OBJECTIVES: To explore the value of serum cystatin C (CysC) levels in evaluating renal prognosis in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinical data of IgAN patients diagnosed by renal biopsy at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from January, 2014 to December, 2018. Based on baseline serum CysC levels, the patients were divided into high serum CysC (>1.03 mg/L) group and normal serum CysC (≤1.03 mg/L) group. The composite endpoint for poor renal prognosis was defined as ≥50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and/or progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Lasso regression, multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used to identify the risk factors and compare renal survival rates between the two groups. Smooth curves fitting and threshold effect analysis were used to explore the relationship between serum CysC levels and the outcomes. A nomogram model was constructed and its predictive performance was evaluated using concordance index, calibration curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under curve (AUC). RESULTS: A total of 356 IgAN patients were enrolled, who were followed up for 4.65±0.93 years. The composite endpoint occurred in 74 patients. High serum CysC was identified as an independent risk factor for poor renal prognosis in IgAN (HR=2.142, 95% CI 1.222 to 3.755), and the patients with high serum CysC levels had a lower renal survival rate (Log-rank χ²=47.970, P<0.001). In patients with serum CysC below 2.12 mg/L, a higher CysC level was associated with an increased risk of poor renal prognosis (β=3.487, 95% CI: 2.561-4.413, P<0.001), while above this level, the increase of the risk was not significant (β=0.676, 95% CI: -0.642-1.995, P=0.315). The nomogram model based on serum CysC and 3 other independent risk factors demonstrated good internal validity with a concordance index of 0.873 (95% CI: 0.839-0.907) and an AUC of 0.909 (95% CI: 0.873-0.945). CONCLUSIONS Serum CysC levels are associated with renal prognosis in IgAN patients, and high serum CysC an independent risk factor for poor renal prognosis.
Humans ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA/diagnosis* ; Cystatin C/blood* ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Nomograms ; Middle Aged

Background The tobacco epidemic as one of the most serious public health problems in the world contributes great harm to human health. It is urgent to develop tobacco control strategy. Civil servants' behaviors as a role model for society have a great influence on the rest of society. Thus, it is important to promote tobacco control program on helping civil servants to quit smoking. Objective To understand the smoking and second-hand smoking exposures status, the awareness of knowledge of tobacco hazards, and the attitudes to tobacco control policies of civil servants in Minhang District, Shanghai. Furthermore, to explore the related strategies and measures for tobacco control, to provide a basis for the development and revision of relevant intervention measures and policies. Methods A total of 20 government agencies with newly installed smoking-free programs from 10 subdistricts and towns in Minhang District, including Xinzhuang, Wujing, Maqiao, Qibao, Meilong, Hongqiao, Zhuanqiao, Jiangchuan, Gumei, and Xinhong were selected as study sites.A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate all civil servants (n=801) of selected agencies. The questionnaire included general characteristics, smoking and second-hand smoking exposure status, knowledge of tobacco hazard, and attitudes to tobacco control policies. Results A total of 794 civil servants returned valid questionnaires. The awareness rate of tobacco hazards in the smoking group was lower than that in the non-smoking group (P<0.05). Relatively high smoking rates were reported in those being male (17.08%), age ≥51 years old (25.61%), divorced or widowed (12.50%), technical secondary school or below education level (22.81%), having more than 10 years of working years (11.57%), being willing to dissuade indoor smoking (24.54%), having no punishment or warning measures for violation of smoking regulations in workplaces (18.37%), and having no dedicated smoking spot at home (15.38%). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age 31-40 years old (OR=3.446, 95%CI: 1.236-9.609) and to avoid confronting indoor smoking (OR=3.686, 95%CI: 1.041-13.049) were risk factors for smoking in civil servants. Conclusion Civil servants aged 31-40 years old who deliberately avoid confronting indoor smoking behaviors are the key intervention population of smoking control in Minhang District, Shanghai.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic performance of MRI Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2018 in high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with intrahepatic parenchymal substantial lesions ≤3.0 cm.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted in hospitals between September 2014 to April 2020. 131 pathologically confirmed non-HCC cases with lesions ≤3.0 cm in diameter were randomly matched with 131 cases with lesions ≤3.0 cm in diameter and divided into benign (56 cases), other hepatic malignant tumor (OM, 75 cases), and HCC group (131 cases) in a 1:1 ratio. MRI features of the lesions were analyzed and classified according to LI-RADS v2018 criteria (tie-break rule was applied to lesions with both HCC and LR-M features). Taking the pathological results as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the LI-RADS v2018 classification criteria and the more stringent LR-5 criteria (with three main signs of HCC at the same time) were calculated for HCC, OM or benign lesions diagnosis. Mann -Whitney U test was used to compare the classification results. Results:The number of cases classified as LR-M, LR-1, LR-2, LR-3, LR-4, and LR-5 in HCC group after applying the tie-break rule were 14, 0, 0, 12, 28, and 77, respectively. There were 40, 0, 0, 4, 17, 14 and 8, 5, 1, 26, 13, 3 cases in benign and OM group, respectively. There were 41 (41/77), 4 (4/14) and 1 (1/3) lesion case in the HCC, OM and benign group, respectively, that met the more stringent LR-5 criteria. The sensitivity of LR-4 combined with LR-5 (LR-4/5) criteria, LR-5 criteria and more stringent LR-5 criteria for HCC diagnosis were 80.2% (105/131), 58.8% (77/131) and 31.3% (41/131), respectively, and the specificity were 64.1% (84/131), 87.0% (114/131) and 96.2% (126/131), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of LR-M were 53.3% (40/75) and 88.2% (165/187), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity using LR-1 combined with LR-2 (LR-1/2) criteria for the diagnosis of benign liver lesions were 10.7% (6/56) and 100% (206/206), respectively.Conclusions:LR-1/2, LR-5, and LR-M criteria have high diagnostic specificity for intrahepatic lesions with a diameter of ≤3.0 cm. Lesions classified as LR-3 are more likely to be benign. The specificity of LR-4/5 criteria is low, while the more stringent LR-5 criteria has a high specificity for HCC diagnosis.

