ObjectiveTo explore the diagnostic value of plasma (1, 3)-β-D-glucan test (G test) in diagnosis of invasive fungal infections (IFI) and the influence of albumin on G test.Methods A prospective observational study was conducted. 267 patients admitted to medical intensive care unit (MICU) of Dalian Municipal Central Hospital from January 21st, 2012 to October 31st, 2014 were enrolled. According to IFI guideline, the patients were divided into without IFI group (n= 35), possible IFI group (n = 70), hypotheticle IFI group (n = 145) and proven IFI group (n = 17). G test was examined routinely using microbiology kinetic rapid reader MB-80.The different threshold values were calculated on G test. The difference among G tests, fungal culture and clinical diagnosis were compared. The results of G test ahead of and post albumin administration in each group were compared, and the value of G test for diagnosis of IFI during albumin infusion was evaluated.Results When the cut-off value was 20 ng/L for IFI diagnosis, higher sensitivity (79.8%), specificity (87.9%), and Youden index (67.7%) were found. The positive rates of G test, fungal culture and clinical diagnosis of IFI were 57.7% (154/267), 60.7% (162/267) and 54.3%(145/267) respectively, without showing significant differences (allP> 0.05). The result of G test (ng/L) was not obviously changed after albumin administration compared with that before in without IFI, possible IFI, hypotheticle IFI, and proven IFI groups (without IFI group: 11.25±2.33 vs. 10.99±1.07,t= -1.723,P= 0.085; possible IFI group: 53.14±5.53 vs. 49.22±8.11,t= -0.395,P= 0.693; hypotheticle IFI group: 90.30±9.38 vs. 85.41±10.11, t= 710.500,P= 0.860; proven IFI group: 100.98±19.24 vs. 103.21±17.66,t= 653.000,P= 0.449). Prior to the administration of albumin, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and Youden index were 79.8%, 87.9%, 45.6%, 96.7%, 67.7%, respectively. However, after the administration of albumin, they were 81.5%, 85.7%, 44.8%, 96.5%, and 67.2%, respectively, without significant difference.Conclusions G test is method for early diagnosis of IFI. The sensitivity and specificity are higher with 20 ng/L as the critical value. The result of G test is not interfered by albumin administration.

Huoxue Tongmai Lishui method, a traditional Chinese medicine treatment for eliminating water, activating and promoting blood circulation, could inhibit fundus hemorrhage on experimental retinal vein occlusion (RVO) with high obvious effective rate, and improve symptoms in traditional Chinese medicine. The action mechanism may be related to reducing plasma viscosity and non-perfusion area, and the formation of collateral circulation.

Objective Metabonomics method based gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS)were used to analyze the urine samples of patients with hyperlipidemic pancreatitis (HLP) to describe the characteristics of metabolism changes of HLP,identify potential biomarkers,and investigate the role of metabonomics study in the management of AP.Methods 24 patients of HLP and 40 age,sex matched volunteers were enrolled and their urine samples were collected.The urine samples underwent preparation,derivation and GC/MS analysis,Orthogonal-Projection to Latent Structures-Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA)were performed to detect the metabolic profile difference between the HLP and control group.Results HLP patients can be precisely distinguished from healthy controls.21 metabolites (credibility ＞ 700 ) were identified using the reference compounds available in the libraries of NIST and Wiley.It was identified that levels of nicotinic acid,aconitie acid,citric acid,hippurie acid,hydroxyphenylacetic acid,hydroxyphenylpropionicacid were decreased,while the levels of tryptophan,tyrosine,tyramine,16-hexadecanoic acid,18octadecanoie acid were increased.It was also suggested that there was change in tricarboxylic acid cycle and gut bacterial flora,as well as fat metabolism and metabolism of amino acid.Conclusions There are differences between healthy controls and HLP patients in the term of GC/MS metabolic profiling,and the biomarkers in the metabolites could be found through metabonomics analysis,and the mechanisms of the metabolic changes could be explored.It was noted that the research of metabolites in the urine samples may be a useful tool to help diagnose and understand the pathogenesis of HLP.Metabonomics analysis is a promising research method.

