Objective:To analyze the epidemiological, etiological characteristics and transmission of an imported D8 genotype measles case in a child in Shandong Province, August 2023.Methods:A study was conducted on a measles case and 16 contacts in Shandong Province in August 2023. Field epidemiological surveys, including recent exposure and immunization history, were conducted. Serum and throat swab samples were collected from all 16 subjects. Measles IgM and IgG antibody levels and avidity were measured by ELISA, while virus detection and genotyping were performed using fluorescence quantitative PCR and RT-PCR. Genetic evolutionary analysis of the obtained sequences was conducted using MEGA and Beast software.Results:The case was an 11-year-old boy, a fifth-grade student, who developed symptoms on August 28, 2023. A total of five close contacts were investigated, including three family members (grandfather, father and sister) and two playmates. Additionally, 11 classmates who had close contact with the case′s sister during the infectious period (within five days after the rash onset) were also investigated. Among the 16 serum samples tested, only one case was positive for IgM, while the other 15 samples were negative for IgM. The results of the serum antibody avidity test showed that among the 16 serum samples, 14 were positive for IgG. Of these, eight had a relative avidity index >55%, indicating high-avidity antibodies; one had a relative avidity index <45%, indicating low-avidity antibodies; and five had an avidity index between 45% and 55%. The IgG detection OD values for the case′s sister and grandfather were higher than those of the other contacts. Based on the vaccination history of the subjects and the results of IgM and IgG tests, it was preliminarily determined that the case had a recent wild-type measles virus infection. The case′s sister and grandfather had a history of measles wild-type virus infection, while the high-avidity antibodies in the other contacts were likely induced by the measles vaccine. The results of the pharyngeal swab tests showed that only the case was positive for measles virus nucleic acid, while the remaining 15 samples were negative for measles virus. The genetic evolutionary analysis revealed that the viral sequence of this case (Mvs/Shandong.CHN/38.23) had a 100% homology with the Hong Kong strain sequence from August 2023. It belonged to a different transmission chain from the D8 genotype strains that appeared in Shandong Province between 2018 and 2019, with sequence homology ranging from 98.0% to 98.8%. The sequence homology within the transmission chain of this case was between 99.1% and 100%. The evolutionary rate of this transmission chain was approximately 8.38×10 -3 sub/site/year, and the most recent common ancestor was estimated to have emerged around the year 2011. Conclusion:This case is the first imported D8 genotype measles case in Shandong Province. There is no spatio-temporal correlation between this case and adult cases of D8 genotype imported from Shandong Province in 2018-2019, indicating a new D8 genotype imported epidemic.

Septic acute kidney injury(SAKI)is an acute renal dysfunction induced by sepsis,characterized by rapid onset,severe condition,and poor prognosis.With high incidence and mortality rates,it remains one of the leading cause of death in critically ill patients.The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying SAKI are multifactorial,involving ischemia,hypoperfusion,immune dysregulation,inflammatory response,microcirculatory disturbances,and mitochondrial dysfunction.Despite extensive research,no specific therapeutic strategies are currently available.In recent years,with the proposal of the"gut-kidney axis"theory,which emphasizes the bidirectional interaction between the gut and kidney,new insights have emerged for the treatment of SAKI.Sepsis leads to intestinal barrier dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis,which exacerbate renal injury through inflammatory mediators and toxins.Conversely,renal dysfunction further disrupts intestinal homeostasis,forming a vicious cycle.In recent years,the integrated approach of