A Multicenter Study of Prevalence and Risk Factors for Allergic Rhinitis in Primary School Children in 5 Cities of Hubei Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Few data are available concerning the prevalence and risk factors for allergic rhinitis (AR) in school children in Hubei Province which is located in the central part of China. This study investigated the epidemiological features of AR among school children in Hubei Province. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey on AR in school children was carried out in 5 cities in Hubei Province by cluster sampling from June to September 2018. Questionnaires were filled out by children and their parents jointly. The diagnostic criteria of AR were according to the SFAR. Questions from the questionnaire were used to examine the pattern of AR. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk factors for childhood allergies. RESULTS: The total prevalence rate of AR was 16.16%, with 24.31% (Wuhan), 4.34% (Xiangyang), 4.31% (Tianmen), 10.92% (Jingmen), and 11.42% (Huangshi), respectively. The prevalence of AR was positively correlated with gross domestic product per capita (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that male, city of Wuhan, family history of allergy, food allergy, drug allergy, air purifier, exposure to dust, living in towns or urban area before 2 years old, maternal age for 26-35 years old, and frequent application of antibiotics increased the risk of AR, while daily outdoor time for 1-2 h, daily sleeping time >8 h, siblings, and breastfeeding for >6 months reduced the risk significantly. CONCLUSION: We found the apparent geographic variation of children allergies in Hubei Province. Both genetic and environment factors had impacts on the prevalence of AR in school children. Public policies should specifically target at the local risk factors for different areas.

Long non-coding RNA growth arrest-specific 5 and its targets, microRNA-21 and microRNA-140, are potential biomarkers of allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: Long non-coding RNA growth arrest-specific 5 (lnc-GAS5) and its targets (microRNA [miR]-21 and miR-140) are involved in the development and progression of allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the correlation of lnc-GAS5 with miR-21 and miR-140 and their associations with disease risk, symptom severity, and Th1/Th2 cytokines in AR remain unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate this topic. METHODS: In total, 120 patients with AR and 60 controls were recruited. Nasal-mucosa tissues were collected from all participants. Lnc-GAS5, its targets (miR-21 and miR-140), interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and IL-10 were detected by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Lnc-GAS5 was elevated, while miR-21 and miR-140 was downregulated in AR patients than in controls (p < 0.001). In AR patients, lnc-GAS5 was negatively correlated with miR-21 (p < 0.001), miR-140 (p < 0.001), IFN-γ (p = 0.019), and IL-2 (p = 0.039) and positively correlated with IL-4 (p = 0.004) and IL-10 (p < 0.001), individual nasal symptom scores (INSSs) for itching, sneezing, and congestion (p < 0.05), and total nasal symptom score (TNSS) (p < 0.001). Moreover, miR-21 and miR-140 were negatively correlated with some INSSs, total TNSS score, and IL-10 and positively correlated with IFN-γ and IL-2 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lnc-GAS5 is negatively correlated with that of its targets (miR-21 and miR-140) in AR; meanwhile, lnc-GAS5, miR-21, and miR-140 are correlated with disease risk, symptom severity, and Th1/Th2 imbalance in AR, suggesting the potential of these biomarkers in the development and progression of AR.

Platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as a potential prognostic factor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the use of pretreatment platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as a prognostic marker in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: A literature search was conducted using online databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and WangFang. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and clinicopathological features were generated and compared. RESULTS: Ten studies that included 3388 patients were analyzed in this meta-analysis. Among them, 8 studies with 3033 patients with NPC investigated the prognostic role of PLR for OS and showed that elevated PLR was associated with poor OS (HR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.46-2.15, P < .001). Five studies that included 1156 patients investigated the role of PLR in predicting PFS, and showed that high PLR was associated with poor PFS (HR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.26-2.17, P < .001). Moreover, high PLR correlated with the N stage (N2-3 vs N0-1; OR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.02-2.34, P = .04). CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that high PLR is associated with worse prognosis in patients with NPC. Pretreatment PLR could serve as a simple, promising indicator for prognostic evaluation in patients with NPC.

[Nasal malignant granular cell tumor: a case report].

We reported a case of nasal malignant granular cell tumor. The patient was a 51 years old man who went to the hospital because of "right nasal intermittent bleeding for half a year". The pathological examination after resection showed malignant granular cell tumor. No recurrence was noted during a year after resection. The etiology and pathogenesis, clinical features, pathological features and treatments of malignant granular cell tumor were reviewed.

[Application of nasopore and budesonide suspension on tamping after endoscopic sinus surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of nasal packing of pulmicort respules combined withnasopore after endoscopic sinus surgery. METHOD: A total of 30 CRSwNP and CRSsNP patients with bilateral functional endoscopic sinus surgery and finished following up visit were randomly choosed, conventionally select the left nasal cavity as the experimental group, the right nasal cavity as the control group. Experimental group to pack the nasal cavity with pulmicort respules union nasopore after surgery and control group to pack the nasal cavity with only nasopore after surgery. The differences were observed in patients with subjective symptoms and recovery of mucosa of operative cavity between the two groups after two weeks, one month and three months. RESULT: (1) The postoperative VAS symptoms score about nasal obstruction, nasal secretion, headache, dizziness and distending pain after two weeks,one month and three months in the experiment group were significantly better than those in the control group(P<0.05). (2) The postoperative Lund-Kennedy endoscopic mucosa morphology score after two weeks, one month and three months in the experiment group were significantly better than those in the control group(P<0.05); (3) After three months, the experiment group had 28 cases with clinic symptoms cured(93. 3%), Total effective rate was 96. 6%; The control group had 22 cases with clinic symptoms cured (73. 3%), total effective rate was 93. 3%. The cure rate of the experiment group was significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05), but there was no statistic difference between the two groups in the total effective rate (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The application of nasal packing of pulmicort respules combined with nasopore after functional endoscopic sinus surgery can effectively relieve postoperative uncomfortable symptoms, promote recovery of mucosa of perative cavity, which deserves clinical promotion.