Purpose To analyze the correlations between PD-L1 expression and clinicopathological factors and their prognostic values in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients.Methods PD-L1 expression in the primary tumors from 253 patients with ESCC was evaluated using tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry (IHC).PD-L1 positivity was defined as positive staining of 1％ and 5％ tumor cells.Survival curves were constructed by using the Kaplan-Meier method.Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were performed to identify associations with outcome variables.Results Overall,tumoral PD-L1 expression was potentially associated with favorable DFS and OS.When the patients were stratified into stage Ⅰ + Ⅱ (60.9％,154/253) and stage Ⅲ + Ⅳa (39.1％,99/253),the prognostic role was not consistent.In patients with stage Ⅰ + Ⅱ disease,tumoral PD-L1 expression was associated with better DFS and OS upon multivariate analysis (1％ as the cutoff:P =0.046 and 0.021,5％ as the cutoff:P=0.011 and0.004).However,PD-L1 expression was not correlated with prognosis in patients with stage Ⅲ + Ⅳa disease (1％ as the cutoff:P =0.586 and 0.682,5％ as the cutoff:P =0.807 and 0.620).Conclusion The prognostic role of tumoral PDL expression is variable in different stages of ESCC,and tumoral PDL expression is an independent favorable predictor in ESCC patients with Stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ disease,but not in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳa or lymph node metastasis.

OBJECTIVEA RP-HPLC method was developed for simultaneous determination of bigelovin, ergolide and tomentosin in Inula hupehensis.

METHODAn Agilent C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) was used for separation at 40 degrees C. The mobile phase was acetonitrile-water, and the flow rate was 1.2 mL x min(-1). The detection wavelength was set at 210 nm.

RESULTThe method has good linearity in the ranges of 0.01792-0.1792 g x L(-1) (r =0.9999) for bigelovin, 0.0424-0.4240 g x L(-1) (r =0.9996) for ergolide, and 0.044 8-0.4480 g x L(-1) (r = 0.9996) for tomentosin. The average recoveries of bigelovin, ergolide, and tomentosin were 98.5%, 98.2%, 98.4%, with the RSD of 1. 3%, 1.3%, 1.7%, respectively. The results demonstrated that there was a significant difference in the contents of three sequterpene lactones among the tested Inulae Flos.

CONCLUSIONThe results indicated that the present RP-HPLC method is simple, quick and accurate, and can be used for the quality control of I. hupehensis, especially for the authentication of Inulae Flos.

Objective To analyze the virulence genes and drug resistance in Vibrio parahaemolyti-cus strains isolated in Nantong City from 2015 to 2016 in order to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection and for rational use of medicines. Methods Virulence genes of tlh,tdh and trh in Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. Micro-broth dilution method was used to analyze antimicrobial resistance in these strains to 15 kinds of antibiotics. Results Eighty-two Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains were all positive for tlh gene and negative for trh gene and among them,72 carried tdh gene (87.8%). Antimicrobial resistance rates of these strains to ampicil-lin,cefazolin,tetracycline and chloramphenicol were all 1.2% (1/82). Two strains (2.4%) were resist-ant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. All strains were sensitive or intermediate to another 10 kinds of antibi-otics. Conclusion From 2015 to 2016,Vibrio parahaemolyticus strains carrying virulence genes of tlh and tdh were prevalent in Nantong and no trh gene-positive strains were reported. Except ampicillin, cefazolin, tetracycline,chloramphenicol and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole these five kinds of antibiotics, the remai-ning 10 kinds of antibiotics were effective against Vibrio parahaemolyticus and could be used as the treatment of choice.

Objective:To preliminarily observe the clinical efficacy of microwave hyperthermia combined with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and chemotherapy for patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.Methods:Forty patients who could not been operated or refused operation were enrolled in this clinical trial, who were confirmed as locally advanced proximal or distal gastric cancer by gastroscopy pathology and imaging. Radiotherapy was delivered by IMRT technology for 5 times per week with a total dose of 46 to 56 Gy (median dose of 50 Gy) in 25 to 28 fractions. Synchronous hyperthermia was given at 42 to 44℃ twice a week, 45 min/time. S-1 or capecitabine-based synchronous chemotherapy was performed, d1-14/3 weeks. The symptom remission rate, adverse reactions, objective remission rate (complete and partial remission) and survival were observed.Results:A total of 40 patients, aged between 56 and 83 years (median age of 71 years), were enrolled in this study. The male-to-female ratio was 7: 1. Among them, 38 cases (95%) showed symptom remission. The most common adverse reactions were grade 1-2 gastrointestinal reactions and leukopenia. The objective remission rate was 87.5%, the 2-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 68.6% and 70.5%, respectively.Conclusion:Preliminary findings demonstrate that microwave hyperthermia combined with chemoradiotherapy achieve satisfactory outcomes and yield tolerable toxicity in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: To study the efficacy of capecitabine or S-1 plus oxaliplatin (CAPOX or SOX) for treating thymidine phosphorylase (TP)- or dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD)-positive advanced gastric cancer.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-six patients with stage IIIC to IV gastric cancer were assessed for TP and DPD expression by immunohistochemistry. The association between CAPOX or SOX efficacy and TP/DPD expression was retrospectively analyzed.RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the objective remission rate (ORR, 52.27% vs. 47.62%; P>0.05), disease control rate (72.73% vs. 73.81%, P>0.05), progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.119; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.739–1.741; P=0.586), and overall survival (OS; HR, 0.855; 95% CI, 0.481–1.511; P=0.588) between CAPOX and SOX. A higher number of stage IV patients showed TP positivity, while DPD-positive patients predominantly showed intestinal type of gastric cancer. In TP-positive patients, the ORRs associated with CAPOX and SOX treatments were 57.14% and 38.10%, respectively; OS was better with CAPOX than with SOX (HR, 0.447; 95% CI, 0.179–0.978; P=0.046). Among DPD-positive patients, the SOX treatment-associated ORR (60.87%) was significantly higher than the CAPOX treatment-associated ORR (43.48%). Furthermore, SOX treatment resulted in better OS than did CAPOX treatment (HR, 2.020; 95% CI, 1.019–4.837; P=0.049).CONCLUSIONS: No significant difference in clinical efficacy was found between CAPOX and SOX. TP-positive patients might respond better to CAPOX while DPD-positive patients may respond better to SOX. Our findings might serve as a guide for personalized chemotherapy for gastric cancer.
Capecitabine ; Dihydrouracil Dehydrogenase (NADP) ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Retrospective Studies ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Thymidine Phosphorylase ; Thymidine ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To evaluate the value of monitoring regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO 2) in the prognosis of comatose children in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods:A total of 127 coma children who admitted to PICU at Henan Children′s Hospital from January 2019 to September 2021 were collected and divided into mild[Glasgow coma score(GCS): 13-15], moderate(GCS: 9-12) and severe coma(GCS: 3-8) groups according to GCS.A cerebral oxygen monitor was used to monitor the rSO 2 of all children before treatment, and on the 3rd, 7th and 14th day after treatment.The outcomes were assessed according to the pediatric cerebral performance category (PCPC), and the children were divided into recovery group(PCPC score: 1), disability group(PCPC score: 2-4) and poor prognosis group(PCPC score: 5-6). Multiple linear regression and receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve were used to analyze the correlation between rSO 2 and PCPC score. Results:rSO 2 in mild, moderate and severe coma groups before treatment were (78.06±3.21)%, (66.07±6.05)%, and (52.87±6.49)%, respectively ( F=209.263, P<0.05). rSO 2 before treatment was positively correlated with GCS( r=0.806, P<0.05). There were significant differences in rSO 2 among recovery group, disability group and poor prognosis group before treatment and that on the 3rd, 7th and 14th day after treatment ( P<0.05). Notably, rSO 2 in recovery group was higher than that in disability group, and rSO 2 in disability group was higher than that in poor prognosis group.The rSO 2 of three groups showed an increasing trend over time ( P<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that rSO 2 on the 7th and 14th day of treatment were independent prognostic factors ( OR -0.042, 95% CI -0.082~0.003, P<0.05; OR -0.047, 95% CI -0.094~0.000, P<0.05). ROC analysis showed that rSO 2 on the 7th day of treatment had a relatively higher prognostic value for children in coma, and the area under the ROC curve for predicting the prognosis of abnormal brain function and no wakefulness were 0.741 and 0.746, respectively. Conclusion:Monitoring rSO 2 has predictive value for the prognosis of brain function of coma children in PICU, in which the prognostic value of rSO 2 on the 7th day after treatment is relatively higher and can be used as a reference index for prognosis assessment of coma children in PICU.

