Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of nucleic acid matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF MS）in sputum smear-negative patients with nontuberculous Mycobacterial（NTM）pulmonary disease.Methods:Clinical data of 123 patients suspected of NTM pulmonary disease admitted in Public Health Clinical Center Affiliated to Shandong University between July 2022 and November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid（BALF）specimens were collected for MALDI-TOF MS assay and MGIT 960 culture. The diagnostic efficacy of MALDI-TOF MS for NTM pulmonary disease in patients with negative sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic（ROC）curve. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 software and MedCalc statistical software.Results:Diagnosis of NTM pulmonary disease was finally confirmed in 66 out of the 123 suspected patients. It took 8 to 24 h for MALDI-TOF MS to identify NTM species and resistance. By MALDI-TOF MS，72 NTM strains were identified，with the Mycobacterium avium complex being the most prevalent（34 strains，47.22%），followed by the Mycobacterium abscessus complex（13 strains，18.06%）；resistance to macrolides was detected in 6 cases，while no resistance to aminoglycosides was found. It took 9 to 45 days for BALF MGIT 960 culture to identify NTM，and took 7 to 15 days for NTM typing and drug sensitivity testing. By BALF MGIT 960 culture，28 NTM strains were identified；and 1 case was found to be resistant to macrolides. Using confirmed diagnosis as the gold standard，MALDI-TOF MS demonstrated higher sensitivity，negative predictive value，and agreement rate compared to MGIT 960 culture（84.85% vs. 42.42%，81.13% vs. 56.32%，80.49% vs. 62.60%， χ2=25.667，8.998，9.664， P<0.05 or <0.01）. The area under ROC curve（AUC）for MALDI-TOF MS was significantly higher than that of MGIT 960 culture（0.801 vs. 0.642， Z=3.300， P=0.001）. Conclusion:Compared to MGIT 960 culture，MALDI-TOF MS exhibits superior diagnostic efficiency in detecting NTM pulmonary disease in patients with acid-fast bacilli smear-negative sputum，with advantage of rapidly identifying NTM species and resistance.

Objective To investigate the role of irisin in exercise-induced improvement of renal function in type 2 diabetic rats. Methods Forty male SD rats aged 4-6 weeks were randomized into normal control group, type 2 diabetes mellitus model group, diabetic exercise (DE) group and diabetic irisin (DI) group (n=8). The rats in DE group were trained with treadmill running for 8 weeks, and those in DI group were given scheduled irisin injections for 8 weeks. After the treatments, blood biochemical parameters of the rats were examined, and renal histopathology was observed with HE, Masson and PAS staining. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression levels in the rats' kidneys. Results The diabetic rats showed significantly increased levels of fasting insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen with lowered serum irisin level (all P<0.05). Compared with those in DM group, total cholesterol, triglyceride, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were decreased and serum irisin levels were increased in both DE and DI groups (all P<0.05). The rats in DM group showed obvious structural disorders and collagen fiber deposition in the kidneys, which were significantly improved in DE group and DI group. Both regular exercises and irisin injections significantly ameliorated the reduction of FNDC5, LC3-Ⅱ/Ⅰ, Atg7, Beclin-1, p-AMPK, AMPK and SIRT1 protein expressions and lowered of p62 protein expression in the kidneys of the diabetic rats (all P<0.05). Conclusion Both exercise and exogenous irisin treatment improve nephropathy in type 2 diabetic rats possibly due to irisin-mediated activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway in the kidneys to promote renal autophagy.

