Objective To investigate the changes of esophageal intraluminal baseline impedance in patients with refluxesophagitis.Methods From December 2013 to August 2014,47 patients with reflux esophagitis and 17 healthy controls were enrolled.The patients with reflux esophagitis were graded according to Los Angeles classification (LA) grading standards.All subjects accepted 24 h multichannel intraluminal impedance (MII) pH examination,and the baseline value of impedance were measured.Independent sample t test was used to compare the difference in impedance between the two groups.Spearman rank correlation coefficient was performed to analyze the correlation between acid exposure time (AET) and the baseline impedance of patients with reflux esophagitis.Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the differences in baseline impedance of patients with different grades of reflux esophagitis.Results The impedance baseline value of reflux esophagitis group was (1 676.72±644.41) Ω,which was lower than that of healthy control group ((2 151.27± 322.05) Ω),and the difference was statistically significant (t =-3.883,P＜0.01).The AET of esophagus was negatively correlated with the baseline impedance of the patients with reflux esophagitis (r=-0.530,P＜0.01).The baseline impedance of patients with grade LA-A and grade LA-B reflux esophagitis were 1 823.62 Ω (1 515.38 52 Ω,2 208.38 Ω) and 1 771.81 Ω(1 304.75 52 Ω,2 080.50 Ω),respectively,and the difference was not statistically significant (Z=-0.630,P=0.529).The baseline impedance of patients with grade LA C/D reflux esophagitis was 300 Ω (300 Ω,500 Ω),which was obviously lower than those of patients with grade LA-A or grade LA-B (Z=-2.647 and-2.818,both P＜0.017).Conclusion The baseline impedance of patients with reflux esophagitis is low and correlated with AET.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinical disease significantly different from acute liver failure and acute decompensation of simple liver cirrhosis, and it may have acute progression to liver failure and failure of other organs. ACLF has a high short-term mortality rate and has become a disease burden worldwide. In recent years, several international associations for the study of the liver have proposed different diagnostic criteria for ACLF and published their respective consensus or review on the diagnosis and treatment of ACLF, and there are still great differences in the comprehension of chronic liver diseases, acute injury, and organ failure. At present, there are still limited data for the key links of ACLF management in China, such as liver transplantation, intensive care unit, and palliative care, and in the context of no consensus on the diagnosis of ACLF around the world, it is necessary to further strengthen the application of existing international criteria and evidence and the accumulation of evidence-based data in China.

Objective To investigate the laparoscopic feature and its relationship with clinical manifesta-tions in infertile patients with endometriosis. Methods From Jan.2013 to Jan.2017,infertile patients who received hysteroscopy and hysteroscopy combination surgery in Ganzhou People′s Hospital were enrolled in this ret-rospective study.The basic clinical data and the distribution of endometriotic lesions were recorded and analyzed in patients with endometriosis simultaneously. Analysis was performed about the clinical manifestations and the rAFS stage of the patients. Results 204 patients are totally enrolled in the study. Among them,120 patients(58.8%) had endometriosis. The presence of menorrhea,dyspareunia,tenesmus,chronic pelvic pain,hypermenorrhea, adnexal mass,restricted uterine mobility,tenderness of adnexa,and tenderness nodules of posterior vaginal fornix are clinically statistically significant.In addition,the presence of ovarian endometrioma is also a significant clinical factor that is close related with the rAFS stage of infertile patients with endometriosis. Moreover,uterosacral liga-ment,rectovaginal septum,vagina and bowel were more common infiltrated in stage Ⅲ and stage Ⅳ endometrio-sis. Conclusions For infertile patients,detailed case history,overall bimanual examination and trans-vaginal ultrasound examination are very important to help diagnosis endometriosis preoperatively and provide evidence for the selection of individualized treatment strategies.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Increased salivary pepsin could indicate an increase in gastro-esophageal reflux, however, previous studies failed to demonstrate a correlation between salivary pepsin concentrations and 24-hour esophageal acid exposure. This study aims to detect the salivary pepsin and to evaluate the relationship between salivary pepsin concentrations and intercellular spaces (IS) in different gastroesophageal reflux disease phenotypes in patients. METHODS: A total of 45 patients and 11 healthy volunteers were included in this study. All subjects underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, 24-hour ambulatory multichannel impedance-pH (MII-pH) monitoring, and salivary sampling at 3-time points during the 24-hour MII-pH monitoring. IS were measured by transmission electron microscopy, and salivary pepsin concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The IS measurements were greater in the esophagitis (EE), non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), and hypersensitive esophagus (HO) groups than in the functional heartburn (FH) and healthy volunteer groups, and significant differences were indicated. Patients with NERD and HO had higher average pepsin concentrations compared with FH patients. A weak correlation was determined between IS and salivary pepsin among patients with NERD (r = 0.669, P = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the presence of a higher level of salivary pepsin in patients with NERD than in patients with FH. Salivary pepsin concentrations correlated with severity of mucosal integrity impairment in the NERD group. We suggest that in patients with NERD, low levels of salivary pepsin can help identify patients with FH, in addition the higher the pepsin concentration, the more likely the severity of dilated IS.
Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Esophagitis ; Esophagus ; Extracellular Space ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Healthy Volunteers ; Heartburn ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ; Pepsin A* ; Phenotype

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Anti-reflux barrier dysfunction is one of the primary mechanisms in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) pathogenesis. The esophagogastric junction contractile integral (EGJ-CI) is a new metric adopted to evaluate the EGJ contractility, which implies the anti-reflux barrier function. The aim of the current study was to validate this new metric in patients with GERD and its correlation with the esophageal acid exposure, as well as the efficacy of proton pump inhibitor treatment. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients with GERD and 21 healthy controls were included in the study. Upper endoscopy, high-resolution manometry (HRM) and 24-hour multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring were performed in all patients. Three respiration cycles were chosen at the initial HRM resting frame and the value computed with distal contractile integral tool was then divided by the duration of the cycles to yield EGJ-CI. All the patients were treated with esomeprazole 20 mg twice-daily for 8 weeks. RESULTS: EGJ-CI was lower in the patients with GERD than that of the controls (P < 0.05). For patients with GERD, EGJ-CI was lower in those with hiatal hernia (P < 0.05). The new metric correlated with esophageal acid exposure in the supine position (P < 0.05), and it also negatively correlated to the total reflux episodes (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference on EGJ-CI between patients with and without response to the esomeprazole treatment (P = 0.627). CONCLUSIONS: EGJ-CI reflected the dysfunction of the anti-reflux barrier in patients with GERD, but it had little impact on the esomeprazole response.
Endoscopy ; Esomeprazole ; Esophagogastric Junction* ; Gastroesophageal Reflux* ; Hernia ; Hernia, Hiatal ; Humans ; Manometry ; Proton Pump Inhibitors ; Proton Pumps ; Respiration ; Supine Position

Objective:To explore the efficacy and compliance of e-aid cognitive behavioral therapy (eCBTI) in patients with situational insomnia among different age groups.Methods:A total of 194 patients with situational insomnia were recruited via a campaign of the " Prevention and Protection Handbook Against Epidemic" from March to April 2020 in Guangzhou, China.Participants were divided into two groups according to age: under 35 years old ( n=87) and 35 years old and above ( n=107). They all received one-week eCBTI intervention.Insomnia severity index (ISI), Pre-sleep arousal scale (PSAS) and Hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) were used to evaluate the severity of insomnia for all participants pre- and post-intervention.The change of each scale within the group and the reduction rate of each scale between groups were compared using t test and one-way ANOVA. Results:(1) Intervention efficacy: in the <35-year-old group, compared with baseline, the scores of ISI scale ((9.2±4.1), (14.8±5.1)), PSAS cognitive arousal subscale ((18.5±8.4), (23.5±6.6)), PSAS((34.3±15.8), (40.3±10.7)), HADS depression subscale ((5.8±3.6), (8.5±4.6)) and HADS anxiety subscale((7.1±3.9), (9.5±4.5) )were statistically significant after eCBTI intervention ( t= 2.88-8.80, all P<0.01), but there was no significant difference in score of PSAS body subscale ((15.8±7.8), (16.8±5.7)). In ≥35-year-old group, compared with baseline, the scores of ISI scale ((9.7±4.2), (14.4±4.3)), HADS depression subscale ((4.6±2.2), (6.6±3.5))and PSAS cognitive arousal subscale ((16.9 ±8.5), (20.0±5.8))were significantly different after intervention ( t= 2.90-6.86, all P<0.01), meanwhile the scores of PSAS body subscale ((14.3±8.0), (13.9±5.2)), PSAS((32.2±16.5), (33.9±9.2)), HADS anxiety subscale((6.1±3.2), (7.0±3.5)) were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the score reduction rate between the two groups before and after intervention (all P>0.05). (2) Compliance: 86 cases dropped out, and the dropout rate was 61.3%.Totally 75 cases (38.7%) completed the 7-day treatment, and 119 cases (61.3%) completed the treatment within 1-6 days.Further study found that there was statistically significant difference in the reduction rate of ISI total score among the three groups with excellent, good and poor compliance ( F=5.655, P=0.004). Conclusion:eCBTI has a good effect on situational insomnia in different age groups, and there is no difference in treatment compliance.

Objective To construct an objective analysis system of corneal nerve tortuosity and detect the changes of corneal subbasal nerve tortuosity in patients with dry eye and diabetes. Methods GradeⅠtoⅣnerve tortuosity were evaluated and 80 photos of each grade were randomly chosen from the in vivo confocal microscopy library. Nerve fibers were extracted,segmented and then analyzed by 6 tortuosity related parameters including L C, Seg L C mean,Cur mean,Specific p,ICM and SCC mean. After verifying the validaty of parameters above,a cross-sectional study was conducted. Subjects were collected from June,2018 to February,2019 in Peking University Third Hospital,and were divided into healthy control group (28 persons 56 eyes),dry eye without diabetes group (28 patients 56 eyes),diabetes without dry eye group(24 patients 48 eyes),diabetes with dry eye group (23 patients 46 eyes) . Basic and dry eye information includes sex,age,ocular surface disease index ( OSDI) ,tear film break-up time (TBUT),Schirmer Ⅰ test (SⅠt) and corneal fluorescence staining (CFS) score. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were detected in diabetic patients. Cochet-Bonnet examination (C-BE) was detected to evaluate corneal sensation and 2 corneal subbasal nerve photos of each eye were selected for effective tortuosity and density related parameters analysis. Data was analyzed by SPSS and diagnostic test were perfomed by MedCalc. This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki. This study protocol was approved by Ethic Committee of Peking University Third Hospital ( No. IRB00006761-M2017354 ) . Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to entering study cohort. Results L C,Seg L C mean,Cur mean,Specific p,ICM and SCC mean increased as the nerve tortuosity increased from Grade Ⅰ to Grade Ⅳ,with an overall significance among 4 groups (F=39. 100, 36. 367,57. 743,4. 043,6. 818,33. 493;all at P<0. 01). Among the above 6 parameters,Cur mean and L C of any two groups were of significant difference (all at P<0. 01). Twenty three to twenty eight persons were enrolled in each group of the cross-sectional study. Sex and age were comparable among 4 groups. Diagnostic criteria were met in dry eye and diabetes. Corneal sensation parameter C-BE decreased in diabetes without dry eye group and diabetes with dry eye group compared with healthy control group ( all at Adj P<0. 05 ) , other than in dry eye without diabetes group (AdjP≥0. 05). Nerve density of diabetes without dry eye group and diabetes with dry eye group was lower compared with healthy control group(all at P<0. 001),while no significant difference between dry eye without diabetes group and healthy control group(P≥0. 05). Among the effective parameters of tortuosity,L C,Cur mean,Seg L C mean and SCC mean of dry eye without diabetes group,diabetes without dry eye group,diabetes with dry eye group were higher compared with healthy control group ( all at P<0. 05 ) . Diagnostic tests of tortuosity related parameters all showed an area under curve (AUC) from 0. 5 to 0. 7. Conclusions L C and Cur mean can be used to analyze corneal nerve curvature more reliably. Compared with normal volunteers,patients of dry eye or diabetes show higher corneal subbasal nerve tortuosity.

Objective To explore the relationship between socioeconomic status and the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in retirees from a community in Shanghai. Methods Observational study involved 9 943 retirees aged 50 and over in Shanghai. Both single factor and multi-factor analyses methods were used to describe the correlation between factors as:educational level,marital status,annual household income and risk of hypertension,coronary heart disease,stroke etc. A new defined compound index was used to assess the relevance of socioeconomic status on the risk of cardiovascular diseases,based on logistic regression model. Results After adjusted for age,the risk of cardiovascular diseases in these retirees was influenced by socioeconomic status. In general, opponent correlations in education levels and prevalence of hypertension were found between female and male. Compared with those having received college or higher education,the risk of hypertension increased in females when the education level declined,with OR as 1.08(95%CI:0.89-1.30). For those having had senior high school junior high school or elementary education,the risks of hypertension were 1.26(95%CI:1.05-1.51),1.34(95%CI:1.08-1.65),0.72(95%CI:0.59-0.87),0.78 (95%CI:0.64-0.94),and 0.70(95%CI:0.52-0.92)for males,respectively. The risk of cardiovascular diseases increased with annual household income. Compared with high level of socioeconomic status, lower socioeconomic status might decline the risk of cardiovascular diseases in males by approximately 30%,with OR for medium being 0.72(95%CI:0.61-0.84)and for lower ones it was 0.70(95%CI:0.57-0.87). However,similar correlations were not found in females. No significant relationship was found between marital status and the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in this study. Conclusion The risks of cardiovascular diseases varied with different socioeconomic status, indicating that tailored interventions should be conducted in different socioeconomic groups.

Background:There is no specific therapy for inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),and the pathogenesis of IBD is not fully clear. Aims:To explore the expression and clinical significance of IL-17BR in colon mucosa and peripheral blood mononuclear cell(PBMC)of patients with IBD. Methods:Colon mucosal biopsy specimens of 40 Crohn's disease(CD) patients,32 ulcerative colitis(UC)patients and 25 healthy controls and PBMC of 30 CD patients,27 UC patients and 25 healthy controls were collected. The expressions of IL-17BR in colon mucosa and PBMC were determined by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry,respectively,and correlations between IL-17BR expression and levels of CRP, ESR,CDAI score and Mayo score were analyzed. Serum levels of TNF-α before and after infliximab(IFX)treatment were determined by ELISA,and correlations with IL-17BR were analyzed. Results:Compared with healthy controls,IL-17BR expressions in colon mucosa of CD and UC patients were significantly increased(P<0.05). IL-17BR expressions were significantly higher in active CD and UC patients than in remission CD and UC patients(P <0.05). No significant differences in IL-17BR expression in PBMC were found among CD,UC patients and healthy controls(P>0.05). The expression of IL-17BR in colon mucosa was positively correlated with CRP,ESR,CDAI score or Mayo score in CD,UC patients(P <0.05). After treatment with IFX,expression of IL-17BR in colon mucosa and serum TNF-α level were significantly decreased in CD patients(P<0.01). Expression of IL-17BR was positively correlated with serum TNF-α level in CD patients(P<0.05). Conclusions:The increasing of IL-17BR expression in IBD patients is closely correlated with activity of inflammation and TNF-α level. IL-17BR may play a vital role in immune response of intestinal mucosa,and can be used as a new marker for reflecting the activity of IBD.

Objective:A predictive nomogram model for the prognosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) patients after curative resection was constructed based on the albumin-bilirubin score and tumor burden score (ATS) grade, and the predictive performance of the nomogram model was evaluated.Methods:Retrospective analysis of clinical data was made, from ICC patients who underwent curative resection at Zhengzhou University People's Hospital and Zhengzhou University Cancer Hospital from January 2016 to January 2020. A total of 258 patients were included in the study, with 140 males and 118 females, with an average age of (56.5±9.5) years. The 258 ICC patients were randomly divided into a training set ( n=174) and a testing set ( n=84) in a 7∶3 ratio. Single-factor and multi-factor Cox regression analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors for ICC patients of the training set, and then a nomogram model was constructed. The performance of the nomogram model was evaluated by using the concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, and risky decision curve analysis. Results:In the training set, univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that albumin-bilirubin (ALBI), tumor burden score (TBS), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), tumor differentitation, lymphvascular invasion and ATS significantly influenced overall survival after radical resection for ICC (all P<0.05). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis revealed that ATS grade, CEA, tumor differentiation, lymphovascular invasion, and AJCC N stage are independent risk factors for the prognosis of ICC patients after curative resection (all P<0.05). Assessment of the postoperative survival prediction model based on multifactorial Cox regression yielded a C-index of 0.775(95% CI: 0.747-0.841) for the training set and 0.731(95% CI: 0.668-0.828) for the testing set. The calibration curves for both the training and testing sets indicated strong predictive capability of the model. Additionally, the risk decision curve also suggested high net benefit of the model. Conclusions:The preoperative ATS grade is an independent factor affecting the survival after ICC radical resection. The nomogram model constructed based on ATS grade demonstrates excellent predictive value for postoperative prognosis in ICC patients.