Objective To explore possible associations between osteopontin(OPN) and intact parathyroid hormone(iPTH),to investigate effects of them on the progression of carotid artery calcification in patients receiving long-term hemodialysis.Methods Forty-eight maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and 28 age-and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited.The concentration of OPN in peripheral blood was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Levels of iPTH and presence of plaques in the common carotid arteries were also measured.The demographics were recorded.Results Compared with controls,levels of OPN[(137.4±80.8) ng/L vs (31.6±6.7) ng/L,P ＜ 0.01] and iPTH[(456.4±326.4) ng/L vs (66.9±19.3) ng/L,P ＜ 0.01] were higher in MHD patients before hemodialysis,the numbers of calcific plaques in the common carotid arteries were increased in MHD patients (P ＜ 0.01).There was a positive correlation between pre-dialysis OPN levels and iPTH levels (r =0.620,P ＜ 0.01) in MHD patients.Higher levels of OPN and iPTH correlated with greater numbers of calcific plaques in the common carotid arteries after division into three subgroups of MHD patients based on calcific plaques.In multiple linear regression analysis,the correlation between the pre-dialysis OPN and iPTH levels remained the same even if adjusting for confounding effects[β =0.468,95％C1 (0.036,0.195),t =2.936,P =0.005].Conclusion OPN level is positively correlated with iPTH level in hemodialysis patients,which suggesting that both of them play important roles in the progression of carotid artery calcification.

Objective To explore the association between circulating endothelial cells (CECs)and atherosclerosis in maintenance hemodialysis(MHD)patients. Methods A crosssectional study was performed to investigate the association between CECs and carotid atherosclerotic change in 65 MHD patients,25 non-hemodialysis patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD)of stage 4 or 5(CKD-non-HD)and 24 age-and Sex-matched healthy controls. CECs in peripheral blood were determined by multiparametrie flow cytometry(FCM).CECs were labeled with CD3-PerCP and CD146-PE before FCM and identified as CD3dim,CD146bright.Atherosclerosis in both groups Was assessed by the measurement of common carotid arery intimamedia thickness (CCA-IMT)and plaque of the common carotid arteries with ultrasound scanner. Results CECs were significantly higher in pre-dialysis patients[(151.52±98.24) cell/ml]and CKD-non-HD patients[(183.00±81.38)cell/ml ] compared with control group[(106.50± 24.14)cell/ml](P<0.05 and P<0.01,respectively).But the number of CECs was not significantly different between MHD and CKD-non-HD patients.CCA-IMT was also significantly higher in MHD patients[(0.94±0.36)mm]and CKD-non-HD patients [(1.02±0.37)mml compared with control group[(0.75±0.15)mm](P<0.05 and P<0.01,respectively).The number of pre-dialysis CECs was positively correlated with CCA-IMT in MHD patients(r=0.328,P<0.01).Multivariate analysis showed that CEC level was a strong independent risk factor of CCA-IMT. Conclusion InMHD patients, CEC level is associated with carotid atherosclerosis and may be used as a marker to evaluate the endothelial damage.

