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RationaleIn late December 2019, an outbreak of acute respiratory illness, now officially named as COVID-19, or coronavirus disease 2019, emerged in Wuhan, China, now spreading across the whole country and world. More data were needed to understand the clinical characteristics of the disease. ObjectivesTo study the epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes of patients with COVID-19. Methodswe performed a single center, retrospective case series study in 221 patients with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia at a university hospital. Measurements and Main ResultsThe median age was 55.0 years and 48.9% were male and only 8 (3.6%) patients had a history of exposure to the Huanan Seafood Market. Compared to the non-severe pneumonia patients, the median age of the severe patients was significantly older, and they were more likely to have chronic comorbidities. Most common symptoms in severe patients were high fever, anorexia and dyspnea. On admission, 33.0% patients showed leukopenia and 73.8% showed lymphopenia. In addition, the severe patients suffered a higher rate of co-infections with bacteria or fungus and they were more likely to developing complications. As of February 15, 2020, 19.0% patients had been discharged and 5.4% patients died. 80% of severe cases received ICU care, and 52.3% of them transferred to the general wards due to relieved symptoms, and the mortality rate of severe patients in ICU was 20.5%. ConclusionsThe COVID-19 epidemic spreads rapidly by human-to-human transmission. Patients with elder age, chronic comorbidities, blood leukocyte/lymphocyte count, procalcitonin level, co-infection and severe complications might increase the risk of poor clinical outcomes.
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One case of Listeria monocytogenes bacteremia in third trimester of pregnancy admitted in Zhongnan Hospital was reported .And 25 cases of maternal listeriosis were retrieved from domestic literature search up to March 2017.The clinical features of 26 cases were analyzed .The newly reported case was a 27-year-old primigravida at 37 weeks 5 days of gestation presenting with fever for 23 days. Listeria monocytogenes was identified in blood culture .She was treated with intravenous piperacillin sodium and tazobactam sodium for 3 weeks and recovered .At 39 weeks 4 days of gestation, she gave birth of a male baby by vaginal delivery .The newborn baby was healthy with negative Listeria monocytogene in blood culture.The age of onset of all 26 cases was (30.2 ±4.7)years.There were 1, 13 and 12 patients with listeriosis diagnosed in the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy , respectively.The median time from onset to symptom presentation was 2 days.Clinical manifestations included fever (92%,24/26), leukocytosis (75%,18/24), abdominal pain (27%,7/26), fetal movement decrease or lose (23%,6/26) and vaginal bleeding (15%,4/26).Listeria monocytogenes were isolated from blood (11 cases), uterus swab (7 cases), amniotic fluid (2 cases) and so on.High proportion of adverse pregnancy outcomes occurred (88%,22/25).All gravidae recovered well after the termination of pregnancy .The empirical antibiotics did not cover those sensitive to listeria in all patients .Patients with maternal listeriosis often presented with acute fever and a high incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes , however, empirical antibiotics can hardly cover Listeria monocytogene.Thus, clinicians should improve awareness of listeriosis to avoid missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis .
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Objective:To investigate the effect of type ⅡNKT cells activated by sulfatide on airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma.Methods:Thirty-two BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups:normal control group ( n=8 ) , asthma group (n=8),sulfatide treatment group (n=8) and adoptive transfer group (n=8).The murine model of asthma was established by sensitization with intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin ( OVA) and intranasal challenge in all animals except for the normal control group where PBS was used instead.Intraperitoneal injection of sulfatide in a sulfatide treatment group, adoptive transfer of sulfatide-activated typeⅡNKT cells in adoptive transfer group and PBS in asthma group were carried out 1 hour before the first challenge.PBS was used for intraperitoneal administration in the normal control group.Lung histology and goblet cell hyperplasia were analyzed by HE or PAS staining.Differential cell count in bronchial alveolar lavage ( BALF) was measured by May-Gruenwald Giemsa;levels of OVA-specific IgE in serum and L-4,IL-5 in BALF were measured by ELISA.The percentages of lung type Ⅱ NKT cells,IL-4+and IFN-γ+typeⅡNKT cells were detected by flow cytometry.Results:Inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissue and goblet cell hyperplasia in the airway were decreased in sulfatide treatment group and adoptive transfer group.Percentages of eosinophil in BALF,level of OVA-specific IgE in serum,and levels of IL-4,IL-5 in BALF in sulfatide treatment group and adoptive transfer group were significantly lower than those in asthma group (all P<0.05).The percentages of lung IL-4+and IFN-γ+typeⅡNKT cells in sulfatide treatment group was significantly higher than those in asthma group ( P<0.01 ).Conclusion: Type Ⅱ NKT cells activated by sulfatide may inhibit airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma.
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Objective To investigate the clinical significance of airway hyperresponsiveness and eosinophil(Eos)percentage and level of eosinophil cationic protein(ECP)in induced sputum in patients with asthma during their remission period.Methods Seventy-six patients with asthma during their remission period were selected.Bronchial challenge test was performed and the percentage of Eos and level of ECP in induced sputum were measured by Wrights' stain and Immuno-CAP System,respectively.Thirty patients with asthma during their exacerbation period and twenty healthy subjects were selected as controls.Results In seventy-six patients with asthma during their remission period,sixty-five(85.5%)showed positive bronchial challenge test and eleven(14.5%)patients showed negative bronchial challenge test.The percentage of Eos and level of ECP in induced sputum in patients with asthma during their remission period were 0.071?0.032 and 131.5 ?g/L respectively;those in asthma group during their exacerbation period and healthy group were 0.198?0.103 vs 0.013?0.007 and 355.3 ?g/L vs 48.0 ?g/L,respectively.There was significant difference in the percentage of Eos and level of ECP in induced sputum between three groups(P
