Analysis of the laboratory detection methods and clinical characteristics in 2019-nCoV Omicron variants / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the laboratory detection methods and clinical characteristics of patients with 2019-nCoV Omicron variant infection, to realize the rapid identification and diagnosis of 2019-nCoV Omicron variants.Methods:Totally 80 overseas patients in First Hospital of Changsha from December 16 in 2021 to January 5 in 2022 were selected, the nucleic acids and mutant genes were detected by fluorescent PCR and genome sequencing, and the clinical characteristics of patients with 2019-nCoV Omicron variant infection were analyzed.Results:The specificity was 100% (58/58) and positive predictive value was 100% (21/21) respectively, the sensitivity was 95.5% (21/22), negative predictive value was 98.3% (58/59) by detected with fluorescent PCR. It was found that there were 45-50 nucleotide displacement sites in the genome and 25-30 amino acid mutation sites in S gene fragment by genome sequencing. Clinical analysis showed that mild cases were 59.1% (13/22) in layouts, without severe and critical cases. Ages were positively associated with the clinical classification (ρ=0.698, P<0.001), foundation infections were positively associated with the clinical classification (ρ=0.636, P<0.001). Conclusions:Patients with 2019-nCoV Omicron variant infection had a high viral load and long negative conversion time of nucleic acid. Ages and foundation infections were positively associated with the clinical classification. AST/ALT was higher in the early stage of the disease. Fluorescent PCR method can be used in rapid screening patients with 2019-nCoV Omicron variant infection.

Feasibility of left ventricular longitudinal strain measurement by speckle-tracking echocardiography in infants / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical feasibility and application method of speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) in assessing left ventricular longitudinal strain in infants.Methods:One hundred and ten infants within one week of birth were randomly selected in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from June 2019 to February 2020, and the basic data were collected. STE was performed by two physicians with more than 5 years′ experience.Images of the same infant were analyzed by physicians with 5 years′ experience and 2 years′ experience, respectively, and the difference and correlation of the results between the two doctors were analyzed. The images of the same infant were analyzed twice by the doctor with 5 years′ experience, and the differences and correlations between the results were analyzed. The infants were divided into different groups according to weight to compare the correlations between inter-physicians and intra-physician. STE analysis indicators included global left ventricular longitudinal peak strain (Glps-avg), four-chamber left ventricular longitudinal strain (Glps-A4C), three-chamber left ventricular longitudinal strain (Glps-A3C), two-chamber left ventricular longitudinal strain(Glps-A2C), left ventricular anterior wall longitudinal strain (Glps-a), anterior interventricular septum longitudinal strain(Glps-ais), posterior interventricular septum longitudinal strain (Glps-pis), inferior wall of left ventricle longitudinal strain (Glps-i), posterior wall of left ventricle longitudinal strain (Glps-p), lateral wall of left ventricle longitudinal strain (Glps-l), left ventricular basal section longitudinal strain (Glps-bs), left ventricular middle section longitudinal strain (Glps-ms) and left ventricular apex section longitudinal strain (Glps-as), a total of 13 indicators. The differences were analyzed by paired t test, and the correlations were determined by intra-group correlation coefficient (ICC). Results:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 95 patients were included. For the 13 STE indicators, inter-physicians comparison: the differences between the two physicians were statistically significant (all P<0.05) except for Glps-pis, and the ICC were 0.38-0.72 (all P<0.01). Intra-physician comparison: the differences of these indicators between two measurements were not statistically significant (all P>0.05) except for Glps-ais and Glps-I, ICC were 0.31-0.76 (all P<0.05). Among them, inter-physicians and Intra-physician ICC of Glps-avg, Glps-bs, Glps-ms were 0.68/0.75, 0.72/0.66 and 0.65/0.76 respectively. The group comparison by infants′ weight showed that: In very low weight infants group, the ICC of inter-physicians and intra-physician ranged 0.82-0.93(all P<0.05) and 0.80-0.95(all P<0.05). In low weight infants group, the ICC of inter-physicians and intra-physician ranged 0.65-0.94 (all P<0.05) and 0.69-0.93 (all P<0.01). In the normal weight infants group, ICC of inter-physicians ranged 0.06-0.68, with statistical significance except for Glps-A3C (all P<0.05); ICC of intra-physician ranged 0.36-0.59 (all P<0.05). In overweight infants group, there was no statistical significance in ICC of inter-physicians (all P>0.05), the ICC of intra-physician, Glps-bs and Glps-ms groups were 0.63 and 0.77 (all P<0.05), with no statistical significance in other indicators (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Left ventricular longitudinal strain by STE in infants has better repeatability, and the consistency of intra-physician is higher than inter-physicians, among which the Glps-avg consistency is the best, followed by Glps-bs and Glps-ms. STE is more reproducible in low and very low weight infants than in normal and overweight infants.

A Vital Signs Telemonitoring Programme Improves the Dynamic Prediction of Readmission Risk in Patients with Heart Failure.

