Objective To develop a new method for describe features of inflow of left ventricle(LV) from color Doppler image by color singular value,and evaluat the value of color singular value in assessment of diastolic dysfunction. Methods Patients with diastolic dysfunction of LV including myocardial infarction (n = 37), angina( n = 35), cardiomyopathy( n = 45) and hypertension ( n =46) were selected and 30 healthy cases as control. CV and AV from color singular value of LV inflow was displayed and calculated automatically by an analyzing system developed in our laboratory. Results Compared with that of control (CV:2.40 0.22 and AV: -0.25 0.05), the absolute value of CV(1.67-1.90 in average)and AV( - 0. 11～-0. 20 in average) from color singular value were decreased significantly( P <0. 001) in groupsof myocardial infarction, angina, cardiomyopathy and hypertension. Conclusions Singular value can be applied to detect color differences in LV inflow from color Doppler signals. Changes of singular value within the diastolic inflow under pathological conditions may reflect the diastolic dysfunction of LV.

OBJECTIVETo investigate natural foci of tsutsugamushi disease whose incidence has increased in the Nan Peng Lie Islands in China, an area where this disease has not been previously recorded.

METHODSWe recorded the natural foci and isolated Orientia tsutsugamushi (O. tsutsugamushi) organism. We also studied prevention measures.

RESULTSThese islands had the natural foci of a south subtropical zone. The main host and vector were Rattus norvegicus and Leptotrombidium deliens (L. deliens), respectively. The seasonal quantity trends of Rattus norvegicus and Leptotrombidium deliens were consistent with the incidence of human infection. Thirty-five strains of O. tsutsugamushi were isolated from Rattus norvegicus and L. deliense. The identification of 7 strains showed that most strains were Karp. Seroepidemiology showed a high prevalence of antibody against O. tsatsugamushi among local people. After prevention measures were used, the incidence was decreased.

CONCLUSIONThis was the first successful confirmation that the Nan Peng Lie Islands were natural foci of tsutsugamushi disease.

Animals ; Antibodies, Bacterial ; blood ; Cattle ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; Geography ; Humans ; Incidence ; Orientia tsutsugamushi ; genetics ; growth & development ; isolation & purification ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Rats ; Scrub Typhus ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Seasons ; Sheep ; Species Specificity ; Tropical Climate

Osteoarthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by non inflammatory degeneration of articular cartilage and the formation of osteophytes at the edge of the joint, caused by complex causes. Its pathology is complex, and its pathogenesis is not yet clear, ultimately leading to joint stiffness and functional activity disorders. At present, the treatment for osteoarthritis is limited to alleviating symptoms and improving function, with varying degrees of side effects. Ferroptosis is a new type of programmed cell death discovered in recent years, which is related to the pathological and physiological processes of osteoarthritis and plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis. Its main characteristics include iron metabolism imbalance and accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, ferroptosis inhibitors targeting ferroptosis have shown great application prospects in the treatment of osteoarthritis. In this review, the author summarizes the relevant mechanisms of ferroptosis in the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis, outlines a large number of specific therapeutic drugs and their corresponding targets, with the aim of delaying and reversing the progression of osteoarthritis by regulating chondrocyte ferroptosis, which has certain clinical guiding significance.

Objective:To investigate the effects of hemophagocytic syndrome also known as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) on the clinical features and therapeutic efficacy of patients with Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell lymphoma (EBV-TCL).Methods:The clinical data of patients with EBV-TCL diagnosed by pathological examination in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from November 2015 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether they were accompanied with HLH at the time of onset, patients were divided into HLH group (10 cases) and non-HLH group (13 cases), and the clinical features and prognosis of the two groups were compared. The curative effects of different treatment methods and patients with different plasma EBV-DNA titers were compared.Results:Among 23 patients, 3 cases (13.0%) were in Ann Arbor stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, 20 cases (87.0%) were in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ; the International Prognostic Index (IPI) score was 1 point in 3 cases (13.0%), 2 points in 4 cases (17.4%), 3 points in 8 cases (34.8%), 4 points in 8 cases (34.8%). In the HLH group, there were 2 cases of aggressive NK-cell leukemia and 3 cases of childhood systemic EBV-TCL. There were no cases of above two pathological types in the non-HLH group. In the HLH group, the proportions of patients with fever, bone marrow invasion, IPI score > 2 points, and EBV-DNA > 10 4 copies/ml were higher than those in the non-HLH group (all P < 0.05). The objective response rate (complete remission plus partial remission) of all patients after chemotherapy was 47.8% (11/23); there were 3 cases undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in both the HLH group and the non-HLH group, and all achieved objective remission. The objective remission of 7 patients and 10 patients who did not undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the HLH group and non-HLH group after lymphoma chemotherapy had 0 case and 5 cases, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.044). In the chemotherapy alone group, 5 of 17 patients had objective remission, 6 patients in the chemotherapy plus transplantation group had objective remission, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.039). Among 16 patients whose plasma EBV-DNA titers turned negative, 11 patients had objective remission, and 7 patients whose plasma EBV-DNA titers were continuously positive had no objective remission, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.001). The 1-year overall survival rate of all patients was 69.3%, and the 2-year overall survival rate was 52.0%. In the HLH group, the 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates of 7 patients receiving chemotherapy alone and 3 patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation were 42.9% and 66.7%, respectively. In the non-HLH group, the 1-year overall survival rates of 10 patients receiving chemotherapy alone and 3 patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation were 80.0% and 100.0%, respectively; the 2-year overall survival rates were 26.7% and 100.0%,respectively. The overall survival of patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation was better than that of those receiving chemotherapy alone in both the HLH group and the non-HLH group, and differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The general clinical stage of patients with EBV-TCL is later, and the prognosis of EBV-TCL patients with HLH is worse. The therapeutic efficacy may be related to plasma EBV-DNA titers. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can improve the remission rate.

