Objective:Using bacterial culture as the gold standard, to evaluate the agreement of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) and rapid nucleic acid test (RNAT) in diagnosing group A Streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis in pediatric outpatients, and assess their potential clinical utility. Methods:This cross-sectional study prospectively collected throat swab specimens and clinical data of 338 children diagnosed with acute pharyngitis at the Department of Outpatient Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University, between July 2023 and February 2024. The specimens were tested for GAS bacterial culture, RADT and RNAT. Using bacterial culture results as the reference standard, Kappa consistency analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic concordance between RADT and RNAT. Chi-square test was used to compare clinical characteristics between cases diagnosed by different methods.Results:In the 338 children diagnosed with pharyngitis, 195 were male and 143 were female, with an age at the visit of 7.4 (5.9, 7.4) years. The positivive rates for GAS detection were 25.7% (87/338) by bacterial culture, 20.7% (70/338) by RADT, and 41.7% (141/338) by RNAT. In terms of diagnostic performance, RADT exhibited a higher specificity (96.8% (243/251)) and better agreement with bacterial culture results ( κ=0.73), whereas RNAT showed greater sensitivity (95.4% (83/87)) but lower specificity (76.9% (193/251)) and moderate agreement ( κ=0.61). Among the 87 children with positive bacterial culture for GAS, 56 were male and 31 were female, with an age at visit of 7.3 (6.2, 8.8) years. Clinically, body temperature predominantly ranged from 38.1 to 39.0 ℃ in 48 cases (55.2%), and common accompanying symptoms included sore throat 62 cases (71.3%), cough 33 cases (37.9%), and cervical lymphadenopathy or tenderness 16 cases (18.4%). On physical examination, tonsillar enlargement was present in 73 cases (83.9%) and exudate in 37 cases (42.5%). The McIsaac score was most frequently 4 points, observed in 37 cases (42.5%). Laboratory tests showed a peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count of 14.5 (12.3, 18.7)×10?/L and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration of 22.0 (10.1, 41.4) mg/L. There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of fever, sore throat, cough, tender cervical lymphadenopathy, tonsillar exudates, or tonsillar enlargement, nor in WBC count or CRP, among children who tested positive by RADT, RNAT, or bacterial culture (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared with bacterial culture,the RADT demonstrates higher specificity, while the RNAT exhibits greater sensitivity. Both methods show good concordance with culture results and may serve as effective adjunctive tools for the early screening of GAS pharyngitis.

Oral fluid specimens are a new type of specimen whose clinical application value is widely evaluated. Compared with conventional pathogen detection technology, they have the advantages of non-invasive, simple operation and self-collection. They can be used for biochemical analysis, nucleic acid detection of infectious pathogens and tumor cells, and have been recommended for screening and diagnosis of certain diseases. This article mainly summarizes the collection methods of oral fluid and related samples, as well as their application in the diagnosis of infectious pathogens, providing a reference for the detection and research of clinical infectious disease etiology in China.

This study aims to inquire about the fluctuations of ubiquitin-specific protease 47 on neu-roblastoma cells(Neuro-2a,N2a)infected by rabies virus(RABV).USP47 expression levels were detected after RABV infection in N2a cells through RT-qPCR,protein immunoblotting,and virus titer determination.The levels of RABV nucleoprotein and phosphoprotein gene and protein,and RABV titers in supernatants were analyzed during overexpression and knockdown of USP47.The results showed that RABV infection increased USP47 gene level in N2a cells.When overexpression of USP47,the levels of RABV N and P were increased,and the virus titers were also improved.Mo-reover,the level of interleukin-6(IL-6)genes decreased.Knocking down USP47 expression reduced levels of RABV N and P genes and proteins,lowered the virus titer,and elevated the IL-6 gene lev-el.The results suggest that USP47 promotes RABV infection and suppresses IL-6 expression.This finding lays the foundation for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms by which USP47 regulates RABV infection.

Oral fluid specimens are a new type of specimen whose clinical application value is widely evaluated. Compared with conventional pathogen detection technology, they have the advantages of non-invasive, simple operation and self-collection. They can be used for biochemical analysis, nucleic acid detection of infectious pathogens and tumor cells, and have been recommended for screening and diagnosis of certain diseases. This article mainly summarizes the collection methods of oral fluid and related samples, as well as their application in the diagnosis of infectious pathogens, providing a reference for the detection and research of clinical infectious disease etiology in China.

This study aims to inquire about the fluctuations of ubiquitin-specific protease 47 on neu-roblastoma cells(Neuro-2a,N2a)infected by rabies virus(RABV).USP47 expression levels were detected after RABV infection in N2a cells through RT-qPCR,protein immunoblotting,and virus titer determination.The levels of RABV nucleoprotein and phosphoprotein gene and protein,and RABV titers in supernatants were analyzed during overexpression and knockdown of USP47.The results showed that RABV infection increased USP47 gene level in N2a cells.When overexpression of USP47,the levels of RABV N and P were increased,and the virus titers were also improved.Mo-reover,the level of interleukin-6(IL-6)genes decreased.Knocking down USP47 expression reduced levels of RABV N and P genes and proteins,lowered the virus titer,and elevated the IL-6 gene lev-el.The results suggest that USP47 promotes RABV infection and suppresses IL-6 expression.This finding lays the foundation for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms by which USP47 regulates RABV infection.

Objective:Using bacterial culture as the gold standard, to evaluate the agreement of rapid antigen detection test (RADT) and rapid nucleic acid test (RNAT) in diagnosing group A Streptococcus (GAS) pharyngitis in pediatric outpatients, and assess their potential clinical utility. Methods:This cross-sectional study prospectively collected throat swab specimens and clinical data of 338 children diagnosed with acute pharyngitis at the Department of Outpatient Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University, between July 2023 and February 2024. The specimens were tested for GAS bacterial culture, RADT and RNAT. Using bacterial culture results as the reference standard, Kappa consistency analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic concordance between RADT and RNAT. Chi-square test was used to compare clinical characteristics between cases diagnosed by different methods.Results:In the 338 children diagnosed with pharyngitis, 195 were male and 143 were female, with an age at the visit of 7.4 (5.9, 7.4) years. The positivive rates for GAS detection were 25.7% (87/338) by bacterial culture, 20.7% (70/338) by RADT, and 41.7% (141/338) by RNAT. In terms of diagnostic performance, RADT exhibited a higher specificity (96.8% (243/251)) and better agreement with bacterial culture results ( κ=0.73), whereas RNAT showed greater sensitivity (95.4% (83/87)) but lower specificity (76.9% (193/251)) and moderate agreement ( κ=0.61). Among the 87 children with positive bacterial culture for GAS, 56 were male and 31 were female, with an age at visit of 7.3 (6.2, 8.8) years. Clinically, body temperature predominantly ranged from 38.1 to 39.0 ℃ in 48 cases (55.2%), and common accompanying symptoms included sore throat 62 cases (71.3%), cough 33 cases (37.9%), and cervical lymphadenopathy or tenderness 16 cases (18.4%). On physical examination, tonsillar enlargement was present in 73 cases (83.9%) and exudate in 37 cases (42.5%). The McIsaac score was most frequently 4 points, observed in 37 cases (42.5%). Laboratory tests showed a peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count of 14.5 (12.3, 18.7)×10?/L and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration of 22.0 (10.1, 41.4) mg/L. There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of fever, sore throat, cough, tender cervical lymphadenopathy, tonsillar exudates, or tonsillar enlargement, nor in WBC count or CRP, among children who tested positive by RADT, RNAT, or bacterial culture (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared with bacterial culture,the RADT demonstrates higher specificity, while the RNAT exhibits greater sensitivity. Both methods show good concordance with culture results and may serve as effective adjunctive tools for the early screening of GAS pharyngitis.

Objective:Through comprehensive analysis of symptoms and signs, biochemistry, imaging, and dynamic tests, to explore the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenoma(TSH adenoma) and syndrome of resistance to thyroid hormone(RTH).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 14 patients who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2016 to September 2022, exhibiting elevated levels of free thyroxine(FT4) and free triiodothyronine(FT3) in the presence of increased TSH.Results:There were 7 cases of TSH adenoma and 7 cases of RTH, with the average age of diagnosis at 40.0 years and 26.6 years, respectively. Thirteen patients showed thyrotoxicosis or occasional palpitation, some with pituitary occupancy manifestations or abnormal growth and development; One patient presented with neck thickening. Sex hormone binding globulin was elevated in 3 cases of TSH adenoma. Pituitary magnetic resonance imaging showed that all 7 cases of TSH adenoma were macroadenomas and 1 case of RTH was microadenoma. The octreotide suppression test in 13 patients was inhibited, but there was a significant difference in the inhibition rate of 24 h/2 h TSH inhibition rate of TSH adenoma and RTH, ranging from 46.6% to 83.9% and 4.6% to 28.8% respectively. Six cases of RTH had thyroid hormone receptor β mutation.Conclusion:Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of thyrotropin is a rare condition, mainly including TSH adenoma and RTH. The diagnosis and differentiation of the two conditions require comprehensive assessment incorporating family history, symptoms and signs, laboratory tests, dynamic test, and genetic test. Among these, the 24 h/2 h TSH inhibition rate of octreotide suppression test can effectively distinguish TSH adenoma from RTH.

Objective:To determine the erythromycin resistance of Bordetella pertussis isolates and their ptxP1 and ptxP3 phenotypic composition and compare clinical manifestations of children with pertussis caused by the two types of strains. Methods:This was a cross-sectional study, the pertussis cases diagnosed using bacterial culture from January 2019 to December 2022 in Beijing Children′s Hospital and the First People′s Hospital of Wuhu were collected.Any suspected Bordetella pertussis colonies were identified by the slide agglutination test.The susceptibility of isolates to erythromycin was detected by the E-test and K-B test.The ptxP gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced to determine its genotype. t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Chi-square test and Fisher′s exact test were use to statistical analysis. Results:A total of 192 strains of Bordetella pertussis were identified, including 188 (97.9%) erythromycin-resistant strains.Among the 188 strains, 30.3%(57/188) belonged to the ptxP1 genotype and 69.7%(131/188) belonged to the ptxP3 genotype.In children aged below 1 year old, the incidence of paroxysmal cough caused by infection with the ptxP3 strain was higher than that with the ptxP1 strain (57.1% vs.29.4%, P<0.05), and children infected with the ptxP3 strain were more likely to develop apnea or asphyxia (23.8% vs.17.6%), post-tussive vomiting (44.4% vs.32.4%), whooping cough (72.0% vs.50.0%) and pneumonia or bronchitis (85.7% vs.73.5%) compared to those infected with the ptxP1 strain, but the differences were not statistically significant(all P>0.05). In children aged 1 year old and above, the white blood cell count of children infected with the ptxP1 strain was higher than that of infections with the ptxP3 strain [13.5(9.9, 24.5)×10 9/L, 10.3 (7.0, 16.4)×10 9/L, P<0.05], and children infected with the ptxP1 strain were more likely to contract other pathogen infections than those infected with the ptxP3 strain (17.4% vs.4.4%, P>0.05). Conclusions:ptxP3 erythromycin-resistant Bordetella pertussis has become the main pathogen of pertussis.Infants with pertussis caused by the ptxP3 erythromycin-resistant strain show more significant manifestations and a higher possibility of severe symptoms than those infected with the ptxP1 erythromycin-resistant strain.

BackgroundAnxiety exists as a prevalent psychological problem among college students nowadays， which brings negative influence on their normal life. Mobile phone addiction and loneliness both have an impact on college students' anxiety. However， the acting path of loneliness between mobile phone addiction and anxiety requires further exploration. ObjectiveTo analyze the relationships among mobile phone addiction， loneliness and anxiety in college students， and to explore the acting path of loneliness between mobile phone addiction and anxiety. MethodsOn December 21， 2023， 1 400 college students from a university in Henan Province were selected， in accordance with the simple random sampling method， for investigation of this study. Questionnaire survey was conducted by using several scales including Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale （MPATS）， Self-rating Anxiety Scale （SAS） and University of California Los Angeles-Loneliness Scale （UCLA-LS）. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between the scores of each scale above， and SPSS macro program Process 3.3 was used to test the mediation effect. ResultsA total of 1 239 valid questionnaires were collected， with an effective recovery rate of 88.50%. The MPATS score of college students was positively correlated with both SAS and UCLA-LS scores （r=0.474， 0.387， P<0.01）， and UCLA-LS score was positively correlated with SAS score （r=0.541， P<0.01）. The indirect effect of loneliness between mobile phone addiction and anxiety was 0.160 （95% CI： 0.118~0.173）， accounting for 33.97% of the total effect. ConclusionMobile phone addiction can positively predict anxiety among college students， and loneliness may act as the mediation path between mobile phone addiction and anxiety among college students.

Group A Streptococci(GAS)can cause multiple diseases such as pharyngotonsillitis, scarlet fever, streptococcal toxic shock syndrome(STSS), necrotizing fasciitis, and so on, making it extremely difficult to monitor all GAS infections.Developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have classified invasive GAS diseases/infections(iGAS) or certain specific types, such as STSS, as notifiable diseases.China only includes scarlet fever caused by GAS infections in the legal infectious diseases.Although case reports or clinical studies of STSS and necrotizing fasciitis in China can be found, there is a lack of investigation and summary on iGAS, and there are few materials to introduce its definition and diagnostic criteria.Based on a recently diagnosed typical case, this paper intends to introduce the definition and diagnostic criteria of iGAS adopted in the United States, the United Kingdom and other developed countries, as well as the valuable early manifestations and risk factors, and the incidence of iGAS.Given the epidemiological changes in GAS infections in recent years, this paper also emphasizes the importance of paying attention to GAS infections, especially iGAS, aiming to arouse the attention of China′s clinical doctors and urge them to carry out research on this group of diseases.