[Objective]To explore the clinical characteristics of neurobrucellosis in Kashi,Xinjiang Uygur Autono-mous Region,thus improve the diagnosis and treatment.[Methods]A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 18 cases of neurobrucellosis who were admitted to the First People's Hospital of Kashi Prefecture between Decem-ber 2019 and January 2024.[Results]The study included 9 males and 9 females,with a median age of 36 years(range:17-54.5).A clear epidemiological history was found in all the 18 brucllosis patients,12 of whom presented with meningo-encephalitis,5 meningitis,and 1 encephalitis.Two comorbided with spinal meningitis,2 osteoarthritis and 1 epididymitis.Most frequently reported clinical symptoms were headache,fever and fatigue.The prevalence rates of brucellosis by rose bengal plate agglutination test(RBPT)and serum agglutination test(SAT)were 11/12 and 8/9,respectively.Two of 10 patients had positive blood cultures,four of 16 had positive cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)cultures and five of five were detect-ed to be positive by next-generation sequencing(NGS)for pathogens in CSF.CSF showed exudative changes and elevated number of leukocytes,with predominance of single nucleated cells.All patients were treated with the combined use of two to four from the drugs like doxycycline,rifampicin,ceftriaxone,cefixime,minocycline,levofloxacin and sulfanilamide.Most patients had a favorable prognosis.[Conclusions]Neurobrucellosis should be considered in all patients with central nervous system manifestations from endemic areas.If there are exudative changes in CSF,differential diagnoses can be made by serological testing,blood culture,CSF culture and NGS.NGS could significantly increase the accuracy for neuro-brucellosis diagnosis.

Objective:To investigate the value of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (pSOFA) and pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) in predicting mortality of pediatric sepsis in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) from Southwest China.Methods:This was a prospective multicenter observational study. A total of 447 children with sepsis admitted to 12 PICU in Southwest China from April 2022 to March 2023 were enrolled. Based on the prognosis, the patients were divided into survival group and non-survival group. The physiological parameters of SIRS, pSOFA and PCIS were recorded and scored within 24 h after PICU admission. The general clinical data and some laboratory results were recorded. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to compare the predictive value of SIRS, pSOFA and PCIS in mortality of pediatric sepsis.Results:Amongst 447 children with sepsis, 260 patients were male and 187 patients were female, aged 2.5 (0.8, 7.0) years, 405 patients were in the survival group and 42 patients were in the non-survival group. 418 patients (93.5%) met the criteria of SIRS, and 440 patients (98.4%) met the criteria of pSOFA≥2. There was no significant difference in the number of items meeting the SIRS criteria between the survival group and the non-survival group (3(2, 4) vs. 3(3, 4) points, Z=1.30, P=0.192). The pSOFA score of the non-survival group was significantly higher than that of the survival group (9(6, 12) vs. 4(3, 7) points, Z=6.56, P<0.001), and the PCIS score was significantly lower than that of the survival group (72(68, 81) vs. 82(76, 88) points, Z=5.90, P<0.001). The predictive value of pSOFA (AUC=0.82) and PCIS (AUC=0.78) for sepsis mortality was significantly higher than that of SIRS (AUC=0.56) ( Z=6.59, 4.23, both P<0.001). There was no significant difference between pSOFA and PCIS ( Z=1.35, P=0.176). Platelet count, procalcitonin, lactic acid, albumin, creatinine, total bilirubin, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time and international normalized ratio were all able to predict mortality of sepsis to a certain degree (AUC=0.64, 0.68, 0.80, 0.64, 0.68, 0.60, 0.77, 0.75, 0.76, all P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with SIRS, both pSOFA and PCIS had better predictive value in the mortality of pediatric sepsis in PICU.

Islet transplantation is considered as one of the most effective approach for type 1 diabetes mellitus, although its efficacy is limited by several factors. Anoxia, stress and rejection occurring during the isolation, culturing and transplantation of islets may have impact on the outcome of the islet transplantation. Due to the biological properties such as anti-inflammation, angiogenetic promotion and immune regulation, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are all the way focused by researchers. Additionally, exosome, a derivative of MSC, also plays an import role in regulating anoxia-induced oxidative stress modulation, angiogenetic promotion, and immune regulation. MSC-based islet transplantation may be a useful therapeutic tool in treating type 1 diabetes. Therefore, in this review, the potential effect of MSC prior and posterior to the operation of the islet transplantation, its clinical application as well as its limitations were reviewed, aiming to offer insights into the future application of islet transplantation in treating type 1 diabetes.

