This paper reports the diagnosis and treatment process of a patient with severe anemia caused by hookworm and Ascaris lumbricoides co-infections, so as to provide insights into clinical diagnosis and treatment and avoid misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis of parasitic infections. Living parasites were found by endoscopy, which were morphologically identified as hookworm and A. lumbricoides, and routine stool examinations detected hookworm and A. lumbricoides eggs. The patient was diagnosed with severe anemia caused by hookworm and A. lumbricoides co-infections by means of clinical symptoms, epidemiological history, endoscopic findings, and laboratory tests. Following blood transfusion, hemostasis, oral administration with albendazole, and symptomatic treatments, the patient showed remarkable symptomatic improvement and had a good prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of birth defect-related mortality. However, more recent CHD mortality data for China are lacking. Additionally, limited studies have evaluated sex, rural-urban, and region-specific disparities of CHD mortality in China. METHODS: We designed a population-based study using data from the Dataset of National Mortality Surveillance in China between 2008 and 2021. We calculated age-adjusted CHD mortality using the sixth census data of China in 2010 as the standard population. We assessed the temporal trends in CHD mortality by age, sex, area, and region from 2008 to 2021 using the joinpoint regression model. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2021, 33,534 deaths were attributed to CHD. The period witnessed a two-fold decrease in the age-adjusted CHD mortality from 1.61 to 0.76 per 100,000 persons (average annual percent change [AAPC] = -5.90%). Females tended to have lower age-adjusted CHD mortality than males, but with a similar decline rate from 2008 to 2021 (females: AAPC = -6.15%; males: AAPC = -5.84%). Similar AAPC values were observed among people living in urban (AAPC = -6.64%) and rural (AAPC = -6.12%) areas. Eastern regions experienced a more pronounced decrease in the age-adjusted CHD mortality (AAPC = -7.86%) than central (AAPC = -5.83%) and western regions (AAPC = -3.71%) between 2008 and 2021. Approximately half of the deaths (46.19%) due to CHD occurred during infancy. The CHD mortality rates in 2021 were lower than those in 2008 for people aged 0-39 years, with the largest decrease observed among children aged 1-4 years (AAPC = -8.26%), followed by infants (AAPC = -7.01%). CONCLUSIONS CHD mortality in China has dramatically decreased from 2008 to 2021. The slower decrease in CHD mortality in the central and western regions than in the eastern regions suggested that public health policymakers should pay more attention to health resources and health education for central and western regions.
Humans ; Heart Defects, Congenital/mortality* ; Male ; Female ; China/epidemiology* ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Adult ; Child ; Adolescent ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Aged ; Rural Population

Palmitoylation, an essential covalent attachment of a fatty acid (usually C16 palmitate) to cysteine residues within proteins, is crucial for regulating protein functionality and enzymatic activities. This lipid modification facilitates the anchoring of proteins to cellular membranes, dictating their subcellular distribution and influencing protein transport dynamics and intracellular positioning. Additionally, it plays a role in regulating protein degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Palmitoylation is implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of cardiovascular diseases by modulating substrates and prompting additional post-translational modifications, as well as by interacting with other molecular alterations. Moreover, an intervention strategy focusing on palmitoylation processes is anticipated to offer novel therapeutic avenues for cardiovascular pathologies and address extant challenges in clinical settings. This review consolidates current research on the role and importance of palmitoylation in cardiovascular diseases by exploring its regulatory functions, the catalyzing enzymes, and the involved substrates. It highlights recent discoveries connecting palmitoylation-targeted therapies to cardiovascular health and examines potential approaches and future challenges in cardiovascular treatment.

