Objective:To analyze the gene sequence of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in Liaoning Province, and determine the prevailing dominant genotypes and nucleotide and amino acid variations.Methods:The open reading frames (ORFs) of 31 VZV strains from 2017 to 2020 in Liaoning Province were analyzed by PCR, including 1, 6, 12, 16, 17, 21, 22, 35, 37, 38, 50, 54, 55, 56, 60 and 66. The amplified products were sequenced, combined with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and phylogenetic tree to determine the virus genotype, and the variation of nucleotides and amino acids at different sites was analyzed.Results:All 31 VZV strains in Liaoning Province were Clade 2 genotype. Compared with Clade 2 genotype reference strains, the 31 strains had nucleotide and amino acid homology of 99.6%-100.0% and 98.7%-100.0%, respectively, and the genetic distance was 0-0.002. Compared with V-Oka vaccine strain, the 31 strains all had site mutation, which led to amino acid changes, including one strain with ACCTCCCAA deletion at 541-549 sites of ORF1 and two strains with inserted CGG at the 780-781 site of ORF1; the 31 VZV strains had point mutations at 24 sites, including 15 synonymous mutations, 9 missense mutations, 20 mutations in the coding region, 4 mutations outside the coding region, 13 synonymous mutations in the coding region and 7 missense mutations in the coding region. The missense mutations in the coding region included a base mutation of C→T at site 731, a base mutation of C→T at site 790, a base mutation of C→T at site 791, a base mutation of A→G at site 17829, a base mutation of G→A at site 24567, a base mutation of T→C at site 98261, a base mutation of A→C at site 101579, which leaded to the amino acid changes of Arginine→Lysine, Arginine→Glutamine, Arginine→Glutamine, Histidine→Arginine, Arginine→Glutamine, Tyrosine→Histidine, Leucine→Arginine.Conclusions:Clade 2 genotype is the dominant genotype of VZV in Liaoning Province in recent years, and the gene sequences of VZV strains in Liaoning Province is highly conserved. Studying the characteristics of VZV gene is of great significance for studying the molecular epidemiology of VZV in Liaoning Province, and provides important scientific basis for varicella control and vaccination plan.

Objective:To analyze the gene sequence of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) in Liaoning Province, and determine the prevailing dominant genotypes and nucleotide and amino acid variations.Methods:The open reading frames (ORFs) of 31 VZV strains from 2017 to 2020 in Liaoning Province were analyzed by PCR, including 1, 6, 12, 16, 17, 21, 22, 35, 37, 38, 50, 54, 55, 56, 60 and 66. The amplified products were sequenced, combined with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and phylogenetic tree to determine the virus genotype, and the variation of nucleotides and amino acids at different sites was analyzed.Results:All 31 VZV strains in Liaoning Province were Clade 2 genotype. Compared with Clade 2 genotype reference strains, the 31 strains had nucleotide and amino acid homology of 99.6%-100.0% and 98.7%-100.0%, respectively, and the genetic distance was 0-0.002. Compared with V-Oka vaccine strain, the 31 strains all had site mutation, which led to amino acid changes, including one strain with ACCTCCCAA deletion at 541-549 sites of ORF1 and two strains with inserted CGG at the 780-781 site of ORF1; the 31 VZV strains had point mutations at 24 sites, including 15 synonymous mutations, 9 missense mutations, 20 mutations in the coding region, 4 mutations outside the coding region, 13 synonymous mutations in the coding region and 7 missense mutations in the coding region. The missense mutations in the coding region included a base mutation of C→T at site 731, a base mutation of C→T at site 790, a base mutation of C→T at site 791, a base mutation of A→G at site 17829, a base mutation of G→A at site 24567, a base mutation of T→C at site 98261, a base mutation of A→C at site 101579, which leaded to the amino acid changes of Arginine→Lysine, Arginine→Glutamine, Arginine→Glutamine, Histidine→Arginine, Arginine→Glutamine, Tyrosine→Histidine, Leucine→Arginine.Conclusions:Clade 2 genotype is the dominant genotype of VZV in Liaoning Province in recent years, and the gene sequences of VZV strains in Liaoning Province is highly conserved. Studying the characteristics of VZV gene is of great significance for studying the molecular epidemiology of VZV in Liaoning Province, and provides important scientific basis for varicella control and vaccination plan.