AIM:To investigate the effects of grape polyphenol ( GP) on caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) in mice.METHODS:Two-month-old female mice of ICR strains (n=21) were randomly divided into 3 groups:normal control ( NC) group, AP group, and GP-treated AP group.Before AP induction, the mice in GP-treated AP group were continuously administrated with 1.5 g/kg GP aqueous solution by gavage for 7 d, while those in NC group and AP group were treated with saline as a vehicle control.On the 7th day, the mice in AP group and GP-treated AP group were in-traperitoneally injected with caerulein (50μg/kg) in 1 h interval for 7 serial injections in total.The mice in NC group were treated with saline according to the same procedure in experimental group.All the mice were sacrificed 24 h after AP induc-tion, and the pancreatic tissues and lung tissues were harvested for further investigation of the pathological changes, macro-phages infiltration, myeloperoxidase ( MPO ) activity and expression of inflammatory and oxidative stress factors.RE-SULTS:Compared with AP group, the mice in GP-treated AP group showed milder morphological changes and lower path-ological scores, including the scores of edema, inflammation and vacuolization (P<0.05), but the necrosis scores and to-tal scores showed no statistical difference between these 2 groups.Besides, the mice in GP-treated AP group had fewer macrophage infiltration, lower lung MPO activity (P<0.01), and lower expression of inflammatory factors, tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) (P<0.05), and oxidative stress factors, superoxide dis-mutase (SOD)-1, SOD-2 and NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX-2) (P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Grape polyphenol has remark-able protective effect on pancreatic tissues of mice with caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis, and the mechanisms may be related to down-regulation of inflammatory and oxidative stress factors.

AIM:To investigate the effects of high plasma triglyceride (TG) caused by apolipoprotein C Ⅲ( ApoC Ⅲ) transgene on the occurrence and development of abdominal aortic aneurysm ( AAA) .METHODS:The animal models of hypercholesterolemia and hypercholesterolemia combined with hypertriglyceridemia were established by feeding high-fat diet to LDLR-/-and ApoC Ⅲ+LDLR-/-mice, respectively.AAA was induced in these mice by pancreatic elastase. By evaluating the incidence of AAA, relative maximal abdominal aortic diameter, disruption of the elastic lamellar structure and expression of matrix metalloproteinases ( MMPs) in the aorta walls of the AAA, the occurrence and development of AAA were compared in LDLR-/-and ApoC Ⅲ+LDLR-/-mice fed with either chow diet or high-fat diet.In addition, an in vitro TNF-α-induced aneurysmal microenvironment model on vascular smooth muscle cells ( VSMC) was used to study the impact of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins ( TRLs) from mice with normal or high contents of ApoCⅢon elastin protein expres-sion.RESULTS:Feeding the high-fat diet aggravated the severity of AAA in the LDLR-/-mice.ApoC Ⅲ+LDLR-/-mice fed with high-fat diet had less severe AAA than LDLR-/-mice fed with high-fat diet.TRLs inhibited degradation of VSMC elas-tin protein induced by TNF-α, and in vitro TRLs from the mice with high content of ApoC Ⅲ, compared to those with nor-mal content of ApoC Ⅲ, had better inhibitory effect on the degradation of elastin.CONCLUSION:High plasma TG caused by ApoC Ⅲtransgene alleviates AAA of the LDLR-/-mice induced by elastase and high-fat diet.The effect is probably attrib-uted to the hypertriglyceridemia caused by ApoC Ⅲtransgene.

Objective To investigate the variation characteristics of adenovirus type 55 (HAdV-B55) gene on plateaus.Methods Throat swabs were collected from HAdV-B55 infected patients and used for virus isolation in HEp-2 cells.The whole-genome sequence was obtained by PCR and sequencing.HAdV-B55 gene sequence was blast with the previously reported virus.Results HAdV-B55 strains were isolated from throat swabs, which were named LS89/Tibet/2016.The whole-genome sequence was obtained and submitted to GenBank with the accession number of KY002683.No large fragment gene recombination was found between this HAdV-B55 strain and previous strains, and the sequence similarity with QS-DLL strain was 99.9%.Conclusion This study provides more information for the evolution patterns of adenovirus 55 and will contribute to the prevention and control of HAdV-B55 infection in the future.

