Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with brucellosis complicated with epididymo-orchitis (Brucellar epididymo-orchitis, BEO), so as to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment of BEO.Methods:General and clinical data of 293 male patients with acute brucellosis admitted to the Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital from January 2023 to December 2024 were retrospectively collected. They were divided into a BEO group (30 cases) and a non-BEO group (263 cases) based on the presence or absence of epididymo-orchitis. Epidemic characteristics, clinical manifestations and laboratory examination results were compared and analyzed.Results:Among 293 male patients with acute brucellosis, the incidence of BEO was 10.24% (30/293). Their age was mainly concentrated in 45 - < 60 years old (53.33%, 16/30), and occupation was mostly farmers (63.33%, 19/30). There were no statistically significant differences in the distribution of age, occupation, exposure history and onset season between the BEO group and the non-BEO group ( P > 0.05). The distribution of abdominal pain and urinary frequency/urgency/pain symptoms was compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). White blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count (NEUT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in the BEO group were higher than those in the non-BEO group ( P < 0.05), while the levels of cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were lower than those in the non-BEO group ( P < 0.05). After 6 - 8 weeks of hospitalization, the levels of WBC, NEUT, CRP, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IFN-γ in patients of the BEO group were significantly different from before treatment ( P < 0.05). Twenty-eight patients were cured, 1 patient underwent orchiectomy, and 1 patient experienced recurrence. Conclusions:Middle-aged male patients with brucellosis are more prone to BEO. Clinical manifestations and laboratory tests have certain diagnostic value for BEO. Suspected BEO patients should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible to reduce the occurrence of adverse prognosis.

Objective:To learn about the levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH VD), TBNK lymphocyte subsets, and cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with brucellosis.Methods:A prospective design was adopted, one hundred patients with brucellosis admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital from May 2024 to February 2025 were selected as the brucellosis group, and one hundred healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations at the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. The peripheral blood 25-OH VD levels were detected by chemiluminescence method. Further, 100 patients with brucellosis were divided into a brucellosis combined with osteoarthritis group (74 cases) and a brucellosis without osteoarthritis group (26 cases). Flow cytometry was used to detect the counts of peripheral blood TBNK lymphocyte subsets and cytokine levels. Meanwhile, Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between peripheral blood 25-OH VD levels and TBNK lymphocyte subsets counts as well as cytokine levels in patients with brucellosis complicated by osteoarthritis.Results:The peripheral blood 25-OH VD level in the brucellosis group [20.31 (15.74, 24.35) ng/ml] was significantly lower than that of the control group [25.18 (21.13, 29.59) ng/ml], and the difference was statistically significant ( Z = - 5.07, P < 0.001). The peripheral blood 25-OH VD level [18.05 (13.79, 23.74) vs 22.43 (19.93, 28.25) ng/ml], CD4 + T cell count [(860 ± 275) vs (1 036 ± 376) cells/μl], and interleukin (IL)-6 levels [4.17 (2.14, 9.41) vs 7.83 (5.97, 11.34) ng/L] in the brucellosis combined with osteoarthritis group were significantly lower than those in the brucellosis without osteoarthritis group ( Z/t = - 2.88, 2.20, - 2.85, P = 0.004, 0.035, 0.004). Correlation analysis showed that the peripheral blood 25-OH VD level in patients with brucellosis complicated by osteoarthritis was positively correlated with the counts of CD45 +, CD3 + T, CD4 + T, CD8 + T, and natural killer cells ( r = 0.31, 0.26, 0.25, 0.25, 0.25, P = 0.007, 0.027, 0.032, 0.031, 0.032), and negatively correlated with IL-17A level ( r = - 0.40, P < 0.001). Conclusion:Patients with brucellosis have insufficient 25-OH VD, and those with osteoarthritis have lower 25-OH VD level, CD4 + T cell count, and IL-6 level than those without osteoarthritis.

