To analyze the relationship between obesity with related measurable indicators and insulin resistance among the residents over 50-year-old in Wuxi area.The questionnaire survey,physical examination,and relevant biochemical measurements as well as gender,age,height,body w eight,waist circumference,and hip circumference were obtained.The prevalence of obesity was 11.95％ of which 57.24％ were with central obesity,and the prevalence in male was higher than that in female(P＜0.05).With inereasing body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference(WC),the prevalence of insulin resistance increased gradually (P ＜ 0.05).Meanwhile,With the increasing HOMA-IR,the prevalence of obesity and central obesity also gradually increased (P＜0.05).BMI,WC,and waist-to-hip ratio can effectively predict insulin resistance.The cut-off point of waist circumference was 87.5 cm for male,and 84 cm for female.At the same level of body mass index,metabolic measurements in central obesity group were higher than those of non-central obesity group with the same body mass index,especially in normal weight group.The related metabolic measurements of metabolic obesity but normal weight group were mostly higher than metabolically healthy but obese group,and there were statistically significant differences in fasting blood glucose,fasting insulin,HOMA-IR and HOMA-β.Obesity,especially central obesity,is closely related to insulin resistance among residents over 50-year-old in Wuxi area.Meanwhile,waist circumference may effectively predict insulin resistance and may serve as a parameter in the occurrence of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.

Critical care medicine has developed rapidly and has become an indispensable comprehensive subject in clinical medicine at home and abroad.In recent years,the government has vigorously implemented the "Healthy China" strategy and strived to achieve a higher level of national health.The Henan Provincial People's Hospital has set up a network of interconnected "Wisdom · Critical Care Medicine Specialist League" to meet the major strategic needs of the country,and to play a role in attracting large hospitals to promote the sinking of quality medical resources and the improvement of grassroots service capabilities.Complementary advantages and resource sharing are conducive to achieve win-win cooperation and coordinated development between the third-grade class-A hospital and grassroots hospitals.

Objective To compare the efficacy of high flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with acute-moderate type Ⅱ respiratory failure,and to explore the feasibility of HFNC in the treatment of COPD with respiratory failure.Methods Patients diagnosed with COPD with acute moderate type Ⅱ respiratory failure (Arterial blood gas pH 7.25-7.35,PaCO2＞ 50 mmHg) admitted to the ICUs from April 2017 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients who were treated with HFNC within the first 4 hours after the admission to the ICUs,and continued for more than 2 hours and for at least 4 hours within the first 24 hours were included in the HFNC group.Those treated with NIV in the same conditions were included in the NIV group.The end point was the failure rates of treatment (changing to respiratory support method in another group or invasive ventilation) and 28-day mortality.Results Eighty-two patients (39 in the HFNC group and 43 in the NIV group) were enrolled.The HFNC group had a treatment failure rate of 28.2％,which was lower than that of the NIV group (39.5％).However,Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed no significant difference between the two groups (Log Rank test 1.228,P=0.268).The 28-day mortality rate in HFNC group was 15.4％,which was no different from 14％ in NIV group (Log Rank test 0.049,P=0.824).The number of airway care interventions within the first 24 hours was significantly lower in the HFNC group than in the NIV group [5 (3～8) vs.11 (7～15)],whereas the duration of respiratory support within the first 24 hours was significantly longer in the HFNC group than in the NIV group [16 (9～22) hours vs.8 (4～11) hours] (all P＜0.05).The incidence of nasal facial lesions in the NIV group was 20.9％,significantly higher than that of HFNC group (5.1％,P ＜0.05).Conclusion For COPD with acute moderate type Ⅱ respiratory failure,HFNC has similar therapeutic effects as NIV.HFNC has better therapeutic tolerance and is a new potential respiratory support method for clinical treatment of COPD with respiratory failure.

Background: Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED) has been widely used in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. Epidural injection of steroids can reduce the incidence and duration of postoperative pain in a short period of time. Although steroids are widely believed to reduce the effect of surgical trauma, the observation indicators are not uniform, especially the long-term effects, so the problem remains controversial. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy of epidural steroids following PTED. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Database from 1980 to June 2021 to identify randomized and non-randomized controlled trials comparing epidural steroids and saline alone following PTED. The primary outcomes included postoperative pain at least 6 months as assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay and the time of return to work. Results: A total of 451 patients were included in three randomized and two nonrandomized controlled trials. The primary outcomes, including VAS and ODI scores, did not differ significantly between epidural steroids following PTED and saline alone. There were no significant intergroup differences in length of hospital stay. Epidural steroids were shown to be superior in terms of the time to return to work (P < 0.001). Conclusions Intraoperative epidural steroids did not provide significant benefits, leg pain control, improvement in ODI scores, and length of stay in the hospital, but it can enable the patient to return to work faster.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology for a child with profound intellectual disabilities and obvious behavioral abnormalities. METHODS: A male child who had presented at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University on December 2, 2020 was selected as the study subject. Peripheral blood samples of the child and his parents were collected and subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis was carried out to determine its parental origin. The splicing variant was also validated in vitro with a minigene assay. RESULTS: WES results revealed that the child had harbored a novel splicing variant of c.176-2A>G in the PAK3 gene, which was inherited from his mother. The results of minigene assay have confirmed aberrant splicing of exon 2. According to the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, it was classified as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP3). CONCLUSION The novel splicing variant c.176-2A>G of the PAK3 gene probably underlay the disorder in this child. Above finding has expanded the variation spectrum of the PAK3 gene and provided a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for this family.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Exons ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Mothers ; Mutation ; p21-Activated Kinases/genetics* ; Parents ; RNA Splicing

Objective:To compare the therapeutic effects of nasal high-flow oxygen therapy (HFNC) and nasal canal oxygenation (NCO) during breaks off non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD), and to explore the feasibility of NIV combined with HFNC in the treatment of AECOPD.Methods:From August 2017 to July 2019, AECOPD patients with type Ⅱrespiratory failure (arterial blood gas pH <7.35, PaCO 2 > 50 mmHg) who were treated with NIV were randomly (random number) assigned to the HFNC group and NCO group at 1:1. The HFNC group received HFNC treatment during breaks from NIV and the NCO group received low-flow NCO during the NIV interval. The primary endpoint was the total respiratory support time. The secondary endpoints were endotracheal intubation, duration of NIV treatment and breaks from NIV, length of ICU stay, total length of hospital stay and so on. Results:Eighty-two patients were randomly assigned to the HFNC group and the NCO group. After secondary exclusion, 36 patients in the HFNC group and 37 patients in the NCO group were included in the analysis. The total respiratory support time in the HFNC group was significantly shorter than that in the NCO group [(74 ± 18) h vs. (93 ± 20) h, P = 0.042]. The total duration of NIV treatment in the HFNC group was significantly shorter than that in the NCO group [(36 ± 11) h vs. (51 ± 13) h, P=0.014]. There was no significant difference of the mean duration of single break from NIV between the two groups, but durations of break from NIV in the HFNC group were significantly longer than those in the NCO group since the third break from NIV ( P < 0.05). The intubation rates of the HFNC and NCO groups were 13.9% and 18.9%, respectively, with no significant difference ( P=0.562). The length of ICU stay in the HFNC group was (4.3 ± 1.7) days, which was shorter than that in the NCO group [(5.8 ± 2.1) days, P=0.045], but there was no significant difference in the total length of hospital stay between the two groups. Heart rate, respiratory rate, percutaneous carbon dioxide partial pressure and dyspnea score during the breaks from NIV in the NCO group were significantly higher than those in the HFNC group, and the comfort score was lower than that in the HFNC group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:For AECOPD patients receiving NIV, compared with NCO, HFNC during breaks from NIV can shorten respiratory support time and length of ICU stay, and improve carbon dioxide retention and dyspnea. HFNC is an ideal complement to NIV therapy in AECOPD patients.

Objective:To study the new mechanism of Xuebijing injection improving the function of pulmonary vascular barrier from the perspective of claudin-5 protein.Methods:Acute lung injury (ALI) model was induced by hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) exposure. ① In vivo study: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into control group, H 2S exposure group (exposure to 300×10 -6 H 2S for 3 hours), Xuebijing control group (Xuebijing injection 4 mL/kg, twice a day, for 3 days), and Xuebijing intervention group (H 2S exposure after pretreatment of Xuebijing injection) according to random number method, with 6 rats in each group. At different time points (0, 6, 12 and 24 hours) after the model was made successfully, the total protein content in plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of rats were detected respectively, and the pulmonary permeability index (PPI) was calculated (PPI = protein content in BALF/protein content in plasma), lung dry/wet weight ratio (W/D) was detected, and claudin-5 mRNA expression in lung tissue was measured by real time-polymerase chain reaction. ② In vitro test: human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) were divided into blank control group, NaHS treatment group (co-incubated with 500 μmol/L NaHS for 12 hours), Xuebijing control group (2 g/L Xuebijing injection for 24 hours), and Xuebijing intervention group (2 g/L Xuebijing injection pre-treated for 24 hours, then co-incubated with 500 μmol/L NaHS for 12 hours). The HPMECs claudin-5 protein expression and monolayer permeability changes were measured at different co-incubation time (1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours) by Western Blot and fluoresceinsodium. Results:① In vivo study: compared with the control group, the lung W/D ratio increased significantly at 6 hours and peaked at 12 hours after H 2S exposure in rats (4.67±0.11 vs. 4.26±0.06, P < 0.01). The expression of claudin-5 mRNA in lung tissue was significantly decreased, which was 89% of control group 6 hours after exposure ( P < 0.01). The total protein content in BALF and PPI at 12 hours after exposure were significantly higher than those in the control group [total protein content (mg/L): 262.31±14.24 vs. 33.30±3.09, PPI: (11.72±0.57)×10 -3 vs. (1.21±0.08)×10 -3, both P < 0.01], while the results in Xuebijing intervention group were significantly decreased [total protein content (mg/L): 153.25±7.32 vs. 262.31±14.24, PPI: (5.79±0.23)×10 -3 vs. (11.72±0.57)×10 -3, both P < 0.01]. ② In vitro test: compared with the blank control group, after incubating HPMECs with NaHS, the permeability of monolayer endothelial cells gradually increased, reaching the highest level in 12 hours, about twice of that in the blank control group, while claudin-5 protein expression decreased to the lowest level at 12 hours (claudin-5/β-actin: 0.42±0.03 vs. 1.03±0.05, P < 0.01). After intervention with Xuebijing, the permeability of endothelial cells was significantly improved (fluorescence intensity of fluorescein sodium: 1.46±0.10 vs. 1.89±0.11, P < 0.01), and the decrease of claudin-5 protein was reduced (claudin-5/β-actin: 0.68±0.04 vs. 0.38±0.03, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Xuebijing injection may improve pulmonary vascular barrier function in ALI by upregulating claudin-5 expression.

