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Background Although there is increasing understanding of the changes in the laboratory parameters of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the correlation between circulating Mid-regional Proadrenomedullin (MR-proADM) and clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19 is not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of MR-proADM in patients with COVID-19.Methods The PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, SinoMed and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were searched from 1 January 2020 to 20 March 2022 for relevant literature. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) was used to assess quality bias, STATA was employed to pool the effect size by a random effects model, and potential publication bias and sensitivity analyses were performed.Results 14 studies comprising 1822 patients with COVID-19 met the inclusion criteria, there were 1145 males and 677 females, and the mean age was 64.8 years. The concentration of MR- proADM was compared between the survivors and nonsurvivors in 9 studies and the difference was significant (P < 0.01), I2 = 46%. The combined sensitivity was 0.88 [0.81–0.93], and the combined specificity was 0.77 [0.65–0.86]. We drew the SROC curve and calculated the AUC = 0.90 [0.87–0.93]. An increase of 1 nmol/L of MR-proADM was independently associated with a more than threefold increase in mortality (odds ratio 3.03, 95% confidence interval 2.26–4.06, I2 = 0.0%, P = 0.633). The predictive value of MR-proADM for death was better than many other biomarkers.Conclusion MR- proADM had a very good predictive value for the poor prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Increased levels of MR-proADM were independently associated with mortality in COVID-19 patients and may allow a better risk stratification.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Kallmann Syndrome , DeathABSTRACT
Jian-Ti-Kang-Yi decoction (JTKY) is widely used in the treatment of COVID-19. However, the protective mechanisms of JTKY against pneumonia remain unknown. In this study, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), a mimic of viral dsRNA, was used to induce pneumonia in mice;the therapeutic effects of JTKY on poly(I:C)-induced pneumonia model mice were evaluated. In addition, the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative potentials of JTKY were also investigated. Lastly, the metabolic regulatory effects of JTKY in poly(I:C)-induced pneumonia model mice were studied using untargeted metabolomics. Our results showed that JTKY treatment decreased the wet-to-dry ratio in the lung tissue, total protein concentration, and total cell count of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) and Masson staining indicated that the JTKY treatment alleviated the pathological changes and decreased the fibrotic contents in the lungs. JTKY treatment also decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)] and increased the levels of immunomodulatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) in the BALF and serum. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the JTKY treatment lowered the ratio of CD86+/CD206+ macrophages in the BALF, decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) level, and increased arginase 1 (Arg-1) level in lung. JTKY also lowered CD11b+Ly6G+ neutrophils in BALF and decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in lung. Moreover, it also elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and decreased methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) level in lung. Untargeted metabolomic analysis showed that the JTKY treatment could affect 19 metabolites in lung, such as L-adrenaline, L-asparagine, ornithine, and alpha-ketoglutaric acid. These metabolites are associated with the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, butanoate, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle processes. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that treatment with JTKY ameliorated poly(I:C)-induced pneumonia. The mechanism of action of JTKY may be associated with the inhibition of the inflammatory response, the reduction of oxidative stress, and the regulation of the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, TCA cycle, and metabolism of alanine, aspartate, glutamate, and butanoate processes in lung.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the mobility, accessibility, and behaviors of visitors dramatically. Under the impact of COVID-19, the social carrying capacity and emotion dynamics in parks and recreation areas are expected to change due to the uncertainty of health risks associated with visitors’ behaviors. This study conducted an on-site visitor survey at Leiqiong Global Geological Park, a national park located in urban-proximate areas in Haikou, China. This study aims to examine factors impacting visitors’ perceived crowding and emotions under varying levels of visitor use in urban national parks in the context of COVID-19. Study results suggest that visitors have the highest level of motivation for scenery and culture viewing and are generally satisfied with the environmental quality and design, COVID-19 prevention strategies and implementation efforts within the park. Moreover, this study suggests that the level of crowding, COVID-19 prevention strategies and implementation can affect visitors’ emotions in nature-based parks significantly. These findings highlight the importance of enforcing the social carrying capacity limits and COVID-19 prevention strategies for urban parks and protected areas to mitigate physical and mental health risks during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Background: We aimed to report the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) in Zengdu District, Hubei Province, China.Methods Epidemiological,clinical features, laboratory findings, radiologic manifestations, and clinical outcomes of 276 patients in Zengdu hospital were analyzed. Clinical outcomes were followed up to March 13, 2020.Results All hospitalized COVID-19 patients, 276 (median age: 51.0 years), were enrolled, including 262 non-severe and 14 severe patients. The proportion of patients aged over 60 years was higher in the severe group (78.6%) than in the non-severe group (18.7%, p