Analysis of the clinical characteristics in 18 patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia: Observational study.

The aim of the present study was to analyze the clinical features, treatments, and short-term prognoses of 18 patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) in order to provide reference for further clinical prevention and control of the epidemic. From January 29 to February 29, 2020, data from 18 patients with NCP who were positive for the 2019 novel coronavirus nucleic acid test were collected, and their clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, imaging features, and treatment protocols were analyzed retrospectively. From among the 18 patients with NCP, 9 (50%) were imported cases and 9 (50%) had contact histories with confirmed adult patients. Clinical classification was mainly of the normal type (16 cases, 88.9%). Fever and cough were common clinical symptoms, and the main laboratory indices were lymphocytopenia and leukocytopenia. The main imaging findings yielded ground-glass opacity in 12 cases (66.7%) and patchy opacity in 9 cases (50%). All 18 patients were treated with antiviral therapy and targeted treatment in accordance with their symptoms, returned negative nucleic acid tests (9-23 days) after their treatment, and were cured and discharged by March 5, 2020. During the early stages in Deyang, most patients with NCP were input cases; in the later stages, the main route of infection was close contact within the family. Close contact history in epidemiology, nucleic acid detection, and chest imaging were important references for diagnosis. Antiviral therapy resulted in good therapeutic effects. Adopting multi-departmental consultation and remote consultation in combination with traditional Chinese medicine treatment and psychological counseling may result in a good short-term prognosis.

CLINICAL APPLICATION OF RT-PCR IN TUBERCULOSIS DNA DETECTION COMBINED WITH TB-IGRA IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF SPUTUM SMEAR-NEGATIVE PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS.

The aim was to investigate detection of pulmonary alveolar lavage fluid tuberculosis DNA by real-time fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) combined with clinical application of the sputum smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis with TB interferon-γ release assay (TB-IGRA). From October 2014 to October 2015, 632 outpatients and inpatients treated in our hospital were randomly selected, of which 459 patients as the research group managed with RT-PCR detection combined with TB-IGRA and 173 patients as the control group undergoing electronic bronchoscopy alveolar lavage fluid detection, with detection results statistically evaluated. The positive rate in the research group was 96.51%, i.e. significantly higher than that in the control group (66.47%), yielding a statistically significant difference (χ2=109.68, p=0.00). The true positive rate was 97.7% in the research group and 67.92% in the control group; the true positive rate was significantly higher in the research group patients as compared with the control group, yielding a statistically significant difference (χ2=112.04, p=0.00). The sensitivity and specificity, as well as Youden index were significantly higher in the research group as compared with the control group. In conclusion, TB DNA detection by RT-PCR combined with TB-IGRA is a very good method of diagnosing tuberculosis, and it can be implemented in clinical diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis.

The Frequency of Natural Killer Cell Subsets in Patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome with Deep Fungal Infections.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the expression of natural killer (NK) cell subsets in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and deep fungal infections and the significance of such expression. METHODS: A total of 829 patients with AIDS, who were treated in People's Hospital of Deyang City our hospital between January 2011 and March 2019, were enrolled in the study. They were divided into two groups: those with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and invasive fungal infection (IFI) (HIV + IFI) (n = 390) and those with HIV and no IFI (HIV + non-IFI) (n = 439). Another 200 healthy volunteers were enrolled as the control group. The numbers of NK cell subsets in each group were compared. RESULTS: The level of NK cells, number of NK cells in all lymphocytes, proportions of CD56bright, CD56dim, and CD56dim NK cells in NK cells, and the level of CD56-CD16+ NK cells were significantly lower in the HIV + IFI group than in the HIV + non-IFI group and control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, CD4+ T, CD4+/CD8+, and NK cells were negatively correlated with HIV-RNA expression (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A combination of AIDS and deep fungal infection can change the immune status of a patient. This condition can be diagnosed early through the detection of NK cell expression.