Objective To investigate the isolation and culture of porcine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) with α-1, 3-galactosyltransferase (GGTA1) gene knockout (GTKO), GTKO/ human CD46 (hCD46) insertion and cytidine monopho-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (CMAH)/GGTA1 gene knockout (Neu5GC/Gal), and the protective effect of co-culture with porcine islets on islet cells. Methods Bone marrow was extracted from different transgenic pigs modified with GTKO, GTKO/hCD46 and Neu5GC/Gal. Porcine BMSC were isolated by the whole bone marrow adherent method and then cultured. The morphology of BMSC was observed and the surface markers of BMSC were identified by flow cytometry. Meantime, the multi-directional differentiation induced by BMSC was observed, and the labeling and tracing of BMSC were realized by green fluorescent protein (GFP) transfection. The porcine BMSC transfected with GFP were co-cultured with porcine islet cells. Morphological changes of porcine islet cells were observed, and compared with those in the porcine islet cell alone culture group. Results BMSC derived from pigs were spindle-shaped in vitro, expressing biomarkers of CD29, CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105 and CD166 rather than CD34 and CD45. These cells were able to differentiate into adipocytes, osteoblasts and chondrocytes. Porcine BMSC with GFP transfection could be labeled and traced, which could be stably expressed in the daughter cells after cell division. Porcine BMSC exerted certain protective effect on islet cells. Conclusions GFP-labeled porcine BMSC modified with GTKO, GTKO/hCD46 and Neu5GC/Gal are successfully established, which exert certain protective effect upon islet cells.

Objective To explore the influencing factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)merging with diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN),and to construct and verify a prediction model based on random forest algorithm.Methods 512 T2DM patients who were hospitalized in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2021 were divided into simple T2DM group(n=292)and T2DM combined with DPN group(DPN,n=220)based on whether or not DPN was present.The general data and biochemical indicators of the two groups were compared.Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the influencing factors of DPN in T2DM patients.A random forest model was constructed.Results Compared with the T2DM group,the DPN group showed an increase in weight loss rate,incidence of diabetic retinopathy(DR),WBC and HbA1c(P<0.05),with decrease in DM duration≥10 years,TG and HDL-C(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that age≥60 years,HbA1c,TG,HDL-C,rate of weight loss,DR were influencing factor for T2DM combined with DPN.The random forest model showed that when the number of trees was 387,the error rate was the lowest.The importance ranking of the influencing factors of T2DM combined with DPN were the rate of weight loss,TG,DR,HDL-C,HbA1c and age≥60 years.Conclusions Age≥60 years,HbA1c,TG,HDL-C,rate of weight loss and DR are influencing factors for T2DM combined with DPN,that can be used for early clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Rapid turnover of the intestinal epithelium is a critical strategy to balance the uptake of nutrients and defend against environmental insults, whereas inappropriate death promotes the spread of inflammation. PPARα is highly expressed in the small intestine and regulates the absorption of dietary lipids. However, as a key mediator of inflammation, the impact of intestinal PPARα signaling on cell death pathways is unknown. Here, we show that Pparα deficiency of intestinal epithelium up-regulates necroptosis signals, disrupts the gut vascular barrier, and promotes LPS translocation into the liver. Intestinal Pparα deficiency drives age-related hepatic steatosis and aggravates hepatic fibrosis induced by a high-fat plus high-sucrose diet (HFHS). PPARα levels correlate with TRIM38 and MLKL in the human ileum. Inhibition of PPARα up-regulates necroptosis signals in the intestinal organoids triggered by TNF-α and LPS stimuli via TRIM38/TRIF and CREB3L3/MLKL pathways. Butyric acid ameliorates hepatic steatosis induced by intestinal Pparα deficiency through the inhibition of necroptosis. Our data suggest that intestinal PPARα is essential for the maintenance of microenvironmental homeostasis and the spread of inflammation via the gut-liver axis.

Abstract OBJECTIVE To develop LC-MS method for the simultaneous determination of impurities A, C, and D of caspofungin acetate. METHODS Waters CORTECS® C18+(4.6 mm×150 mm, 2.7 μm) was used as the chromatography column. Mobile phase A and B were 0.1% formic acid-H2O and 0.1% formic acid-CH3CN, respectively. Electrospray ion source-single quadrupole mass spectrometry was used to detect impurities A and C in positive ion mode and impurity D in negative ion mode. RESULTS The correlation coefficient r was ≥ 0.999 in linearity ranges of impurities A, C and D. The average recoveries were 100.5%, 104.1% and 105.2%, respectively, with RSD<4%(n=6). The LOQs (S/N=10) of impurities A, C and D were 31.8, 6.99 and 15.5 ng·mL-1 respectively. The contents of impurities A, C and D in the three samples were all below the limits. CONCLUSION The developed LC-MS method is simple, sensitive, and applicable, which can be used to simultaneously determine impurities A, C and D in caspofungin acetate and can also provide a reference for the detection of other impurities in caspofungin acetate.

OBJECTIVE To analyze caspofungin acetate and the samples under different strong degradation conditions by LC-QTOF-MS, and to study the characteristics in mass spectra of caspofungin and its related impurities(impurities A, B, C, D and E). METHODS Chromatographic separation was accomplished on Waters CORTECS® C18+(4.6 mm×150 mm, 2.7 μm) column using a gradient elution with monile phase of 0.1% formic acid-H2O(A) and 0.1% formic acid-CH3CN(B) at a flow velocity of 0.6 mL·min-1; The analytes was detected in positive ion scan mode by ESI-QTOF-MS. RESULTS In MS1 spectra, except that impurity D mainly showed single-charge quasi-molecular ion, caspofungin and the other four impurities showed muti-charge quasi-molecular ions with high abundance; In MS2 spectra, caspofungin and its impurities that containing ethylenediamine generated fragment ions at m/z 1 033 by losing the ethylenediamine and the groups attached to it; caspofungin and its impurities produced a series of fragment ions mainly through the cleavage of peptide bonds, as well as through the loss of hydroxyl, acyl, or amino groups from amino acid residues; Impurity A and C showed characteristic fragment ions m/z 137.070 8 and m/z 77.071 1 with high abundance, respectively, which could be used to distinguish them from caspofungin and the other impurities. CONCLUSION Caspofungin and its five impurities have distict characteristics in their mass spectra. The research results can provide reference for identifying the structures of unknown impurities that may occur in the production process of caspofungin, so as to quickly discover the potential problems in the production process and reduce the quality risk of the products.

OBJECTIVE To study the extraction and enrichment technology of chrysosplenides A （CA） and I （CI） in Tibetan medicine Chrysosplenium axillare. METHODS HPLC method was used to determine the contents of CA and CI. The orthogonal experiment was used to optimize the extraction technology of CA and CI in C. axillare using total transfer rate of CA and CI as evaluation indexes， with volume fraction of ethanol， extraction temperature， extraction times and solid-liquid ratio as factors. The validation test was also performed. The enrichment technology of CA and CI in C. axillare was optimized using D101 macroporous adsorption resin as adsorbent， total contents of CA and CI as evaluation indexes， with the volume fraction and dosage of eluent for impurities and target components. The validation test was also performed. RESULTS The optimum extraction conditions of CA and CI from C. axillare were as follows： the medicinal powder of C. axillare was extracted by ultrasound at room temperature for 45 min at one time with 8 times of 50% ethanol. Results of validation tests showed that total transfer rate of CA and CI in C. axillare was 95.43% in average （RSD＝1.02%， n＝3）. The optimal enrichment technology was as follows： the sample solution was added into D101 macroporous adsorption resin column and stood for 1 hour； the impurities were eluted with 20% ethanol 4 BV （column volume）， and CA and CI were eluted with 50% ethanol 4 BV. The results of validation tests showed that total content of CA and CI was 322.7 mg/g in average （RSD＝1.05%， n＝3）， with average enrichment multiple of 11.61 times. CONCLUSIONS The study has successfully optimized the extraction and enrichment technology of CA and CI from C. axillare， and can provide reference for the development and utilization of CA and CI.