Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and spatial-temporal clustering of varicella in Changchun City from 2020 to 2024, so as to provide the evidence for formulating local varicella prevention and control measures. Methods: The individual case data of varicella were collected through the Surveillance and Reporting Management System of the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System in Changchun City from 2020 to 2024. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the population ,regional, and temporal distribution. Spatial autocorrelation and spatio-temporal scanning analyses were used to identify the spatial-temporal clustering characteristics. Results: A total of 8 850 varicella cases were reported in Changchun City from 2020 to 2024, with an average annual incidence of 19.64/105. There were 4 929 male cases and 3 921 female cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.26∶1. The age was mainly 0-<20 years (6 649 cases, 75.13%), and students were the predominant occupation (6 036 cases, 68.20%). The top three counties (cities, districts) with the highest number of cases were Chaoyang District (1 944 cases), Gongzhuling City (1 054 cases) and Nanguan District (987 cases), accounting for 45.03%. The peak incidence periods were from April to June and from October to December, with 2 166 and 4 226 cases, accounting for 24.47% and 47.75%, respectively. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that spatial clustering existed from 2020 to 2024. The high-high clustering areas were mainly some townships (streets) in Chaoyang District, Nanguan District, Changchun New District and Jingyue District. Spatio-temporal scanning analysis identified 6 high-risk clustering areas. The class Ⅰ clustering area was Nanhu Street in Chaoyang District, with the clustering period from September 2020 to February 2022. Conclusions Varicella cases in Changchun City were mainly males and students aged 0-<20 years from 2020 to 2024. The peak incidence was mainly in winter. Chaoyang District was a high-risk area, with obvious spatial-temporal clustering.

Hepatitis E is a globally distributed infection that varies in seroprevalence between developed and developing regions.In the less developed regions of Asia and Africa,a high seropositivity rate has been reported for hepatitis E virus(HEV)antibodies.Although acute hepatitis E is often self-limited and has a favorable prognosis,some populations experience severe manifestations,which may progress to liver failure.Moreover,some immunocompromised patients are at risk of developing chronic HEV infection and cirrhosis.Proactive screening,reducing misdiagnosis,improving patient management,timely anti-viral therapy for severe and chronic cases,and vaccination of high-risk groups are important measures to reduce the morbidity of hepatitis E.This review focused on the clinical presentation,management,and prevention of hepatitis E.

Background and aim:Few studies have reported hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)kinetics after nucleos(t)ide analog(NA)discontinuation in patients with noncirrhotic chronic hepatitis B(CHB).The study specifically investigated long-term HBsAg kinetics after NA discontinuation. Methods:Between January 2014 to January 2024,this study prospectively enrolled 106 outpatients with noncirrhotic CHB who met the discontinuation criteria after NA consolidation treatment.Demographic,clinical,and laboratory data were collected and analyzed after NA discontinuation. Results:Ninety-six patients who finished 5 years of follow-up were included.HBsAg remained unde-tectable in 29 patients with end of treatment(EOT)HBsAg negativity.Among 67 patients with EOT HBsAg positivity,HBsAg seroclearance occurred in 12(17.9％)patients with an estimated annual inci-dence of HBsAg seroclearance of 3.6％.Patients with EOT HBsAg levels of ≤1000 IU/mL had a higher HBsAg seroclearance rate than those with EOT HBsAg levels of＞1000 IU/mL(33.3％vs.5.4％).The pro-portion of patients with HBsAg ≤1000 IU/mL increased during follow-up.Logistic regression analysis indicated that the EOT HBsAg level was an independent factor for HBsAg seroclearance and an HBsAg level decline exceeding 1 log10 IU/mL.The optimal EOT HBsAg cutoff for both HBsAg seroclearance and an HBsAg level decline exceeding 1 log10 IU/mL was 359 IU/mL. Conclusions:Patients with EOT HBsAg negativity experienced no relapse and maintained HBsAg sero-clearance during 5 years of follow-up after NA discontinuation.A higher HBsAg seroclearance rate can be obtained in patients with EOT HBsAg levels of ≤1000 IU/mL during 5 years of follow-up after NA discontinuation.Close monitoring and proper NA retreatment are recommended to guarantee the safety of NA discontinuation.

