1.Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 93 patients with tsutsugamushi disease in Hainan Province
Liyuan ZHANG ; Qiuping WU ; Kunliang WU ; Yuting ZHU ; Feifei YIN ; Yongguo DU
Chinese Journal of Endemiology 2020;39(9):687-691
Objective:To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with tsutsugamushi disease in Hainan Province, so as to provide basis for diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of the disease.Methods:Clinical data of 93 patients with tsutsugamushi disease in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University from January 2018 to December 2019 were collected. Epidemiological data, clinical manifestations, examination results, treatment and outcome of the patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Of totally 93 patients with tsutsugamushi disease, 48 were male and 45 were female, with an average age of 50.73 years old. The peak time of onset was from June to October, with 46 cases (49.46%). Seventy cases (75.27%) were farmers, and 84 cases (90.32%) had a clear history of field work or grassland contact before onset. The clinical manifestations were fever (93/93, 100.00%), eschar or ulcer (42/93, 45.16%), headache (65/93, 69.89%), chills (60/93, 64.52%), rash (35/93, 37.63%), lymphadenopathy (51/93, 54.84%) and fatigue (40/93, 43.01%). Laboratory examination results: eosinophil reduced (74/93, 79.57%), platelet reduced (32/93, 34.41%); alanine aminotransferase, C reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were increased in 81.72% (76/93), 97.85% (91/93), 20.43% (19/93) and 72.04% (67/93) of the patients, respectively. Eighty-four cases (90.32%) had abnormal results of chest imaging. All patients were cured by doxycycline.Conclusions:Tsutsugamushi disease is prevalent in summer and autumn in Hainan. It has various clinical manifestations. Doxycycline is an effective treatment drug. It is suggested that the relevant departments should strengthen the training of clinical diagnosis and treatment of tsutsugamushi disease by local clinicians to reduce the misdiagnosis rate.
2.Vitamin D analogues activate vitamin D receptor/glutathione peroxidase 4 pathway to improve ventilator-induced lung injury in mice
Qiuwen XIE ; Rongge SHAO ; Yongguo XIE ; Linghui PAN ; Ke QIN ; Xueke DU
Chinese Critical Care Medicine 2022;34(4):383-387
Objective:To investigate the role of vitamin D analogue paricalcitol in activating vitamin D receptor/glutathione peroxidase 4 (VDR/GPX4) pathway in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI).Methods:Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, high tidal volume (HVT) induced VILI model group (HVT group), paricalcitol control group (P group), and paricalcitol pretreatment group (P+HVT group), with 6 mice in each group. The mice were endotracheal intubated and ventilated at 40 mL/kg tidal volume to prepare VILI model, while those in the control group were intubated without ventilation. The mice in the P+HVT group were intraperitoneally injected with paricalcitol 0.2 μg/kg once a day 1 week before modeling, while those in the P group were intraperitoneally injected paricalcitol 0.2 μg/kg once a day for 1 week before the experiment. After ventilation for 4 hours, the mice were sacrificed for lung tissue collection. Lung injury was evaluated by wet/dry (W/D) ratio, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining. The expressions of VDR and GPX4 were determined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) contents were determined by micro method.Results:After HVT for 4 hours, compared with the control group, lung injury score and W/D ratio were significantly higher (lung injury score: 0.430±0.035 vs. 0.097±0.025, lung W/D ratio: 4.860±0.337 vs. 3.653±0.332, both P < 0.05), collagen fiber deposition was significantly increased, the content of MDA in lung tissue was significantly increased (nmol/g: 212.420±8.757 vs. 97.073±5.308, P < 0.05), GSH content and the protein expressions and immunoreactive score (IRS) of VDR and GPX4 were significantly decreased [GSH (μg/g): 44.229±1.690 vs. 70.840±0.781; VDR protein (VDR/GAPDH): 0.518±0.029 vs. 0.762±0.081, GPX4 protein (GPX4/GAPDH): 0.452±0.032 vs. 0.649±0.034; IRS score: VDR was 4.168±0.408 vs. 10.167±0.408, GPX4 was 4.333±1.033 vs. 10.333±0.516; all P < 0.05], which meant that the mice in HVT group showed obvious lung injury. After VDR was activated by paricalcitol, compared with the HVT group, lung injury score and W/D ratio were significantly decreased (lung injury score: 0.220±0.036 vs. 0.430±0.035, lung W/D ratio: 4.015±0.074 vs. 4.860±0.337, both P < 0.05), collagen fiber deposition was reduced, MDA content in lung tissue was decreased (nmol/g: 123.840±8.082 vs. 212.420±8.757, P < 0.05), GSH content and the protein expressions and IRS score of VDR and GPX4 were significantly up-regulated [GSH (μg/g): 63.094±0.992 vs. 44.229±1.690; VDR protein (VDR/GAPDH): 0.713±0.056 vs. 0.518±0.029, GPX4 protein (GPX4/GAPDH): 0.605±0.008 vs. 0.452±0.032; IRS score: VDR was 9.000±0.632 vs. 4.168±0.408, GPX4 was 8.833±0.408 vs. 4.333±1.033; all P < 0.05], which meant that lung injury in P+HVT group was significantly improved. Conclusion:Vitamin D analogue paricalcitol ameliorates pulmonary oxidation-reduction imbalance by activating the VDR/GPX4 pathway, thereby alleviating VILI.
3.Correlation between children and adolescents behavioral habits and the occurrence of myopia in Qamdo
Chinese Journal of School Health 2022;43(3):328-332
Objective:
To investigate the current status of myopia in children and adolescents in Qamdo, Tibet, and analyze related influencing factors, so as to provide a basis for the prevention and control of adolescents in plateau areas.
Methods:
A cross sectional study was conducted among 959 children and adolescents randomly selected from one district and two counties in Qamdo (from the fourth grade of elementary school to the second grade of high school) for visual acuity and refraction tests and filled out a vision related behavior questionnaire to analyze the incidence of myopia among adolescents in the region and its associated factors.
Results:
The myopia rate of adolescents in grades 4-11 was 54.43%, the rate of undercorrection of refractive errors was 85.25%, and the percentage of students wearing eyeglasses was 34.67%,fully vision correction rate was 42.54%. The myopia rate of students in grades 4-6 was 35.14%, 64.71% in grades 7-9, and 73.48% in grades 10-11. The myopia rate increased with grades( χ 2= 101.18 , P <0.01). The myopia rate (70.40%) of urban students (grades 4-9) was higher than that of county level(41.45%), and the myopia rate of students with myopia from either parent (68.24%) was higher than that of students without myopia (51.91%) , the myopia rate of girls (59.96%) was higher than that of boys (48.36%)( χ 2=53.19,13.46,12.98, P <0.01). Use electronic products for more than 2.5 hours per day, electronic devices usage after bedtime, the light low indoor brightness when studying on a sunny day, and only use one of the table lamps or roof lights when studying at night, preference for fried food, poor sleep quality, in the morning the students who still feel tired are at higher risk of myopia( χ 2=10.35, 10.91, 6.87, 4.25, 4.97, 5.71, 12.11, P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the occurrence of myopia was related to region, grade, gender, parental myopia, time spent on electronic products every day in the past 5 months, and sleep quality( P <0.05).
Conclusion
The high rate of myopia in children and adolescents in Qamdo may be related to the quality of sleep, the length of time electronic products are used, the eye environment, and the frequency of eating fried foods. Outdoor activities do not show significant differences.