Objective:To learn about the clinical characteristics of patients with neurobrucellosis (NB) and provide references for clinical diagnosis and treatment of NB.Methods:The clinical data of 22 NB patients diagnosed and treated at Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital from January 2018 to November 2024 and 178 healthy individuals undergoing physical examinations during the same period were retrospectively collected. The epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, treatment and prognosis of NB patients were analyzed.Results:Among the 22 NB patients, 12 were males (54.55%) and 10 were females (45.45%). The age was (51.77 ± 12.75) years old, ranging from 27 to 80 years old. Most of the patients were farmers (95.45%, 21/22), and 16 cases (72.73%) had contacted with cattle/sheep. The onset seasons were mainly in summer (40.91%, 9/22) and spring (31.82%, 7/22). Among all NB patients, there were 10 cases of encephalitis/meningoencephalitis, 9 cases of myelitis, and 3 cases of meningitis. The general symptoms were mainly fever (68.18%, 15/22), the neurological symptoms were mainly nausea and vomiting (36.36%, 8/22), and the physical signs were mainly muscle weakness (50.00%, 11/22) and pathological signs (45.45%, 10/22). The laboratory test results showed that the levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, C-reactive protein, total protein, albumin, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, α-hydroxybutyric acid dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glutathione reductase in NB patients were significantly different from those in healthy individuals ( P < 0.001). Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed ischemic changes in 5 cases (22.73%), abnormal brain signals in 2 cases (9.09%), and demyelinating lesions in white matter in 1 case (4.55%). After treatment, 18 NB patients were followed up and showed good prognosis, with only 2 cases exhibiting varying degrees of sequelae (walking disorders or memory impairment). Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of NB patients are diverse. A comprehensive judgment should be made by combining epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests and imaging examinations.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with brucellosis complicated with epididymo-orchitis (Brucellar epididymo-orchitis, BEO), so as to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment of BEO.Methods:General and clinical data of 293 male patients with acute brucellosis admitted to the Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital from January 2023 to December 2024 were retrospectively collected. They were divided into a BEO group (30 cases) and a non-BEO group (263 cases) based on the presence or absence of epididymo-orchitis. Epidemic characteristics, clinical manifestations and laboratory examination results were compared and analyzed.Results:Among 293 male patients with acute brucellosis, the incidence of BEO was 10.24% (30/293). Their age was mainly concentrated in 45 - < 60 years old (53.33%, 16/30), and occupation was mostly farmers (63.33%, 19/30). There were no statistically significant differences in the distribution of age, occupation, exposure history and onset season between the BEO group and the non-BEO group ( P > 0.05). The distribution of abdominal pain and urinary frequency/urgency/pain symptoms was compared, and the differences were statistically significant ( P < 0.05). White blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count (NEUT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in the BEO group were higher than those in the non-BEO group ( P < 0.05), while the levels of cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were lower than those in the non-BEO group ( P < 0.05). After 6 - 8 weeks of hospitalization, the levels of WBC, NEUT, CRP, albumin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IFN-γ in patients of the BEO group were significantly different from before treatment ( P < 0.05). Twenty-eight patients were cured, 1 patient underwent orchiectomy, and 1 patient experienced recurrence. Conclusions:Middle-aged male patients with brucellosis are more prone to BEO. Clinical manifestations and laboratory tests have certain diagnostic value for BEO. Suspected BEO patients should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible to reduce the occurrence of adverse prognosis.

Objective:To learn about the levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH VD), TBNK lymphocyte subsets, and cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with brucellosis.Methods:A prospective design was adopted, one hundred patients with brucellosis admitted to the Department of Infectious Diseases, Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital from May 2024 to February 2025 were selected as the brucellosis group, and one hundred healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations at the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. The peripheral blood 25-OH VD levels were detected by chemiluminescence method. Further, 100 patients with brucellosis were divided into a brucellosis combined with osteoarthritis group (74 cases) and a brucellosis without osteoarthritis group (26 cases). Flow cytometry was used to detect the counts of peripheral blood TBNK lymphocyte subsets and cytokine levels. Meanwhile, Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the correlation between peripheral blood 25-OH VD levels and TBNK lymphocyte subsets counts as well as cytokine levels in patients with brucellosis complicated by osteoarthritis.Results:The peripheral blood 25-OH VD level in the brucellosis group [20.31 (15.74, 24.35) ng/ml] was significantly lower than that of the control group [25.18 (21.13, 29.59) ng/ml], and the difference was statistically significant ( Z = - 5.07, P < 0.001). The peripheral blood 25-OH VD level [18.05 (13.79, 23.74) vs 22.43 (19.93, 28.25) ng/ml], CD4 + T cell count [(860 ± 275) vs (1 036 ± 376) cells/μl], and interleukin (IL)-6 levels [4.17 (2.14, 9.41) vs 7.83 (5.97, 11.34) ng/L] in the brucellosis combined with osteoarthritis group were significantly lower than those in the brucellosis without osteoarthritis group ( Z/t = - 2.88, 2.20, - 2.85, P = 0.004, 0.035, 0.004). Correlation analysis showed that the peripheral blood 25-OH VD level in patients with brucellosis complicated by osteoarthritis was positively correlated with the counts of CD45 +, CD3 + T, CD4 + T, CD8 + T, and natural killer cells ( r = 0.31, 0.26, 0.25, 0.25, 0.25, P = 0.007, 0.027, 0.032, 0.031, 0.032), and negatively correlated with IL-17A level ( r = - 0.40, P < 0.001). Conclusion:Patients with brucellosis have insufficient 25-OH VD, and those with osteoarthritis have lower 25-OH VD level, CD4 + T cell count, and IL-6 level than those without osteoarthritis.

