Objective To analyze the correlation between T lymphocyte subsets,neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR),procalcitonin(PCT)and the severity of sepsis.Methods A prospective research method was adopted.A total of 78 sepsis patients admitted to the department of intensive care medicine of Zibo Central Hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were selected as the research subjects.Patients were divided into a septic shock group(37 cases)and a sepsis group(41 cases)based on the severity of their condition,with 40 healthy examinees from our hospital as the healthy control group.Using flow cytometry to measure the levels of CD4+ T lymphocytes count(CD4+ T)and CD8+ T lymphocytes count(CD8+ T)in three groups of subjects,calculate the CD4+ T/CD8+ T lymphocyte ratio(CD4+ T/CD8+ T)and NLR.The levels of PCT and interleukin-6(IL-6)were measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay,and the levels of C-reactive protein(CRP)were measured using immunoassay turbidimetry.Acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ)score within 24 hours was recorded for the two groups of patients,and the differences in lymphocyte subsets and various inflammatory indicators were compared between the groups.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between various indicators and APACHEⅡscore.Results The CD4+ T,CD8+ T,and CD4+T/CD8+T levels in the septic shock and sepsis groups were significantly lower than those in the healthy control group[CD4+ T(×106/L):168.27±76.68,266.08±131.57 vs.789.60±173.78,CD8+ T(×106/L):156.50±68.37,205.81±75.60 vs.636.42±90.59,CD4+ T/CD8+ T:1.09±0.39,1.27±0.34 vs.1.44±0.38,all P<0.01],NLR,PCT,CRP and IL-6 were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group[NLR:25.85±11.62,15.94±8.72 vs.2.68±1.31,PCT(μg/L):21.82±15.28,9.09±4.96 vs.0.13±0.10,CRP(mg/L):158.65±62.33,106.97±51.49 vs.6.48±2.08,IL-6(ng/L):1 344.64±899.21,245.31±176.99 vs.3.25±1.83,all P<0.01].The APACHEⅡscore in the septic shock group was significantly higher than that in the sepsis group(32.00±1.00 vs.22.01±1.09,P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that the levels of CD4+ T,CD8+ T,CD4+ T/CD8+ T in two groups of sepsis patients were negatively correlated with the APACHEⅡscore(r values were-0.571,-0.506,and-0.555,respectively,all P<0.01),while the levels of NLR,PCT,CRP,and IL-6 were positively correlated with the APACHEⅡscore(r values were 0.711,0.709,0.777,and 0.707,respectively,all P<0.01).Conclusions As the levels of T lymphocyte subsets decrease,inflammatory indicators like NLR and PCT rise,indicating a more severe sepsis condition.Therefore,T lymphocyte subsets and levels of various inflammatory indicators can serve as markers for evaluating the severity of sepsis.

Aim To investigate the effect of XNST and its monomeric components on the barrier structure and tight junction protein expression of brain microvascular endothelial cells damaged by oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) and the possible mechanism. Methods The mouse brain microvascular endothelial cell line bEnd. 3 was inoculated in the upper layer of the Transwell chamber to establish an OGD/R damage model, and the effect of the drug on the integrity of the endothelial cell barrier was investigated by the transmembrane resistance value and fluorescein-so-dium transmittance. Claudin-5 immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the changes of tight junction structure between endothelial cells. RT-PCR and Western blot were employed to detect mRNA and protein expression levels of tightly linked proteins Claudin-5 , Occludin, ZO-1. Western blot was applied to detect the expression levels of MAPKs (JNK, p38, ERK) , I kappa B a, I kappa B kinase phosphorylated protein expression, and Western blot and immunofluorescence were utilized to detect NF-K.B/p65 nucleation expression. Results XNST and its three monomers could significantly increase endothelial cell resistance and de- crease fluorescein-sodium transmittance. Claudin-5 fluorescence staining showed that the tight junction between cells in the model group was significantly damaged , while XNST and its monomer components could significantly improve its tight structure. RT-PCR and Western blot results showed that it could significantly upregulate the expression of mRNA and protein of Claudin-5, Occludin and ZO-1, and further study on the mechanism showed that XNST and its monomer components could significantly inhibit the phosphoryla-tion of JNK, p38 and ERK, inhibit the phosphorylation of I kappa B a and I kappa B kinases, and significantly inhibit the nuclear translocation of NF-KB/p65. Conclusion Both XNST and its monomeric components can exert cerebroprotective effects by increasing the tight junction structure between cells to promote barrier integrity, and the mechanism may be related to inhibition of NF-kB and MAPKs signaling pathway activation.