combining traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and Western medicine in the management of SAKI has garnered increasing attention.TCM,which asserts that"the spleen governs transportation and transformation,while the kidney regulate water and fluids"is consistent with the Western conceptualization of the"gut-kidney axis"and its functional regulatory mechanisms.The"simultaneous treatment of the gut and kidney"approach leverages TCM interventions that tonify the spleen and kidney,clear heat,detoxify,and promote bowel movements,in conjunction with Western therapies such as anti-infection treatments and renal replacement strategies,facilitating a multi-target therapeutic paradigm for SAKI.In conclusion,the integration of TCM and Western medicine based on the"gut-kidney axis"theory represents a burgeoning area of research.This combined therapeutic strategy,which targets both the gut and kidneys,demonstrates substantial potential in modulating gut function,promoting renal recovery,and enhancing patient prognosis.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological, etiological characteristics and transmission of an imported D8 genotype measles case in a child in Shandong Province, August 2023.Methods:A study was conducted on a measles case and 16 contacts in Shandong Province in August 2023. Field epidemiological surveys, including recent exposure and immunization history, were conducted. Serum and throat swab samples were collected from all 16 subjects. Measles IgM and IgG antibody levels and avidity were measured by ELISA, while virus detection and genotyping were performed using fluorescence quantitative PCR and RT-PCR. Genetic evolutionary analysis of the obtained sequences was conducted using MEGA and Beast software.Results:The case was an 11-year-old boy, a fifth-grade student, who developed symptoms on August 28, 2023. A total of five close contacts were investigated, including three family members (grandfather, father and sister) and two playmates. Additionally, 11 classmates who had close contact with the case′s sister during the infectious period (within five days after the rash onset) were also investigated. Among the 16 serum samples tested, only one case was positive for IgM, while the other 15 samples were negative for IgM. The results of the serum antibody avidity test showed that among the 16 serum samples, 14 were positive for IgG. Of these, eight had a relative avidity index >55%, indicating high-avidity antibodies; one had a relative avidity index <45%, indicating low-avidity antibodies; and five had an avidity index between 45% and 55%. The IgG detection OD values for the case′s sister and grandfather were higher than those of the other contacts. Based on the vaccination history of the subjects and the results of IgM and IgG tests, it was preliminarily determined that the case had a recent wild-type measles virus infection. The case′s sister and grandfather had a history of measles wild-type virus infection, while the high-avidity antibodies in the other contacts were likely induced by the measles vaccine. The results of the pharyngeal swab tests showed that only the case was positive for measles virus nucleic acid, while the remaining 15 samples were negative for measles virus. The genetic evolutionary analysis revealed that the viral sequence of this case (Mvs/Shandong.CHN/38.23) had a 100% homology with the Hong Kong strain sequence from August 2023. It belonged to a different transmission chain from the D8 genotype strains that appeared in Shandong Province between 2018 and 2019, with sequence homology ranging from 98.0% to 98.8%. The sequence homology within the transmission chain of this case was between 99.1% and 100%. The evolutionary rate of this transmission chain was approximately 8.38×10 -3 sub/site/year, and the most recent common ancestor was estimated to have emerged around the year 2011. Conclusion:This case is the first imported D8 genotype measles case in Shandong Province. There is no spatio-temporal correlation between this case and adult cases of D8 genotype imported from Shandong Province in 2018-2019, indicating a new D8 genotype imported epidemic.

Septic acute kidney injury(SAKI)is an acute renal dysfunction induced by sepsis,characterized by rapid onset,severe condition,and poor prognosis.With high incidence and mortality rates,it remains one of the leading cause of death in critically ill patients.The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying SAKI are multifactorial,involving ischemia,hypoperfusion,immune dysregulation,inflammatory response,microcirculatory disturbances,and mitochondrial dysfunction.Despite extensive research,no specific therapeutic strategies are currently available.In recent years,with the proposal of the"gut-kidney axis"theory,which emphasizes the bidirectional interaction between the gut and kidney,new insights have emerged for the treatment of SAKI.Sepsis leads to intestinal barrier dysfunction and gut microbiota dysbiosis,which exacerbate renal injury through inflammatory mediators and toxins.Conversely,renal dysfunction further disrupts intestinal homeostasis,forming a vicious cycle.In recent years,the integrated approach of combining traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and Western medicine in the management of SAKI has garnered increasing attention.TCM,which asserts that"the spleen governs transportation and transformation,while the kidney regulate water and fluids"is consistent with the Western conceptualization of the"gut-kidney axis"and its functional regulatory mechanisms.The"simultaneous treatment of the gut and kidney"approach leverages TCM interventions that tonify the spleen and kidney,clear heat,detoxify,and promote bowel movements,in conjunction with Western therapies such as anti-infection treatments and renal replacement strategies,facilitating a multi-target therapeutic paradigm for SAKI.In conclusion,the integration of TCM and Western medicine based on the"gut-kidney axis"theory represents a burgeoning area of research.This combined therapeutic strategy,which targets both the gut and kidneys,demonstrates substantial potential in modulating gut function,promoting renal recovery,and enhancing patient prognosis.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common serious complications in critically ill patients, and it is an independent risk factor for death. In recent years, renal replacement therapy (RRT) has become one of the routine treatments for AKI patients, however there is no accepted consensus on the optimal timing of RRT over the world. This paper reviewed the clinical studies carried out by researchers in the field of critical care and nephrology, thereby summarized and analyzed the related parameters of the optimal time to carry out, with the exception of previously acknowledged classic RRT indications such as hyperkalemia, severe metabolic acidosis, volume overload and so on. The feasible parameters such as serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urine volume, the time admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) and several standards distinguished AKI stages are discussed in order to find out the cutoff points of those parameters which were best for the patients' outcome, and to provide guidance of decision making for the optimal timing of RRT for AKI patients.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of change in plasma cholesterol level in patients with sepsis, and to explore its relationship with prognosis and its clinical significance. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted. 568 patients with sepsis admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from August 2013 to August 2015 were enrolled, and 475 patients without sepsis hospitalized in the same period served as the control. The basic clinical data of the two groups were collected, and the results of blood fat and biochemical parameters were compared. The patients with sepsis were divided into death group and survival group, and risk factors influencing the prognosis of patients with sepsis were analyzed with multivariate logistic model regression analysis. Results Compared with non-sepsis patients, the levels of plasma total cholesterol (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in the patients with sepsis were significantly lower [TC (mmol/L): 2.5±1.2 vs. 3.4±1.4, t = 4.274, P = 0.021; HDL-C (mmol/L): 1.6±0.9 vs. 2.5±0.8, t = 3.413, P = 0.018], and that of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) showed no statistically significant difference (mmol/L: 1.9±0.9 vs. 2.1±0.9, t = 0.749, P = 0.614). In the patients with sepsis, the patients in death group (n = 227) were older than those of the survival group (n = 341, years: 74.3±15.5 vs. 65.5±17.5, t = 4.037, P = 0.012), serum creatinine (SCr) was higher than that of survival group (μmol/L: 251.0±115.6 vs. 167.4±108.7, t = 3.254, P = 0.023), the levels of plasma TC, HDL-C and LDL-C were significantly lower than those of survival group [TC (mmol/L): 2.2±1.6 vs. 2.9±1.1, t = 3.057, P = 0.023; HDL-C (mmol/L): 1.4±0.8 vs. 1.9±0.8, t = 4.692, P = 0.016; LDL-C (mmol/L): 1.7±0.7 vs. 2.0±0.8, t = 2.541, P = 0.038]; there was no significant difference in the proportion of male, body mass index (BMI), based disease, intensive care unit (ICU) hospitalization time, the severity of the disease and other biochemical indexes between two groups. With single factor analysis with indicators of statistical significance as a covariate into binary logistic regression equation, the results show that age was the risk factor of death in patients with sepsis [odds ratio (OR) = 1.024, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.010-1.048, P = 0.009], and TC was the protective factor on the prognosis of patients with sepsis (OR = 0.747, 95%CI = 0.682-0.811, P = 0.013). Conclusions Plasma cholesterol levels in patients with sepsis were significantly lowered, and the levels in death group was significantly lower than that in the survival group. TC may be used as a clinical indicator to assess the outcome of patients with sepsis.