With the development of gene sequencing, there are growing concerns on the role of digestive tract microbiota in liver cirrhosis and its complications. Most studies focus on the application of change of gut microbiota, probiotics and antibiotic therapy in liver cirrhosis, however, studies on oral, gastric and duodenal microbiota in liver cirrhosis are rare. This article reviewed the roles of oral, gastric and duodenal microbiota in liver cirrhosis for providing some new ideas for the treatment of liver cirrhosis and its complications.

Objective To evaluate the effects ofbeta-endorphin (β-EP) and substance P (SP)with sedative and analgesic drugs on mechanical ventilated patients. Methods Twenty-eight mechanical ventilated patients were randomly divided into two groups: midazolam group (M group, 14 cases) and midazolam combined with fentanyl group (M + F group, 14 cases). Eight healthy persons were as control group (C group). The sedative target was VAS≤3 scores and Ramsay 2-4 scores. The levels of serum β -EP and SP were tested before sedation and 12, 24 h after sedation in mechanical ventilated patients and at 8 Am in C group. The sedation levels were evaluated and the hemodynamie and respiratory parameters were recorded before sedation and 1, 12, 24 h after sedation in mechanical ventilated patients. The oxygenation index was measured before sedation and 1,12, 24 h after sedation. Results The levels of serum β -EP and SP in M and M+F group were significantly higher than those in C group(P< 0.05). After sedation, the level of SP in M+F group [(101.42 ± 12.46) ng/L]was significantly lower than that in M group [(132.72 ± 23.82) ng/L] (P < 0.05). Compared with before sedation, there were significant differences in heart rate, VAS and Ramsay scores between M group and M+F group (P< 0.05). Compared with M group, pressure airway and respiratory rate at 12, 24 h and total after sedation were lower in M+F group (P <0.05). The amount of serum SP in mechanical ventilated patients. Fentanyl improves the ventilator synehron and reduces the dose of midazolam.

The morbidity and mortality of gastric cancer are very high in China. Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection plays an important role in gastric mucosa inflammation, atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. A large number of epidemiological researches have shown a positive correlation between Hp infection and morbidity of gastric cancer. The current infection rate of Hp in China is nearly 50%. Eradication of Hp may reduce the risk of gastric cancer and bring a better cost-effectiveness. However, screening and eradication of Hp had not been taken seriously in China. This article analyzed the effectiveness and affecting factors of screening and eradication of Hp for gastric cancer prevention from the health economics perspective view.

Objective To investigate pathogens and drug resistance of lower respiratory tract infection(LRTI)in Intensive Care Unit(ICU).Methods Retrospective study of the clinical data,the distribution and the drug-sensitivity of pathogens of 220 cases with LRTI in ICU.Results Totally 280 strains of pathogens were identified by bacterial culturing.The ratio of G-bacteria to total pathogens isolated was 63.5%,of the G+ bacteria was 25.1%,and of the fungi was 11.4%.The main kinds of the G-bacteria were Klebsiella pneumoniae(17.1%),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(13.2%),Acinetobacter baumannii(12.5%),and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia(10.4%).Staphylococcus aureus(SA)(91.4%)was the most prominent in G+ bacteria,and MRSA was 98.4% in SA.The result of drug sensitive test in vitro showed the multiple drug fast rate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was comparatively high,Stenotrophomonas maltophilia to Levofloxacin was low,Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii were highly sensitive to carbapenems.The susceptibility rate of MRSA to vancomycin was 100%.Conclusion G-bacteria are the majority of the pathogens,isolated from patients with LRTI in ICU.Klebsiella pneumoniae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Acinetobacter baumannii,and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia are the chief G-pathogens.Except Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,imipenem and merpenem are relatively active against the G-bacilli.The proportion of MRSA and fungal infection is increasing.It is suggested that there be urgent need for surveillance of bacterial resistance and rational use of antimicrobial agents during clinical therapy.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characters and prognostic value of PSA flare and bone flare in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer(mCRPC) patients received Abiterone acetate(AA) therapy.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted for 93 mCRPC patients treated with AA from Jul.2016 to Dec.2020. Mean age was (75.4±8.9)years, median PSA was 58.2 (16.4, 148.6)ng/ml. Patients received at least 6 months of AA treatment. PSA flare was defined as an increase of PSA after AA therapy followed by a decrease. Bone flare was defined as disease progression after 3 months of therapy, typically based on increased lesion intensity or number, and reevaluation 6-9 months later showed improvement in the scan. The clinical characters and prognostic value of the flare phenomenon was evaluated and analyzed respectively.Results:The median follow up time was 16 months(6, 54 months), fourteen patients showed PSA flare at first month after AA treatment, and median time of duration was 2 months(1, 7 months). The serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) had a similar rising trend along with PSA flare[115.5(98.0, 198.5)U/L vs. 119.0(97.0, 288.8)U/L, P=0.016]. Seven patients showed bone flare and 3 cases co-existed with PSA flare. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated bone flare was an independent protective factor for progression free survival(PFS)( HR=0.117, 95% CI 0.015-0.895, P=0.039), PSA flare had no significant influence on PFS ( HR=1.314, 95% CI 0.554-3.121, P=0.536)and overall survival(OS)( HR=1.348, 95% CI 0.393-4.263, P=0.635). Log-rank test showed patients with bone flare had a longer PFS( P=0.016) and OS( P=0.047) compared with patients without bone flare. Conclusions:PSA flare always faded away after 2 months AA therapy and had no influence on PFS and OS. Bone flare maybe an indication for better prognosis.

Objective To investigate the effect of miR-22-3p on pyroptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs)induced by homocysteine(Hcy).Methods Human VSMCs were cultured in vitro and divided into a Control group(0 μmol/L Hey)and a Hey group(100 μmol/L Hey).After intervention,expression levels of pro Caspase-1,gasdermin D(GSDMD),N-GSDMD,and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)were detected by Western blot.MiR-22-3p expression was determined by quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.Interleukin(IL)-1 β and IL-18 levels in the supernatant were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Cells were also transfected with control miR-22-3p(miR-22-3p-NC),miR-22-3p-mimic,and miR-22-3p-inhibitor,to observe the effects on VSMC pyroptosis induced by Hcy.Results Expression levels of pro Caspase-1,GSDMD,N-GSDMD,and NLRP3 in VSMCs were increased(P＜0.05),IL-1 β and IL-18 levels were increased(P＜0.01),and the relative expression level of miR-22-3p was reduced(P＜0.01)in the Hcy group compared with the Control group.Transfection with miR-22-3p-mimic significantly decreased the expression levels of pro Caspase-1,GSDMD,N-GSDMD,and NLRP3 in VSMCs(P＜0.01),and significantly decreased levels of IL-1β and IL-18(P＜0.01),while transfection with miR-22-3p-inhibitor significantly increased the expression levels of pro Caspase-1,GSDMD,N-GSDMD,and NLRP3 in VSMCs(P＜0.01)and significantly increased the levels of IL-1β and IL-18(P＜0.05).Conclusions MiR-22-3p may delay Hcy-induced VSMC pyroptosis.

BACKGROUND:Increased homocysteine level induces apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells,but the mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role of hsa-circ-0001360 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell apoptosis induced by homocysteine. METHODS:In vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were divided into control group,homocysteine group,interference control group,interference control + homocysteine group,hsa-circ-0001360 interference group,hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine interference group,overexpression control group,overexpression control + homocysteine group,hsa-circ-0001360 overexpression group and hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine overexpression group.All groups were treated with 100 μmol/L homocysteine.After 72 hours of intervention,the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bax,Bcl-2,and Caspase-3 were detected by western blot assay.The apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry.Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of hsa-circ-0001360. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the expression of Caspase-3 and Bax was significantly increased(P<0.01),and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the apoptotic rate was significantly increased(P<0.01)in the homocysteine group.(2)Compared with control group,the expression of hsa-circ-0001360 was significantly increased in the homocysteine group(P<0.01).(3)The expression of hsa-circ-0001360 was significantly higher in the cytoplasm than that in the nucleus(P<0.01).(4)Compared with the interference control C group and interference control + homocysteine group,the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax were significantly decreased(P<0.01),while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased(P<0.01);the apoptotic rate was significantly decreased(P<0.01)in sh-hsa-circ-0001360 interference group and sh-hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine interference group.(5)Compared with overexpression control group and overexpression control + homocysteine group,the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax were significantly increased(P<0.01),while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased(P<0.01);the apoptotic rate was significantly increased(P<0.01)in the hsa-circ-0001360 overexpression group and the hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine overexpression group.(6)In conclusion,hsa-circ-0001360 can promote the apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by homocysteine.

Objective To understand the changing distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Klebsiella strains in 52 hospitals across China in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to the unified CHINET protocol.The susceptibility results were interpreted according to the breakpoints in the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)M100 document.Results A total of 241,549 nonduplicate Klebsiella strains were isolated from 2015 to 2021,including Klebsiella pneumoniae(88.0％),Klebsiella aerogenes(5.8％),Klebsiella oxytoca(5.7％),and other Klebsiella species(0.6％).Klebsiella strains were mainly isolated from respiratory tract(48.49±5.32)％.Internal medicine(22.79±3.28)％,surgery(17.98±3.10)％,and ICU(14.03±1.39)％were the top 3 departments where Klebsiella strains were most frequently isolated.K.pneumoniae isolates showed higher resistance rate to most antimicrobial agents compared to other Klebsiella species.Klebsiella isolates maintained low resistance rates to tigecycline and polymyxin B.ESBLs-producing K.pneumoniae and K.oxytoca strains showed higher resistance rates to all the antimicrobial agents tested compared to the corresponding ESBLs-nonproducing strains.The K.pneumoniae and carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae(CRKP)strains isolated from ICU patients demonstrated higher resistance rates to majority of the antimicrobial agents tested than the strains isolated from non-ICU patients.The CRKP strains isolated from adult patients had higher resistance rates to most of the antimicrobial agents tested than the corresponding CRKP strains isolated from paediatric patients.Conclusions The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant strains in Klebsiella isolates increased greatly from 2015 to 2021.However,the Klebsiella isolates remained highly susceptible to tigecycline and polymyxin B.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance should still be strengthened for Klebsiella strains.