Objective To explore the effect and possible mechanism of berberine on the macro-phage polarization of human myeloid leukemia monocytic cell line THP-1 induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL).Methods THP-1 cells were induced into macrophages by PMA,and then according to different concentrations of berberine,the cells were divided into con-trol group,and 5,10,20,40 and 50 μmol/L berberine groups.After intervention for 24 or 48 h,CCK8 assay was used to detect cell viability for optimal concentration and time of berberine treat-ment.PMA-induced THP-1 macrophages were assigned into blank group,model group(ox-LDL),berberine group,inhibitor group(phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase(PI3K)inhibitor LY294002)and berberine+inhibitor group(berberine+LY294002).The contents of inducible nitric oxide syn-thase(iNOS)and TGF-β1 were detected by ELISA.qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA expression of TNF-α,arginase 1(Arg1),PI3K and protein kinase B Akt1,and Western blotting was applied to detect the protein levels of Akt1 and phosphorylated protein kinase B antibody(p-Akt1).Results In 24 h after intervention,the macrophage activity was significantly lower in the 40 and 50 μmol/L berberine groups than the control group(P＜0.05),and after 48 h,the ac-tivity in all the 5 doses of berberine groups was obviously lower than that in the control group[(0.89±0.02)％,(0.82±0.03)％,(0.71±0.02)％,(0.62±0.03)％and(0.53±0.02)％vs(1.01±0.01)％,P＜0.05].Berberine treatment of 20 μmol/L for 24 h had little effect on cell viability,and the dose and the time were regarded as the best concentration and time.Compared with the blank group,iNOS content and TNF-α mRNA level were increased in the model group,while TGF-β1 content,mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1,and p-Akt1/Akt1 protein levels were de-creased(P＜0.05).iNOS content and TNF-α mRNA level were decreased,while TGF-β1 content,mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1 and protein levels of p-Akt1/Akt1s were increased in the berberine group than the model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the berberine group,iNOS con-tent and TNF-α mRNA level were increased,while mRNA levels of Arg1,PI3K and Akt1 and protein levels of p-Akt1/Akt1 were decreased in the berberine+inhibitor group(P＜0.05).Con-clusion Berberine can inhibit the inflammatory response of THP-1 macrophages induced by ox-LDL by activating PI3K/Akt1 pathway,and inhibit the M1 polarization and promote the M2 polarization of macrophages.

Objective:To explore the β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition pattern of subjects with the preclinical Alzheimer′s disease (AD), community-derived amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and normal cognition (NC) from communities of Shanghai.Methods:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 273 subjects (104 males, 169 females; age (64.2±7.6) years) were recruited from Shanghai community and memory clinics from December 2018 to July 2020. All subjects underwent MRI, 18F-AV45 PET imaging and neuropsychological scale tests and were grouped into AD, aMCI and NC groups based on clinical diagnosis. Differences in demographic information, the neuropsychological scale tests′ scores and positive rate of Aβ deposition among each group were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance or χ2 test. Aβ deposition patterns of AD and MCI groups were analyzed at voxel level, and the differences of Aβ deposition among different groups were compared. Results:Among 273 patients, the positive rates of Aβ deposition in AD, aMCI and NC groups were 84.4%(38/45), 36.4%(20/55) and 23.1%(40/173), respectively ( χ2=58.37, P<0.001). Among AD, aMCI, NC and NC (Aβ-) groups ( n=132), the education years of AD group was the lowest ((9.7±4.6) years; F=8.86, P<0.001). In addition, there were significant differences in the scores of several neuropsychological scale tests among AD, aMCI, NC groups and NC (Aβ-) group ( F values: 27.68-235.50, all P<0.001). Compared with subjects in NC(Aβ-) group, the Aβ depositions in the aMCI and AD groups were widely distributed in the whole cerebral cortex; and AD group had higher Aβ deposition in bilateral frontal, parietal, temporal, occipital lobe, cingulate gyrus and precuneus than aMCI group. Conclusions:The positive rate of Aβ deposition in the preclinical AD population from the Shanghai community is obtained. There are significant different Aβ deposition patterns in subjects at different stages of AD.

Objective:To investigate frailty in older patients with comorbidities and explore related risk factors.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted with an enrollment of 746 patients aged 65 years or older with comorbidities in the Wanshoulu Road area of Beijing from April 2019 to December 2020.A total of 617 patients with comorbidities were finally included, aged(85.6±4.8)years, including 358 women(58.0%); According to the FRAIL scale, 617 patients with comorbidities were divided into a frail group(156 cases, 25.3%)and a non-frail group(461 cases, 74.7%). Demographic data and information on comorbidities were collected.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses of risk factors were conducted.Results:Among 617 patients with comorbidities, the common chronic diseases in descending order were hypertension(497 cases, 80.6%), coronary heart disease(375 cases, 60.8%), osteoporosis(357 cases, 57.9%), osteoarthritis(281 cases, 45.5%), type 2 diabetes(211 cases, 34.2%), stroke and/or transient ischemic attack(193 cases, 31.3%), chronic lung disease(144 cases, 23.3%), tumor(133 cases, 21.6%), chronic kidney disease(92 cases, 14.9%), and heart failure(58 cases, 9.4%). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, heart failure, chronic lung disease, stroke/transient ischemic attack, cancer and osteoarthritis were influencing factors for frailty( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, chronic lung disease, cancer and osteoarthritis were risk factors for frailty( OR=1.076, 1.806, 3.275, 3.371, 1.640, 2.227, all P<0.05). Conclusions:Old age, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, chronic lung disease, tumor and osteoarthritis are closely related to frailty in elderly patients with comorbidities.Proactive and effective prevention and intervention should be instituted to target risk factors for frailty to reduce the occurrence of adverse outcomes.

Objective:To construct and validate a prediction model for the risk of intermediate cesarean delivery for primiparous women with failed vaginal trial of labor.Methods:Clinical data of 6 128 pregnant women who gave birth in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from January 2019 to December 2020 were collected. The puerpera was randomly divided into train set ( n=4 290) and validation set ( n=1 838). The factors influencing the conversion to cesarean section in primiparous women with failed vaginal trial of labor were analyzed with univariate and binary multivariate logistic regression, and a risk prediction model was established based on the influencing factors. The predictive power of the model was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test in train set and validation set. Results:Among 6 128 pregnant women 1 042 cases failed in vaginal trial of labor and were transferred to cesarean section. Univariate analysis showed age, occupation, gestational weight gain, days of gestation, body temperature before delivery, fetal heart condition at delivery, fetal abdominal circumference, Bishop score, premature rupture of membranes, gestational illness, mode of induction of labor, labor analgesia, and fetal orientation were significantly associated with converting to cesarean delivery (all P<0.05). The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that the age, gestational weight gain, body temperature, gestational co-morbidities, days of gestation, premature rupture of membranes, amniotic fluid contamination, induction of labor, and abnormal occipital position were independent risk factors for intermediate cesarean delivery ( OR=1.03-8.06, all P<0.05); while height, occupation, Bishop score, and labor analgesia were protective factors for intermediate cesarean delivery ( OR=0.17-0.96, all P<0.05). A risk prediction model was constructed based on the risk factors and protective factors. In train set, the area under the ROC curve(AUC) of the model was 0.902 (95% CI: 0.89-0.92, P<0.001), with the best cutoff value of 0.138, the sensitivity and specificity were 0.837 and 0.825, respectively; and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed P=0.192. In validation set the AUC of the model was 0.917 (95% CI: 0.90-0.93, P<0.001), and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.826 and 0.851, respectively; the total correct rate of the model was 87.21% (1 603/1 838). Conclusion:The risk prediction model of failed vaginal trial of labor in primiparous women for intermediate cesarean delivery constructed in this study has good clinical prediction efficacy and high correctness rate.

BACKGROUND: Changes in thyroid hormone levels are commonly recognized characters among the elderly, which were reported to potentially influence incident frailty. Therefore, we examined the cross-sectional associations of thyroid hormones (THs) with frailty as well as the five components characterizing frailty (fatigue, resistance, ambulation, number of illnesses, and loss of weight) among the oldest-old. METHODS: Four hundred and eighty-seven community-dwelling oldest-old from a local community in Haidian District, Beijing, participated in our recruitment campaign between April 2019 and May 2020. The primary outcomes were a definitive diagnosis of frailty according to the FRAIL scale (Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses, Loss of weight) and a positive score for each frailty subdomain. Demographic information (age, sex, marital status, and educational status), comorbidities, and details on the participants' lifestyles were recorded. Serum THs including free triiodothyronin (fT3), triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (fT4), and thyroxine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were also measured at the beginning of our study. Logistic regressions were conducted to screen for potential risk factors for frailty and its subdomains. RESULTS: Among the total 487 subjects at enrollment, 60 (12.23%) of them were diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism and 110 (22.59%) of the total population scored positive for frailty. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for all potential confounders, showed that frailty was significantly associated with the serum TSH concentration (odds ratio [OR]: 1.06), fT3 concentration (OR: 0.54), and subclinical hypothyroidism score (OR: 2.18). The association between fT4 and frailty was absent in our observational study. The fT3/fT4 ratio characterizing peripheral hormone conversion was also tested to be correlated with frailty. CONCLUSION Subclinical hypothyroidism, higher TSH level, lower fT3 level, and decreased fT3/fT4 ratio were all associated with frailty assessed by the FRAIL scale among the community-dwelling oldest-old, suggesting a relevant role of thyroid function in aging. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to determine the casual relationship between thyroid dysfunction and frailty in the oldest-old.
Humans ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aged ; Thyroxine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Thyrotropin ; Frailty ; Independent Living ; Triiodothyronine ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Hormones ; Hypothyroidism ; Fatigue

Objective:To study the expression and significance of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in neonatal sepsis.Methods:Prospective research were used in this study. Term infants with neonatal sepsis hospitalized for the first time in the Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University from June 2020 to November 2020 were selected as the sepsis group. According to a ratio of about 1∶1, term infants with mild hyperbilirubinemia who were admitted in the same period, with gestational age difference less than 1 week from those in the sepsis group, and whose parents agreed to participate in the study were selected as the control group. On admission, clinical data as well as blood samples of the two groups were collected. Levels of NETs marker citrulline histone H3-DNA (CitH3-DNA) were detected by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was tested by the fluorescence microplate reader. General data, white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil count (NE), platelet (PLT), C- reactive protein (CRP), blood culture, CitH3-DNA and cfDNA were compared between the two groups. The diagnostic value of CITH3-DNA and cfDNA in neonatal septicemia was analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:A total of 74 infants were included in the study, including 39 cases in the sepsis group and 35 cases in the control group. CitH3-DNA and cfDNA in the sepsis group were significantly higher than those in the control group [CitH3-DNA (optical density): 0.85±0.05 vs. 0.48±0.03, cfDNA (mg/L): 0.90±0.05 vs. 0.56±0.03] ( P<0.01). There was no significant correlation between CitH3-DNA and cfDNA. The level of CitH3-DNA had no correlation with gender, gestational age, age, birth weight, WBC, NE, PLT and CRP ( P>0.05). cfDNA was positively correlated with age and NE ( P<0.05), and negatively correlated with PLT ( P<0.05). Combined with CRP, the area under the ROC curve of CitH3-DNA+CRP, cfDNA+CRP, and CitH3-DNA+cfDNA+CRP were 0.947, 0.947 and 0.970 respectively, and the sensitivity to predict neonatal sepsis were 92.3%, 84.6% and 94.9% respectively, the specificity were 94.3%, 97.1% and 100% respectively, all higher than the predictive value of each index alone. Conclusions:The plasma NETs levels increase significantly in neonatal sepsis patients, especially CitH3-DNA with a strong specificity, and can be considered as a biomarker for early diagnosis of neonatal sepsis. NETs together with CRP, could drastically improve the predictive value of neonatal sepsis.

Objective:To investigate cases of delayed lactation initiation in women with transvaginal delivery and the influencing factors, in order to provide a basis for effective control of delayed lactation initiation and promotion of breastfeeding.Methods:Inpatients who were admitted to the obstetric ward of Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from November 6, 2020 to January 16, 2021 were selected for the study using convenience sampling method and investigated by general information questionnaire and Chindbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors influencing delayed lactation initiation.Results:The incidence of delayed lactation initiation in 622 women with transvaginal delivery was 38.75% (241/622). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that age 20-35 years, full-term delivery, labor and delivery, use of labor analgesia, and good experience of transvaginal delivery were protective factors for delayed lactation initiation ( OR values were 0.012 to 0.868, all P<0.05); age >35 years, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, presence of pregnancy complications, use of induction of labor during delivery, long labor process, and damage to perineal skin after delivery were risk factors for delayed lactation initiation ( OR values were 1.097 to 13.235, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The high incidence of delayed lactation initiation in women with transvaginal delivery is influenced by a number of factors, which reminds the clinic that lactation in women after transvaginal delivery also needs to be taken into account, with priority assessment and prevention for those who are elderly (age≥35 years), primiparous, have other diseases during pregnancy, have gained too much weight during pregnancy, have preterm delivery, have a long duration of labor, have not received labor analgesia, have had a single or combined induction of labor, have had an episiotomy or perineal laceration during labor, and have a poor transvaginal delivery experience.

Objective:To analyze the molecular characteristics of Echovirus 11 (Echo11) strains isolated in Xiangyang, Hubei Province from 2016 to 2017 based on the sequences of VP1 gene.Methods:Rectal and throat swab specimens were collected from children with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in Xiangyang from 2016 to 2017. Echo11 strains were detected by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) and isolated after cultured in human rhabdosarcoma (RD) cells. The VP1 regions of Echo11 strains isolated from RD cells and the whole genomes of three representative Echo11 strains were amplified by conventional RT-PCR and the sequences were analyzed. DNAStar7.0 (MegAlign) and MEGA6.0 (Data) were used to analyze the homology and mutation sites in nucleotide and amino acid sequences. Neighbor-joining method was used to construct phylogenetic trees. Recombination analysis was performed with SimPlot software (BootScanning).Results:A total of 11 Echo11 strains were isolated from 3 494 HFMD cases, accounting for 0.31%. They were highly homologous in the VP1 gene. These strains shared 98.4%-100.0% homology in nucleotide sequences and 98.3%-100.0% homology in amino acid sequences. The homology between the 11 Echo11 strains and the prototype strain (Echo11/Gregory, X80059) was 73.9%-74.8% in nucleotide sequences and 87.7%-88.7% in amino acid sequences. All of the Echo11 strains circulating in Xiangyang were classified into lineage D, having a similarity to the strains circulating in some regions of mainland China since 2013. In multiple regions of the genome, the Echo11 strains isolated in Xiangyang were highly similar to the Henan Echo1 strains in 2010 and the Hubei Echo6 strains in 2015, suggesting there was recombination within the genome of Echo11 strains in Xiangyang.Conclusions:The Echo11 strains circulating in Xiangyang from 2016 to 2017 belonged to lineage D and were recombinant strains.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum vitamin D level in human body and Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) genitourinary tract infection. Methods This study enrolled 174 outpa-tients (male: 95, female: 79, 20-49 years) infected with Ct and 380 healthy subjects (male: 211, female:169, 20-49 years) in Tianjin from November 1, 2016 to March 15, 2017. Blood samples were collected from all subjects after fasting overnight and the time points for sample collection in the Ct infection group were before and after a course of antibiotic treatment. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25-(OH)D] levels were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PCR assay was used to assess the recovery in those patients one month after a course of treatment. Two case-control studies were respectively conducted, in which 161 patients and 161 healthy subjects as well as 41 uncured patients and 41 cured patients were randomly selected and matched for gender and age. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS19. 0. Re-sults The two case-control studies showed that vitamin D deficiency was a risk factor for both Ct genital tract infection and poor efficacy, of which the adjusted ORs were 2. 281 (95％ CI: 1. 438, 3. 619) and 7. 266 (95％ CI: 2. 551, 21. 036). Among all subjects aged 20-39, male patients had lower 25-(OH)D level in serum than healthy men [(40. 10±17. 93) nmol/ L vs (53. 72±18. 00) nmol/ L, P< 0. 01] and fe-male patients also had lower 25-(OH)D level in serum than healthy women [(35. 71±19. 99) nmol/ L vs (45. 42±16. 08) nmol/ L, P<0. 01]. The levels of 25-(OH)D in uncured male and female patients were re-spectively lower than those in cured male and female patients [(30. 50±14. 53) nmol/ L vs (41. 32±17. 24) nmol/ L; (29. 47±16. 66) nmol/ L vs (41. 37±21. 03) nmol/ L; both P<0. 05]. Conclusion Vitamin D deficiency related to Ct infection in human genitourinary tract and poor prognosis. Lower serum vitamin D levels might increase the risk of Ct genitourinary tract infection and reduce the efficacy of treatment.

Objective: To investigate the effect of bilirubin on inflammatory signaling pathway mediated by NOD-like receptor 2(NOD2) in premature infants. Methods: Fifteen cases of premature infants hospitalized at the Department of Neonatology, Children′s Hospital of Soochow University from April 2016 to January 2017, were selected, and 2 mL peripheral blood were collected from 15 cases of premature infants, and the mononuclear cells were isolated and divided into 6 groups, including blank control group (group A), muramyl dipeptide(MDP) group (group B), 102 μmol/L bilirubin group(group C), 102 μmol/L bilirubin+ MDP group (group D), 153 μmol/L bilirubin+ MDP group (group E), 255 μmol/L bilirubin+ MDP group (group F). Group A and group B were stimulated by buffer, group C, group D, group E and group F were stimulated by 102 μmol/L, 102 μmol/L, 153 μmol/L, 255 μmol/L bilirubin, respectively.The supernatant was discarded after 1 h, then the medium was added to group A and group C, and the rest of the 4 groups were agonisted with MDP, the cells were stimulated for 24 h, and then the cells and supernatant fluids were collected respectively, the expression levels of NOD2 mRNA in the cells were determinated by real time-PCR, and the expression levels interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the supernatant was determinated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The expression levels of NOD2 mRNA had no obvious changes after being stimulated by MDP or by different concentrations of bilirubin(7.16±3.08, 6.19±1.99, 7.02±4.04, 6.84±1.81) compared to those of the blank control group(7.46±3.70)(all P>0.05). After being stimulated by MDP, the expression level of IL-6 (5.13±2.36)was significantly higher than that of the blank control group(3.84±1.44), and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05), but TNF-α had no obvious changes(4.85±2.47 vs.4.04±2.26, P>0.05). The expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α had no obvious changes compared to those of the blank control group after being stimulated by 102 μmol/L bilirubin(3.26±1.06 vs.3.84±1.44, 3.45±1.84 vs.4.04±2.26, all P>0.05); but the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly lower after 153 μmol/L and 255 μmol/L bilirubin stimulation (IL-6: 2.58±1.33, 2.16±0.94; TNF-α: 2.32±1.49, 2.42±1.42)compared to those of the blank control group(3.84±1.44, 4.04±2.26), and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). Conclusions Bilirubin have no obvious inhibitory effect on NOD2, and low concentration of bilirubin had no obvious inhibitory effect on IL-6 or TNF-α in this study, but high concentration of bilirubin can inhibit the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, hyperbilirubin may inhibit the ability of anti-infection immune response in body by inhibiting inflammatory signaling pathway mediated by NOD2.