OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the association between Asia-Pacific classification of body mass index, waist circumference and waist hip ratio and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 moderate & severe patients at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A This study involved adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19. 182 patients were analyzed and divided into 167 moderate and 15 severe COVID-19 patients. Primary outcomes (respiratory decompensation, septic shock, and mortality) of patients were compared among Asia Pacific BMI groups.

Among patients with moderate and severe COVID-19, 7 out of 10 patients were obese. Respiratory decompensation and sepsis were more frequently seen in obese patients. Obesity and waist circumference were significantly associated with the odds of respiratory decompensation (95% CI p=0.010 and p=0.002), however this association was not sustained upon adjustment for confounders. On univariate analysis, waist and hip circumferences were significantly associated with the odds of ICU admission (95% CI, p=.013 and p=.034), however after controlling for confounders, only hip ratio retained significant association. Among patients with severe COVID-19, there was insufficient evidence to support significant variations in distributions of outcomes of interest across Asia-Pacific BMI groups.

Our study emphasized that although respiratory decompensation and sepsis were more frequently seen in obese patients. progression of respiratory decompensation and mortality is not significantly associated with obesity as defined by the Asia Pacific BMI classification, warranting the need for larger prospective studies.

Generally, this study explores the transformation of body image among former collegiate athletes in Metro Manila. Through qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology, the study found out diverse experiences of former female athletes with their body image. A salient theme that was elicited from the study was how changes in daily routines significantly impacted their perceptions. External factors like comments from family, peers, and society also played a major role. The cultural norms of both athletics and Philippine society influenced how these women internalized their body image. Many still associate ideal bodies with athletic terms like "muscular" or "visible abs." Coping mechanisms varied, but most leaned towards positive strategies like seeking support to counter the negative influences.

Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is a term that encompasses a group of short stature disorders with unknown etiology. The genetic factors associated with ISS are complex, and the known genetic mechanisms include alterations in hormones, hormone receptors, or related pathways, defects in fundamental cellular processes (such as intracellular signaling pathways and transcriptional regulation), issues with extracellular matrix or paracrine signaling, as well as genetic variations in the genes encoding these proteins. Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy is currently an effective clinical method for improving height in children with ISS. However, the efficacy of rhGH treatment on ISS varies among children with different genetic mechanisms. This paper analyzes and elucidates the genetic mechanisms of ISS and the effects of rhGH on ISS based on existing clinical research, aiming to enhance the understanding of ISS and provide references for improving the height of these children.
Humans ; Human Growth Hormone/therapeutic use* ; Growth Disorders/genetics* ; Child ; Body Height/genetics*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic effect of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and different pituitary developmental conditions. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on 90 children with GHD who were admitted to Xuchang Maternity and Child Health Hospital from June 2020 to December 2021. According to pituitary height on the median sagittal plane, they were divided into three groups: pituitary dysplasia group (n=45), normal pituitary group (n=31), and enlarged pituitary growth group (n=14). The changes in body height, growth velocity, height standard deviation score and serum levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were examined after treatment in the above three groups, and the differences of the above indices before and after treatment were compared among the three groups. RESULTS: After treatment, all three groups had significant increases in body height, growth velocity, height standard deviation score, and the serum levels of IGFBP-3 and IGF-1 (P<0.05). Compared with the normal pituitary group, the pituitary dysplasia group and the enlarged pituitary growth group had significantly higher values in terms of the differences in body height, growth velocity, height standard deviation score, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 before and after treatment (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of adverse reactions among the three groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS In GHD children with different pituitary developmental conditions, rhGH can promote bone growth and increase body height, especially in children with pituitary dysplasia and pituitary hyperplasia, with good safety.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Body Height ; Human Growth Hormone/therapeutic use* ; Hyperplasia ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Prospective Studies ; Pituitary Gland/pathology* ; Recombinant Proteins/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the changes in the serum levels of Klotho, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) before and after recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment, as well as the correlation of Klotho and FGF23 with the growth hormone (GH)/IGF-1 growth axis in these children. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 33 children who were diagnosed with ISS in the Department of Pediatrics, Hebei Provincial People's Hospital, from March 10, 2021 to December 1, 2022 (ISS group). Twenty-nine healthy children, matched for age and sex, who attended the Department of Child Healthcare during the same period, were enrolled as the healthy control group. The children in the ISS group were treated with rhGH, and the serum levels of Klotho, FGF23, and IGF-1 were measured before treatment and after 3, 6, and 9 months of treatment. A correlation analysis was conducted on these indexes. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the serum levels of IGF-1, Klotho, and FGF23 between the ISS and healthy control groups (P>0.05). The serum levels of Klotho, FGF23, and IGF-1 increased significantly in the ISS group after 3, 6, and 9 months of rhGH treatment (P<0.05). In the ISS group, Klotho and FGF23 levels were positively correlated with the phosphate level before treatment (P<0.05). Before treatment and after 3, 6, and 9 months of rhGH treatment, the Klotho level was positively correlated with the IGF-1 level (P<0.05), the FGF23 level was positively correlated with the IGF-1 level (P<0.05), and the Klotho level was positively correlated with the FGF23 level (P<0.05), while Klotho and FGF23 levels were not correlated with the height standard deviation of point (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The rhGH treatment can upregulate the levels of Klotho, FGF23, and IGF-1 and realize the catch-up growth in children with ISS. Klotho and FGF23 may not directly promote the linear growth of children with ISS, but may have indirect effects through the pathways such as IGF-1 and phosphate metabolism. The consistent changes in Klotho, FGF23 and IGF-1 levels show that there is a synergistic relationship among them in regulating the linear growth of ISS children.
Child ; Humans ; Human Growth Hormone/pharmacology* ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/pharmacology* ; Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 ; Prospective Studies ; Growth Disorders ; Phosphates/pharmacology* ; Body Height

