Objective To investigate the perioperative safety of patients with myasthenia gravis who take high doses of oral glucocorticoids. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with myasthenia gravis who received oral glucocorticoids and underwent thoracoscopic thymectomy at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital from April 2013 to October 2019. Patients were divided into a high-dose steroid group and a medium-to-low dose steroid group based on the dosage of oral steroids, and the clinical data of the two groups were compared. Results A total of 102 patients were included, including 19 (18.62%) males and 83 (81.37%) females, with an average age of (32.25±9.83) years. There were 75 patients in the medium-to-low dose steroid group and 27 patients in the high-dose steroid group. All patients in both groups successfully completed the surgery without major intraoperative bleeding, conversion to open chest surgery, delayed extubation, severe infection, or perioperative death. The daily oral steroid dose for the high-dose steroid group was (35.81±4.29) mg, and for the medium-to-low dose steroid group it was (15.29±2.17) mg. There was no statistical difference in the operation time [(124.69±23.51) min vs. (117.89±21.46) min, P=0.172] and intraoperative blood loss [(21.19±3.48) mL vs. (20.56±3.41) mL, P=0.419] between the two groups. Postoperatively, 12 (11.76%) patients developed complications: one patient of myasthenic crisis (the medium-to-low dose steroid group), which was improved after short-term respiratory support and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment; 11 patients of respiratory/swallowing difficulties (9 in the medium-to-low dose steroid group and 2 in the high-dose steroid group), which were improved after anticholinergic treatment to reduce oral secretions and sputum suction, and the patients were discharged smoothly. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P=0.637). Conclusion On the basis of good perioperative management, it is safe and feasible for patients with myasthenia gravis who take high dose of oral steroids to undergo thymectomy, and they have the same perioperative safety as patients with medium-to-low dose steroids.

OBJECTIVE To investigate a suspected outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)infection in the intensive care unit of a traditional Chinese medicine hospital,identify the source of infec-tion and transmission routes,and provide a basis for prevention and control of CRKP infection.METHODS Epide-miological investigations were conducted on five patients with CRKP infections or colonization who were identi-fied in Jul.2024 at Suiyang County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.Samples were collected from pa-tients,the ward environments,and hand surfaces to detect CRKP.Fourteen CRKP isolates were selected for car-bapenemase gene testing,and homology analysis was performed by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction(ERIC-PCR)and multilocus sequence typing(MLST).RESULTS The median age of the five cases was 73 years,and all had undergone multiple invasive procedures.Environmental monitoring showed a CRKP positive rate of 26.35％,with CRKP isolates detected on the hands of healthcare workers,surfaces in the wards and medical equipment surfaces.Genetic analysis showed that all 14 CRKP strains carried the KPC resist-ance gene;except for case 1,other strains carried the VIM gene.MLST identified CRKP of all strains as sequence type 48(ST48);while ERIC-PCR revealed two distinct genotypes:genotype A for case 1 and genotype B for the other cases and environmental isolates.After strengthening patient isolation and group treatment,strictly cleaning and disinfecting the ward environments and medical equipment,and strictly implementing hand hygiene,the infec-tion was effectively controlled.CONCLUSIONS Inadequate disinfection of the ward environments and medical e-quipment and poor compliance with hand hygiene are the main contributors to the suspected CRKP outbreak.Ho-mology analysis suggests the existence of two independent transmission chains.Timely identification and manage-ment of the infection sources,interruption of transmission routes,protection of susceptible individuals and imple-mentation of comprehensive infection control measures are essential for effective outbreak control.