Objective To investigate the occurring time,pathogen distribution and drug resistance in kidney transplant pa-tients with lung infection and to provide basis for clinical treatment.Methods From January 2012 to December 2015,73 kid-ney transplant patients with lung infection were collected in this study.The timing of infection occurrence,the main source of specimen,the pathogenic bacteria and drug resistance of each case were analyzed retrospectively.The drug sensitivity was analyzed by WHONET 5.4 software.Results 83.56% (61/73)cases of lung infection occurred within 1 year in kidney transplant patients,among them,53.42% (39/73)cases occurred within 6 month after kidney transplantation,and 30.14%(22/73)cases occurred within 6~12 months after surgery.The 84.93% (62/73)source of specimen were sputum and blood,and the others were alveolar lavage fluid,pleural fluid and throat swab.Totally 7 9 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated,including gram negative bacilli (49.37%),gram positive bacteria (39.24%)and fungi (11.39%).The most com-mon strains were Pseudomonas aeruginosa 12 strains (15.19%),Staphylococcus aureus 11 strains (13.92%),Klebsiella pneumoniae 10 strains (12.66%),Staphylococcusaureus 9 strains (11.39%),BaumanAcinetobacter 8 strains (10.13%), and Escherichia coli 6 strains (7.5 9%).The detection rate of strains which producing broad-spectrumβ-lactamases were 30.0% in Escherichiacolil and 20.0% in Klebsiellapneumonia,respectively.Furthermore,the detection rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus were 45.45% in Staphylococcusepidermidisl and 22.22% in Staphylococcusaureus,respectively. The drug sensitivity results showed that the Gram-negative bacilli were sensitive to Vancomycin,teicoplanin and rifampicin. The Gram-positive cocci were sensitive to Cefepime,meropenem and imipenem.Conclusion 83.56% (61/73)cases of lung infection occurred within 1 year in kidney transplant patients;Gram-negative bacteria were the main pathogenic bacteria in lung infection in kidney transplant patients;Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria were multi drug resistant and should be treated as early as possible.

Objective To discuss the influences of the establishment of breast milk bank to the premature infants in the hospital. Methods The clinical datas of 239 premature infants admitted in NICU from Feb 2017 to Jan 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Dividing them into two groups, one was control group that the premature infants born before the establishment of breast milk bank, the other was observation group that the premature infants born after that. Both groups were taken the same treatment;and fed the autogenous breast milk or donated breast milk or premature milk based on the intention of infant′s family. Results In observation group,the breastfeeding rate was 67.5％ (85/126),the average hospital-stay time was (24.5±4.4) days.But in control group, the breastfeeding rate was 34.5％(39/113),the average hospital-stay time was (36.3±8.3) days, there were significant differences between the two groups (χ2=4.217, t=2.941, P<0.05).The complications in observation group included necrotizing enterocolitis (5 cases),bronchopulmonary dysplasia(3 cases), retinopathy of prematurity (5 cases) and sepsis (6 cases), the incidence of which was lower than that in control group. But, there was statistical significance in the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and sepsis only (χ2=3.989,5.386,P<0.05). Conclusions The establishment of breast milk bank can help to improve the breastfeeding rate of premature infants,shorten the hospital-stay time,reduce the incidence of NEC and sepsis,make premature infants recover more quickly.

Objective:To evaluate and summarize the evidences for prevention and management of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis.Methods:Domestic and foreign databases, the guide websites and professional association websites were systematically searched for guidelines, evidence summaries, clinical decisions, systematic reviews and expert consensus reports regarding prevention and management of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. The English search terms were: “neonatal/preterm infant/very low birth weight preterm infants/VLBWI” ”necrotizing enterocolitis/NEC” “prevent/prevention/administration/management/nursing” and “clinical decisions/guidelines/evidence summary/best practice information manuals/best practice/systematic reviews/expert opinions/expert consensus”, and the search period was from January 1, 2013 to March 1, 2023.Results:A total of 19 studies were included, including three clinical decisions, three evidence summaries, three guidelines, two expert consensus reports and eight systematic reviews. The evidence was extracted from the included literature, and finally formed the evidence summary for the prevention and management of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, including risk assessment methods,risk assessment contents, preventive feeding strategies, preventive intervention measures, conservative treatment management, and surgical treatment management,totaling 30 pieces of evidence were summarized.Conclusion:The evidence summarized in this study can provide reference for doctors and nurses in the prevention and management of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis. In clinical application, it is necessary to adjust and improve the evidence according to the specific clinical situation in order to improve the effectiveness of the evidence.

