Objective To study the early diagnostic predictors and key follow-up parameters for girls with rapidly progressive central precocious puberty (RP-CPP). Methods A total of 260 girls with CPP participated in a prospective, nonrandomized, multi-center, nested case control study. After follow-up six months without any therapy, 114 girls were divided into RP-CPP (n=70) and slowly progressive CPP (SP-CPP) (n=44) groups. Results The basal serum LH and insulin-like growth factor Ⅰstandard deviation score (IGF-ⅠSDS) were the important risk factors of RP-CPP (OR 4.04, 1.578), especially the former. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the areas under the ROC curve of basal LH and IGF-ⅠSDS were 0.83 and 0.807, respectively. The levels of basal LH and IGF-ⅠSDS were at 0.52 mIU/ml and 0.35 respectively for the accuracy diagnosis of RP-CPP with the maximum Youden indexs. After follow-up for six months, the change levels of height, breast stages, bone age/chronological age ratio, serum LH, uterine and ovarian volume in RP-CPP group were significantly higher than those in SP-CPP group (all P<0.05). Conclusions The level of basal serum LH and IGF-ⅠSDS may be used as the risk predictors for early diagnosis for girls with RP-CPP. The change levels of basal LH, progress rates of gonad and sex character, height, and impaired growth potential seem to be the key follow-up parameters for CPP progress.

OBJECTIVETo explore the influencing factors for the severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in preterm infants.

METHODSThe clinical data of 110 preterm infants who were diagnosed with BPD and had a hospital stay of over 28 days between January 2011 and December 2013 were analyzed. These BPD infants were divided into 3 groups according to the clinical criteria: mild group (n=52), moderate group (n=44), and severe group (n=14). The relationship between the severity of BPD and the gestational age, birth weight, asphyxia, oxygen therapy, pregnancy complications, intrauterine pneumonia and mechanical ventilation was analyzed.

RESULTSThe severity of BPD was correlated with the following factors: gestational age, birth weight, prenatal infection, duration of oxygen inhalation with a concentration of >40%, use of mechanical ventilation, parameters and duration of mechanical ventilation, duration of continuous positive airway pressure, adoption of intubation surfactant extubation (INSURE) approach, Ureaplasma urealyticum infection, intrauterine pneumonia and patent ductus arteriosus. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the mechanical ventilator parameter peak inspiratory pressure (OR=1.260, 95%CI: 1.096-1.448) and duration of mechanical ventilation (OR=1.010, 95%CI: 1.005-1.016) were independent risk factors for the severity of BPD, while the INSURE approach was a protective factor (OR=0.208, 95%CI: 0.060-0.923).

CONCLUSIONSThe severity of BPD is associated with various factors in preterm infants. The important measures for preventing BPD include avoiding the birth of preterm infants with a very low birth weight, shortening the duration of mechanical ventilation, preventing and reducing pulmonary infections, and applying the INSURE approach.

Birth Weight ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; etiology ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Respiration, Artificial ; adverse effects ; Severity of Illness Index

OBJECTIVETo explore the safety and efficacy of frameless stereotactic brain biopsy.

METHODSDiagnostic accuracy was calculated by comparing biopsy diagnosis with definitive pathology in 62 patients who underwent frameless stereotactic brain biopsy between January 2008 and December 2010 in Xiamen University Southeast Hospital. Preoperative characteristics and histological diagnosis were reviewed and then information was analysed to identify factors associated with the biopsy not yielding a diagnosis and complications.

RESULTSDiagnostic yield was 93.5%. No differences were found between pathological diagnosis and frozen pathological diagnosis. The most common lesions were astrocytic lesions, included 16 cases of low-grade glioma and 12 cases of malignant glioma. Remote hemorrhage, metastasis, and lymphoma were following in incidence. Multiple brain lesions were found in 17 cases (27.4%). Eleven cases were frontal lesions (17.7%), 8 were frontotemporal (12.9%), 6 were frontoparietal (9.7%), and 5 each were temporal, parietal, and parietotemporal lesions (8.1%). Postoperative complications occurred in 21.0% of the patients after biopsies, including 10 haemorrhages (16.1%) and 3 temporary neurological deficits (1 epilepsy, 1 headache, and 1 partial hemiparesis). No patient required operation for hematoma evacuation.

