Objective:To investigate the frequency of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and further analyze the correlation of MS and its components with clinical features of PsA.Methods:Data including demographics, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, MS-associated features (height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, serum lipid spectrum, and so on) and history of complications (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and cerebral vascular disease) were collected from PsA patients in our hospital from Jan 2017 to Sep 2019. The frequency of MS in PsA patients was calculated and the association between PsA clinical manifestations and MS as well as its components was investigated.Results:One hundred and sixty-two PsA patients who fulfilled the Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis (CASPAR) were recruited. Hypertension was identified in 36 (22.2%) patients, diabetes mellitus in 28(17.2%) patients, coronary heart disease in 11(6.7%) patients, and cerebral vascular disease in 7 (4.3%) patients. Based on the criteria of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 58(35.8%) patients were diagnosed as MS. Compared with MS-free patients, patients with MS, hypertension or diabetes mellitus were older [(54±10 vs 44±13; 56±11 vs 45±12; 54±11 vs 44±13, respectively, t=5.058 , 4.450, 5.150, P<0.01 for all], with higher disease activity [DAPSA scores 16.75(11.25, 26.7) vs 8.8(4.8, 16.4), 16.3(9.6, 27.8) vs 10.0 (5.1, 18.0), 14.4 (9, 25.7) vs 9.5 (5, 17.7), Z=4.539 , 3.046, 3.063, P<0.01]. There was a positive correlation between the sum of components of MS and DAPSA score ( r=0.27 , P<0.01), but multiple linear regression showed no correlation between each component with DAPSA score ( P>0.05) except for hypertension ( P<0.01, standard coefficient=0.334) and elevated fasting blood glucose ( P=0.023, standard coefficient=0.247). PsA patients with hypertension had higher ESR [16.5 (9.5, 34.25) mm/1 h vs 10 (5, 24.5) mm/1 h, Z=2.127, P=0.012]. CRP level was higher in patients with dyslipidemia [5.6(2.1, 17.8) mg/L vs 3.7(1.5, 6.5) mg/L, Z=2.543, P<0.01]. Prevalence of inflammatory back pain was also higher in dyslipidemia patients (41.3% vs 22.4%, χ2=5.901, P=0.016). DAPSA score was higher in dyslipidemia patients (14.1 vs9.9, P=0.031). Conclusion:MS and its components are not rare comorbidities in PsA patients. PsA patients with MS tend to be older with higher disease activity, which calls for more attention.

Background: Due to the unavailability of an effective vaccine or antiviral drug against the African swine fever virus (ASFV), rapid diagnosis methods are needed to prevent highly contagious African swine fever. Objectives: The objective of this study was to establish the ladder-shape melting temperature isothermal amplification (LMTIA) assay for the detection of ASFV. Methods: LMTIA primers were designed with the p72 gene of ASFV as the target, and plasmid pUC57 was used to clone the gene. The LMTIA reaction system was optimized with the plasmid as the positive control, and the performance of the LMTIA assay was compared with that of the commercial real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit in terms of sensitivity and detection rate using 200 serum samples. Results: Our results showed that the LMTIA assay could detect the 10 4 dilution of DNA extracted from the positive reference serum sample, which was the same as that of the commercial real-time PCR kit. The coincidence rate between the two assays was 100%. Conclusions The LMTIA assay had high sensitivity, good detection, and simple operation. Thus, it is suitable for facilitating preliminary and cost-effective surveillance for the prevention and control of ASFV.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) receiving percutaneous drainage (PCD). Methods Clinical data of SAP patients receiving PCD admitted to department of hepatobiliary surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from November 11th 2015 to May 13th 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into CRRT group and control group according to whether or not receiving CRRT. Demographic data, relevant variables before and after PCD, complication and outcome were all compared. Results A total of 75 patients were included in the study, 30 were treated with application of CRRT and 45 without CRRT. ① There was no significant difference in gender, age, body mass index (BMI), medical history (smoking, drinking), complications (cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, chronic renal insufficiency), etiology (gallstone, alcohol abuse, hyperlipidemia and others), or white blood cell count (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum procalcitonin (PCT), fluid resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, vasoactive agent or intra-abdominal pressure within 48 hours after admission between the two groups. However, acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) score within 48 hours after admission of CRRT group was