Background/Aims: Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is an important cytokine maintaining homeostasis at barrier surfaces. In this study, the role of IL-22 in acute pancreatitis-associated intestinal injury was further explored. Methods: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) was induced by administration of L-arginine in Balb/c mice at different time gradients. Histopathological examinations were made in both the pancreas and small intestine. Furthermore, recombinant murine IL-22 (rIL-22) was administrated to L-arginine-induced SAP mice by intraperitoneal injection. The mRNA levels of IL-22R1, Reg-IIIβ,Reg-IIIγ, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL were detected in the small intestine by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein levels of total and phosphorylated STAT3 were assessed via Western blot. Results: Compared with normal control group, 72 hours of L-arginine exposure induced the most characteristic histopathological changes of SAP, evidenced by pathological changes and serum amylase levels. Meanwhile, significant pancreatitis-associated intestinal mucosa injury was also observed. The gene expression levels of antimicrobial proteins Reg-IIIβ, Reg-IIIγ and anti-apoptosis proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xL were downregulated in small intestine. Furthermore, Larginine-induced SAP was attenuated by rIL-22 treatment. Importantly, pancreatitis-associated intestinal mucosa injury was also ameliorated, reflected by improved pathological changes and significant increase in gene expression levels of Reg-IIIβ, Reg-IIIγ, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Consistently, serum amylase levels and mortality were decreased in mice treated with rIL-22. Mechanistically, the upregulated expressions of these protective genes were achieved by activating STAT3. Conclusions Exogenous rIL-22 attenuates L-arginine-induced acute pancreatitis and intestinal mucosa injury in mice, via activating STAT3 signaling pathway and enhancing the expression of antimicrobial peptides and antiapoptotic genes.

Background/Aims: Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is an important cytokine maintaining homeostasis at barrier surfaces. In this study, the role of IL-22 in acute pancreatitis-associated intestinal injury was further explored. Methods: Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) was induced by administration of L-arginine in Balb/c mice at different time gradients. Histopathological examinations were made in both the pancreas and small intestine. Furthermore, recombinant murine IL-22 (rIL-22) was administrated to L-arginine-induced SAP mice by intraperitoneal injection. The mRNA levels of IL-22R1, Reg-IIIβ,Reg-IIIγ, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL were detected in the small intestine by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein levels of total and phosphorylated STAT3 were assessed via Western blot. Results: Compared with normal control group, 72 hours of L-arginine exposure induced the most characteristic histopathological changes of SAP, evidenced by pathological changes and serum amylase levels. Meanwhile, significant pancreatitis-associated intestinal mucosa injury was also observed. The gene expression levels of antimicrobial proteins Reg-IIIβ, Reg-IIIγ and anti-apoptosis proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xL were downregulated in small intestine. Furthermore, Larginine-induced SAP was attenuated by rIL-22 treatment. Importantly, pancreatitis-associated intestinal mucosa injury was also ameliorated, reflected by improved pathological changes and significant increase in gene expression levels of Reg-IIIβ, Reg-IIIγ, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Consistently, serum amylase levels and mortality were decreased in mice treated with rIL-22. Mechanistically, the upregulated expressions of these protective genes were achieved by activating STAT3. Conclusions Exogenous rIL-22 attenuates L-arginine-induced acute pancreatitis and intestinal mucosa injury in mice, via activating STAT3 signaling pathway and enhancing the expression of antimicrobial peptides and antiapoptotic genes.

Objective To explore the application effects of Flipped Classroom based on micro-lecture in the teaching practice of health assessment for nursing undergraduates.Methods Nursing undergraduates in the natural class of grade 2016 in Xi'an Creation College of Yan'an University was randomly selected as the control group.A total of 55 students,with an average age of (20.22 ± 1.13) years,were enrolled in the study.Another nat-ural class was chosen as the observation group,with a total of 54 students,with an average age of (20.37 ± 1.21) years.Results At the end of the course,the students of the two groups received the course examination.The training scores of the control group were (80.13 ± 1.73) and the observation group (90.67 ± 1.53),while total score was (76.36 ± 2.05) and (84.21 ± 1.66) respectively.There were significant differ-ences in the training results and the total score between the two groups (P＜ 0.01).Comparing the results of teacher-student satisfaction test,89.09％ of the teachers were satisfied,98.15％ of the observation group while 94.55％ of the students were satisfied,and 98.15％ of the observation group.There was significant difference between the two groups (P＜0.05,P＜0.O1).The satisfaction of teachers and students in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group,and the questionnaire survey showed that more than 90％ of the students in the observation group were satisfied with the teaching effect.Conclusion The Flipped Classroom teaching based on micro-lecture could promote the students' mastery of the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the health assessment course.