CONCLUSIONFrameless stereotactic biopsy is an effective and safe technique for histologic diagnosis of brain lesions, particularly for multifocal and frontal lesions.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy ; methods ; Brain ; pathology ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stereotaxic Techniques ; adverse effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate the anti-inflammatory effects on the vessel wall of rosuvastatin in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

METHODSEight-week-old apolipoprotein E-deficient mice fed a normal chow diet were treated with vehicle or various doses of rosuvastatin (1, 5, or 20 mg/kg) by subcutaneous injection for 2 or 6 weeks prior to sacrifice. Endothelial adhesiveness for monocytes was determined by functional binding assay. The expressions of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in the vessel wall were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTSEndothelial adhesiveness for monocytes was significantly attenuated after 2 or 6 weeks treatments with 5 or 20 mg/kg rosuvastatin. Rosuvastatin also significantly reduced the expressions of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in the vessel wall.

CONCLUSIONThe anti-inflammatory effects of suvastatin might be responsible for attenuating the pathogenesis of atherogenesis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Animals ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Endothelium, Vascular ; cytology ; Fluorobenzenes ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; Monocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Pyrimidines ; pharmacology ; Rosuvastatin Calcium ; Sulfonamides ; pharmacology ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between genetic polymorphism of P53, P21, CCND1 and susceptibility of chromosomal damage induced by vinyl chloride monomer (VCM).

METHODS183 workers occupationally exposed to VCM were involved in our study. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CB-MN) assay was used to detect chromosome damage in peripheral lymphocyte. PCR-RFLP technique was applied to detect polymorphisms in P53 gene (exon4, intron3 and intron6), P21 gene (exon2 and exon3) and CCND1 (exon4).

RESULTSThe risk of chromosomal damage for VCM-exposed workers with more than 30 yr was 1.2202 (95% CI: 1.0580 approximately 1.4072, P = 0.0062) compared with the younger workers, and the risk of female workers was 1.1491 (95% CI: 0.9841 approximately 1.3416, P = 0.0772) compared with male workers. The MN frequency in subjects with P53 intron6 mutant homozygous and heterozygous was higher than their wild-type homozygous counterparts (OR = 1.3032, 95% CI: 1.1285 approximately 1.6405, P = 0.0285). P53 exon4, intron3 and intron6 haplotype pairs of BBB/AAA and BAB/AAA were associated with the increased frequencies of micronucleus.

CONCLUSIONAmong VCM-exposed workers, more than 30ys, female, carrying P53 intron6 mutated allele and BBB/AAA and BAB/AAA haplotype pairs have higher risk of chromosomal damage.

Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Humans ; Micronucleus Tests ; Occupational Exposure ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Vinyl Chloride

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between polymorphisms of FAS and FASL genes and genetic susceptibility of silicosis.

METHODSA case-control study was conducted. The case group was 183 male patients with silicosis and the control group was 111 male silica-exposed but without silicosis miners. Data on total dust concentrations was collected to estimate cumulative total dust exposure (CTE) of each subject and each person's characteristics and work history were obtained from questionnaire. Polymerase chain reaction re-strained fragment length polymorphism technique (PCR-RFLP) was applied to detect the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of FAS-1377, FAS-670 and FASL-844. Associations between polymorphisms and risk of silicosis and stages, interactions between polymorphisms, between polymorphisms and CTE and smoking and haplotypes were analyzed.

RESULTSThere were no differences in the FAS-1377, FAS-670 and FASL-844 genotypes between the case group and the control group (P > 0.05). No association was observed between FAS-1377, FAS-670 and FASL-844 polymorphisms and silicosis and stages (P > 0.05). The frequencies of FAS-1377G/-670G haplotype in the cases (9.6%) were higher than those in the controls (3.6%) (P < 0.05). No interactions between the polymorphisms of different genes, the gene polymorphism and the total accumulative total dust, the gene polymorphism and smoking were observed (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFAS-1377, FAS-670 and FASL-844 polymorphisms are not susceptible factors of silicosis. The FAS-1377G/-670G haplotype might be a susceptibility marker of silicosis.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Fas Ligand Protein ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Silicosis ; genetics ; fas Receptor ; genetics

