Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis(IPA) for better management of the disease .Methods Clinical data of 9 cases of type 2 diabetes associated with IPA treated in Qingdao Municipal Hospital from January 2008 to December 2013 were analyzed retrospectively . Results The diagnosis of IPA was proven in 5 and probable in 4 of the 9 patients .The main clinical manifestations were fever , cough and expectoration .The findings of CT scan mainly showed pulmonary nodules along the bronchovascular bundle and cavity signs .Bronchoscopy showed congestion ,edema ,and erosion of bronchial mucosa covered with yellow‐white or brown pus ,partially or completely blocking the lumen .Antifungal treatment was effective for 4 patients .The other five patients died . Conclusions Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for developing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis .Early diagnosis and proper treatment are critical for improved prognosis .

Objective To assess the impact of short-term, low-dose systemic glucorticosteroids treatment on the clinical outcomes in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP). Methods A multi-center retrospective study was conducted. Data of patients hospitalized with SCAP in five teaching hospitals from Beijing, Shandong and Yunnan Provinces from January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2015 were reviewed. Patients were divided into steroids group and non-steroids group according to whether treated with glucorticosteroids during the disease course or not. Data of patients were reviewed, including gender, age, underlying disease, blood routine, biochemical examination and radiology findings (the worst value was recorded if there were more than one value), supportive treatment, complications (hyperglycemia needing insulin treatment and gastrointestinal bleeding) and clinical outcomes [early (0-3 days) treatment failure, late (4-14 days) treatment failure and 30-day mortality, treatment failure was defined as one of the followings: needing noninvasive or invasive ventilation, needing vasopressor use or death]. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression was performed to evaluate the impact of short-term, low-dose systemic glucorticosteroids on the clinical outcomes in SCAP patients. Results Overall, 3 561 immunocompetent adult and adolescent patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were screened, 132 SCAP patients were entered into final analysis, including 24 patients in steroids group and 108 patients in non-steroids group. The patients in steroids group were prescribed with methylprednisolone (0.6±0.1) mg·kg-1·d-1 for (4.0±1.7) days. Compared with patients in non-steroids group, patients in steroids group showed younger age [years old: 70.5 (59.0, 75.0) vs. 80.0 (76.0, 85.0)], less frequency of male [41.7% (10/24) vs. 72.2% (78/108)], less comorbidities with cardiovascular [16.7% (4/24) vs. 42.6% (46/108)] and cerebrovascular disease [0% (0/24) vs. 40.7% (44/108)], less confusion [16.7% (4/24) vs. 40.7% (44/108)]; more frequency of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD, 41.7% (10/24) vs. 13.0% (14/108)], asthma [25.0% (6/24) vs. 1.9% (2/108)], chronic hepatic disease [8.3% (2/24) vs. 0% (0/108)] and respiratory rate≥30 times/min [33.3% (8/24) vs. 9.3% (10/108)] with significant differences (all P < 0.05), the proportion of guideline-based empirical antimicrobial therapy, early needing noninvasive ventilation, late gastrointestinal bleeding, early and late hyperglycemia needing insulin treatment were higher in steroids group than non-steroids group [50.0% (12/24) vs. 21.3% (23/108), 33.3% (8/24) vs. 7.4% (8/108), 20.8% (5/24) vs. 4.6% (5/108), 20.8% (5/24) vs. 1.9% (2/108), 37.5% (9/24) vs. 2.8% (3/108), all P < 0.05]. Adjusted by gender, age, comorbidities and empirical antimicrobial therapy, Logistic regression confirmed short-term, low-dose systemic glucorticosteroids was associated with higher risk for vasopressor usage [odds ratio (OR) = 3.369, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.369-6.133, P = 0.035], hyperglycaemia needing insulin treatment (OR = 4.738, 95%CI = 1.890-8.652, P = 0.017) in late stage and 30-day mortality (OR = 2.187, 95%CI = 1.265-4.743, P = 0.002). Conclusion Adjunctive treatment with short-term, low-dose systemic glucorticosteroids worsen the clinical outcomes and should not be used to SCAP patients routinely.

