Preliminary study of the relationship between novel coronavirus pneumonia and liver function damage: a multicenter study / 中华肝脏病杂志

To analyze the clinical characteristics of cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia and a preliminary study to explore the relationship between different clinical classification and liver damage. Consecutively confirmed novel coronavirus infection cases admitted to seven designated hospitals during January 23, 2020 to February 8, 2020 were included. Clinical classification (mild, moderate, severe, and critical) was carried out according to the diagnosis and treatment program of novel coronavirus pneumonia (Trial Fifth Edition) issued by the National Health Commission. The research data were analyzed using SPSS19.0 statistical software. Quantitative data were expressed as median (interquartile range), and qualitative data were expressed as frequency and rate. 32 confirmed cases that met the inclusion criteria were included. 28 cases were of mild or moderate type (87.50%), and four cases (12.50%) of severe or critical type. Four cases (12.5%) were combined with one underlying disease (bronchial asthma, coronary heart disease, malignant tumor, chronic kidney disease), and one case (3.13%) was simultaneously combined with high blood pressure and malignant tumor. The results of laboratory examination showed that the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (ALB), and total bilirubin (TBil) for entire cohort were 26.98 (16.88 ~ 46.09) U/L and 24.75 (18.71 ~ 31.79) U/L, 39.00 (36.20 ~ 44.20) g/L and 16.40 (11.34- ~ 21.15) mmol/L, respectively. ALT, AST, ALB and TBil of the mild or moderate subgroups were 22.75 (16.31- ~ 37.25) U/L, 23.63 (18.71 ~ 26.50) U/L, 39.70 (36.50 ~ 46.10) g/L, and 15.95 (11.34 ~ 20.83) mmol/L, respectively. ALT, AST, ALB and TBil of the severe or critical subgroups were 60.25 (40.88 ~ 68.90) U/L, 37.00 (20.88 ~ 64.45) U/L, 35.75 (28.68 ~ 42.00) g/L, and 20.50 (11.28 ~ 25.00) mmol/L, respectively. The results of this multicenter retrospective study suggests that novel coronavirus pneumonia combined with liver damage is more likely to be caused by adverse drug reactions and systemic inflammation in severe patients receiving medical treatment. Therefore, liver function monitoring and evaluation should be strengthened during the treatment of such patients.

The importance of start codon of nosM in nosiheptide production / 中国天然药物

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of start codon of nosM on the biosynthesis of nosiheptide. Target genes were amplified by overlap PCR. After homologous recombination to construct engineered strains, nosiheptide production was analyzed by HPLC. Three mutants with different start codon of nosM were constructed, and nosiheptide production of each mutant was analyzed and compared. Replacement of the start codon of nosM significantly decreased the production of nosiheptide. In conclusion, start codon usage could greatly affect the biosynthetic efficiency in the biosynthetic gene cluster of nosiheptide.

Radioiondine therapy for Graves hyperthyroidism with large goiter: feasibility, efficacy and safety / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy and safety of radioiondine therapy in the treatment of Graves hyperthyroidism with large goiter.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 128 patients with Graves; hyperthyroidism with large goiter (thyroid weight>70 g) as the study group were treated with radioiondine, using 318 concurrent patients with Graves disease with a smaller goiter (thyroid weight<70 g) as the control group. The cure rate following a single-session treatment, the total cure rate and the incidence of hypothyroidism were compared between the two groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the large goiter group, the total cure rate was 95.3%, and the cure rate following a single-session treatment was 46.9%, with the incidence of hypothyroidism of 4.7%, as compared with 90.9%, 65.7%, and 9.1% in the control group, respectively. A significant difference was noted in the cure rate following a single-session treatment (P=0.000), but not in the total cure rate or the incidence of early-onset hypothyroidism (P=0.115) between the two groups. No tracheal compression, laryngeal edema, or hyperthyroidism crisis occurred in the large goiter group after the treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Radioiondine is safe and effective for treatment of Graves hyperthyroidism with large goiter, and results in a total cure rate and incidence of early-onset hypothyroidism similar to those in patients with goiters of a smaller size.</p>

Value of additional skull lateral static imaging in whole-body bone imaging for skull bone invasion evaluation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients: comparison with CT / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value of the additional skull lateral static imaging in whole-body bone imaging (WBI) vs CT for evaluation of skull base invasion in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 405 patients with pathologically confirmed NPC underwent WBI with additional static imaging of the left and right skull as well as CT examination of the nasopharynx and skull base within one week before the radiotherapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concordance rates between WBI and CT for positive and negative diagnosis were 29.48% and 76.05% in these cases, respectively, with the total concordance rate of 81.23%. The concordance rates between skull lateral static imaging with visual judgment and CT examination for positive and negative diagnosis were 67.95% and 74.07%, respectively, showing a total concordance rate of 87.16%. Skull lateral static imaging with semi-quantitative analysis and CT examination showed concordance rates for positive and negative diagnosis of 75.64% and 74.07%, respectively, with a total rate of 88.64%. In 27 patients with negative diagnosis by CT but a positive one in skull lateral static imaging with semi-quantitative analysis, 9 had a positive diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Skull lateral static imaging can be of value in the diagnosis of skull base invasion in NPC patients and may serve as an effective means for screening skull base invasion in NPC.</p>

Therapeutic efficacy of strontium-89-chloride for bone metastatic tumors without bone pain / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the safety and efficacy of strontium-89-chloride for management of bone metastases in patients without bone pain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-four patients without painful bone metastases were given a single intravenous dose (1.48-2.22 MBq/kg) of strontium-89-chloride, which was repeated once or twice at the interval between 3 and 6 months.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total response rate was 74.0% in these, and the response rate was significantly lower in patients with focal size>2 cm than in those with focal size<or=2 cm (33.3% vs 66.6%, chi2=14.9, P<0.01). The side effects of strontium-89-chloride included mainly thrombocytopenia and neutropenia, mostly mild and reversible without interventions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Strontium-89-chloride is effective and safe for treatment of nonpainful bone metastases.</p>