Depression is a psychiatric disease that seriously affects human life in the context of rapid social development and increased living pressure, and brings serious healthproblems and economic burdens to human society.Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history in the treatment of depression, and Xiaoyaosan has been repeatedly confirmed as a classic prescription for the intervention in depression, but its antidepressant mechanism and its active ingredients are still unclear.Through the search of China Knowledge Network(CNKI) and PubMed database, the literature and data on the clinical and mechanism research of Xiaoyaosan and its analogous prescriptions on depression in the past 10 years are systematically sorted out.It is found that Xiaoyao San and its analogous prescriptions are mainly focusing on the following aspects: regulating hypothalamic-pituitary-gonad, hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, affecting 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), norepinephrine(NE) neurotransmitters in hippocampus, interfering with inflammatory reaction process, modulating the BDNF/CREB signaling pathway, regulating intestinal flora and gastrointestinal function, regulating endothelial window foramen of hepatic sinus, repairing chronic stress-induced blood-brain barrier permeability, affecting autophagy to reduce neuronal apoptosis, and regulating the leukoplakia-nuclear adrenal gland (LC-NE) system to play an antidepressant role.The main active ingredient including, saikosaponin A which could down-regulate interleukin expression level, saikosaponin D which alleviates HPA axis dysfunction, quercetin which inhibits corticotropin-releasing-factor(CRF) mRNA expression, paeoniflorin which regulates neurotransmitters, and paeoni lactone which inhibits hyperfunction of HPA axis Glycosides, reduce inflammatory cytokines, atractylenolide I, atractylenolide Il, atractylenolide Ill, which could reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA and inhibit NF-κB activated, curcumin which could play the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant roles, L-menthol which could suppress the HPA axis overactivation, liquiritin isoliquiritin which could regulate the monoamine neurotransmitters, and isoliquiritigenin which could inhibit the monoamine oxidase.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing/methods* ; Child ; Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins/genetics* ; Feces/virology* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphoproteins/genetics* ; RNA, Viral/genetics* ; SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification* ; Young Adult

Objective: To investigate the distribution of HIV-1 genetic subtypes and pretreatment drug resistance (PDR) among men who have sex with men (MSM) from 19 cities of 6 provinces in China. Methods: From April to November 2019, 574 plasma samples of ART-naive HIV-1 infected MSM were collected from 19 cities in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces, total ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted and amplified the HIV-1 pol gene region by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after reverse transcription. Then sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic tree to determine genetic subtypes and submitted to the Stanford drug resistance database for drug resistance analysis. Results: A total of 479 samples were successfully amplified by PCR. The HIV-1 genetic subtypes included CRF01_AE, CRF07_BC, B, CRF55_01B, CRF59_01B, CRF65_cpx, CRF103_01B, CRF67_01B, CRF68_01B and unrecognized subtype, which accounted for 43.4%, 36.3%, 6.3%, 5.9%, 0.8%, 0.8%, 0.4%, 0.4%, 0.2% and 5.5%, respectively. The distribution of genetic subtypes among provinces is statistically different (χ²=44.141, P<0.001). The overall PDR rate was 4.6% (22/479), the drug resistance rate of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and protease inhibitors were 3.5% (17/479), 0.8% (4/479) and 0.2% (1/479), respectively. The PDR rate of recent infections was significantly higher than that of long-term infections (χ²=4.634, P=0.031). Conclusions: The HIV-1 genetic subtypes among MSM infected with HIV-1 from 19 cities of 6 provinces in China are diverse, and the distribution of subtypes is different among provinces. The overall PDR rate is low, while the PDR rate of recent infections was significantly higher than that of long-term infections, suggesting the surveillance of PDR in recent infections should be strengthened.
China/epidemiology* ; Cities ; Drug Resistance ; Drug Resistance, Viral/genetics* ; Female ; Genotype ; HIV Infections/epidemiology* ; HIV Seropositivity/drug therapy* ; HIV-1/genetics* ; Homosexuality, Male ; Humans ; Male ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Sexual and Gender Minorities

Objective: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( Results: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome