In order to investigate the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings associated with brucellosis for the purpose of facilitating prompt clinical diagnosis and effective treatment, as well as to offer a laboratory reference for the prevention of brucellosis outbreaks. In this study, a retrospective cohort design was employed to gather epidemiological characteristics, clinical symptoms, and associated laboratory data from 391 patients diagnosed with bacterial culture-positive brucellosis at the People′s Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region between 2019 and 2023. The patients were categorized into four age groups, with each group representing a 20 years age interval. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the differences between these age groups using R version 4.3.2 and SPSS version 24.0 software. The results showed that among the 391 cases of brucellosis patients, fever (241 cases, 61.64%), lumbar and leg joint pain (225 cases, 57.54%), abnormal liver function (124 cases, 31.71%), spleen enlargement (78 cases, 19.95%), and cholecystitis (75 cases, 19.18%) were identified as the most prevalent clinical symptoms. Furthermore, the presence of clinical symptoms such as fever, lumbar and leg joint pain, abdominal pain and distension, headache, dizziness, rash, and complications including abnormal liver function, cholecystitis, spleen enlargement, exhibited statistical significance across four distinct age groups ( P<0.05). The initial presentation of acute fever and rash was more pronounced in the pediatric cohort. In contrast, the youth group exhibited a higher prevalence of acute fever, liver function abnormalities, dizziness, headache, and splenomegaly. Furthermore, the strong-age group and the older age group more frequently experienced lumbar and leg joint pain, and symptoms related to the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and digestive system. In terms of laboratory examination, the rates of decreased white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC) and platelet count (PLT) were 18.91% (73 cases), 28.94% (112 cases) and 22.34% (86 cases), respectively. C-reactive protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total biluric acid (TBA), adenosine deaminase (ADA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), procalcitonin (PCT), and D-Dimer (D-Dimer). The proportion of patients with elevated quantitative test results was 88.56% (271 cases), 50.90% (197 cases), 52.20% (202 cases), 23.82% (91 cases), 75.72% (290 cases), 23.06% (89 cases), 40.89% (157 cases), 68.34% (218 cases) and 73.33% (209 cases), respectively. Among them, the quantitative detection results of CPR, ALP and D-Dimer had statistical significance among the 4 age groups ( χ2=16.366,28.089,7.880, P<0.05). Abnormally elevated laboratory parameters, including C-reactive protein (CRP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and D-dimer, were more pronounced in middle-aged and older cohorts, with a positive correlation to advancing age. Among the 391 brucella culture positive specimens, the top three departments with the highest number of isolations were infectious disease (52.4%, 204 cases), emergency (9.5%, 37 cases) and orthopedics (8.4%, 33 cases). In conclusion, the clinical manifestations of brucellosis are multifaceted and heterogeneous, frequently involving multiple organ systems, and the laboratory test results exhibit considerable variability. These findings indicate that clinicians should integrate clinical features of brucellosis with laboratory test results, considering the patient′s age group, to enhance diagnostic accuracy and triage efficiency in suspected cases. Improving relevant diagnostic examinations can thereby aid in the effective control and prevention of the disease.

