To report 7 Chinese children with characteristic hyperpigmented macules on the forehead and temples. Among the 7 cases, there were 2 males and 5 females, with the age at onset ranging from 9 to 24 months (12.43 ± 5.32 months), and the disease duration being 1 - 4 months (2.57 ± 1.27 months). Skin examination revealed that the children presented with varying numbers of irregular brown macules and patches scattered on their foreheads and temples, without obvious desquamation. Dermoscopic examination revealed multiple yellowish-brown patches with irregular borders, and linear vessels were observable in some skin lesions. A diagnosis of acquired facial hyperpigmented macules was made in these children. The children received no treatment. After 2 years of follow-up, hyperpigmented macules completely subsided in 2 cases and regressed to varying degrees in 4 cases, while 1 case exhibited no changes in the skin lesions. Considering the literature and the cases discussed in this article, it is hypothesized that acquired facial hyperpigmented macules in young children may represent an independent condition.

Objective:To explore the value of serum inflammation-related indicators in predicting the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative disease-free survival (DFS) of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with axillary lymph node metastasis.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The data of 99 TNBC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis who underwent surgery after EC-T regimen (sequential docetaxel followed by epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) neoadjuvant chemotherapy at Suzhou Municipal Hospital and Xiangcheng People's Hospital from June 2016 to May 2022 were collected. All patients were required to collect peripheral blood samples within one week prior to puncture, and platelet, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were analyzed using the blood analyzer. C-reactive protein level was analyzed using the fully automated biochemical analyzer, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and immune inflammatory index (SII) were further calculated. Patients were divided into pathological complete remission (pCR) group and non-pCR group based on postoperative Miller Payne score, and the levels of various serum inflammation-related indicators before neoadjuvant chemotherapy were compared between the two groups; non-pCR patients were divided into high and low groups based on the median level of each indicator. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the postoperative DFS status of each group. The impact of serum inflammatory-related indicators before neoadjuvant chemotherapy on postoperative DFS of patients was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards model for univariate and multivariate analyses.Results:The median age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 99 patients was 50 years old (39 years old, 64 years old); 47 cases were human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)-, 33 cases were HER2+, and 19 cases were HER2++ and fluorescence in situ hybridization-negative; there were 22 cases of pCR patients and 77 cases of non-pCR patients. Twenty-nine patients experienced recurrence or metastasis after surgery. The platelet count, PLR and SII of pCR group before neoadjuvant chemotherapy were lower than those of non-pCR group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Among non-pCR patients, the DFS of high lymphocyte count before neoadjuvant chemotherapy group was better than that of low lymphocyte count group, while the DFS of high CRP, NLR, PLR, and SII groups was worse than that of low CRP, NLR, PLR, and SII groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that lymphocyte count, NLR, PLR, CRP, and SII before neoadjuvant chemotherapy were all influencing factors for postoperative DFS in TNBC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that SII was an independent influencing factor for postoperative DFS in TNBC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy ( HR = 2.406, 95% CI: 1.147-5.617, P = 0.024). Conclusions:Serum inflammation-related indicators before neoadjuvant chemotherapy can serve as predictive factors for the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative DFS in TNBC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of ansa cervicalis anterior root-recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) anastomosis in the treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) and to analyze the effect of different pathogenic factors on efficacy.Methods:From January 2010 to January 2022, 428 patients (187 males and 241 females) at Changhai Hospital with UVFP who underwent ansa cervicalis anterior root-RLN anastomosis due to thyroid surgery, thoracic surgery, idiopathic vocal ford paralysis or high cranial base injury were analyzed. The course of nerve injury ranged from 6 to 24 months. Videostroboscopy, auditory perceptual evaluation parameters (GRBAS including Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain), Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10), acoustic analysis including Jitter, Shimmer and noise to harmonic ratio (NHR), maximum phonation time (MPT) and laryngeal electromyography were used to evaluate the surgery efficacy, and the therapeutic difference of the above 4 different etiology patients receiving the operation was compared. Data processing was performed using SPSS 26.0 statistical software, and Wilcoxon signed rank test was used. Kruskal Wallis one-way ANOVA was used for those with equal variance.Results:At 12 months after operation, the affected vocal ford position, vocal ford edge, glottal closure, symmetry and regularity of vocal ford vibration were significantly improved in all four groups ( P<0.01). G, R, B, A, S, VHI-10, Jitter, Shimmer and NHR were significantly lower than those before operation, while, MPT was significantly longer ( P<0.01). Also, the maximum voluntary motor unit recruitment (VMUR) in the affected thyroarytenoid muscles and posterior cricoarytenoid muscles was significantly improved after surgery ( P<0.01). However, the results of thyroid surgery group, thoracic surgery group and idiopathic vocal ford paralysis group were better than those of high cranial base injury group respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Ansa cervicalis anterior root-RLN anastomosis has an obvious efficacy on the recovery of phonatory function in UVFP patients with different causes, but the high cranial base injury is significantly worse than that of vocal ford paralysis caused by other causes.