Objective:To investigate the morphological characteristics of coracoid process in different stages of temporomandibular joint osteoarthrosis (TMJOA), and to provide theoretical data for clinical and anatomic study.Methods:A total of 290 patients who were diagnosed with TMJOA in the Department of Temporomandibular Joint, Kunming Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology from January 2015 to February 2021 were collected, including 69 males and 221 females, with age of (35.1±13.7) years (16-69 years old), 64 cases of unilateral lesions (64 sides), and 226 cases of bilateral lesions (452 sides). According to the TMJOA X-ray staging standard put forward by Ma Xuchen in 2005, the affected joints were divided into stage Ⅰ (227 sides), stage Ⅱ (38 sides), stage Ⅲ (164 sides) and stage Ⅳ (87 sides). Twenty-six patients without clinical and imaging manifestations of temporomandibular disorders in the Department of Radiology, Kunming Medical University School and Hospital of Stomatology from October 2020 to June 2021 were selected as the control group, including 8 males and 18 females. The age was (34.3±13.9) years (17-60 years). The dicom data of each group were imported into Simplant Pro 11.04 software to measure the height of coracoid process, anteversion angle and the ratio of coracoid vertex to mandibular corner to condylar vertex to mandibular angle. R 3.6.1 was used to analyze the difference of the morphological characteristics of coracoid process between in the affected side of TMJOA and in the both sides of the control group, in the healthy side and the affected side of unilateral patients and in different stages of TMJOA.Results:The height of the coracoid process [(16.26±2.81) mm], the ratio of the coracoid process vertex-mandibular angle point and the condyle vertex-mandibular angle point distance [0.96(0.92,1.01)] on the affected side of TMJOA were significantly higher than those in the control group [(15.31±3.03) mm; 0.95(0.89, 0.99)] ( t=2.18, P=0.033; Z=2.87, P=0.004). There was no significant difference between the ante-version angle and the control group ( t=-1.37, P=0.176). The ratio of the distance between the apex of the coracoid process and the apex of the mandibular angle to the apex of the condyle and the angle of the mandible in the affected side of unilateral patients was significantly greater than that in the healthy side ( t=-3.46, P=0.001). There was no significant difference in coracoid height, coracoid anteversion angle and the healthy side ( t=-1.85, P=0.069; t=-0.06, P=0.955) in different periods. The intra-group analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the height of the coracoid process in different stages ( F=0.37, P=0.774). There was no significant difference in the ante-version angle of the coracoid process: stage Ⅰ, stage Ⅱ, and stage Ⅲ ( P>0.008), but all were significantly smaller than stage Ⅳ ( PⅠ-Ⅳ<0.001, PⅡ-Ⅳ=0.009, PⅢ-Ⅳ<0.001). The ratio of the distance between coracoid apex-mandibular angle and condyle apex-mandibular angle: there was no significant difference in stage Ⅰ, stage Ⅱ, and stage Ⅲ ( P>0.008), and stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅲ were significantly smaller than stage Ⅳ ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The coracoid height and the ratio of the coracoid apex-mandibular angle to the condyle apex-mandibular angle distance on the TMJOA side were significantly greater than those without temporomandibular joint disorders. The bone deposition was mainly concentrated in the upper and posterior part of the condyle. TMJOA had a certain correlation with the height of the coracoid process.

Background: and Purpose The rate of donepezil discontinuation and the underlying reasons for discontinuation in Asian patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine the treatment discontinuation rates in AD patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil in routine clinical practice in Asia. Methods: This 1-year observational study involved 38 institutions in seven Asian countries, and it evaluated 398 participants aged 50–90 years with a diagnosis of probable AD and on newly prescribed donepezil monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of donepezil discontinuation over 1 year. Secondary endpoints included the reason for discontinuation,treatment duration, changes in cognitive function over the 1-year study period, and compliance as assessed using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Donepezil was discontinued in 83 (20.9%) patients, most commonly due to an adverse event (43.4%). The mean treatment duration was 103.67 days in patients who discontinued. Among patients whose cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 1 year, there were no significant changes in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail-Making Test–Black and White scores, whereas the Clinical Dementia Rating score increased significantly (p<0.001). Treatment compliance at 1 year was 96.8% (306/316) on the CRS and 92.6±14.1% (mean±standard deviation) on the VAS. Conclusions In patients on newly prescribed donepezil, the primary reason for discontinuation was an adverse event. Cognitive assessments revealed no significant worsening at 1 year, indicating that continuous donepezil treatment contributes to the maintenance of cognitive function.

Background: and Purpose The rate of donepezil discontinuation and the underlying reasons for discontinuation in Asian patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are currently unknown. We aimed to determine the treatment discontinuation rates in AD patients who had newly been prescribed donepezil in routine clinical practice in Asia. Methods: This 1-year observational study involved 38 institutions in seven Asian countries, and it evaluated 398 participants aged 50–90 years with a diagnosis of probable AD and on newly prescribed donepezil monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of donepezil discontinuation over 1 year. Secondary endpoints included the reason for discontinuation,treatment duration, changes in cognitive function over the 1-year study period, and compliance as assessed using a clinician rating scale (CRS) and visual analog scale (VAS). Results: Donepezil was discontinued in 83 (20.9%) patients, most commonly due to an adverse event (43.4%). The mean treatment duration was 103.67 days in patients who discontinued. Among patients whose cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 1 year, there were no significant changes in scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Trail-Making Test–Black and White scores, whereas the Clinical Dementia Rating score increased significantly (p<0.001). Treatment compliance at 1 year was 96.8% (306/316) on the CRS and 92.6±14.1% (mean±standard deviation) on the VAS. Conclusions In patients on newly prescribed donepezil, the primary reason for discontinuation was an adverse event. Cognitive assessments revealed no significant worsening at 1 year, indicating that continuous donepezil treatment contributes to the maintenance of cognitive function.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of liver X receptor(LXR)-adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A1(ABCA1) signaling pathway on the free silica(SiO_2)-induced foaming of macrophages. METHODS: Human histiocytic lymphoma U937 cells were induced to differentiate into macrophages by phorbol myristate acetate. The macrophages at logarithmic growth phase were randomly divided into 4 groups: the cells in the control group received no treatment, the cells in the SiO_2 stimulation group were stimulated with SiO_2 suspension at a dose of 50 mg/L, and the cells in the oxidized low-density lipoprotein(ox-LDL) group were treated with ox-LDL at the dosed 50 mg/L, the cells in the combination group were simultaneously stimulated with SiO_2 suspension and ox-LDL at a dose of 50 mg/L. Cells were collected after 48 hours of culture. Macrophage foaming was observed by oil red O staining. The levels of total cholesterol(TC), free cholesterol(FC), cholesteryl ester(CE) and CE specific gravity(CE%) in macrophages were detected using a microplate reader. The expression of LXR and ABCA1 was detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The results of the oil red O staining showed that all the macrophages in the SiO_2 stimulation group, ox-LDL group and the combination group had foaming changes. The degree of foaming in the macrophages in the combination group was higher than that in the other two groups. The levels of TC, FC, CE and CE% in macrophages increased(P<0.05), and the