Objective To evalutate changes in laboratory indicators and clinical efficacy of roxadustat(Rox)in treating anemia patients after advanced kidney transplantation.Methods A retrospective analysis of 101 patients with anemia after kidney transplantation admitted to the Center of Kidney Diseases and Hemodialysis of Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital from March 2020 to March 2023 was performed.Among them 48 cases were treated with roxadustat(Rox group)and 53 cases were treated with recombinant human erythropoietin(rhEPO)(rhEPO group).Both groups were treated with polyferose,methycobal and folic acid.The change of red blood cell(RBC),hemoglobin(Hb),erythropoietin(EPO),serum ferrin(SF),transferrin saturation(TSAT),and hepcidin(HePc),tacrolimus trough concentration(Tac CO),cyclosporine A trough concentration(CsA CO),mycophenolic acid area under curve(MPA-AUC),lymphocyte(Lym),T lymphocyte subgroup Th/Ts ratio(Th/Ts),serum creatinine(Scr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)were observed in the 1st,3rd and 6th month after treatment respectively.The incidence of side effect induce by medicine during 6 months between the two groups were analysed.Results Before the beginning treatment,there was no significant difference in RBC,Hb,EPO,SF,TSAT,HePc,Tac CO,CsA CO,MPA-AUC,Lym,Th/Ts,Scr and BUN between the two groups and the differences were not statistisally significant(t=-0.319～2.024,all P＞0.05).After the 1st,3rd and 6th month of treatment,the RBC,Hb,EPO,SF,TSAT of the two groups of patients were increased compared to before treatment,while HePc was decreased compared to before treatment,and there were significant differences within the groups(F=234.890,219.907;256.171,201.231;138.023,89.247;92.89,215.780;189.198,179.092;112.132,76.127,all P＜0.05).The RBC,Hb and SF levels in the Rox group were higher than those in the rhEPO group(F=9.672,8.165,139.360),while EPO and HePc levels were lower than those in the rhEPO group(F=124.437,78.147),and the differences were significant(all P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in TSAT between the two groups(F=7.118,P=0.119).Tac CO,CsA CO,MPA-AUC,Lym,Th/Ts showed no significant changes between groups compared to before treatment,the Scr and BUN showed a slight increase compared to before treatment,but there were no statistically significant differences in intra group and between two groups comparisons(F=0.665,1.167,1.097,1.343,5.219,0.696,1.106,all P＞0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(x2=0.083,P=0.773).Conclusion Roxadustat has better clinical efficacy in the treatment of patients with anemia after kidney transplantation,which can effectively improve anemia and regulate iron metabolism in the body.There is no significant impact on the immune status of the transplant recipients,and the transplanted kidney function is stable and safe.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of homodimer neutrophil gelatinase- associated lipocalin (H-NGAL) rapid test kit in diagnosing peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis (PDAP).Methods:It was a multicenter prospective observational study. The PD patients from the nephrology clinics or wards at four hospitals: the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Taian Central Hospital, and Weifang People's Hospital from December 27, 2021, and July 18, 2022 were enrolled. The patients were categorized into PDAP and non-PDAP groups based on whether PDAP occurred at the time of enrollment. PD effluent samples were collected, and H-NGAL test was performed. The patients or their families used cassette-type, strip-type, and pen-type H-NGAL test kits to detect H-NGAL. Healthcare professionals only used the cassette-type H-NGAL kit to detect H-NGAL. All participants completed a questionnaire regarding the instructions for use of H-NGAL kit before testing, and a summary of patient experience and evaluation questionnaires after testing. The sensitivity, specificity, compliance rate, and 95% confidence interval ( CI) of H-NGAL rapid test kit for diagnosing PDAP were calculated using clinical diagnosis as the standard. Kappa test was used to assess the consistency between H-NGAL detection results and clinical diagnoses. Results:A total of 221 PD patients were enrolled, with 42 PDAP patients and 179 non-PDAP patients. The sensitivity and specificity of H-NGAL rapid test kit for diagnosing PDAP were 100% (95% CI 91.62%-100%) and 99.44% (95% CI 96.90%-99.90%), respectively, with accuracy rate of 99.55% (95% CI 97.48%-99.92%). The positive agreement rate was 97.67% (95% CI 87.94%-99.59%), and the negative agreement rate was 100% (95% CI 97.89%-100%). The consistency evaluation results showed that kappa value was 0.985 (95% CI 0.956-1.000). The results obtained by patients and their families using the H-NGAL rapid test kits were consistent across all three methods (cassette, strip, and pen-type H-NGAL test kits), and the results obtained by using the H-NGAL rapid test kits were also consistent between non-healthcare professionals and healthcare professionals. The kit instruction questionnaire and the experience and evaluation questionnaire showed that the overall satisfaction of patients with the H-NGAL rapid test kits was very good. Conclusions:H-NGAL rapid test kit exhibits high sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing PDAP and can serve as a rapid diagnostic method for PDAP.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]level in early renal transplantation for acute rejection(AR).Methods A total of 324 renal transplant recipients from January 2019 to August 2022 in the Second People's Hospital of Shanxi Province were selected.The clinical data of the recipients were collected.The levels of serum 25(OH)D,parathyroid hormone(PTH),and calcium,phosphorus in early(within 1 month)transplantation were detected by chemiluminescence immunoassay and colorimetry,respectively.The detection season was recorded,and the occurrence of AR within 1 year after renal transplantation was observed.The 25(OH)D level ≥ 20ng/ml was defined as normal,≥ 12 ng/ml～＜20 ng/ml as insufficient and＜12ng/ml as deficient,they were divided into of 25(OH)D normal group(n=106),insufficient group(n=112)and deficient group(n=106).According to the occurrence of AR,they were divided into AR group(n=51)and non-AR group(n=273).The basic situation of serum 25(OH)D level was analyzed.The differences in serum PTH,calcium,phosphorus levels and seasons as well as AR incidence among the three groups of 25(OH)D were compared.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of AR,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of serum 25(OH)D level for AR.Results The incidence of serum 25(OH)D deficiency or insufficiency was 67.28％(218/324).In the 25(OH)D normal group,insufficient group and deficiency group,the serum PTH levels were 75.44(46.42,113.23)pg/ml,78.29(58.27,152.10)pg/ml and 86.84(54.64,127.3)pg/ml,and the incidences of AR were 2.47％(8/324),6.17％(20/324)and 7.10％(23/324),respectively.All of them were the highest in the deficiency group and the lowest in the normal group,and the differences were significant(H=6.784,x2=8.580,all P＜0.05).Additionally,25(OH)D deficiency(OR=3.340,95％CI:1.409～7.916),25(OH)D insufficiency(OR=2.442,95％CI:1.006～5.925)and human leucocyte antigen(HLA)mismatch(4～6)(OR=2.117,95％CI:1.027～4.363)were independent risk factors for AR(all P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum 25(OH)D level in predicting AR was 0.702(95％CI:0.625～0.779),the optimal cut-off value was 13.59 ng/ml,the specificity and the sensitivity were 66.7％and 65.6％,respectively.Conclusion In this study,25(OH)D deficiency(＜12ng/ml)or insufficiency(≥ 12～＜20ng/ml)was an independent risk factor for AR,and serum 25(OH)D level may have a certain predictive value for AR.