Objective:To explore the value of serum inflammation-related indicators in predicting the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative disease-free survival (DFS) of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients with axillary lymph node metastasis.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The data of 99 TNBC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis who underwent surgery after EC-T regimen (sequential docetaxel followed by epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) neoadjuvant chemotherapy at Suzhou Municipal Hospital and Xiangcheng People's Hospital from June 2016 to May 2022 were collected. All patients were required to collect peripheral blood samples within one week prior to puncture, and platelet, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts were analyzed using the blood analyzer. C-reactive protein level was analyzed using the fully automated biochemical analyzer, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and immune inflammatory index (SII) were further calculated. Patients were divided into pathological complete remission (pCR) group and non-pCR group based on postoperative Miller Payne score, and the levels of various serum inflammation-related indicators before neoadjuvant chemotherapy were compared between the two groups; non-pCR patients were divided into high and low groups based on the median level of each indicator. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the postoperative DFS status of each group. The impact of serum inflammatory-related indicators before neoadjuvant chemotherapy on postoperative DFS of patients was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards model for univariate and multivariate analyses.Results:The median age [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of 99 patients was 50 years old (39 years old, 64 years old); 47 cases were human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)-, 33 cases were HER2+, and 19 cases were HER2++ and fluorescence in situ hybridization-negative; there were 22 cases of pCR patients and 77 cases of non-pCR patients. Twenty-nine patients experienced recurrence or metastasis after surgery. The platelet count, PLR and SII of pCR group before neoadjuvant chemotherapy were lower than those of non-pCR group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Among non-pCR patients, the DFS of high lymphocyte count before neoadjuvant chemotherapy group was better than that of low lymphocyte count group, while the DFS of high CRP, NLR, PLR, and SII groups was worse than that of low CRP, NLR, PLR, and SII groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that lymphocyte count, NLR, PLR, CRP, and SII before neoadjuvant chemotherapy were all influencing factors for postoperative DFS in TNBC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that SII was an independent influencing factor for postoperative DFS in TNBC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy ( HR = 2.406, 95% CI: 1.147-5.617, P = 0.024). Conclusions:Serum inflammation-related indicators before neoadjuvant chemotherapy can serve as predictive factors for the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and postoperative DFS in TNBC patients with axillary lymph node metastasis.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of ansa cervicalis anterior root-recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) anastomosis in the treatment of unilateral vocal fold paralysis (UVFP) and to analyze the effect of different pathogenic factors on efficacy.Methods:From January 2010 to January 2022, 428 patients (187 males and 241 females) at Changhai Hospital with UVFP who underwent ansa cervicalis anterior root-RLN anastomosis due to thyroid surgery, thoracic surgery, idiopathic vocal ford paralysis or high cranial base injury were analyzed. The course of nerve injury ranged from 6 to 24 months. Videostroboscopy, auditory perceptual evaluation parameters (GRBAS including Grade, Roughness, Breathiness, Asthenia, Strain), Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10), acoustic analysis including Jitter, Shimmer and noise to harmonic ratio (NHR), maximum phonation time (MPT) and laryngeal electromyography were used to evaluate the surgery efficacy, and the therapeutic difference of the above 4 different etiology patients receiving the operation was compared. Data processing was performed using SPSS 26.0 statistical software, and Wilcoxon signed rank test was used. Kruskal Wallis one-way ANOVA was used for those with equal variance.Results:At 12 months after operation, the affected vocal ford position, vocal ford edge, glottal closure, symmetry and regularity of vocal ford vibration were significantly improved in all four groups ( P<0.01). G, R, B, A, S, VHI-10, Jitter, Shimmer and NHR were significantly lower than those before operation, while, MPT was significantly longer ( P<0.01). Also, the maximum voluntary motor unit recruitment (VMUR) in the affected thyroarytenoid muscles and posterior cricoarytenoid muscles was significantly improved after surgery ( P<0.01). However, the results of thyroid surgery group, thoracic surgery group and idiopathic vocal ford paralysis group were better than those of high cranial base injury group respectively, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Ansa cervicalis anterior root-RLN anastomosis has an obvious efficacy on the recovery of phonatory function in UVFP patients with different causes, but the high cranial base injury is significantly worse than that of vocal ford paralysis caused by other causes.

