The infection of 2019-nCoV can lead to overexpression of inflammatory factors, triggering cytokine storm and causing serious damage to the body. Glucocorticoids have anti-inflammatory properties and may be an effective treatment option. The use and dosage of glucocorticoids in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains controversial. This article reviews the theoretical basis, clinical evidence, debates and specific measures of glucocorticoids in the treatment of COVID-19, to provide reference for rational application of glucocorticoids in the future.

The "Lübeck disaster", twins studies, adoptees studies, and other epidemiological observational studies have shown that host genetic factors play a significant role in determining the host susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and pathogenesis of tuberculosis. From linkage analyses to genome-wide association studies, it has been discovered that human leucocyte antigen (HLA) genes as well as non-HLA genes (such as SLC11A1, VDR, ASAP1 as well as genes encoding cytokines and pattern recognition receptors) are associated with tuberculosis susceptibility. To provide ideas for subsequent studies about risk prediction of MTB infection and the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, we review the research progress on tuberculosis susceptibility related genes in recent years, focusing on the correlation of HLA genes and non-HLA genes with the pathogenesis of tuberculosis. We also report the results of an enrichment analysis of the genes mentioned in the article. Most of these genes appear to be involved in the regulation of immune system and inflammation， and are also closely related to autoimmune diseases.
Humans ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Tuberculosis/genetics* ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Cytokines/genetics* ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/genetics* ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease

[Objective]To study the effect of femoral offset and hip joint center on joint function after total hip replacement,radiographic measurements were taken postoperation.[Method]A series of 92 hip joints(87 patients)were followed up.The average follow up priod was 25 monthes.The femoral offset and the position of the prothesis head center were measured in the orthophoric hip joint X-ray photograph and were compared with anatomic Fo and HJC.H arris evaluation system was used to evaluate joint function in four groups.The results were statistically analyzed,with Fisher' exact probability and P value less than 0.05 indicating significant difference.[Result]The coincidence rate of group A(both FO and HJC,27 hips)was 29.35%,group B(only Fo,23 hips)25.00%,group C(only HJC,31 hips)33.70%,group D(neither FO nor HJC,11 hips)11.96%.93.0% patients got the Harris score more than 80 for group A,73.19%(group B),74.19%(group C),27.27%(group D).The difference of Harris evaluation between A and B,A and C,A and D was significant statistically.[Conclusion]Based on the results of the study,the recovery of femoral offset and hip joint center should be considered to contribute to the healing effect after total hip replacement directly.

Objective To explore the influence of treatment duration on the prognosis of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis (CNM). Methods The clinical data of 30 patients with CNM were retrospectively analyzed. The time of Cryptococcus neoformans culture in cerebrospinal fluid turned to be negative were compared between patients with and without amphotericin B (AmB)endoneurilemma injection to determine whether endoneurilemma injection would make any difference on prognosis of CNM. Statistic analysis was performed by t test. Results The time of Cryptococcus neoformans culture in cerebrospinal fluid turned to be negative was (22. 73 ± 10. 00) days in 11patients with AmB endoneurilemma injection compared to (18. 92±7. 26) days in 13 patients without endoneurilemma injection. The difference was not statistically significant (t = 0. 172,P>0. 05). The effective rate was 45. 8% after 2-week anti Cryptococcus neoformans treatment, which increased to 100.0% after 6-week treatment. However, the curative rate at week 6 of treatment was 0. All ten patients who finished the treatment (three to four months' treatment) were acquired effective.Conclusion Treatment with standard dosage and adequate duration is crucial in improving the prognosis of Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis.

Objective To study the dynamics changes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bacterial load within 48 h after infection in a rabbit meningitis model, and provide information for diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of this disease. Methods Taking New Zealand white rabbit as the study object, meningitis model was established via cerebellar cistern puncture with different concentrations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) to explore the relationship between the mortality of animals and the subarachnoid inoculation dosage. The dynamics study of CSF bacterial load was conducted with proper inoculation bacterial dosage. Forty-eight rabbits were separated into four groups (12 each group): E. coli meningitis model group, E. coli meningitis + ceftriaxone treated group, S. aureus meningitis model group and S. aureus meningitis + vancomycin treated group. At 0,12, 24, 36 and 48 h of inoculation, CSF and blood samples were obtained for CSF bacterial quantitative culture, CSF leukocyte count and peripheral blood leukocyte count. Finally, the relationships between the early mortality of animals, the efficacy of antibiotics, CSF leukocyte counts and the dynamics changes of CSF bacterial load were analyzed in the bacterial meningitis rabbit model.The CSF bacterial load and the white blood cell count curve were compared by analysis of covariance (ANOVA). Correlation test was done using correlate partial analysis. Results The relationship between subarachnoid inoculation dosage and the mortality of rabbits presented S-curve correlation.The bacterial load in subarachnoid space peaked in 12-24 h after infection and then gradually decreased. Effective antibiotic therapy could significantly speed up the decline of this process. There were significantly different between E. coli meningitis model group and E. coli meningitis+ceftriaxone treated group (F= 27. 10, P<0. 01), between S. aureus meningitis model group and S. aureus meningitis + vancomycin treated group (F=5. 97, P = 0. 016). There was a positive correlation between CSF bacterial load and CSF leukocyte count in E. coli and S. aureus meningitis model groups (r=0. 89, 0.84, respectively; P = 0.046, 0.049, respectively). Conclusions In the treatment of bacterial meningitis, effective and sufficient antibiotics should be used as soon as possible to control the CSF bacterial load and reduce the mortality. The CSF leukocyte count can be used as indicator of CSF bacterial load and guide the antibiotic treatment in clinical bacterial meningitis.

Cognitive impairment after infectious meningitis seriously affects the activities of daily living for survivors. There has been lack of systematic researches on the cognitive impact of infectious meningitis so far, it is not clear how to early identify and evaluate the cognitive impairment after meningitis, how to properly carry out early rehabilitative intervention to improve the activities of daily living and to reduce the social and economic burden of patients. This article reviews the characteristics, evaluation methods and rehabilitative interventions of cognitive impairment in patients after infectious meningitis, to provide reference for clinical application.

Objective To analyze the efficacy of entecavir (ETV) combined with Peg IFNα-2b in chronic hepatitis B ( CHB) patients with low levels HBsAg following initial ETV treatment.Methods Sixty-nine CHB outpatients achieving serum HBsAg ＜2 000 IU/mL and HBV DNA＜100 IU/mL following initial ETV treatment in Pujiang People's Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2014 to January 2016 were enrolled.Patients were randomly assigned in two groups: 39 patients in combination group received ETV (0.5 mg/d ) and Peg IFNα-2b (1.5 μg· kg－1· week －1, hypodermic injection), and 30 patients in ETV group received ETV (0.5 mg/d) alone.Serum HBsAg quantification, negative conversion rate of HBsAg and HBeAg , and levels of aminotransferase (ALT) were measured at baseline , 12th, 24th, 48th, 72th and 96th week after treatment.Results The levels of HBsAg in the combination group decreased gradually with the prolongation of therapy , which were lower than those in ETV group 24 week after treatment (Z＝－2.566,P＜0.05),and at 48th, 72th and 96th week (Z＝－3.499,－3.825 and －3.864,P＜0.01).Clearance of HBsAg appeared in the combination group at 24th week,the clearance rates were 7.70%(3/39) and 28.20%(11/39) at 24th and 96th week, respectively;while the clearance of HBsAg occurred in ETV group at 96th week, the clearance rate was only 3.30%(1/30).The negative conversion rates of HBsAg in combination group were higher than those in ETV group at 48th,72th and 96th week (P＜0.05 or＜0.01).In the combination group, there were 11 cases of clinical cure , 11 cases of clinical efficacy and 17 cases of clinical effectiveness , while there were 1, 1 and 28 cases in ETV group,respectively.The treatment effect of the combination group was better than that of ETV group(χ2＝18.496,P＜0.01).Serological conversion rates of HBeAg were 30.00%(6/20) and 65.00%(13/20) in combination group at 12th and 96th week, while those were 11.11%(2/18) and 22.22%(4/18) in ETV group at 48th and 96th week.There were significant differences in the HBeAg serological conversion rates at 12th, 24th, 72th and 96th week between two groups (P＜0.05 or ＜0.01). The levels of ALT in combination group increased at 12th and 24th week, which had significant difference compared with ETV group (Z＝－1.236 and －2.658,P＜0.05), and the ALT levels gradually declined 48 week after treatment in combination group and there were no statistical differences between two groups at other time points.The ETV combined with Peg IFNα-2b and low baseline HBeAg levels were associated with the clearance rate of HBsAg (both P＜0.01).Conclusions CHB patients with low HBsAg levels following initial ETV monotherapy can achieve high negative conversion rate of HBeAg and HBsAg with the combination treatment of ETV and Peg IFN α-2b.

Antiviral therapy is important for COVID-19. Currently, the anti-2019-nCoV drugs in clinical trials include broad-spectrum antiviral drugs (alpha interferon and ribavirin), hemagglutinin inhibitors (arbidol), human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitors (lopinavir/ritonavir and darunavir/cobicistat), nucleoside analogues (favipiravir and remdesivir) and antimalarial drug (chloroquine); while liver damage may occur in some patients with the medication. This article reviews the research on liver damage associated with anti-2019-nCoV drugs, aiming at promoting the safe and effective antiviral therapy for COVID-19 patients.

Objective: To establish reference intervals (RIs) of thyroid hormone based on data from healthy subjects in laboratory information system (LIS) by indirect methods. Methods: Data were selected from the physical examination center in LIS of the First Hospital of Jilin University from May 2014 to December 2018. The normal distribution of the original data was checked by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Skewed data were transformed into normal distribution using BOX-COX techniques, and outliers were identified by the Turkey method. The continuous percentile curve was established by coefficient of skewness-median-coefficient of variation(LMS) methods. Cut-off value of age was determined by decision trees, and the differences between groups were verified by Z-tests. P_2.5 and P_97.5 in the RIs were analyzed by non-parametric methods. Results: A total of 45 742 subjects were included in the study. There were no differences in the RI for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) among age groups or between men and women (Z*), and the RI was 0.60-4.41mIU/L (20-79 years old). However, the levels of free triiodothyronine(FT₃) decreased with age in males and females under 35-year-old. The RIs for FT₃ were 4.47-6.44pmol/L (20-44 years old), 4.19-6.21pmol/L (45-64 years old) and 3.90-5.85pmol/L (65-79 years old) in males, and 4.04-6.13pmol/L (20-34 years old) and 3.87-5.76pmol/L (35-79 years old) in females, respectively. The levels of free thyroxine(FT₄) in men were higher than those in women from 20 to 49 years old, and no gender and age differences could be viewed in subjects after 50 years old (Z*). The RIs for FT₄ were 13.69-21.76pmol/L (male, 20-49 years old), 12.99-20.83pmol/L (female, 20-49 years old) and 12.98-21.21pmol/L (50~79 years old). Conclusion Establishment of RIs of thyroid hormone based on the data from LIS is simple and reliable, which is suitable for clinical laboratory application.

Mycobacterium avium- intracellulare complex is the term of a group of slow growing nontuberculous mycobacterium related to human infections, which has received more and more attention in recent years, and become an important public health issue. This article reviews the progress on clinical diagnosis and treatment of the infections caused by Mycobacterium avium- intracellulare complex.