 (1.551-1.569) and 2.191 (2.188-2.207) respectively. Conclusions　The direct medical costs of tuberculosis patients in Hainan Province are high. Hospitalization, the new rural cooperative medical insurance and the medical insurance for urban workers are the influencing factors of the increase in costs.

Evaluation of effect of horticultural therapy on improving mental health in university students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate the effectiveness of horticultural therapy on improving university students mental health problems and to provide evidence to support the application of horticultural therapy in the prevention and treatment of university students mental health.@*Methods@#From March to May 2022,a before-and after paired design was used with a blank control group, mental health screening abnormalities were recruited from a comprehensive university in Hebei Province, including 57 in the intervention group and 21 in the control group, and the Symptom Checklist-90(SCL-90) score and hair cortisol were included as outcome indicators, which was measured by enzyme linked immunoassay Elisa double antibody sandwich method.@*Results@#The total SCL-90 scores of the intervention group decreased ( t=4.28, P <0.01) and were significantly lower compared with the control group( t=-2.66, P <0.01), while no significant difference was observed in the control group( t=0.29, P >0.05), and the difference between the pre and post measures on each dimension of the SCL-90 was significantly lower in the intervention group (all P <0.01); the difference between the pre and post measures of hair cortisol contentration in the intervention group was statistically significant( Z= -2.75, P <0.05), and the hair cortiso contentration in pre measure group was lower than that of control group( Z=-3.48, P < 0.01 ). In contrast, the difference between pre and post measurements of hair cortisol in the control group was not significant( Z= -0.75 , P >0.05).@*Conclusion@#Horticultural therapy can improve the psychological symptoms of university students is suitable for psychological interventions in the university population and is beneficial to the health and well being of university students.

Influencing factors for thyroid function among radiation workers in Wuhan City / 预防医学

Objective@# To investigate the thyroid functions and influencing factors among radiation workers in Wuhan City, so as to provide insights into occupational health monitoring among radiation workers.@*Methods @#Radiation workers receiving physical examinations in Wuhan Prevention and Treatment Center for Occupational Diseases from January to October 2022 were enrolled, and participants' gender, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, medical history, medication use, types of occupational radiation and work duration were collected. Triiodothyronine (TT3), thyroxine (TT4), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were measured using a magnetic microparticle-based chemiluminescence immunoassay. Personnel dose equivalent was monitored using thermoluminescent dosimetry, and annual cumulative radiation dose was estimated. Factors affecting thyroid function were identified using a multivariable linear regression model.@*Results@#Totally 978 radiation workers were recruited, with a median age of 32.00 (interquartile range, 10.00) years, and including 782 men (79.96%) and 196 women (20.04%). There were 246 smokers (25.15%), 257 workers with alcohol consumption (26.28%) and 489 with a history of radiation work (50.00%). The median annual cumulative radiation dose was 0.20 (interquartile range, 0.24) mSv. The percentage of abnormal thyroid function was 14.72%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that women (OR=1.925, 95%CI: 1.061-3.490), history of radiation work (OR=2.810, 95%CI: 1.119-7.057) and involving in medical application (OR=1.915, 95%CI: 1.101-3.332) were associated with abnormal thyroid function.@*Conclusions@#The percentage of abnormal thyroid function was 14.72% among radiation workers in Wuhan City. History of exposure to ionizing radiation, types of occupational radiation and gender were main factors affecting thyroid function.

Inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation via the protective role of T regulatory cells in the fetal liver in a late-pregnancy preterm mouse model

OBJECTIVES: This study intended to explore the effect of T regulatory cells (Tregs) in the perinatal liver against LPS-induced inflammation in a preterm birth mouse model. Moreover, the role of adoptive Tregs on the inflammatory response induced by LPS was also studied. METHODS: Female BALB/C mice were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with LPS dissolved in normal saline solution at a dose of 50 µg/kg. Spleens from pregnant mice were used to obtain Tregs. The expression of Forkhead family transcription factor-3 (Foxp3), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), and Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were assessed from fetal liver tissues by polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. RESULTS: LPS administered to mice induced an inflammatory response in the perinatal liver, and this inflammatory response was negatively regulated by Tregs in the experimental group. Maternal-fetal tolerance was maintained by Tregs. Transmission of Tregs was estimated in different experimental groups based on the mRNA expression of TLR-4, IL-6, HO-1, and Foxp3. CONCLUSIONS: After analysis of the experimental data, it was determined that Tregs exhibited regulatory potential against LPS-induced inflammatory response. Further, it was concluded that the transmission of Tregs improved the mother's immune tolerance against LPS-induced inflammation in the fetal liver.

Protective effect of essential oils from Blumea balsamifera on sunburn induced by UVB in mouse skin / 中成药

AIM To study the protective effect of essential oils from Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC.(BBO) on UVB-induced sunburn in mouse skin and its mechanism of action.METHODS The model for sunburned mouse skin was established by acute UVB irradiation.Essential oils from B.balsamifera were applied to the surface of wound for external use.The pathological changes of sunburned skin tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin HE) staining.The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD),and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were measured.The levels of 8-hydroxy-desoxyguanosine (8-OHdG),interleukin-6 (IL-6) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) in epidermis were detected by ELISA.Additionally,the expressions of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α),P53 tumor suppressor protein and proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC).RESULTS Compared with the model group,treatment with essential oils from B.balsamifera significantly reduced the thickness of epidermis,and the activity of SOD and the contents of MDA,GSH in mouse skin were restored.In addition,the essential oils from B.balsamifera resulted in a significant decrease in levels of 8-OHdG,IL-6 and NF-κB,and an inhibition in expressions of P53 and PCNA.CONCLUSION The essential oils from B.balsamifera can alleviate UVB-induced sunburn.Its mechanism is related to enhanced antioxidant power,inhibited NF-κB signal passway,down-regulated release of IL-6 and reduced levels of 8-OHdG,PCNA.

Differential gene expression profiles in paclitaxel-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To elucidate the molecular mechanism of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of MCF-7 cells induced by paclitaxel.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Flow cytometry was used to determine the cell cycle changes of MCF-7 cells upon paclitaxel treatment. Gene expression profiles of MCF-7 cells induced by paclitaxel were obtained by using cDNA microarrays containing 9984 genes and expressed sequence tags (ESTs).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Cell cycle analysis showed that 77.8% of cells arrested at G2/M phase and 1.3% of cells underwent apoptosis upon 100 nmol x L(-1) paclitaxel treatment for 24 hours; cDNA microarray results revealed that 27 and 77 genes were differentially expressed upon 12.5 nmol x L(-1) (IC50) and 100 nmol x L(-1) paclitaxel treatment, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Paclitaxel stabilized microtubules and caused G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death in a concentration-dependent manner, which is associated with the regulation of selected genes related to microtubule assembly and cytoskeleton, cell cycle regulation, and DNA repair and apoptosis.</p>