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Metastatic Crohn's disease (MCD) represents one of the rare cutaneous extraintestinal manifestations in patients with Crohn's disease. The genital area, particularly the vulva in females, is the most commonly affected site in MCD. However, clinical cases of metastatic vulval Crohn's disease (MVCD) are relatively scarce, and the symptoms often lack specificity, making differential diagnosis challenging. This article aims to summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnostic approaches, and treatment modalities of MVCD, thereby providing a reference for the clinical management of this condition.

Objective To explore the predictive value of serum procalcitonin(PCT),peripheral blood complement C3,C4 and lymphocyte subsets CD3+,CD4+and CD8+cells for plastic bronchitis(PB)in children with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(RMPP).Methods A total of 222 children with RMPP were selected and divided into the PB group(51 cases)and the non-PB group(171 cases)based on whether they were complicated with PB.The serum PCT level of the children at admission was detected by fluorescence immunoquantitative analyzer,and levels of complement C3 and C4 were detected by immunoturbidimetry.The proportions of CD3+,CD4+and CD8+T lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze influencing factors of PB in children with RMPP.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of the indicators.Results The levels of PCT and CD8+T cells and the duration of fever were higher in the PB group than those in the non-PB group,while the levels of complement C3 and CD4+T cells were lower than those in the non-PB group(P＜0.05).Elevated levels of PCT and CD8+T cells were risk factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP,while elevated levels of complement C3 and CD4+T cells were protective factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP(P＜0.05).The AUCs of PCT,complement C3,the proportion of CD4+T cells and the proportion of CD8+T cells predicted separately were 0.763,0.802,0.788 and 0.802 respectively,and the AUC of combined prediction was 0.915.The AUCs of individual predictions were all lower than those of the combined AUC(Z=3.199,2.825,3.112 and 2.514,P＜0.05).Conclusion PCT,complement C3,CD4+T cell ratio,and CD8+T cell ratio are influencing factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP,and their combined detection is beneficial for the early prediction of PB.

Metastatic Crohn's disease (MCD) represents one of the rare cutaneous extraintestinal manifestations in patients with Crohn's disease. The genital area, particularly the vulva in females, is the most commonly affected site in MCD. However, clinical cases of metastatic vulval Crohn's disease (MVCD) are relatively scarce, and the symptoms often lack specificity, making differential diagnosis challenging. This article aims to summarize the clinical characteristics, diagnostic approaches, and treatment modalities of MVCD, thereby providing a reference for the clinical management of this condition.

Objective:To explore the differences between the Phoenix sepsis scoring system including Phoenix sepsis score (PSS) and Phoenix-8 organ dysfunction score (hereinafter referred to as Phoenix-8) and the commonly used pediatric sepsis scores in evaluating clinical characteristics and prognostic analysis of pediatric patients with severe sepsis diagnosed under traditional standards, namely the diagnostic criteria from the 2005 International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From December 2020 to March 2023, 202 pediatric patients with severe sepsis meeting the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Based on the sepsis diagnostic criteria outlined in the International Consensus Criteria for Pediatric Sepsis and Septic Shock (2024), the pediatric patients were categorized into a sepsis group and a non-sepsis group. Sepsis group was further subdivided into a death subgroup and a survival subgroup based on the outcomes. The age, hospitalization costs, disease outcome indicators (e.g., mortality rate and incidence of septic shock), major organ (e.g., heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys) damage and their correlations, as well as PSS, Phoenix-8 and commonly used pediatric sepsis scores (e.g., pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (pSOFA), pediatric risk of mortality score Ⅲ (PRISM Ⅲ), pediatric logistic organ dysfunction-2 score (PELOD-2), pediatric multiple organ dysfunction score (P-MODS), pediatric critical illness score (PCIS), and pediatric early warning score (PEWS)) were collected and compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and precision-recall curve were plotted to evaluate the predictive ability of PSS, Phoenix-8, and commonly used pediatric sepsis scores for mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis under traditional standards. Predictive performance was quantified using the area under the ROC curve (AUROC). Univariate logistic regression analysis was employed to quantify the odds ratios of PSS and Phoenix-8 for predicting mortality risk. Patients with severe sepsis under traditional standards were further stratified into subgroups based on complications and comorbidities, including central nervous system (CNS) diseases, multiple infections, cardiovascular system diseases, shock, and malignancies. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was used to assess calibration of PSS and Phoenix-8, and the DeLong test was used to compare whether there were statistically significant differences in the AUROC of PSS and Phoenix-8 for predicting mortality risk among different subgroups of pediatric patients. Results:Compared with those in non-sepsis group, pediatric patients in sepsis group were significantly older ( Z=-2.92, P<0.05) with higher incidences of septic shock and mortality, hospitalization costs, PRISM Ⅲ, PEWS, pSOFA, PELOD-2, PSS, and Phoenix-8 (with χ2 values of 21.28 and 13.64, respectively, Z values of -1.99, -5.33, -5.10, -8.55, -6.91, -10.98, and -9.93, respectively, P<0.05), and lower PCIS ( Z=-3.34, P<0.05). Compared with those in survival subgroup, hospitalization costs, PSS, Phoenix-8, PRISM Ⅲ, PEWS, pSOFA, PELOD-2, and P-MODS of pediatric patients in death subgroup was significantly higher (with Z values of -2.50, -3.50, -2.47, -5.11, -3.84, -2.94, -3.61, and -3.04, respectively, P<0.05). Compared with those in survival subgroup, the incidences of lung damage and liver damage of pediatric patients in death subgroup were also significantly higher (with χ2 values of 6.20 and 10.94, respectively, P<0.05), and 64.7% (97/150) of patients exhibited two or more concurrent organ damage. For predicting mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis under traditional standards, the AUROC values for PRISM Ⅲ, PCIS, PEWS, pSOFA, PELOD-2, P-MODS, PSS, and Phoenix-8 were approximately 0.70, with optimal cutoff values of 17.5, 91.0, 5.5, 4.5, 2.5, 4.5, 3.5, and 4.5, respectively; PELOD-2 demonstrated the highest sensitivity (0.83); while PRISM Ⅲ, PSS, and Phoenix-8 showed high specificity (>0.80). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that for every 1-point increase in the PSS within 24 hours of pediatric intensive care unit admission, the relative risk of mortality increased by 63.7% (with odds ratio of 1.64, 95% confidence interval of 1.34-1.99, P<0.05). Similarly, for every 1-point increase in the Phoenix-8, the relative risk of mortality increased by 37.5% (with odds ratio of 1.38, 95% confidence interval of 1.18-1.60, P<0.05). The AUROC values (around 0.80) of PSS and Phoenix-8 for predicting mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis combined with CNS diseases, multiple infections, and cardiovascular system diseases were relatively high. In contrast, the AUROC values (0.60-0.80) for predicting mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis combined with shock or malignant tumors were moderate. All models passed the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test ( P>0.05). The DeLong test indicated no statistically significant differences in predictive ability between PSS and Phoenix-8 across subgroups of pediatric patients ( P>0.05). Conclusions:PSS and Phoenix-8 exhibited higher specificity than most of the commonly used pediatric sepsis scores in predicting mortality risk under traditional standards. Both scores performed much better in predicting the mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis combined with CNS diseases, multiple infections, and cardiovascular system diseases.

Objective To explore the predictive value of serum procalcitonin(PCT),peripheral blood complement C3,C4 and lymphocyte subsets CD3+,CD4+and CD8+cells for plastic bronchitis(PB)in children with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(RMPP).Methods A total of 222 children with RMPP were selected and divided into the PB group(51 cases)and the non-PB group(171 cases)based on whether they were complicated with PB.The serum PCT level of the children at admission was detected by fluorescence immunoquantitative analyzer,and levels of complement C3 and C4 were detected by immunoturbidimetry.The proportions of CD3+,CD4+and CD8+T lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze influencing factors of PB in children with RMPP.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of the indicators.Results The levels of PCT and CD8+T cells and the duration of fever were higher in the PB group than those in the non-PB group,while the levels of complement C3 and CD4+T cells were lower than those in the non-PB group(P＜0.05).Elevated levels of PCT and CD8+T cells were risk factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP,while elevated levels of complement C3 and CD4+T cells were protective factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP(P＜0.05).The AUCs of PCT,complement C3,the proportion of CD4+T cells and the proportion of CD8+T cells predicted separately were 0.763,0.802,0.788 and 0.802 respectively,and the AUC of combined prediction was 0.915.The AUCs of individual predictions were all lower than those of the combined AUC(Z=3.199,2.825,3.112 and 2.514,P＜0.05).Conclusion PCT,complement C3,CD4+T cell ratio,and CD8+T cell ratio are influencing factors for the occurrence of PB in children with RMPP,and their combined detection is beneficial for the early prediction of PB.

Objective:To explore the differences between the Phoenix sepsis scoring system including Phoenix sepsis score (PSS) and Phoenix-8 organ dysfunction score (hereinafter referred to as Phoenix-8) and the commonly used pediatric sepsis scores in evaluating clinical characteristics and prognostic analysis of pediatric patients with severe sepsis diagnosed under traditional standards, namely the diagnostic criteria from the 2005 International Pediatric Sepsis Consensus Conference.Methods:This study was a retrospective observational study. From December 2020 to March 2023, 202 pediatric patients with severe sepsis meeting the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. Based on the sepsis diagnostic criteria outlined in the International Consensus Criteria for Pediatric Sepsis and Septic Shock (2024), the pediatric patients were categorized into a sepsis group and a non-sepsis group. Sepsis group was further subdivided into a death subgroup and a survival subgroup based on the outcomes. The age, hospitalization costs, disease outcome indicators (e.g., mortality rate and incidence of septic shock), major organ (e.g., heart, liver, lungs, and kidneys) damage and their correlations, as well as PSS, Phoenix-8 and commonly used pediatric sepsis scores (e.g., pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (pSOFA), pediatric risk of mortality score Ⅲ (PRISM Ⅲ), pediatric logistic organ dysfunction-2 score (PELOD-2), pediatric multiple organ dysfunction score (P-MODS), pediatric critical illness score (PCIS), and pediatric early warning score (PEWS)) were collected and compared. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and precision-recall curve were plotted to evaluate the predictive ability of PSS, Phoenix-8, and commonly used pediatric sepsis scores for mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis under traditional standards. Predictive performance was quantified using the area under the ROC curve (AUROC). Univariate logistic regression analysis was employed to quantify the odds ratios of PSS and Phoenix-8 for predicting mortality risk. Patients with severe sepsis under traditional standards were further stratified into subgroups based on complications and comorbidities, including central nervous system (CNS) diseases, multiple infections, cardiovascular system diseases, shock, and malignancies. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was used to assess calibration of PSS and Phoenix-8, and the DeLong test was used to compare whether there were statistically significant differences in the AUROC of PSS and Phoenix-8 for predicting mortality risk among different subgroups of pediatric patients. Results:Compared with those in non-sepsis group, pediatric patients in sepsis group were significantly older ( Z=-2.92, P<0.05) with higher incidences of septic shock and mortality, hospitalization costs, PRISM Ⅲ, PEWS, pSOFA, PELOD-2, PSS, and Phoenix-8 (with χ2 values of 21.28 and 13.64, respectively, Z values of -1.99, -5.33, -5.10, -8.55, -6.91, -10.98, and -9.93, respectively, P<0.05), and lower PCIS ( Z=-3.34, P<0.05). Compared with those in survival subgroup, hospitalization costs, PSS, Phoenix-8, PRISM Ⅲ, PEWS, pSOFA, PELOD-2, and P-MODS of pediatric patients in death subgroup was significantly higher (with Z values of -2.50, -3.50, -2.47, -5.11, -3.84, -2.94, -3.61, and -3.04, respectively, P<0.05). Compared with those in survival subgroup, the incidences of lung damage and liver damage of pediatric patients in death subgroup were also significantly higher (with χ2 values of 6.20 and 10.94, respectively, P<0.05), and 64.7% (97/150) of patients exhibited two or more concurrent organ damage. For predicting mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis under traditional standards, the AUROC values for PRISM Ⅲ, PCIS, PEWS, pSOFA, PELOD-2, P-MODS, PSS, and Phoenix-8 were approximately 0.70, with optimal cutoff values of 17.5, 91.0, 5.5, 4.5, 2.5, 4.5, 3.5, and 4.5, respectively; PELOD-2 demonstrated the highest sensitivity (0.83); while PRISM Ⅲ, PSS, and Phoenix-8 showed high specificity (>0.80). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that for every 1-point increase in the PSS within 24 hours of pediatric intensive care unit admission, the relative risk of mortality increased by 63.7% (with odds ratio of 1.64, 95% confidence interval of 1.34-1.99, P<0.05). Similarly, for every 1-point increase in the Phoenix-8, the relative risk of mortality increased by 37.5% (with odds ratio of 1.38, 95% confidence interval of 1.18-1.60, P<0.05). The AUROC values (around 0.80) of PSS and Phoenix-8 for predicting mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis combined with CNS diseases, multiple infections, and cardiovascular system diseases were relatively high. In contrast, the AUROC values (0.60-0.80) for predicting mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis combined with shock or malignant tumors were moderate. All models passed the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test ( P>0.05). The DeLong test indicated no statistically significant differences in predictive ability between PSS and Phoenix-8 across subgroups of pediatric patients ( P>0.05). Conclusions:PSS and Phoenix-8 exhibited higher specificity than most of the commonly used pediatric sepsis scores in predicting mortality risk under traditional standards. Both scores performed much better in predicting the mortality risk in pediatric patients with severe sepsis combined with CNS diseases, multiple infections, and cardiovascular system diseases.

Objective To observe the impact of ultrasonic image quality on the consistency of artificial intelligence(Al)assisted diagnosis system and manual measurements of biological indicators of developmental dysplasia of hip(DDH).Methods Hip ultrasonic data of 75 DDH and 345 non-DDH children were retrospectively analyzed,and the quality of ultrasonic images were subjectively scored.An evaluation model of ultrasonic image quality was constructed based on 140 ultrasonic images acquired from 140 cases(group A,containing 25 DDH and 115 non-DDH)using entropy weighting method,the weight of anatomic structures and impact factors related to DDH were obtained.The comprehensive image quality scores of other ultrasonic images acquired from 280 cases(group B,including 50 DDH and 230 non-DDH)were calculated,and the images in group B were classified into grade A,B and C in descending order.The consistency of AI and manual measurements of DDH biological indicators in group B was assessed.Results The weight of each anatomic structure and impact factors of DDH obtained with the model were as follows:The lower edge of iliac branch＞ilium＞glenoid labrum＞bony margin＞femoral head＞motion artifacts.In group B,grade A was observed in 67(9 DDH and 58 non-DDH),grade B was found in 160(26 DDH and 134 non-DDH),while grade C was noticed in 53(15 DDH and 38 non DDH)images.Except for β,femoral head coverage(FHC)and femoral head length diameter,the consistencies between AI and manual measurements of other indicators of DDH were grade A＞B＞C.In group B,AI and manual measurements were more consistent in DDH than in non-DDH cases.Conclusion Ultrasonic image quality affected the consistency between AI and manual measurements of biological indicators of DDH.When image quality was not good enough,further attention should be paid to measurement of FHC and sizes of femoral head.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the intervention effect and potential mechanism of breviscapine on hepatic fibrosis （HF） in rats based on the transforming growth factor-β（1 TGF-β1）/Smad2/extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1（ERK1） and Kelch-like epichlorohydrin-associated protein 1（Keap1）/nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2（Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1（HO-1） pathways. METHODS Totally 60 rats were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， breviscapine low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （5.4， 10.8， 21.6 mg/kg）， and colchicine group （positive control， 0.45 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group， half male and half female. Except for the normal control group， HF model of the other groups was induced by carbon tetrachloride. Subsequently， each drug group was given corresponding medicine by gavage once a day for 28 days. The liver appearance of rats in each group was observed and their liver coefficients were calculated. The levels of alanineaminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST）in serum， those of ALT， AST， superoxide dismutase （SOD），malondialdehyde （MDA） and glutathione peroxidase （GSH- Px） in liver tissue were detected. The liver tissue inflammatory and fibrotic changes were observed. The protein and mRNA expressions of TGF-β1， Smad2， ERK1， Nrf2， Keap1 and HO-in liver tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group， the model group showed large areas of white nodular lesions in the liver， obvious inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition. The body weight， the levels of SOD and GSH-Px in liver tissue， the protein and mRNA expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly lowered in the model group （P＜0.05）； the liver coefficient， the percentage of Masson staining positive area， ALT and AST levels of serum and liver tissue， MDA level of liver tissue， the protein and mRNA expressions of TGF-β1， Smad2， ERK1 and Keap1 were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the liver lesions of rats in each drug group were improved， and the above quantitative indexes were generally reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Breviscapine has a good intervention effect on HF rats， which may be related to inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad2/ERK1 pathway for anti-fibrosis and regulating Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to inhibit oxidative stress.

Foreign body reactions induced by macrophages often cause delay or failure of wound healing in the application of tissue engineering scaffolds. This study explores the application of nanosilver (NAg) to reduce foreign body reactions during scaffold transplantation. An NAg hybrid collagen-chitosan scaffold (NAg-CCS) was prepared using the freeze-drying method. The NAg-CCS was implanted on the back of rats to evaluate the effects on foreign body reactions. Skin tissue samples were collected for histological and immunological evaluation at variable intervals. Miniature pigs were used to assess the effects of NAg on skin wound healing. The wounds were photographed, and tissue samples were collected for molecular biological analysis at different time points post-transplantation. NAg-CCS has a porous structure and the results showed that it could release NAg constantly for two weeks. The NAg-CCS group rarely developed a foreign body reaction, while the blank-CCS group showed granulomas or necrosis in the subcutaneous grafting experiment. Both matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) were reduced significantly in the NAg-CCS group. The NAg-CCS group had higher interleukin (IL)-10 and lower IL-6 than the blank CCS group. In the wound healing study, M1 macrophage activation and inflammatory-related proteins (inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), IL-6, and interferon-‍γ (IFN-‍γ)) were inhibited by NAg. In contrast, M2 macrophage activation and proinflammatory proteins (arginase-1, major histocompatibility complex-II (MHC-II), and found in inflammatory zone-1 (FIZZ-1)) were promoted, and this was responsible for suppressing the foreign body responses and accelerating wound healing. In conclusion, dermal scaffolds containing NAg suppressed the foreign body reaction by regulating macrophages and the expression of inflammatory cytokines, thereby promoting wound healing.
Animals ; Rats ; Swine ; Interleukin-6 ; Macrophage Activation ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 ; Wound Healing ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Foreign Bodies ; Chitosan