Objective:To investigate the effects of ginkgo biloba tablets plus relevant mechanism on HPA axis in patients with steroid-dependent asthma.Methods:80 patients with steroid-dependent asthma were divided into control group and experimental group at random,40 cases in every group.The control group were treated with pulmicort respules(1 mg/d) ,patients in the experiment group were given ginkgo biloba tablets in addition to routine treatment(120 mg/d).The therapeutic courses were both 12 weeks.The effective rate of reducing hormone,lung function,the plasma concentrations of ACTH and COR and the levels of PBMC GCR were deter mined before and after treatment.Results:The effective rate of reducing hormone was 89.47%in experimental group,which was 66.67%in control group.There were significant difference at the tows groups(P<0.01).There were no significant difference at lung function,the plasma concentrations of ACTH and COR and the levels of PBMC GCR at pre-treatment( P>0.05).After treatment,the lung function, the levels of plasma concentrations of COR and the levels of PBMC GCR were increased significantly than control group( P<0.01,P<0.05),the levels of plasma concentrations of ACTH was decreased significantly than control group(P<0.01).There was a significant positive correlation between the value of FEV1/FVC and the plasma concentrations of COR,the levels of PBMC GCR( r=0.724,0.632, P<0.01).There was a significant negaitive correlation between the value of FEV1/FVC and the plasma concentrations of ACTH( r=-0.668,P<0.01).Conclusion:Ginkgo biloba tablets combined with routine treatment therapy can increase the effective rate of reducing hormone in patients with steroid-dependent asthma,which can improve the lung function maybe by regulate the HPA axis and upgrade the levels of GCR.

After participating in the student selection training and on-site refereeing of the clinical examination skills competition for college students in Sichuan-Chongqing region twice in succession, the author combined the on-site performance and competition results of the participating students with pre-match training experience and normal teaching experience. A comprehensive analysis found that the students' proficiency in basic testing skills, psychological quality and humanistic quality have an important impact on the results of the competition. Teachers should not only pay attention to the quality of basic skills training and theoretical knowledge teaching in practical teaching, but also pay attention to the cultivation of students' teamwork ability and good working habits. Therefore, the clinical laboratory skills competition has a strong leading role in promoting the education and teaching reform of medical laboratory technology and improving the quality of professional practice teaching. It is hoped that more medical colleges and universities will pay attention to and participate in it, and further promote the development of practical teaching of medical laboratory technology.

Objective:To investigate the influences of low molecular weight heparin therapy on lung function, coagulation function and prognosis in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated with lung cancer.Methods:Sixty patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated with lung cancer were gathered and randomly grouped into a routine group (30 cases) and a heparin group (30 cases). The patients in the routine group were given symptomatic treatment, and the patients in the heparin group were given low molecular weight heparin treatment on the basis of the symptomatic treatment, 4 100 iu/12 h. The coagulation function [activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), D-dimer], blood gas analysis indexes [blood oxygen saturation (SaO 2), carbon dioxide partial pressure (PaCO 2), blood oxygen partial pressure (PaO 2) ], vascular endothelial function [nitric oxide (NO), endothelin 1 (ET-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) ], lung function [forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), ratio of FEV1 to predicted value (FEV1%) ], C-reactive protein (CRP), dyspnea (mMRC score) and survival were compared. Results:Compared with those before treatment, the levels of APTT [ (18.46±1.87) vs (11.58±1.25) s, (18.11±1.82) vs (15.57±1.58) s],PT[ (29.53±3.01) vs (22.57±2.36) s, (29.14±2.93) vs (25.48±2.61) s], D-dimer [ (842.59±85.12) vs (435.62±44.57) g/L, (846.63±84.75) vs (551.79±55.64) g/L],PaCO 2[ (58.79±5.92) vs (42.53±4.26) mmHg, (59.14±5.96) vs (50.38±5.07) mmHg],ET-1[ (106.78±10.72) vs (65.37±6.64) ng/L, (105.96±10.61) vs (72.53±7.31) ng/L],ICAM-1[ (231.48±23.35) vs (142.63±14.57) μg/L, (228.79±23.12) vs (165.48±16.72) μg/L], CRP [ (80.39±18.53) vs (9.77±2.08) mg/L, (80.64±19.17) vs (14.86±3.16) mg/L] and mMRC [ (2.64±0.31) vs (1.42±0.22) points, (2.71±0.34) vs (1.78±0.27) points] in both groups were greatly decreased after treatment ( P<0.05), and compared with the routine group, the heparin group were greatly lower ( P<0.05). Compared with those before treatment, the levels of SaO 2[ (0.54±0.15) vs 0.82±0.24) mmHg, (0.56±0.16) vs (0.67±0.20) mmHg],PaO 2[ (56.32±5.65) vs (80.47±8.12) mmHg, (56.89±5.72) vs (72.13±7.25) mmHg],NO[ (54.31±5.46) vs (96.78±10.02) μmol/L, (53.27±5.35) vs (85.64±8.62) μmol/L],FEV1[ (1.21±0.32) vs (1.89±0.45) %, (1.25±0.34) vs (1.57±0.41) %],FVC[ (3.41±0.35) vs (3.78±0.42) L, (3.37±0.32) vs (3.56±0.36) L],FEV1%[ (80.74±8.15) vs (88.46±8.75) %, (79.53±8.02) vs (83.82±8.41) %] in the two groups after treatment were greatly increased ( P<0.05), and compared with the routine group, the heparin group were greatly increased ( P<0.05). A 3-year follow-up of the patients showed that there were 11 survivors in the heparin group (accounting for 36.67%), which was more than that of the conventional group (7 survivors, accounting for 23.33%) ( χ2=8.310, P=0.004) . Conclusion:Low molecular weight heparin can effectively enhance the coagulation function, pulmonary function and vascular endothelial function, regulate blood gas indexes, ameliorate dyspnea in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, and improve patient prognosis.

INTRODUCTION: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a rare inflammatory syndrome with multisystem involvement affecting children exposed to COVID-19. This condition is rarely reported in East Asia and was not detected in Singapore until 2021. We present 12 cases of MIS-C diagnosed in KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) from October 2021 to December 2021. METHOD: We conducted an observational study on cases fulfilling the Singapore Ministry of Health criteria for MIS-C from January 2020 to December 2021 in KKH. Medical records were reviewed to obtain information on clinical presentation, disease course, treatment received and outcomes. RESULTS: In the 12 cases detected, the median age was 7.50 years (interquartile range 4.00-9.25); 8 were male. All patients had mucocutaneous symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease. Other commonly involved systems were: haematological (coagulopathy 100%, lymphopaenia 91.70% and thrombocytopaenia 75.00%), gastrointestinal (75.00%) and cardiovascular (83.30%). Six patients (50.00%) had shock and were admitted to the intensive care unit. The majority of patients received treatment within 2 days of hospitalisation with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and steroids. All survived; the majority had normal echocardiograms and no long-term organ sequelae at 6 months post-discharge. CONCLUSION MIS-C emerged in Singapore as the incidence of COVID-19 in the community increased in 2021. The clinical presentation of our patients is similar to earlier reports, with some significant differences from Kawasaki disease. Multidisciplinary management, timely diagnosis, and early initiation of treatment with IVIg and steroids likely contributed to comparatively good outcomes. Our cases highlight the need for continued awareness of MIS-C among physicians, and surveillance of its incidence, short- and long-term outcomes.
Child ; Humans ; Female ; Male ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use* ; Aftercare ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Patient Discharge

Objective:To examine the expression of core clock genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the level of circadian disturbance-related proteins in the serum of chronic pancreatitis (CP) patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI), and explore their potential diagnostic value in clinical practice.Methods:The peripheral blood samples and related clinical data from 68 patients diagnosed with CP in Shanghai General Hospital from Jan 2015 to Jan 2022 were collected. Peripheral blood samples from 30 healthy individuals were used for control. The M-ANNHEIM classification system was used to stratify the clinical stages of patients with CP. The mRNA expression of the core clock genes, including Clock, Bmal1, Per1/2/3 and Cry1/2 in PBMCs was analyzed using realtime qPCR, and the expression of circadian disturbance-related proteins like TrkB, CD 36 and Rbp in serum was measured with ELISA. The receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) and the area under curve (AUC) was used to test the efficiency for diagnozing PEI. Results:The mRNA expression of Per1 in CP patients was significantly decreased (0.76 vs 1, P<0.05), and the AUC for diagnozing PEI was 0.744 (95% CI 0.628-0.860), with a cut-off value of 0.72; and the sensitivity and specificity was 84.8% and 57.1%, respectively. The protein abundance of serum CD 36 was significantly increased in CP patients (33.85±19.74ng/ml vs 24.71±11.53 ng/ml, P<0.05); the AUC for diagnozing PEI was 0.834 (95% CI 0.735-0.932), with a cut-off value of 29.75 pg/ml; and the sensitivity and specificity was 74.3% and 84.8%, respectively. The expression of CD 36 was increased with the increase of CP clinical stage, and there were statistically significant differences between either two stages (all P value <0.05). The mRNA expression of Per1 in patients with CP in Stage Ⅰ was significantly higher than that in patients with CP in Stage Ⅱ or Ⅲ, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05), but no statistical difference was found between Stage Ⅱ and Stage Ⅲ. Conclusions:The decreased expression of Per1 mRNA in PBMCs and increased level of CD 36 in serum are significantly related to the occurrence of PEI in CP, suggesting that they may have potential value for diagnozing PEI and guiding the clinical practice.

