Objective To investigate the species of sandflies and the prevalence of Leishmania infections in sandflies from selected areas of northern and northwestern China, so as to provide insights into identification of leishmaniasis vectors and assessment of epidemiological trends of leishmaniasis in China. Methods Sandfly samples were collected from Mentougou District of Beijing Municipality, Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province, Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County of Karamay District of Karamay City, Gaochang District of Turpan City in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from July 2023 to July 2024. Approximately 100 intact female sandfly samples were randomly selected from each site and the species of sandflies was identified according to morphological characteristics and molecular assays. Female sandflies originating from the same habitat were grouped into pools of 10 individuals. Leishmania infection was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS-1) gene, and the prevalence of Leishmania infection was calculated in sandflies from different sampling sites using the minimum infection rate (MIR) method. In addition, positive amplicons were sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Results A total of 6 155 sandflies were collected from different environments at sampling sites across the six aforementioned regions from July 2023 to July 2024. Phlebotomus chinensis (96.00%) was the dominant sandfly species in Mentougou District, Beijing Municipality, with a small proportion of Ph. sergenti (4.00%), and only Ph. chinensis was found in Xiangning County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province. Ph. wui was the only sandfly species detected in Ejin Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County, Kashgar City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Ph. caucasicus (97.70%) was the dominant sandfly species in Karamay District, Karamay City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with a small proportion of Ph. wui (2.30%), while Ph. alexandri was the only species in Gaochang District, Turpan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. A total of 40, 60, 34, 18, 18, and 22 pools of sandfly samples were tested from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality, Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province, Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Payzawat County in Kashgar City, Karamay District in Karamay City, and Gaochang District in Turpan City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, respectively. L. infantum was detected in Ph. chinensis samples from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality, and Xiangning County of Linfen City in Shanxi Province, with MIR of 0.25% to 1.00%, and L. donovani was detected in Ph. wui from Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Payzawat County in Kashgar City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with MIR of 0.56% to 0.88%; however, no Leishmania infection was detected in Ph. caucasicus from Karamay District in Karamay City or Ph. alexandri from Gaochang District in Turpan City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Leishmania ITS-1 gene sequences obtained from Mentougou District in Beijing Municipality and Xiangning County in Linfen City of Shanxi Province were clustered into the same clade with the reference sequences of L. infantum ITS-1 gene, while the Leishmania ITS-1 gene sequences obtained from Ejin Banner in Alxa League of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Payzawat County in Kashgar City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were clustered into the same clade with the reference sequences of L. donovani ITS-1 gene. Conclusions There are variations in sandfly species in selected areas of northern and northwestern China, and variations in the species of Leishmania infecting sandflies. Improved surveillance of sandfly vectors and targeted control strategies with adaptations to geographical features and leishmaniasis vectors are recommended.

Objective To explore the risk factors for clinical severity in patients with hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis(HTG-AP).Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect the clinical data of HTG-AP patients admitted to the First Hospital of Putian City from June 2022 to December 2023.Patients were divided into a non-severe group(132 cases)and a severe group(22 cases)according whether they developed complications such as organ dysfunction and pancreatitcs necrosis.The differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups were compared,such as general data[including gender,age,body mass index(BMI),history of hypertension and diabetes],laboratory examination indicators[including glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c),white blood cell count(WBC),C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),serum albumin(Alb),serum mylase to serum calcium ration(ACR),D-dimer,platelet count(PLT),total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein(HDL),and low-density lipoprotein(LDL)].Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to screen for independent risk factors for clinical severity in HTG-AP patients,and the predictive efficacy of various risk factors for clinical severe progression of HTG-AP was evaluated using the receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC curve).Results A total of 154 patients were included,including 131 males and 23 females;the age range was 18-67 years,average was(39.00±8.74)years.A total of 22 patients developed clinical severity,with an incidence rate of 14.3%.There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender,age,BMI,hypertension,diabetes,HbA1c,WBC,CRP,Alb,PLT,TC,TG,HDL,and LDL.Compared with the non-severe group,the levels of PCT,D-dimer,ACR,and SII were significantly higher in the severe group[PCT(μg/L):0.34(0.12,0.49)vs.0.09(0.05,0.35),D-dimer(μg/L):1 010(340,1 790)vs.310(200,700),ACR:201.10(121.71,568.53)vs.61.79(27.99,153.77),SII:2 076.57(1 187.06,3 665.47)vs.1 033.95(717.95,1 466.76),all P<0.05].Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that ACR at admission was an independent risk factors for the development of clinical severity in HTG-AP patients(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis indicated that ACR has certain value in predicting clinical severity in HTG-AP area under the curve(AUC)=0.787[95%confidence interval(95%CI)was 0.685-0.890],P<0.001,and when the optimal cut-off value was set at 79.663,its sensitivity was 90.9%and specificity was 58.3%.Conclusion An abnormally elevated ACR at admission in HTG-AP patients is significantly associated with the risk of clinical severity and can be used as potential predictive indicator for early identification of high-risk patients.