BACKGROUND:Establishing a stable and reliable animal model of acute pancreatitis is of great significance for understanding its pathogenesis,pathophysiological characteristics,and clinical medication.Domestic and foreign studies have shown that cerulein,L-arginine,and sodium taurocholate can induce acute pancreatitis,but their pathophysiological characteristics and model characteristics are still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To establish an acute pancreatitis rat model using cerulein,L-arginine,and sodium taurocholate and to observe the changing patterns of model features at different time points. METHODS:Ninety-six healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group,cerulein group,L-arginine group,and sodium taurocholate group,with 24 rats in each group.Within each group,there were three subgroups(n=8 per group):12-,24-,and 48-hour subgroups.Cerulein was administered via intraperitoneal injection six times with a 1-hour interval.L-arginine was administered through two intraperitoneal injections with a 1-hour interval.Sodium taurocholate was injected for inducing acute pancreatitis models through retrograde injection into the bile-pancreatic duct.By examining the rat survival rate,gross morphology of the pancreas,calculating the pancreatic organ index,and measuring levels of amylase,lipase,alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,blood urea nitrogen,and creatinine,as well as observing pancreatic tissue pathological features through hematoxylin-eosin staining and conducting a pancreatic injury scoring,we evaluated the changing patterns of model features at different time points. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the normal group,the overall survival rate of rats was 100%in the cerulein group,88%in the L-arginine group,and 96%in the sodium taurocholate group.The pancreatic organ index was increased in all groups.Gross observation indicated that,In the cerulein group,pancreatic edema,blurred lobes,and looseness were visible.In the L-arginine group,the pancreatic glands were enlarged and thickened with patchy bleeding.In the sodium taurocholate group,pancreatic tissue showed varying degrees of congestion and edema accompanied by scattered flakes of hemorrhage and necrosis.The levels of serum alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,blood urea nitrogen,creatinine,amylase,and lipase in rats exhibited consistent changes.In the cerulein group,these parameters possibly peaked at 12 hours(P<0.05)and then showed a declining trend.In the L-arginine group,they reached the highest levels at 24 hours(P<0.05)and significantly decreased at 48 hours.In the sodium taurocholate group,serum amylase and lipase remained at higher levels at 12 hours with a slow decline trend(P<0.05).Compared with the normal group,microscopic examination revealed mild acinar edema and widened interlobular spaces in the cerulein group,with a higher presence of inflammatory cells.In the L-arginine group,there was widening of interlobular spaces,extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells,and patchy necrotic areas.In the sodium taurocholate group,significant pancreatic edema,structural disarray,extensive necrotic foci,and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed.Compared with the normal group,the pathological scores of induced acute pancreatitis in all three models were significantly different at each time point(P<0.05).Moreover,the pathological scores in each group increased over time,indicating a gradual worsening of pancreatic tissue damage.When comparing different models at the same time,there were differences in pathological scores,with the sodium taurocholate group having the highest scores,followed by the L-arginine group,and the cerulein group having the lowest scores.Analyzing the three models at the same time point,the most severe condition was in the sodium taurocholate group,which was characterized by pancreatic hemorrhage and necrosis,followed by the L-arginine group,which was characterized by necrosis,and the least severe condition was in the cerulein group,mainly characterized by edema.The serum biochemical index levels of the cerulein and L-arginine groups decreased at 48 hours,indicating that these two models may have a tendency to self-heal and belong to a self-limiting disease course.The serum biochemical index levels of the sodium taurocholate group decreased slowly after 12 hours.Therefore,pancreatic injury in the sodium taurocholate group might not be relieved after 48 hours or longer.

Purpose To explore the value of dual-layer spectral detector CT(DLSCT)in evaluating preoperative tumor staging in rectal adenocarcinoma(RA).Materials and Methods A total of 78 patients with pathologically confirmed RA in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from May 2021 to March 2022 were involved in this retrospective study.All the patients underwent plain and dual-phase contrast-enhanced scans by DLSCT within one week before surgery.Taking pathological results as the golden standard,the accuracy rates of tumor staging were calculated and compared between the multiple-parameter maps derived from DLSCT and 120 kVp polyenergetic image.The effective atomic number(Z-eff)from plain scan,iodine concentration(IC)from arterial phase(AP)and venous phase(VP)were measured.The normalized iodine concentration(NIC)in AP and VP were calculated.The differences of Z-eff,NICAP and NICVP were compared among the pT1-2,pT3 and pT4 groups.The correlation between the pT stages and above values was assessed and the diagnostic efficiencies were analyzed.Results The overall accuracy rate(88.46%vs.67.95%;χ2=9.628,P=0.002),the pT1-2 staging accuracy rate(80.00%vs.40.00%;χ2=6.667,P=0.01),and the pT3 staging accuracy rate(88.10%vs.69.05%;χ2=4.525,P=0.033)of multiple-parameter maps derived from DLSCT were significantly higher than those of 120 kVp polyenergetic image,respectively.The Z-eff,NICAP and NICVP were significantly different among pT stage groups(F=6.456,11.029,12.698,all P<0.05)and exhibited a positive correlation with pT stages(r=0.371,0.367,0.363,all P<0.01).The areas under the curve of Z-eff,NICAP and NICVP to assess pT3-4 staging RA were 0.77,0.71 and 0.74,respectively.Conclusion The multiple-parameter maps derived from DLSCT can significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative tumor staging of RA.Z-eff from plain scan and NIC from dual-phase helps differentiate pT1-2 from pT3-4 staging RA.