Objective: To establish a three-dimensional model of middle ear-eustachian tube based on Chinese digital visual human dataset, and the deformation and pressure changes of the middle ear-eustachian tube system after eustachian tube opening are simulated by computer numerical simulation. Methods: The first female Chinese Digital Visual Human data was adopted. The images were imported by Amira image processing software, and the images were segmented by Geomagic software to form a three-dimensional model of middle ear-eustachian tube system, including eustachian tube, tympanum, tympanic membrane, auditory ossicles, and mastoid air cells system. The 3D model was imported into Hypermesh software for meshing and analysis. The structural mechanics calculation was carried out by Abaqus, and gas flow was simulated by Xflow. The tissue deformation and middle ear pressure changes during eustachian tube opening were numerically simulated by fluid-solid coupling algorithm. Several pressure monitoring points including tympanum, mastoid, tympanic isthmus, and external auditory canal were set up in the model, and the pressure changes of each monitoring point were recorded and compared. Results: In this study, a three-dimensional model of middle ear-eustachian tube and a numerical simulation model of middle ear ventilation were established, including eustachian tube, tympanum, mastoid air cells, tympanic membrane, and auditory ossicles. The dynamic changes of the model after ventilation could be divided into five stages according to the pressure. In addition, the pressure changes of tympanum and tympanic isthmus were basically synchronous, and the pressure changes of mastoid air cells system were later than that of tympanum and tympanic isthmus, which verified the pressure buffering effect of mastoid. The extracted pressure curve of the external auditory canal was basically consistent with that of tympanometry in terms of value and trend, which verified the effectiveness of the model. Conclusions: The numerical simulation model of middle ear-eustachian tube ventilation established in this paper can simulate the tissue deformation and middle ear pressure changes after eustachian tube opening, and its accuracy and effectiveness are also verified. This not only lays a foundation for further research, but also provides a new research method for the study of middle ear ventilation.
China ; Ear, Middle ; Eustachian Tube ; Female ; Human Body ; Humans ; Middle Ear Ventilation

Objective: To evaluate the consistency of mass spectrometry (MS) and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) in detecting serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1 standard deviation score (SDS). Methods: This cross-sectional parallel control study prospectively collected the serum samples of 115 children with short stature disorders who were admitted in the Department of Endocrinology, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University from February 2020 to December 2021. The serum IGF-1 level was detected by CLIA and MS, and converted to SDS for consistency analysis. Pearson analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the 2 methods, and Deming regression equation was established. Bland-Altman diagram and weighted Kappa coefficient were used to evaluate the consistency of the 2 methods. Results: There were 46 boys (40.0%) and 69 girls (60.0%), aged (8±3) years. Among the 115 cases, 37 were Turner syndrome, 59 were small for gestational age (SGA) at term, 1 was growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and 18 were other diseases. Pearson correlation analysis showed a preferable correlation between IGF-1 measured by the 2 detection methods (r=0.94, P<0.01), and IGF-1 SDS was also significantly correlated (r=0.92, P<0.01). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the consistency of serum IGF-1 levels detected by the 2 methods was poor, and the mean difference between CLIA and MS was 33.38 μg/L. The result detected by CLIA was significantly higher than that by MS, with SDS of 43.51 μg/L (95%CI -51.89-118.7 μg/L). After converting the results to SDS and removing 3 outliers (including 1 GHD patient), the weighted Kappa showed acceptable consistency (κ=0.68). Conclusion: In clinical application, after converting to IGF-1 SDS, IGF-1 detected by MS and CLIA can be used for cross-reference, but too high or too low levels should be cautious about.
Body Height ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Growth Disorders/diagnosis* ; Human Growth Hormone ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3 ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/metabolism* ; Insulins ; Male

Objective: To analyse the efficacy of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) treatment in children born small for gestational age (SGA) with syndormic and non-syndormic short stature. Methods: The clinical data of 59 children born SGA who were diagnosed as short stature and admitted to the Center of Endocrinology, Genetics and Metabolism, Beijing Children's Hospital from July 2012 to June 2021 were collected and analyzed. According to the 2019 consensus on short stature, they were divided into syndromic group and non-syndromic group. Before treatment and 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after treatment, height standard deviation score (Ht-SDS), difference of height standard deviation (∆Ht-SDS) and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) were compared between groups, while Ht-SDS and HOMA-IR were compared before and after treatment. Independent t test or Kruskal-Wallis test were used for comparison between the 2 groups, and paired t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used for the intra-group comparison. Results: Among the 59 cases, 37 were males and 22 females, aged (5.5±2.3) years. There was no significant difference in Ht-SDS after 12 months of treatment between 2 groups (0.9±0.4 vs. 1.2±0.4, t=1.68, P=0.104) or in height SDS after 24 months of treatment (1.4±0.7 vs. 1.9±0.5, t=1.52, P=0.151). After 12 months of treatment, the insulin resistance index of the non-syndromic group was significantly higher than that of the syndromic group (2.29 (1.43, 2.99) vs. 0.90 (0.55, 1.40), Z=-2.95, P=0.003). There were significant differences in Ht-SDS between 6 months and before treatment, 12 months and 6 months in syndromic type (Z=7.65, 2.83 P<0.001, P=0.020), but all were significant differences in non-syndromic type between 6 months and before treatment, 12 months and 6 months, 18 months and 12 months, 24 months and 18 months (Z=11.95, 7.54, 4.26, 3.83, all P<0.001). Conclusion: The efficacy of rhGH treatment in children born SGA is comparable between syndromic and non-syndromic short stature cases, but non-syndromic children treated with rhGH need more frequent follow-up due to the risk of insulin resistance.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Body Height ; Gestational Age ; Human Growth Hormone/therapeutic use* ; Infant, Small for Gestational Age ; Insulin ; Insulin Resistance ; Recombinant Proteins ; Child, Preschool

Focusing on the original text record in
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Human Body ; Humans ; Meridians

Since December 2019, the novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)) has spread to many countries around the world, developing into a global pandemic with increasing numbers of deaths reported worldwide. To data, although some vaccines have been developed, there are no ideal drugs to treat novel coronavirus pneumonia (coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)). By examining the structure of the coronavirus and briefly describing its possible pathogenesis based on recent autopsy reports conducted by various teams worldwide, this review analyzes the possible structural and functional changes of the human body upon infection with SARS-CoV-2. We observed that the most prominent pathological changes in COVID-19 patients are diffuse alveolar damage (DAD) of the lungs and microthrombus formation, resulting in an imbalance of the ventilation/perfusion ratio and respiratory failure. Although direct evidence of viral infection can also be found in other organs and tissues, the viral load is relatively small. The conclusion that the injuries of the extra-pulmonary organs are directly caused by the virus needs further investigation.
COVID-19/physiopathology* ; Human Body ; Humans ; Immune Evasion ; Lung/virology* ; Viral Load