Objective To study the effect of MT-1207 on blood glucose,blood lipids and atherosclerosis in mice.Methods The apolipoprotein E knockout(ApoE-/-)mice were fed with normal feed,drug feed containing losartan and drug feed containing MT-1207 at a dosage of 30 mg/kg.The body weight,blood glucose and blood lipids were detected,and the plaque area of atherosclerotic was evaluated.8-week-old male C57 mice were fed a high fat diet and given intragastric administration of MT-1207 and losartan at a dose of 30 mg/kg per day.The body weight,blood glucose and lipids levels were also examined to further evaluate the effects of MT-1207 on blood glucose and lipids levels.Results ApoE-/-mice treated with MT-1207 and losartan gained weight faster.There was no significant improvement in blood glucose and lipid levels,and no significant change in atherosclerotic plaque area.MT-1207 and losartan had no significant improvement effect on blood glucose and blood lipids of C57 mice.Conclusion MT-1207 and losartan couldn't improve the levels of blood glucose,blood lipids and atherosclerosis,and couldn't aggravate atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Management of gastric leak after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is challenging due to its unpredictable outcomes. We aimed to summarize the characteristics of SG leaks and analyze interventions and corresponding outcomes in a real-world setting. METHODS: To retrospectively review of 15,721 SG procedures from 2010 to 2020 based on a national registry. A cumulative sum analysis was used to identify a fitting curve of gastric leak rate. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests were performed to calculate and compare the probabilities of relevant outcomes. The logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictors of acute leaks. RESULTS: A total of 78 cases of SG leaks were collected with an incidence of 0.5% (78/15,721) from this registry (6 patients who had the primary SG in non-participating centers). After accumulating 260 cases in a bariatric surgery center, the leak rate decreased to a stably low value of under 1.17%. The significant differences presented in sex, waist circumference, and the proportion of hypoproteinemia and type 2 diabetes at baseline between patients with SG leak and the whole registry population ( P = 0.005, = 0.026, <0.001, and = 0.001, respectively). Moreover, 83.1% (59/71) of the leakage was near the esophagogastric junction region. Leakage healed in 64 (88.9%, 64/72) patients. The median healing time of acute and non-acute leaks was 5.93 months and 8.12 months, respectively. Acute leak (38/72, 52.8%) was the predominant type with a cumulative reoperation rate >50%, whereas the cumulative healing probability in the patients who required surgical treatment was significantly lower than those requring non-surgical treatment ( P = 0.013). Precise dissection in the His angle area was independently associated with a lower acute leak rate, whereas preservation ≥2 cm distance from the His angle area was an independent risk factor. CONCLUSIONS Male sex, elevated waist circumference, hypoproteinaemia, and type 2 diabetes are risk factors of gastric leaks after SG. Optimizing surgical techniques, including precise dissection of His angle area and preservation of smaller gastric fundus, should be suggested to prevent acute leaks.
Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications* ; Obesity, Morbid ; Anastomotic Leak/epidemiology* ; Gastrectomy/methods* ; Reoperation/methods* ; Registries ; Laparoscopy/methods* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of prenatal MRI in the detection of abnormal placental cord insertions (APCIs) comparing with prenatal ultrasound and pathological examination.Methods:A retrospective data collection was conducted on 440 patients who underwent both prenatal placental ultrasound and MRI at the Foshan Women and Children Hospital from December 2013 to December 2021. Among them, 37 cases were APCIs confirmed by surgery or pathology. The prenatal placental MRI findings were analyzed and compared with prenatal ultrasound diagnosis. The diagnostic efficacy of prenatal MRI and ultrasound in diagnosing APCIs was calculated.Results:Among the 37 cases of APCIs confirmed by surgery or pathology, 17 cases had marginal cord insertion (MCI), 13 cases had velamentous cord insertion (VCI), 5 cases had vasa previa (VP), and 2 cases had VCI combined with VP. The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound diagnosis for APCIs were 59.5% (22/37) and 97.8% (394/403), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI diagnosis for APCIs were 86.5% (32/37) and 98.5% (397/403), respectively. Among the 37 cases of APCIs, prenatal MRI missed diagnosis of 2 cases of MCI, 2 cases of VCI, and misdiagnosed 1 case of VCI as an accessory placenta. MRI identified 10 cases of APCIs missed by ultrasound, including 5 cases of MCI, 2 cases of VP, 2 cases of VCI, and 1 case of combined VCI with VP. Additionally, ultrasound misdiagnosed 4 cases of APCIs, including 2 cases of VCI misdiagnosed as MCI and 2 cases of MCI misdiagnosed as VCI.Conclusions:For APCIs complicated with abnormalities of placental location or morphology, or placental accretion spectrum disease in late pregnancy, MRI has a higher diagnostic efficacy than ultrasound.

Objective:To evaluate the mid-term complication rates of the Hui-Jing one-stage procedure (lingual mucosa combined with longitudinal preputial island flap onlay urethroplasty + tubularized incised plate glansplasty)versus the classic Bracka staged surgery for children with severe hypospadias.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of 75 children with proximal hypospadias who were treated at the Seventh Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from March 2017 to June 2022. Of these patients, 31 cases (15 cases penoscrotal type and 16 cases perineal type) were underwent the Bracka two-stage surgery with a median age of 38 months (24.0, 44.5) and 44 cases underwent the Hui-Jing one-stage procedure (23 cases penoscrotal type and 21 perineal type) with a median age of 40.5 months (20.75, 90.5). The length of urethral plate defect after correction of penile curvature was (4.30±0.84)cm in the Bracka group and (4.56±0.79)cm in the Hui-Jing group, which also showed no significant difference.There was no statistically significant difference of the median age and the position of preoperative urethral opening between the two groups( P=0.47, P=0.74). The first stage of Bracka repair consists of orthoplasty and urethral bed substitution with free preputial graft. After 6 months, the urethral plate created from free graft was tabularized to form neourethra; Hui-Jing procedure group used the free lingual mucosal as urethral plate substitution, then we conducted longitudinal preputial island flap Onlay and Snodgrass phalloplasty. The incidence of postoperative urethral fistula, urethral stricture and urethral diverticulum was compared between the two groups of cases and the difference in efficacy between the two procedures was assessed. Results:Among the 75 patients included in the study, there was no statistically significant difference in age or location of urethral meatus between the Bracka and Hui-Jing groups. In Bracka group, 9 cases of urethral stricture (29.0%), 6 case of urethral fistula (19.4%), and 2 cases of urethral diverticulum (6.5%) occurred after surgery, while 12 cases of urethral fistula (27.3%) and 3 case of urethral fistula (6.8%) occurred in the Hui-Jing group. No urethral stricture occurred in Hui-Jing group. There was no statistically significant difference in overall incidence of complications between the two groups [17/31(54.8%) vs.15/44(34.1%), P=0.12]. The incidence of urethral fistula and urethral diverticulum show no significant differences between two groups(19.4% vs 27.3, P=0.61, 6.5% vs. 6.8%, P=0.13). The number of operation in Bracka group was (2.68±1.03) and the hospitalization cost was (12 984.63±3 808.15) Yuan, while the number of operation in Hui-Jing group was (1.36±0.53) and the hospitalization cost was (8 490.54±3 136.84) Yuan. Conclusions:The Hui-Jing one-stage procedure can be used for the surgical treatment of children with severe hypospadias. There is no urethral stricture happened in Hui-Jing group, while the general complication incidence and incidence of urethral fistula and diverticulum show no differences.

Objective: To explore the correlation between the attachment type of lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) and the position of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) by using wireless amplified magnetic resonance imaging detector (WAND) coupled with conventional head and neck joint coil for high resolution imaging of TMJ. Methods: Eighty-five patients with TMD diagnosed by oral and maxillofacial surgeons of Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from October 2019 to January 2022 were collected. A total of 160 TMJ were included. There were 16 males and 69 females, aged (32.7±14.2) years. All patients were scanned with open, closed oblique sagittal and coronal WAND coupled head and neck coils with bilateral TMJ. Based on TMJ and LPM high resolution imaging, to explore the correlation between LPM attachment types and the position of TMJ disc in TMD patients, and to evaluate the potential clinical value of LPM attachment types in TMD patients. χ² test and Pearson correlation analysis were used to evaluate the correlation between LPM attachment type and TMJ disc location. Results: There were three types of LPM attachment: type Ⅰ in 51 cases [31.9% (51/160)], type Ⅱ in 77 cases [48.1% (77/160)] and type Ⅲ in 32 cases [20.0% (32/160)]. There was a significant correlation between the type of LPM attachment and the position of articular disc (χ²=28.20, P=0.002, r=0.776). There was no statistical significance between the type of LPM attachment and the reversible displacement of articular disc (χ²=0.24, P=0.887, r=0.825). Conclusions: There is a correlation between the attachment type of LPM and the position of the disc in TMD patients. WNAD coupled with conventional head and neck joint coil TMJ high resolution scan can provide reliable imaging evidence for TMD patients in evaluating the type of LPM attachment and the location of disc.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Temporomandibular Joint Disc/pathology* ; Pterygoid Muscles/pathology* ; Joint Dislocations ; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Temporomandibular Joint/pathology*

Objective:To study the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic surgery in treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:The clinical data of 58 patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent surgical treatment from January 2010 to January 2018 at Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. There were 50 males and 8 females, ranging in age from 28 to 78 (53.0±10.8) years old. Patients were divided into laparoscopic group ( n=27) and laparotomy group ( n=31) according to different surgical procedures. The differences in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, postoperative anal exhaustion time, postoperative complications and prognosis between the two groups were compared. Results:The intraoperative blood loss of laparoscopy group and laparotomy group were 100.0(50.0, 400.0) ml vs 300.0(100.0, 500.0) ml, the postoperative anal exhaustion time were (2.7±0.6) d vs (3.3±0.6) d, the hospital stay were (14.8±3.8) d vs (21.4±6.3) d, and these differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The operative time of the two groups were (243.4±27.2) min vs (217.5±34.7) min, with no statistical significance ( t=0.59, P=0.344). There were no significant differences between the two groups in postoperative complications (bile leakage, abdominal infection, hemorrhage, pleural effusion and hepatic encephalopathy) (all P>0.05); thetumor free survival, 1-year, and 3-year overall survival rates of the two groups were also not significantly different (both P>0.05). Conclusion:Laparoscopic surgery is safe and effective in the treatment of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma, and its prognosis is similar to laparotomy, its complications are not significantly increased, which is worthy of promotion in clinic.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that β -glucan enhances protective qi (PQi), an important Chinese medicine (CM) concept which stipulates that a protective force circulates throughout the body surface and works as the first line of defense against "external pernicious influences". METHODS: A total of 138 participants with PQi deficiency (PQD) were randomized to receive β -glucan (200 mg daily) or placebo for 12 weeks. Participants' PQi status was assessed every 2 weeks via conventional diagnosis and a standardized protocol from which a PQD severity and risk score was derived. Indices of participants' immune and general health status were also monitored, including upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), saliva secretory IgA (sIgA), and self-reported measures of physical and mental health (PROMIS). RESULTS: PQi status was not significantly different between the β -glucan and placebo treatment groups at baseline but improved significantly in the β -glucan (vs. placebo) group in a time-dependent manner. The intergroup differences [95% confidence interval (CI)] in severity score (scale: 1-5), risk score (scale: 0-1), and proportion of PQD participants (%) at finish line was 0.49 (0.35-0.62), 0.48 (0.35-0.61), and 0.36 (0.25-0.47), respectively. Additionally, β -glucan improved URTI symptom (scale: 1-9) and PROMIS physical (scale: 16.2-67.7) and mental (scale: 21.2-67.6) scores by a magnitude (95% CI) of 1.0 (0.21-1.86), 5.7 (2.33-9.07), and 3.0 (20.37-6.37), respectively, over placebo. CONCLUSIONS β -glucan ameliorates PQi in PQD individuals. By using stringent evidence-based methodologies, our study demonstrated that Western medicine-derived remedies, such as β -glucan, can be employed to advance CM therapeutics. (ClinicalTrial.Gov registry: NCT03782974).
Adult ; Double-Blind Method ; Humans ; Qi ; Risk Factors ; Self Report ; beta-Glucans/therapeutic use*