Humans ; Gemcitabine ; Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of dexamethasone vitreous cavity implants (Ozurdex) for the treatment of macular edema (Irvine-Gass Syndrome) after cataract surgery. METHOD: Eight patients (eight eyes) with Irvine-Gass syndrome were enrolled for vitreous injections with Ozurdex. The patients included six men (six eyes) and two women (two eyes) with a mean age of 67.12 ± 11.92 years. Changes in the patients best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), and intraocular pressure were compared before and after treatment. RESULT: The mean visual acuity BCVA of the patients was 0.81 ± 0.26 before implantation, which improved to 0.20 ± 0.12, 0.13 ± 0.09, and 0.15 ± 0.13 at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after implantation, respectively ( P < 0.001). The patient's mean CMT before implantation was 703.00 ± 148.88 μm, and it reduced to 258.87 ± 37.40 μm, 236.25 ± 28.74 μm, and 278.00 ± 76.82 μm at 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after implantation, respectively ( P < 0.001). CONCLUSION The dexamethasone vitreous cavity implant (Ozurdex) is a safe and effective treatment, which can effectively improve patient's visual acuity and reduce macular edema associated with cataract surgery.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Macular Edema/etiology* ; Dexamethasone/therapeutic use* ; Intraocular Pressure ; Prostheses and Implants ; Cataract

Macrophages are natural immune cells with strong plasticity. The polarization of macrophages mainly responds to stimuli in the microenvironment by changing their phenotype and related functions. In recent years， studies have found that the polarization of macrophages is involved in the occurrence and development of various diseases such as bone arthritis， skin diseases， diabetes， coronary heart disease， breast cancer， colorectal cancer， and lung cancer， especially the metastasis of malignancies and drug resistance， through multiple signaling pathways， including nuclear factor kappa-B（NF-κB）， c-Jun N-terminal kinase（JNK）， protein kinase B （Akt）， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 （STAT6）， Wnt/β-catenin， and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） and regulatory factors， such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor （GM-CSF）， interleukin （IL）-4， IL-10， transforming growth factor （TGF）-β， tumor necrosis factor（TNF）-α， and interferon-γ（IFN-γ）. Chinese medicine is also pivotal in the prevention and treatment of malignancies. In recent years， therefore， the specific anti-tumor mechanism of Chinese medicine and its active ingredients has become a research hotspot. The tumor microenvironment is crucial to the occurrence and development of tumors. The polarization of tumor-associated macrophages is involved in the proliferation， apoptosis， and metastasis of tumor cells. Therefore， targeted regulation of the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages is a potential target for clinical treatment of malignancies. Based on the research articles published in the past three years， this article reviewed macrophage polarization and the anti-tumor mechanism of Chinese medicine from four perspectives， i.e.， macrophage polarization， related pathways and regulatory factors of macrophage polarization， macrophage polarization and breast cancer， colorectal cancer， and lung cancer， and macrophage polarization and anti-tumor effects of Chinese medicine， active ingredients of Chinese medicine， and self-formulated prescriptions/classic prescriptions. This study is expected to provide certain ideas for the clinical treatment， basic research， and development of new Chinese medicine in the treatment of tumors.

Atrial Appendage/surgery* ; Atrial Fibrillation/surgery* ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Humans ; Septal Occluder Device ; Treatment Outcome

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in empagliflozin (EMP) in treatment of heart failure and the related mechanisms. FGF21 knockout (FGF21 KO) and littermate wild-type (WT) mice induced by doxorubicin (Dox) were used to establish heart failure mouse model in vivo. The experiment process and animal welfare follow the regulations of Animal Ethics Committee of Hefei University of Technology strictly. The results suggest that Dox (5 mg·kg^-1) induced typical heart failure symptoms in both WT and FGF21 KO mice. In WT mice, EMP (10 mg·kg^-1) significantly improved Dox-induced cardiac atrophy, decreased myocardial systolic function, decreased left ventricular ejection fraction and shortened fraction; EMP treatment also significantly inhibited the increase of Dox-induced cardiotoxicity indexes (aspartate amino transferase, creatine kinase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase) in mice. Dox induced cardiac fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress were also significantly improved by EMP. However, in FGF21 KO mice, the therapeutic effects of EMP on heart failure was significantly inhibited. The results suggest that the function of EMP in treating heart failure partly depends on the presence of FGF21, and the mechanism may be related to the effect of FGF21 on improving fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of children with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and to summarize the mid-term efficacy of China Net Childhood Lymphoma-mature B-cell lymphoma 2017 (CNCL-B-NHL-2017) regimen. Methods: Clinical features of 436 BL patients who were ≤18 years old and treated with the CNCL-B-NHL-2017 regimen from May 2017 to April 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical characteristics of patients at disease onset were analyzed and the therapeutic effects of patients with different clinical stages and risk groups were compared. Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox regression was used to identify the prognostic factors. Results: Among 436 patients, there were 368 (84.4%) males and 68 (15.6%) females, the age of disease onset was 6.0 (4.0, 9.0) years old. According to the St. Jude staging system, there were 4 patients (0.9%) with stage Ⅰ, 30 patients (6.9%) with stage Ⅱ, 217 patients (49.8%) with stage Ⅲ, and 185 patients (42.4%) with stage Ⅳ. All patients were stratified into following risk groups: group A (n=1, 0.2%), group B1 (n=46, 10.6%), group B2 (n=19, 4.4%), group C1 (n=285, 65.4%), group C2 (n=85, 19.5%). Sixty-three patients (14.4%) were treated with chemotherapy only and 373 patients (85.6%) were treated with chemotherapy combined with rituximab. Twenty-one patients (4.8%) suffered from progressive disease, 3 patients (0.7%) relapsed, and 13 patients (3.0%) died of treatment-related complications. The follow-up time of all patients was 24.0 (13.0, 35.0) months, the 2-year event free survival (EFS) rate of all patients was (90.9±1.4) %. The 2-year EFS rates of group A, B1, B2, C1 and C2 were 100.0%, 100.0%, (94.7±5.1) %, (90.7±1.7) % and (85.9±4.0) %, respectively. The 2-year EFS rates was higher in group A, B1, and B2 than those in group C1 (χ²=4.16, P=0.041) and group C2 (χ²=7.21, P=0.007). The 2-year EFS rates of the patients treated with chemotherapy alone and those treated with chemotherapy combined with rituximab were (79.3±5.1)% and (92.9±1.4)% (χ²=14.23, P<0.001) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that stage Ⅳ (including leukemia stage), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)>4-fold normal value, and with residual tumor in the mid-term evaluation were risk factors for poor prognosis (HR=1.38,1.23,8.52,95%CI 1.05-1.82,1.05-1.43,3.96-18.30). Conclusions: The CNCL-B-NHL-2017 regimen show significant effect in the treatment of pediatric BL. The combination of rituximab improve the efficacy further.
Adolescent ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Burkitt Lymphoma/drug therapy* ; Child ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Lactate Dehydrogenases ; Lymphoma, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Rituximab/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain Abscess ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; beta-Lactamases

Objective:To establish the mouse model with radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, and to identify and analyze it from the aspects of function, imaging and pathology.Methods:Thirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group, 16 Gy irradiation group and 20Gy irradiation group. The mice in the irradiation groups received a single 16 Gy or 20 Gy chest X-ray irradiation, and underwent functional examination, imaging examination and pathological examination at 3 and 6 months after irradiation.Results:At 6 months after irradiation, hair on the chest and back of the mice turned white and fell off, and the airway resistance was increased significantly. CT images showed extensive patch shadows and consolidation in the lung. Three dimensional reconstruction suggested that the lung of mice was distorted and deformed, and the volume was decreased significantly. Pathological examination confirmed that there was extensive pulmonary fibrosis.Conclusions:Significant pulmonary fibrosis occurs after 6 months of chest irradiation in mice. The animal model of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis in C57BL/6 mice was successfully established.