Objective To understand the pathogen detection of hospitalized patients before antimicrobial therapy in a hospital through implementation of comprehensive intervention measures,and provide reference basis for the de-velopment of targeted measures.Methods Hospitalized patients who received therapeutic antimicrobial agents in this hospital were selected as the research subjects.Patients who were hospitalized from January to May 2022 were selected as the pre-intervention group,comprehensive intervention measures were taken from June to October 2022,and those who were hospitalized from November 2022 to March 2023 were selected as the post-intervention group.The pathogen detection rate before antimicrobial therapy,sterile specimen detection rate,antimicrobial use rate,de-tection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms of patients before and after the intervention were analyzed.Results Compared to before intervention,the proportion of pathogen detection rate before antimicrobial therapy(62.09％vs 74.04％),detection rate of healthcare-associated infection diagnosis-related pathogens(62.82％vs 92.73％),and sterile specimen detection rate(35.17％vs 41.06％)of hospitalized patients after intervention all increased signifi-cantly,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).After intervention,pathogen detection rate before the combination use of key antimicrobial agents was not statistically different from before intervention(93.33％vs 90.48％,P＞0.05),while antimicrobial use rate was lower than before intervention(39.93％vs 44.95％,P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms be-fore and after intervention(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Adopting scientific and rational intervention measures can improve the pathogen detection rate,provide a reference basis for the rational use of antimicrobial agents.There was no significant improvement in the pathogen detection rate before the combination use of key antimicrobial agents and the detection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms,indicating that relevant measures still need to be further optimized.

Background/Aims:  Rituximab is known to be associated with high hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation rate in patients with resolved HBV infection and hematologic malignancy. However, data regarding HBV reactivation (HBVr) in rheumatic patients receiving rituximab is limited. To assess the HBVr rate in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients receiving rituximab for autoimmune diseases in a large real-world cohort. Methods:  From March 2006 to December 2019, 900 patients with negative HBsAg receiving at least one cycle of rituximab for autoimmune diseases in a tertiary medical center in Taiwan were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical outcome and factors associated with HBVr were analyzed. Results: After a median follow-up period of 3.3 years, 21 patients developed HBVr, among whom 17 patients were positive for hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) and four were negative. Thirteen patients had clinical hepatitis flare, while eight patients had HBsAg seroreversion without hepatitis. Old age, anti-HBc positivity, undetectable serum hepatitis B surface antibody level at rituximab initiation and a higher average rituximab dose were associated with a higher HBVr rate. There was no significant difference in the HBVr risk between rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Among anti-HBc-negative patients, subjects without HBV vaccination at birth had an increased risk of HBVr (4/368, 1.1%) compared with those who received vaccination (0/126, 0%). Conclusions In HBV endemic areas where occult HBV is prevalent, anti-HBc-negative patients, may still be at risk for HBVr after rituximab exposure. HBVr may still be considered in HBsAgnegative patients developing abnormal liver function after rituximab exposure, even in patients with negative anti-HBc.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of children with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and to summarize the mid-term efficacy of China Net Childhood Lymphoma-mature B-cell lymphoma 2017 (CNCL-B-NHL-2017) regimen. Methods: Clinical features of 436 BL patients who were ≤18 years old and treated with the CNCL-B-NHL-2017 regimen from May 2017 to April 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical characteristics of patients at disease onset were analyzed and the therapeutic effects of patients with different clinical stages and risk groups were compared. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression was used to identify the prognostic factors. Results: Among 436 patients, there were 368 (84.4%) males and 68 (15.6%) females, the age of disease onset was 6.0 (4.0, 9.0) years old. According to the St. Jude staging system, there were 4 patients (0.9%) with stage Ⅰ, 30 patients (6.9%) with stage Ⅱ, 217 patients (49.8%) with stage Ⅲ, and 185 patients (42.4%) with stage Ⅳ. All patients were stratified into following risk groups: group A (n=1, 0.2%), group B1 (n=46, 10.6%), group B2 (n=19, 4.4%), group C1 (n=285, 65.4%), group C2 (n=85, 19.5%). Sixty-three patients (14.4%) were treated with chemotherapy only and 373 patients (85.6%) were treated with chemotherapy combined with rituximab. Twenty-one patients (4.8%) suffered from progressive disease, 3 patients (0.7%) relapsed, and 13 patients (3.0%) died of treatment-related complications. The follow-up time of all patients was 24.0 (13.0, 35.0) months, the 2-year event free survival (EFS) rate of all patients was (90.9±1.4) %. The 2-year EFS rates of group A, B1, B2, C1 and C2 were 100.0%, 100.0%, (94.7±5.1) %, (90.7±1.7) % and (85.9±4.0) %, respectively. The 2-year EFS rates was higher in group A, B1, and B2 than those in group C1 (χ²=4.16, P=0.041) and group C2 (χ²=7.21, P=0.007). The 2-year EFS rates of the patients treated with chemotherapy alone and those treated with chemotherapy combined with rituximab were (79.3±5.1)% and (92.9±1.4)% (χ²=14.23, P<0.001) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that stage Ⅳ (including leukemia stage), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)>4-fold normal value, and with residual tumor in the mid-term evaluation were risk factors for poor prognosis (HR=1.38,1.23,8.52,95%CI 1.05-1.82,1.05-1.43,3.96-18.30). Conclusions: The CNCL-B-NHL-2017 regimen show significant effect in the treatment of pediatric BL. The combination of rituximab improve the efficacy further.
Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Burkitt Lymphoma/drug therapy* ; Child ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; Lymphoma, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rituximab/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome

We investigated the associations of clinical and socioeconomic factors with delayed orchidopexy for cryptorchidism in China. A retrospective study was conducted on cryptorchid boys who underwent orchidopexy at Children's Hospital at Chongqing Medical University in China from January 2012 to December 2017. Of 2423 patients, 410 (16.9%) received timely repair by 18 months of age, beyond which surgery was considered delayed. Univariate analysis suggested that the laterality of cryptorchidism (P = 0.001), comorbidities including inguinal hernia/scrotal hydrocele (P < 0.001) or urinary tract disease (P = 0.016), and whether patients lived in a poverty county (P < 0.001) could influence whether orchidopexy was timely or delayed. Logistic regression analysis suggested that the following factors were associated with delayed repair: unilateral rather than bilateral cryptorchidism (odds ratio [OR] = 1.752, P < 0.001), absence of inguinal hernia or hydrocele (OR = 2.027, P = 0.019), absence of urinary tract disease (OR = 3.712, P < 0.001), and living in a poverty county (OR = 2.005, P < 0.001). The duration of postoperative hospital stay and hospital costs increased with the patient's age at the time of surgery.
Age Factors ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China/epidemiology* ; Cryptorchidism/surgery* ; Hernia, Inguinal ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Orchiopexy/statistics & numerical data* ; Poverty ; Retrospective Studies ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Testicular Hydrocele ; Time-to-Treatment

OBJECTIVETo investigate mechanism of di-(2-ethylhcxyl)phthalate (DEHP) exposure in causing blood-testis barrier (BTB) impairment in rats.

METHODSTwo-months-old male SD rats were randomly divided into corn oil control group and DEHP (750 mg/kg) exposure group for daily intragastic treatment for 30 consecutive days. After the treatments the rats were examined for histomorphological changes of the testicle using HE staining and the expressions of the junction proteins N-cadherin β-catenin, occludin and connexin43 of the BTB using Western blot. In the in vitro study, the vitality and ROS generation level in Sertoli cells exposed to different concentrations of DEHP were examined with MTT and ROS assay kits, respectively, and Nrf2 and p-p38 expressions were detected with Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the rats with DEHP exposure showed structural damage of the seminiferous tubule and polarity loss of the spermatids. DEHP exposure caused significantly decreased expressions of occludin and connexin43 but increased expressions of N-cadherin and β-catenin in the testicle tissues of the rats (P<0.05). The vitality of Sertoli cells was obviously decreased and ROS level increased significantly after exposure of the cells to increasing concentrations of DEHP, which also resulted in significantly up-regulated Nrf2 and p-p38 expressions (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDEHP exposure causes increased oxidative stress in the Sertoli cells of the testis, activates p38 MAPK signaling pathway, and results eventually in impaired spermatogenesis in rats.

Ribosomal protein L21 (RPL21) is a structural component of the 60S subunit of the eukaryotic ribosome. This protein has an important role in protein synthesis and the occurrence of hereditary diseases. Pig is a common laboratory model, however, to the best of our knowledge, its RPL21 gene has not been cloned to date. In this study, we cloned and identified the full-length sequence of the pig RPL21 gene for the first time. In addition, we examined its expression pattern and function by using overexpression or knockdown approaches. As a result, we obtained a 604 bp segment that contains a 483 bp open reading frame encoding 160 amino acids. The pig RPL21 gene is located in the “+” strand of chromosome 11, which spans 2167 bp from 4199792 to 4201958. Pig RPL21 protein has nine strands and two helices in its secondary structure. Pig RPL21 is predominantly expressed in ovary and lung, at lower levels in kidney, small intestine, and skin, and at the lowest levels in heart and liver. Furthermore, RPL21 expression is closely connected with cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest. The results are intended to provide useful information for the further study of pig RPL21.
Amino Acids ; Cell Cycle Checkpoints ; Cell Proliferation ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 11 ; Clone Cells ; Cloning, Molecular* ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Diseases, Inborn ; Heart ; Intestine, Small ; Kidney ; Liver ; Lung ; Open Reading Frames ; Ovary ; Ribosomal Proteins* ; Ribosomes ; Skin ; Sus scrofa

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells(HUCMSC) on the leukemic cell line HL-60 and acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line Jurkat as well as the role of CXCL12/CXCR4.