In order to investigate the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings associated with brucellosis for the purpose of facilitating prompt clinical diagnosis and effective treatment, as well as to offer a laboratory reference for the prevention of brucellosis outbreaks. In this study, a retrospective cohort design was employed to gather epidemiological characteristics, clinical symptoms, and associated laboratory data from 391 patients diagnosed with bacterial culture-positive brucellosis at the People′s Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region between 2019 and 2023. The patients were categorized into four age groups, with each group representing a 20 years age interval. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the differences between these age groups using R version 4.3.2 and SPSS version 24.0 software. The results showed that among the 391 cases of brucellosis patients, fever (241 cases, 61.64%), lumbar and leg joint pain (225 cases, 57.54%), abnormal liver function (124 cases, 31.71%), spleen enlargement (78 cases, 19.95%), and cholecystitis (75 cases, 19.18%) were identified as the most prevalent clinical symptoms. Furthermore, the presence of clinical symptoms such as fever, lumbar and leg joint pain, abdominal pain and distension, headache, dizziness, rash, and complications including abnormal liver function, cholecystitis, spleen enlargement, exhibited statistical significance across four distinct age groups ( P<0.05). The initial presentation of acute fever and rash was more pronounced in the pediatric cohort. In contrast, the youth group exhibited a higher prevalence of acute fever, liver function abnormalities, dizziness, headache, and splenomegaly. Furthermore, the strong-age group and the older age group more frequently experienced lumbar and leg joint pain, and symptoms related to the liver, gallbladder, spleen, and digestive system. In terms of laboratory examination, the rates of decreased white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC) and platelet count (PLT) were 18.91% (73 cases), 28.94% (112 cases) and 22.34% (86 cases), respectively. C-reactive protein (CRP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total biluric acid (TBA), adenosine deaminase (ADA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), procalcitonin (PCT), and D-Dimer (D-Dimer). The proportion of patients with elevated quantitative test results was 88.56% (271 cases), 50.90% (197 cases), 52.20% (202 cases), 23.82% (91 cases), 75.72% (290 cases), 23.06% (89 cases), 40.89% (157 cases), 68.34% (218 cases) and 73.33% (209 cases), respectively. Among them, the quantitative detection results of CPR, ALP and D-Dimer had statistical significance among the 4 age groups ( χ2=16.366,28.089,7.880, P<0.05). Abnormally elevated laboratory parameters, including C-reactive protein (CRP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and D-dimer, were more pronounced in middle-aged and older cohorts, with a positive correlation to advancing age. Among the 391 brucella culture positive specimens, the top three departments with the highest number of isolations were infectious disease (52.4%, 204 cases), emergency (9.5%, 37 cases) and orthopedics (8.4%, 33 cases). In conclusion, the clinical manifestations of brucellosis are multifaceted and heterogeneous, frequently involving multiple organ systems, and the laboratory test results exhibit considerable variability. These findings indicate that clinicians should integrate clinical features of brucellosis with laboratory test results, considering the patient′s age group, to enhance diagnostic accuracy and triage efficiency in suspected cases. Improving relevant diagnostic examinations can thereby aid in the effective control and prevention of the disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the consistency and reproducibility of aortic root measurements by Anythink, a semi-automated preoperative CT analysis software, with those of 3mensio. METHODS: Sixty-seven patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from December, 2016 to February, 2022 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. A cardiology resident who completed his professional training used both the software Anythink and 3mensio (as the gold standard) to reconstruct the aortic root model and analyze the parameters of the aortic annulus and the surrounding structures. The correlation and consistency of the measurement results of two software were analyzed. Two independent residents also used Anythink software to repeat the measurements for the same patient for assessment of the reproducibility of Anythink measurements. The valve models were selected based on the measurements by Anythink and 3mensio, and similarities and differences of the two software in clinical valve selection were assessed. RESULTS: The measurements of the distances from the anulus plane to the left and right coronary ostium, average diameter of the anulus, anulus area, anulus perimeter, and the angle between the annulus and horizontal plane did not differ significantly between the two software (P > 0.05), and their measurements showed positive correlations (r= 0.884-0.981, P < 0.01). The intra-group and inter-group correlation coefficients of the anulus parameters measured by Anythink ranged from 0.894 to 0.992 and from 0.651 to 0.954, respectively. The Kappa-test values of valve models selected by Anythink and 3mensio based on the average diameter, area diameter and perimeter diameter were 0.886, 0.796 and 0.775, respectively. The intra-group Kappa values for the valve models selected based on Anythink measurements were 0.819, 0.841, and 0.795, and the inter-group Kappa values were 0.812, 0.812, and 0.768, respectively. Compared with the measurements by 3mensio, the recommended area diameter measured by Anythink was slightly greater in patients with postoperative paravalvular leakage, but slightly smaller in patients with postoperative new-onset conduction block. CONCLUSION Anythink has excellent measurement consistency and high reproducibility for aortic root measurements, and trained cardiologists can use Anythink to obtain accurate aortic root parameters before TAVR.
Humans ; Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ; Reproducibility of Results ; Retrospective Studies ; Aorta ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

This study aims to acetylate Rehmannia glutinosa polysaccharides by acetic anhydride method, optimize process parameters and evaluate their antioxidant activity. With the degree of substitution(D_s) as a criterion, the effects of reaction time, acetic anhydride-to-polysaccharides ratio and temperature were investigated. Process parameters were optimized by single-factor experiment and response surface methodology. The infrared spectroscopy(IR) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM) proved the successful acetylation and were employed to preliminarily analyze the structural characteristics of acetylated derivatives. The results showed that the D_s was 0.327 under the optimal technological conditions, including m(acetic anhydride):m(R. glutinosa polysaccharides)=2.70, reaction time 3.0 h and temperature 48 ℃. Further, the antioxidant properties of acetylated derivatives were investigated in vitro and acetylation was found effective to improve the antioxidant activity of R. glutinosa polysaccharides. This study provides a reference for the further development and application of R. glutinosa polysaccharides.
Acetylation ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Rehmannia/chemistry*

Objective:To investigate the expression status and diagnostic value of SRY related high mobility group box 11 (SOX-11) and transcription factor E-3 (TFE3) in solid pseudopapillary tumors of pancreas (SPTPs).Methods:Thirty-eight cases of SPTPs, 36 cases of well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) and six cases of pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas (PACCs) were collected at the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from 2012 to 2019. The expression of SOX-11, TFE3 and β-catenin was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the TFE3 gene status was detected by FISH in 18 cases of SPTPs.Results:Among the 38 SPTP patients, 29 were female and 9 were male, with a mean age of 50 years; among 36 PanNET patients, 32 were female and 4 were male, with a mean age of 39 years; for the six PACC patients, four were male and two were female, with a mean age of 60 years. β-catenin was positive in all 38 SPTPs, but was negative in all 36 PanNETs and 5/6 PACCs. SOX-11 was positive in 35/38 (92.1%) of SPTPs, but was negative in all 36 PanNETs and 6 PACCs. TFE3 was positive in 36/38 (94.7%) of SPTPs, but was negative in all 36 PanNETs and 6 PACCs. Among these three tumors, the specificity and sensitivity of β-catenin were 97.6% and 100.0%, the specificity and sensitivity of SOX-11 were 92.1% and 100.0%, the specificity and sensitivity of TFE3 were 94.7% and 100.0%, respectively. There was a significant difference of the expression status of all three markers in SPTPs compared with PanNETs and PACCs ( P<0.01). The results of SOX-11 and TFE3 immunostaining showed high consistency (Kappa>0.6). No gene rearrangement (0/18) of TFE3 was found in SPTPs. Conclusion:SOX-11 and TFE3 are highly expressed in SPTPs, and their specificity in the differential diagnosis of SPTPs is better than that of β-catenin.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype ; Influenza, Human ; epidemiology ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo compare video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and open thoracotomy (OT) on acute inflammatory responses and immunosuppression after lobectomy for early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSPresent prospective randomized study. OT or VATS lobectomy was performed in patients who met enter criteria and clinical data was collected. Plasma concentration of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 were measured before surgery and at postoperative day (POD) 1 and POD 3. There were 271 patients underwent lobectomy for early NSCLC, including of 133 patients in group VATS and 138 patients in group OT from January 2007 to June 2008. There were 132 males and 139 females, aging from 19 ∼ 70 years with a mean of (56 ± 8) years.

RESULTSCompared with OT group, shorter postoperative hospital stay [(8.2 ± 2.5) d vs. (9.8 ± 6.2) d, P = 0.03], lower morbidity rate (11.3% vs. 21.7%, P = 0.02) and lower increase of plasma concentration of IL-6 at POD 1 [(35 ± 25)% vs. (65 ± 43)%, P = 0.00], IL-6 at POD 3 [(14 ± 22)% vs. (55 ± 44)%, P = 0.00] and IL-10 at POD 1 [(25 ± 20)% vs. (43 ± 35)%, P = 0.00] were observed in patients of VATS group.

CONCLUSIONVATS lobectomy for early NSCLC is associated with less acute inflammatory responses and less immunosuppression when compared with OT.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Interleukin-10 ; blood ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Interleukin-8 ; blood ; Interleukins ; blood ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonectomy ; methods ; Prospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thoracotomy ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult