Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatiotemporal clustering of varicella in Lu'an City from 2005 to 2023, and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing varicella prevention and control strategies. Methods Data on varicella cases were collected through the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention Information System. Descriptive epidemiology, temporal trend analysis, seasonal analysis, spatiotemporal clustering analysis, and spatial autocorrelation analysis were conducted using QGIS, JoinPoint, SaTScan and GeoDa software. Results The average annual reported incidence rate of varicella in Lu'an City from 2005 to 2023 was 34.55/100,000, showing a trend of initial increase followed by a decrease. The peak incidence occurred from October to January of the following year (RR=1.97, LLR=1743.95, P=0.001). Students aged 0 to 19 was the primary affected group. Spatiotemporal scan analysis revealed four types of spatiotemporal clusters, with the cluster in Jin'an District from October 2017 to December 2023 being particularly prominent (RR=2.87，LLR=1734.15，P<0.001). Spatial autocorrelation analysis indicated significant clustering of varicella cases in the main urban area (Moran's I=0.216，Z=4.786，P=0.003). Conclusion The incidence of varicella in Lu'an City exhibits distinct seasonal and spatial clustering, and schools and kindergartens in the main urban area are the key to varicella prevention and control. It is necessary to enhance the monitoring of disease outbreaks during peak periods and in key areas, and to increase the two-dose vaccination rate for varicella in areas with case aggregation and among key populations.

OBJECTIVE: Asthma imposes a significant global health burden. This study examines changes in the asthma-related disease burden from 1990 to 2021 and projects future burdens for 2050 under different scenarios. METHODS: Using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study, we analyzed asthma incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2021. We projected the disease burden for 2050 based on current trends and hypothetical scenarios in which all risk factors are controlled. Temporal trends in age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY rates were explored using Annual Percent Change. RESULTS: In 2021, the age-standardized rates for asthma incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs in China were 364.17 per 100,000 (95% uncertainty interval [ UI]: 283.22-494.10), 1,956.49 per 100,000 (95% UI: 1,566.68-2,491.87), 1.47 per 100,000 (95% UI: 1.15-1.79), and 103.76 per 100,000 (95% UI: 72.50-145.46), respectively. A higher disease burden was observed among Chinese men and individuals aged 70 years or older. Compared to the current trend, a combined scenario involving improvements in environmental factors, behavioral and metabolic health, child nutrition, and vaccination resulted in a greater reduction in the disease burden caused by asthma. CONCLUSION Addressing modifiable risk factors is essential for further reducing the asthma-related disease burden.
Humans ; Asthma/mortality* ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Child ; Adolescent ; Global Burden of Disease/trends* ; Child, Preschool ; Young Adult ; Infant ; Cost of Illness ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Prevalence ; Incidence ; Infant, Newborn ; Aged, 80 and over ; Risk Factors

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of skin care products containing mandelic acid and niacinamide in the management of mild to moderate acne.Methods:A total of 50 patients with mild to moderate acne were prospectively enrolled at Xijing Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University, from June to October 2020. Participants were randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group using a random number table method, with each group comprising 25 individuals. The observation group consisted of 3 males and 22 females, with a mean age of (22.5±3.2) years; the control group also included 3 males and 22 females, with a mean age of (22.9±2.8) years. The control group received conventional acne treatment without any additional skin care interventions apart from daily facial cleaning; conversely, the observation group was treated with skin care products containing mandelic acid and niacinamide alongside standard treatment protocols. At weeks 2, 4, and 8 post-treatment, objective assessments utilizing skin property system and VISIA complexion analysis system were conducted to evaluate changes in lesion count as well as recovery of skin barrier function between both groups; additionally, patients completed adverse reaction record forms.Results:No significant differences were observed regarding gender distribution, age demographics, disease duration or severity between the two groups ( P>0.05). After 8 weeks of treatment, the rates of effective improvement for skin lesions and acne were observed to be 84.0% (21/25) in the observation group compared to 56.0% (14/25) in the control group for lesion improvement, and 84.0% (21/25) versus 44.0% (11/25) for acne improvement, respectively. When compared to the control group, the observation group demonstrated significantly higher rates of effective improvement in both skin lesions and acne ( P<0.001).VISIA analysis revealed that pore size scores as well as violet scores decreased significantly after eight weeks in comparison to controls ( P=0.035; P=0.027). CK results indicated reduced transepidermal water loss along with diminished sebum levels within the observation cohort relative to controls ( P=0.009; P=0.042). Skin erythema along with symptoms such as dryness or burning sensations occurred among five patients (three from the observation cohort while two belonged to controls) with no serious adverse reactions reported across either study arm. Conclusions:Skin care products incorporating mandelic acid and niacinamide can serve effectively as adjunctive treatments for mild-to-moderate acne with enhancing clinical outcomes accompanied by minimal adverse effects.

Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laboratory diagnosis of viral encephalitis is a worldwide challenge.Recently,high-throughput sequencing technology has provided new tools for diagnosing central nervous system infections.Thus,In this study,we established a multipathogen detection platform for viral encephalitis based on amplicon sequencing. Methods We designed nine pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR)primers for the 12 viruses by reviewing the relevant literature.The detection ability of the primers was verified by software simulation and the detection of known positive samples.Amplicon sequencing was used to validate the samples,and consistency was compared with Sanger sequencing. Results The results showed that the target sequences of various pathogens were obtained at a coverage depth level greater than 20×,and the sequence lengths were consistent with the sizes of the predicted amplicons.The sequences were verified using the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLAST,and all results were consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing. Conclusion Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology is feasible as a supplementary method for the pathogenic detection of viral encephalitis.It is also a useful tool for the high-volume screening of clinical samples.

Background::Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are known to be at a significant risk of experiencing long-term adverse events, emphasizing the importance of regular assessments. Evaluating health-related quality of life (HRQoL) serves as a direct method to gauge prognosis. Our objective is to ascertain the prognostic significance of consecutive HRQoL assessments using the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) derived from the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey in CABG patients.Methods::The study population consisted of 433 patients who underwent isolated elective CABG at Fuwai Hospital between 2012 and 2013. SF-36 assessments were conducted during both the hospitalization period and follow-up. The primary endpoint of the study was all-cause mortality, while the secondary outcome was a composite measure including death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and repeat revascularization. We assessed the relationships between the PCS and MCS at baseline, as well as their changes during the first 6 months after the surgery (referred to as ΔPCS and ΔMCS, respectively), and the observed outcomes.Results::The patients were followed for an average of 6.28 years, during which 35 individuals (35/433, 8.1%) died. After adjusting for clinical variables, it was observed that baseline MCS scores (hazard ratio [HR] for a 1-standard deviation [SD] decrease, 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–2.30) and ΔMCS (HR for a 1-SD decrease, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.09–2.56) were associated with all-cause mortality. However, baseline PCS scores and ΔPCS did not exhibit a significant relationship with all-cause mortality. Notably, there was a dose-response relationship observed between ΔMCS and the likelihood of all-cause mortality (HRs for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartiles compared to the 1st quartile, 0.33, 0.45 and 0.11, respectively).Conclusions::Baseline MCS and changes in MCS were independent predictors for long-term mortality of CABG. Better mental health status and recovery indicated better prognosis.

Objective To construct and verify the prognostic risk model for cuproptosis-related genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC).Methods The clinical and transcriptomic data of OSCC patients were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database.The cuproptosis-related genes in the patients with OSCC were screened out.The cuproptosis-related genes risk model was constructed by the coexpression analysis,Wilcoxon rank sum test,Cox analysis and AIC step-by-step algorithm.Then its accuracy was evalua-ted.Results A total of 340 cases of OSCC were screened out and served as the training group and internal verification group.A total of 24 cases served as the external verification group.The cuproptosis-related genes risk model in the patients with OSCC was successfully constructed.This model was composed of cyclin de-pendent kinases regulatory subunit 2(CKS2),tetratricopeptide repeat domain 21A(TTC21A)and zinc fin-ger,MYND-type containing 10(ZMYND10)copper death-related genes.The area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC)was 0.710,possessing the ideal predictive performance.Among them,the prognosis in the OSCC patients with high risk score was relatively poor.In addition,the above model score was an independent influencing factor for the prognosis in OSCC patients(HR=1.472,95％CI:1.141-1.899,P=0.003).Conclusion The constructed model could provide the reliable basis for the diagnosis,treat-ment and prognosis evaluation in the patients with OSCC.

Objective: To describe a technique of endoscopic transoral approach nasopharyngectomy for petroclival and jugular foramen nasopharyngeal carcinoma, based on anatomic studies and surgeries. Methods: Three dry human skulls and five fresh human cadaver heads were used for anatomic study of a endoscopic transoral approach to expose petroclival and jugular foramen. The anatomical landmarks and the extent of exposure were recorded. Six clinical cases who were treated in Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University from June 2020 to April 2022 were used to illustrate the technique and feasibility of this approach and to assess its indications and advantages, including 3 males and 3 females, aged 42 to 69 years old. Descriptive analysis was used in this research. Results: On the basis of the preservation of the internal pterygoid muscle and the external pterygoid muscle, this approach could fully expose the parapharyngeal, petrosal and paraclival segment internal carotid arteries, and safely deal with the lesions of jugular foramen and petroclival region. The 6 patients in our study tolerated the procedure well. Postoperative enhanced MRI showed complete resection of the tumor and no postoperative masticatory dysfunction. Conclusion: Endoscopic transoral approach is a safe, minimally invasive and effective surgical treatment for petroclival and jugular foramen recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Jugular Foramina ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/surgery*

Animals ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Macaca mulatta ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Antibodies, Viral ; Vaccines

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of hemoglobin (Hb) on the efficacy of chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: From June 2017 to December 2020, 76 MM patients who received CAR-T therapy in the Department of Hematology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, with complete clinical data and evaluable efficacy, were selected as the research objects. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the best cut-off value was obtained. The patients were divided into groups on the basis of Hb 105.5 g/L as the cut-off value. The age, sex, serum calcium, β₂-microglobulin, serum creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and the influencing factors of CAR-T treatment efficacy in MM patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Hb was an influencing factor of efficacy. Univariate analysis showed that Hb, LDH, and albumin affected the efficacy of CAR-T therapy. Multivariate analysis showed that Hb ( OR=1.039, 95% CI: 1.002-1.078) and LDH ( OR=1.014, 95% CI: 1.000-1.027) were the influencing factors for the efficacy of CAR-T therapy. CONCLUSION The efficacy of CAR-T therapy in MM patients with low Hb is poor, and Hb is a factor affecting the efficacy of CAR-T therapy.
Humans ; Multiple Myeloma/drug therapy* ; Receptors, Chimeric Antigen ; Immunotherapy, Adoptive ; Treatment Outcome ; Hematologic Diseases

To explore the allergen sensitization status of patients with respiratory allergic diseases in Shanxi Province, and to provide a basis for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of allergic diseases. It is a cross-sectional study, a total of 1 680 patients with allergic rhinitis and/or asthma diagnosed at the Department of Allergic Reaction of Shanxi Bethune Hospital from July 2021 to June 2023 who underwent allergen sIgE testing and/or skin prick test were retrospectively enrolled.There were 772 males and 908 females.The age range was 3 to 88 years. The median age was 35 years.There were 108 cases in the child group (≤12 years old), 102 cases in the adolescent group (13-17 years old), 819 cases in the youth group (18-40 years old), 498 cases in the middle-aged group (41-65 years old), and 153 cases in the elderly group (>65 years old). There were 333 cases in the allergic rhinitis group, 827 cases in the allergic asthma group, and 520 cases in the allergic rhinitis with asthma group. There were 1 254 urban patients and 426 rural patients.There were 253 cases in the northern Shanxi region, 1 195 cases in the central Shanxi region, and 232 cases in the southern Shanxi region. Statistical analyses were performed using the χ ² test or Fisher's exact probability method to compare the differences in allergen sIgE positivity rates by sex, age, disease, living environment, and geography. The results showed that 1 027 patients (61.1%) were positive for at least one allergen sIgE, with Artemisia having the highest rate of positivity (603/1 680, 35.9%), followed by ragweed (302/1 680, 18.0%) and dust mite combinations (245/1 680, 14.6%). The number of individuals with single-allergen sIgE positivity was 357 (357/1 027, 34.8%), with the highest number of single-allergen sIgE positive results associated with Artemisia (114/357, 31.9%). The number of multiple-allergen sIgE positive results was 670 cases (670/1 027, 65.2%), with the highest number of patients having 2 allergen sIgE positive results (243/670, 36.3%). The overall positivity rate for allergen sIgE was significantly higher among males than among females (65.7% vs. 57.3%, χ²=12.405, P<0.001). Overall positivity for inhalant allergen sIgE was higher in the child and adolescent groups (88.0% vs. 88.2% vs. 59.8% vs. 40.2% vs. 19.0%, χ²=223.372, P<0.001), and food allergen sIgE positivity was highest in the child group (54.6% vs. 36.3% vs. 26.0% vs. 18.9% vs. 21.6%,χ²=66.383,P<0.001). The sIgE positivity rate of inhalant allergens was significantly higher in the allergic rhinitis group and the allergic rhinitis with asthma group than in the allergic asthma group, except for cockroaches and molds (P<0.05). The overall positive rate of allergen sIgE was significantly higher among urban patients than among rural patients (66.2% vs. 46.2%, χ²=53.230, P<0.001). The difference in the overall positive rate of allergen sIgE among patients from different regions was not statistically significant (56.1% vs. 62.0% vs. 62.1%, χ²=3.140, P=0.208). The sIgE positivity of dust mite combinations was significantly higher in the central Shanxi region and the southern Shanxi region than in the northern Shanxi region (15.5% vs. 18.1% vs. 7.1%,χ²=14.411, P=0.001). In conclusion, artemisia was the most important sensitizer for respiratory allergic diseases in Shanxi Province. The types of allergens and positivity rates were different for different sexes, ages, diseases, living environments, and regions. Therefore, patients with allergic diseases should be tested for allergens to help with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of allergic diseases.
Adolescent ; Child ; Aged ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Humans ; Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Young Adult ; Aged, 80 and over ; Allergens ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Asthma ; Hospitals