Objective:To investigate the current status of sleep quality in patients with chronic sinusitis, and to explore its influencing factors.Methods:From February to July 2019, we selected 420 chronic sinusitis patients from Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in Yongchuan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, as the study objects by convenience sampling. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to carry out investigation.Results:Among 417 chronic sinusitis patients, the score of PSQI was (6.27±3.60) . There were 123 patients with sleep disorders with 29.50% for the incidence. The influencing factors of sleep disorders of chronic sinusitis patients included the living environment, occupations and the tobacco exposure.Conclusions:When chronic sinusitis patients seek medical treatment, medical and nursing staff should pay more attention to the sleep status of students, workers or service personnel, and humid living environment, smoking as well as smoking cessation patients.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients aged between 40 and 50 years old undergoing cardiac valvular surgery and the impact on outcome. Methods: The clinical data of 286 patients aged between 40 and 50 years old undergoing cardiac valve surgery in Guangdong Provincial People′s Hospital from January 2012 to December 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative coronary angiography was performed in all patients. All patients enrolled were divided into AKI group and non-AKI group according to the existence or not of postoperative AKI. Patients with AKI were further divided into AKI stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 groups according to KDIGO guideline. Demographic characteristics, preoperative clinical data including serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hemoglobin, uric acid, urinary protein, presence or absence of chronic kidney disease, left ventricular ejection fraction, pulmonary artery pressure, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, preoperative co-morbidity (hypertension, diabetes, anemia, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease), preoperative medication(vasoactive drugs, diuretic, renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RASI), surgical data (contrast dosage in coronary angiography, type of cardiac valve surgery) were recorded and analyzed in this retrospective study. The risk factors for postoperative AKI and its impact on clinical outcomes (mortality, hospitalization expenses and Intensive Care Unit stay duration) were evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for postoperative AKI and the adjusted variables with P<0.2 were selected for the multivariate logistic regression analysis to define the independent determinants for AKI. Results: AKI was defined in 106 out of 286 enrolled patients, including 96 patients with AKI stage 1, 10 patients with AKI stage 2 and no patients with AKI stage 3. The proportion of coexisting cerebrovascular diseases was higher in AKI group than in non-AKI group (9(8.49%) and 5(2.78%), χ²=4.677, P=0.031), while there was no difference among other baseline data between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative complications of cerebral vascular disease was an independent risk factor of postoperative AKI (OR=3.578, 95%CI 1.139-11.242, P=0.029). Five out of 106 AKI patients died during hospitalization while there was only 1 patient died among 180 patients without AKI. Patients with AKI after cardiac valve operation experienced higher mortality than patients without AKI (χ²=5.625, P=0.028). Further analysis showed that there was no difference in hospitalization mortality between patients with AKI stage 2 and stage (χ²=0.686, P=0.408) while the hospitalization mortality in patients with AKI stage 2 was higher than those without AKI (χ²=8.113, P=0.004). The hospitalization expenses in patients with AKI were 10.38(8.59,12.54) ×10⁴ RMB, significantly higher than that in patients without AKI (9.72(8.03,11.93) ×10⁴ RMB)(P=0.043). There was no difference in hospitalization expenses between patients with AKI stage 1 and without AKI (P=0.635). The hospitalization expenses in patients with AKI stage 2 was higher than those without AKI (P=0.023). Intensive Care Unit stay duration in patients with AKI was 3(1,4) days, significantly higher than those without AKI (P=0.044). There was no difference in Intensive Care Unit stay duration in patients with AKI stage 1 and without AKI (P=0.978), while Intensive Care Unit stay duration in patients with AKI stage 2 was significantly longer than those without AKI (P=0.006). Conclusions Preoperative complications of cerebral vascular disease is an independent risk factor of postoperative AKI. Non-senile patients with AKI after cardiac valvular surgery is associated with a higher proportion of mortality, hospitalization expenses and Intensive Care Unit stay duration as compared patients without postoperative AKI.