significantly higher than that of control group (18.3±4.5 vs. 12.8±6.2, P < 0.05). ② There was no significant difference in WBC, PCT, APACHEⅡ score or computed tomography severity index (CTSI) before PCD between the two groups. There was no significant difference in the position or times of PCD procedure between the two groups, but the time interval of PCD in the CRRT group was significantly longer than that in the control group (days: 19.4±5.4 vs. 12.8±2.2, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, there was no significant difference in drainage of fluid properties, incidence of abdominal bleeding, infection, gastrointestinal fistula, endoscopic removal of necrotic tissue, laparotomy for removal of necrotic tissue or the time from PCD to endoscopy or laparotomy between two groups. However, the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and the length of hospital stay in the CRRT group were significantly longer than those in the control group (days: 23.2±8.5 vs. 15.3±12.1, 51.2±21.2 vs. 31.2±14.0, both P < 0.01). ③ Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that there was no significant differences in 1-year or 3-year cumulative survival rates between the two groups (χ21 = 0.097, P1 = 0.755; χ22 = 0.013, P2 = 0.908). Conclusions CRRT is safe and feasible in the treatment of SAP patients receiving PCD procedure. It does not increase the risk of bleeding and may delay the time interval of PCD intervention. However, it may prolong the length of ICU stay and the length of hospital stay. It should be worthy of much attention for clinicians.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oXiris hemofilter for septic shock patients. Methods Clinical data of septic shock patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with oXiris hemofilter in department of surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from March 1st, 2018 to July 20th, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2), lactate (Lac), platelet count (PLT), serum procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), noradrenaline (NE) dosage, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ(APACHEⅡ) and sequential organ failure score (SOFA) were compared before and after oXiris treatment and the prognosis were also analyzed. Results Six patients with septic shock were included [5 males, the average age was (56.3±11.8) years old]. A total of 13 oXiris hemofilter sets were performed during treatment. Compared with before treatment, the HR, IL-6 and CRP levels were significantly decreased after treatment [HR (bpm): 93.8±9.7 vs. 133.5± 18.3, IL-6 (ng/L): 509.2±169.6 vs. 3739.8±618.2, CRP (mg/L): 169.1±148.3 vs. 277.8±68.7, all P < 0.05], MAP, PaO2/FiO2 and PLT were significantly increased [MAP (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 73.3±2.2 vs. 63.3±1.6, PaO2/FiO2 (mmHg): 166.8±40.4 vs. 95.1±56.2, PLT (×109/L): 73.3±27.5 vs. 41.2±21.4, all P < 0.05]; meanwhile, NE dosage, APACHEⅡ and SOFA scores were significantly decreased [NE (μg·kg-1·min-1): 0.4±0.3 vs. 1.2±0.7, APACHEⅡ:18.8±6.9 vs. 30.0±7.3, SOFA: 11.7±4.2 vs. 17.3±2.1, all P < 0.05]. Although Lac and PCT decreased after treatment, there was no significant difference [Lac (mmol/L): 3.5±2.1 vs. 6.1±3.2, PCT (μg/L): 37.7±48.3 vs. 85.1±32.8, both P > 0.05]. At the end, 3 of the 6 patients survived and the others were discharged again medical advice. The length of SICU stay was 3 to 23 days, with an average of (13.0±8.5) days. No adverse events occurred during the treatment. Conclusion oXiris hemofilter can effectively remove inflammatory mediators in circulation, significantly improve hemodynamic status and severity, and may be considered as a safe and reliable treatment modality for septic shock patients.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Qidi Tangshen prescription （QDTS） in alleviating podocyte injury and reducing urinary protein in diabetic nephropathy （DN）. MethodUsing network pharmacology methods， we collected the chemical components and targets of QDTS， as well as the targets related to DN. Subsequently， we constructed a "drug-ingredient-target-disease" network for QDTS in the treatment of DN to systematically elucidate the mechanism. The db/db mice were assigned into the model， QDTS （3.34 g·kg^-1）， and losartan capsules （10.29 mg·kg^-1） groups， and db/m mice served as the normal group. Each group consisted of 8 mice， and they underwent continuous intervention for 8 weeks. After the last administration， mice were euthanized， and the urinary albumin excretion rate （UAER） and renal pathological changes were measured and observed. The expression levels of protein kinase B1 （Akt1）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha （HIF-1α）， phosphorylated B-cell lymphoma-extra-large （p-Bcl-xl）， as well as autophagy-related indicators microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）， ubiquitin-binding protein p62 （p62）， and autophagy-related gene 6 homolog （Beclin1）， were determined. Furthermore， mouse podocytes were divided into the normal glucose （5.5 mmol·L^-1）， high glucose （35 mmol·L^-1）， DMSO （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose+200 mg·L^-1 DMSO）， and QDTS （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose+200 mg·L^-1 QDTS freeze-dried powder） groups. After 48 h of intervention， the protein levels of Akt1， HIF-1α， p-Bcl-xl， LC3， p62， and Beclin1 in podocytes were measured. ResultQDTS had 34 active components acting on 143 targets in the treatment of DN， and 55 targets were related to autophagy， in which Akt1， HIF-1α， and Bcl-xl were the key targets. Compared with the normal group， mice in the model group exhibited significantly increased UAER， glomerular hypertrophy， deposition of blue collagen fibers， thickening of the glomerular basement membrane， and noticeable fusion of podocyte foot processes in some segments. Furthermore， the modeling up-regulated the protein levels of p-Akt1， HIF-1α， and p62 and down-regulating the protein levels of p-Bcl-xl， LC3， and Beclin1 in the renal tissue （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， QDTS and losartan decreased UAER （P<0.05） and alleviated the pathological damage in the renal tissue. Moreover， QDTS and losartan down-regulated the protein levels of p-Akt1， HIF-1α， and p62 and up-regulated the protein levels of p-Bcl-xl， LC3， and Beclin1 in the renal tissue （P<0.05）. In comparison to the normal glucose group， the high glucose group displayed up-regulated protein levels of p-Akt1， HIF-1α， and p62 and down-regulated protein levels of p-Bcl-xl， LC3， and Beclin1 in podocytes （P<0.05）. Compared with the high glucose group， QDTS down-regulated the protein levels of p-Akt1， HIF-1α， and p62 and up-regulated the protein levels of p-Bcl-xl， LC3， and Beclin1 in podocytes （P<0.05）. ConclusionQDTS alleviates podocyte damage and reduced urinary protein in DN by regulating the Akt1/HIF-1α/Bcl-xl signaling pathway， thereby enhancing podocyte autophagy.

ObjectiveTo explore the molecular mechanism of Qidi Tangshen prescription （QDTS） in regulating podocyte pyroptosis in diabetes nephropathy （DN）. MethodThrough in vivo experiment， db/db mice were divided into the model group， QDTS group （3.34 g·kg^-1）， valsartan capsule group （10.29 mg·kg^-1）， with db/m mice serving as the normal control. Each group consisted of 8 mice， and they underwent continuous intervention for 8 weeks. After the last administration， mice were euthanized， and kidney pathological changes were observed. Additionally， the expression levels of pyroptosis-related indicators， including NOD-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3）， Gasdermin D protein （GSDMD）， and interleukin-1β （IL-1β） protein， were examined. Through in vitro experiment， mouse podocytes were divided into the normal glucose group （5.5 mmol·L^-1 glucose）， high glucose group （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose）， DMSO group （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose+200 mg·L^-1 DMSO）， and QDTS group （35 mmol·L^-1 glucose+200 mg·L^-1 QDTS freeze-dried powder）. After 48 hours of intervention， the expression levels of NLRP3， GSDMD， and IL-1β proteins were measured in podocytes. A drug-ingredient-target-disease interaction network for QDTS in the treatment of DN was constructed by network pharmacology methods. The key signaling pathways regulating podocyte pyroptosis were analyzed， and validation was conducted through in vivo and in vitro experiments. ResultCompared with normal group， glomerular hyperplasia and glomerular basement membrane thickening were observed in model group， and some segments were accompanied by obvious podocellular process fusion. The protein expressions of NLRP3， GSDMD and IL-1β in mouse kidney were increased， the protein expressions of mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 （MAPK14）， V-Rel reticuloendotheliosis virus oncogene homology A （RELA） and Caspase-8 in mouse kidney were increased （P<0.05）. Compared with model group， kidney pathological injury of mice in QDTS group was significantly reduced， and the expressions of NLRP3， GSDMD and IL-1β in kidney of mice in QDTS group and valsartan group were decreased （P<0.05）. The protein expressions of MAPK14， RELA and Caspase-8 in kidney of mice in QDTS group and valsartan group were decreased （P<0.05）. Network pharmacology results showed that there were 16 targets for QDTS to regulate DN cell pyrodeath， among which MAPK14， RELA and Caspase-8 were the key targets. Compared with normal glucose group， the protein expressions of NLRP3， GSDMD and IL-1β in high glucose group were increased （P<0.05）， and the protein expressions of MAPK14， RELA and Caspase-8 in mouse podocytes were increased （P<0.05）. Compared with high glucose group， the expressions of NLRP3， GSDMD and IL-1β in podocytes of mice in QDTS group were decreased （P<0.05）， and the expressions of MAPK14， RELA and Caspase-8 in podocytes of mice in QDTS group were decreased （P<0.05）. ConclusionQDTS reduces damage to DN podocytes， which is associated with its regulation of the MAPK14/RELA/Caspase-8 signaling pathway and inhibition of podocyte pyroptosis.