AIM:To investigate the effects of curcumin on cardiac dysfunction induced by chronic restraint stress in a depression rat model.METHODS:Thirty-two Wistar rats weighing(200±20)g were randomly divided into control,model,low-dose curcumin,and high-dose curcumin groups(n=8 per group).The rats in model and curcumin groups were subjected to chronic restraint stress for 5 h daily at random time,while those in control group were maintained under normal conditions.Following daily stress exposure,the rats in low-and high-dose curcumin groups received 100 and 200 mg/kg curcumin daily,respectively,and those in control and model groups received the same volume of normal saline daily.The above treatments lasted for 28 d.Body weight of the rats was measured weekly.Sucrose preference test was performed on days 14 and 28 of the experiment.Serum corticosterone content was determined to evaluate depression.Histological changes of cardiac tissues were observed using HE and Masson staining.Echocardiography was conducted to examine heart function.The related mRNA and protein levels were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blot,respective-ly.RESULTS:Compared with control group,the rats in model group exhibited significantly slower weight gain(P<0.05),impaired sucrose preference(P<0.01),and increased corticosterone levels(P<0.01).HE staining revealed myo-cardial hypertrophy in model group but not in control group.Masson staining indicated significantly higher cardiac fibrosis in model group than control group(P<0.01).Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated a significant increase in posi-tive collagen type I expression(P<0.01).RT-qPCR results showed significantly elevated mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines(tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,and interleukin-1β)and fibrosis factors(α-smooth muscle actin,colla-gen type I,and collagen type Ⅲ)in model group compared with control group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Western blot re-vealed a significant increase in c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK)phosphorylation level in model group(P<0.01).Treat-ment with low-and high-dose curcumin reversed the above indicators.CONCLUSION:Curcumin treatment attenuated cardiac inflammation and fibrosis in rats subjected to chronic restraint stress,possibly by inhibiting JNK signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the influencing factors and predictive value of renal function recovery in elderly patients with heart failure(HF)and acute renal injury(AKI)after intermittent veno-venous hemofiltration(IVVH)using critical care ultrasound.Methods:The clinical data of elderly patients with heart failure(NYHF grade Ⅲ~Ⅳ)complicated with acute kidney injury(stage 2~stage 3)who underwent intravenous veno-venous hemofiltration(IVVH)in the critical care unit(CCU)of our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.The demographic information of the patients and the changes in clinical biochemical and critical care ultrasound monitoring parameters before and after 7 days of IVVH were recorded.Based on the recovery of renal function, the patients were divided into two groups: a renal function recovery group and a renal function non-recovery group.Logistic regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve(ROC)curve analysis were performed to determine the predictive value of various influencing factors on the recovery of renal function in patients.Results:A total of 178 patients were enrolled in this study.After starting IVVH treatment, renal function recovered in 143 cases at 30 days, and in 138 cases at 90 days.However, renal function did not recover in 35 cases at 30 days, and in 40 cases at 90 days.The proportion of NYHF Ⅲ patients、the proportion of diabetic patients、the decrease of Beta 2-microglobulin(β2-MC)、the decrease of Cystain C(CysC)、the increase of venous transit time index(VTI)、the increase of Cardiac Output(CO)and the decrease in renal blood flow resistance index(RI)in the recovery groups at both 30 days and 90 days was significantly higher than that in the non-recovery group(all P<0.05).The total treatment time of IVVH in the recovery group was significantly shorter than that in the non-recovery group, with 30 days and 90 days( P<0.05).Logistic analysis revealed that the total treatment time of IVVH( OR=1.067, P<0.001), VTI( OR=0.652, P=0.024), CO( OR=0.037, P<0.001), and RI(OR<0.001, P=0.010)of the interlobar artery were identified as independent factors influencing the recovery of renal function in AKI patients at 30 days and 90 days after IVVH treatment.The ROC curve demonstrated the predictive value of various independent influencing factors for 30-day renal function recovery.The area under the curve(AUC)for VTI was 0.610(95% CI: 0.513-0.707), for CO it was 0.760(95% CI: 0.656-0.864), and for RI it was 0.694(95% CI: 0.589-0.799).Similarly, the ROC curve showed the predictive value of these factors for renal function recovery at 90 days.The AUC for VTI was 0.654(95% CI: 0.564-0.744), for CO it was 0.697(95% CI: 0.605-0.789), and for interlobar artery RI it was 0.605(95% CI: 0.495-0.715). Conclusions:The venous transit time index(VTI), cardiac output(CO), and renal interlobar artery RI, monitored by critical care ultrasound, are independent factors that can be used to evaluate the recovery of renal function in elderly patients with HF and AKI after IVVH treatment.Additionally, the changes in these parameters within 7 days after IVVH treatment have a high predictive value for the improvement of renal function in elderly patients after 30 days and 90 days.