Objective·To investigate the effect of Th17 cell-specific Stat3 knockout on anxiety-and depressive-like behaviors.Methods·Mice with specific Stat3 knockout in Th17 cells(Stat3fl/fl;Il17a-CreERT2),named Stat3△Il17a,and wild-type mice(Stat3fl/fl,WT)were generated through the Cre/LoxP system,and Stat3 knockout was induced by intraperitoneal injection of tamoxifen.CD4+T cells were isolated using magnetic-activated cell sorting and induced to differentiate into Th17 cells.Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to verify Stat3 knockout efficiency.Mice were assigned into 4 groups:WT-C group,Stat3△Il17a-C group,WT-P group,and Stat3△Il17a-P group.The periodontitis model was established in the WT-P group and the Stat3△Il17a-P group by injection of Porphyromonas gingivalis-lipopolysaccharide(P.gingivalis-LPS)into the gingival sulcus.Behavioral tests,including the open field test,elevated zero maze,and forced swimming test,were conducted to evaluate changes in anxiety-and depressive-like behaviors.Micro-computed tomography was used to observe destruction of alveolar bone.Neuronal injury was observed by H-E staining,and the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results·mRNA expression and protein levels of Stat3 in Stat3△Il17a mice were inhibited compared to WT mice(P<0.05).Experimental periodontitis model was successfully established in the WT-P group and the Stat3△Il17a-P group.The degree of alveolar bone destruction was reduced in the Stat3△Il17a-P group compared to the WT-P group.In the WT-P group,decreased residence time in the central area and in the open area was observed in the open field test and elevated zero maze respectively,and increased immortal time was recorded in the forced swimming test(P<0.05).Moreover,neuronal injury was detected and significantly decreased expression levels of BDNF in the brain were measured in the WT-P group compared with the WT-C group(P<0.05).The degree of abnormal behaviors and neuronal injury was reduced in the Stat3△Il17a-P group compared to the WT-P group(P<0.05).Moreover,the level of BDNF in the Stat3△Il17a-P was higher than that in the WT-P group(P<0.05).Conclusion·Periodontitis may contribute to anxiety-and depressive-like behaviors and neuronal damage in mice,while Th17-specific conditional knockout of Stat3 could significantly alleviate pathological behaviors and neuronal damage.Stat3-mediated-Th17 cell immune responses may play a crucial role in the correlation between periodontitis and anxiety and depression.

Patulous eustachian tube（PET） is an otolaryngological disorder caused by various factors, characterized by the loss of normal closure function of the eustachian tube in a resting state, resulting in persistent patency. Surgical treatment is recognized as an effective method for the management of refractory PET, but the surgical approaches for PET are diverse, with therapeutic outcomes varying significantly. The surgical procedure involving the occlusion of the tympanic ostium of the eustachian tube through the tympanic membrane, using specially designed silicone plugs, has shown excellent therapeutic outcomes. This minimally invasive procedure is considered highly safe and is considered as the preferred surgical option for patients with refractory PET. The purpose of this article is to review the current status and progress of endoscopic trans-tympanic eustachian tube plug implantation surgery in the treatment of patulous eustachian tube syndrome.
Humans ; Eustachian Tube/surgery* ; Endoscopy ; Tympanic Membrane/surgery* ; Ear Diseases/surgery*

Objective To investigate the correlation of the degree of left anterior descending artery stenosis of coronary artery with the prognosis and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome types of Wellens'syndrome(WS)patients.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients who were hospitalized in the Cardiology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from September 2021 to September 2023,and the patients all met the diagnostic criteria of WS and had completed coronary artery angiography.The clinical data of the patietns was collated and then a database was constructed.The patients were differentiated into four TCM syndrome types,namely qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,qi and yin deficiency syndrome,heat toxin resulting in blood stasis syndrome,and turbid phlegm resulting in blood stasis syndrome.The analysis was performed for the general information,distribution of TCM syndrome types,Gensini score for the degree of left anterior descending artery stenosis,and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)risk score for the prognosis,and then the correlation of the degree of left anterior descending artery stenosis with the prognosis and TCM syndrome types of WS patients was explored.Results(1)The analysis of the distribution of TCM syndrome types showed that among the 70 WS patients,heat toxin resulting in blood stasis syndrome accounted for the largest proportion of 37.14%(26/70),while qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome accounted for the smallest proportion of 12.86%(9/70).The TCM syndromes types ranking in descending order were as follows:heat toxin resulting in blood stasis syndrome>turbid phlegm resulting in blood stasis syndrome>qi and yin deficiency syndrome>qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome.(2)There was no statistically significant difference in the distribution of gender and age among WS patients with various TCM syndrome types(P>0.05).(3)The differences in Gensini score among WS patients with various TCM syndrome types groups were statistically significant(P<0.01),and the Gensini scores were higher in the heat toxin resulting in blood stasis syndrome and turbid phlegm resulting in blood stasis syndrome,particularly in turbid phlegm resulting in blood stasis syndrome.Post-hoc pairwise comparisons showed that the Gensini scores in heat toxin resulting in blood stasis syndrome group and turbid phlegm resulting in blood stasis syndrome group were both significantly higher than those in qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome group(P<0.05).No statistically significant differences were presented in TIMI risk score among WS patients with various TCM syndrome types(P<0.05).Post-hoc pairwise comparisons show that the TIMI risk score of heat toxin resulting in blood stasis syndrome group was higher than that of the qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome group(P<0.05),while there was no statistically significant difference among the rest groups(P>0.05).(4)The Gensini score and TIMI risk score of patients with electrocardiogram(ECG)classification WS-Ⅱ were higher than those of patients with ECG classification WS-Ⅰ(P<0.05).(5)Correlation analysis of the TIMI risk score and Gensini score revealed that there existed a correlation between them(RS=0.258,P<0.05).Conclusion In patients with WS,the Gensini score is higher in those with heat toxin resulting in blood stasis syndrome and turbid phlegm resulting in blood stasis syndrome,indicating that the left anterior descending artery stenosis is severer.And there is a correlation between Gensini score and TIMI risk score.