Objective To analyze fungal isolates from patients with superficial fungal infections during 1960-2006.Methods Fungal strains isolated from patients with superficial (mucocutaneous and cutaneous)fungal infections and identified in the Medical Mycology Clinical Laboratory,Department of Dermatology and Venereology,Union Hospital,from 1960 to 2006 (data from September 1991 to July 1992 were unavailable),were subjected to a classification and statistical analysis.Clinical samples for mycological examination were taken from outpatients or inpatients of different departments in hospitals of Hubei province and surrounding areas.Morphological,physiological and biochemical methods were applied for species identification.Results A total of 11 989 Candida strains were isolated,which belonged to 23 species and 16 genera.They fell into 3 groups,i.e.,dermatophytes,Candida and yeasts (including Malassezia),and non-dermatophyte moulds.Since 287 strains of moulds were suspected to be contaminating fungi,11 702 residual isolates were analyzed.Of the analyzed isolates,Candida species (5642/11 702,48.2％ )and dermatophytes (5279/11 702,45.1％ )predominated,followed by yeasts (449/11 702,3.8％) and Malassezia species (332/11 702,2.8％).The most frequently isolated species was Trichophyton rubrum (3865/11 702,33.0％),Candida albicans (3110/11 702,26.6％ ) and non-albicans Candida species (2532/11 702,21.6％ ).Dermatophyte strains were mostly isolated from lesions of smooth skin with an exception of palmoplantar and interdigit regions (1787/5279,37.7％).The most common dermatophyte species was Trichophyton rubrum,followed by Trichophyton violanceum.Candida was mainly isolated from mucous membrane lesions (4099/5642,72.7％),with Candida albicans being the predominant species.Conclusions Candida species and dermatophytes predominate in patients with superficial fungal infections during 1960-2006,with Trichophyton rubrum being the most common species.

Objective To investigate the correlation between NRAMP1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to tuberculosis ( TB) in Tibetan people in Qinghai. Methods A case-control study was con-ducted in this study, involving 99 Tibetan patients with TB and 89 healthy Tibetans. The single nucleotide polymorphisms of NRAMP1 gene at rs17235409 and rs3731865 sites were detected by using TaqMan probe method. Gene cloning and sequencing typing were performed to analyze the single nucleotide polymorphisms of NRAMP1 gene at the rs17235416 site. SPASS20. 0 software was used to statistically analyze the correla-tion between NRAMP1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to TB in Tibetan people. Results No signifi-cant difference in the genotype frequencies of rs3731865 and rs17235409 was found between the two groups (χ2=0. 852, P=0. 356;χ2=0. 279, P=0. 597). The genotype frequencies of TGTG/TGTG and TGTG/del+del/del at the rs17235416 site were 70. 7% ( 70/99 ) and 29. 3% ( 29/99 ) in patients with TB and 86. 5% (77/89) and 13. 5% (12/89) in healthy subjects. There were significant differences in the geno-type frequencies of TGTG/TGTG and TGTG/del+del/del between the two groups (χ2=6. 870, P=0. 009). The genotypes of TGTG/del and del/del at rs17235416 were risk factors for TB ( OR=0. 376; 95%CI:0. 178-1. 794 as compared with the TGTG/TGTG genotype in Tibetan people in Qinghai. Conclusion This study suggested that the NRAMP1 gene polymorphisms at rs3731865 and rs1723409 sites had no correlation with the susceptibility to TB in Tibetans in Qinghai. However, the NRAMP1 gene polymorphisms at rs17235416 site were correlated with the susceptibility to TB. The TGTG/del alleles at the rs17235416 site might be the risk factors for tuberculosis in Tibetans in Qinghai.

Objective To test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of State Behavioral Scale for Mechanically Ventilated Children (SBS). Methods The English version of SBS was revised and translated into Chinese version. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of SBS was tested in 172 mechanically ventilated children. Results The Cronbach α coefficient of the Chinese SBS was 0.986. The item-level content validity index of Chinese SBS were 0.83-0.10, and the scale- level content validity index of Chinese SBS was 0.932. The correlation coefficient between the score of Chinese SBS and the Comfort Scale (CS) was 0.919 (P<0.01). Conclusions The Chinese version of SBS has been proved to be reliable and valid.It can be used to sedation assessment for mechanically ventilated children.

Objective:To explore the peripheral blood levels changes of soluble glycosylation end product receptor (sRAGE), endotoxin and Toll-like receptor (TLR) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) complicated with peritoneal cavity infection, and clarify the relationship between indexes and pathogenetic condition.Methods:The clinical data of 105 patients with SAP in Shanghai Pudong New Area People′s Hospital from January 2017 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 28 cases had peritoneal cavity infection (infection group), and 77 cases had peritoneal cavity infection symptoms but undiagnosed (non-infection group). The acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) at admission was recorded. When patients had the suspected symptoms and signs of peritoneal cavity infection, the serum levels of sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR4 and TLR9 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation between serum levels of sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4, TLR-9 and APACHE Ⅱ was analyzed by Pearson analysis; the risk factors of peritoneal cavity infection in SAP patients were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression; the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn, and the diagnostic efficacy of serum sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4 and TLR-9 in peritoneal cavity infection were evaluated in patients with SAP; the Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn, and the comparison used log-rank test.Results:The serum sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4 and TLR-9 in infection group were significantly higher than those in non-infection group: (822.16 ± 104.51) ng/L vs. (728.09 ± 96.47) ng/L, (62.59 ± 20.11) ng/L vs. (41.62 ± 13.64) ng/L, (45.17 ± 8.54) μg/L vs. (37.34 ± 6.22) μg/L, (26.35 ± 6.73) μg/L vs. (20.02 ± 5.49) μg/L, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01). Pearson correlation analysis result showed that the serum sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4 and TLR-9 were positively correlated with APACHE Ⅱ in patients with SAP ( r = 0.632, 0.556, 0.521 and 0.631; P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis result showed that the combined organ function damage, shock, hypoxemia and serum sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4 and TLR-9 were independent risk factors of peritoneal cavity infection in patients with SAP ( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis result showed that the area under the curve for the serum sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4 and TLR-9 combined diagnosis of peritoneal cavity infection in patients with SAP was the largest, which was 0.910 (95% CI 0.838 to 0.957, P<0.01), with a sensitivity of 82.14% and a specificity of 87.01%. According to the ROC curve cut-off value of serum sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4 and TLR-9 (764.58 ng/L, 58.01 ng/L, 40.24 μg/L and 22.61 μg/L), the 28 patients with SAP complicated with peritoneal cavity infection were divided into high levels patients (21, 14, 23 and 22 cases) and low levels patients (7, 14, 5 and 6 cases); Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis result showed that the 28-day survival rates in patients with high levels of sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4 and TLR-9 were significantly lower than those in patients with low levels (61.90% vs. 71.43%, 50.00% vs. 78.57%, 60.87% vs. 80.00% and 59.09% vs. 83.33%), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The serum sRAGE, endotoxin, TLR-4 and TLR-9 have a high combined diagnostic value in SAP complicated with peritoneal cavity infection, and they are all related to the severity of the disease and have a significant impact on survival.

The activation of the P2X7 receptor as an ATP-gated ion channel,triggers the release of pro-inflammato-ry cytokines in tumor carring individuals and stimulate excitation of injury-causing neurons,thereby exacerbating the transmission of pain.In preclinical cancer pain models,it has the potential to serve as a new therapeutic target for cancer pain management.

Objective:To explore the clinical application and long-term safety of hydroxychloroquine sulfate (HCQ) in the treatment of rheumatic diseases.Methods:A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted between August 2017 and August 2018 in a random sample of eleven medical institutions of rheumatology and immunology in China. Patients who took HCQ for more than 3 months were enrolled into this study. The cumulative dose and long-term side effects of HCQ were recorded. The changes of laboratory indexes before and after treatment with HCQ were analyzed. Categorical variables were presented with counts and proportions, and evaluated by Chi-square test. Continuous parametric data were presented as Mean±standard deviation, and evaluated by Student's t test or Mann-Whitney U test. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results:A total of 886 patients with rheumatic diseases were enrolled into this study, including 505 cases with systemic lupus erythematosus (57.0%), 210 cases with rheumatoid arthritis (23.7%), 80 cases with Sj?gren's syndrome (9.0%), 57 cases with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (6.4%), 12 cases of systemic vasculitis (1.4%), 10 cases of mixed connective tissue disease (1.1%), 7 cases of myositis (0.8%) and 5 cases with systemic sclerosis (0.6%). The most common long-term side effects of HCQ was skin or mucous lesions (12.4%) and vision problems (8.0%). Other adverse reactions included problems of digestive system (3.0%), nervous system (2.1%), musculoskeletal system (1.1%) and cardiovascular system (0.9%). 140 cases (15.8%) had stopped taking HCQ during the treatment. More than half of them decided to stop taking medicine by themselves. Fifty-four patients (6.1%) stopped using HCQ due to side effects while 24 of them took it again, and another 12 patients (1.4%) stopped the drug due to remission of illness. Patients were divided into three groups according to the cumulative dose of HCQ: less than 500 g, 500-1 000 g and more than 1 000 g respectively. There was significant difference in the incidence of long-term side effects among the three groups ( χ2=6.382, P=0.041). The last group (more than 1 000 g) suffered the highest incidence of long-term adverse reactions (37.1%). No severe adverse drug reactions were observed in this study. Conclusion:Hydroxychloroquine is widely used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. The incidence of long-term side effects is 20.4%, is 6.1% lead to drug withdrawal, which are especially related to the cumulative doses. It should be adjusted properly according to the clinical application.