Objective To investigatethe relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms and clinicopathological characteristics, p53 expression, and survival of Chinese patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Methods A total of 3882 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, 970 matched patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and 970 matched patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma were included to compare the incidence of GERD symptoms. Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma were divided into two groups according to the presence and absence of GERD symptoms. The differences in clinicopathological characteristics and p53 expression between the two groups were compared by chi-square test, and the differences in survival between the two groups were compared by landmark analysis. Results The incidence of GERD symptoms increased successively in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal adenocarcinoma, and gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. In patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma, the proportions of male, less than 65 years old, lower thoracic tumors, tumors without squamous cell carcinoma, poorly differentiation, early tumors (stage 0-I), and p53-positive tumors in the group with GERD symptoms were higher than those in the group without GERD symptoms; moreover, the long-term survival (≥15 years) was better. Conclusion GERD symptom is an important clinical sign of esophageal adenocarcinoma. It is closely related to specific clinicopathological characteristics, p53 overexpression, and good long-term prognosis.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major global public health concern. The persistent presence of intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) poses a major challenge to the complete cure of chronic HBV infection. Therefore, identifying reliable and effective serological surrogate markers for cccDNA holds great clinical significance in evaluating antiviral efficacy, predicting prognosis, and guiding the clinical management of chronic HBV-infected patients. In recent years, serum HBV RNA has emerged as a promising non-invasive alternative marker for cccDNA, offering the potential for monitoring disease progression and predicting prognosis in chronic HBV-infected patients. In this review, we summarize recent studies on HBV RNA, highlighting its ability to assess the immune and histological status of patients, and discussing its value in guiding the timing of antiviral therapy. Furthermore, we systematically summarize the clinical significance of HBV RNA in multiple domains: monitoring viral replication, evaluating antiviral treatment efficacy, predicting relapse after treatment cessation, and guiding new antiviral strategies. This review aims to provide clinicians with valuable insights for better utilizing this marker in the clinical management of chronic HBV infection.

Antibiotic resistance is spreading at a faster rate than new antibiotic agents applied for clinical remedies. It is an urgent need to discover potential compounds to combat multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Marine fungi offer a promising avenue for mining antibiotic-like molecules with chemical diversity. To discover structurally novel and antibiotic metabolites, we screened the in-house marine fungus genome library and found a fungus Stephanonectria keithii LZD-10-1 containing a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) cluster with 18 modules to synthesize a new subfamily of peptaibols with effective eradication against MDR pathogens. Targeting isolation of the cultured fungus afforded six new peptaibols, which exhibit the ability to kill MDR bacteria by targeting bacterial membrane phospholipids, especially phosphatidylglycerol (PG), leading to the dysfunction of bacterial membranes. Furthermore, their efficacies against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in both Galleria mellonella and mouse wound infection models were observed. This study underscores the significance of employing genome-guided approaches to identify untapped marine fungi as potential sources for novel antibiotic candidates with unique scaffolds.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the preventive effect of transcutaneous phrenic nerve stimulation on ventilator-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction (VIDD) in patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted. The patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Jiaxing First Hospital from November 2022 to December 2023 were enrolled. Participants were randomized into the control group and the observation group using a random number table. The control group was given ICU standardized nursing intervention, including turning over and slapping the back, raising the head of the bed, sputum aspiration on demand, aerosol inhalation, oral care, and monitoring of airbag pressure and gastric retention, the observation group was given additional transcutaneous phrenic nerve stimulation intervention on the basis of ICU standardized nursing intervention. The stimulation intensity was set to 10 U, the pulse frequency was set to 40 Hz, and the stimulation frequency was set to 12 times/min. Transcutaneous phrenic nerve stimulation was administered once a day for 30 minutes each time, for a total of 5 days. Diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF) and arterial blood gas parameters on days 1, 3, and 5 of intervention were compared between the two groups. After 5 days of intervention, other parameters including the incidence of VIDD, duration of mechanical ventilation, and length of ICU stay were compared. RESULTS: A total of 120 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation were enrolled, with 16 dropouts (dropout rate was 13.33%). Ultimately, 51 patients in the control group and 53 patients in the observation group were analyzed. Baseline characteristics, including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, albumin (Alb), hemoglobin (Hb), and disease type, showed no significant differences between the two groups. DTF in both groups gradually increased over duration of intervention [DTF on days 1, 3, and 5 in the control group was (20.83±2.33)%, (21.92±1.27)%, and (23.93±2.33)%, respectively, and that in the observation group was (20.89±1.96)%, (22.56±1.64)%, and (25.34±2.38)%, respectively], with more significant changes in DTF in the observation group, showing time effects (F_time = 105.975, P < 0.001), intervention effects (F_intervention = 7.378, P = 0.008), and interaction effects (F_interaction = 3.322, P = 0.038). Arterial blood gas parameters did not differ significantly before intervention between the groups, but after 5 days of intervention, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO₂) in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [mmHg (1 mmHg≈0.133 kPa): 100.72±15.75 vs. 93.62±15.54, P < 0.05], and arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂) was significantly lower than that in the control group (mmHg: 36.53±3.10 vs. 37.69±2.02, P < 0.05). At 5 days of intervention, the incidence of VIDD in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [15.09% (8/53) vs. 37.25% (19/51), P < 0.05], and both duration of mechanical ventilation and length of ICU stay were significantly shorter than those in the control group [duration of mechanical ventilation (days): 7.93±2.06 vs. 8.77±1.76, length of ICU stay (days): 9.64±2.35 vs. 11.01±2.01, both P < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS Transcutaneous phrenic nerve stimulation can improve diaphragmatic and respiratory function in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation, reduce the incidence of VIDD, and shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation and length of ICU stay.
