Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of children with head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and to summarize the mid-long term efficacy of Beijing Children′s Hospital Rhabdomyosarcoma 2006 (BCH-RMS-2006) regimen and China Children′s Cancer Group Rhabdomyosarcoma 2016 (CCCG-RMS-2016) regimen.Methods:A retrospective cohort study. Clinical data of 137 children with newly diagnosed head and neck RMS at Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from March 2013 to December 2021 were collected. Clinical characteristic of patients at disease onset and the therapeutic effects of patients treated with the BCH-RMS-2006 and CCCG-RMS-2016 regimens were compared. The treatments and outcomes of patients with recurrence were also summarized. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-Rank test was used for comparison of survival rates between groups.Results:Among 137 patients, there were 80 males (58.4%) and 57 females (41.6%), the age of disease onset was 59 (34, 97) months. The primary site in the orbital, non-orbital non-parameningeal, and parameningeal area were 10 (7.3%), 47 (34.3%), and 80 (58.4%), respectively. Of all patients, 32 cases (23.4%) were treated with the BCH-RMS-2006 regimen and 105 (76.6%) cases were treated with the CCCG-RMS-2016 regimen. The follow-up time for the whole patients was 46 (20, 72) months, and the 5-year progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates for the whole children were (60.4±4.4)% and (69.3±4.0)%, respectively. The 5-year OS rate was higher in the CCCG-RMS-2016 group than in BCH-RMS-2006 group ((73.0±4.5)% vs. (56.6±4.4)%, χ2=4.57, P=0.029). For the parameningeal group, the 5-year OS rate was higher in the CCCG-RMS-2016 group (61 cases) than in BCH-RMS-2006 group (19 cases) ((57.3±7.6)% vs. (32.7±11.8)%, χ2=4.64, P=0.031). For the group with meningeal invasion risk factors, the 5-year OS rate was higher in the CCCG-RMS-2016 group (54 cases) than in BCH-RMS-2006 group (15 cases) ((57.7±7.7)% vs. (30.0±12.3)%, χ2=4.76, P=0.029). Among the 10 cases of orbital RMS, there was no recurrence. In the non-orbital non-parameningeal RMS group (47 cases), there were 13 (27.6%) recurrences, after re-treatment, 7 cases survived. In the parameningeal RMS group (80 cases), there were 40 (50.0%) recurrences, with only 7 cases surviving after re-treatment. Conclusions:The overall prognosis for patients with orbital and non-orbital non-parameningeal RMS is good. However, children with parameningeal RMS have a high recurrence rate, and the effectiveness of re-treatment after recurrence is poor. Compared with the BCH-RMS-2006 regimen, the CCCG-RMS-2016 regimen can improve the treatment efficacy of RMS in the meningeal region.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) on podocyte injury of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and reveal its potential mechanism. METHODS: In in vitro experiment, podocytes were divided into 4 groups, normal, high glucose (HG), inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE-1) α activator (HG+thapsigargin 1 µmol/L), and IRE-1α inhibitor (HG+STF-083010, 20 µmol/L) groups. Additionally, podocytes were divided into 4 groups, including normal, HG, AS-IV (HG+AS-IV 20 µmol/L), and IRE-1α inhibitor (HG+STF-083010, 20 µmol/L) groups, respectively. After 24 h treatment, the morphology of podocytes and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was observed by electron microscopy. The expressions of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and IRE-1α were detected by cellular immunofluorescence. In in vivo experiment, DN rat model was established via a consecutive 3-day intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) injections. A total of 40 rats were assigned into the normal, DN, AS-IV [AS-IV 40 mg/(kg·d)], and IRE-1α inhibitor [STF-083010, 10 mg/(kg·d)] groups (n=10), respectively. The general condition, 24-h urine volume, random blood glucose, urinary protein excretion rate (UAER), urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine (SCr) levels of rats were measured after 8 weeks of intervention. Pathological changes in the renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of GRP78, IRE-1α, nuclear factor kappa Bp65 (NF-κBp65), interleukin (IL)-1β, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, gasdermin D-N (GSDMD-N), and nephrin at the mRNA and protein levels in vivo and in vitro, respectively. RESULTS: Cytoplasmic vacuolation and ER swelling were observed in the HG and IRE-1α activator groups. Podocyte morphology and ER expansion were improved in AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups compared with HG group. Cellular immunofluorescence showed that compared with the normal group, the fluorescence intensity of GRP78 and IRE-1α in the HG and IRE-1α activator groups were significantly increased whereas decreased in AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups (P<0.05). Compared with the normal group, the mRNA and protein expressions of GRP78, IRE-1α, NF-κ Bp65, IL-1β, NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD-N in the HG group was increased (P<0.05). Compared with HG group, the expression of above indices was decreased in the AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups, and the expression in the IRE-1α activator group was increased (P<0.05). The expression of nephrin was decreased in the HG group, and increased in AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups (P<0.05). The in vivo experiment results revealed that compared to the normal group, the levels of blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, BUN, blood creatinine and urinary protein in the DN group were higher (P<0.05). Compared with DN group, the above indices in AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups were decreased (P<0.05). HE staining revealed glomerular hypertrophy, mesangial widening and mesangial cell proliferation in the renal tissue of the DN group. Compared with the DN group, the above pathological changes in renal tissue of AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups were alleviated. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot results of GRP78, IRE-1α, NF-κ Bp65, IL-1β, NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD-N were consistent with immunofluorescence analysis. CONCLUSION AS-IV could reduce ERS and inflammation, improve podocyte pyroptosis, thus exerting a podocyte-protective effect in DN, through regulating IRE-1α/NF-κ B/NLRP3 signaling pathway.
Podocytes/metabolism* ; Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies/metabolism* ; Saponins/therapeutic use* ; Triterpenes/therapeutic use* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Endoribonucleases/metabolism* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP ; Rats ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/complications* ; Endoplasmic Reticulum/metabolism* ; Multienzyme Complexes

OBJECTIVE: To assess health equity in the Yangtze River region to improve understanding of the correlation between hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and socioeconomic factors. METHODS: From 2014-2016, data on HFMD incidence, population statistics, economic indicators, and meteorology from 26 cities along the Yangtze River were analyzed. A multi-city random-effects meta-analysis was performed to study the relationship between temperature and HFMD transmission, and health equity was assessed with respect to socio-economic impact. RESULTS: Over the study period, 919,458 HFMD cases were reported, with Shanghai (162,303) having the highest incidence and Tongling (5,513) having the lowest. Males were more commonly affected (male-to-female ratio, 1.49:1). The exposure-response relationship had an M-shaped curve, with two HFMD peaks occurring at 4 °C and 26 °C. The relative risk had two peaks at 1.30 °C (1.834, 95% CI: 1.204-2.794) and 31.4 °C (1.143, 95% CI: 0.901-1.451), forming an M shape, with the first peak higher than the second. The most significant impact of temperature on HFMD was observed between -2 °C and 18.1 °C. The concentration index (0.2463) indicated moderate concentration differences, whereas the Theil index (0.0418) showed low inequality in distribution. CONCLUSION The incidence of HFMD varied across cities, particularly with changes in temperature. Economically prosperous areas showed higher risks, indicating disparities. Targeted interventions in these areas are crucial for mitigating the risk of HFMD.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; China/epidemiology* ; Cities/epidemiology* ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease/transmission* ; Incidence ; Risk Factors ; Temperature

Objective:To analyze the types of genetic variants and clinical characteristics of three Chinese pedigrees affected with Hereditary coagulation factor Ⅶ (FⅦ) deficiency.Methods:Three pedigrees who had visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between December 2021 and October 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and FⅦ activity (FⅦ: C) were measured in the three probands and their pedigree members. All exons and their flanking sequences were analyzed by direct sequencing, and candidate variants were verified by reverse sequencing. The corresponding variant loci in the family members were also analyzed. ClustalX-2.1-win was used to analyze the conservation of the variant loci. Varcards and Spcards online software was used to predict the pathogenicity of the variants. Pymol software was used to analyze the changes in protein structure and molecular forces.Results:Three cases of hereditary FⅦ deficiency were found to have decreased FⅦ: C, prolonged PT and normal APTT. Genetic analysis identified a total of four genetic variants, and all three probands had harbored compound heterozygous variants of the F7 gene, including p. Cys389Gly and p. His408Gln in proband 1, p. Cys389Gly and IVS6+ 1G>T in proband 2, and IVS6+ 1G>T and IVS1a+ 5G>A in proband 3. Conservation analysis showed that both the p. Cys389 and p. His408 loci are highly conserved among orthologous species. Analysis with Varcards and Spcards software showed that these variants were pathogenic. Protein modeling analysis showed that the p. Cys389Gly and p. His408Gln variants may result in altered protein structures and changes in hydrogen bonds. Conclusion:The clinical manifestations of the three FⅦ-deficient probands may be attributed to the compound heterozygous variants of p. Cys389Gly/p.His408Gln, p. Cys389Gly/ⅠⅤS6+ 1G>T and ⅠⅤS6+ 1G>T/ⅠⅤS1a+ 5G>A of the F7 gene. The combination of the three compound heterozygous variants was unreported previously.

The construction of a medication safety culture is important for medication safety management and rational drug use.The construction of medication safety culture standards is formulated based on relevant national policies and regulations,accreditation standards for hospitals,expert opinions,the current situation,and the development trend of the healthcare industry.With scientificity,general applicability,instructive guidance,and practicality,they standardized basic requirements,management processes,and improvement of the construction of medication safety culture.To facilitate understanding and the implementation of the standards,we describe the process of standards formulation and explain the key points of the standards.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Most chemical medicines have polymorphs. The difference of medicine polymorphs in physicochemical properties directly affects the stability, efficacy, and safety of solid medicine products. Polymorphs is incomparably important to pharmaceutical chemistry, manufacturing, and control. Meantime polymorphs is a key factor for the quality of high-end drug and formulations. Polymorph prediction technology can effectively guide screening of trial experiments, and reduce the risk of missing stable crystal form in the traditional experiment. Polymorph prediction technology was firstly based on theoretical calculations such as quantum mechanics and computational chemistry, and then was developed by the key technology of machine learning using the artificial intelligence. Nowadays, the popular trend is to combine the advantages of theoretical calculation and machine learning to jointly predict crystal structure. Recently, predicting medicine polymorphs has still been a challenging problem. It is expected to learn from and integrate existing technologies to predict medicine polymorphs more accurately and efficiently.

AIM To optimize the extraction process for Jigen Standard Decoction,and to establish its quality standard.METHODS With soaking time,water addition and first decoction time as influencing factors,comprehensive score for 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose content and yield rate as an evaluation index,the extraction process was optimized by response surface method on the basis of single factor test.The content and transfer rate of 3,6'-dimustayl sucrose were determined,after which HPLC characteristic chromatograms were established,cluster analysis,principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were performed.RESULTS The optimal conditions were determined to be 60 min for soaking time,(12+11)times for water addition,and(47+20)min for decoction time,the comprehensive score was 97.98.Fifteen batches of standard decoctions demonstrated the average yield rate and transfer rate of 14.182％and 20.468％,respectively,whose characteristic chromatograms existed six common peaks with the similarities of more than 0.9(except for S4,S8).Various batches of standard decoctions were clustered into two types,three principal components displayed the acumulative variance contribution rate of 91.4％,peaks 2,6 were quality markers.CONCLUSION This precise,stable and reproducible method can be used for the preparation and quality control of Jigen Standard Decoction.