Diagnostic Value of Serum Heparin Binding Protein, Blood Lactic Acid Combined with hs-CRP in Sepsis and Its Relationship with Prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic value of serum heparin binding protein (HBP), blood lactic acid (Lac) combined with high-sensitivity C- reactive protein (hs-CRP) in sepsis and its relationship with prognosis. METHODS: The clinical data of 127 patients with sepsis from March 2019 to March 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. 120 outpatients undergoing physical examination in the same period in our hospital were selected as the control group. According to the severity of the disease, 127 sepsis patients were divided into the mild sepsis group (n = 45), severe sepsis group (n = 53), and septic shock group (n = 29). According to the clinical prognosis, the patients were divided into the survival group (n = 96) and death group (n = 31). Serum HBP, Lac, and hs-CRP levels were measured in all subjects. The ROC curves of the subjects were drawn to analyze the predictive value of serum HBP, Lac, and hs-CRP for the prognosis of sepsis patients. RESULTS: The levels of serum HBP, Lac, and hs-CRP in the sepsis group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). With the increase of the severity of sepsis, serum HBP, Lac, and hs-CRP levels of patients gradually increased (P < 0.05). The levels of serum HBP, Lac, and hs-CRP in the death group were higher than those in the survival group (P < 0.05). The AUC of serum HBP, Lac, and hs-CRP for predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients was 0.858 (95% CI: 0.763-0.953), 0.694 (95% CI: 0.589-0.799), and 0.843 (95% CI: 0.759-0.927). The AUC of serum HBP, Lac combined with hs-CRP for predicting the prognosis of sepsis patients was 0.961 (95% CI: 0.000-1.000). CONCLUSION: The levels of serum HBP, Lac, and hs-CRP in patients with sepsis were significantly increased and increased with the severity of sepsis. Serum HBP, Lac, and hs-CRP have a good value in predicting the prognosis of patients with sepsis and worthy of clinical application.

Epidemiological features and viral shedding in children with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection broke out all over the world; however, epidemiological data and viral shedding in pediatric patients are limited. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study, and followed-up with all children from the families with SARS-CoV-2 infected members in Zhejiang Province, China. All infections were confirmed by testing the SARS-CoV-2 RNA with real-time reverse transcription PCR method, and epidemiological data between children and adults in the same families were compared. Effect of antiviral therapy was evaluated observationally and fecal-viral excretion times among groups with different antiviral regiments were compared with Kaplan-Meier plot. By 29 February 2020, 1298 cases from 883 families were confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection and 314 of which were families with children. Incidence of infection in child close contacts was significantly lower than that in adult contacts (13.2% vs 21.2%). The mean age of 43 pediatric cases was 8.2 years and mean incubation period was 9.1 days. Forty (93.0%) were family clustering. Thirty-three children had coronavirus disease 2019 (20 pneumonia) with mild symptoms and 10 were asymptomatic. Fecal SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was positive in 91.4% (32/35) cases and some children had viral excretion time over 70 days. Viral clearance time was not different among the groups treated with different antiviral regiments. No subsequent infection was observed in family contacts of fecal-viral-excreting children. Children have lower susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection, longer incubation, and fecal-viral excretion time. Positive results of fecal SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection were not used as indication for hospitalization or quarantine.

[Semi-attached quad-helix appliance can expand the maxillary arches in patients with cleft lip and palate before alveolar bone grafting].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of semi-attached quad-helix appliance in expanding the narrow maxillary arches in patients with cleft lip and palate. METHODS: 15 cases with cleft lip and palate were selected and treated by semi-attached quad-helix appliance. Before, during, and after treatment, the dental arch width between cuspid, the first premolar and first molar were measured. RESULTS: The upper dental arches of all patients were expanded effectively in about five months. After orthodontic treatment, the upper dental arches were expanded, and the teeth were alined regularly, which provided good conditions for alveolar bone grafting. CONCLUSION: The semi-attached quad-helix appliance with the fixed orthodontic treatment can expand the narrow maxillary arches in patients with cleft lip and palate effectively and conveniently.

Relationship between gene expressions of aquaporin 3 and 4 and various degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome in chronic superficial gastritis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between gene expressions of aquaporin (AQP) 3 and 4 and various degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome in chronic superficial gastritis (CSG). METHODS: Twenty-four CSG patients were divided into three groups according to the degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome: mild, moderate and severe groups. There were 8 patients in each group, and another 8 healthy persons were selected as normal control. Samples of mucosa of upper stomach in the included patients and normal persons were collected by gastroscopy, and then were stored in liquid nitrogen. The gene expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in gastric tissue were examined by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The gene expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in the moderate and severe groups were higher than that in the mild group and normal group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The gene expression of AQP3 in the severe group was higher than that in the moderate group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The gene expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 in gastric mucosa are different in patients with various degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome of CSG. There is a relationship between expressions of AQP3 and AQP4 genes and the degrees of spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome, and the gene expressions will increase with the aggravation of the dampness-heat syndrome.

[Antimicrobial resistance of 36 strains of Helicobacter pylori in adolescents].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) to antimicrobial agents in adolescents. METHODS: One hundred and eight adolescents (6-18 years old) underwent a gastroscopy examination. H. pylori strains were isolated from gastric mucosa. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by means of Kirby-Baner. RESULTS: Thirty-six H. pylori strains were identified. The resistant rate of H. pylori strains to clarithromycin, fruranzolidone and amoxicillin was 8.3%, 16.7% and 33.3%, respectively. H. pylori strains showed a high resistance to metronidazole (94.4%), while no strain was resistant to gentamicin and levofloxacin. CONCLUSIONS: The H. pylori strains from the adolescents in Zhejiang showed a high resistance to metronidazole and amoxicillin but a low resistance to clarithromycin and fruranzolidone. All of H. pylori strains were susceptive to gentamicin and levofloxacin.