Objective:To study the signaling pathway of the up-regulation of claudin-5 expression by Xuebijing injection.Methods:Animal and cell models of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). ① In vivo study, 20 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, LPS group (LPS injection 10 mg/kg for 12 hours), Xuebijing control group (Xuebijing injection 1 mg/kg, twice a day, for 3 days), and Xuebijing intervention group (LPS injection after pretreatment of Xuebijing injection), according to random number method with 5 rats in each group. The lung tissues were taken to detect lung dry/wet weight ratio (W/D) and the morphological changes in each group. Claudin-5, phosphorylated forkhead box transcription factor O1 (p-FOXO1), total FOXO1 (t-FOXO1), phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) and total Akt (t-Akt) in lung tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and Western blotting. ② In vitro study, human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs) were divided into 6 groups (5 holes in each group): control group, Xubijing control group (incubated with 2 g/L Xubijing for 24 hours), phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) signaling pathway LY294002 control group (incubated with 10 μmol/L LY294002 for 1 hour), LPS group (incubated with 1 mg/L LPS for 12 hours), Xubijing intervention group (incubated with 2 g/L Xuebijing for 24 hours, then with 1 mg/L LPS for 12 hours) and LY294002 intervention group (incubated with 10 μmol/L LY294002 for 1 hour, then with 2 g/L and Xubijing for 24 hours, and then with 1 mg/L LPS for 12 hours). The expression levels of claudin-5, p-FOXO1, t-FOXO1, p-Akt and t-Akt of HPMECs in each group were assessed by Western blotting. Results:In vivo study: ① Compared with the control group, the lung W/D ratio increased significantly in LPS group (6.79±0.42 vs. 4.19±0.13), and decreased significantly after the intervention of Xuebijing (4.92±0.38 vs. 6.79±0.42, P < 0.01). ② Morphological changes of lung tissue: compared with the control group, the injury of lung tissue in LPS group was more serious, which was significantly improved after Xuebijing intervention. ③ Expression levels of claudin-5, p-Akt/t-Akt and p-FOXO1/t-FOXO1: the expression levels of claudin-5, p-Akt/t-Akt and p-FOXO1/t-FOXO1 in LPS group were significantly decreased as compared with the control group (claudin-5/GAPDH: 0.33±0.03 vs. 1.03±0.07, p-Akt/t-Akt: 0.18±0.02 vs. 1.01±0.13, p-FOXO1/t-FOXO1: 0.16±0.06 vs. 1.00±0.19, all P < 0.01). After the intervention of Xuebijing, the expression levels were significantly increased as compared with the LPS group (claudin-5/GAPDH: 0.53±0.05 vs. 0.33±0.03, p-Akt/t-Akt: 0.56±0.12 vs. 0.18±0.02, p-FOXO1/t-FOXO1: 0.68±0.10 vs. 0.16±0.06, all P < 0.01). In vitro study: compared with the control group, the expression level of claudin-5 in the LPS group was significantly decreased (claudin-5/β-actin: 0.45±0.03 vs. 1.01±0.15, P < 0.01), and the expression level of claudin-5 in Xuebijing intervention group was also significantly decreased (claudin-5/β-actin: 0.80±0.08 vs. 1.01±0.15, P < 0.01). After the intervention of LY294002, the expression of claudin-5 was significantly decreased as compared with the Xubijing intervention group (claudin-5/β-actin: 0.41±0.02 vs. 0.80±0.08, P < 0.01). Conclusion:Xuebijing injection improve pulmonary vascular barrier function in rats with ARDS by up-regulating claudin-5 expression through PI3K/Akt/FOXO1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of intensive care unit acquired weakness (ICUAW) in patients with sepsis, and to evaluate the predictive value of each risk factor for ICUAW.Methods:A case control study was conducted, 60 septic patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Henan Provincial People's Hospital from October 20, 2020 to February 20, 2021 were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: sepsis ICUAW group and sepsis non-ICUAW group. The data of gender, age, body mass index (BMI), acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) score, complications, mechanical ventilation, duration of ICUAW, length of stay in ICU, fasting blood glucose, blood lactic acid (Lac), procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, outcome, antimicrobial agent, glucocorticoid, sedatives and analgesics drugs and vasoactive drugs were collected. Risk factors were screened by univariate Logistic regression analysis, and odds ratio ( OR) was adjusted by multivariate binary logistic regression, P < 0.05 was considered as independent risk factors. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to analyze the predictive value of independent risk factors. Results:The APACHEⅡ score of the sepsis ICUAW group was significantly higher than that of the sepsis non-ICUAW group (23.05±8.17 vs. 15.33±4.89, P < 0.05), the total length of stay in the ICU was significantly longer than that of the sepsis non-ICUAW group (days: 15.1±9.2 vs. 8.5±3.4, P < 0.05), the improvement rate of patients was significantly lower than that of the sepsis non-ICUAW group [45.0% (9/20) vs. 95.0% (38/40), P < 0.05]. After univariate Logistic regression and multicollinearity test analysis, 7 factors including APACHEⅡ score, average SOFA score, blood lactic acid, proportion of mechanical ventilation, sedatives and analgesics drugs, type of antibiotics and type of vasoactive drugs were included in the binary Logistic regression model [ OR: 1.21, 2.05, 2.26, 0.21, 1.54, 2.07, 1.38, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.09-1.35, 1.42-2.94, 1.12-4.57, 0.05-0.66, 1.03-2.29, 1.27-3.37, 0.96-2.00, all P < 0.05]. Hosmer-Lemchaw test P = 0.901, and the correct percentage of prediction was 85%, indicating good model fit. Multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that APACHEⅡ score and average SOFA score were independent risk factors for the occurrence of ICUAW in septic patients (APACHEⅡscore: OR = 1.17, 95% CI was 1.004-1.376, P = 0.044; average SOFA score: OR = 1.86, 95% CI was 1.157-2.981, P = 0.01). ROC curve analysis showed that the mean value of APACHEⅡ score, average SOFA score and their combined detection had a certain predictive value for the occurrence of ICUAW in sepsis patients, areas under ROC curve (AUC) were 0.787, 0.881, 0.905, 95% CI was 0.646-0.928, 0.791-0.972, 0.828-0.982, all P < 0.05. When the cut-off value was 19.500, 6.225, 0.375, the sensitivity was 75%, 90%, 90%, and the specificity were 80%, 80%, 85%, respectively. Conclusion:APACHEⅡ score and average SOFA score can be used as independent risk factors for the occurrence of ICUAW in sepsis, and their combined predictive value is better than that of individual index.