The reverse phase nystagmus is not uncommon in clinical practice.Inadequate understanding brings great confusion to clinical diagnosis and treatment,which leads to misdiagnosis frequently and also increases the eco-nomic burden on patients.The purpose of this paper is to summarize and analyze the mechanism,characteristics and clinical significance of reverse phase nystagmus,to help clinicians better understand the significance of inversion nys-tagmus in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo,in order to achieve accurate and efficient diagnosis and treatment of these patients.

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of EZH2 expression for malignant transformation in oral leukoplakia (OLK) and to provide a reference for clinical practice. Methods: This study was approved by the institutional ethics committee, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. A total of 114 patients diagnosed with OLK by pathological examination and treated at our hospital between November 2020 and July 2022 were initially enrolled. After excluding those with incomplete data or follow-up, 105 participants were included in the final analysis, comprising 14 in the high EZH2 expression group and 91 in the low EZH2 expression group. Histopathological examination of oral mucosa and immunohistochemical detection of EZH2 protein expression were performed. The follow-up period was 30 months; participants were followed until malignant transformation occurred or until the end of follow-up, at which point they were withdrawn from the study. The exposure factor was the level of EZH2 protein expression, and the outcome was the malignant transformation rate of OLK. Differences in EZH2 expression levels and transformation outcomes were analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the high and low EZH2 expression groups in terms of age, sex, history of systemic disease, lifestyle habits, psychological status, diet, and sleep conditions (P > 0.05). Lesions in the high EZH2 expression group were mainly located on the ventral tongue, while in the low EZH2 expression group, they were more commonly found on the dorsal tongue and buccal mucosa. The malignant transformation rate was 28.6% (4/14) in the high expression group and 8.8% (8/91) in the low expression group; these differences were not statistically significant (P=0.053). In univariate Cox regression analysis, the risk of malignant transformation in the high EZH2 expression group was 3.647 times that of the low EZH2 expression group (HR = 3.647, 95% CI: 1.097-12.120, P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that over the 30-month follow-up period, the cancer-free survival rate in the high EZH2 expression group was 19.8% lower than in the low expression group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, only moderate and severe epithelial dysplasia were identified as independent risk factors for malignant transformation. The risk of malignant transformation in the moderate and severe dysplasia groups was 10.695 and 13.623 times higher, respectively, than in the mild dysplasia group (HR = 10.695, 95% CI: 2.270-50.396, P<0.05; HR=13.623, 95% CI: 1.918-96.774, P<0.05). EZH2 high expression was not an independent risk factor in the multivariate model (HR= 2.528, 95% CI: 0.752-8.500, P = 0.134). Conclusion High EZH2 protein expression is a risk factor for the malignant transformation of OLK but does not have independent predictive value.

The reverse phase nystagmus is not uncommon in clinical practice.Inadequate understanding brings great confusion to clinical diagnosis and treatment,which leads to misdiagnosis frequently and also increases the eco-nomic burden on patients.The purpose of this paper is to summarize and analyze the mechanism,characteristics and clinical significance of reverse phase nystagmus,to help clinicians better understand the significance of inversion nys-tagmus in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo,in order to achieve accurate and efficient diagnosis and treatment of these patients.

Objective To explore the risk factors for clinical severity in patients with hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis(HTG-AP).Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect the clinical data of HTG-AP patients admitted to the First Hospital of Putian City from June 2022 to December 2023.Patients were divided into a non-severe group(132 cases)and a severe group(22 cases)according whether they developed complications such as organ dysfunction and pancreatitcs necrosis.The differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups were compared,such as general data[including gender,age,body mass index(BMI),history of hypertension and diabetes],laboratory examination indicators[including glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c),white blood cell count(WBC),C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),systemic immune-inflammation index(SII),serum albumin(Alb),serum mylase to serum calcium ration(ACR),D-dimer,platelet count(PLT),total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein(HDL),and low-density lipoprotein(LDL)].Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to screen for independent risk factors for clinical severity in HTG-AP patients,and the predictive efficacy of various risk factors for clinical severe progression of HTG-AP was evaluated using the receiver operator characteristic curve(ROC curve).Results A total of 154 patients were included,including 131 males and 23 females;the age range was 18-67 years,average was(39.00±8.74)years.A total of 22 patients developed clinical severity,with an incidence rate of 14.3%.There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender,age,BMI,hypertension,diabetes,HbA1c,WBC,CRP,Alb,PLT,TC,TG,HDL,and LDL.Compared with the non-severe group,the levels of PCT,D-dimer,ACR,and SII were significantly higher in the severe group[PCT(μg/L):0.34(0.12,0.49)vs.0.09(0.05,0.35),D-dimer(μg/L):1 010(340,1 790)vs.310(200,700),ACR:201.10(121.71,568.53)vs.61.79(27.99,153.77),SII:2 076.57(1 187.06,3 665.47)vs.1 033.95(717.95,1 466.76),all P<0.05].Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that ACR at admission was an independent risk factors for the development of clinical severity in HTG-AP patients(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis indicated that ACR has certain value in predicting clinical severity in HTG-AP area under the curve(AUC)=0.787[95%confidence interval(95%CI)was 0.685-0.890],P<0.001,and when the optimal cut-off value was set at 79.663,its sensitivity was 90.9%and specificity was 58.3%.Conclusion An abnormally elevated ACR at admission in HTG-AP patients is significantly associated with the risk of clinical severity and can be used as potential predictive indicator for early identification of high-risk patients.

Objective To investigate the genetic causes of auditory neuropathy with optic atrophy in a family.Methods The proband's medical history and family history were inquired in detail,and relevant clinical examina-tions were performed to confirm the diagnosis of auditory neuropathy with optic atrophy,and the genetic pedigree of the family was drawn.Peripheral blood of proband(Ⅲ-7)was collected for whole exome sequencing,and the patho-genicity of the detected mutations were interpreted.Blood samples of proband's wife(Ⅲ-8),eldest daughter(Ⅳ-7),second daughter(Ⅳ-9)and son(Ⅳ-10)were tested for mutation sites by Sanger sequencing.Combined with clinical manifestations and examination results,the family was studied.Results The genetic pattern of this family was autosomal dominant.The proband showed decreased visual acuity at the age of 19,bilateral sensorineural deaf-ness at the age of 30,and decreased speech recognition rate.Among 20 members of the family of 5 generations,10(2 deceased)showed similar symptoms of hearing and visual impairment.Proband(Ⅲ-7),eldest daughter(Ⅳ-7)and son(Ⅳ-10)underwent relevant examination.Pure tone audiometry showed bilateral sensorineural deafness.ABR showed no response bilaterally.The 40 Hz AERP showed no response in both ears.OAE showed responses in some or all of the frequencies.No stapedial reflex was detected.The eye movement of Ⅲ-7 and Ⅳ-10 were reasona-ble in all directions,and color vision was normal.Ocular papilla atrophy was observed in different degrees in fundus examination.OCT showed thinning of optic disc nerve fibers in both eyes,and visual evoked potential showed pro-longed P100 wave peak.They were diagnosed as hereditary auditory neuropathy with optic atrophy.A mutation of the OPA1 gene c.1334G＞A(p.Arg445His,NM_015560.2)at a pathogenic locus on chromosome 3 was detected by whole exon detection in Ⅲ-7.The results of generation sequencing analysis showed that the OPA1 gene c.1334G＞A(p.Arg445His,NM_015560.2)mutation of chromosome 3 was also found in Ⅳ-7 and Ⅳ-10.Meanwhile,the gen-otypes of Ⅲ-8 and Ⅳ-9 were wild homozygous,that is,no mutation occurred.Conclusion The OPA1 c.1334G＞A(p.Arg445His,NM_015560.2)mutation site might be the pathogenic mutation in this family.