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and thoracotomy in the treatment of pulmonary echinococcosis.Methods:Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Medline, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and VIP Chinese Journal Service Platform were searched by computer from the earliest publication time of the documents included in the database to August 2020. Comparative studies on VATS and thoracotomy in the treatment of pulmonary echinococcosis were included and the quality was evaluated. The data were combined and analyzed by RevMan 5.3 software.Results:Eleven articles were finally included, including two randomized controlled trials (RCT) articles, and the rest were case-control studies. A total of 878 patients were included, including 447 in VATS group and 431 in thoracotomy group. The results of meta analysis showed that compared with thoracotomy group, VATS operation time [ MD (95% CI): - 28.59 (- 41.79, - 15.39)], intraoperative blood loss [ MD (95% CI): - 35.83 (- 49.65, - 22.01)], postoperative drainage volume [ MD (95% CI): - 94.83 (- 150.55, - 39.01)], postoperative catheterization time [ MD (95% CI): - 2.26 ( - 2.94, - 1.59)], hospital stay [ MD (95% CI): - 4.59 (- 6.51, - 2.67)], and postoperative complications [ MD (95% CI): 0.48 (0.32, 0.73)] in VATS group were significantly lower ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative recurrence between VATS group and thoracotomy group [ MD (95% CI): 0.75 (0.26, 2.16), P > 0.05]. Conclusions:Compared with thoracotomy, VATS in the treatment of pulmonary echinococcosis has the advantages of shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, less postoperative drainage volume, shorter postoperative catheterization time and fewer postoperative complications. VATS is a safe and effective surgical method for the treatment of pulmonary echinococcosis.

Objective To investigate the protective role of dexmedetomidine in rats with endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI).Methods Forty-eight adult male SD rats were divided into four groups (n=12 each) according to the random number table: control group, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, dexmedetomidine (DEX) treatment group and DEX pretreatment group.ALI was induced in rats by femoral intravenous injection of LPS (8 mg/kg).Rats in DEX treatment group was given DEX (50 μg/kg) for 2 minutes via the femoral intravenous injection 0.5 hour after LPS injection, followed by maintenance pump injection of DEX (5 μg·kg-1·h-1).Analogously, rats in DEX pretreatment group was given DEX (50 μg/kg) for 2 min via the femoral intravenous injection 0.5 hour before LPS injection, followed by maintenance pump injection of DEX (5 μg·kg-1·h-1).By contrast, control group received the same amount of normal saline intravenously.All rats were sentenced to death and their carotid blood samples were collected6 hours after all injections.Superior lobe of the right lung was examined under light microscope and the histologic findings were tested using the difusse alveolar damage (DAD) score.Middle lobe of the right lung was used to calculate the lung tissue wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio.Samples of collected carotid blood were taken to measure levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6.Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from bronchoalveolar lavage was collected to measure levels of TNF-α and IL-6.Results Lung tissue injury was obvious after LPS injection and DAS score was improved as well.However DEX therapy reduced the lung damage as well as the DAD score, especially obvious in DEX pretreatment group (P<0.05).W/D ratio was obviously increased in other three groups compared to control group, but further comparison showed that W/D ratio was lowered in DEX treatment and pretreatment groups compared to LPS group, especially obvious in DEX pretreatment group (P<0.05).Levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were higher in other three groups than control group, but further comparison showed that levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were decreased in DEX treatment and pretreatment groups compared to LPS group, especially obvious in DEX pretreatment group (P<0.05).Levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in BALF were higher in LPS and DEX treatment groups than control group and were higher in LPS group than DEX treatment(P<0.05).Further comparison showed level of TNF-α in BALF similar between DEX treatment and pretreatment groups (P>0.05), but IL-6 in BALF was significantly lower in DEX pretreatment group than DEX treatment group (P<0.05).Level of total protein in BALF was increased in LPS group compared to control group and was decreased in DEX treatment and pretreatment groups compared to LPS group, but there were no significant differences between DEX treatment and pretreatment groups (P>0.05).Conclusion Either preoperative injection of DEX or DEX treatment has protective effect in rats with LPS-induced ALI, while preoperative injection of DEX has been proved to be more effective.