Objective To investigate the role of irisin in exercise-induced improvement of renal function in type 2 diabetic rats. Methods Forty male SD rats aged 4-6 weeks were randomized into normal control group, type 2 diabetes mellitus model group, diabetic exercise (DE) group and diabetic irisin (DI) group (n=8). The rats in DE group were trained with treadmill running for 8 weeks, and those in DI group were given scheduled irisin injections for 8 weeks. After the treatments, blood biochemical parameters of the rats were examined, and renal histopathology was observed with HE, Masson and PAS staining. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression levels in the rats' kidneys. Results The diabetic rats showed significantly increased levels of fasting insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen with lowered serum irisin level (all P<0.05). Compared with those in DM group, total cholesterol, triglyceride, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were decreased and serum irisin levels were increased in both DE and DI groups (all P<0.05). The rats in DM group showed obvious structural disorders and collagen fiber deposition in the kidneys, which were significantly improved in DE group and DI group. Both regular exercises and irisin injections significantly ameliorated the reduction of FNDC5, LC3-Ⅱ/Ⅰ, Atg7, Beclin-1, p-AMPK, AMPK and SIRT1 protein expressions and lowered of p62 protein expression in the kidneys of the diabetic rats (all P<0.05). Conclusion Both exercise and exogenous irisin treatment improve nephropathy in type 2 diabetic rats possibly due to irisin-mediated activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 pathway in the kidneys to promote renal autophagy.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major cause of viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). From chronic HBV infection to HCC, most patients go through the stages of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and HCC. During this long process, the ongoing integration of HBV DNA into host DNA increases the risk of HCC, and the death and compensatory proliferation of hepatocytes caused by persistent liver inflammation may promote the accumulation of oncogenic mutations and finally lead to the malignant transformation of hepatocytes. Currently, nucleos(t)ide analogues are widely used anti-HBV drugs, which controls infection by inhibiting HBV replication and can thus effectively slow down disease progression and end-stage liver disease; however, anti-HBV therapy often starts late and has a relatively low treatment rate, and there is still a tendency of increase in the incidence rate of HBV-related HCC. Therefore, how to improve current antiviral strategies to further reduce the risk of HBV-related end-stage liver disease including HCC has become a hotspot in clinical practice. This article summarizes the previous studies supporting the expansion of antiviral therapy and suggests that antiviral therapy should be initiated as early as possible to inhibit viral replication and the sequential events of HBV DNA integration and ultimately reduce the risk of HCC in patients with chronic HBV infection.

Objective:To analyze the changes of helper T cell 22 (Th22) and related cytokines and chemokines in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and tonsillitis, and explore its relationship with clinical pathological changes.Methods:IgAN patients who were diagnosed at the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from June 2015 to June 2016 were included. They were divided into IgAN and tonsillitis (IgAN+tonsillitis) group, IgAN group, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN) group and control group (HC) group according to renal pathology and whether associated with tonsillitis. Flow cytometry was used to detect the percentage of peripheral blood Th17, Th22 cells, CC-type chemokine receptor (CCR) 4, CCR6 and CCR10 cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of interleukin (IL)-22, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, CCL22, CCL20 and CCL27. Immunohistochemical method (IHC) was used to detect the expression of CCL22, CCL20 and CCL27 in kidney tissue. The differences of clinicopathological indicators, the proportion of Th22 cells and related chemokine in each group were compared and analyzed.Results:A total of 44 IgAN patients were included, including 14 patients complicated with tonsillitis. Ten MsPGN patients and 16 healthy people were also included. There was no statistically significant difference in gender, age, blood pressure, kidney function, blood lipid and other biochemical indicators among the groups (all P>0.05). The peripheral blood Th22 cells and CCR10 positive cells in the IgAN group, MsPGN group, and IgAN+tonsillitis group were significantly higher than those of the control group, and serum IL-22, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, CCL20, CCL22 and CCL27 levels were also significantly higher (all P<0.05). All above indexes reached the highest levels in IgAN patients combined with tonsillitis. The changes of CCL20, CCL22 and CCL27 in renal tissues were consistent with those in peripheral blood. The percentage of Th22 cells increased in hematuria-positive and higher MEST scores patients. Conclusions:Th22 cells cooperated with CCL27/CCR10 axis are involved in the pathogenesis of IgAN. Tonsillitis exacerbates clinical severity and kidney injury of IgAN.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and diagnostic value of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for the evaluation and comparison of aspartate aminotransferas/platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis 4 indexes (FIB-4) and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) with liver fibrosis staging in relation to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Methods:103 cases with NAFLD who met the inclusion criteria confirmed by liver biopsy were selected for retrospective analysis. The results of serological tests and LSM were recorded. The APRI, FIB-4 and NFS were calculated. The accuracy and applicability of four liver fibrosis models in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients were compared with the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and the diagnostic cut-off value of LSM was established.Results:Varying degrees of LSM, APRI, FIB-4 and NFS had shown positive correlations with the increasing degree of liver fibrosis. Among them, LSM was positively correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis, and the correlation coefficient was r = 0.727, P < 0.0001. Consistent with this, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of LSM diagnosis of liver fibrosis in different stages was significantly higher than APRI, FIB-4 and NFS. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve of LSM was 0.862 and 0.928 for significant liver fibrosis ( f ≥ 2), and advanced liver fibrosis ( f ≥ 3). Conclusion:LSM has a good diagnostic exclusion value for NAFLD-induced fibrosis, and its sensitivity and specificity are better than APRI, FIB-4 and NFS.