Objective To investigate the expressions of IL-18, IL-18 binding protein isoform a (IL-18BPa) and IL-18 receptor α (IL-18Rα) in blood CD4⁺ Th2 cells of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and the effects of allergens on their expressions. Methods Blood samples of AR patients and healthy control subjects (HCs) were collected. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4⁺ T cells sorted by immunomagnetic beads were stimulated by crude extract of Artemisia sieversiana wild allergen (ASWE), Platanus pollen (PPE) and house dust mite extract (HDME). Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of IL-18, IL-18BPa and IL-18Rα in CD4⁺ Th2 cells, and BioPlex was used to detect the level of plasma IL-4 and analyze its correlation with the proportion of IL-18⁺ Th2 cells. Results Compared with HCs, the proportion of IL-18⁺ cells was increased in Th2 cells of AR patients; MFI of IL-18 was increased, while that of IL-18Rα was decreased. Moreover, allergens induced IL-18 and IL-18Rα expression in sorted CD4⁺ Th2 cells of HCs and induced IL-18Rα in that of AR patients. Additionally, elevated plasma IL-4 level was found in AR patients, which was moderately correlated with the percentage of IL-18⁺ Th2 cells. Conclusion Allergens may be involved in the pathogenesis of AR by inducing expression of IL-18 in peripheral blood CD4⁺ Th2 cells.
Humans ; Th2 Cells ; Interleukin-18/metabolism* ; Up-Regulation ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/metabolism* ; Interleukin-4/metabolism* ; Rhinitis, Allergic/metabolism* ; Allergens ; Cytokines/metabolism*