Objective To compare the therapeutic efficacies of fire-needle acupuncture and Halometasone cream in treating sub-acute and chronic eczema. Method Totally 114 patients were divided into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group was intervened by using fire-needle acupuncture, and the control group was by Halometasone cream. Itchy score and Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) were used for comparison before and after intervention. Result There were significant differences in comparing the markedly-effective rate and total effective rate between the fire-needle acupuncture group and the Halometasone control group according to the itchy score (P＜0.01). There were no significant differences in comparing the markedly-effective rate and total effective rate between the two groups according to EASI (P>0.05). Conclusion Fire-needle acupuncture is superior to Halometasone cream for acute and chronic eczema in relieving itch, action time and effect-sustaining duration.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to reveal the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic implications associated with fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) amplification in colorectal cancers (CRCs). Materials and Methods: We measured the copy number of FGFR1 by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR), and analyzed the FGFR1 expression by immunohistochemistry, in 764 surgically resected CRCs (SNUH2007 dataset, 384 CRCs; SNUH Folfox dataset, 380 CRCs). Results: CRCs with ≥ 3.3 copies of the FGFR1 gene were classified as FGFR1 amplified. FGFR1 amplification was found in 10 of the 384 CRCs (2.6%) in the SNUH2007 dataset, and in 28 of the 380 CRCs (7.4%) in the SNUH Folfox dataset. In the SNUH2007 dataset, there was no association between the FGFR1 copy number status and sex, gross appearance, stage, or differentiation. High FGFR1 expression was associated with female sex and KRAS mutation. At the molecular level, FGFR1 amplification was mutually exclusive with BRAF mutation, microsatellite instability, and MLH1 methylation, in both SNUH2007 and SNUH Folfox datasets. Survival analysis revealed that FGFR1 amplification was associated with significantly worse clinical outcome compared with no FGFR1 amplification, in both SNUH2007 and SNUH Folfox datasets. Within the SNUH2007 dataset, CRC patients with high FGFR1 expression had an inferior progression-free survival compared with those with low FGFR1 expression. The FGFR inhibitor, PD173074, repressed the proliferation of a CRC cell line overexpressing FGFR1, but not of cells with FGFR1 amplification. Conclusion FGFR1 amplification measured by ddPCR can be a prognostic indicator of poor clinical outcome in patients with CRCs.

Objective:To evaluate the role of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in repair of lung tissues in mice with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).Methods:Fifty SPF male C57BL/6 mice, aged 6-8 weeks, weighing 21-23 g, were divided into 5 groups ( n=10 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), EGF group, LPS+ PBS group, LPS+ EGF group and AG1478+ LPS+ EGF group.PBS 0.1 ml was intraperitoneally injected in group C. EGF 10 μg (0.1 ml) was intraperitoneally injected in group EGF.The equal volume of PBS and EGF 10 μg was intraperitoneally injected at 12 h after tracheal infusion of LPS in group LPS+ PBS and group LPS+ EGF, respectively.EGF receptor (EGFR) antagonist AG1478 1 mg was intraperitoneally injected, 30 min later LPS was tracheally instilled, and 12 h later EGF 10 μg was intraperitoneally injected in group AG1478+ LPS+ EGF.ARDS model was developed by endotracheal instillation of LPS 3 mg/kg.The mice were sacrificed on the 1st and 5th days after development of the model, and lung tissues were obtained for microscopic examination of the pathological changes which were scored after HE staining.Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on 5th day after development of the model and before sacrifice, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected to detect total protein concentration (by BCA method) and IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Lung tissues were obtained for determination of the wet/dry lung weight ratio (W/D ratio), expression of lung surfactant associated protein C (SP-C) and proliferating nuclear antigen (PCNA) (by immunofluorescence method), and expression of EGFR, phosphorylated EGFR (p-EGFR), protein kinase B (Akt), and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) (by Western blot). Results:Compared with group C, the pathological score, W/D ratio, concentrations of total protein, IL-6 and TNF-α in BALF and neutrophil count were significantly increased, the number of cells co-expressing SP-C and PCNA was increased, and p-EGFR/EGFR and p-Akt/Akt ratios were increased in group LPS+ PBS ( P<0.01), and no significant change was found in the indexes mentioned above in group EGF ( P>0.05). Compared with group LPS+ PBS, the pathological score, W/D ratio, concentrations of total protein, IL-6 and TNF-α in BALF and neutrophil count were significantly decreased, the number of cells co-expressing SP-C and PCNA was increased, and p-EGFR/EGFR and p-Akt/Akt ratios were increased in group LPS+ EGF ( P<0.01). Compared with group LPS+ EGF, the pathological score, W/D ratio, concentrations of total protein, IL-6 and TNF-α in BALF and neutrophil count were significantly increased, the number of cells co-expressing SP-C and PCNA was decreased, and p-EGFR/EGFR and p-Akt/Akt ratios were decreased in group AG1478+ LPS+ EGF ( P<0.01). Conclusions:EGF can promote the repair of lung tissues in mice with ARDS, and the mechanism may be related to activation of EGFR signaling pathway and promotion of proliferation of alveolar epithelial cell type Ⅱ.

Objective To investigate the infection status and changing trend of hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection in hospitalized patients in medical institutions,and provide reference for formulating HCV infection prevention and control strategies.Methods HCV infection surveillance results from cross-sectional survey data reported to China Healthcare-associated Infection(HAI)Surveillance System in 2020 were summarized and analyzed,HCV positive was serum anti-HCV positive or HCV RNA positive,survey result was compared with the survey results from 2003.Results In 2020,1 071 368 inpatients in 1 573 hospitals were surveyed,738 535 of whom underwent HCV test,4 014 patients were infected with HCV,with a detection rate of 68.93％and a HCV positive rate of 0.54％.The positive rate of HCV in male and female patients were 0.60％and 0.48％,respectively,with a statistically sig-nificant difference(x2=47.18,P＜0.001).The HCV positive rate in the 50-＜60 age group was the highest(0.76％),followed by the 40-＜50 age group(0.71％).Difference among all age groups was statistically signifi-cant(x2=696.74,P＜0.001).In 2003,91 113 inpatients were surveyed.35 145 of whom underwent HCV test,resulting in a detection rate of 38.57％;775 patients were infected with HCV,with a positive rate of 2.21％.In 2020,HCV positive rates in hospitals of different scales were 0.46％-0.63％,with the highest in hospital with bed numbers ranging 600-899.Patients'HCV positive rates in hospitals of different scales was statistically signifi-cant(X2=35.34,P＜0.001).In 2020,12 provinces/municipalities had over 10 000 patients underwent HCV-rela-ted test,and HCV positive rates ranged 0.19％-0.81％,with the highest rate from Hainan Province.HCV posi-tive rates in different departments were 0.06％-0.82％,with the lowest positive rate in the department of pedia-trics and the highest in the department of internal medicine.In 2003 and 2020,HCV positive rates in the depart-ment of infectious diseases were the highest,being 7.95％and 3.48％,respectively.Followed by departments of orthopedics(7.72％),gastroenterology(3.77％),nephrology(3.57％)and general intensive care unit(ICU,3.10％)in 2003,as well as departments of gastroenterology(1.35％),nephrology(1.18％),endocrinology(0.91％),and general intensive care unit(ICU,0.79％)in 2020.Conclusion Compared with 2003,HCV positive rate decreased significantly in 2020.HCV infected patients were mainly from the department of infectious diseases,followed by departments of gastroenterology,nephrology and general ICU.HCV infection positive rate varies with gender,age,and region.