Objective To investigate the effect of diurnal temperature difference on hospitalization volume of patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in Urumqi City. Methods The daily hospitalization data for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in Urumqi City from 2019-2021, and meteorological and pollutant data for the same period were collected. The relationship between diurnal temperature range and hospitalizations for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was analyzed using a distribution lag non-linear model (DLNM), controlling for the long-term trends, the day-of-week effects and other factors. Results The greater the diurnal temperature range, the longer the lag time, and the higher the risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The lag effect increased significantly when the maximum diurnal temperature range reached 21.0°C. The risk effect appeared on the day of exposure and lasted until day 20, with a maximum RR of 1.266 (95% CI: 1.129-1.421) at a lag of 13 days. At very high diurnal temperature range, the risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was higher in the cold season than that in the warm season. Results after stratified analysis by sex and age showed that men and people aged ≥65 years were more susceptible to diurnal temperature range. Conclusion Extremely high diurnal temperature range is a potential trigger for hospitalization for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in Urumqi. Men and people aged ≥65 years are more vulnerable to the impact of diurnal temperature range. In the cold season, more attention should be paid to protecting vulnerable people from the impact of the extremely high diurnal temperature difference.

Animals ; Cognitive Dysfunction/therapy* ; Maze Learning ; Mice ; Protein Phosphatase 2 ; Restraint, Physical ; Stress, Psychological/therapy*

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of oXiris hemofilter for septic shock patients. Methods: Clinical data of septic shock patients receiving continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with oXiris hemofilter in department of surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from March 1st, 2018 to July 20th, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), oxygenation index (PaO₂/FiO₂), lactate (Lac), platelet count (PLT), serum procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP), noradrenaline (NE) dosage, acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) and sequential organ failure score (SOFA) were compared before and after oXiris treatment and the prognosis were also analyzed. Results: Six patients with septic shock were included [5 males, the average age was (56.3±11.8) years old]. A total of 13 oXiris hemofilter sets were performed during treatment. Compared with before treatment, the HR, IL-6 and CRP levels were significantly decreased after treatment [HR (bpm): 93.8±9.7 vs. 133.5±18.3, IL-6 (ng/L): 509.2±169.6 vs. 3 739.8±618.2, CRP (mg/L): 169.1±148.3 vs. 277.8±68.7, all P < 0.05], MAP, PaO₂/FiO₂ and PLT were significantly increased [MAP (mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 73.3±2.2 vs. 63.3±1.6, PaO₂/FiO₂ (mmHg): 166.8±40.4 vs. 95.1±56.2, PLT (×10⁹/L): 73.3±27.5 vs. 41.2±21.4, all P < 0.05]; meanwhile, NE dosage, APACHEⅡ and SOFA scores were significantly decreased [NE (μg·kg^-1·min^-1): 0.4±0.3 vs. 1.2±0.7, APACHEⅡ: 18.8±6.9 vs. 30.0±7.3, SOFA: 11.7±4.2 vs. 17.3±2.1, all P < 0.05]. Although Lac and PCT decreased after treatment, there was no significant difference [Lac (mmol/L): 3.5±2.1 vs. 6.1±3.2, PCT (μg/L): 37.7±48.3 vs. 85.1±32.8, both P > 0.05]. At the end, 3 of the 6 patients survived and the others were discharged again medical advice. The length of SICU stay was 3 to 23 days, with an average of (13.0±8.5) days. No adverse events occurred during the treatment. Conclusion oXiris hemofilter can effectively remove inflammatory mediators in circulation, significantly improve hemodynamic status and severity, and may be considered as a safe and reliable treatment modality for septic shock patients.

Mice ; Animals ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal