Objective To explore the value of serum SC5b-9, anti-C1q antibody, C3 and C4 levels in the assessment of lupus activity. Methods The enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure SC5b-9 and anti-C1q antibody, rate nepheiometry was used to detect the serum level of C3 and C4 in sera of 62 SLE patients, 35 patients with other rheumatic diseases (including rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, primary Sjogren' s syndrome, mixed connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, systemic sclerosis and vasculitis) and 35 healthy controls. And the correlation between above-mentioned parameters and lupus clinical manifestations, disease activity and histological type of lupus nephritis were analyzed. Results In SLE patients, the levels of SC5b-9 and anti-C1q antibody were significantly higher than those in patients with other rheumatic diseases and healthy controls (P<0.05). The titers of SC5b-9 and anti-C1q antibody negatively correlated with C3 and C4 (P<0.05), and positively correlated with SLEDAI (P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of the combination of these three measurements for SLE was 95.37% and 98.46 respectively. SC5b-9 and anti-C1q antibody were associated with the presence of proliferative glomerulonephritis (P <0.05). Conclusion Taking the evaluation of all these three measurements simultaneously is valuable for the diagnosis of lupus flare. SC5b-9 and anti-C1q antibody may play major roles in the immunopathogenesis of lupus nephritis.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of children with kidney diseases who developed posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), explore the risk factors of PRES in these children, improve the understanding of the diseases, and help early diagnosis and effective treatment of the diseases.Methods:The clinical manifestations, laboratory inspection results, magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) material as well as the prognosis of 10 children with kidney diseases complicated by PRES who were admitted to the Department of Nephrology, Xi′an Children′s Hospital from November 2016 to August 2018 were analyzed retrospectively.Results:A total of 10 children were recruited, including 1 boy and 9 girls, with the onset age ranging from 4 years and 3 months to 13 years [(8.53±3.09) years]. The diagnosed kidney diseases in these patients were primary nephritic syndrome (6 cases), lupus nephritis (1 case), Hepatitis B-related nephritis (1 case), polyarteritis (1 case) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (1 case). Eight children received corticosteroids and 4 of them received other immunosuppressants simultaneously.Nine children suffered from the infections.All of them had acute onset, and the main symptoms were hypertension (10/10 cases, 100.0%), headache and dizziness (5/10 cases, 50.0%), nausea and vomiting (5/10 cases, 50.0%), visual disturbance (3/10 cases, 30.0%) and convulsions by the ways of seizures definitely (9/10 cases, 90.0%). There was nothing positive in the examinations of the nervous system and fundus.Computer tomography examinations of 9 cases showed nonspecific low-density foci.The cranial MRI scan showed abnormal signals on the cerebral cortex of frontal lobe, parietal lobe and occipital lobe in all these 10 cases.The hyperintensities were observed on the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences of all the 10 cases.Slight hyperintensities on diffusion-weighted images of 4 cases indicated that PRES progressed from reversible angiogenic edema to irreversible cytotoxic edema, meaning a poor prognosis.After blood purification treatment and reducing intracranial pressure, these 4 cases recovered.After timely treatment upon PRES diagnosis, patients had no recurrence and showed a good outcome.Conclusions:Children with kidney diseases and PRES also suffer from hypertension, and the treatment with immunosuppressive agents may precede the occurrence of PRES.Cranial MRI is important for the diagnosis of PRES.

Objective To explore the correlation between sarcopenia and body fat percentage(BF%)in elderly male patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 291 elderly male T2DM patients who were hospitalized in the Endocrinology Department of Xuanwu Hospital,Capital Medical University were enrolled in this study from December 2018 to September 2019.All the patients were divided into sarcopenia group(n=35)and non sarcopenia group(n=256).BF%,skeletal muscle mass index(SMI),grip strength,gait speed,HbA1c,hemoglobin(Hb),blood uric acid(SUA),albumin and vitamin D(Vit D)were measured in all the participants.Results Compared with the non sarcopenia group,age,HbA1c and BF%were increased,while BMI,Vit D,SMI,Hb,SUA,ALB,grip strength,and gait speedwere decreased in sarcopenia group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Pearson correlation analysis showed that SMI was positively correlated with BMI,Vit D,Hb,and SUA(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and negatively correlated with HbA1c(P＜0.01).Grip strength and gait speed are positively correlated with Vit D and Hb(P＜0.01),and negatively correlated with BF%(P＜0.01).Logistic regression analysis showed that age and BF%were risk factors for sarcopenia,while BMI and Vit D were protective factors for sarcopenia.Conclusions High BF%significantly increases the risk of sarcopenia in elderly male T2DM patients.

Objective: To evaluate the value of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration(US-FNA) combined with detection of BRAF V600E and thyroid imaging reporting and data system(TI-RADS) in diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Methods: In this study, 123 operative thyroid nodules from 114 patients who underwent US-FNA and detection of BRAF V600E were enrolled. TI-RADS was apply for the classification of each nodule before surgery. Specimens from each nodule were subjected for hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and cytological diagnosis and detection of BRAF V600E mutation. Results: ①BRAF V600E mutation was found in 71 (71/123) nodules with histologic confirmation of papillary-thyroid carcinoma, 58 of which were cytologically diagnosed as carcinoma and 13 were indeterminate. Compared with the postoperative pathological results, US-FNA combined with BRAF V600E could improve the sensitivity and accuracy of diagnosis to thyroid nodules compared with individual US-FNA, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.001). ②The mutation rate of BRAF V600E was associated with thyroid capsular invasion(χ²=8.44, P=0.004), and combined with TI-RADS could indicate the high-risk of this invasion. ③Among 123 operative nodules, 18 nodules were BRAF V600E negative and cytologically diagnosed as indetermination, 10 of which were TI-RADS 3b or above. After thyroidectomy, 6 nodules were confirmed as papillary-thyroid carcinoma, 1 nodule was thyroid follicular carcinoma, and 3 nodules were benign ones. Conclusions US-FNA combined with detection of BRAF V600E and TI-RADS can improve the diagnostic accuracy and decrease the misdiagnosis in indeterminate nodules.