Objective Our purpose was to investigate the pathogenic gene mutation of a Han Chinese family with vitreous amyloidosis.Methods The 9 individuals(proband,1 affected member and 7 unaffected members) of the family were selected and their DNA was extracted from peripheral blood.The 4 exons of transthyretin(TTR) gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) technique.The amplified products of TTR gene were sequencing by Sanger technique.We also selected 100 unrelated healthy individual as the control group.Results By DNA sequencing,a heterozygous mutation was found in 4 of the 9 subjects from the family.The transition of adenine to cytosine(AAG ＞ ACG) was detectable in exon 2 of TTR,which changed the amino acid composition at codon 35 (Lys35Thr).This mutation did not presented in control group.Conclusion The heterozygosis mutation of TTR gene Lys35Thr should be a pathogenic mutation for the family with vitreous amyloidosis.

Objective To investigate the frequency and location of cerebral microbleeds(CMB) in dementia with Lewy bodies(DLB)versus in Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods This retrospective study included three groups of probable AD patients (n =156),dementia with Lewy bodies (n =67) and normal controls(n=172).Frequencies and location of CMBs in the three groups were calculated and recorded.The foci of MRI signal for CMB were confirmed by two radiologists at moments of unknowingness about diagnosis.The correlations of cerebral small vessel disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy with the development of cognitive decline in AD were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of CMBs was higher in patients with groups of DLB(22.4 ％,15/67) and AD(19.8 ％,31/156) than in normal controls (8.2 ％,14/172) (P =0.002 and 0.002),while there was no significant difference in incidence rate of CMBs between DLB and AD groups(P＞0.05).The MRI signal intensity of CMBs was the highest in the occipital lobe of the DLB group,and was higher in the deep temporal lobe or temporal lobe in the AD group.Conclusions The frequency of CMB is higher in patients with DLB or AD than in normal controls and there is no significant difference in frequency of CMB between DLB and AD groups,which suggests that the pathophysiological mechanisms of CMB may be similar between AD and DLB.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of clinical manifestation, brain magnetic resonance imaging ( MRI ) and 18 F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography ( FDG-PET ) , inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF ) , electroencephalography ( EEG ) , and associated tumour in autoimmune epilepsy ( AE) patients with different autoantibodies. Methods Forty-two patients diagnosed as AE with different autoantibodies in Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University between May 2014 and May 2017 were recruited. The clinical manifestation, brain MRI and PET, CSF findings, EEG and biochemical examination of these patients were analyzed. Results Specific autoimmune antibodies were detected in 42 patients, including anti-amphiphysin in one patient, anti-contactin-associated protein 2 in two, anti-γ-aminobutyric acid-B receptor in six, anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1(LGI1) in 24, anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ( NMDAR ) in nine. The case series of 42 patients had an average age of (49. 9 ± 14. 5) years with a male to female ratio of 5:1. Except anti-NMDAR associated AE, most patients (21/33) presented with the symptoms of limbic encephalitis including temporal lobe seizures, memory decline, personality and neuropsychiatric changes, mesial temporal lobe abnormality in MRI or FDG-PET, and CSF inflammation. The seizure semiologic characteristics included frequent seizure, short seizure duration and common secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures during sleeping. Faciobrachial dystonic seizures and hyponatremia were the special clinical manifestation of AE with anti-LGI1. AE patients with all kinds of antibodies presented as initial resistance to anti-epilepsy drugs ( AEDs) and favorable outcome of immunosuppressive treatment in combination with AEDs. Conclusions AE patients with each type of antibody have the special clinical manifestation. Except anti-NMDAR associated AE, the seizure semiologic characteristics often present as frequent and short seizures. All AE patients present as drug refractory epilepsy initially. Seizures in AE patients can be well controlled by immunotherapy combined with AEDs.