Objective To evaluate the position of the fetal conus medullaris during pregnancy and its value in detecting tethered cord syndrome(TCS). Methods Nine hundred and seventy-four normal fetuses and 46 fetuses with TCS between 15 and 41 weeks gestation were involved in the study.Parameters D 1 (the distance between the end of the conus medullaris and the caudal edge of last vertebral body ossification center) and D2 (the distance from the end of the conus medullaris to the caudal skin namely the intersection point of the extending line of D1 and the skin) were measured in the caudal midsagittal plane of the spine. Sixty normal fetuses were chosed randomly for interobserver variability.Correlation analysis between these two parameters and gestational age(GA) were conducted and the normal reference value of these parameters were calculated in normal group. The ratios of growth parameters ( Biparietal diameter, Head circumference,Abdominal circumference,Femur length) to D1 and D2 were calculated separately to observe the difference of the ratios between two groups. All the parameters and ratios of normal fetuses were compared with that of TCS cases.Results There was no significant difference in D1 and D2 between two observers.A significant linear correlation between the parameters and GA was found in normal group,linear regression equations were D1=0.251 GA -2.265 cm (R2=0.926,P <0.01) and D2=0.267 GA -1.812 cm(R2=0.928,P <0.01),respectively.D1 and D2 were much lower in normal group than in abnormal group (all P <0.01). The ratios of the growth parameters to D1 and D2 were relatively stable and had statistically differences between two groups in different gestational age. Conclusions The methods that determination of D1 and D2 are simple and feasible,and could help to the prenatal diagnosis of TCS.

