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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of peripheral blood microRNA-21(miR-21) and transforming growth factor-beta(TNF-beta)/Smad signaling transduction pathway in patients with bronchial asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection. METHODS: Totally 109 patients with asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection(study group) and 104 patients without virus infection(control group) in the Third People's Hospital of Gansu Province between Feb.2019 and Feb.2021 were selected for the cross-sectional study. The basic data of the two groups were collected, and parameters including vital signs, lung function, peripheral blood miR-21 and TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway proteins were measured. According to the guidelines, the patients of the two groups were divided into acute exacerbation phase and stable phase. The examination results of each group were compared and the levels of peripheral blood miR-21 and TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway proteins expression of patients with asthma complicated with respiratory virus infection were analyzed. RESULTS: In study group, the proportion of respiratory virus infection among 109 patients was 33.94% for influenza virus, 23.85% for human rhinovirus, 19.27% for respiratory syncytial virus, 10.09% for parainfluenza virus, 6.42% for adenovirus, 4.59% for human coronavirus and 1.83% for human metapneumovirus respectively. The proportion of patients with acute exacerbation phase in the study group was higher than that in the control group, and the levels of peripheral blood miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 were higher than those in control group(P<0.05). The levels of miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 in peripheral blood of patients with acute exacerbation phase of asthma were higher than those of patients with stable phase of asthma(P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in peripheral blood miR-21, TGF-beta1, Smad2, Smad3, Smad7, pSmad2 and pSmad3 levels in asthma patients with different virus infections. CONCLUSION: Early respiratory virus infections might lead to increased expression of peripheral blood miR-21 and increased activation of TGF-beta/Smad signaling pathway in patients with asthma, which played an important role in acute attack of asthma.
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Objective: To understand the epidemiology and etiology of a cluster of cases with gastroenteritis in a nursing home in Anning district of Lanzhou, and to provide a scientific evidence for the prevention and control of norovirus diarrhea in community nursing centers. Methods: From January 28 to February 4 2021, an epidemiological investigation was conducted on all diarrhea cases, nursing staff and chefs in a nursing home in Anning district, Lanzhou city. Samples of patients' anal swabs, feces, vomitus were collected for norovirus detection by real-time fluorescent PCR. ORF1/ORF2 junction region of norovirus in some selected positive samples(Ct value 25) was sequenced. MEGA-X software was used to construct a phylogenetic tree for genetic evolution analysis using the neighboring method. Results: The first case was confirmed on January20,2021, and the number of cases peaked during January 25and 29.A total of 58 clinically diagnosed cases were reported,57were older people, with an incidence of(57/360,15.83%). Diarrhea(50/58,86.21%),vomiting(35/58,60.34%),nausea(13/58,22.41%)and abdominal pain(6/58,10.34%)were common symptoms, all cases were mild. Fifty-three asymptomatic cases were detected among chefs, housekeepers and nurses.A total of 163specimens were tested, the positive rate of norovirus GII was 49.08%(80/163). The positive rate of fecal samples collected from nurses, chefs and housekeepers was 48.62%(53/109), and was11.11%(2/18)in environmental surface swabs. The possibility of other pathogenic infections such as SARS-CoV-2was ruled out by further tests. Thirteen positive samples were selected for sequencing, and 9were successfully sequenced, they were all recombinant GII.4Sydney_2012 [P16]genotypes, forming an independent cluster, while in a large evolutionary branch with the 2020GII.10 [P16]and 2019GII.2 [P16]virus strains in Lanzhou city, showing a relative close genetic connection. Conclusions: GII .4Sydney_2012[P16]genotype of norovirus is found to be causative pathogen of this outbreak, and close contact is the main reason of the outbreak and persistence of the infection,so asymptomatic infections of norovirus play an important role in the disease spreading. Therefore, public health management in nursing homes and other centralized nursing facilities should be strengthened especially for asymptomatic workers in order to prevent virus transmission.