Humans ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Respiration, Artificial/adverse effects* ; Diaphragm/physiopathology* ; Phrenic Nerve ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged

Inflammation represents a critical immune response triggered by cellular activities and inflammatory mediators following tissue damage. It plays a central role in the pathological progression of diverse diseases, including psychiatric disorders, cancer, and immunological conditions, rendering it an essential target for therapeutic intervention. Periodontitis, a prevalent oral inflammatory disease, is a leading cause of tooth loss and poses significant health challenges globally. Traditionally, inflammatory diseases such as periodontitis have been treated with systemic administration of synthetic chemicals. However, recent years have witnessed challenges, including drug resistance and microbial dysbiosis associated with these treatments. In contrast, natural products derived from Chinese medicine offer numerous benefits, such as high safety profiles, minimal side effects, innovative pharmacological mechanisms, ease of extraction, and multiple targets, rendering them viable alternatives to conventional antibiotics for treating inflammatory conditions. Numerous effective anti-inflammatory natural products have been identified in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, lignans, and other natural products that exhibit inhibitory effects on inflammation and are potential therapeutic agents. Several studies have confirmed the substantial anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of these compounds. This comprehensive review examines the literature on the anti-inflammatory effects of TCM-derived natural products from databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI, focusing on terms like "inflammation", "periodontitis", "pharmacology", and "traditional Chinese medicine". The analysis systematically summarizes the molecular pharmacology, chemical composition, and biological activities of these compounds in inflammatory responses, alongside their mechanisms of action. This research seeks to deepen understanding of the mechanisms and biological activities of herbal extracts in managing inflammatory diseases, potentially leading to the development of promising new anti-inflammatory drug candidates. Future applications could extend to the treatment of various inflammatory conditions, including periodontitis.
Humans ; Periodontitis/immunology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/chemistry*

Objective To explore the therapeutic effect of "jian pi yi qi yang xue zhi tong" for treating bone metastasis of breast cancer and the clinical effect of improving pain symptoms. Methods A total of 80 patients with bone metastases from breast cancer were admitted. They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group according to the random-number-table method. The control group was treated with zoledronic acid, whereas the observation group was treated with jian pi yi qi yang xue zhi tong prescriptions based on the control group. We compared the differences in the effects of different treatment plans on patients' pain symptoms, physical condition, and quality of life, as well as TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP levels. Results No significant difference was found in pain scores, physical condition scores, sleep quality scores, and quality of life scores, as well as CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α levels between the two groups of patients before treatment (all P > 0.05). At one, two, and four months after treatment, the pain scores of both groups of patients decreased, with the observation group having lower scores than the control group (P < 0.05). The total pain-relief rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). After treatment, the sleep quality scores and the levels of CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α decreased, with the observation group having lower values than the control group (P < 0.05). The physical condition scores and the quality of life scores of both groups improved, with the observation group having higher values than the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion In patients with bone metastases from breast cancer, oral treatment with jian pi yi qi yang xue zhi tong prescription has a significant effect. It substantially improves the pain symptoms, enhances the quality of sleep and life of patients, and reduces the levels of CRP, IL-6, and TNF-α.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of severe acute kidney injury (AKI) in septic patients, and to establish an hour-specific prediction model.Methods:Based on the information of septic patients in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-Ⅳ (MIMIC-Ⅳ) database, general information, comorbidities, vital signs, severity scoring system, laboratory indicators, invasive operations and medication use were recorded. The enrolled patients were randomized into a training set and a validation set according to a ratio of 7∶3. AKI was diagnosed according to the guidelines of Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcome (KDIGO). Based on Lasso regression and Cox regression, the risk factors of severe AKI (AKI stage 2 and stage 3) in septic patients were analyzed and hour-specific prediction model were established. Consistency index (C-index), area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve were used to assess the predictive efficacy of the model.Results:A total of 20 551 septic patients were enrolled, including 14 385 patients in the training set and 6 166 patients in the validation set. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that atrial fibrillation [hazard ratio ( HR) = 1.266, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.150-1.393], heart failure ( HR = 1.348, 95% CI was 1.217-1.493), respiratory failure ( HR = 1.565, 95% CI was 1.428-1.715), heart rate ( HR = 1.004, 95% CI was 1.002-1.007), mean arterial pressure ( HR = 1.245, 95% CI was 1.126-1.377), lactic acid ( HR = 1.051, 95% CI was 1.025-1.077), simplified acute physiology score Ⅱ (SAPSⅡ, HR = 1.019, 95% CI was 1.016-1.023), serum creatinine ( HR = 1.171, 95% CI was 1.127-1.216), anion gap ( HR = 1.024, 95% CI was 1.010-1.038), serum potassium ( HR = 1.155, 95% CI was 1.079-1.236), white blood cell count ( HR = 1.006, 95% CI was 1.003-1.009) and furosemide use ( HR = 0.414, 95% CI was 0.368-0.467) were independently associated with severe AKI in septic patients (all P < 0.01). The above predictors were applied to construct an hour-specific prediction model for the occurrence of severe AKI in septic patients. The C-index of the prediction model was 0.723 and 0.735 in the training and validation sets, respectively. The AUC for the occurrence of severe AKI at 12, 24, and 48 hours were 0.795 (95% CI was 0.782-0.808), 0.792 (95% CI was 0.780-0.805), and 0.775 (95% CI was 0.762-0.788) in the training set, and the AUC were 0.803 (95% CI was 0.784-0.823), 0.791 (95% CI was 0.772-0.810), and 0.773 (95% CI was 0.752-0.793) in the validation set, respectively. The calibration curves of the two cohorts were in good agreement. Conclusion:The hour-specific prediction model effectively identifies high-risk septic patients for developing severe AKI within 48 hours, aiding clinicians in stratifying patients for early therapeutic interventions to improve outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the genotype and epidemiological characteristics of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) among hospitalized cases with acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children in Changchun City, Jilin Province, China.Methods:From June 2019 to June 2023, throat swabs of ARI inpatients in Changchun Children′s Hospital were collected, and their epidemiological and clinical information were also collected. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was used to identify HMPV-positive cases, followed by the amplification of the G gene and genetic analysis in the HMPV-positive cases.Results:A total of 3 311 children hospitalized with ARI were included in this study. Their age ranged from 0 to 17 years old, and the M ( Q1, Q3) of age was 2 (1, 3) years. About 1 811 (54.70%) cases were males. A total of 167 HMPV-positive cases were detected with a positive rate of 5.04%, of which 92.81% (155/167) were children under 5 years old. The positive rate of HMPV in 2019 was 6.37% (30/471), which dropped to the lowest in 2020 (2.31%, 10/432). The HMPV-positive rate was then rebounded in 2021 (4.70%, 60/1 277) and 2022 (4.56%, 21/461), which increased to 6.87% (46/670) in 2023. The difference in HMPV-positive rate among each year was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The prevalence peak of HMPV varied in different years, showing either a unimodal or bimodal distribution in one year. A total of 79 HMPV G gene sequences were obtained, of which subtype A and subtype B accounted for 48.10% and 51.90%, respectively. All of the subtype A sequences were clarified as A2c duplicated variants, and subtype B was mainly B2 genotype. Besides, subtypes A and B were prevalent alone or co-circulated in different years, and there was a subtype replacement pattern in HMPV. Conclusion:The positive rate of HMPV in hospitalized ARI cases in children is significantly different from 2019 to 2023 in Changchun City. Notably, there are certain switch patterns of HMPV subtypes A and B in different years.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.

Objective:To investigate the genotype and epidemiological characteristics of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) among hospitalized cases with acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children in Changchun City, Jilin Province, China.Methods:From June 2019 to June 2023, throat swabs of ARI inpatients in Changchun Children′s Hospital were collected, and their epidemiological and clinical information were also collected. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was used to identify HMPV-positive cases, followed by the amplification of the G gene and genetic analysis in the HMPV-positive cases.Results:A total of 3 311 children hospitalized with ARI were included in this study. Their age ranged from 0 to 17 years old, and the M ( Q1, Q3) of age was 2 (1, 3) years. About 1 811 (54.70%) cases were males. A total of 167 HMPV-positive cases were detected with a positive rate of 5.04%, of which 92.81% (155/167) were children under 5 years old. The positive rate of HMPV in 2019 was 6.37% (30/471), which dropped to the lowest in 2020 (2.31%, 10/432). The HMPV-positive rate was then rebounded in 2021 (4.70%, 60/1 277) and 2022 (4.56%, 21/461), which increased to 6.87% (46/670) in 2023. The difference in HMPV-positive rate among each year was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The prevalence peak of HMPV varied in different years, showing either a unimodal or bimodal distribution in one year. A total of 79 HMPV G gene sequences were obtained, of which subtype A and subtype B accounted for 48.10% and 51.90%, respectively. All of the subtype A sequences were clarified as A2c duplicated variants, and subtype B was mainly B2 genotype. Besides, subtypes A and B were prevalent alone or co-circulated in different years, and there was a subtype replacement pattern in HMPV. Conclusion:The positive rate of HMPV in hospitalized ARI cases in children is significantly different from 2019 to 2023 in Changchun City. Notably, there are certain switch patterns of HMPV subtypes A and B in different years.