METHODSHL-60 cells and Jurkat cells were co-cultured with human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cell (HUCMSC), and the model was treated with G-CSF, AMD3100 and their combination. The cell viability and cell cycle were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), the apoptosis and the cell-cycle analysis were assessed by flow cytometry with the Annexin V/PI double staining. The expression of surface CXCR4 protein and total CXCR4 protein of leukemic cells were detected by flow cytometry and Western blot respectively.

RESULTSHUCMSC could decrease the viability of HL-60 cells and Jurkat cells, as well as the percentage of apoptotic cells, they could also increase the number of G/Gcells, while G-CSF and AMD3100 could reduce the proliferation of HL-60 cells and Jurkat cells in HUCMSC co-culture model, destructed the anti-apoptotic effect of HUCMSC on HL-60 cells and Jurkat cells, and the combination of 2 drugs resulted in a synergistic effect. The G-CSF could reduce the expression of surface CXCR4 protein and total CXCR4 protein in leukemic cells, while AMD3100 could only decrease the expression of surface CXCR4 protein of leukemia cell membrane, having no effect on the expression of CXCR4 protein in cytoplasm.

CONCLUSIONHuman umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells can inhibit the proliferation and apoptosis of acute leukemia cells and increase the number of G/Gphase cells in leukemic cells. The AMD3100 can decrease the expression of surface CXCR4 protein in leukemia cells, G-CSF can decrease expression of total CXCR4 protein as well as membrane CXCR4 protein. Both of them can block the CXCL12/CXCR4 signal axis, weakening the relationship between leukemia cells and microenvironment. And on the basic of HUCMSC influenced leukemia cells' growth and proliferation, the cell viability will be weakened, its apoptosis will be promoted, and the percentage of G/Gphase cells in leukemia cells will be decreased.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of long-term exposure to particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) from automobile exhaust on the reproductive function of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats.

METHODSForty-five male SD rats, weighing 80 - 94 g and aged 28 days, were randomly assigned to receive intra-tracheal administration of 0.9% normal saline (control group, n = 15), PM2. 5 at 2 μg per 100 g body weight per day (low-dose PM2.5 group, n = 15), and PM2.5 at 16 μg per 100 g body weight per day (high-dose PM2.5 group, n = 15), qd, for 60 successive days. After the last 24-hour exposure, 10 rats were taken from each group for copulation with normal female ones, while the others were sacrificed, their testes removed for sperm count and deformity, pathological examination, and determination of the Connexin43 expression.

RESULTSThe conception rate was significantly decreased in the low- and high-dose PM2.5 groups as compared with that of the control (70% and 50% vs 100%), and so were the sperm count and quality. The rats in the PM2.5-exposed groups showed significantly disordered histological structure of the seminiferous tubules, reduced sperm count in the testicular lumen, some exfoliated secondary spermatocytes, downregulated Connexin43 expression in the testis, and damaged blood-testis barrier.

CONCLUSIONLong-term exposure to PM2.5 from automobile exhaust damages the reproductive function of male SD rats.

Animals ; Blood-Testis Barrier ; Body Weight ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Fertilization ; Male ; Particulate Matter ; toxicity ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reproduction ; Seminiferous Tubules ; Sperm Count ; Spermatocytes ; Testis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Vehicle Emissions ; toxicity

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mechanism by which propofol exposure causes PC12 cell apoptosis under hypoxic conditions.

METHODSPC12 cells were exposed to room air, 35% oxygen, or 5% oxygen (hypoxia) for 24 h in the presence of either 10 µmol/L lipid emulsion or 10 µmol/L propofol. After the treatments, the cell apoptosis was measured by flow ceytometry, and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were evaluated.

RESULTSIn room air, PC12 cells treated with propofol showed increased apoptosis rate and ROS production as compared with the cells treated with the lipid emulsion; propofol treatment of the cells exposed to 35% oxygen showed obvious enhancement of the apoptosis rate, ROS production and SOD activity. Under the hypoxic condition, propofol treatment even further increased the apoptosis rate, ROS production and SOD activity. Lipid emulsion caused no such changes in cells exposed to room air, 35% oxygen or 5% oxygen.

CONCLUSIONUnder hypoxic conditions, propofol can cause apoptosis in PC12 cells by inducing oxidative stress injury.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Hypoxia ; Oxidative Stress ; PC12 Cells ; Propofol ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism