Objective: To investigate the scientific research capacity building of administrative offices of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCs) across 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities), the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and 5 separately listed cities in China, so as to provide the reference for improving the positioning of office functions and promoting the enhancement of scientific research capabilities. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among heads and staff members of administrative offices in 37 CDCs. Data on office setup, general information, staffing, scientific research incentive measures and outputs were collected and analyzed. Results: The 37 administrative offices of the CDCs had an average authorized staffing size of 12 personnel. There were 17 of them setting independently allocated budgets. A total of 511 staff members were surveyed, comprising 238 males and 273 females, resulting in a male-to-female ratio of 0.87∶1. In terms of educational attainment, the majority held bachelor's degrees (225 individuals, 44.03%) or master's degrees and above (157 individuals, 30.72%). Professional technical personnel constituted the main occupational category, 302 individuals accounting for 59.10%. Intermediate professional titles were most common, 138 individuals accounting for 27.00%. From 2021 to 2023, a total of 68 research incentive measures have been implemented, and 579 personnel have received further training. These offices cumulatively led or participated in 80 scientific research projects and published 253 papers. Sixteen offices reported 10 and above scientific research outputs. These offices generally exhibited higher proportions of independently allocated budgets, greater numbers of senior professional titles, more staff with master's degrees or above, more implemented research incentive measures, and higher frequencies of staff further trainings. Conclusions The staff in the administrative offices of CDCs generally have a high level of educational attainment and include a significant number of professional technical personnel. However, their scientific research capacity remains relatively underdeveloped. It is recommended to conduct targeted professional training and research-focused lectures to enhance research literacy, leverage the strengths of multidisciplinary backgrounds, and promote cross-departmental and cross-institutional scientific research activities.

Closed-loop hospital management can effectivly cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to ensure the continuity of treatments for hemodialysis patients under closed-loop management and minimize possible medical and infection risks, Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University and 9 hospitals in Shanghai established a hemodialysis alliance in January 2021.The alliance optimized hemodialysis resources within the region through overall planning by preparing sites, materials and personnel shifts in advance, and establishing management systems and work processes to ensure that patients could be quickly and orderly diverted to other blood dialysis centers for uninterrupted high-quality hemodialysis services, in case that some hemodialysis centers in the alliance under closed-loop management.From November 2021 to April 2022, 317 of 1 459 hemodialysis patients in the alliance were diverted to other centers for treatment, accumulating 1 215 times/cases of treatments without obvious adverse reactions. The practice could provide a reference for medical institutions to quickly establish mutual support mode under major public health events.

Objective:To investigate the phagocytosis of Treponema pallidum (Tp) by macrophages and the polarization direction of macrophages after Tp stimulation. Methods:Human THP-1 monocyte-derived M0 macrophages were stimulated with the Tp Nichols strain, and the phagocytosis of Tp by macrophages and changes in the intracellular structure of macrophages were observed by transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence staining. After 12-hour stimulation by Tp, Tp was removed, the M0 macrophages continued to be cultured for 24, 48, 72 hours and 6 days. Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining were performed to determine the expression of the M1 macrophage marker CD86 and M2 macrophage marker CD163, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to detect levels of M1-type cytokines interleukin (IL) -12 p70, interferon (IFN) -γ, chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) , IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) -α and IL-1β, as well as the M2-type cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF) -β1 in the culture supernatant of macrophages. Dunnett- t test was used for multiple comparisons. Results:As transmission electron microscopy showed, after the stimulation by Tp, the macrophages extended pseudopodia and engulfed Tp, leading to swelling and obviously irregular hyperplasia of endoplasmic reticulum as well as enlargement of mitochondria. Moreover, after additional culture for 24, 48, 72 hours and 6 days, CD86 was highly expressed, but CD163 was lowly expressed in the Tp-treated macrophages; at 24 hours, the supernatant levels of IL-12 p70, IFN-γ, CXCL10, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β were significantly higher in the Tp-treated group than in the control group (all P<0.001) , but there was no significant difference in the TGF-β1 supernatant level between the 2 groups ( P>0.05) . Conclusions:After engulfment of Tp, the structures of endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria in THP-1-derived macrophages markedly changed. Tp could induce the polarization of M0 macrophages into M1 macrophages, and phenotypic switch from M1 to M2 macrophage polarization was not observed within 6 days after Tp stimulation.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of proteinuria in patients with hypertension in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Methods:From March 2019 to June 2020, prospective design was used to collect data of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau hypertension patients who were eligible for continuous enrollment in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine in Hospital of Chengdu Office of People's Government of Tibet Autonomous Region. Questionnaire survey, physical examination and blood pressure measurement were performed on the selected patients. Fasting venous blood samples were collected for liver function test, blood lipid test, blood glucose test, and hemoglobin test, etc. Three times of morning urine samples were taken on different days, and urine protein creatinine ratio (UACR) was measured, UACR < 30 mg/g was negative for urinary protein, and UACR≥30 mg/g was positive for urinary protein. At the same time, the selected patients were examined by carotid artery color ultrasound and heart color ultrasound. The risk factors of proteinuria were analyzed.Results:A total of 588 patients with hypertension met the inclusion criteria, including 472 patients (80.3%) who received antihypertensive drug therapy, 239 patients (40.6%) had antihypertensive treatment compliance, and 252 patients (42.9%) reached the standard blood pressure after theropy. Hypertension was associated with diabetes mellitus in 150 patients (25.5%), and urinary protein was positive in 126 patients (21.4%). In univariate analysis, ethnic composition, systolic blood pressure [(138.19 ± 19.65) vs (133.16 ± 18.45) mmHg, 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa], diastolic blood pressure [(85.80 ± 13.51) vs (83.17 ± 12.19) mmHg], uric acid [(411.79 ± 101.54) vs (379.96 ± 102.18) μmol/L], hemoglobin [(152.86 ± 30.70) vs (143.49 ± 21.15) g/L], pulmonary artery trunk width [(21.76 ± 3.94) vs (20.98 ± 3.34) mm], and ventricular septal thickness [(9.90 ± 1.70) vs (9.47 ± 1.60) mm] in the positive group ( n = 126) were significantly higher than those in the negative group ( n = 462, P < 0.01 or < 0.05). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, increased systolic blood pressure [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.015, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.005 - 1.026], uric acid ( OR = 1.003, 95% CI: 1.001 - 1.005), and pulmonary artery trunk width ( OR = 1.058, 95% CI: 1.001 - 1.118) were risk factors for proteinuria; Tibetans had a decreased risk of proteinuria compared with Han ( OR = 0.505, 95% CI: 0.317 - 0.805), but increased hemoglobin had an increased risk of proteinuria compared with normal hemoglobin ( OR = 1.890, 95% CI: 1.231 - 2.903). Conclusion:In patients with hypertension at high altitude, increased hemoglobin, systolic blood pressure, uric acid, pulmonary artery trunk width, and Han nationality are risk factors for proteinuria.

With the development of genome sequencing technology,Treponema pallidum has been found to have different subspecies all around the world. It is widely recognized that Treponema pallidum could be subtyped by analyzing two or three target genes. Advances in molecular epidemiology of syphilis reveal that clinical characteristics of Treponema pallidum,such as virulence,serofast,drug resistance and the site of in-fection,are related to its subspecies. Specifically,14f/f may be more virulent;serofast may be more likely to happen in patients infected with Treponema pallidum of Tpr i genotype;A2058 and A2059 genes may be re-lated to resistance to macrolides. All these will be summarized in this review.

Objective To investigate the association of tumor necrosis factor-ot (TNF-α) gene promoter polymorphisms with generalized pustular psoriasis.Methods Totally,91 patients of Han nationality with generalized pustular psoriasis (generalized pustular psoriasis group) and 102 health checkup examinees (healthy control group) were enrolled into this study.PCR and direct sequencing were performed to analyze the-238,-308 and-857 polymorphic sites of the TNF-α promoter.Results The frequency of the A allele at TNF-α-238 site was significantly higher in the generalized pustular psoriasis group than in the healthy control group (P =0.003,OR =4.819,95％ CI:1.581-14.694),so was the frequency of GA/AA genotype (P =0.006,OR =4.455,95％ CI:1.410-14.077).However,no significant differences were observed in the frequencies of G/A alleles (P =0.794) and GG/GA/AA genotypes (P =0.786) at TNF-o-308 site,or in the frequencies of C/T alleles (P =0.474) and CC/CT/TT genotypes (P =0.453) at TNF-α-857 site,between the generalized pustular psoriasis group and healthy control group.Conclusion TNF-α-238G ＞ A polymorphisms may be associated with the occur-rence of generalized pustular psoriasis.

Objective To explore the association of tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α gene-308G/A single nucleotide polymorphism with susceptibility to syphilis.Methods The study includes 56 patients with early symptomatic syphilis,38 with eady latent syphilis,and 102 normal human controls.The-308G/A single nucleotide polymorphism of TNF-α gene was detected in all subjects by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR.Results The frequency of TNF-α-308 G and A allele was 0.926 and 0.074 in patients with early syphilis,0.941 and 0.059 in the controls,0.929 and 0.071 in patients with early symptomatic syphihs,0.921 and 0.079 in patients with early latent syphilis.No significant difference was found between patients with early syphilis and the controls or between patients with early symptomatic syphilis and those with early latent syphilis in the frequency of either allele (MG) at-308 position of TNF-α gene(all P>0.05).Conclusion There seems to be no evidence for association between TNF-α gene-308G/A single nucleotide polymorphism and susceptibility to syphilis.

Objective To analyze the clinical features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of neurosyphilis. Methods Clinical data on and laboratory findings in 18 cases with neurosyphilis collected in the Affiliated Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University from 2006 to 2008 were retrospectively studied.Results Among the 18 patients, 3 sufferred from asymptomatic neurosyphilis, 1 from meningeal syphilis, 7 from meningovascular syphilis, 5 from paralytic dementia, and 2 from intracranial space-occupation. Toluidine red unheated serum reagin test (TRUST) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination test (TPPA) of sera were positive in all the patients; cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) TRUST was positive in 16 patients, and CSF TPPA in all patients. An increase was observed in CSF leukocyte count in 7 patients and in CSF protein in 13 patients.The findings on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) mainly included demyelination, brain atrophy,cerebral infarction, etc. All the patients, except 2 with a TRUST titer of 1:4, experienced a 4-fold decrease in TRUST titer within a 3-month follow up. Clinical symptoms of neurosyphilis improved in all patients except 1 with paralytic dementia. Conclusions The diversity of clinical manifestations usually leads to the misdiagnosis of neurosyphilis, which should be diagnosed based on comprehensive analysis of clinical characteristics as well as laboratory and imaging findings. Early diagnosis and treatment are beneficial to its prognosis.

Objective To study the effect of simvastatin on the mouse model of sclerotic skin. Methods A total of 44 mice were divided into two groups, i.e., early administration group (n=24) and post-induction administration group (n=20), and the former was classified into three subgroups, including negative group, model group and simvastatin-treated group, and the latter into two groups, namely blank control group, simvastatin-treated group. The mouse model of sclerotic skin was established by local injec-tions of bleomycin in the back of BALB/c mice. Simvastatin was administered by gavage at a dose of 5 μg per kilogram body weight per day for 4 weeks to mice at the same time when bleomycin was injected in the early group or after 4-week bleomycin injection in the post-induction group. Skin sections were prepared 24 hours after the last administration of simvastatin for histopathological examination and measurement of derma l thickness with HE staining, determination of hydroxyproline content via colorimetry, and mRNA expression of procollagen α1 (Ⅰ) by RT-PCR. Results In the early administration group, a significant increment was observed in the diameter of dermal collagen, skin thickness, and hydroxyproline content in model group compared with the negative control group (all P <0.01), whereas decreased dermal thickness, hydroxyproline content and mRNA expression of procollagen α1(Ⅰ) were noticed in simvastatin-treated group in comparison with the model group (P<0.05, 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). No obvious improvement was achieved in dermal thickness or hydroxyproline content in simvastatin-treated group compared with blank control group (both P0.05), but the mRNA expression of procollagen α1 (Ⅰ) was inhibited in the former group (P<0.05). Conclusion Skin sclerosis is relieved significantly by administration of simvastatin at the induction of scle- rosis but not by that after the induction of sclerotic skin.