Objective To analyze the clinical features of candida arthritis and to conduct literature review to improve diagnosis and treatment.Methods From January 2008 to June 2018,eighteen patients (5 females and 13 males) with candida arthritis were admitted to two hospitals.The mean age at diagnosis was 59±8 (range 48-71 years).The diagnosis was determined based on joint fluid aspirate in all cases and on intra-operative samples in 1 patients.Seventeen patients received MR examination,and on epatient who underwent total knee arthroplasty underwent knee X-ray examination.The clinical features,risk factors,clinical manifestations,etiology,treatment and prognosis are recorded.Results Knee joints were involved in all patients as infection sites.Seventeen patients had risk factors for candida infection,including diabetes mellitus in 2 patients,artificial joint replacement in 1,and glucocorticoid injection in the joint cavity in 16.Swelling and pain were presented in all cases.Peripheral blood leukocytes were increased or normal,while C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were increased.Magnetic resonance showed joint effusion and slip membrane hyperplasia.Joint turbidity and synovial hyperplasia were presented by arthroscopy.X-ray demonstrated swelling of soft tissue around the prosthesis and bone absorption around the prosthesis.The most frequent species was non-candida albicans.Susceptibility to antifungals was tested in all cases.Thirteen patients underwent surgery combined with antifungal therapy,while 4 patients only received antifungal therapy and 1 patient refused to treat.The duration of antifungal therapy was from 6 weeks to 52 weeks (median,12 weeks).Twelve cases were treated with fluconazole and 1 with voriconazole,1 with voriconazole and fluconazole,1 with fluconazole combined with lipid formulation amphotericin B,1 with terbinatine and fluconazole,1 with flucytosine combined with tluconazole.Seventeen cases were followed up for 3 to 72 months.At final follow-up,twelve patients were healed,while 1 case was amputated and 4 patients relapsed and refused further treatment.Conclusion As a rare disease,candida arthritis is usually happened after artificial joint replacement and in high-risk patients with diabetes and immunosuppressant applications.In immunoeompetent patients without surgery,infection may be related to multiple injections into the joim cavity with glucocorticoids.The infection may be difficult to be diagnosed and with poor prognosis.Surgery with long-term antifungal therapy is required.

Objective To explore the application effect of enteral nutrition-related diarrhea in postoperative esophageal cancer patients.Methods Based on literature search and expert meeting,a management process for enteral nutrition-associated diarrhea in postoperative esophageal cancer patients was constructed.A convenience sampling method was used to select a total of 68 patients with enteral nutrition-related diarrhea after esophageal cancer surgery admitted to the thoracic surgery department of a tertiary A cancer hospital in Jiangsu Province.Among them,patients admitted from January 2022 to December 2022 were set as an experimental group.The experimental group was implemented the management process for enteral nutrition-associated diarrhea in postoperative esophageal cancer patients.Those admitted from January 2021 to December 2021 were set as a control group with routine nursing.Then,the time of stopping diarrhea,the King's of Stool Chart(KSC-Tr)diarrhea score,and abnormal incidence of nutrition-related indexes,electrolytes abnormalities(low sodium,low potassium,and low calcium)were compared between 2 groups.Results The time of stopping diarrhea,KSC diarrhea score after 3 days of intervention and the time to achieve target feeding volume of the experimental group were lower than those in the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in hemoglobin,albumin,prealbumin after 3 days of intervention,the incidence of electrolyte abnormalities(low sodium,low potassium,and low calcium)after 3 days of intervention,and the BMI index after 7 days of intervention between 2 groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion The management process for enteral nutrition-associated diarrhea in postoperative esophageal cancer patients can reduce the time of diarrhea,improve the severity of diarrhea,and shorten the time to achieve the target feeding,but has no significant change in the incidence of electrolyte abnormalities.