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospital readmissions. There is great interest in approaches to efficiently predict emerging HF-readmissions in the community setting. We investigate the possibility of leveraging streaming telemonitored vital signs data alongside readily accessible patient profile information for predicting evolving 30-day HF-related readmission risk. We acquired data within a non-randomized controlled study that enrolled 150 HF patients over a 1-year post-discharge telemonitoring and telesupport programme. Using the sequential data and associated ground truth readmission outcomes, we developed a recurrent neural network model for dynamic risk prediction. The model detects emerging readmissions with sensitivity > 71%, specificity > 75%, AUROC ~80%. We characterize model performance in relation to telesupport based nurse assessments, and demonstrate strong sensitivity improvements. Our approach enables early stratification of high-risk patients and could enable adaptive targeting of care resources for managing patients with the most urgent needs at any given time.

Lithocholic acid activates mTOR signaling inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress in placenta during intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy.

AIMS: Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a pregnancy-specific disorder, which increases risks of adverse fetal outcomes. However, the pathophysiology is not fully understood. Here, we explored the roles of mTOR signaling and ER stress in placenta during ICP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Placental tissues were collected from normal and ICP pregnancies. mTOR signaling and endoplasmic reticulum stress were detected by immunohistochemistry in the placenta. The human placenta trophoblast cell line HTR-8/SVneo was used in vitro experiment. KEY FINDINGS: ICP placenta displayed histological abnormalities with fewer trophoblasts. Moreover, the expression of Bip and the phosphorylation of pS6(S235/236) or pAkt(S473) were higher comparing with normal placenta. In in vitro studies, the bile acids specifically to lithocholic acid rather than taurocholic acid or ursodeoxycholic acid, drastically increased the phosphorylation of pS6K1(T389), pS6(S235/236), or pAkt(S473), whereas the mTOR inhibitor can prohibit the upregulation. Similarly, the expressions of IRE1α and BiP increased sharply under lithocholic acid (20 µM) administration, while the same inhibitor can also decrease the expression. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy showed enlarged endoplasmic reticulum lumen under the lithocholic acid treatment. Furthermore, the cell viability reduced sharply under treatment with different dose of lithocholic acid. The mTOR inhibitor can reverse the decrease of cell viability to some extent. SIGNIFICANCE: Bile acid can activate mTOR signaling which resulted in endoplasmic reticulum stress, leading to trophocyte viability decrease. mTOR pathway activation may be associated with the pathophysiology of ICP.

Construction of recombinant plasmid siRNA of XIAP and its biological role / 中国医师杂志

Objective To construct siRNA expression vector of XIAP,and study its effect on XIAP expression in Hep3B cells. MethodsThree XIAP siRNA sequences were designed,synthesized,and cloned to pRNAT-U6.1/Neo.The successfully constructed recombinant plasmid was determined by sequence analysis,and will be transfected into Hep3B.The best interference plasmid were analyzed by RTPCR,Western blot,and immunohistochemistry.Results The plasmid of pRNAT-U6.1/Neo-XIAP was constructed successfully,the trans-fected with different plasmid of siRNA XIAP can lower significantly XIAP.Conclusions The siRNA vector of XIAP gene was constructed successfully.It will be a basis for the study of XIAP function in apoptosis regulation of the Hepatoma cells.

Small cell carcinoma of the prostate (report of 2 cases and review of the literature) / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical and pathological characteristics and treatment of small cell carcinoma of the prostate. Methods Two patients with small cell carcinoma of the prostate were reported. Case 1 was 50 year-old. He was admitted with a history of dysuria and perineal pain for 3 months. Digital rectal examination (DRE) showed that the enlarged prostate was 5. 0 cm?6. 0 cm and palpated hard and rough. Low-echo mass was shown on ultrasonography, and heterogeneous density of the prostate on CT. His serum PSA level was 0. 31 ng/ml,and fPSA level was 0.09 ng/ml. Prostate cancer was suspected by biopsy,and radical prostatectomy was performed. Case 2 was 82 year-old. The complaints consisted of dysuria and intermittent gross hematuria for 4 months. The enlarged prostate was 4. 0 cm?5. 0 cm and palpated hard and rough with multiple nodes by DRE. Low-echo mass was shown on ultrasonography, and heterogeneous density of the prostate and involvement of seminal vesicle and bladder neck on CT. His serum PSA level was 2.61 ng/ml,and fPSA level was 0.05 ng/ml. Prostate carcinoma was indicated by biopsy, and orchiectomy plus TURP was performed. Results The diagnosis of small cell carcinoma of the 2 cases were confirmed by postoperative pathology. Microscopically, the tumor cells were arranged in solid-sheet and nest structures, showing the histologic type of diffuse infiltrative carcinoma. Coagulated necrosis could be found easily. Small round or oval cells resembling lymphocytes or oat cells were the main constituents of the tumor. The nuclei were extremely hyperchromatic and scanty. The seminal vesicle and bladder neck had tumor infiltration. The immunohistochemical staining results were negative for LCA,L-26 and 34?E12,but positive for PSA,AE1/ AE3 and AR ,and suspected positive for CgA and S-100. Case 1 died of extensive lung metastasis 1 month after operation. Case 2 had retroperitoneal metastasis of the tumor 3 months after operation, and has been followed till now. Conclusions Small cell cancer of the prostate is rare but can be diagnosed properly based on clinical and pathological features. Radical prostatectomy combined with hormone and chemotherapy is reliable treatment for early stage cancer; but for late stage cancer, there is no effective treatment and the prognosis is poor.