Background The high work intensity and possible subsequently increased susceptibility to occupational hazards of calcium carbide plants may lead to hypertension in workers, but there are few studies on the relationship between occupational hazard exposure and hypertension in workers involving the production process of calcium carbide. Objective To explore the influence of occupational hazards on the incidence of hypertension in calcium carbide plants. Methods Using historical cohort design, the employees of a calcium carbide factory in the western part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were selected as research subjects. According to the pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study population comprised an exposure group of 377 employees (including furnace workers, inspection workers, and maintenance workers) exposed to dust, noise & carbon monoxide, and a control group of 388 employees (including central control workers, electricians, and administrative personnel) without above-mentioned exposure. The total sample size was 765 participants. The follow-up period was from April 2011 to October 2022, and the study endpoint was defined as the conclusion of the follow-up period or diagnosed hypertension in annual occupational health examination. Information on general demographic characteristics, living habits, and work status was collected from all study subjects. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the association between occupational hazard exposure and the risk of hypertension among the calcium carbide plant employees. Results The average age, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, proportion of males, smoking rate, and alcohol consumption rate in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared to baseline, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels increased in the exposure group and the control group at the end of the follow-up (P<0.05). At the end of the follow-up, the average differences between systolic/ diastolic blood pressure and baseline values in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). During the follow-up period, a total of 223 cases of hypertension occurred, with a total follow-up of 2785 person-years, resulting in an incidence density of 8007.18 per 100000 person-years, an average age of onset of (35.90±8.22) years, and an average working age of onset of (2.69±1.97) years. The incidence density in the exposure group was 128.71% higher than that in the control group, and the risk of hypertension in the exposure group was 2.115 times that of the control group. The risk of hypertension was 2.199 times higher for men than for women, 1.344 times higher for those aged 30 and above than for those under 30, 1.546 times higher for smokers than for non-smokers, and 1.750 times higher for drinking workers than for non-drinking ones. The results of Cox proportional hazards regression modeling indicated that the hazard ratio (95%CI) of hypertension among the employees exposed to dust, noise, and carbon monoxide was 2.254 (1.703, 2.982), 1.594 (1.107, 2.295), and 1.567 (1.079, 2.274), respectively, when different covariates (gender, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption) were included. The results of Log-rank test showed that there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of disease-free survival between the exposure group and the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Occupational exposures to dust, noise, and carbon monoxide may increase the risk of hypertension among calcium carbide plant workers.

Objective To investigate the gene expression profile of cervical exfoliated cells from woman treated by artificial cycle,and their potential association with endometrial receptivity in order to screen specific biomarkers closely related to the receptivity.Methods A total of 19 female patients were enrolled from those preparing for frozen embryo transfer(FET)at the Reproductive Center of First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from February 2024 to October 2024.Under the artificial cycle frozen embryo transfer protocol,the endometrial tissues were collected on the 4th day after progesterone administration(P+4)to verify their endometrial receptivity status.Additionally,cervical exfoliated cells were collected on the 4th day(P+4)and the 6th day(P+6)after progesterone administration.RNA sequencing(RNA-Seq)was used to detect gene expression profiles.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified using the criteria of|log2fold change|＞1 and a false discovery rate(FDR)＜0.05,followed by bioinformatics analysis.The protein-protein interaction(PPI)network of DEGs was constructed using R software(4.4.1)and analyzed with gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)analyses.The candidate genes were identified based on the PPI network using Cytoscape software.Quantitative reverse transcription PCR(RT-qPCR)was employed to validate the target candidate genes both in vitro and in vivo.Results The rsERT confirmed that all 19 women were in state of endometrial receptivity at P+6.RNA-Seq identified 3 458 DEGs in cervical exfoliated cells between P+4 and P+6.The up-regulated DEGs were mainly enriched in the pathways associated with immune response and cell differentiation,and the down-regulated ones were mainly enriched in the pathways associated with lipid metabolism and cell proliferation.Using maximal clique Centrality(MCC)algorithm in the PPI network,the top 20 genes were selected.Among them,6 genes,such as IFIT2,OASL,MX1,RSAD2,IFIT1 and IFIT3,tied for the first place,and the 6 genes all belong to interferon-stimulated genes(ISGs).qRT-PCR indicated that the above 6 genes showed significantly higher expression levels in the cervical exfoliated cells at the P+4 stage than the cells at the P+6 stage(P＜0.05).Conclusion There are changes in the expression levels of the genes related to immunity and cytoskeleton remodeling in cervical exfoliated cells during the endometrial receptivity phase.The decrease in the expression of ISGs may serve as a potential biomarker for endometrial receptivity.

Objective To evaluate the application efficacy of structured symptom intervention program in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD)during the peri-dialysis period.Methods A non-simultaneous control study was conducted on 151 peri-dialysis outpatients having not yet initiated dialysis and being followed up who were subjected with convenience sampling from Department of Nephrology of Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from April to September 2024.According to the time period of their visits,the patients who visited from April to June 2024 were assigned into a control group(n=75),and those from July to September 2024 into an experimental group(n=76).The control group received conventional symptom intervention(telephone symptom reporting+health education),while the experimental group received the intervention as the control group and a structured symptom intervention program covering 4 evidence-based modules:symptom identification,assessment,intervention,and outcome.The efficacy of above treatments was evaluated before and at 3 months after intervention.Dialysis symptom index was used to assess the degree of symptom distress and the number of symptoms.MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey(SF-36)was employed to evaluate the quality of life.The differences in clinical indicators and endpoint events were compared between the 2 groups after intervention.Results The experimental group obtained more significant reduction in the total score of symptom distress than the control group(P=0.021).After intervention,the number of symptoms was decreased in both groups(P<0.001),but no statistical difference was observed between the groups.The score of mental health dimension in SF-36 was obviously improved in the experimental group(P=0.004),which was notably better than that in the control group(P=0.033).The experimental group exhibited significantly higher prealbumin level than the control group(P=0.019),and stable albumin level,which was significantly decreased in the control group(P=0.035).The incidence of endpoint events was remarkably lower in the experimental group than the control group(P=0.028).Conclusion The structured symptom intervention program implements intervention through a closed-loop symptom module,which can effectively alleviate the symptom distress of patients during the peri-dialysis period,improve mental health and reduce the short-term risk for endpoint events.

Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic features of neuroinflammation, autoinflammation, splenomegaly and anemia (NASA) syndrome and investigate the pathogenic mechanism.Methods:The clinical data of 2 patients diagnosed with NASA syndrome at Department of Pediatrics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Variants were identified by gene panel sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The function of IRAK4 gene variants was studied in vitro.Results:Among the 2 patients, case 1 was an 8-year-old girl and case 2 was a 10-year-old boy. Both patients presented in early childhood with anemia and hepatosplenomegaly. Case 1 was also experienced recurrent seizures. Laboratory examinations showed elevated inflammatory markers and neuroimaging revealed bilateral basal ganglia calcification. In case 2, anemia and inflammation markers were well controlled after treatment with tocilizumab, while case 1 succumbed to recurrent seizures. Genetic tests verified compound heterozygous variants in IRAK4 gene: case 1 carries a nonsense variant c.592G>T (p.G198X) and a missense variant c.248A>C (p.D83A), which were respectively from the parents; case 2 carries a c.831+3A>G variant and a frameshift variant c.540delT (p.F180Lfs*26), and the former was inherited from the father and the latter from the mother. The reverse transcription and Sanger sequencing results confirmed that c.831+3A>G variant led to exon 7 skipping. In vitro studies indicated that c.592G>T, c.540delT and c.831+3A>G variants resulted in truncated interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK4) protein while c.248A>C do not cause changes in IRAK4 protein expression level and protein length.Conclusions:NASA syndrome should be considered in children with early-onset anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, recurrent seizures, elevated inflammatory markers and intracranial calcification. IRAK4 gene variants may lead to impaired anti-inflammatory function of IRAK4 protein, contributing to the autoinflammatory phenotype.

Objective:To investigate molecular mechanism of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)-mediated neutrophil apoptosis disorder.Methods:Neutrophils extracted from peripheral blood of healthy adults were used as research subjects,and H.pylori stan-dard strain NCTC11637 was added to culture system to construct a model of in vitro infection,which was divided into control group(with PBS or medium treatment),H.pylori group(H.pylori co-cultivated with neutrophils at ratio of 10∶1).After a certain time of in-fection,apoptosis-related molecules of neutrophils were detected by flow cytometry,ELISA and Western blot,respectively.Results:Cytokines IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α were secreted significantly higher in H.pylori group than control group,apoptosis rate was signifi-cantly lower than control group,apoptosis-related proteins Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 were higher than control group,but their activa-tion level were lower than control group.Conclusion:H.pylori infection may prolong neutrophil survival by inhibiting apoptotic pro-cess of neutrophils through inhibiting activation of Caspase-3/8.

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between levels of peripheral blood interleukin(IL)-6,IL-18,IL-1β,tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α),procalcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein(CRP)and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1)and disease condition and prognosis in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP),and to construct a prediction model.METHODS A total of 196 children with MPP admitted to Dazhou Central Hospital in Sichuan Province from Jan.2022 to Jan.2024 were selected as the MPP group and were divided into the mild group(n=124)and the severe group(n=72)according to the clinical pulmonary infection score(CPIS),and 200 healthy children who participated in physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as the healthy group.All 196 children with MPP received relevant treatments and were divided into a poor prognosis group(n=40)and a good prognosis group(n=156)according to their prognosis.The levels of peripheral blood IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 were measured in all the subjects,the risk factors affecting the disease condition and prognosis of children with MPP were analyzed,the prediction model was constructed,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn and the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the predictive effect of the constructed prediction model.RESULTS Peripheral blood IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 levels in the MPP group were higher than those in the healthy group(P＜0.05).The levels of IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 in peripheral blood were significantly higher in the severe group than those in the mild group(P＜0.05).IL-6(OR=1.203),IL-18(OR=1.072),IL-1β(OR=4.060),TNF-α(OR=1.264),PCT(OR=3.132),CRP(OR=1.546)and VCAM-1(OR=1.009)were risk factors for severe condition in MPP children(P＜0.05).The prediction model constructed for the devel-opment of severe illness in MPP children was as follows:Logit(P)=-67.522+0.185×IL-6+0.069×IL-18+1.401×IL-1β+0.234×TNF-α+1.142×PCT+0.436×CRP+0.009 ×VCAM-1.The AUC of the prediction model for predicting severe conditions in MPP children was 0.985.The levels of IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 in peripheral blood in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P＜0.05).IL-6(OR=1.083,95％CI:1.024-1.145,P=0.005),TNF-α(OR=1.083,95％CI:1.002-1.172,P=0.046)and VCAM-1(OR=1.029,95％CI:1.015-1.044,P＜0.001)were risk factors for poor prognosis in MPP children.The prediction model established for poor prognosis in children with MPP was as follows:logit(P)=-31.557+0.080×IL-6+0.080×TNF-α+0.029×VCAM-1.The AUC of the prediction model for predicting poor prognosis in MPP children was 0.979.CONCLUSIONS The levels of IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 in pe-ripheral blood are closely related to the severity of illness in children with MPP.The prediction model constructed on the basis of the above indicators predicts the risk of severe disease in children with MPP,and the prediction model constructed on the basis of IL-6,TNF-α and VCAM-1 predicts the risk of poor prognosis in children with MPP.

Objective:To investigate molecular mechanism of Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)-mediated neutrophil apoptosis disorder.Methods:Neutrophils extracted from peripheral blood of healthy adults were used as research subjects,and H.pylori stan-dard strain NCTC11637 was added to culture system to construct a model of in vitro infection,which was divided into control group(with PBS or medium treatment),H.pylori group(H.pylori co-cultivated with neutrophils at ratio of 10∶1).After a certain time of in-fection,apoptosis-related molecules of neutrophils were detected by flow cytometry,ELISA and Western blot,respectively.Results:Cytokines IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α were secreted significantly higher in H.pylori group than control group,apoptosis rate was signifi-cantly lower than control group,apoptosis-related proteins Caspase-3 and Caspase-8 were higher than control group,but their activa-tion level were lower than control group.Conclusion:H.pylori infection may prolong neutrophil survival by inhibiting apoptotic pro-cess of neutrophils through inhibiting activation of Caspase-3/8.

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between levels of peripheral blood interleukin(IL)-6,IL-18,IL-1β,tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α),procalcitonin(PCT),C-reactive protein(CRP)and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1)and disease condition and prognosis in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP),and to construct a prediction model.METHODS A total of 196 children with MPP admitted to Dazhou Central Hospital in Sichuan Province from Jan.2022 to Jan.2024 were selected as the MPP group and were divided into the mild group(n=124)and the severe group(n=72)according to the clinical pulmonary infection score(CPIS),and 200 healthy children who participated in physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as the healthy group.All 196 children with MPP received relevant treatments and were divided into a poor prognosis group(n=40)and a good prognosis group(n=156)according to their prognosis.The levels of peripheral blood IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 were measured in all the subjects,the risk factors affecting the disease condition and prognosis of children with MPP were analyzed,the prediction model was constructed,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn and the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to evaluate the predictive effect of the constructed prediction model.RESULTS Peripheral blood IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 levels in the MPP group were higher than those in the healthy group(P＜0.05).The levels of IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 in peripheral blood were significantly higher in the severe group than those in the mild group(P＜0.05).IL-6(OR=1.203),IL-18(OR=1.072),IL-1β(OR=4.060),TNF-α(OR=1.264),PCT(OR=3.132),CRP(OR=1.546)and VCAM-1(OR=1.009)were risk factors for severe condition in MPP children(P＜0.05).The prediction model constructed for the devel-opment of severe illness in MPP children was as follows:Logit(P)=-67.522+0.185×IL-6+0.069×IL-18+1.401×IL-1β+0.234×TNF-α+1.142×PCT+0.436×CRP+0.009 ×VCAM-1.The AUC of the prediction model for predicting severe conditions in MPP children was 0.985.The levels of IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 in peripheral blood in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group(P＜0.05).IL-6(OR=1.083,95％CI:1.024-1.145,P=0.005),TNF-α(OR=1.083,95％CI:1.002-1.172,P=0.046)and VCAM-1(OR=1.029,95％CI:1.015-1.044,P＜0.001)were risk factors for poor prognosis in MPP children.The prediction model established for poor prognosis in children with MPP was as follows:logit(P)=-31.557+0.080×IL-6+0.080×TNF-α+0.029×VCAM-1.The AUC of the prediction model for predicting poor prognosis in MPP children was 0.979.CONCLUSIONS The levels of IL-6,IL-18,IL-1β,TNF-α,PCT,CRP and VCAM-1 in pe-ripheral blood are closely related to the severity of illness in children with MPP.The prediction model constructed on the basis of the above indicators predicts the risk of severe disease in children with MPP,and the prediction model constructed on the basis of IL-6,TNF-α and VCAM-1 predicts the risk of poor prognosis in children with MPP.

Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic features of neuroinflammation, autoinflammation, splenomegaly and anemia (NASA) syndrome and investigate the pathogenic mechanism.Methods:The clinical data of 2 patients diagnosed with NASA syndrome at Department of Pediatrics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Variants were identified by gene panel sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The function of IRAK4 gene variants was studied in vitro.Results:Among the 2 patients, case 1 was an 8-year-old girl and case 2 was a 10-year-old boy. Both patients presented in early childhood with anemia and hepatosplenomegaly. Case 1 was also experienced recurrent seizures. Laboratory examinations showed elevated inflammatory markers and neuroimaging revealed bilateral basal ganglia calcification. In case 2, anemia and inflammation markers were well controlled after treatment with tocilizumab, while case 1 succumbed to recurrent seizures. Genetic tests verified compound heterozygous variants in IRAK4 gene: case 1 carries a nonsense variant c.592G>T (p.G198X) and a missense variant c.248A>C (p.D83A), which were respectively from the parents; case 2 carries a c.831+3A>G variant and a frameshift variant c.540delT (p.F180Lfs*26), and the former was inherited from the father and the latter from the mother. The reverse transcription and Sanger sequencing results confirmed that c.831+3A>G variant led to exon 7 skipping. In vitro studies indicated that c.592G>T, c.540delT and c.831+3A>G variants resulted in truncated interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK4) protein while c.248A>C do not cause changes in IRAK4 protein expression level and protein length.Conclusions:NASA syndrome should be considered in children with early-onset anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, recurrent seizures, elevated inflammatory markers and intracranial calcification. IRAK4 gene variants may lead to impaired anti-inflammatory function of IRAK4 protein, contributing to the autoinflammatory phenotype.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant arterial interventional chemotherapy(NAIC)and neoadjuvant intravenous chemotherapy(NIVC)for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer(LACC).Methods Randomized controlled trials(RCTs)which fit the theme were included by searching PubMed,Web of Science,Embase,CNKI,and Wanfang databases.After study quality assessment and data extraction,statistical analysis was performed using Stata 17.0,and outcome quality was assessed using the GRADE system.Results A total of 14 RCTs were included,with 1 063 LACC patients.The results of the Meta-analysis showed that NAIC and NIVC had a positive effect on the effectiveness indicators:complete response(CR)[RR=1.23,95％CI(0.91,1.67),P=0.174],partial response(PR)[RR=1.10,95％CI(0.86,1.20),P=0.874],total response(TR)[RR=1.10,95％CI(0.95,1.25),P=0.212],no change(NC)[RR=0.62,95％CI(0.33,1.16),P=0.137]and progressive disease(PD)[RR=1.43,95％CI(0.41,4.99),P=0.574]were not statistically significant.Differences in safety indicators:gastrointestinal reactions[RR=0.96,95％CI(0.76,1.23),P=0.755],hepatic and renal impairment[RR=0.71,95％CI(0.41,1.23),P=0.226]were not statistically significant.While in the incidence of myelosuppression[RR=0.62,95％CI(0.45,0.86),P=0.04],NAIC was superior to NIVC.In addition,the GRADE score results showed CR,PR,TR,and NC were high-quality evidence.Conclusion For LACC patients,the incidence of myelosuppression after treatment with NAIV is lower and safer than that with NIVC,and no significant difference was found between the two in terms of other efficacy and safety indicators.Clinicians should choose the appropriate neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient's actual condition.