Tuberous sclerosis complex(TSC)is a rare genetic disease that can lead to benign dysplasia in multiple organs such as the skin, brain, eyes, oral cavity, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and bones. Its main symptoms include epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, skin depigmentation, and facial angiofibromas, whilst incidence is approximately 1 in 10 000 to 1 in 6000 newborns. This case presents a middle-aged woman who initially manifested with epilepsy and nodular depigmentation. Later, she developed a lower abdominal mass, elevated creatinine, and severe anemia. Based on clinical features and whole exome sequencing, the primary diagnosis was confirmed as TSC. Laboratory and imaging examinations revealed that the lower abdominal mass originated from the uterus. CT-guided biopsy pathology and surgical pathology suggested a combination of leiomyoma and abscess. With the involvement of multiple organs and various complications beyond the main diagnosis, the diagnostic and therapeutic process for this patient highlights the importance of rigorous clinical thinking and multidisciplinary collaboration in the diagnosis and treatment of rare and challenging diseases.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis with low-dose and standard-dose recombinant tissue plasminogen activator(rt-PA)in the elderly patients(aged over 80 years)with acute ischemic stroke(AIS).Methods A total of 201 elderly patients with AIS treated at Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital from February 2019 to February 2023 were prospectively included and randomly assigned to the rt-PA low-dose group(n=93,0.6 mg/kg)and rt-PA standard-dose group(n=108,0.9 mg/kg).The incidence of intra-cranial hemorrhage,symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage,fatal intracranial hemorrhage,neurologic deterioration within 7 days and mortality within 90 days were observed to evaluate the safety.The neurologic improvement rate and good prognosis rate at 90 days were used to evaluate the effectiveness.A stratified analysis of 90-day outcomes was performed based on stroke severity and age.Results The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage,symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and fatal intracranial hemorrhage within 7 days in rt-PA low-dose group was lower than that in rt-PA standard-dose group(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups concerning the residual safety index and the effectiveness index.The 90-day good prognosis rate of moderate stroke sub-group and of≥90 years of age sub-group in rt-PA low-dose group were both higher than that of rt-PA standard-dose group(P＜0.05).Conclusions For AIS patients with moderate stroke and aged over 90 years,intravenous thrombolytic therapy with rt-PA 0.6 mg/kg is recommended.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between thyroid autoimmunity and pregnancy outcome in patients with unexplained recurrent abortion.Methods:A retrospective cohort study of 354 patients with normal thyroid function with recurrent abortion of unknown cause admitted to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University from January 2015 to June 2022 was used to detect thyroid antibody and thyroid function levels during pregnancy or early pregnancy. They were divided into TAI group ( n=144) and non-TAI group ( n=210) according to whether thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) was complicated or not. Tracking pregnancy outcomes. Results:Compared with the non-TAI group, the TAI group had a higher proportion of pregnancy outcomes resulting in miscarriage [42.4%(61/144) vs 27.1%(57/210), P=0.004]. In patients with unexplained recurrent abortion, TAI significantly increased the risk of spontaneous abortion [ OR(95% CI): 2.13(1.34, 3.41), P=0.001]. Positive TPOAb or TgAb also increased the risk of spontaneous abortion [ OR(95% CI): 2.18(1.37, 3.50), P=0.001; OR(95% CI): 2.33(1.31, 4.13), P=0.004]. TAI, TPOAb and TgAb had no significant interaction with age ( P=0.482, 0.724, 0.740). Conclusions:TAI is positively associated with the risk of spontaneous abortion in patients with unexplained recurrent abortion. TAI may be a potential risk factor for unexplained recurrent abortion, expanding the diagnosis and treatment of unexplained recurrent abortion.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) intravenous thrombolysis combined with edaravone dexborneol at different timing in super elderly patients (aged≥85 years) with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke (AIS).Methods:A prospective study was performed. Seventy-one super elderly patients with moderate to severe AIS treated with rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis combined with edaravone dexborneol from December 2020 to March 2023 in Department of Neurology, Affiliated Fourth Central Hospital of Nankai University were selected and randomly divided into early group ( n=35) and advanced group ( n=36); patients in the early group were given edaravone dexborneol immediately after rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis, and patients in the advanced group were given edaravone dexborneol 24 h after rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis. In addition, 31 patients with moderate to severe AIS received rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis only in Department of Neurology of the hospital from August 2018 to December 2020 were selected as control group. Differences in efficacy and safety indexes among the 3 groups were compared. Results:After 7 d of treatment, the improvement rate of neurological function in early group was significantly higher than that in control group and advanced group ( P<0.05). After 90 d of treatment, modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores in early group were statistically lower than those in control group and advanced group ( P<0.05); good prognosis rate in early group was statistically higher than that in control group and advanced group ( P<0.05). The incidences of intracranial hemorrhage and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in early group were significantly lower than those in control group and advanced group ( P<0.05). After 30 and 90 d of treatment, the advanced group had significantly lower mortality than the control group, but significantly higher mortality than the early group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Edaravone dexborneol immediately after rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis is the optimal timing for super elderly patients with moderate to severe AIS, which can improve the efficacy and safety.

Objective To observe the application effect of Manujet Ⅲ device combined with im-proved nasopharynx oxygen tube in painless bronchoscopy.Methods A total of 120 patients with painless bronchoscopy were selected as the research objects,and they were randomly divided into ob-servation group(treated with routine continuous nasopharynx oxygen supply and Manujet Ⅲ combined with improved nasopharynx oxygen tube)and control group(treated with routine continuous nasophar-ynx oxygen supply),with 60 cases in each group.Mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),the saturation of peripheral oxygen(SpO2),induction time,microscopic examination time,awakening time,success rate of examination by one time,patient's satisfaction degree,physician's satisfaction degree and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between two groups.Results Repeated measurement analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences in the time,inter-group and time to group interactions of MAP,HR and SpO2 between the two groups(P＜0.05);at the time points of 5 minutes of microscopic examination,10 minutes of microscopic examination and after micro-scopic examination,the MAP in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group,while HR and SpO2 were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in induction time between the two groups(P＞0.05);in the observation group,the microscopic examination time and awakening time were significantly shorter than those in the control group,while the success rate of examination by one time was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The patient's satisfaction degree and physician's satisfaction degree in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 5.00％,which was significantly lower than 18.33％in the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The combination of routine continuous nasopharynx oxygen supply and ManujetⅢ combined with improved nasopharynx oxygen tube for su-praglottal manual assisted jet ventilation is beneficial for providing sufficient oxygen supply and re-ducing the incidence of hypoxemia.

Objective To observe the application effect of Manujet Ⅲ device combined with im-proved nasopharynx oxygen tube in painless bronchoscopy.Methods A total of 120 patients with painless bronchoscopy were selected as the research objects,and they were randomly divided into ob-servation group(treated with routine continuous nasopharynx oxygen supply and Manujet Ⅲ combined with improved nasopharynx oxygen tube)and control group(treated with routine continuous nasophar-ynx oxygen supply),with 60 cases in each group.Mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),the saturation of peripheral oxygen(SpO2),induction time,microscopic examination time,awakening time,success rate of examination by one time,patient's satisfaction degree,physician's satisfaction degree and incidence of adverse reactions were compared between two groups.Results Repeated measurement analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences in the time,inter-group and time to group interactions of MAP,HR and SpO2 between the two groups(P＜0.05);at the time points of 5 minutes of microscopic examination,10 minutes of microscopic examination and after micro-scopic examination,the MAP in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group,while HR and SpO2 were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in induction time between the two groups(P＞0.05);in the observation group,the microscopic examination time and awakening time were significantly shorter than those in the control group,while the success rate of examination by one time was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The patient's satisfaction degree and physician's satisfaction degree in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 5.00％,which was significantly lower than 18.33％in the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The combination of routine continuous nasopharynx oxygen supply and ManujetⅢ combined with improved nasopharynx oxygen tube for su-praglottal manual assisted jet ventilation is beneficial for providing sufficient oxygen supply and re-ducing the incidence of hypoxemia.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of a skin care ointment containing oligomeric maltose X in the adjuvant treatment of eczema-related pruritus.Methods:A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled clinical study was conducted. From March to September 2021, outpatients with mild to moderate eczema were collected from departments of dermatology of 4 hospitals, including Beijing Friendship Hospital, Hebei Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital, the Third People′s Hospital of Hubei Province, and Taizhou Central Hospital in Zhejiang Province. The patients were randomly divided into two groups by using a random number table: observation group topically treated with a skin care ointment containing oligomeric maltose X, and vehicle control group topically treated with an ointment vehicle. The ointments were applied during the attacks of itching for 14 consecutive days. Visits were scheduled before, 7, and 14 days after the start of the adjuvant treatment. The efficacy was evaluated according to the eczema area and severity index (EASI) and visual analog scale (VAS) , and adverse events were recorded. The efficacy and safety analyses were conducted by using chi-square test and t test. Results:Totally, 232 patients with eczema were enrolled, including 90 males and 142 females, with the age being 40.13 ± 13.36 years; 156 patients were in the observation group, and 76 in the vehicle control group. Before the adjuvant treatment, there were no significant differences in EASI (2.07 ± 2.24 points vs. 2.29 ± 2.28 points) or VAS (6.22 ± 1.78 points vs. 6.20 ± 1.79 points) scores between the observation group and vehicle control group ( t = -0.70, 0.06, P = 0.486, 0.955, respectively) . After one-day treatment, the VAS scores significantly decreased compared with the baseline scores in the two groups ( P < 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively) . After 14-day treatment, the VAS score was significantly lower in the observation group (2.67 points) than in the vehicle control group (3.35 points; t = -2.28, P = 0.024) . After 7- and 14-day treatment, the EASI scores significantly decreased compared with the baseline scores in both the two groups (all P < 0.001) , but there were no significant differences between the two groups ( P = 0.853, 0.731) . No adjuvant treatment-related adverse events were recorded in either of the two groups. Conclusion:The skin care ointment containing oligomeric maltose X is safe and effective in the adjuvant treatment of eczema-related pruritus, and can be applied to clinical practice.

Background::Gut-resident macrophages (gMacs) supplemented by monocytes-to-gMacs differentiation play a critical role in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. Activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is involved in immune cell differentiation. We therefore set out to investigate the role of ATF4-regulated monocytes-to-gMacs differentiation in sepsis-induced intestinal injury.Methods::Sepsis was induced in C57BL/6 wild type (WT) mice and Atf4-knockdown ( Atf4+/-) mice by cecal ligation and puncture or administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Colon, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, sera, lung, liver, and mesenteric lymph nodes were collected for flow cytometry, hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Results::CD64, CD11b, Ly6C, major histocompatibility complex-II (MHC-II), CX3CR1, Ly6G, and SSC were identified as optimal primary markers for detecting the process of monocytes-to-gMacs differentiation in the colon of WT mice. Monocytes-to-gMacs differentiation was impaired in the colon during sepsis and was associated with decreased expression of ATF4 in P1 (Ly6C hi monocytes), the precursor cells of gMacs. Atf4 knockdown exacerbated the impairment of monocytes-to-gMacs differentiation in response to LPS, resulting in a significant reduction of gMacs in the colon. Furthermore, compared with WT mice, Atf4+/- mice exhibited higher pathology scores, increased expression of inflammatory factor genes ( TNF-α, IL-1β), suppressed expression of CD31 and vascular endothelial-cadherin in the colon, and increased translocation of intestinal bacteria to lymph nodes and lungs following exposure to LPS. However, the aggravation of sepsis-induced intestinal injury resulting from Atf4 knockdown was not caused by the enhanced inflammatory effect of Ly6C hi monocytes and gMacs. Conclusion::ATF4, as a novel regulator of monocytes-to-gMacs differentiation, plays a critical role in protecting mice against sepsis-induced intestinal injury, suggesting that ATF4 might be a potential therapeutic target for sepsis treatment.

Objective To analyze clinical characteristics of severe community-acquired pneumonia during pregnancy and its outcomes, and to explore the relevant risk factors. Methods From September 2012 to September 2017,324 398 pregnancies admitted in 7 tertiary hospitals were included. Clinical data of 33 cases of pregnancies with severe community-acquired pneumonia(severe pneumonia group)and 214 cases of pregnancies with common community-acquired pneumonia (control group) were reviewed retrospectively, including the clinical information, manifestations, laboratory examinations and pregnancy outcomes. Relevant risk factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results (1) General data: pregnancies with severe community-acquired pneumonia accounted for 0.010%(33/324 398) of hospitalized pregnancies, the gestational age of two groups were(28±8)and(23±8)weeks, body mass index were(21.7±2.1)and(25.5±3.4)kg/m2, rate of low income were 54.5%(18/33)and 31.8%(68/214), respectively. The differences between two groups were all statistically significant(all P<0.05). No significant differences were found in age, pregnancy and parity times, rate of main pregnant complications such as diabetes and hypertension, educational level, asthma and onset seasons between two groups(all P>0.05). (2)Clinical data: the severe pneumonia group had significantly higher incidence of fever [100.0%(33/33)vs 75.2%(161/214)], shortness of breath(90.9% vs 16.8%)compared with the control group(all P<0.05).The median peripheral leukocytes counts were 12.3×109/L and 10.2×109/L, the hemoglobin level were(84±18) and(107±14)g/L,the albumin level were(26±4)and(37±3)g/L, the median serum urea nitrogen level were 3.7 and 2.4 mmol/L,the serum creatinine level were(72±25)and(45±11)μmol/L, respectively in two groups. The differences were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). No significantly statistical differences were found in coagulation indicator and cardiac function between two groups(all P>0.05).(3) Treatments: in severe pneumonia group, 12 patients(36.4%,12/33)needed invasive mechanical ventilation, 9 patients(27.3%,9/33)needed non-invasive mechanical ventilation, average time of mechanical ventilation was(7±4)days;8 patients(24.2%,8/33)with septic shock needed vasoactive drugs. However, there was no patient in control group needing mechanical ventilation and vasoactive drugs.(4)Pregnant outcomes: one patient(3.0%,1/33)died in the severe pneumonia group, while no death occurred in the control group. The hospital stay between two groups were(15.1±4.1)and(7.0±1.9)days, the rates of abortion and stillbirth between two groups were 42.4%(14/33)and 3.3%(7/214), the rates of premature were 10/19 and 6.3% (13/207), the rates of cesarean were 15/19 and 43.0%(89/207), the rates of low birth weight newborn were 17/19 and 14.0%(29/207), the rates of infected newborn were 15/19 and 10.1%(21/207), the birth weights were(2 165±681)and(3 102±400)g, respectively. The differences between two groups were all statistically significant(all P<0.05).(5)Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that anemia, low body mass index, hypoproteinemia were risk factors for severe pneumonia in pregnancy(all P<0.05). Conclusions Pregnancy with severe community-acquired pneumonia may be complicated by multiple organ dysfunctions, lead to adverse outcomes. Anemia, malnutrition are risk factors for pregnancy with severe pneumonia. Active and effective treatment may improve its prognosis.

Objective: To explore the clinical features and complications of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract in children and to investigate the effectiveness of endoscopic management. Methods: Data of patients with foreign bodies in upper gastrointestinal tract were collected retrospectively at Endoscopy Center, the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, from January 2011 to December 2016. Clinical characteristics, the types of foreign bodies, the location and duration of foreign body impaction were summarized. The risk factors of complications and endoscopic removal failure were analyzed by using Logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 1 334 patients (825 males and 509 females) were enrolled. The median age was 2.5 years, with a range from 0.25 to 15 years and peak age 1-3 years. Twenty patients had esophageal diseases. The most common foreign body ingested was coin (n=964, 72.3%). Foreign bodies were most commonly located in the esophagus (n=1 002, 75.1%), especially in the upper esophagus (n=857, 85.5%). The duration of foreign body impaction ranged from 3 hours to 5 years. Among 1 334 patients, 252 patients (18.9%) developed complications, including ulcers (n=101, 40.0%) and perforations(n=13, 5.2%). The success rate of endoscopic removal was 96.6% (n=1 288). By Logistic regression analysis, sharp foreign body ingestion (OR=6.893, 95%CI: 4.421-10.746) , esophageal impaction (OR=5.253, 95%CI:3.352-8.233) and foreign body impaction longer than 24 hours (OR=4.336, 95%CI:3.091-6.082) were risk factors of complications. Sharp foreign body ingestion was the risk factor of endoscopic failure (OR=5.372, 95%CI:2.773-10.406) . Conclusions Coin is the most common foreign body in upper gastrointestinal tract. Sharp foreign bodies impacted in the esophagus over 24 hours increase the risk of complications. Endoscopic removal of foreign bodies from the upper gastrointestinal tract in children has a high success rate. Sharp foreign body ingestion increases the risk of failure in endoscopic removing.