Objective:To explore the role of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT in early detection of therapy-associated cardiotoxicity (TACT) in lymphoma patients and to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of different evaluation criteria. Methods:Consecutive patients between November 2009 to October 2018 in Peking University Cancer Hospital were retrospectively enrolled. All patients underwent standard chemotherapy. Myocardial uptake of 18F-FDG pre- and post-treatment were analyzed by visual interpretation and semi-quantitative (maximum standardized uptake value, SUV max) methods. The value of pre-treatment SUV max-heart -post-treatment SUV max-heart (ΔSUV max), %ΔSUV max, and post-treatment SUV max-heart/SUV max-mediastinum, SUV max-heart/SUV max-liver and SUV max-heart/SUV max-background(left gluteal muscle) ratios were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine optimal cut-off values of those PET/CT imaging criteria for evaluating early TACT of lymphoma, taking electrocardiogram (ECG) positive as the end point. Independent-sample t test and χ2 test were performed. Results:A total of 274 patients (median age was 36-year old), with the male-to-female ratio of 1.85∶1, were included, and 78.1%(214/274) of them had non-Hodgkin′s lymphoma (NHL). After treatment, 55.1%(151/274)of the patients had high myocardial uptake of 18F-FDG (compared with liver uptake), 20.4%(56/274) of them had moderate myocardial uptake (between liver uptake and blood-pool uptake), and 24.5%(67/274) were with equal uptake (less than blood-pool uptake). There were significant differences in myocardial uptake between ECG-positive group ( n=71) and ECG-negative group ( n=203) ( SUV max: 7.77±4.06 vs 5.91±3.04; t=4.045, P<0.01). ROC curves showed that optimal thresholds of post-treatment SUV max-heart, Δ SUV max-heart, %ΔSUV max-heart, and post-treatment SUV max-heart/SUV max-mediastinum, SUV max-heart/SUV max-liver and SUV max-heart/SUV max-background ratios were 9.4, 4.8, 1.4, 5.0, 2.3, 7.0 respectively. The corresponding areas under the curves (AUC) were 0.653, 0.637, 0.612, 0.655, 0.649 and 0.650, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of post-treatment SUV max-heart/SUV max-background ratio were 40.85%(29/71), 82.76%(168/203), 45.31%(29/64), 80.00%(168/210) and 71.90%(197/274). Conclusion:18F-FDG PET/CT can early detect TACT in patients with lymphoma, and if using 7.0 as the threshold of post-treatment SUV max-heart/SUV max- background ratio, the specificity and negative predictive value of 18F-FDG PET/CT for early prediction of TACT are up to 80%.

BackgroundMetacognition， the capacity to monitor and control one's cognitive processes， has been identified as a crucial component of effective decision-making and behavioral adaptation. Previous research has revealed cognitive deficits in patients with major depressive disorder （MDD）， while findings about metacognitive capacities in patients with MDD have been inconsistent across studies， and the exact relationship between metacognitive capacities and clinical symptoms in MDD patients remains uncertain. ObjectiveTo examine the metacognitive capacities of adolescent hospitalized patients with MDD and to explore its relationship with depressive and anxiety symptoms， thus providing an unprecedented insight into the prevention of MDD. MethodsA coherent 56 adolescent hospitalized patients with MDD in the Psychiatry Department at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from March 2022 to June 2023 and met the diagnostic criteria for depression as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fourth edition （DSM-IV） were enrolled as MDD group. At the same time， 62 healthy individuals matched with the age and sex of the MDD group residing in Luzhou were concurrently selected as control group. The metacognitive ability of the two groups was evaluated by perceptual decision-making task and confidence rating task， and the indicators included confidence deviation， reaction time of confidence evaluation and metacognitive efficiency. Additionally， the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms was measured with Beck Depression Inventory （BDI） and Beck Anxiety Inventory （BAI）. Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to examine the relationship between metacognitive capacities and clinical symptoms. ResultsMDD group scored higher on BDI and BAI when compared with control group （t=-13.722， -9.674， P<0.01）. In terms of decision-making performance， no statistically significant difference was noted in accuracy and response time between two groups （t=-0.655， 0.975， P>0.05）. In terms of metacognitive performance， MDD group reported a reduction in overall confidence， confidence in correct decisions， confidence in incorrect decisions and metacognitive efficiency compared with control group （t=3.044， 2.769， 2.836， 3.667， P<0.01）. MDD group demonstrated significantly longer confidence evaluation response time than that of control group （t=-2.561， P<0.05）. Correlation analysis revealed that among the MDD patients， overall confidence， confidence in correct decisions and confidence in incorrect decisions were negatively correlated with BDI score （r=-0.310， -0.307， -0.298， P<0.05）， and the overall confidence and confidence in correct decisions were negatively correlated with BAI score （r=-0.284， -0.280， P<0.05）， while no statistical significance existed in the correlation between confidence in incorrect decisions and BAI score （r=-0.229， P>0.05）. Furthermore， metacognitive efficiency in MDD patients exhibited negative correlation with both BDI and BAI scores （r=-0.269， -0.290， P<0.05）. ConclusionHospitalized adolescent patients with MDD have impaired metacognition， and metacognitive capacity is found to be associated with severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms. ［Funded by Luzhou Science and Technology Bureau-Southwest Medical University Collaborative Project （number， 2019LZXNYDJ39）； Southwest Medical University Institutional Research Project （number， 2022ZD004）］