Objective To evaluate the value of proteinuria in predicting acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery in elderly patients.Methods To retrospectively analyze the perioperative clinical data of elderly patients (age 60 or older)undergone cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass at Guangdong General Hospital from January 2005 to December 2010.Target patients were divided into two groups according to AKI defined by the KDIGO criteria.Data for those two groups were examined by single-factor analysis,and then logistic regression analysis was used to further determine independent factors of AKI after cardiac surgery.Results Among 848 elderly patients,AKI occurred in 524(61.8％) participants,including 39.2％(n=332)at AKI stage 1,16.6％ (n =141) at AK I stage 2,and 6.0 ％ (n=51) at AKI stage 3.A total of 15.9 ％ of patients(n=135) had preoperative proteinuria,including 12.4 ％ (n =106) with mild proteinuria,and 3.5 ％ (n =30) with heavy proteinuria.Logistic regression analysis showed that proteinuria was correlated with postoperative AKI.With the increase of proteinuria,the risk of AKI also increased,and the OR values of mild and severe proteinuria were 1.758 (1.020-3.029) and 4.758 (1.326-17.077),respectively.Conclusions Preoperative proteinuria may predict the occurrence of AKI after cardiac surgery in elderly patients.There is a gradual increase in the risk of AKI as proteinuria becomes more severe.Early institution of therapeutic interventions may be used in elderly patients with preoperative proteinuria undergoing cardiac surgery to attenuate the risk of AKI.

Objective We aimed to investigate the clinical values of combination of blood creatinine and cystatin C for acute kidney injury(AKI)diagnosi. Methods Total 7 627 patients were studied retrospectively. The AKI was classified by creatinine or cystatin C according to the Kidney Disease:Improving Global Outcomes criteria. Results The maximum levels of cystatin C and creatinine were correlated(Spearman′s rank coefficient 0.699,P < 0.001). The area under a receiver operating characteristic curve of maximum cystatin C value for pre-dicting in-hospital death was 0.761(95% confidence interval 0.693 ~ 0.828). Total 1 004 and 173 patients were classified into AKI by blood creatinine or by cystatin C(13.2% vs.2.3%,P<0.001),respectively.The total inci-dence of AKI was 14.7% diagnosed by the combination of the two markers.In multivariable logistic model,the cre-atinine negative plus cystatin C positive group was associated with a higher in-hospital death compared with the cre-atinine and cystatin C double negative group(OR 15.524,95% confidence interval 5.110 ~ 47.166,P < 0.001). Conclusion Combination of cystatin C increased sensitivity of creatinine for AKI diagnosis and facilitated to iden-tify in-hospital patients with high risk.

Objective Pulmonary hypertension (PH) was an independent predictor of mortality and new onset cardiovascular events in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Recent studies revealed PH complicated by pericardial effusion (PE) increased mortality in non-CKD (chronic kidney disease) population. No such evidence existed in MHD patients. Methods We enrolled 108 MHD patients with diagnosed PH by echocardiography (61 with PE) between 2009 and 2011. All patients had been followed-up for 2 years. The endpoints were all-cause mor-tality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and new onset CV events. Results The mean age was (60.2 ± 14.1) years, 55.6% were males and SPAP was (53.0 ± 15.4) mmHg. 12.0% were severe PH and 1.9% were moderate-to-severe PE. The overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality and new on-set cardiovascular events in PE and non-PE group were 34.4% vs. 21.3%、 23.0% vs. 12.8% and 54.1% vs. 42.6%, respectively (P > 0.05). Kaplan-Meier curve showed there was no difference on all-cause mortality , CV mortality nor new-onset CV events between PE and non-PE group (Log Rank P > 0.05). Conclusions Compared with patients without PE, the presence of PE in patients with PH did not increase the mortality and worsen the cardiovascular outcome in MHD patients.

Objective:To pursue a scientific approach for medical equipment purchase, set up a standard purchase model, and try to transform the extensive and empirical way in purchase management into a scientific way.Methods: Analyze and test the data using linear regression method on yearly revenue, equipment value, yearly volume of work and yearly maintenance and repairs fee for 25 kinds of equipment in one hospital.Results: Assuming other parameters do not change, for each additional 10,000 yuan in equipment value, the revenue of the hospital increases by 14,858 yuan; for each additional 10,000 times in the volume of work, the revenue increases by 2,214,407 yuan; for each additional 10,000 yuan in maintenance, the revenue decreases by 132,683 yuan.Conclusion: Based on the scientific approach on equipment purchase management, we should improve the efficiency of medical equipment usage, scientifically mange the maintenance and repairs of equipment, in order to provide more accurate information and data for equipment purchase in hospital and make the purchase management more scientific, objective and rational.