Objective To study the mitochondrial DNA mutation in patients with primary multiple myeloma. Methods The mitochondrial DNA of 5 patients with primary multiple myeloma in the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao from February to June 2017 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced directly, and the results were compared with revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS) and Human Mitochondrial Gene Database (mtDB) database. Results There were 42 mutation genes, with 52.38％(22/42) mutation genes in D-loop region, 9.52％(4/42) mutation genes in ND4L region, 2.38％(1/42) mutation genes in ND5 region, 26.19％ (11/42) mutation genes in Cytb region, 7.14％ (3/42) mutation genes in ND1 region, and 4.76％ (2/42) mutation genes in COⅡ region. Conclusion There is a high mitochondrial DNA mutation rate in patients with primary multiple myeloma.

Objective? To? explore? the? clinical? significance? of? early? oral? intervention? measures? in? the?prognosis?of?premature?infants.? Methods? 151?preterm?infants?admitted?to?neonatal?intensive?care?unit?(NICU)?of?Liaocheng?People's?Hospital?from?January?2015?to?January?2017?were?enrolled.?Premature?infants?were?divided?into?intervention?group?and?control?group?according?to?random?number?table?method?and?with?the?consent?of?legal?guardian.?Both?groups?received?routine?treatment?of?preterm?infants?after?stable?vital?signs.?The?intervention?group?received?the?oral?massage?method?adopted?by?none-nutritive?sucking,?stimulating?swallowing?function?and?SandraFucile?on?the?basis?of?routine?treatment,?once?a?day?for?14?consecutive?days.?Both?groups?were?followed?up?for?6?months.?The?oral?feeding?ability?of?premature?infants?was?evaluated?by?the?proficiency?(PRO),?rate?of?transfer?(RT),?feeding?process?and??non-nutritive?suction?(NNS).?At?40?weeks?of?postmenstrual?age?(PMA),?neonatal?behavioral?neurological?(NBNA)?was?used?to?assess?neonatal?brain?development;?Infanib?was?used?for?early?motor?development?evaluation?at?3?months?and??6?months?after?birth.? Results? Finally,?151?premature?infants?were?enrolled,?including?78?in?the?intervention?group?and?73?in?the?control?group.?The?time?to?complete?oral?feeding?of?the?intervention?group?was?significantly?shorter?than?that?of?the?control?group?(days:?18.1±3.7?vs.?23.4±5.8,?P??0.05).?Infanib?evaluation?at?3?months?of?age?showed?that?the?proportion?of?normal?children?in?the?intervention?group?was?significantly?higher?than?that?in?the?control?group?[67.95%?(53/78)?vs.?49.31%?(36/73),?P?

Objective To investigate the mutation of mitochondrial genome in lymphoma. Methods The peripheral blood or borrow fluid 2 ml from 14 lymphoma patients in the First Hospital of Qinhuangdao between May 2016 and July 2017 were collected. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify and sequence mitochondrial DNA, and the results were compared with the revised Cambridge reference sequence (rCRS) and human mitochondrial genome database (mtDB), and then the mutation was also analyzed. Results There were 118 mutation genes, including 57.63％ (68/118) in D-loop region, 18.64％ (22/118) in NADH dehydrogenase 5 (ND5) region, 13.56％(16/118) in cytochrome b oxidase (CbO) region, 5.08％(6/118) in ND1 region, 3.39％ (4/118) in cytochrome oxidase (COⅡ) region, 1.69％ (2/118) in ND4 region. Conclusion Mitochondrial DNA mutation in lymphoma has a high mutation rate.

BACKGROUND: More and more patients with small pulmonary nodules (SPN) can be found along with the developing of chest low-dose computed tomography (LDCT). With current examinations not all the SPN can be diagnosed to be benign or malignant and not all the malignant nodules can be diagnosed to be lymphatic metastasis. We need to study the correlation between plasma D-dimer count of patients before surgery with pathology features of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The study comprised 567 highly suspected lung cancer patients. Preoperative plasma D-dimer were qualified, and the relationship between plasma D-dimer with pathology features including benign or malignant nodules, tumor size and involvement of lymph nodes was examined using Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman correlation coefficients. RESULTS: The median plasma D-dimer values were statistically higher in NSCLC patients than in those who suffered from benign lung nodules (P<0.001). The median plasma D-dimer values in NSCLC patients with malignant lymph nodes were statistically higher than in those without malignant lymph nodes (P<0.001). An obvious relationship was observed between elevated D-dimer with number of malignant lymph nodes involvement and tumer size. An obvious relationship was observed between elevated D-dimer (>112.5 ng/mL) and malignant lymph node involvement in stage T1 lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS The plasma D-dimer maybe useful for early diagnosis, staging and prognosis of the patients with NSCLC. The plasma D-dimer can be one of the indicator to identify what kind of patients need mediastinal lymph node cleaning.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; pathology ; Female ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies