OBJECTIVES: To summarize the clinical manifestations and genetic characteristics of creatine deficiency syndrome (CDS) caused by GAMT gene mutations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and genetic data of two children diagnosed with GAMT deficiency-type CDS at the Children's Medical Center of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, from December 2020 to December 2024. RESULTS: The two patients presented with symptoms in infancy, and both had compound heterozygous mutations in the GAMT gene. Case 1 exhibited seizures and intellectual disability, while Case 2 had intellectual disability and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of cranial MRI in both patients indicated reduced creatine peaks. After creatine treatment, seizures in Case 1 were controlled, but both patients continued to experience intellectual disabilities and behavioral issues. As of December 2024, a total of 21 cases have been reported in China (including this study), and 115 cases have been reported abroad. All patients exhibited developmental delay or intellectual disabilities, with 66.9% (91/136) experiencing seizures, 33.8% (46/136) presenting with motor disorders, and 36.8% (50/136) having behavioral problems. Seventy-five percent (102/136) of patients received creatine treatment, leading to significant improvements in seizures and motor disorders, although cognitive improvement was not substantial. CONCLUSIONS GAMT deficiency-type CDS is rare and presents with nonspecific clinical features. Timely diagnosis facilitates targeted treatment, which can partially improve prognosis.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Creatine/deficiency* ; Guanidinoacetate N-Methyltransferase/deficiency* ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Mutation ; Retrospective Studies ; Rhabdomyolysis/genetics* ; Language Development Disorders ; Movement Disorders/congenital*

BACKGROUND: Based on the China-VHD database, this study sought to develop and validate a Valvular Heart Disease- specific Age-adjusted Comorbidity Index (VHD-ACI) for predicting mortality risk in patients with VHD. METHODS & RESULTS: The China-VHD study was a nationwide, multi-centre multi-centre cohort study enrolling 13,917 patients with moderate or severe VHD across 46 medical centres in China between April-June 2018. After excluding cases with missing key variables, 11,459 patients were retained for final analysis. The primary endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality, with 941 deaths (10.0%) observed during follow-up. The VHD-ACI was derived after identifying 13 independent mortality predictors: cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary artery hypertension, low body weight, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, renal insufficiency, moderate/severe hepatic dysfunction, heart failure, cancer, NYHA functional class and age. The index exhibited good discrimination (AUC, 0.79) and calibration (Brier score, 0.062) in the total cohort, outperforming both EuroSCORE II and ACCI (P < 0.001 for comparison). Internal validation through 100 bootstrap iterations yielded a C statistic of 0.694 (95% CI: 0.665-0.723) for 2-year mortality prediction. VHD-ACI scores, as a continuous variable (VHD-ACI score: adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.263 (1.245-1.282), P < 0.001) or categorized using thresholds determined by the Yoden index (VHD-ACI ≥ 9 vs. < 9, adjusted HR (95% CI): 6.216 (5.378-7.184), P < 0.001), were independently associated with mortality. The prognostic performance remained consistent across all VHD subtypes (aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid valve disease, mixed aortic/mitral valve disease and multiple VHD), and clinical subgroups stratified by therapeutic strategy, LVEF status (preserved vs. reduced), disease severity and etiology. CONCLUSION The VHD-ACI is a simple 13-comorbidity algorithm for the prediction of mortality in VHD patients and providing a simple and rapid tool for risk stratification.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Aim To discover the potential active compounds and possible mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment with Zhi-Huang-Zhi-Tong powder (ZHZTP) by using network pharmacology and in vitro study. Methods The active ingredient targets and disease targets of Zhihuang Zhitong Powder were searched and screened by database; they intersected to get a common target; and the "drug-component-target" relationship network diagram was constructed for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of the overlapping genes; then the core components were docked with the core targets. Finally, based on the inflammation model of HUVECs in vitro, the efficacy and mechanism of Zhihuang Zhitong powder were verified by MTT method, plate scratch test and Western blot. Results Active compounds involved in RA treatment were screened in the present study, and the top two were ursolic acid and emodin, all playing crucial roles in RA treatment with ZHZTP. Additionally, the key target was AKTA, TNF and IL-6. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that ZHZTP regulated BP, MF and CC, and also focused on regulating AKTA, TNF and IL-6 signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that interactions between key active compounds and key targets were stable. In vitro ZHZTP significantly inhibited cell viability and migration of TNF-a-stimulated HUVECs, and the involved mechanism may be associated with PI3K/AKT/m-TOR signaling. Conclusions The present study reveals that the potential active compounds of ZHZTP are ursolic acid and emodin, and moreover, the involved mechanisms of ZHZTP for RA treatment are associated with PI3 K/AKT/m-TOR signaling.

AIM To investigate the protective effect of Mongolian medicine Naru-3 on rat rheumatoid arthritis(RA)using imaging method.METHODS With the rats divided into the normal group,the model group,the positive medicine group,and the low,medium and high dose Naru-3 groups(0.1,0.2 and 0.4 g/kg),the rat model of collagen-induced arthritis(CIA)was established by immune induction method.After 4 weeks of corresponding drug administration,the rats had their changes of arthritis index(AI)level and body weight observed;their serum levels of VEGF,TNF-α and IL-1 detected by ELISA;their synovial hyperplasia and neovascularization evaluated by high-frequency ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS);their bone destruction of ankle joint evaluated by X-ray and high-resolution micro-CT;and their synovial membrane and expressions of CD31,VEGF,TNF-α and IL-1 β observed by HE and immunohistochemistry.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the Naru-3 groups displayed increased rat weight(P＜0.05);no significantly changed AI score(P＞0.05);and overally decreased levels of serum VEGF,TNF-α,synovial membrane thickness,blood flow signal by power Doppler imaging(PDI)and contrast intensity revealed,X-ray score,and CD31 expression(P＜0.05),in addition to the decreased level of IL-1 and HE score in high-dose group(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION Naru-3 is protective to the joint tissue in rat model of RA through alleviating synovitis,bone erosion and delaying the progress of the disease by inhibiting synovial neovascularization and inflammatory cytokines.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of individual and combined assessment of age- and sex-specific brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and pulse pressure (PP) on all-cause mortality. Methods: This study is a prospective cohort study. Individuals participated in the Kailuan Study and completed baPWV measurements between 2010 and 2016 were included in this study. After stratifying by sex, 75th percentile baPWV and PP values for different age group were calculated at five years interval. BaPWV and PP values below the 75th percentile were defined as normal, and those above or equal to the 75th percentile were defined as increased. The participants were allocated to four groups according to their PP and baPWV status: normal baPWV/PP group, high baPWV/normal PP group, normal baPWV/high PP group and high baPWV/PP group. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality during the follow-up period. Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the impact of individual and combined assessment of baPWV and PP on all-cause mortality events. Results: A total of 39 339 participants were enrolled in this study, aged (49.3±12.8) years, of which 28 731 (73.03%) were males. There were 23 268, 6 025, 6 210 and 3 836 cases in the normal baPWV/PP group, high baPWV/normal PP group, normal baPWV/high PP group and high baPWV/PP group, respectively. The average follow-up duration was (4.98±2.53) years. During the follow-up period, all-cause mortality occurred in 998 individuals. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed increased risk of all-cause mortality in the high baPWV/normal PP group (HR=1.27, 95%CI 1.07-1.50), and in the high baPWV/PP group (HR=1.33, 95%CI 1.08-1.65) compared to the normal baPWV/PP group. Increased pulse pressure alone had no impcat on all-cause death (HR=1.06, 95%CI 0.87-1.29). Conclusions: The risk of all-cause mortality significantly increases with increased age-and sex-specific baPWV and PP values. BaPWV may be a better predictor of all-cause mortality than PP in this cohort.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Blood Pressure ; Ankle Brachial Index ; Prospective Studies ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Ankle ; Vascular Stiffness ; Risk Factors

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center phase Ⅱ clinical trial design was used in this study to recruit subjects who were in line with the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin, and were diagnosed as recurrent oral ulcers, gingivitis, and acute pharyngitis. A total of 240 cases were included and randomly divided into a placebo group and a Huanglian Jiedu Pills group. The clinical efficacy of Huanglian Jiedu Pills in treating the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin was evaluated by using the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndrome scale. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to determine and evaluate the levels of adenosine triphosphate(ATP), 4-hydroxynonenal(4-HNE), and adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH) in plasma of the two groups before and after administration and to predict their application value as clinical biomarkers. The results showed that the disappearance rate of main symptoms in the Huanglian Jiedu Pills group was 69.17%, and that in the placebo group was 50.83%. The comparison between the Huanglian Jiedu Pills group and the placebo group showed that 4-HNE before and after administration was statistically significant(P<0.05). The content of 4-HNE in the Huanglian Jiedu Pills group decreased significantly after administration(P<0.05), but that in the placebo group had no statistical significance and showed an upward trend. After administration, the content of ATP in both Huanglian Jiedu Pills group and placebo group decreased significantly(P<0.05), indicating that the energy metabolism disorder was significantly improved after administration of Huanglian Jiedu Pills and the body's self-healing ability also alleviated the increase in ATP level caused by the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin to a certain extent. ACTH in both Huanglian Jiedu Pills group and placebo group decreased significantly after administration(P<0.05). It is concluded that Huanglian Jiedu Pills has a significant clinical effect, and can significantly improve the abnormal levels of ATP and 4-HNE in plasma caused by the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin, which are speculated to be the effective clinical biomarkers for Huanglian Jiedu Pills to treat the syndrome of excess heat and fire toxin.
Humans ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; Hot Temperature ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Adenosine Triphosphate

Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/genetics* ; Gene-Environment Interaction ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of cytokine levels on early death and coagulation function of patients with newly diagnosed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). METHODS: Routine examination was performed on 69 newly diagnosed APL patients at admission. Meanwhile, 4 ml fasting venous blood was extracted from the patients. And then the supernatant was taken after centrifugation. The concentrations of cytokines, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and ferritin were detected by using the corresponding kits. RESULTS: It was confirmed that cerebral hemorrhage was a major cause of early death in APL patients. Elevated LDH, decreased platelets (PLT) count and prolonged prothrombin time (PT) were high risk factors for early death (P <0.05). The increases of IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70 and IL-17A were closely related to the early death of newly diagnosed APL patients, and the increases of IL-5 and IL-17A also induced coagulation disorder in APL patients by prolonging PT (P <0.05). In newly diagnosed APL patients, ferritin and LDH showed a positive effect on the expression of IL-5, IL-10 and IL-17A, especially ferritin had a highly positive correlation with IL-5 (r =0.867) and IL-17A (r =0.841). Moreover, there was a certain correlation between these five high-risk cytokines, among which IL-5 and IL-17A (r =0.827), IL-6 and IL-10 (r =0.823) were highly positively correlated. CONCLUSION Elevated cytokine levels in newly diagnosed APL patients increase the risk of early bleeding and death. In addition to the interaction between cytokines themselves, ferritin and LDH positively affect the expression of cytokines, thus affecting the prognosis of APL patients.
Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute/diagnosis* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-17/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Interleukin-5/metabolism* ; Blood Coagulation Disorders ; Ferritins ; Tretinoin

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a user-friendly risk score for older mitral regurgitation (MR) patients, referred to as the Elder-MR score. METHODS: The China Senile Valvular Heart Disease (China-DVD) Cohort Study functioned as the development cohort, while the China Valvular Heart Disease (China-VHD) Study was employed for external validation. We included patients aged 60 years and above receiving medical treatment for moderate or severe MR (2274 patients in the development cohort and 1929 patients in the validation cohort). Candidate predictors were chosen using Cox's proportional hazards model and stepwise selection with Akaike's information criterion. RESULTS: Eight predictors were identified: age ≥ 75 years, body mass index < 20 kg/m², NYHA class III/IV, secondary MR, anemia, estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m², albumin < 35 g/L, and left ventricular ejection fraction < 60%. The model displayed satisfactory performance in predicting one-year mortality in both the development cohort (C-statistic = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.69-0.77, Brier score = 0.06) and the validation cohort (C-statistic = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.68-0.78, Brier score = 0.06). The Elder-MR score ranges from 0 to 15 points. At a one-year follow-up, each point increase in the Elder-MR score represents a 1.27-fold risk of death (HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.21-1.34, P < 0.001) in the development cohort and a 1.24-fold risk of death (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.17-1.30, P < 0.001) in the validation cohort. Compared to EuroSCORE II, the Elder-MR score demonstrated superior predictive accuracy for one-year mortality in the validation cohort (C-statistic = 0.71 vs. 0.70, net reclassification improvement = 0.320, P < 0.01; integrated discrimination improvement = 0.029, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The Elder-MR score may serve as an effective risk stratification tool to assist clinical decision-making in older MR patients.