Allergen specific immunotherapy（AIT）, as an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and other allergic diseases, has received widespread attention in the field of health economic evaluation in recent years. This article reviews the current status and progress of economic research on AIT, mainly discussing the socioeconomic burden of allergic rhinitis, the results of health economic studies from different countries, and the primary methods used in health economic research on allergic rhinitis. Existing studies indicate that, although AIT involves high initial costs, it offers significant long-term economic benefits by reducing healthcare resource utilization, improving patient quality of life, and decreasing medication dependence. Moreover, reducing initial costs, applying standardized assessment tools, and conducting cross-national comparative analyses have become key directions for future research. Overall, AIT demonstrates strong potential in terms of long-term health benefits and cost savings, providing solid economic evidence for the management of allergic diseases.
Humans ; Desensitization, Immunologic/economics* ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Rhinitis, Allergic/economics* ; Economics, Medical

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of fatal drowning in children in Zhejiang Province in 2022, analyze factors such as the swimming ability of children, the caregiver behavior at drowning site, types of first aid personnel and methods of first aid of unintentional fatal drowning and provide evidence for targeted intervention.Methods:Using the "Survey Form of Fatal Drowning Case in Children" designed by National Center for Chronic and Non-communicable Disease Control and Prevention of the China CDC, we collected case information of children aged 0-17 years who died due to drowning in Zhejiang in 2022 from medical history/death investigation records, telephone interviews, and home visits.Results:A total of 341 fatal drowning cases in children occurred in Zhejiang in 2022 and 330 cases were investigated (96.77%). The male to female of the cases was 2.33∶1, most cases were aged 15-17 years and 0-4 years, and 54.24% of fatal drowning cases occurred in children from other provinces. In the drowning cases, 83.33% were unintentional ones, and the proportion of intentional fatal drowning cases in children increased with age. Fatal drowning cases mainly occurred in open natural water bodies and public water storage facilities. More fatal drowning cases occurred in open natural water bodies in older children, while more fatal drowning cases occurred in public water storage facilities in younger children. In 275 children who died due to unintentional drowning, 73.09% could not swim, and only 1.09% were fully supervised by adults within an arm's length. First aid personnel, mainly medical staffs, bystanders and adult caregivers, were present for 47.63% fatal drowning cases. The proportion of the cases who had cardiopulmonary resuscitation as the first aid within 5 minutes was 2.18%.Conclusions:Drowning poses a serious threat to children's lives and there are differences in reasons and locations of fatal drowning in children in different age groups in Zhejiang Province in 2022. It is necessary to conduct to interventions to improve children's swimming skills, strengthen effective adult care and conduct health education about field first aid of drowning to reduce the incidence of drowning and related deaths in children.

Objective:To evaluate the cardiac morphological and functional parameters of patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (per-AF) and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE), and to explore their predictive value for the occurrence and progression of atrial fibrillation.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 30 per-AF patients (per-AF group), 30 PAF patients (PAF group) and 25 non-AF subjects (control group) who underwent echocardiography at Wuhan University People′s Hospital from May 2022 to May 2023. The left/right atrial longitudinal strain of reservoir, conduct and contraction (LASr/RASr, LAScd/RAScd, LASct/RASct), and calculated left atrial stiffness (LASI) were assessed by 2D-STE. Three-dimensional left and right atrial maximum volume index (LAVImax/RAVImax), minimum volume index (LAVImin/RAVImin) and emptying fraction (LAEF/RAEF) were obtained by RT-3DE. Then, patients with atrial fibrillation were divided into the normal LAVI group and enlarged LAVI group, and the differences of atrial strain among each group were compared. ROC curve was used to evaluate the overall diagnostic efficiency and cutoff values of ultrasonic parameters in patients with normal volume of atrial fibrillation. Finally, a multivariate Logistic regression model was established to identify the ultrasonic parameters associated with the occurrence and progression of different types of atrial fibrillation.Results:①Structurally, LAD, RAD and RAVImin in control, PAF and per-AF groups increased gradually, while LAEF and RAEF decreased gradually (all P<0.05). ②In terms of strain, LASr in control, PAF and per-AF groups decreased gradually (all P<0.05); Compared with the control group, LAScd, RASr and RAScd in PAF and per-AF groups were significantly decreased, and LASct and RASct in PAF group were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). ③Compared with the normal LAVI group, the LASr, LAScd and LASct in the enlarged LAVI group were significantly decreased, while LASI was significantly increased (all P<0.05); Compared with control group, the left and right atrial strain parameters in LAVI normal group were decreased, and LASI was increased (all P<0.05). The atrial strain parameter ROC was constructed in all subjects with normal left atrial volume, and RASr was the most sensitive indicator.④Multi-factor Logistic regression analysis showed that LAVImin and RASr were the influence factors of PAF ( OR=1.521, 0.907; 95% CI=1.173-1.972, 0.825-0.998; P=0.002, 0.044), LASr was the influence factor of pre-AF ( OR=0.858, 95% CI=0.802-0.917, P<0.001). Conclusions:2D-STE and RT-3DE can be used to evaluate the structural and functional changes of both atria, especially LAVImin, LASr and RASr, which have certain predictive value for the occurrence and progression of atrial fibrillation.

Objective:To quantitatively evaluate and compare the morphology and dynamics parameters of mitral valve devices in patients with atrial functional mitral regurgitation (AFMR) and ventricular functional mitral regurgitation (VFMR) by real-time three-dimensional ultrasound, in order to provide theoretical basis for diagnosis and clinical treatments of the two types of regurgitation patients.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 20 AFMR patients (AFMR group) and 20 VFMR patients (VFMR group) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography at Wuhan University People′s Hospital from May to November 2022. Additionally, 20 patients who underwent transesophageal echocardiography at our hospital during the same period due to patent foramen ovale or non cardiac surgery monitoring were selected as the control group. All subjects were measured mitral annulus anteroposterior diameter (AP diameter), anterolateral posteromedial diameter (ALPM diameter), anteroposterior diameter/anterolateral posteromedial diameter (AP/ALPM), commissural width (CW), annular area (AA), annular circumference (AC), annular height (AH), coaptation depth (CD), tenting volume (TV), non-planar angle (NPA) and posterior leaflet angle at isovolumic relaxation time, early diastole, mid diastole, late diastole, isovolumic contraction time, early systole, mid systole, and late systole. The total change rate and systolic change rate of the above parameters were calculated, the differences in structure and dynamic changes of the mitral valve device among three groups were compared, and the correlations between the change rate of mitral annular parameters and left ventricular long axis strain (GLS) were analyzed.Results:①The GLS of three groups were as follows: control group>AFMR group>VFMR group, and the differences between the groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). ②Static structure: The AP diameter, ALPM diameter, AA, AC, and total leaflet area (TLA) of the AFMR group and VFMR group were significantly larger than those of the control group (all P<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference between the AFMR group and VFMR group (all P>0.05). Compared with the other two groups, the TV, CD, and posterior leaflet angle of the VFMR group were significantly increased, exhibiting the mitral valve tethering; the control group had the largest AH/CW and the deepest saddle shape; the AFMR group had the smallest TLA/AA and the least mitral valve remodeling; there was no statistically significant difference in the junction area among the three groups (all P>0.05). ③Dynamic changes: AP diameter, ALPM diameter, AA and AC in the control group showed regular changes throughout the cardiac cycle, gradually decreased from isovolumic relaxation time to late diastole, and gradually increased from isovolumic contraction time to late systole; The changes in the above parameters in the AFMR and VFMR groups appeared more disordered. In addition, compared with the control group, the total change rate and systolic change rate of AP diameter in the AFMR group were significantly reduced, but the total change rate of ALPM diameter was significantly increased (all P<0.05). ④The total change rate of AA, ALPM diameter and AP diameter were moderately correlated with GLS ( r=0.353, P=0.006; r=-0.304, P=0.018; r=0.300, P=0.020), while the systolic change rate of posterior leaflet angle was weakly correlated with GLS ( r=0.267, P=0.039). Conclusions:There are differences in the morphology and dynamics parameters of mitral valve device in patients with AFMR and VFMR.Different clinical strategies can be used for the two kinds of functional mitral regurgitation.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze clinical characteristics and treatment of pemphigus/bullous pemphigoid (BP) complicated by herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection.Methods:Inpatients with pemphigus/BP complicated by HSV infection were collected from Wuhan No.1 Hospital from 2016 to 2021, and their clinical characteristics, treatment and follow-up results were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among the 8 patients with pemphigus/BP complicated by HSV infection, there were 2 males and 6 females, and their age was 50.6 ± 8.3 years. Five of them were diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), 1 with pemphigus foliaceus (PF), and 2 with BP. Seven were infected with HSV-1, and 1 with HSV-2. All the 8 patients were given systemic glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents for the treatment of pemphigus or BP, and were admitted to the hospital due to resistance to the treatment. Seven patients presented with exacerbation or recurrence of primary lesions, and 1 presented with enlarged lesions all over the body. HSV infection-induced lesions were located on the trunk in 4 cases, on the oral mucosa in 4, on the scalp in 3, and on the face in 2; lesions mainly manifested as irregular erosions with blood crusts, and some centrally umbilicated pustules; 7 patients had obvious pain at the lesional sites. During HSV infection, anti-desmoglein 1 antibody levels decreased in all the 6 patients with pemphigus, and anti-desmoglein 3 antibody levels decreased in 4 of the 5 patients with pemphigus vulgaris; anti-BP180 antibody levels decreased in 1 patient with BP, but increased in the other one with BP. After antiviral therapy at adequate doses for adequate durations (7- to 14-day treatment with valacyclovir alone or in combination with ganciclovir), HSV infection was controlled, the autoimmune bullous skin disorder intensity scores decreased compared with those before the antiviral therapy, and pain was significantly relieved in all the patients. No dose adjustment of glucocorticoids or other immunosuppressive agents was made during antiviral therapy in all patients.Conclusion:HSV infection should be considered when patients with pemphigus/BP suffer from recurrence or exacerbation and poorly respond to conventional treatment; for patients with pemphigus/BP complicated by HSV infection, systemic antiviral therapy at adequate doses can be used to control the disease condition without modifying the conventional immunosuppressive regimen.

Objective:To summarize clinical manifestations and histopathological features of granular parakeratosis (GP) after exposure to benzalkonium chloride.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 7 GP cases with a history of benzalkonium chloride exposure in the Department of Dermatology at Wuhan No.1 Hospital from April to August 2022. Data were collected on the general condition, skin lesion manifestations, pathological examination, treatment, and follow-up of the patients, and retrospectively analyzed.Results:The 7 adult patients with GP typically presented with erythema and brown scales in the intertriginous area, exhibiting an annular distribution pattern. All the 7 patients reported recent exposure to disinfectants containing benzalkonium chloride. A total of 10 skin biopsies were taken from the 7 patients. Histopathological examination showed characteristic hyperkeratosis and fine blue-gray parakeratotic granules in the stratum corneum. All skin lesions improved 1 month after cessation of exposure to benzalkonium chloride.Conclusion:GP has a distinct clinical pattern and histopathological manifestations, and a history of exposure to benzalkonium chloride can be helpful for the diagnosis of GP.

Humans ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; East Asian People ; Psoriasis/epidemiology* ; Arthritis, Psoriatic/epidemiology* ; Registries ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective:To investigate the correlation of preoperative platelet distribution width (PDW) with clinical features and prognosis of patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) .Methods:The clinical data of 160 MTC patients admitted to Zhejiang Cancer Hospital in Department of Head and Neck Surgery from Jun. 2007 to Sep. 2021 were retrospectively collected. There were 74 males and 86 females, aging 8-77 years (mean 48.73±13.76). The median was used to determine the cut-off value of PDW and divided into low PDW group and high PDW group. The correlation between preoperative PDW and clinicopathological features of MTC patients was analyzed by Chi-square test and Spearman correlation test. The relationship of preoperative PDW with overall survival (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) of patients were analyzed by Kaplan-meier and Log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to analyze the risk factors for DFS in MTC patients.Results:The preoperative PDW level was closely correlated with the tumor size ( χ2=4.46, P=0.035), TNM stage ( χ2=5.02, P=0.025), bilateral lesions ( χ2=4.94, P=0.026) ,multiple lesions ( χ2=5.19, P=0.023), capsular invasion ( χ2=5.75, P=0.017), extrandular invasion ( χ2=4.27, P=0.039), and vascular tumor thrombus ( χ2=4.48, P=0.034) in MTC patients ( P<0.05). Spearman correlation test showed that preoperative PDW level was negatively correlated with clinical stage ( r=-0.166, P=0.036), lymph node metastasis ( r=-0.187, P=0.018), multiple lesions ( r=-0.176, P=0.026) and vascular tumor thrombus ( r=-0.220, P=0.005) in MTC patients ( P<0.05). Survival analysis showed that reduced PDW predicted worse DFS for MTC ( χ2=9.989, P=0.002). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that low PDW ( OR=0.847, 95% CI:0.724-0.992, P=0.040) and lymph node metastasis ( OR=4.913, 95% CI:2.415-9.995, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for DFS in MTC patients. Conclusion:Preoperative decreased PDW is a high risk factor for poor prognosis of MTC and can be used as an indicator to predict recurrence in MTC patients.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which makes up the majority of liver cancer, is induced by the infection of hepatitis B/C virus. Biomarkers are needed to facilitate the early detection of HCC, which is often diagnosed too late for effective therapy. The tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) play vital roles in tumorigenesis and are stable in circulation. However, the diagnostic values and biological functions of circulating tsRNAs, especially for HCC, are still unknown. In this study, we first utilized RNA sequencing followed by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR to analyze tsRNA signatures in HCC serum. We identified tRF-Gln-TTG-006, which was remarkably upregulated in HCC serum (training cohort: 24 HCC patients vs. 24 healthy controls). In the validation stage, we found that tRF-Gln-TTG-006 signature could distinguish HCC cases from healthy subjects with high sensitivity (80.4%) and specificity (79.4%) even in the early stage (Stage I: sensitivity, 79.0%; specificity, 74.8%; 155 healthy controls vs. 153 HCC patients from two cohorts). Moreover, in vitro studies indicated that circulating tRF-Gln-TTG-006 was released from tumor cells, and its biological function was predicted by bioinformatics assay and validated by colony formation and apoptosis assays. In summary, our study demonstrated that serum tsRNA signature may serve as a novel biomarker of HCC.
Biomarkers ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis* ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; RNA, Transfer/genetics*

A 58-year-old female patient presented with painful and itchy skin lesions on the head, neck, chest and back for 20 days, and was admitted to the hospital in February 2010. The skin lesions manifested as superficial erosions on an erythematous base with positive Nikolsky′s sign. Histopathological examination showed fissures above the granular and spinous cell layers, and scattered dyskeratotic cells. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) assay revealed IgG and C3 deposits between spinous cells. The patient was initially diagnosed with pemphigus foliaceus. After the treatment with triamcinolone (24 mg/d) , tripterygium glycosides (60 mg/d) , nicotinamide (300 mg/d) and tetracycline (2 g/d) , skin lesions gradually subsided. In June 2017, the patient was readmitted due to itchy skin lesions on the head, neck, chest, back and hands for 15 days, which manifested as tense bullae on an erythematous base with negative Nikolsky′s sign. Histopathological examination showed subepidermal blisters and infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes in the blisters and superficial dermis, DIF assay revealed the deposition of IgG and C3 along the basement membrane zone, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed positive results for anti-BP180 antibody but negative results for anti-Dsg1 and Dsg3 antibodies. Then, a diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid was confirmed. The patient was treated with oral triamcinolone (12 mg/d) , nicotinamide (300 mg/d) and tetracycline (2 g/d) , and the lesions rapidly subsided.