OBJECTIVETo study the epidemiolgy of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in children and its relations to climate factors in Hangzhou.

METHODSMonthly positive rate of RSV in pneumonia inpatients and climate factor including mean air temperature, mean relative humidity and rainy days per month were continuously observed for 3 years. Correlation analysis for RSV positive rate and these three climate factors were performed using partial correlation, and regression methods between the positive rate and significant factor was done.

RESULTS13 642 cases were detected and 25.8% showed positive of RSV. The positive rate of RSV in children < or =1 years old, 1-3 years old, > 3 years old were 33.1%, 19.7% and 5.1% respectively with significant difference (chi2 = 763.7, P = 0.000). Rate of RSV infection was increased from December and kept in high level until May or April next year, but were varied at different years. Partial correlations between positive rate and rainy days, mean relative humidity, and mean air temperature per month were 0.32 (P= 0.066), -0.27 (P = 0.117) and -0.83 (P = 0.000) respectively. The regression equation of RSV positive rate and mean air temperature was: RSV positive rate (%) = 52.933 - 1.914 x mean air temperature (degrees C).

CONCLUSIONRSV was one of the main factors causing of pneumonia in children while the highest infectious rate was in children < or =1 year old and infectious rate reduced along with the increase of age. Low air temperature was the main factor affecting the epidemiology of RSV. RSV was prevalent both in spring and winter in Hangzhou area.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Climate ; Female ; Humans ; Humidity ; Infant ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections ; epidemiology ; Seasons ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the viral pathogen of pneumonia in children.

METHODSA total of 13 642 cases of children pneumonia in 3 years were enrolled in this study. Antigens of viral pathogen in respiratory excretion, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), type 1, 2 and 3 parainfluenza virus, type A and B influenza virus, and adenovirus were detected by direct immunofluorescence method.

RESULTSViral pneumonia accounted for 34.3% of all cases, including 25.8% cases of RSV, 4.7% of parainfluenza virus, 2.4% of type A influenza virus, 0.2% of type B influenza virus and 1.3% of adenovirus. Coinfection was found in 20 cases, in which 17 cases (85%) were infected with RSV and another virus. Positive rates of RSV in children < or = 1 year, 1 to 3 years, and >3 years were 33.1%, 19.7% and 5.1% with a significant difference (chi(2)(trend)=763.4, P < 0.001). The positive rate of adenovirus in children < or =1 year (0.7%) was significantly lower than that in children aged 1 to 3 years and in children >3 years (2.3% and 2.5%) (all P<0.01). The positive rate of type A influenza virus in children aged 1 to 3 years was higher than that in children < or =1 year (chi(2)=18.2, P<0.01). Type 1 parainfluenza virus was found in 1.2% children aged 1 to 3 years with most prevalence (P<0.05). Infection rates of type 3 parainfluenza in children < or =1 year, 1 to 3 years, and >3 years were 4.7%, 3.2% and 1.4% respectively with a significant difference (chi(2)(trend)=52.4, P<0.01). Although there were some differences of infection rate of RSV in different years, it tended to increase from November to next April with a highest rate of 62.8%. Type 3 parainfluenza virus and Type A influenza virus were almost sporadic while type A influenza virus was epidemic in August 2003 with an infection rate of 15.7%.

CONCLUSIONThe highest infection rate of viral pathogen of pneumonia in children is RSV and the follows are parainfluenza, influenza and adenovirus in turn.

Adenoviridae ; isolation & purification ; Adenovirus Infections, Human ; virology ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Orthomyxoviridae ; isolation & purification ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections ; virology ; Paramyxoviridae ; isolation & purification ; Paramyxoviridae Infections ; virology ; Pneumonia, Viral ; virology ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections ; virology ; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses ; isolation & purification

Adiponectin ; blood ; Adolescent ; Child ; Fatty Liver ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; blood

Abstract:Objective　To investigate the clinical characteristics and early diagnostic methods of patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, so as to reduce the mortality of patients. Methods The clinical characteristics and microbiological analysis data including fungal culture, smear examination and mass spectrometry were collected from 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection in the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Tuberculosis, and Department of Critical Respiratory Medicine in Fuzhou Pulmonary Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021, and descriptive analysis was conducted. Results　All the 18 patients were confirmed to be infected with Talaromyces marneffei by conventional culture and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). The main infection sites of 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection were lungs and lymph nodes, and the patients were accompanied by clinical manifestations such as cough, sputum and fever. The imaging features such as patchy shadows, mediastinal lymph node shadows and nodular shadows were common. Microbiological testing showed a statistically significant difference between smear and culture with a higher positive culture rate (χ2=13.74, P<0.05). The positive rate of blood culture in microbiological test was 60.0% (9/15), the positive rate of bronchial lavage fluid culture was 26.7% (4/15), the positive rate of sputum culture was 5.6% (1/18), one case each of pus, bone marrow, pleural fluid and cerebrospinal fluid was positive for culture and the other cases were negative, one case of sputum and one case of pus were positive for smear and the rest were negative. Colony characteristics showed that the colony morphology was mycelial phase at 25 ℃, producing red pigment, and the branching pattern of the penicillus was seen microscopically as monoverticillate or biverticillate; At 35 ℃, the yeast phase appeared at the initial stage, and then the mycelium phase changed after 5-6 days; the yeast phase was observed at 37 ℃, and yeast-like cells were seen under the microscope. All 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection got better after using antifungal drugs. Compared with non-HIV patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, leukopenia and anemia were common in HIV patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). 　Conclusions The infection of Talaromyces marneffei can be divided into localized type and disseminated type, which usually invade the lungs, skin, lymph nodes and other places. The main manifestations of patients are fever, cough, phlegm and other atypical symptoms. At present, the diagnosis of Talaromyces marneffei infection is mostly based on the fungal culture test, and the application of MALDI-TOF MS method can effectively shorten the diagnosis time of Talaromycosis marneffei. Clinical characteristics combined with microbiological analysis provide an objective basis for early diagnosis of patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, and timely use of antifungal therapy can improve the prognosis of patients.

OBJECTIVEObese children and adolescents are often complicated with the abnormalities of lipid and glucose metabolism, which are often associated with adulthood hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In this study, the blood lipids, blood pressure and carotid arterial intima-media thickness (IMT) in obese children and adolescents were measured to investigate the relationship between the dyslipidemia and early vascular lesions.

METHODA total of 580 obese children and adolescents aged from 7 to 17 years of age were enrolled from 3 hospitals from Jan. 2008 to Sept. 2009. They were divided into 2 groups according to their blood lipoid levels. Ortholiposis group included 100 males and 52 females with a mean age of 10.47 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 28.28 kg/m(2). Dyslipidemia group included 305 males and 123 females with a mean age of 10.83 years and a mean BMI of 27.60 kg/m(2). Physical examination, and measurement of blood lipid, glucose and liver enzyme were taken. Carotid IMT was measured for 285 subjects.

RESULT(1) Hypertension was found in 12.5% (19/152) and 20.1% (86/428) patients in ortholiposis and dyslipidemia groups, respectively, with a significant difference (χ(2) = 4.362, P = 0.037). The OR was 1.760 with 95% confidence interval of 1.030 - 3.008. Higher prevalence of hypertension was found in patients with dyslipidemia. (2) The left, right and mean common carotid IMTs of dyslipidemia group were higher than those of ortholiposis group without significant difference (all P > 0.05). The left, right and mean internal carotid IMTs in dyslipidemia group were (0.66 ± 0.15) mm, (0.65 ± 0.15) mm and (0.65 ± 0.15) mm, respectively while these in ortholiposis group were (0.62 ± 0.13) mm, (0.60 ± 0.13) mm and (0.61 ± 0.12) mm, respectively (P < 0.05 for all). (3) Bivariate correlation analysis showed that systolic blood pressure was positively correlated with age, BMI, BMI Z score, waist circumference, hip circumference, uric acid, alanine transaminase, triglyceride, fasting insulin and insulin resistance index (P < 0.05 for all). Moreover, mean carotid and internal carotid IMTs were positively correlated with age, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, and triglyceride (all P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that hip circumference and insulin resistance index were independent determinants of systolic pressure. Waist circumference was independent determinant of mean common and internal carotid IMT and triglyceride was independent determinants of mean internal carotid IMT.

CONCLUSION(1) Vascular lesions, including hypertension and thicker tunica intima are common in obese children and adolescents. (2) Vascular lesions are closely related with dyslipidemia, and waist circumference and hypertriglyceridemia are the risk factors.

Adolescent ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; metabolism ; Child ; Dyslipidemias ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; etiology ; metabolism ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Obesity ; metabolism

Objective To explore the efficacy and safty of sorafenib in Child-Pugh class B to class C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Methods In this three-center open-label study from November 2011 to May 2013, we randomly assigned 189 patients with advanced Child-Pugh class B or C HCC patients into two groups, one group with 95 patient to receive sorafenib (400 mg a time, twice a day) and the other group with 94 patients to receive best supportive care. The primary end points were progression-free survival and overall survival.
Results The median progression-free survival was 2.2 months and 1.9 months in the sorafenib group and best supportive care group respectively (Hazard ratio in the sorafenib group, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.75;P=0.002). The median overall survival was 4.0 months and 3.5 months in the sorafenib group and best supportive care group respectively (Hazard ratio in the sorafenib group, 0.48;95%confidence interval, 0.35-0.68;P<0.001). The main adverse effect of sorafenib was rash and acne of the skin (in 51.7%patients). The incidences of severe rash, diarrhea, and dry skin were 5.6%, 5.6%, and 2.2%in the sorafenib group. One patient reached partial response in the sorafenib group.
Conclusions Sorafenib is safe in patients with liver function impaired advanced HCC. It is effective in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival compared with best supportive care. Liver functions are the important predictive factors.

A new alkaloid was isolated from the leaves of Macleaya cordata with 95% ethanol extracted and its isolation was by column chromatography and preparation HPLC. The new structure was elucidated as 6'-hydroxy-2',3'-dimethoxyarnottianamide on the basis of its spectroscopic date.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major neurodegenerative disorders of the elderly, which is characterized by the accumulation and deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide in human brains. Oxidative stress and neuroinflammation induced by Aβ in brain are increasingly considered to be responsible for the pathogenesis of AD. The present study aimed to determine the protective effects of walnut peptides against the neurotoxicity induced by Aβ25-35 in vivo. Briefly, the AD model was induced by injecting Aβ25-35 into bilateral hippocampi of mice. The animals were treated with distilled water or walnut peptides (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg, p.o.) for five consecutive weeks. Spatial learning and memory abilities of mice were investigated by Morris water maze test and step-down avoidance test. To further explore the underlying mechanisms of the neuroprotectivity of walnut peptides, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), acetylcholine esterase (AChE), and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as the level of nitric oxide (NO) in the hippocampus of mice were measured by spectrophotometric method. In addition, the levels of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and IL-6 in the samples were determined using ELISA. The hippocampal expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) were evaluated by Western blot analysis. The results showed that walnut peptides supplementation effectively ameliorated the cognitive deficits and memory impairment of mice. Meanwhile, our study also revealed effective restoration of levels of antioxidant enzymes as well as inflammatory mediators with supplementation of walnut peptides (400 or 800 mg/kg). All the above findings suggested that walnut peptides may have a protective effect on AD by reducing inflammatory responses and modulating antioxidant system.
Acetylcholinesterase ; metabolism ; Alzheimer Disease ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; toxicity ; Animals ; Female ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Interleukins ; metabolism ; Juglans ; chemistry ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Maze Learning ; Memory Disorders ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Mice ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Peptide Fragments ; toxicity ; Peptides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy and safty of sorafenib in Child-Pugh class B to class C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSIn this three-center open-label study from November 2011 to May 2013, we randomly assigned 189 patients with advanced Child-Pugh class B or C HCC patients into two groups, one group with 95 patient to receive sorafenib (400 mg a time, twice a day) and the other group with 94 patients to receive best supportive care. The primary end points were progression-free survival and overall survival.

RESULTSThe median progression-free survival was 2.2 months and 1.9 months in the sorafenib group and best supportive care group respectively (Hazard ratio in the sorafenib group, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.75; P=0.002). The median overall survival was 4.0 months and 3.5 months in the sorafenib group and best supportive care group respectively (Hazard ratio in the sorafenib group, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.68; P<0.001). The main adverse effect of sorafenib was rash and acne of the skin (in 51.7% patients). The incidences of severe rash, diarrhea, and dry skin were 5.6%, 5.6%, and 2.2% in the sorafenib group. One patient reached partial response in the sorafenib group.

CONCLUSIONSSorafenib is safe in patients with liver function impaired advanced HCC. It is effective in terms of progression-free survival and overall survival compared with best supportive care. Liver functions are the important predictive factors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; Cross-Over Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Liver Function Tests ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Staging ; Niacinamide ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; analogs & derivatives ; therapeutic use ; Phenylurea Compounds ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Atherosclerosis ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications* ; Dyslipidemias ; Fibroblast Growth Factors ; Humans