Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of 91 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang, China: a retrospective, multi-centre case series.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have focused on initial clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is the mainly revealing situation in Wuhan, Hubei. AIM: This study aims to reveal more data on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients outside of Wuhan, Zhejiang, China. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective case series. METHODS: Eighty-eight cases of laboratory-confirmed and three cases of clinically confirmed COVID-19 were admitted to five hospitals in Zhejiang province, China. Data were collected from 20 January 2020 to 11 February 2020. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Of all 91 patients, 88 (96.70%) were laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with throat swab samples that tested positive for SARS-Cov-2, three (3.30%) cases were clinically diagnosed. The median age of the patients was 50 (36.5-57) years, and female accounted for 59.34%. In this sample, 40 (43.96%) patients had contracted the disease from local cases, 31 (34.07%) patients had been to Wuhan/Hubei, eight (8.79%) patients had contacted with people from Wuhan, and 11 (12.09%) patients were diagnosed after having flown together in the same flight with no passenger that could later be identified as the source of infection. In particular within the city of Ningbo, 60.52% cases can be traced back to an event held in a temple. The most common symptoms were fever (71.43%), cough (60.44%) and fatigue (43.96%). The median of incubation period was 6 (interquartile range 3-8) days and the median time from the first visit to a doctor to the confirmed diagnosis was 1 (1-2) days. According to the chest computed tomography scans, 67.03% cases had bilateral pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Social activity cluster, family cluster and flying alongside with persons already infected with COVID-19 were how people got infected with COVID-19 in Zhejiang.

Sustained expression of Epstein-Barr virus episomal vector mediated factor VIII in vivo following muscle electroporation.

Haemophilia A treatment is an attractive candidate for gene therapy. The aim of haemophilia gene therapy is to obtain long-term therapeutic level of factor VIII (FVIII). We investigated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-based episomal vector combined with in vivo electroporation of naked DNA as a safe, efficient and simple method for correcting FVIII deficiency. A combinant FVIII expression EBV-based episomal vector pcDNA3-FVIII-EBVR was constructed and expressed in COS-7 cells. Then the naked plasmid DNA was injected into the quadriceps of mice following the electric pulse stimulation. Our data showed that pcDNA3-FVIII-EBVR expression in transfected COS-7 can maintain stably for at least 60 days and the hFVIII:Ag in plasma in two pcDNA3-FVIII-EBVR groups mice was higher than that in pcDNA-FVIII groups no matter with or without electric pulse stimulation. With the stimulating of electric pulse, the FVIII expression in plasma of recipient mice was increased two- to fourfolds and can be lasted for at least 90 days. No severe muscle damage was detected. So this novel strategy that FVIII expression mediated by EBV episomal vector following muscle electroporation is efficient, safe, simple and economic and may be applicable to clinical usage.

Hierarchical Bayes model for random haplotype and family effects in the transmission of fragile-X.

A model for the transmission of the CGG repeat sequence associated with the fragile-X dynamic mutation in the FMR1 gene is developed. The model incorporates both haplotype and family effects on the expansion rate of the sequence. The resulting random effects model is fitted to new data, using computer-intensive Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The results demonstrate both the FRAXAC1-DXS458 haplotype and family effects on the transmission of CGG repeats from mother to offspring.

Rearrangements in the second intron of the RARA gene are present in a large majority of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia and are used as molecular marker for retinoic acid-induced leukemic cell differentiation.

Chromosome 17 breakpoints in translocation t(15;17), a hallmark for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), have been shown to disrupt the retinoic acid receptor-alpha (RARA) gene. In this study, DNA probes around the second exon of the RARA gene showed rearrangements not previously detected. Analysis of 25 Chinese APL cases showed that RARA gene rearrangements were present in 23 cases (92%). The breakpoints were mapped unequivocally in 22 cases within the second intron of the gene. Therefore, the RARA gene rearrangement provides us with a specific marker of the disease. Simultaneous molecular and cytologic studies showed that the RARA gene rearrangements persisted during the first 2 to 3 weeks of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) therapy when differentiated granulocytes predominated in bone marrow, while these rearrangements disappeared after achieving complete remission. These data indicate that ATRA induces differentiation of APL cells.

Basal cell carcinoma syndrome: report of 10 cases.

Ten cases of basal cell carcinoma syndrome are presented. The jaw cysts were proved histopathologically to be odontogenic keratocysts. The multiple naevoid lesions on the skin were identified as basal cell carcinoma in two cases. Skeletal anomalies and intracranial calcification were present in all cases. A positive family history with others affected by the syndrome was traced in two cases.

Diagnostic value of computed tomography in parotid tumours.

In 18 cases of parotid tumours, CT demonstrated their primary site, extent and invasion of surrounding tissue precisely. It was valuable in the majority of cases in differentiating benign from malignant tumours and could distinguish accurately intrinsic from extrinsic. CT sialography was superior in equivocal cases when it made the tumour easier to identify and the diagnosis more accurate.