Objective To explore the variation characteristics of ganglion cell complex(GCC)parameters in patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR)at different stages and their relationship with hemoglobin(HB)level.Methods A total of 97 DR patients who were treated in our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected and divided into the moderate non-proliferative DR(mNPDR)group(n=35),the severe non-proliferative DR(sNPDR)group(n=32),and the proliferative DR(PDR)group(n=30).The general data,biochemical indicators,and GCC parameters of the three groups were compared.Logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of ganglion cell layer(GCL)parameters on the staging of DR.In addition,according to the terartiles of HB levels,they were divided into the low-level(LHB)group of(10.31±1.13)g/dl(n=32),the medium-level(MHB)group of(12.52±0.32)g/dl(n=31),and the high-level(HHB)group of(14.73±0.31)g/dl(n=34).The general data,biochemical indicators and GCC parameters of the three groups were compared,and the influence of HB on the stage of DR were analyzed by Logistic regression.Logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of HB level on GCC parameters.Results The age,hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c),fasting plasma glucose(FPG),total cholesterol,local lost volume of GCC(FLV),and overall lost volume of GCC(GLV)in the mNPDR,sNPDR,and PDR groups increased successively(P<0.05).Rate of anemia,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in PDR group was higher than mNPDR and sNPDR groups(P<0.05).The HB,albumin,total bilirubin(TBIL),direct bilirubin(DBIL),thicknesses of GCC,retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL),and ganglion cell layer(GCL)decreased successively(P<0.05).The TBIL,DBIL,GCC thickness,RNFL thickness and GCL thickness in the LHB,MHB and HHB groups increased successively(P<0.05),while the age,serum creatinine,FLV and GLV decreased successively(P<0.05).HbA1c,FPG,rate of anemia in the HHB group were lower than those in the LHB and MHB groups(P<0.05),and triglyceride in the MHB and HHB groups were higher than that in the LHB group(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors,all GCL thicknesses and HB levels were influencing factors for DR staging.After adjusting for GCC and RNFL thicknesses,HB levels were influencing factors for the average thickness,minimum thickness,upper thickness,and lower thickness of GCL.Conclusions Both the thickness of GCL and the level of HB are factors affecting the DR staging.The level of HB has an impact on the thickness of GCL and deserves clinical attention.

Objective To explore the variation characteristics of ganglion cell complex(GCC)parameters in patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR)at different stages and their relationship with hemoglobin(HB)level.Methods A total of 97 DR patients who were treated in our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected and divided into the moderate non-proliferative DR(mNPDR)group(n=35),the severe non-proliferative DR(sNPDR)group(n=32),and the proliferative DR(PDR)group(n=30).The general data,biochemical indicators,and GCC parameters of the three groups were compared.Logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of ganglion cell layer(GCL)parameters on the staging of DR.In addition,according to the terartiles of HB levels,they were divided into the low-level(LHB)group of(10.31±1.13)g/dl(n=32),the medium-level(MHB)group of(12.52±0.32)g/dl(n=31),and the high-level(HHB)group of(14.73±0.31)g/dl(n=34).The general data,biochemical indicators and GCC parameters of the three groups were compared,and the influence of HB on the stage of DR were analyzed by Logistic regression.Logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of HB level on GCC parameters.Results The age,hemoglobin A1c(HbA1c),fasting plasma glucose(FPG),total cholesterol,local lost volume of GCC(FLV),and overall lost volume of GCC(GLV)in the mNPDR,sNPDR,and PDR groups increased successively(P<0.05).Rate of anemia,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in PDR group was higher than mNPDR and sNPDR groups(P<0.05).The HB,albumin,total bilirubin(TBIL),direct bilirubin(DBIL),thicknesses of GCC,retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL),and ganglion cell layer(GCL)decreased successively(P<0.05).The TBIL,DBIL,GCC thickness,RNFL thickness and GCL thickness in the LHB,MHB and HHB groups increased successively(P<0.05),while the age,serum creatinine,FLV and GLV decreased successively(P<0.05).HbA1c,FPG,rate of anemia in the HHB group were lower than those in the LHB and MHB groups(P<0.05),and triglyceride in the MHB and HHB groups were higher than that in the LHB group(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors,all GCL thicknesses and HB levels were influencing factors for DR staging.After adjusting for GCC and RNFL thicknesses,HB levels were influencing factors for the average thickness,minimum thickness,upper thickness,and lower thickness of GCL.Conclusions Both the thickness of GCL and the level of HB are factors affecting the DR staging.The level of HB has an impact on the thickness of GCL and deserves clinical attention.