Immunoscenescence plays a key role in the initiation and development of tumors. Furthermore, immunoscenescence also impacts drug delivery and cancer therapeutic efficacy. To reduce the impact of immunosenescence on anti-tumor therapy, this experimental plan aimed to use neutrophils with tumor tropism properties to deliver sialic acid (SA)-modified liposomes into the tumor, kill tumor cells via SA-mediated photochemotherapy, enhance infiltration of neutrophils into the tumor, induce immunogenic death of tumor cells with chemotherapy, enhance infiltration of CD8⁺ T cells into the tumor-draining lymph nodes and tumors of immunosenescent mice, and achieve SA-mediated photochemotherapy. We found that CD8⁺ T cell and neutrophil levels in 16-month-old mice were significantly lower than those in 2- and 8-month-old mice; 16-month-old mice exhibited immunosenescence. The anti-tumor efficacy of SA-mediated non-photochemotherapy declined in 16-month-old mice, and tumors recurred after scabbing. SA-mediated photochemotherapy enhanced tumor infiltration by CD8⁺ T cells and neutrophils, induced crusting and regression of tumors in 8-month-old mice, inhibited metastasis and recurrence of tumors and eliminated the immunosenescence-induced decline in antitumor therapeutic efficacy in 16-month-old mice via the light-heat-chemical-immunity conversion.

Objective:To assess the value of CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte counts for the diagnostic classification and prognosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods:A total of 95 COVID-19 adult patients admitted to Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University from January to March 2020 were recruited. The CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte counts among ordinary, severe and critical patients, as well among the cured, improved, unimproved and death patients were compared. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the value of CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte counts for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19. The comparison among groups was performed by Mann-Whitney U test. Results:A total of 95 COVID-19 cases including 68 common, 11 severe and 16 critical cases were enrolled. The counts of CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte of patients in common, severe and critical groups were 419 (309, 612), 267 (212, 540), 141 (77, 201)/μL, and 238 (153, 375), 128 (96, 172), 92 (51, 144)/μL, respectively, with significant differences ( Z=24.322 and 15.956, respectively, both P<0.01). The counts of CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte of the death, unimproved, improved, and cured patients were 149 (143, 349), 315 (116, 414), 344 (294, 426), 745 (611, 966)/μL, and 106 (43, 501), 176(67, 279), 194(188, 432), 429(276, 564)/μL, respectively, with significant differences ( Z=36.083 and 16.658, respectively, both P<0.01). The optimal cut-off point of CD4 + T-lymphocyte counts was 237/μL for critical COVID-19 with AUROC 0.911 (95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.833-0.989, P<0.01), with the sensitivity of 86.1% and specificity of 87.5%. For predicting severe and critical cases, the optimal cut-off point of CD4 + T-lymphocyte counts was 405/μL with AUROC 0.863 (95% CI 0.727-0.999, P=0.001), with the sensitivity of 78.6% and specificity of 74.6%. Conclusions:The conditions of patients with COVID-19 are aggravated with CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte counts decreasing. CD4 + T-lymphocyte counts may be an indicator for diagnostic classification of COVID-19 and prognostic indicator for severe and critical patients.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a recurrent disease with unknown etiology. Psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression and fear are commonly seen in IBD patients and seriously reduce the quality of life. Aims: To investigate the current status of fear of progression in patients with IBD and its relationship with the quality of life. Methods: IBD patients admitted to the Department of Gastroenterology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University from October 2020 to December 2020 were enrolled consecutively. The demographic data and clinical data on disease course and severity were collected. A questionnaire survey was conducted by using Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF) and the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Results: A total of 225 IBD patients were enrolled, including 146 cases of ulcerative colitis (UC) and 79 cases of Crohn's disease (CD). The mean score of FoP-Q-SF was 34.89±9.70. Using 34 points as the cut-off value, 53.3% of the IBD patients were identified as fear of progression. The FoP-Q-SF score in CD patients was significantly higher than that in UC patients (36.92±10.47 vs. 33.80±9.11, P<0.05). Fear of progression was positively correlated with the disease activity and severity in both UC and CD patients (all P<0.05), whereas age was negatively correlated with fear of progression (P<0.05). In patients with FoP-Q-SF score equal or greater than 34 points, scores of 5 health concepts of SF-36 scale, including physical functioning, role-physical, role-emotional, mental health, and general health were significantly lower than those with FoP-Q-SF score less than 34 points (all P<0.05). In addition, the quality of life was also affected by age, education level and length of disease course. Conclusions: Fear of progression is prevalent in IBD patients and may affect the quality of life, and is correlated with disease type (UC/CD), age and activity and severity of the disease.

Objective:To explore influence on physical development of children aged 18 months from HIV-positive mothers for prevention mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and provide evidence for the improvement PMTCT program.Methods:This retrospective case control study was conducted in 554 HIV negative infants aged 18 months whose HIV positive mothers had received PMTCT services reported through PMTCT system database from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2017 and 1 109 healthy infants born in 2017, whose mothers were healthy, in Lingshan, Luzhai, and Hengxian counties, ranking top three counties with high HIV infection prevalence, in Guangxi. PMTCT data and physical development data such as height, weight and head circumference of children aged 18 months were collected. The physical dysplasia in the infants was defined as at least one of the three main indicators of height, weight and head circumference below the normal range.Results:The number of HIV-positive mother and their infants in the case group were 667 and 554 respectively, and the PMTCT rates were 91.15 % (608/667) and 96.57 % (535/554) respectively. HIV positive rate, mortality rate and mother to child transmission rate of the infants aged 18 months were 1.44 % (8/554), 3.07 % (17/554) and 1.91 % (8/418) respectively, and the physical examination results of the infants aged 18 months showed that the physical dysplasia rate was 30.51 % (169/554). Among the 1 109 infants in the control group, the physical dysplasia rate was 9.83 % (109/1 109). The difference between the case group and the control group was significant ( P<0.01). Conclusion:The PMTCT rates of HIV positive mother and their children were more than 90.00 %, respectively. However, poor physical development rate of infants aged 18 months were more than 30.00 %. The possible influence of PMTCT on physical development of the infants aged 18 months of HIV positive mother’s needs to be further studied.

Objective:To explore the current status and influencing factors of alexithymia among elderly stroke patients.Methods:From August 2017 to April 2018, we investigated 200 elderly stroke inpatients in Neurology Department at a ClassⅢ Grade A hospital in Henan with the self-designed General Information Questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale 20 (TAS-20) , Social Support Rate Score (SSRS) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) .Results:Among those stroke patients, the score of alexithymia was (67.42±9.13) and the incidence rate was 51%, which was mainly manifested in extroverted thinking and recognition emotional disorders. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that the main influencing factors of alexithymia in elderly stroke patients were the age, hemiplegia, aphasia, social support and depression, which could explain 50.6% of the variation in alexithymia.Conclusions:Alexithymia of elderly stroke patients needs to be improved. While providing nursing care for elderly stroke patients, clinical nursing workers and family members of patients should pay attention to patients' emotional expression, thinking style and depression, especially for patients with advanced age, hemiplegia, aphasia, loss of self-care ability and so on. On the other hand, social support can also be used to improve patients' alexithymia so as to reduce complications, improve clinical outcomes and their quality of life.