Objective:To analyze the clinical and immunological characteristics of children with acute viral infection-related encephalopathy.Methods:Case-control study.A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children diagnosed with acute viral infection-related encephalopathy during hospitalization at the Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2020 to January 2023.According to the last follow-up modified Rankin scale (mRS) score, these children were divided into a good prognosis group (mRS score ≤2) and a poor prognosis group (mRS score >2), and the clinical and immunological characteristics of the children with different prognoses were analyzed.The binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors for poor prognosis.Results:A total of 28 children with acute viral infection-related encephalopathy aged 4 months to 11 years were included.There were 16 males (57%) and 12 females (43%). Among the preinfection viruses, there were 16 children of Corona virus disease 2019, 8 children of influenza A virus, 3 children of influenza B virus, and 1 child of norovirus.Among them, there were 21 children with acute necrotizing encephalopathy, 4 children with acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion, 2 children with mild encephalitis with a reversible splenial lesion, and 1 child with hemorrhagic shock and encephalopathy syndrome.Among the first symptoms, 24 children (85.7%) had consciousness disorders, 23 children (82.1%) had seizures, 17 children (60.7%) had speech disorders, 11 children (39.3%) had involuntary movements, and 10 children (35.7%) had abnormal mental behavior.For the site of lesion, the cranial nuclear magnetic resonance imaging revealed 17 in the thalamus, 10 in the brainstem, 9 in the basal ganglia, 8 in the cerebellar hemisphere, and 4 in the corpus callosum.In the last follow-up evaluation, 17 children had a mRS score of >2, and 11 children had a mRS score of ≤2.Univariate analysis showed that disturbance of consciousness, seizure cluster, brain stem lesion, absolute value of serum T lymphocytes, cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) protein, CSF cytokines [interleukin(IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-8]were higher in the poor prognosis group than those in the good prognosis group.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis indicated that brain stem disease, CSF IL-1β and T lymphocyte absolute number were independent risk factors for poor prognosis.Conclusions:Brain stem lesions, cerebrospinal fluid IL-1β and the absolute number of T lymphocytes have predictive value for the prognosis of acute viral infection-associated encephalopathy.The more severe the conditions, the lower the T lymphocytes, and the higher the cytokines in some cerebrospinal fluid.

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of dead HIV/AIDS cases within 1 year after confirmatory testing in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province from 1996 to 2021, so as to provide the evidence for facilitating early identification and treatment of AIDS. Methods: The basic and follow-up data of HIV/AIDS cases were retrieved from the HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Response Information System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System, and mortality density and its trend were evaluated within 1 year after confirmatory testing. The factors affecting death within 1 year after confirmatory testing were identified using a Cox proportional hazards model, and the demographics, detection, treatment and cause of death were analyzed among dead HIV/AIDS cases within 1 year after confirmatory testing. Results: A total of 3 304 HIV/AIDS cases were included, with 508 deaths within 1 year after confirmatory testing. The overall mortality density was 17.43 per 100 person-years, and the mortality density appeared a tendency towards a reduction from 1996 to 2021 (χ2trend=21.053, P<0.001). Of all dead HIV/AIDS cases within 1 year after confirmatory testing, 77.76% were men, 67.72% at ages of 45 years and older, 83.86% with transmission by heterosexual contact, 83.66% identified in medical institutions, 62.20% without antiretroviral therapy, and 47.83% without detection of CD4+T cell count. Mortality that was not associated with AIDS was the predominant cause of death among dead HIV/AIDS cases within 1 year after confirmatory testing (58.86%). Age of 30 years and older (HR: 1.781-4.644, 95%CI: 1.073-7.784), identification in medical institutions (HR=2.130, 95%CI: 1.306-4.474), initial CD4+T cell count of <200 cells/μL (HR: 2.649-12.879, 95%CI: 1.669-19.189), no antiretroviral therapy (HR=7.945, 95%CI: 5.743-10.993) and initiation of antiretroviral therapy 4 to 12 months after confirmatory testing (HR=1.636, 95%CI: 1.005-2.662) resulted in a higher risk of mortality within 1 year after confirmatory testing. Conclusions The mortality density appeared a tendency towards a reduction among cases within 1 year after confirmatory testing in Jingzhou City from 1996 to 2021. Mortality within 1 year after confirmatory testing was associated with advanced age, heterosexual contact transmission, identification in medical institutions, low CD4+T cell counts, and delay or absence of antiretroviral therapy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor and patients with HCC often have liver cirrhosis, with an extremely high 5-year recurrence rate and poor prognosis even after curative treatment. In recent years, sarcopenia has attracted more and more attention as a poor prognostic factor for various malignant tumors; however, there is still a lack of studies on the association between skeletal muscle index and prognosis of HCC in China. Evidence in foreign countries has shown that sarcopenia may be an a negative prognostic factor for HCC patients. This article reviews the etiology and possible pathogenesis of HCC-related sarcopenia and related intervention measures including nutritional supplementation, appropriate physical exercise, and medication, in order to provide a reference for related studies in China.

Objective:To measure and analyze the distribution characteristics of the micro-hardness of the middle-upper thoracic vertebrae (T 1-T 10) in the human body. Methods:T 1-T 10 vertebrae from three fresh cadavers were divided into vertebral body area and attachment area. 3 mm specimens were cut by a high-precision slow saw and 11 regions were selected and measured on each vertebrae by a Vickers microhardness tester (cortical bone: 1-9, cancellous bone: 10-11). The micro-hardness distribution of T 1-T 10 vertebrae was recorded and analyzed. Results:A total of 330 measurement areas from 30 vertebrae were measured, and 1 650 hardness values were collected. The average hardness values of the overall cortical bone of the middle-upper thoracic vertebrae of the 3 cadavers were 30.55±5.44 HV, 29.94±4.86 HV, and 29.55±4.36 HV, respectively. The difference among the groups was statistically significant ( F=4.680, P=0.009). The average hardness values of the overall cancellous bone were 27.93±5.61 HV, 28.21±4.96 HV, 27.98±3.94 HV, respectively. There was no significant difference among the groups ( F=0.091, P=0.913). There were statistically significant differences between the hardness values in the attachment area and vertebral body area of each cadaver ( t=7.467, 4.750, 6.621, P<0.001); the hardness of the cancellous bone in the attachment area of each cadaver was higher than that of the cancellous bone in the vertebral body ( t=1.785, 3.159, 3.103, P=0.077, 0.002, 0.003). The distribution of microhardness in 11 measurement areas of 3 cadavers were similar: the hardness of the cortical bone of pedicle, lamina and inferior endplate cortex (1, 2, 7) were higher; the hardness of the cortical bone of upper endplate and peripheral cortex (6, 8, 9) were lower. The distribution patterns of the microhardness in different vertebral segments of the 3 cadavers were similar: The hardness values gradually increased from T 1 to T 10. The vertebra with the largest hardness of the cortical bone was T 8; and the vertebra with the largest hardness of the cancellous bone were T 7, T 7 and T 6, respectively. Conclusion:The hardness of the upper endplate and peripheral cortex was low, which could disperse the load to protect the fragile cancellous bone. The hardness of the pedicle was the highest. The hardness of the cortical bone was higher than that of the cancellous bone, and the values of different segments gradually increased from top to bottom, which may be related to the physiological and anatomical morphology, and the gradual increase of the load of muscle force and body weight.

Objective: To summarize the clinical characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis (LMM) with complications, and analyze the outcomes of next generation sequencing. Methods: Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, imaging features, antibiotics treatment, and next generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid were analyzed in 3 LMM patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Infectious Diseases of Beijing Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from July 2015 to November 2017. Results: The three patients were 1-year-old girl, 2-year-old girl, and 9-year-old boy, with normal immune function. They had eaten refrigerated food, milk or dairy products before onset. Symptoms included fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and convulsions, etc. The complications of two cases (case 2 and 3) were appendicitis and Meckel′s diverticulitis. The other one (case 1) was with sepsis and pneumonia. Leukocyte counts in cerebrospinal fluid were elevated in all the three cases, and cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed meningeal or periventricular involvement. All the children were diagnosed with LMM by positive CSF culture. CSF for next generation sequencing was sent after carbapenem antibiotics using, yet all the results were positive. The positive results were returned 2, 9, and 9 days earlier than culture results, respectively. The gene coverage was 5.00%, 7.00%, 0.04%, and the reads was 2 561, 1 011 and 8, respectively. All the three children had recurrent fever despite using cephalosporin. Levels of leukocytes in the blood and CSF further elevated. After using carbapenem antibiotics, patients improved eventually and were discharged from hospital. Conclusions LMM can occur in children with normal immune function and is usually associated with digestive system symptoms. Listeria monocytogenes can be detected quickly and accurately by the next generation sequencing technology, without being limited to sampling time and antibiotics application.

Objective: To investigate the microhardness distribution of cancellous bone in the proximal tibia and its clinical significance. Methods: Three fresh tibias were obtained and examined by X-ray and CT to exclude skeletal pathologies, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis. According to the Heim's square, the proximal tibias were cut off. Each of the proximal tibias was divided into three parts, the medial condyle, the intercondylar area and the lateral condyle. Each part was divided into three sections, proximal, middle and distal sections. Each of the proximal tibias was divided into 9 regions. Bone specimens with a thickness of 3 mm were taken from each region using a high precision low-speed saw and fixed on flat sheets. The microhardness of the bone tissue was measured using a Vickers microhardness tester after polish. Ten effective micro-indentation tests were conducted in each region. After measurement the diagonal length of the indentations, the microhardness values were calculated via software provided by the hardness tester. Analysis of variance and Tukey method were used to compare the microhardness values of different parts, sections and regions of cancellous bone. The microhardness distribution of the proximal tibia was analyzed. Results: A total of 270 effective indentations were made in the specimens, and the microhardness values were obtained. The average microhardness of the three proximal tibias was 40.98±3.44, 34.92±4.64 and 39.49±3.86 HV, respectively. There was a significant difference among the groups (F=55.87, P=0.000). The microhardness distribution of bone tissue in the three proximal tibias was similar. In the comparison of different parts, the microhardness of medial condyle was greater than that of the lateral condyle, which was larger than that of the intercondylar area. The difference between the parts was statistically significant (F=18.42, 8.236, 10.877; P=0.000, 0.001, 0.000). In the comparison of different sections, the microhardness of the distal section was greater than that of the proximal section, which was larger than that of the middle section. The difference between the sections was statistically significant (F=8.720, 17.140, 6.142; P=0.000, 0.000, 0.003). The microhardness distribution was similar among different regions. The region with the highest microhardness is the medial condyle of the distal section with microhardness of 44.87±3.25 HV (range 39.2-49.7 HV). The lowest microhardness was in the intercondylar area of the middle section with hardness of 29.41±4.53 HV (range 24.8-36.2 HV). Conclusion The microhardness value of cancellous bone near the articular surface at the proximal tibia was smaller, which could disperse the load and protect the fragile of articular cartilage. Furthermore, the microhardness of the transition zone is larger. The microhardness value of the cancellous bone in medial tibia condyle is the greatest, which is related to load-bearing.

Objective: To investigate the distribution characteristics and significance of bone hardness in different segments and layers of clavicle. Methods: The right clavicles of three fresh Chinese corpses were taken and then divided into proximal, middle and distal segments according to Allman's classification. The clavicles were cut with diamond saw in the vertical of long axis equidistant exactly into 15 layers (proximal: 3 layers; midshaft: 7 layers; distal: 5 layers), and each layer was divided into four directions: superior, inferior, anterior, and posterior. The bone hardness were measured by Vickers microindentation, HV(kgf/mm²). The distribution of bone hardness was recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 180 parts of cortical bone were measured, generating 900 measurements. Meanwhile, a total of 45 parts of cancellous bone were measured, generating 225 measurements. We found that: (1)The average hardness of cortical bone was (35.9±8.1)HV, and the midshaft segment [(41.3±6.8)HV] was harder than the proximal segment [(33.8±6.1)HV] and the distal segment [(29.7±5.4)HV](P<0.05); (2)The average hardness of cancellous bone was (30.7±6.2)HV, and there were significant differences among the midshaft segment [(34.5±5.5)HV], the proximal segment [(29.2±2.9)HV] and the distal segment [(26.3±5.1)HV](P<0.05); (3)for cortical bone, the hardest segment was the fifth layer of the midshaft segment [(44.8±8.6)HV] while the most soft segment was the fourth layer of the distal segment [(28.0±3.5)HV](P<0.05); (4)for cancellous bone, the hardest segment was the fifth layer of the midshaft segmnet [(36.8±5.1)HV] while the most soft was the fifth layer of the distal segment [(23.0±4.4)HV](P<0.05); (5)There were no statistically significant differences among four directions of segments(P>0.05). Conclusion The microindentation hardness varies greatly among different segments and layers of the clavicles. The cortical bone and cancellous bone have consistent hardness changes, which shows that the middle segment is obviously harder than the proximal and distal segments with a gradually gradient decreasing trend from the middle to both ends. The data can be used to guide the design of 3D printing implants that conform to the stress conduction characteristics of the clavicle under physiological conditions, and provide good data support for the modeling and finite element analysis of the clavicle under simulated physiological conditions.

Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes meningitis (LMM) with complications, and analyze the outcomes of next generation sequencing. Methods Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, imaging features, antibiotics treatment, and next generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid were analyzed in 3 LMM patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Infectious Diseases of Beijing Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from July 2015 to November 2017. Results The three patients were 1‐year‐old girl, 2‐year‐old girl, and 9‐year‐old boy, with normal immune function. They had eaten refrigerated food, milk or dairy products before onset. Symptoms included fever, headache, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and convulsions, etc. The complications of two cases (case 2 and 3) were appendicitis and Meckel′s diverticulitis. The other one (case 1) was with sepsis and pneumonia. Leukocyte counts in cerebrospinal fluid were elevated in all the three cases, and cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed meningeal or periventricular involvement. All the children were diagnosed with LMM by positive CSF culture. CSF for next generation sequencing was sent after carbapenem antibiotics using, yet all the results were positive. The positive results were returned 2, 9, and 9 days earlier than culture results, respectively. The gene coverage was 5.00%, 7.00%, 0.04%, and the reads was 2 561, 1 011 and 8, respectively. All the three children had recurrent fever despite using cephalosporin. Levels of leukocytes in the blood and CSF further elevated. After using carbapenem antibiotics, patients improved eventually and were discharged from hospital. Conclusions LMM can occur in children with normal immune function and is usually associated with digestive system symptoms. Listeria monocytogenes can be detected quickly and accurately by the next generation sequencing technology, without being limited to sampling time and antibiotics application.

Objective To investigat the symptom burden of patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and explore the influencing factors of them,in order to provide the basis for improving the quality of life of these patients.Methods A total of 230 patients with MHD were enrolled in Xiangtan Central Hospital from January 2016 to December 2016,the general condition and disease-related data of them were collected,and the symptom burden of them over the past week was assessed by improved symptom burden scale.Results ① The average age of these patients were (56.8 ± 14.1)years,the sex ratio for men and women was 1.37∶ 1,the median time of dialysis was 24 months,and the frequency of dialysis was (9.16 ± 2.36)times;② The symptom score in MHD patients was (65.72 ± 28.46)points,the top 5 symptoms which had higher incidence were fatigue (72.2％),dry mouth (63.5％),itching (61.3％),falling asleep difficultly (54.3％),drying (49.2％),the top 5 symptoms which were more troubling were restless legs syndrome (2.54 ± 0.73),falling asleep difficultly (2.48 ± 0.83),bone/joint pain (2.45 ± 0.69),fatigue (2.31 ±0.77),easy to wake up (2.16 ±0.78);③ Age,sex,occupation,dialysis age,inorganicphosphorus and serum calcium had an effect on the symptom burden of MHD patients (P ＜ 0.05).Condusions We should focus on patients who are older,female,retired or no occupation,longer dialysis age,calcium or phosphorus metabolism disorders,provide targeted care and treatment,in order to reduce the symptom burden and improve the life quality of them.

Objective To evaluate the application value of whole exome sequencing (WES) in diagnosis of NDDs (neuro-developmental disorders) children.Metheod WES was used for the diagnosis of 35 unexplained NDD children, which admitted to the outpatient and ward of Children′s hospital affiliated to Capital institute of pediatric from November 2015 to November 2016.These children′s clinical data was collected detailedly.Using bioinformatics software tools combining with patient′s phenotype, the candidate genetic/genomic variants of these patients were identified from WES data.The final pathogenicity of genetic/genomic variants was interpreted according to the guideline of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), meanwhile, the variants validation and co-separation analysis in the parents and their family members were performed by Sanger sequencing, real time-PCR and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA).Results 14 pathogenic single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and three pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) were detected in the 35 NDD children, the detection rate in this study is 48.6%.Among the 14 pathogenic SNVs, 11 of them are the definite NDD-related genes according to OMIM database (such as CHARGE syndrome, Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome, Cockayne syndrome, etc.), and six of them are de novo (6/11, 54.6%).Three pathogenic CNVs were identified from WES data, including two microduplications and one microdeletion.Meanwhile, a female child carrying a frame shift mutation in MECP2 was found and the germline mosaicism with low-frequency mutation of this site (8.4%) was confirmed by his father's sperm.Conclusions The diagnosis rate of WES in NDDs children is 48.6% in our small-sample study.In addition to pathogenic/likely pathogenic SNVs, CNVs can be detected successfully from WES data, which effectively improved the diagnosis yield in NDDs children.