protein relative expression of LXR and ABCA1 decreased(P<0.05), in SiO_2 stimulation group, ox-LDL group and combination group compared with the control group. The macrophages in the combination group were transformed into foam cells. The levels of TC, FC, CE and CE% in macrophages of the combination group increased(P<0.05), and the protein relative expression of LXR and ABCA1 decreased(P<0.05), compared with the SiO_2 stimulation group and the ox-LDL group. CONCLUSION:sFree SiO_2 can induce foaming of macrophages, and ox-LDL in combination with SiO_2 has a synergistic effect on the formation of foaming of macrophages.The process of macrophage foaming may be achieved by inhibiting the LXR-ABCA1 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preventive effect of rock salt aerosol on the development of silicosis in rats. METHODS: The specific pathogen free adult male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group, rock salt control group, silicosis model group and rock salt intervention group, 18 rats in each group. Rats in the silicosis model group and the salt rock intervention group were treated with silica dust at the concentration of 2 000.0 mg/m~3 by dynamic dusting method for 3 hours daily. Rats in the rock salt control group and the rock salt intervention group inhaled the rock salt aerosols with the mass concentration of 20.0 mg/m~3 for 30 minutes daily. The normal control group was not treated with the dust or rock salt aerosol. At the time points of 14, 28 and 56 days after exposure to dust or rock salt aerosol, 6 rats were randomly selected from each group and samples were collected. The pathological change of lung was observed, the total cell count in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) was performed, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the change of transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) in BALF, surfactant D(SP-D) and superoxide dismutase(SOD) in lung tissue. RESULTS: The results of hematoxylin-eosin and Masson staining showed that the inflammatory changes of lung tissue and the pulmonary interstitial fibrosis in the rock salt intervention group were less severer than that in the silicosis model group. At 14, 28, and 56 days after dust exposure, the total cell counts in BALF and SP-D levels in lung tissue of rats in silicosis model group and rock salt intervention group were higher(P<0.05), the SOD activities in lung tissue were lower(P<0.05), as well as the TGF-β levels in BALF in silicosis model group were higher(P<0.05),compared with the normal control group and rock salt control group. The total cell counts and TGF-β levels in BALF, and SP-D levels in lung tissue of rock salt intervention group were lower(P<0.05), the SOD activities in lung tissue were higher(P<0.05), compared with the silicosis model group. CONCLUSION: Rock salt aerosol intervention may delay the pathogenesis of silicosis by improving the inflammatory response, regulating oxidative stress and reducing interstitial fibrosis of lungs.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of cyclophilin A in the foaming process of macrophages induced by free silica( SiO_2). METHODS: The human peripheral blood mononuclear cell THP-1 in the logarithmic growth phase was induced and differentiated into human macrophages with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate at 100 μg/L for 48 hours. The cells were divided into 4 groups. The cells in the blank control group were not treated. The cells in the oxidized low-density lipoprotein( ox-LDL) control group were treated with a final concentration of 50 mg/L ox-LDL. The cells of 50 mg/L SiO_2 group were treated with 50 mg/L of SiO_2 and ox-LDL. The cells of 100 mg/L SiO_2 group were treated with 100 mg/L of SiO_2 and 50 mg/L of ox-LDL. After treatment of cells for 48 h,cell viability was measured by MTS method. The lipid accumulation of cells was observed by oil red O staining and colorimetric method; the expression of cyclophilin A in cell supernatant was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and the expression of cyclophilin A in the cells was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: The cell viability was the highest when the concentration of SiO_2 was 100 mg/L compared with the control and other four SiO_2groups( P < 0. 01). The cell foaming change in the 100 mg/L SiO_2 group observed by oil red O staining significantly increased compared with the blank control group. The expression of total cholesterol,free cholesterol increased in the ox-LDL control group,50 mg/L SiO_2 group and 100 mg/L SiO_2group( P <0. 05),and the cholesterol specific gravity increased( P < 0. 05) compared with the blank control group,meanwhile the expression of cyclophilin A in the cell supernatant increased( P < 0. 05),and the expression in the macrophages cells decreased( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: Cyclophilin A is involved in the foaming process of macrophages induced by SiO_2.