Objective·To investigate the effect of Th17 cell-specific Stat3 knockout on anxiety-and depressive-like behaviors.Methods·Mice with specific Stat3 knockout in Th17 cells(Stat3fl/fl;Il17a-CreERT2),named Stat3△Il17a,and wild-type mice(Stat3fl/fl,WT)were generated through the Cre/LoxP system,and Stat3 knockout was induced by intraperitoneal injection of tamoxifen.CD4+T cells were isolated using magnetic-activated cell sorting and induced to differentiate into Th17 cells.Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to verify Stat3 knockout efficiency.Mice were assigned into 4 groups:WT-C group,Stat3△Il17a-C group,WT-P group,and Stat3△Il17a-P group.The periodontitis model was established in the WT-P group and the Stat3△Il17a-P group by injection of Porphyromonas gingivalis-lipopolysaccharide(P.gingivalis-LPS)into the gingival sulcus.Behavioral tests,including the open field test,elevated zero maze,and forced swimming test,were conducted to evaluate changes in anxiety-and depressive-like behaviors.Micro-computed tomography was used to observe destruction of alveolar bone.Neuronal injury was observed by H-E staining,and the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results·mRNA expression and protein levels of Stat3 in Stat3△Il17a mice were inhibited compared to WT mice(P<0.05).Experimental periodontitis model was successfully established in the WT-P group and the Stat3△Il17a-P group.The degree of alveolar bone destruction was reduced in the Stat3△Il17a-P group compared to the WT-P group.In the WT-P group,decreased residence time in the central area and in the open area was observed in the open field test and elevated zero maze respectively,and increased immortal time was recorded in the forced swimming test(P<0.05).Moreover,neuronal injury was detected and significantly decreased expression levels of BDNF in the brain were measured in the WT-P group compared with the WT-C group(P<0.05).The degree of abnormal behaviors and neuronal injury was reduced in the Stat3△Il17a-P group compared to the WT-P group(P<0.05).Moreover,the level of BDNF in the Stat3△Il17a-P was higher than that in the WT-P group(P<0.05).Conclusion·Periodontitis may contribute to anxiety-and depressive-like behaviors and neuronal damage in mice,while Th17-specific conditional knockout of Stat3 could significantly alleviate pathological behaviors and neuronal damage.Stat3-mediated-Th17 cell immune responses may play a crucial role in the correlation between periodontitis and anxiety and depression.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of Clostridioides difficile infection(CDI)in patients hospitalized for diarrhea and analyze the risk factors for CDI.Methods Stool samples were collected from 306 patients with diarrhea hospitalized in 3 university hospitals in a mid-south city of China from October to December,2020.C.difficile was isolated by anaerobic culture,and qRT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of toxin A(tcdA)and B(tcdB)genes and the binary toxin genes(cdtA and cdtB).Multilocus sequence typing(MLST)was performed for the isolated strains without contaminating strains as confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing.Etest strips were used to determine the drug resistance profiles of the isolated strains,and the risk factors of CDI in the patients were analyzed.Results CDI was detected in 25(8.17%)out of the 306 patients.All the patients tested positive for tcdA and tcdB but negative for the binary toxin genes.Seven noncontaminated C.difficile strains with 5 ST types were isolated,including 3 ST54 strains and one strain of ST129,ST98,ST53,and ST631 types each,all belonging to clade 1 and sensitive to metronidazole and vancomycin.Hospitalization within the past 6 months(OR=3.675;95%CI:1.405-9.612),use of PPIs(OR=7.107;95%CI:2.575-19.613),antibiotics for≥1 week(OR=7.306;95%CI:2.274-23.472),non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(OR=4.754;95%CI:1.504-15.031)in the past month,and gastrointestinal disorders(OR=5.050;95%CI:1.826-13.968)were all risk factors for CDI in the patients hospitalized for diarrhea.Conclusion The CDI rate remains low in the hospitalized patients with diarrhea in the investigated hospitals,but early precaution measures are recommended when exposure to the risk factors is reported to reduce the risk of CDI in the hospitalized patients.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of Clostridioides difficile infection(CDI)in patients hospitalized for diarrhea and analyze the risk factors for CDI.Methods Stool samples were collected from 306 patients with diarrhea hospitalized in 3 university hospitals in a mid-south city of China from October to December,2020.C.difficile was isolated by anaerobic culture,and qRT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of toxin A(tcdA)and B(tcdB)genes and the binary toxin genes(cdtA and cdtB).Multilocus sequence typing(MLST)was performed for the isolated strains without contaminating strains as confirmed by 16S rDNA sequencing.Etest strips were used to determine the drug resistance profiles of the isolated strains,and the risk factors of CDI in the patients were analyzed.Results CDI was detected in 25(8.17%)out of the 306 patients.All the patients tested positive for tcdA and tcdB but negative for the binary toxin genes.Seven noncontaminated C.difficile strains with 5 ST types were isolated,including 3 ST54 strains and one strain of ST129,ST98,ST53,and ST631 types each,all belonging to clade 1 and sensitive to metronidazole and vancomycin.Hospitalization within the past 6 months(OR=3.675;95%CI:1.405-9.612),use of PPIs(OR=7.107;95%CI:2.575-19.613),antibiotics for≥1 week(OR=7.306;95%CI:2.274-23.472),non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(OR=4.754;95%CI:1.504-15.031)in the past month,and gastrointestinal disorders(OR=5.050;95%CI:1.826-13.968)were all risk factors for CDI in the patients hospitalized for diarrhea.Conclusion The CDI rate remains low in the hospitalized patients with diarrhea in the investigated hospitals,but early precaution measures are recommended when exposure to the risk factors is reported to reduce the risk of CDI in the hospitalized patients.

Patients with patulous Eustachian tubes(PET) usually suffer from annoying symptoms, such as tinnitus, autophony and aural fullness, due to the excessive opening of the Eustachian tube. There is no uniform standard of treatment, and conservative therapy combined with"Stepup"surgical intervention strategy is the main treatment. In this article, we reviewed various surgical treatments of patulous Eustachian tube in recent years, including key points of surgical operation, effectiveness, safety and complications. Full communication and evaluation are needed to establish appropriate patients' expectations preoperatively. A "Stepup" treatment strategy will be carried out, including conservative treatment, tympanic membrane surgery, Eustachian tube pharyngeal orifice constriction surgery, Eustachian tube tympanic orifice plug surgery and Eustachian tube muscle surgery, which aims to maintain normal Eustachian tube function and good middle ear ventilation.
Humans ; Eustachian Tube/surgery* ; Ear Diseases/diagnosis* ; Ear, Middle ; Tympanic Membrane/surgery* ; Tinnitus ; Otitis Media

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of remote consultation of heart sound acquisition in screening and referral of neonates with congenital heart diseases （CHD） in primary hospitals. MethodsA total of 4 030 neonates with non-critical diseases were selected. They were born in Shanghai Pudong New Area Maternal and Child Health Hospital from November 5， 2019 to March 31， 2021. After birth， routine cardiac auscultation was performed and remote consultation of heart sound collection were performed at the same time in combination with percutaneous oxygen saturation measurement to screen CHD. The children with any positive screening index were advised to verify the diagnosis by cardiac ultrasound examination in Shanghai Children's Medical Center. The diagnostic value of different screening methods was compared. ResultsA total of 110 cases were detected positive by routine screening. Among them， 16 cases were lost to follow-up， and 46 cases were confirmed by cardiac ultrasound examination， with a positive diagnosis rate of 48.94% （46/94）. A total of 51 cases were detected positive by routine screening and remote consultation of heart sound collection simultaneously. Among them， 42 cases were confirmed by cardiac ultrasound examination， with a positive diagnosis rate of 82.35% （42/51）. The difference between the two positive diagnosis rates was statistically significant （P<0.001）. ConclusionRemote consultation of heart sound acquisition on the basis of routine neonatal CHD screening can effectively improve the positive diagnosis rate of CHD screening in primary hospitals， and reduce unnecessary referrals. This method is simple and feasible. It has practical value in primary hospitals that lack professional technicians for the diagnosis and treatment of CHD.

Objective To explore the correlation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome types of hypertension with carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2),so as to provide a TCM therapy for early prevention and treatment of hypertension and its complications in clinic.Methods We collected a total of 170 cases of hypertension patients,55 with kidney-essence insufficiency syndrome,50 with ascendant hyperactivity of liver yang syndrome,and 65 with phlegm-damp retention in middle energizer syndrome.IMT was measured by the carotid Doppler ultrasound,and plasma Lp-PLA2 expression was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.And then the differences of IMT and Lp-PLA2 expression among the three groups were compared and analyzed.Results There were significant differences of carotid artery IMT and Lp-PLA2 among the three groups(P＜ 0.01),and the number of patients with carotid atherosclerosis and the expression level of Lp-PLA2 in the group of phlegm-damp retention in middle energizer syndrome were higher than those intheothertwogroups(P＜0.01).Conclusion Differentiation treatment based on phlegm may be more conducive to the prevention and treatment of hypertension and its complications.