Objective:To evaluate the impact of short-term low-medium dose of corticosteroids on the clinical outcomes of patients with community-acquired pneumonia due to influenza A (FluA-CAP).Methods:This was a multicenter, retrospective study, including 693 patients hospitalized with FluA-CAP from Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Beijing Huimin Hospital, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital and the 2nd People′s Hospital of Yunnan Province during January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2018. The clinical characteristics of patients with or without corticosteroids administration were compared. The first dose of corticosteroids was administrated within 72 hours after admission, with the average dose of methylprednisolone (0.6±0.3) mg/(kg·d) and duration of (4.0±1.2) days. An adjusted logistic regression model was performed to assess the impact of corticosteroids treatment on the clinical outcomes (noninvasive ventilation, invasive ventilation, vasopressor use, admittance to intensive care unit (ICU), 30-day mortality, hyperglycemia needing insulin treatment and gastrointestinal bleeding). Mann-Whitney test and χ2 test were used for the statistical analysis. Results:Among the 693 patients, 132 patients received corticosteroids. Logistic regression analysis revealed that asthma (odd ratios ( OR)=15.528, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.953-123.484, P=0.01), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( OR=21.904, 95% CI 4.548-105.504, P<0.01) and arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO 2)/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO 2)<300 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, OR=2.701, 95% CI 1.513-4.822, P<0.01) were independent risk factors for corticosteroids use in the FluA-CAP patients. An adjusted logistic regression model showed that low-medium dose corticosteroids administration was associated with decreased risks for early (defined as zero to three days after the first dose of corticosteroids) noninvasive ventilation ( OR=0.342, 95% CI 0.156-0.750, P<0.01), and increased risk for late (defined as four to 14 days after the first dose of corticosteroids) vasopressor use ( OR=2.651, 95% CI 1.913-6.306, P<0.01), late hyperglycemia which needed insulin treatment ( OR=9.739, 95% CI 2.174-21.769, P=0.019), ICU admission ( OR=3.075, 95% CI 1.166-8.143, P<0.01) and the 30-day mortality ( OR=2.372, 95% CI 1.337-4.549, P<0.01). In patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( OR=2.343, 95% CI 1.145-4.073, P<0.01) and PaO 2/FiO 2<300 mmHg ( OR=1.961, 95% CI 1.029-4.212, P<0.01), corticosteroids administration increased the risk of 30-day mortality. Conclusion:Low-medium corticosteroids treatment is associated with poor outcomes of FluA-CAP patients, and is not recommended to be used routinely.

BACKGROUND:Numerous basic and clinical trials have confirmed that the low survival rate after bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation is a serious constraint on its long-term therapeutic effect.Previous studies have shown that apoptosis-related factors play an important role in the apoptosis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,of which apoptosis-inducing factor may be a key factor. OBJECTIVE:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,of which apoptosis-inducing factor was knocked down,were transplanted into infarcted myocardium of mice,aiming to certify the importance of apoptosis-inducing factor in the survival of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to further recover cardiac function after infarction. METHODS:Firstly,bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were infected with LV-AIF-shRNA lentivirus to down-regulate the expression of apoptosis-inducing factor protein.Flow cytometry,western blot assay,and RT-qPCR were used to detect the infection efficiency of lentivirus.CCK-8 assay was used to detect the cell viability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells with apoptosis-inducing factor knockdown under hypoxic and ischemic conditions.Then,with the mouse model of acute myocardial infarction constructed,the normal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells with apoptosis-inducing factor gene knockdown were transplanted into the model,respectively.The expression of apoptosis-inducing factor was examined by fluorescence immunoassay.Serum brain natriuretic peptide levels were detected by ELISA.Cardiac ultrasound was used to detect cardiac function.Myocardial fibrosis was observed by Masson staining.The expression of SRY gene was detected by RT-qPCR in apoptosis-inducing factor-knocked bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells after transplantation,reflecting cell survival. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells with apoptosis-inducing factor gene knockdown were successfully established by LV-AIF-shRNA lentivirus infection,following 97.7%of infection efficiency,and notably decline of the expression of apoptosis-inducing factor(P<0.001).(2)Under ischemia and hypoxia,the cell viability of apoptosis-inducing factor knockdown bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was significantly increased compared with normal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.(3)Compared with normal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells after transplantation,the survival number of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the infarcted myocardium after apoptosis-inducing factor gene knockdown was significantly increased to 3.71 times(P<0.001),and the apoptosis-inducing factor protein expression and myocardial fibrosis degree in the infarcted area were significantly reduced.(4)Compared with normal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,the serum brain natriuretic peptide level of bone marrow stem cells with apoptosis-inducing factor gene knockdown after transplantation was significantly decreased(P<0.05),and left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular shortening fraction were significantly improved(P<0.05).(5)These findings confirm that apoptosis-inducing factor gene knockdown can reduce myocardial fibrosis and improve cardiac function after acute myocardial infarction via enhancing the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell viability and increasing the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell survival after transplantation in the donor.