Objective:To learn about the clinical characteristics of patients with neurobrucellosis (NB) and provide references for clinical diagnosis and treatment of NB.Methods:The clinical data of 22 NB patients diagnosed and treated at Beidahuang Industry Group General Hospital from January 2018 to November 2024 and 178 healthy individuals undergoing physical examinations during the same period were retrospectively collected. The epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, treatment and prognosis of NB patients were analyzed.Results:Among the 22 NB patients, 12 were males (54.55%) and 10 were females (45.45%). The age was (51.77 ± 12.75) years old, ranging from 27 to 80 years old. Most of the patients were farmers (95.45%, 21/22), and 16 cases (72.73%) had contacted with cattle/sheep. The onset seasons were mainly in summer (40.91%, 9/22) and spring (31.82%, 7/22). Among all NB patients, there were 10 cases of encephalitis/meningoencephalitis, 9 cases of myelitis, and 3 cases of meningitis. The general symptoms were mainly fever (68.18%, 15/22), the neurological symptoms were mainly nausea and vomiting (36.36%, 8/22), and the physical signs were mainly muscle weakness (50.00%, 11/22) and pathological signs (45.45%, 10/22). The laboratory test results showed that the levels of hemoglobin, hematocrit, C-reactive protein, total protein, albumin, γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, α-hydroxybutyric acid dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glutathione reductase in NB patients were significantly different from those in healthy individuals ( P < 0.001). Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed ischemic changes in 5 cases (22.73%), abnormal brain signals in 2 cases (9.09%), and demyelinating lesions in white matter in 1 case (4.55%). After treatment, 18 NB patients were followed up and showed good prognosis, with only 2 cases exhibiting varying degrees of sequelae (walking disorders or memory impairment). Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of NB patients are diverse. A comprehensive judgment should be made by combining epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests and imaging examinations.

Objective To investigate the effect of urinary kallidinogenase on serum concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S),neuron-specific enolase (NSE),and S100β in patients with cerebral infarction (CI).Methods From June 2011 to June 2014,80 patients with CI were chosen as study objectives.All patients were divided into two groups:40 patients in study group (urinary kallidinogenase group),and 40 patients in control group.The death rate,the rate of complication and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were compared between two groups.The concentrations of H2S,NSE,and S100βwas compared between two groups.Results In study group,the death rate was 5.00％ (2/40),the rate of complication was 22.50％ (9/40);in control group,the death rate was 12.50％ (5/40),the rate of complication was 15.00％ (6/40);and no significant significance was found between two groups (P ＞ 0.05).The NIHSS was (11.2 ± 3.2) in the study group,and (15.7 ± 2.7) in the control group,with statistically significant difference between two groups (P ＜ 0.05).After treatment,the concentrations of H2 S,NSE,and S100β of two groups were decreased significantly (P ＜0.05).At 1w,2w,and 3w,the concentrations of H2S,NSE and S100βhad statistically significant difference between two groups (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Urinary kallidinogenase has a cerebral protective effect,which can decrease the concentration of H2S,and increase the concentrations of NSE and S100βin CI patients.