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Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Delta variant infection by comparing with patients with wild strain infection in Gansu Province. Methods: Totally 141 patients diagnosed with Delta variant infection(variant group)and 88 patients with COVID- 19 (wild strain group) in Gansu Province were selected, and their clinical data were retrospectively collected and compared. Results The proportion of patients with hypertension and vaccination was higher in the variant group than in the wild strain group (P < 0.05). Most of the two groups were mild and common types, and there were no statistically significant differences in the other general data (all P > 0.05). The percentages of fever, fatigue, muscle soreness, chest tightness and shortness of breath in the variant group were lower than those in the wild group, and the proportion of sore throat was higher than that in the wild group (all P < 0.05). The proportions of white blood cells (WBC) < 4.0 x 109/L, platelets (PLT) < 100x109/L, glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) > 50.0 U/L, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 240.0 U/L, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) > 7.1 mmol/L, and international normalized ratio (INR) >1.13 were all lower in the variant group than in the wild strain group (all P < 0.05);the percentage of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) > 40 U/L was higher than that of the wild strain group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), blood creatinine (Cr), creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), calcitoninogen (PCT), or C-reactive protein (CRP) between these two groups (all P > 0.05). The proportions of abnormal chest CT, bilateral lesions, and three or more lobar lesions were significantly lower in the variant group than in the wild strain group (all P < 0.05). The proportions of treatments with interferon, ribavirin, lopinavir/ritonavir, antibiotics, glucocorticoids, immunoglobulins, hemopexin, Abidor tablets, and oxygen were lower in the variant group than in the wild strain group (all P < 0.05). The proportions of treatments with prone ventilation, anticoagulation, neutralizing antibodies, thymofacine, and hepatoprotective therapy were higher in the variant group than in the wild strain group (all P < 0.05). Thirty-five cases (53.0%) of lymphocytes in the wild strain group did not return to normal levels at discharge, and the differences in the time to recovery of lymphocytes, time to absorption of lung lesions, and time to nucle ic acid conversion between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05). The recovery time of oxygen saturation (SaO2) in the variant group was shorter than that in the wild strain group, and the time of nucleic acid conversion and hospitalization was longer than that in the wild strain group (all P < 0.05). There were two deaths (2.3%) in the wild strain group and 0 death in the variant group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Compared with patients with wild strain infection, patients with Delta variant infection are mainly of light and common type with high vaccination coverage, smaller lung lesion involvement, shorter SaO2 recovery time, but longer nucleic acid regression time and hospitalization time, and have a good prognosis after oxygen therapy, traditional Chinese medicine, immune boosting, etc. The prognosis is good after conventional treatment.
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Objective: The characteristics of imported coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) cases from outside China were analyzed to provide evidence for prevention and control backflow of the epidemic.
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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the differences of clinical characteristics, laboratory tests and imaging examinations in patients with Novel Coronavirus(SARS-COV-2)Delta variant infection in Gansu province, so as to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of SARS-COV-2. METHODS: The medical records, laboratory tests and imaging studies of 140 patients with SARS-COV-2 Delta variant infection admitted to Yantan Branch and Zhangye Second Hospital of Lanzhou Second People's Hospital from Oct. to Dec. 2021 in Gansu province were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 140 infected patients, 65 were males and 75 were females. The oldest was 87 years old, and the youngest was 1 year and 8 months, with an average age of(42.65+or-20.87) years old. Twenty percent of confirmed patients had fever. The mean duration of positive nucleic acid was 19.74 days. There were significant differences in the expression levels of serum amyloid A(SAA), interleukin-6(IL-6), C-reactive protein(CRP), basophil granulocytes(BAS) and lymphocyte(LYM) in patients with different types. Pulmonary lesions were found in 101 patients(72.14%) by imaging, and the proportion of abnormal lung imaging in mild, ordinary and severe patients accounted for 55.81%, 73.13% and 100% respectively. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients with COVID-19 Delta infection in Gansu province were mild and ordinary type. There were fewer fever patients. The main clinical manifestations were cough, expectoration and pharyngeal discomfort. Severe and critically ill patients are older and have more underlying diseases.
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We wished to understand the dynamic changes in production of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific antibodies in sera collected from coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) patients. Fifty-eight serum samples from 33 patients confirmed to have COVID-19 in Gansu Province, China, were tested for three types of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies: immunoglobulin (Ig) M, IgG, and total antibodies. The positive rate of IgM, IgG and total antibodies increased gradually with COVID-19 progression. Within the first 3 days, the positive rate of detection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody using the three kits was 13.6%-31.8%. whereas, within 4-7 days, it was 36.4%-45.5%, within 8-14 days it was 55.6%-77.8%, and after 15 days, it was 100%. In addition, the three kits were used to measure antibodies from serum samples collected from healthy people, and the specificity was 99%-100%. Statistical analyses indicated no significant difference among the results of the three kits (P > 0.05 for all). In summary, the three SARS-CoV-2 antibody-detection kits had good sensitivity and specificity for detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, and could aid the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19. The dynamic characteristics of production of SARS-CoV-2- specific antibodies could provide important scientific bases for epidemiologic investigations.
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Objective: To investigate the diet-related topics posted on social media during the COVID-19 outbreak.