Objective:To compare the effect for establishing rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)be-tween two methods,inhalation of PM2.5 and intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 suspension.Methods:A total of 30 adult rats were randomly divided into control group(group A),group fumigated with PM2.5(group B),and group instilled intratracheal-ly with PM2.5 suspension(group C).Then the lung function of rats,the counts of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF),and the pathological sections of lung tissues,were observed on different phases.Results:Compared with that in group A,the body mass in group B or group C decreased.And the tidal volume(VT)and the peak expiratory flow(PEF)de-creased.Furthermore,total cell count,lymphocyte count(L),neutrophil count(N),lymphocyte proportion(L%),and neutro-phil proportion(N%)in BALF increased.All the differences showed statistical significance(all P <0.05).Morphological de-tection showed enlarged alveolar space,disruption of alveolar septa,fusion of alveoli,and formation of emphysema in group B. And it also showed disordered arrangement of airways epithelial cells,partial airway epithelial hyperplasia,inflammatory cell infiltration and proliferation of smooth muscle in group B.Furthermore,mean linear intercept (MLI)and mean alveolar num-ber (MAN)in group B increased,while compared with that in group A.The pathological changes in group C were similar to those in group B.However,the degrees of pathological changes in group C were more severe,and most of them were acute in-juries.Conclusions:Rat model of COPD established by inhalation of PM2.5 was more reasonable than that established by intra-tracheal instillation of PM2.5 suspension.

Objective: To explore the value of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) be used as a prognostic factor for community-acquired pneumonia. Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective study. Data of patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia during 2014/1/1 to 2015/12/31 from four tertiary hospitals were reviewed, including demographic and clinical features, and outcomes. Univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed to determine risk factors for 30-day mortality. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs) was performed to verify the accuracy of BNP>1 000 pg/ml, CURB-65 score and BNP>1 000 pg/ml+ CURB-65 score (B-CURB65) as 30-day mortality predictors in the study patients. Results: 1 786 patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were entered into the final analysis. The 30-day mortality was 4.7%. Logistic regression analysis confirmed blood BNP>1 000 pg/ml was an independent risk factor associated with 30-day mortality of CAP patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of B-CURB65 was 0.774, which was higher than CURB-65 score (AUC=0.625, P=0.002). Conclusions Blood BNP is a valuable biomarker related to the 30-day mortality of CAP patients, which can increase the predicting accuracy of CURB-65 score.

Adult ; Aged ; Aspergillosis ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Diseases, Fungal ; epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged

Aspergillosis ; Humans ; Mucor ; Mucormycosis/drug therapy*

Humans ; Aged ; Lung Diseases ; Pneumonia/drug therapy* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Administration, Inhalation ; Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy*