Objective Two hundred and eighty seven strains of fungi isolated from the cutaneous lesions in patients with chromoblastomycosis from Zhang Qiu county and its surrounding region were observed and analysed. Methods The fungi were cultured and the morphologic characters of colonies were observed under scanning electron microscope. Results There were 283 strains of C.carrionii, 2 strains of F.pedrosoi, 1 strain of P.verrucosa and 1 strain of undeterminate phialophora sp.were identificated. Conclusion The predominant pathogenic fungi isolated from patients with chromoblastomycosis in Zhang Qiu county and its surrounding region were C.carrionii which confirms that the pathogenic fungi in nothern China is C.carrionii.

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) is mainly used to enhance the dissolution rate and bioavailability of poorly water soluble drugs. It has many advantages, such as simple process, continuous operation, high efficiency, on-line monitoring and so on. HME provides an innovative approach, which has been concerned by pharmaceutical workers, for preparation of solid dispersion abroad. This article reviews recent advances on preparation of solid dispersion by HME in preparation processing, carrier materials and quality evaluation in order to further promote and apply HME in preparation of solid dispersion.

Objective To compare the carriage of dematiaceous fungi in wild toads from both en-demic area and non-epidemic area of chromoblastomycosis.Methods A total of354and45wild toads(Bufo Chinese)were caught from two counties of Shandong Province,Zhangqiu county,an endemic area of chromoblastomycosis,and from Laiyang county,an area where the infection of dematiaceous fungi in humans has not been found,respectively.The toads were killed and the suspension of the internal organs were used to isolate dematiaceous fungi.Results Eleven species including162strains of dematiaceous fungi were iso-lated from151of354(42.7%)toads from the endemic area.The isolated strains consisted of49Phialopho-ra verrucosa,33Exsophiala,19Phialophora(nonpathogenic),19E.jenselmei,12Cladosporium carrionii,3suspected of C.carrionii,7Rhinocladiella sp.,5Fonsecaea pedrosoi,4C.trichoides,3E.spinifera,1C.mi-nourae,4unidentified.Only4nonpathogenic dematiaceous fungi were isolated from4of45(8.9%)toads obtained from non-epidemic area.Conclusions Varieties of pathogenic dematiaceous fungi,especially C.carrionii,are isolated from wild toads in endemic area of chromoblastomycosis,while none from non-endemic area.The results suggest that the colonization of pathogenic dematiaceous fungi in wild toads may be associa-ted with endemicity of chromoblastomycosis.

Objective To investigate the prevalence rate of healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in Xiangya Hospital,and provide reference for preventing and controlling HAI.Methods The cross sectional surveys on preva-lence rates of HAI,cross-sectional antimicrobial use,and bacterial detection among all hospitalized patients on the given days in 2000-2014 (except 2006)were carried out by combination of bedside investigation and medical record reviewing.Results The prevalence rates of HAI in 2000-2014 decreased from 6.30% to 3.91%,difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 35.14,P < 0.001 );prevalence rates of community-associated infection(CAI)were 15.61%-15.76%,there was no significant difference among each year.General intensive care unit (ICU)had the highest prevalence rate;respiratory tract was the most common site of both HAI and CAI;urinary catheterization rate showed a decreased tendency,arteriovenous catheterization rate showed a increased tendency,difference were both significant(χ2 = 5.21,96.24,respectively,both P <0.001).In 2008 - 2014,pathogenic detection rates for specimens from patients receiving therapeutic antimicrobial agents were 36.37%-44.51%,from patients with HAI were 34.00%-44.99%,detection rate of pathogens causing HAI were 41.57%-68.48%,all showed a increased tendency,difference was significant (χ2 = 22.78,10.03,26.49,respectively,all P < 0.001 ).Gram-negative bacteria were the main pathogens causing infection;both cross sectional and combination antimicrobial usage rates declined (P < 0.05 ).Conclusion Prevention and control of HAI,and antimicrobial management has achieved preliminary success,prevalence rate of HAI and cross sectional antimicrobial usage rate declined obviously,the main pathogen is gram-negative bacteria,and the major infection site is lower respiratory tract.

Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD)so as to improve the understanding of IgG4-RD in China.Methods IgG4-RD patients were recruited from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2011 and January 2016.All patients were followedup for more than 6 months.The demographic characteristics,symptoms,organ involvements,laboratory examinations and treatment efficacy were evaluated and analyzed.Results A total of 346 patients were finally enrolled,including 230 males (66.5％) and 116 females (33.5％).The mean age of disease onset was (53.8 ± 14.2) years old.The mostly common involved organs were lymph nodes (56.4％) and submandibular glands (52.6％).Other affected organs and manifestations included:swelling of the lacrimal glands (46.5％),autoimmune pancreatitis (38.4％),pulmonary involvement (28.0％),sclerosing cholangitis (25.4％),naso-sinusitis (23.4％),parotid gland swelling (21.7％),retroperitoneal fibrosis (19.9％),large arteries involvement (9.5％),kidney involvement (obstructive nephropathy caused by retroperitoneal fibrosis was excluded) (6.9％),skin lesions (6.4％).Rare features consisted of thyroid glands,pituitary glands,gastrointestinal tract,pachymeningitis,pericardium,sclerosing mediastinitis and orchitis.The majority of patients had multi-organ involvement,such as 74.3％ patients with 3 and more,18.2％ and 7.5％ patients with 2 and single organ involvement respectively.The average IgG4-RD responder index (IgG4-RD RI) was 13.21 ±5.70.History of allergy was found in 172 (49.7％) patients.As to the laboratory tests,elevated serum IgG4 levels were confirmed in 285 (94.1％) patients,which was positively correlated with IgG4-RD RI.There were 33.5％ patients receiving monotherapy of glucocorticoid,52.6％ treated with glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressive agents,4.9％ patients with immunosuppressant only,and 9.0％ patients with mild disease not receiving medication.The majority (336,97.1％) patients improved the above regimens.Conclusion IgG4-RD is a systemic fibro-inflammatory disease with multiple organ involvement.The mostly common involved organs include lymph node,submandibular glands,and pancreas.Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents were effective for IgG4-RD.

An unexpected observation among the COVID-19 pandemic is that smokers constituted only 1.4%-18.5% of hospitalized adults, calling for an urgent investigation to determine the role of smoking in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we show that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) increase ACE2 mRNA but trigger ACE2 protein catabolism. BaP induces an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-dependent upregulation of the ubiquitin E3 ligase Skp2 for ACE2 ubiquitination. ACE2 in lung tissues of non-smokers is higher than in smokers, consistent with the findings that tobacco carcinogens downregulate ACE2 in mice. Tobacco carcinogens inhibit SARS-CoV-2 spike protein pseudovirions infection of the cells. Given that tobacco smoke accounts for 8 million deaths including 2.1 million cancer deaths annually and Skp2 is an oncoprotein, tobacco use should not be recommended and cessation plan should be prepared for smokers in COVID-19 pandemic.
Adult ; Animals ; COVID-19 ; Epithelial Cells ; Humans ; Lung ; Mice ; Pandemics ; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/genetics*