Objective:In general, patients with seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are considered to show an aggressive disease course. However, the relationship between the two subgroups in disease severity is controversial. Our study is aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and prognosis of double-seropositive and seronegative RA in China through a real-world large scale study.Methods:RA patients who met the 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) classification criteria or the 2010 ACR/European Anti-Rheumatism Alliance RA classification criteria, and who attended the 10 hospitals across the country from September 2015 to January 2020, were enrolled. According to the serological status, patients were divided into 4 subgroups [rheumatoid factor (RF)(-) anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibody (-), RF(+), RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+), anti-CCP antibody(+)] and compared the disease characteristics and treatment response. One-way analysis of variance was used for measurement data that conformed to normal distribution, Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for measurement data that did not conform to normal distribution; paired t test was used for comparison before and after treatment within the group if the data was normally distributed else paired rank sum test was used; χ2 test was used for count data. Results:① A total of 2 461 patients were included, including 1 813 RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) patients (73.67%), 129 RF(+) patients (5.24%), 245 RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) patients (9.96%), 74 anti-CCP antibody(+) patients (11.13%). ② Regardless of the CCP status, RF(+) patients had an early age of onset [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) (51±14) years old, anti-CCP antibody(+) (50±15) years old, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) (48±14) years old, RF(+)(48±13) years old, F=3.003, P=0.029], longer disease duration [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 50 (20, 126) months, anti-CCP antibody(+) 60(24, 150) months, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 89(35, 179) months, RF(+) 83(25, 160) months, H=22.001, P<0.01], more joint swelling counts (SJC) [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 2(0, 6), Anti-CCP antibody(+) 2(0, 5), RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 2(0, 7), RF(+) 2(0, 6), H=8.939, P=0.03] and tender joint counts (TJC) [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 3(0, 8), anti-CCP antibody(+) 2(0, 6), RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 3(1, 9), RF(+) 2(0, 8), H=11.341, P=0.01] and the morning stiff time was longer [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 30(0, 60) min, anti-CCP antibody(+) 20(0, 60) min, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 30(10, 60) min, RF(+) 30(10, 60) min, H=13.32, P<0.01]; ESR [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 17(9, 38) mm/1 h, anti-CCP antibody(+) 20(10, 35) mm/1 h, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 26(14, 45) mm/1 h, RF(+) 28(14, 50) mm/1 h, H=37.084, P<0.01] and CRP [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) 2.3 (0.8, 15.9) mm/L, Anti-CCP antibody(+) 2.7(0.7, 12.1) mm/L, RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) 5.2(1.3, 17.2) mm/L, RF (+) 5.2(0.9, 16.2) mm/L, H=22.141, P<0.01] of the RF(+)patients were significantly higher than RF(-) patients, and RF(+) patients had higher disease severity(DAS28-ESR) [RF(-) anti-CCP antibody(-) (4.0±1.8), anti-CCP antibody(+) (3.8±1.6), RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) (4.3±1.8), RF(+) (4.1±1.7), F=7.269, P<0.01]. ③ The RF(+) anti-CCP antibody(+) patients were divided into 4 subgroups, and it was found that RF-H anti-CCP antibody-L patients had higher disease severity [RF-H anti-CCP antibody-H 4.3(2.9, 5.6), RF-L anti-CCP antibody-L 4.5(3.0, 5.7), RF-H anti-CCP antibody-L 4.9(3.1, 6.2), RF-L anti-CCP antibody-H 2.8(1.8, 3.9), H=20.374, P<0.01]. ④ After 3-month follow up, the clinical characteristics of the four groups were improved, but there was no significant difference in the improvement of the four groups, indicating that the RF and anti-CCP antibody status did not affect the remission within 3 months. Conclusion:Among RA patients, the disease activity of RA patients is closely related to RF and the RF(+) patients have more severe disease than RF(-) patients. Patients with higher RF titer also have more severe disease than that of patients with low RF titer. After 3 months of medication treatment, the antibody status does not affect the disease remission rate.