ObjectiveTo explore the evolution principles of symptoms including deficiency， phlegm and blood stasis， and of the functional near-infrared spectroscopy （fNIRS） cerebral hemodynamic characteristics at various stages in patients of Alzheimer's disease. MethodsA total of 497 patients with complaint of memory loss were included， and were divided into subjective cognitive decline （SCD） group （198 participants）， mild cognitive impairment （MCI） group （228 participants） and dementia （AD） group （71 participants）. Neuropsychological evaluation， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome investigation， and fNIRS data collection of prefrontal cortex were performed in each group. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the distribution of TCM syndromes and the difference of TCM syndrome scores in each group； logistic regression was used to analyze the influence of TCM syndromes on the incidence of the patients； association rules were used to analyze the TCM syndromes of the patients； the hemodynamic characteristics of fNIRS in the prefrontal cortex of each group were compared. ResultsKidney essence deficiency syndrome was the dominant syndrome in all stages of AD. There were statistically significant differences in the distribution frequency of kidney essence deficiency， phlegm turbidity obstructing orifices， blood stasis obstructing collaterals， qi and blood deficiency， heat toxin in the interior， and fu-organ stagnation and turbidity retention syndromes among the three groups （P＜0.01）， and the scores of kidney essence deficiency syndrome among the three groups were statistically significant （P＜0.01）. Logistic regression analysis showed that kidney essence deficiency， and qi and blood deficiency syndromes were the main risk factors for the SCD group （P＜0.05）， phlegm turbidity obstructing orifices syndrome was the main risk factor for the MCI group （P＜0.05）， and heat toxin in the interior， and fu-organ stagnation and turbidity retention syndromes were the main risk factors for the AD group （P＜0.05）. The association rule analysis showed that the combination of kidney essence deficiency plus phlegm turbidity obstructing orifices had the highest support （33.33%） in the SCD group， and the combination of kidney essence deficiency plus blood stasis obstructing collaterals had the highest support （32.90% and 52.13%） in both the MCI and AD group. The prefrontal fNIRS results showed that the mean ∆HbO₂ concentration in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex （LDLPFC） decreased sequentially among the three groups （P＜0.05）， and the mean ∆HbO₂ concentration in the LDLPFC was negatively correlated with the MoCA score among the three groups （r = -0.142， P＜0.05）. Further analysis showed that the mean ∆HbO₂ concentration in the LDLPFC of patients with kidney essence deficiency syndrome were statistically significant differences among the three groups （P＜0.05）. ConclusionKidney deficiency is the basis of the pathogenesis of AD， and the key brain area damaged is the LDLPFC. Turbid pathogens such as phlegm and blood stasis are the pathological factors that aggravate the disease， and the syndromes of AD show the evolution law of deficiency and excess as “kidney deficiency→phlegm turbidity→blood stasis→turbid toxin”. The changes in prefrontal hemodynamics based on fNIRS are consistent with the changes in the characteristics of symptoms， which can be used to assess the degree of cognitive impairment in AD patients.

Humans ; Neoplasms, Second Primary/epidemiology* ; Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Red-cell transfusion is critical for surgery during the peri-operative period; however, the transfusion threshold remains controversial mainly owing to the diversity among patients. The patient's medical status should be evaluated before making a transfusion decision. Herein, we developed an individualized transfusion strategy using the West-China-Liu's Score based on the physiology of oxygen delivery/consumption balance and designed an open-label, multicenter, randomized clinical trial to verify whether it reduced red cell requirement as compared with that associated with restrictive and liberal strategies safely and effectively, providing valid evidence for peri-operative transfusion. METHODS: Patients aged >14 years undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery with estimated blood loss > 1000 mL or 20% blood volume and hemoglobin concentration <10 g/dL were randomly assigned to an individualized strategy, a restrictive strategy following China's guideline or a liberal strategy with a transfusion threshold of hemoglobin concentration <9.5 g/dL. We evaluated two primary outcomes: the proportion of patients who received red blood cells (superiority test) and a composite of in-hospital complications and all-cause mortality by day 30 (non-inferiority test). RESULTS: We enrolled 1182 patients: 379, 419, and 384 received individualized, restrictive, and liberal strategies, respectively. Approximately 30.6% (116/379) of patients in the individualized strategy received a red-cell transfusion, less than 62.5% (262/419) in the restrictive strategy (absolute risk difference, 31.92%; 97.5% confidence interval [CI]: 24.42-39.42%; odds ratio, 3.78%; 97.5% CI: 2.70-5.30%; P <0.001), and 89.8% (345/384) in the liberal strategy (absolute risk difference, 59.24%; 97.5% CI: 52.91-65.57%; odds ratio, 20.06; 97.5% CI: 12.74-31.57; P <0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in the composite of in-hospital complications and mortality by day 30 among the three strategies. CONCLUSION: The individualized red-cell transfusion strategy using the West-China-Liu's Score reduced red-cell transfusion without increasing in-hospital complications and mortality by day 30 when compared with restrictive and liberal strategies in elective non-cardiac surgeries. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01597232.
Humans ; Adult ; Postoperative Complications ; Erythrocyte Transfusion/adverse effects* ; Blood Transfusion ; Hospitals ; Hemoglobins/analysis*