OBJECTIVE To investigate a suspected outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)infection in the intensive care unit of a traditional Chinese medicine hospital,identify the source of infec-tion and transmission routes,and provide a basis for prevention and control of CRKP infection.METHODS Epide-miological investigations were conducted on five patients with CRKP infections or colonization who were identi-fied in Jul.2024 at Suiyang County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.Samples were collected from pa-tients,the ward environments,and hand surfaces to detect CRKP.Fourteen CRKP isolates were selected for car-bapenemase gene testing,and homology analysis was performed by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction(ERIC-PCR)and multilocus sequence typing(MLST).RESULTS The median age of the five cases was 73 years,and all had undergone multiple invasive procedures.Environmental monitoring showed a CRKP positive rate of 26.35％,with CRKP isolates detected on the hands of healthcare workers,surfaces in the wards and medical equipment surfaces.Genetic analysis showed that all 14 CRKP strains carried the KPC resist-ance gene;except for case 1,other strains carried the VIM gene.MLST identified CRKP of all strains as sequence type 48(ST48);while ERIC-PCR revealed two distinct genotypes:genotype A for case 1 and genotype B for the other cases and environmental isolates.After strengthening patient isolation and group treatment,strictly cleaning and disinfecting the ward environments and medical equipment,and strictly implementing hand hygiene,the infec-tion was effectively controlled.CONCLUSIONS Inadequate disinfection of the ward environments and medical e-quipment and poor compliance with hand hygiene are the main contributors to the suspected CRKP outbreak.Ho-mology analysis suggests the existence of two independent transmission chains.Timely identification and manage-ment of the infection sources,interruption of transmission routes,protection of susceptible individuals and imple-mentation of comprehensive infection control measures are essential for effective outbreak control.

Objective To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Euonymus alatus for diabetic kidney disease(DKD).Methods TCMSP,PubChem and Swiss Target Prediction databases were used to obtain the active ingredients in Euonymus alatus and their targets.GEO database and R language were used to analyze the differentially expressed genes in DKD.The therapeutic targets of DKD were obtained using GeneCards,DisGeNet,OMIM and TTD databases.The protein-protein interaction network and the"drug-component-target-disease"network were constructed for analyzing the topological properties of the core targets,which were functionally annotated using GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses.Molecular docking was performed for the core targets and the main pharmacologically active components,and the results were verified in db/db mice.Results Analysis of GSE96804,GSE30528 and GSE30529 datasets(including 60 DKD patients and 45 normal samples)identified 111 differentially expressed genes in DKD.Network pharmacology analysis obtained 161 intersecting genes between the target genes of Euonymus alatus and DKD,including the key core target genes SRC,EGFR,and AKT1.The core active ingredients of Euonymus alatus were quercetin,kaempferol,diosmetin,and naringenin,which were associated with responses to xenobiotic stimulionus and protein phosphorylation and regulated EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance pathways.Molecular docking suggested good binding activities of the core active components of Euonymus alatus with the core targets.In db/db mouse models of DKD,treatment with Euonymus alatus obviously ameliorated kidney pathologies,significantly inhibited renal expressions of SRC,EGFR and AKT1,and delayed the progression of DKD.Conclusion Euonymus alatus contains multiple active ingredients such as quercetin,kakaferol,diosmetin,naringenin,which regulate the expressions of SRC,EGFR,and AKT1 to affect the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance signaling pathway to delay the progression of DKD.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the in vitro inhibitory mechanism of berberine on the proliferation of tumor stem cells and evaluate its in vivo safety. METHODS Flow cytometry was used to select tumor stem cells from mouse skin melanoma B16F10 cells； CD44， CD133， Nanog homologous box protein （NANOG） and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 （OCT4） were used as indicators to characterize tumor stem cells. Tumor stem cells were divided into control group， all-trans retinoic acid （ATRA） group， and berberine group， and the CCK-8 method was used to detect the effects of berberine on the viability of tumor stem cells； flow cytometry was adopted to detect cell apoptotic rate， the proportion of CD44+/CD133+ and the positive cell rate of sex determining region Y box protein 2 （SOX2）； the morphological changes of tumor balls were recorded after treatment with berberine； the morphology of cell pyroptosis in each group was recorded， and the release rate of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） was detected； Western blot assay was adopted to detect the expressions of pyroptosis-related protein gasdermin E （GSDME）， GSDME- N， caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3. Preliminary evaluation of in vivo safety of berberine was conducted by using zebrafish embryo toxicity experiments. RESULTS Compared with B16F10 cells， the proportion of CD44+/CD133+ cells in tumor stem cells and the fluorescence intensity of NANOG and OCT4 were significantly increased （P＜0.000 1）. The half-inhibitory concentration of berberine to tumor stem cells was 50.98 μmol/L. Compared with the control group， the apoptotic rate of cells in the berberine group was significantly increased， while the proportion of CD44+/CD133+ cells and the rate of SOX2 positive cells were reduced significantly （P＜0.000 1）； tumor stem cell spheroids were atrophied， with partial cell death. After treatment with berberine， tumor stem cells exhibited swelling in their outermost layer， the release rate of LDH of cells was significantly increased and the release rate of LDH increased with increasing dose； the protein expressions of GSDME-N and cleaved-caspase-3 of cells in berberine 20， 40 μmol/L groups were significantly increased， and the protein expressions of GSDME and caspase-3 were significantly reduced （except for berberine 20 μmol/L group， P＜0.05）. The embryonic development of zebrafish treated with berberine was almost unaffected， and the survival rate of embryo reached 100%， with no obvious abnormalities observed. CONCLUSIONS Berberine has good activity against the proliferation of tumor stem cells， and its mechanism of action may be related to activating GSDME and promoting cell pyroptosis； berberine has good in vivo safety.

Objective·To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of Chinese pediatric patients with Barth syndrome(BTHS)and provide data to support the prevention and treatment of BTHS.Methods·Eighteen pediatric patients diagnosed with BTHS at Shanghai Children's Medical Center,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,from January 2010 to November 2023,were included.Clinical data(age,birth weight,family history,electrocardiogram,echocardiogram,urine tandem mass spectrometry,complete blood count,blood biochemistry,and genetic test results)were collected to analyze the clinical characteristics,genetic findings,and prognoses of the patients.Results·The study included 18 male patients with BTHS(including 2 monozygotic twins),consisting of one Yi ethnic and 17 Han Chinese patients.The median age at diagnosis was 3.0(1.0,5.6)months.Fifteen patients experienced decreased cardiac function at disease onset,with a left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)below 50%.Dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM)was observed in 15 patients,left ventricular non-compaction(LVNC)in 12 patients,and myocardial hypertrophy in 9 patients.During the diagnosis and follow-up,QTc interval prolongation occurred in 9 patients,ventricular arrhythmias in 2 patients,neutropenia in 9 patients,and monocytosis in 10 patients.Urine tandem mass spectrometry revealed 3-methylglutaconic aciduria(3-MGCA)in 8 of 13 tested patients.Fifteen types of TAZ gene mutation were identified in the 18 patients,including 5 novel mutations.Genetic testing of the parents of 16 patients indicated maternal inheritance in 15 cases.The median follow-up period was 8.5(2.6,29.3)months,during which 12 patients died.The median age at death was 7.5(6.0,12.8)months.Causes of death included heart failure(7 cases,with 4 concurrent infections),sudden death(3 cases),ventricular fibrillation(1 case),and accidental death(1 case).Conclusion·BTHS is a rare genetic disorder with multisystem involvement.Its primary clinical manifestations include cardiomyopathy and neutropenia.The condition typically presents early in life,with severe progression and poor prognosis.Prompt recognition,accurate diagnosis,and early intervention are essential for managing this disease.

Objective To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Euonymus alatus for diabetic kidney disease(DKD).Methods TCMSP,PubChem and Swiss Target Prediction databases were used to obtain the active ingredients in Euonymus alatus and their targets.GEO database and R language were used to analyze the differentially expressed genes in DKD.The therapeutic targets of DKD were obtained using GeneCards,DisGeNet,OMIM and TTD databases.The protein-protein interaction network and the"drug-component-target-disease"network were constructed for analyzing the topological properties of the core targets,which were functionally annotated using GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses.Molecular docking was performed for the core targets and the main pharmacologically active components,and the results were verified in db/db mice.Results Analysis of GSE96804,GSE30528 and GSE30529 datasets(including 60 DKD patients and 45 normal samples)identified 111 differentially expressed genes in DKD.Network pharmacology analysis obtained 161 intersecting genes between the target genes of Euonymus alatus and DKD,including the key core target genes SRC,EGFR,and AKT1.The core active ingredients of Euonymus alatus were quercetin,kaempferol,diosmetin,and naringenin,which were associated with responses to xenobiotic stimulionus and protein phosphorylation and regulated EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance pathways.Molecular docking suggested good binding activities of the core active components of Euonymus alatus with the core targets.In db/db mouse models of DKD,treatment with Euonymus alatus obviously ameliorated kidney pathologies,significantly inhibited renal expressions of SRC,EGFR and AKT1,and delayed the progression of DKD.Conclusion Euonymus alatus contains multiple active ingredients such as quercetin,kakaferol,diosmetin,naringenin,which regulate the expressions of SRC,EGFR,and AKT1 to affect the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance signaling pathway to delay the progression of DKD.

Objective:To investigate serum vitamin A and vitamin D status in children aged 2-<7 years in 20 cities in China.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 2 924 healthy children aged 2-<7 years were recruited from September 2018 to September 2019 from 20 cities in China, categorized by age groups of 2-<3 years, 3-<5 years, and 5-<7 years. The demographic and economic characteristics and health-related information of the enrolled children were investigated. Body weight and height were measured by professional staff members. The serum vitamin A and vitamin D levels were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Chi-square test and Logistic regression were applied to analyze the association between vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency as well as their underlying impact factors.Results:The age of the 2 924 enrolled children was 4.33 (3.42, 5.17) years. There were 1 726 males (59.03%) and 1 198 females (40.97%). The prevalences of vitamin A and vitamin D deficiency in enrolled children were 2.19% (64/2 924) and 3.52% (103/2 924), respectively, and the insufficiency rates were 29.27% (856/2 924) and 22.20% (649/2 924), respectively. Children with both vitamin A and vitamin D deficiencies or insufficiencies were found in 10.50% (307/2 924) of cases. Both vitamin A ( χ2=7.91 and 8.06, both P=0.005) and vitamin D ( χ2=71.35 and 115.10, both P<0.001) insufficiency rates were higher in children aged 3-<5 and 5-<7 years than those in children aged 2-<3 years. Vitamin A and vitamin D supplementation in the last 3 months was a protective factor for vitamin A and D deficiency and insufficiency, respectively ( OR=0.68 and 0.22, 95% CI 0.49-0.95 and 0.13-0.40, both P<0.05). The rates of vitamin A and D insufficiency was higher in children with annual household incomes <60 000 RMB than in those with annual household incomes ≥60 000 RMB ( χ2=34.11 and 10.43, both P<0.01). Northwest and Southwest had the highest rates of vitamin A and vitamin D insufficiency in children aged 2-<7 yeas, respectively ( χ2=93.22 and 202.54, both P<0.001). Conclusions:Among 20 cities in China, children aged 2-<7 years experience high rates of vitamin A and vitamin D insufficiency, which are affected by age, family economic level, vitamin A and vitamin D supplementation, and regional economic level. The current results suggest that high level of attention should be paid to vitamin A and vitamin D nutritional status of preschool children.