Bacteriophages bind to the bacteria receptor through the receptor binding proteins (RBPs), a process that requires the involvement of complex atomic structures and conformational changes. In response to bacteriophage infection, bacteria have developed a variety of resistance mechanisms, while bacteriophages have also evolved multiple antagonistic mechanisms to escape host resistance. The exploration of the "adsorption-anti adsorption-escape process" between bacteriophages and bacteria helps us better understand the co-evolution process of bacteriophages and bacteria, which is important for the development of phage therapeutic technologies and phage-based biotechnologies. This review summarizes the bacteriophage adsorption related proteins, how bacteriophages escape host resistance based on the RBP alternations, and the recent progress of RBP-related biotechnologies.
Bacteria ; Bacteriophage Receptors ; Bacteriophages/genetics* ; Carrier Proteins ; Protein Binding

Objective To explore the effects and mechanisms of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (HUC-MSC)-derived exosomes (Exo) pretreated with Huangkui capsules on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Methods HUC-MSCs were cultured in media containing different concentrations of Huangkui capsules for 24 hours to determine cell viability and select an appropriate concentration for subsequent experiments. HUC-MSCs were pretreated with 50 μg/mL Huangkui capsules for 24 hours, and Exo were extracted using an exosome extraction kit. The morphology was observed under a transmission electron microscope, particle size was measured by nanoparticle tracking analysis, and the expression of exosomal membrane surface marker proteins was detected by Western blot. Human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) were randomly divided into hypoxia/reoxygenation group (M group), hypoxia/reoxygenation + Exo group (E group), and hypoxia/reoxygenation + Huangkui capsules pretreated Exo group (H group). Western blotting was used to measure the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-related proteins, and real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the expression of ERS-related gene messenger RNA (mRNA). Mice were randomly divided into sham operation group (Sham group), ischemia-reperfusion group (I/R group), ischemia-reperfusion + Exo group (E group), and ischemia-reperfusion + Huangkui capsules pretreated Exo group (H group). Renal histological assessment, serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) measurement and inflammatory factor detection were performed 24 hours later. Results Both Exo and Huangkui capsules prereated Exo had a bilayer membrane structure and a cup-shaped morphology; their average particle sizes were 116.8 nm and 81.3 nm, respectively. Both expressed CD9, CD63, TSG101. Compared with the M group, the E group had decreased relative expression of transcription factor 6 (ATF6) and protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) proteins, increased mRNA relative expression, increased relative expression of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) protein, and decreased mRNA relative expression. Compared with the E group, the H group had decreased relative expression of ATF6, PERK, CHOP proteins, and decreased mRNA relative expression of ATF6 and PERK (all P<0.05). Animal experimental results showed that compared with the Sham group, the I/R group had increased renal tubular injury scores, Scr, BUN, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, IL-18, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels. Compared with the I/R group, the E and H groups had decreased renal tubular injury scores and Scr, BUN, IL-1β, IL-10, IL-18, TNF-α levels. Compared with the E group, the H group had decreased renal tubular injury scores and Scr, BUN, IL-1β, IL-10, IL-18, TNF-α levels (all P<0.05). Conclusions Huangkui capsules pretreatment HUC-MSC-derived Exo may alleviate renal IRI by inhibiting ERS.

ObjectiveTo explore the clinical efficacy and safety of Qifu Yixin prescription in treating chronic heart failure in the patients with the syndrome of heart Qi deficiency， so as to provide clinical evidence for the treatment of chronic heart failure with this prescription and promote the clinical application and transformation of this prescription. MethodA total of 106 chronic heart failure patients with the syndrome of heart Qi deficiency who met the criteria in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） from September 2022 to May 2023 were selected and randomized into an observation group （53 cases） and a control group （53 cases）. Both groups received routine Western medicine treatment. In addition， the observation group received Qifu Yixin prescription， while the control group received placebo. The treatment course for both groups was 12 weeks. The New York heart association （NYHA） cardiac function grading， N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP）， soluble growth-stimulating expression gene 2 （sST2）， left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF）， the ratio of early diastolic maximum mitral flow velocity （E） to early diastolic mitral annular motion velocity （e'） （E/e'）， left ventricular end diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， TCM syndrome scores， 6-minute walking test （6MWT）， Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire （MLHFQ）， and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire （KCCQ） were determined before and after treatment. ResultFinally， 102 patients were included for analysis， including 51 patients in the observation group and 51 patients in the control group. After treatment， 42 patients in the observation group showed improved cardiac function grading， with a total response rate of 82.35%， and 32 patients in the control group showed improved cardiac function grading， with a total response rate of 62.75%. The total response rate regarding the cardiac function in the observation group was higher than that in the control group （χ²=4.923， P<0.05）. The observation group outperformed the control group in lowering the NT-proBNP level， elevating LVEF， decreasing the E/e' ratio （P<0.05）， reducing LVEDD and sST2 levels， and recovering TCM syndrome score， 6MWT score， MLHFQ score， and KCCQ score （P<0.05）. None of the safety indexes in the two groups showed abnormal values before and after treatment， and no serious adverse reaction was observed. ConclusionQifu Yixin prescription can improve the heart function， exercise tolerance， and quality of life and alleviate the TCM syndrome of the chronic heart failure patients with the syndrome of heart Qi deficiency by inhibiting myocardial fibrosis.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in Jiangsu province during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in China from December 7, 2022 to January 27, 2023, and to analyze the influencing factors of all-cause death.Methods:It was a multi-center cross-sectional investigation. Structured questionnaire was used to collect patient information by medical staff of each hemodialysis center (room) as investigators. Part of the demography data and laboratory examination data came from the Jiangsu Province Hemodialysis Data Information System. MHD patients from hemodialysis centers (rooms) at all levels of medical institutions and independent hemodialysis institutions in Jiangsu province during the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection were included, and the clinical characteristics and all-cause mortality of confirmed and suspected cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were analyzed.Results:Questionnaire surveys and data analysis on 57 278 patients in 407 hemodialysis centers (rooms) were completed, accounting for 90.41% of the total number of MHD patients (63 357 cases) in Jiangsu province during the same period. There were 24 038 cases (41.97%) of SARS-CoV-2 infection and 14 805 cases (25.85%) of suspected infection, which were widely distributed in all dialysis centers in Jiangsu province. After clinical classification of 38 843 confirmed and suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection cases, 3 662 cases were severe and critical cases, accounting for 9.43% of the infected and suspected cases. Among the patients who had completed the questionnaires, there were 1 812 all-cause deaths, with an all-cause mortality rate of 3.16%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that elderly (taking ≤50 years as a reference, 51-59 years: OR=1.583, 95% CI 1.279-1.933, P=0.001; 60-69 years: OR=3.972, 95% CI 3.271-4.858, P<0.001; 70-79 years: OR=7.236, 95% CI 5.917-8.698, P<0.001; ≥80 years: OR=11.738, 95% CI 9.459-14.663, P<0.001), male ( OR=1.371, 95% CI 1.229-1.529, P<0.001), and co-infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) (positive serum HBV surface antigen, OR=0.629, 95% CI 0.484-0.817, P<0.001) were independent influencing factors for all cause mortality. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve for male, age and current HBV infection prediction of all-cause death was 0.529 ( P<0.001), 0.724 ( P<0.001) and 0.514 ( P=0.042), respectively, and the cut-off value for age prediction of all-cause death was 65.5 years old. Compared with patients without HBV infection, MHD patients with HBV infection significantly reduced the proportion of severe and critically ill patients, all-cause hospitalizations and all cause deaths when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (4.99% vs. 6.41%, χ2=6.136, P=0.013; 8.90% vs. 11.44%, χ2=11.662, P<0.001; 2.01% vs. 3.37%, χ2=10.713, P=0.001, respectively). Conclusion:The MHD patients in Jiangsu province are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. Elderly age and male gender are independent risk factors for death in MHD patients during the epidemic, while the HBV infection may be a protective factor for death of MHD patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of magnetic anastomosis for uretero-ileal anastomosis using experimental rabbit models. Methods: Six experimental rabbits were used as the models.The lower part of the left ureter was cut with scissors，the daughter magnet (DM) was placed in the middle of the ureter，and the distal end of the ureter was ligated.After that，the ileum wall was opened，the parent magnet (PM) was inserted through it，the positions of the PM and DM were adjusted so that their ends were attracted to each other，and then ileum wall incision was sutured.The operation time，intraoperative blood loss，postoperative complications and magnet discharge time were recorded.Two weeks after operation，left ureterography was performed to obtain the specimens of the uretero-ileal anastomosis，and to observe the patency of the anastomosis.The formation of the anastomosis was observed with naked eyes and light microscope. Results: Uretero-ileal magnetic anastomosis was performed successfully in 6 experimental rabbits.The operation time was 28-39（32.50±3.94） min，and the intraoperative blood loss was less than 5 mL.The rabbits recovered well after operation，and no complications were observed.All animals survived to the end point of observation.The disconnection time of magnet after operation was 9-13(10.83±1.72) days.The gross specimen showed that the anastomosis was patent.The histological observation showed that the mucosa of the anastomosis was continuous and smooth，and the anastomosis was well formed. Conclusion: Magnetic anastomosis is feasible for uretero-ileal anastomosis with simple operation and good anastomosis formation.After further experimental verification，this technique is expected to be used in clinical practice.