Objective:To explore the genetic and clinical characteristics of Guizhou patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct（EVA） syndrome through combined SLC26A4 variant analysis and clinical phenotype analysis. Methods:Seventy-two EVA patients underwent comprehensive genetic testing using a multiplex PCR-based deafness gene panel and next-generation sequencing（NGS）. The audiological and temporal bone imaging characteristics were compared across mutation subtypes. Results:A total of 27 pathogenic loci of SLC26A4 were detected in 72 patients, including c.919-2A>G in 79.2%（57/72）. A novel deletion（c.1703_1707+6del） was discovered. Among 65 cases, truncated mutations were 89.2%（58/65）, 52.3%（34/65）, 28（43.1%） and 7（10.8%）. No significant differences were observed in the midpoint diameter of the vestibular aqueduct and the incidence of incomplete partitioning typeⅡ（IP-Ⅱ） of the cochlea among the three groups of patients. Moreover, there was no difference in the midpoint diameter of different vestibular pipes or the combination with IP-Ⅱ. Conclusion:The most common mutation site of SLC26A4 in EVA patients in Guizhou is c.919-2A>G, though genotype-phenotype correlations remain elusive. The detection of 27 mutation sites and the discovery of new mutation sites suggested the precise diagnostic significance of NGS technology in EVA patients in Guizhou.
Humans ; Sulfate Transporters ; Vestibular Aqueduct/abnormalities* ; Mutation ; Membrane Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Adolescent ; Child, Preschool ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Phenotype ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks. METHODS: A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). CONCLUSION Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Stroke/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Aged ; Animals ; Fishes ; Risk Factors ; Diet ; Seafood ; Adult ; Cohort Studies

OBJECTIVE: To investigate chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection's effect on gestational liver function, pregnancy and delivery complications, and neonatal development. METHODS: A total of 157 HCV antibody-positive (anti-HCV[+]) and HCV RNA(+) patients (Group C) and 121 anti-HCV(+) and HCV RNA(-) patients (Group B) were included as study participants, while 142 anti-HCV(-) and HCV RNA(-) patients (Group A) were the control group. Data on biochemical indices during pregnancy, pregnancy complications, delivery-related information, and neonatal complications were also collected. RESULTS: Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) rates in Group C during early, middle, and late pregnancy were 59.87%, 43.95%, and 42.04%, respectively-significantly higher than Groups B (26.45%, 15.70%, 10.74%) and A (23.94%, 19.01%, 6.34%) ( P < 0.05). Median ALT levels in Group C were significantly higher than in Groups A and B at all pregnancy stages ( P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in neonatal malformation rates across groups ( P > 0.05). However, neonatal jaundice incidence was significantly greater in Group C (75.16%) compared to Groups A (42.25%) and B (57.02%) ( χ ² = 33.552, P < 0.001). HCV RNA positivity during pregnancy was an independent risk factor for neonatal jaundice ( OR = 2.111, 95% CI 1.242-3.588, P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS Chronic HCV infection can affect the liver function of pregnant women, but does not increase the pregnancy or delivery complication risks. HCV RNA(+) is an independent risk factor for neonatal jaundice.
Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Adult ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Infant, Newborn ; Viremia/virology* ; Hepatitis C ; Hepacivirus/physiology* ; Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology* ; Young Adult ; Alanine Transaminase/blood*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of Yiqi huoxue decoction （YQHX） on lumbar disc herniation in rats. METHODS Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group， model group， NF-κB inhibitor group （QNZ group， 1 mg/kg）， YQHX group （9.1 g/kg） and combination group （YQHX+QNZ group， the same dose as each single drug group）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for sham operation group， lumbar disc herniation model of rats was induced in other groups； administration groups were given QNZ intraperitoneally or/and YQHX intragastrically， once a day， for 8 consecutive weeks. The severity of intervertebral disc herniation was evaluated in each group； the pathological changes of intervertebral discs and the changes of autophagy of nucleus pulposus cells were all observed； the level of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in serum， and the ratios of Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B interacting protein 3 （BNIP3） and Beclin-1 positive cells in intervertebral disctissues were detected； the phosphorylation of nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） p65， the expressions of tumor necrosis factor receptor- associated factor-2 （TRAF-2）， TRAF-3， BNIP3 and LC3B protein， and mRNA expressions of NF-κB p65， LC3B， p62，BNIP3 and Beclin-1 were determined. RESULTS Compared with model group， Pfirrmann grading score decreased significantly，the pathological injury of intervertebral disc tissue was relieved in YQHX group； the number of autophagosomes in nucleus pulposus cells increased； serum level of TNF-α and mRNA expression of p62 in intervertebral disc tissue decreased significantly； the ratios of BNIP3 and Beclin-1 positive cells， the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65， the expressions of TRAF-2， TRAF-3， BNIP3 and LC3B protein as well as the mRNA expressions of NF- κB p65， LC3B， BNIP3 and Beclin-1 decreased significantly in intervertebral disc tissues （P＜0.05）. The changes of above indexes in YQHX group were reversed partly in YQHX+QNZ group. CONCLUSIONS YQHX promotes the elevation of autophagy level of intervertebral discs， slows down the inflammatory response and the progression of lumbar disc herniation by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the effect of glycyrrhizic acid(GA)on the inflammatory and fibrotic factors in high glucose-induced glomerular mesangial cells(SV40 MES13).Methods Cultured mouse SV40 MES13 were divided into normal group(NG,5.6 mmol/L glucose),high glucose group(30 mmol/L glucose)and HG+GA group(30 mmol/L glucose+200 μmol/L GA).The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),IL-6,IL-8 and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)in different groups were detected by Western blotting.The fluorescence intensity of IL-1β,TNF-α and α-SMA in different groups were detected by immunofluorescence.The levels of IL-1β,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 in the culture supernatant of different populations were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results The protein expressions of IL-1β,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-8 and α-SMA in HG group were significantly higher than those in NG group(P<0.01);Compared with HG group,the protein expression levels of IL-1β,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-8 and α-SMA decreased significantly in HG+GA group(P<0.05).The fluorescence intensity of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β,TNF-α and α-SMA increased in HG group than those in NG group(P<0.05);While compared with the HG group,the fluorescence intensity of IL-1β,TNF-α and α-SMA in HG+GA group decreased markedly(P<0.05).The experimental results of ELISA showed that compared with NG group,the levels of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α and IL-8 in cell supernatent increased in HG group(P<0.01);while the levels of IL-1β,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-8 in HG+GA group significantly lower than those in HG group(P<0.05).Conclusion Glycyrrhizic acid has certain inhibitory effect on high glucose-induced inflammatory factors and fibrotic factors in glomerular mesangial cells,which may play an important role in prevention of diabetic nephropathy.

Purpose::Internal iliac artery ligation (IIAL) has been used as a damage control procedure to treat hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture for many years. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness and safety of this hemostatic method. Therefore, we performed a systematic literature review to assess the efficacy and safety of IIAL for pelvic fracture hemostasis.Methods::Three major databases, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar, were searched to screen eligible original studies published in English journals. Two reviewers independently read the titles, abstracts, and full texts of all literature. Articles were included if they reported the use and effects of IIAL.Results::A total of 171 articles were initially identified, with 22 fully meeting the inclusion criteria. Among the analyzed cases, up to 66.7% of patients had associated abdominal and pelvic organ injuries, with the urethra being the most frequently injured organ, followed by the bowel. The outcomes of IIAL for achieving hemostasis in pelvic fractures were found to be satisfactory, with an effective rate of 80%. Hemorrhagic shock was the leading cause of death, followed by craniocerebral injury. Notably, no reports of ischemic complications involving the pelvic organs due to IIAL were found.Conclusion::IIAL has a good effect in treating hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture without the risk of pelvic organ ischemia. This procedure should be considered a priority for hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture patients with abdominal organ injuries.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and outcomes of adolescence-onset methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) and explore preventive strategies.Methods:This was a retrospective case analysis of the phenotypes, genotypes and prognoses of adolescence-onset MMA patients. There were 55 patients diagnosed in Peking University First Hospital from January 2002 to June 2023, the data of symptoms, signs, laboratory results, gene variations, and outcomes was collected. The follow-ups were done through WeChat, telephone, or clinic visits every 3 to 6 months.Results:Among the 55 patients, 31 were males and 24 were females. The age of onset was 12 years old (range 10-18 years old). They visited clinics at Tanner stages 2 to 5 with typical secondary sexual characteristics. Nine cases (16%) were trigged by infection and 5 cases (9%) were triggered by insidious exercises. The period from onset to diagnosis was between 2 months and 6 years. Forty-five cases (82%) had neuropsychiatric symptoms as the main symptoms, followed by cardiovascular symptoms in 12 cases (22%), kidney damage in 7 cases (13%), and eye disease in 12 cases (22%). Fifty-four cases (98%) had the biochemical characteristics of methylmalonic acidemia combined with homocysteinemia, and 1 case (2%) had the isolated methylmalonic acidemia. Genetic diagnosis was obtained in 54 cases, with 20 variants identified in MMACHC gene and 2 in MMUT gene. In 53 children with MMACHC gene mutation,1 case had dual gene variants of PRDX1 and MMACHC, with 105 alleles. The top 5 frequent variants in MMACHC were c.482G>A in 39 alleles (37%), c.609G>A in 17 alleles (16%), c.658_660delAAG in 11 alleles (10%), c.80A>G in 10 alleles (10%), c.567dupT and c.394C>T both are 4 alleles (4%). All patients recovered using cobalamin, L-carnitine, betaine, and symptomatic therapy, and 54 patients (98%) returned to school or work.Conclusions:Patients with adolescence-onset MMA may triggered by fatigue or infection. The diagnosis is often delayed due to non-specific symptoms. Metabolic and genetic tests are crucial for a definite diagnosis. Treatment with cobalamin, L-carnitine, and betaine can effectively reverse the prognosis of MMA in adolescence-onset patients.

Objective To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI)caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators. Method The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests(RUCAM)scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI.Based on Chinese herbal medicine,cardiovascular drugs,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),anti-infective drugs,and other drugs,patients were divided into five groups.Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology.Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed. Results 73 patients were enrolled.Age among five groups was statistically different(P=0.032).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.033)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.007)in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in patients with Chinese herbal medicine(IL-6:P<0.001;TNF-α:P<0.001)and cardiovascular medicine(IL-6:P=0.020;TNF-α:P=0.001)were lower than those in NSAIDs group.There was a positive correlation between ALT(r=0.697,P=0.025),AST(r=0.721,P=0.019),and IL-6 in NSAIDs group. Conclusion Older age may be more prone to DILI.Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI,TNF-α and IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]