OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of aquaporin 5 (AQP5) on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in Sjögren syndrome (SS) rats. METHODS: The SS gene expression data sets GSE406611 and GSE84844 were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the AQP5 mRNA expression was analyzed by R software. The rat SS model was constructed. The successfully modeled rats were divided into SS group, SS+NC group, and SS+pc group, 10 rats in each group; and 10 rats were set as Normal group. The rats in the SS+NC group were injected with 10 μg of rno-pcDNA3.1-AQP5-NC at the submandibular gland, subcutaneously every day for 28 days. The rats in the SS+pc group were injected with 10 μg of rno-pcDNA3.1-AQP5 at the submandibular gland, subcutaneously every day for 28 days. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was used to detect the content of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the serum. High-throughput sequencing was used to identify the target genes. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of AQP5, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in the rat submandibular gland tissue. RESULTS: In the SS dataset GSE406611 and GSE84844, the mRNA expression of AQP5 in SS was significantly reduced. Compared with the Normal group, the content of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum, the mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in the SS group were significantly increased, the mRNA and protein expressions of AQP5 were significantly decreased. After overexpression of AQP5, the content of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum, the mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in the SS+pc group were significantly decreased, the mRNA and protein expressions of AQP5 were significantly increased. The differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The expression of AQP5 is involved in the progression of SS. Increasing the expression of AQP5 can significantly inhibit inflammatory stress and reduce the pathological damage of submandibular gland tissue. This may be related to the inhibition of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB conduction.
Animals ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/genetics* ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/genetics* ; Aquaporin 5/metabolism* ; Sjogren's Syndrome/genetics* ; Signal Transduction ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Female

Objective:To analyze the changing trends of the epidemic characteristics of human brucellosis in Hangzhou City, and to provide a basis for further formulating prevention and control measures.Methods:The epidemic data of brucellosis in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021 were collected from the "China Disease Control and Prevention Information System" and the annual reports, compilations and summaries of prevention and control work of brucellosis in Hangzhou City, and the epidemiological characteristics and trends of brucellosis cases in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2009, 2010 to 2015, and 2016 to 2021 were compared and analyzed.Results:A total of 186 cases of brucellosis were diagnosed in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021, with an average annual incidence rate of 0.151/100 000, ranging from 0.016/100 000 to 0.286/100 000. The incidence rate showed a stage-by-stage upward trend from 2004 to 2009, 2010 to 2015, and 2016 to 2021 ( Z = 3.15, P = 0.002). The age of onset of brucellosis cases was predominantly 18 - 60 years old, accounting for 78.49% (146/186). The male-to-female ratio was 2.10∶1.00 (126∶60). The occupational and non-occupational populations accounted for 62.90% (117/186) and 37.10% (69/186), respectively, with the proportion of non-occupational cases in the three stages being 28.57%, 23.29% and 51.76%, showing an increasing trend (χ 2trend = 9.85, P = 0.002). The regional distribution was dominated by Yuhang District, accounting for 55.91% (104/186), followed by Jianggan District (9.14%, 17/186) and Fuyang District (7.53%, 14/186). The number of brucellosis epidemic counties (cities, districts) increased from 6 to 9. The seasonal analysis showed that the proportion of cases from January to June decreased from 84.93% (23/28) from 2004 to 2009 to 54.12% (46/85) from 2016 to 2021. The proportion of infection from outside the province in the three stages was 0, 10.96% and 27.38%, respectively, showing an upward trend (χ 2trend = 18.16, P < 0.001), the main infected areas were Henan Province, Heilongjiang Province, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In clinical symptoms and signs, the incidence of muscle and joint pain and low back pain increased from 60.71% (17/28) and 10.71% (3/28) from 2004 to 2009, respectively, to 83.53% (71/85) and 25.88% (22/85) from 2016 to 2021, both showing an upward trend (χ 2trend = 9.92, 4.67, P = 0.002, 0.031). Conclusions:The incidence of human brucellosis in Hangzhou City is on the rise, and the number of cases of non-occupational population has increased significantly in recent years. The sheep breeding places have gradually become the high incidence areas of brucellosis in Hangzhou City. It is recommended to strengthen the promotion and education of knowledge on brucellosis prevention among the general public, and focus on actively monitoring human brucellosis in high-risk areas.

Objective:To investigate the iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in Hangzhou City and analyze its influencing factors, in order to provide a basis for guiding pregnant women in Hangzhou City to supplement iodine scientifically.Methods:A stratified random sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on 1 400 pregnant women in Hangzhou City from March to October 2018. Random urine samples and household salt samples from pregnant women were collected, and the levels of urine iodine and salt iodine were measured using arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometry and direct titration, respectively. The iodine nutritional status of pregnant women with different basic characteristics and dietary levels were analyzed and compared (Kruskal-Wallis test), and the main influencing factors affecting the urinary iodine concentration level of pregnant women were identified (the ordinal multiple classification logistic regression analysis).Results:The median urinary iodine of pregnant women was 135.00 μg/L, and the qualified iodized salt consumption rate of pregnant women was 83.36% (1 167/1 400). In terms of basic characteristics, there were statistically significant differences in the distribution level of urine iodine among pregnant women with different pregnancy frequency, delivery frequency, and natural abortion frequency ( P < 0.05). In terms of diet, the frequency of consuming milk, yogurt, meat, and whether pregnant women consumed cabbage and cauliflower showed statistically significant differences in urinary iodine distribution levels ( P < 0.05). Ordinal multiple classification logistic regression analysis showed that the urine iodine levels of pregnant women who were pregnant twice were higher than those who were pregnant ≥3 times ( OR = 1.64, P = 0.003). Pregnant women who never or occasionally consumed yogurt had lower urine iodine levels than or equal to those who consumed 2 bottles of yogurt per day ( OR = 0.53, P = 0.044). Pregnant women who never or occasionally consumed meat and those who consumed meat once a week had higher urinary iodine levels than that who consumed meat ≥2 times per week ( OR = 1.40, 1.47, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The overall iodine nutrition of pregnant women in Hangzhou City is at an deficiency level. Pregnancy experience and dietary level are influencing factors on iodine nutrition of pregnant women. It is necessary to carry out in-depth health education for pregnant women, improve the dietary structure during pregnancy, and improve the abnormal iodine nutrition of pregnant women.

Objective To investigate the influence of serum cystatin C (Cys-C) and hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels on the 3-year survival of patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Methods A total of 358 patients with chronic renal failure who underwent MHD at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from April 2011 to October 2020 were selected as study subjects. General clinical data, pre-dialysis laboratory test indicators, and echocardiographic indicators 3 months after dialysis were recorded. The survival status of patients after 3 years of dialysis was followed up, and the general clinical data, pre-dialysis laboratory test indicators, and echocardiographic indicators 3 months after dialysis were compared between surviving and deceased patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to screen influencing factors of 3-year survival in MHD patients. Results At the 3-year follow-up, of the 302 MHD patients' 203 survived, and 99 died. Statistically significant differences were observed in age, primary disease, diabetes status, congestive heart failure, statin use, antiplatelet drug use, diuretic use, dialysis mode, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), total bilirubin (TBIL), β₂-microglobulin (β₂-MG), creatinine (Cr), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and serum phosphorus (P) levels between surviving patients and deaths(P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Univariate Cox regression results showed that age of MHD patients, primary disease (diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephropathy, polycystic kidney disease, others), comorbidities(diabetes, congestive heart failure, other cardiovascular diseases), drug use (statins, antiplatelet drugs), dialysis method (hemodialysis, hemodialysis + perfusion), laboratory test indicators [GGT, AKP, TBIL, total bile acid (TBA), albumin (ALB), Cr, Cys-C, eGFR, apolipoprotein A (APO-A), hs-CRP]were all influential factors of 3-year survival rate of MHD patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age, primary disease, other cardiovascular diseases, dialysis mode, AKP, ALB, TBIL, Cys-C, and hs-CRP were significant influencing factors for the survival of patients with chronic renal failure (P < 0.05). Conclusion Serum Cys-C and hs-CRP levels before MHD in patients with chronic renal failure may be associated with their 3-year survival after dialysis treatment. High serum Cys-C may reduce the risk of poor clinical prognosis, while high serum hs-CRP may increase the risk of poor clinical prognosis.

With social development and technology progress, there is an increasing use of daily electronic products and radioactive medical devices, which increases the risk of exposure to radiation in medical practices, daily life activities, and work. Notably, the effects of radiation exposure on pregnant women and their offspring have attracted increasing attention. Comprehensive and accurate assessment and intervention of the effects of radiation exposure on pregnant women and their offspring are of great significance to reduce birth defects and achieve eugenics. This article reviews the effects of radiation exposure during pregnancy on offspring health based on animal experiments and clinical studies, and describes the possible mechanisms, so as to provide the basis for further studies.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25 (OH) D] and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in the development of osteoporosis (OP) in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during early pregnancy.Methods:A total of 178 pregnant women with GDM admitted to Shanxi Provincial Children’s Hospital from Sep. 2018 to May. 2022 were selected as the research subjects and divided into OP group and non-OP group based on bone density. General information of patients was collected, and biochemical indicators related to bone metabolism were measured, including calcium (Ca), β-collagen special sequence ( β-CTX), type 1 procollagen amino-terminal peptide (PINP), n-terminal bone calciuim (N-MID), osteocalcin (OC), and bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP). The levels of 25 (OH) D and IL-6 in the serum of the two groups were measured. The predictive value of 25 (OH) D and IL-6 levels for GDM complicated with OP was analyzed. Results:Compared with the non-OP group (29.95±6.88), the serum 25 (OH) D level was significantly lower in the OP group (20.78±6.02) ( t=5.56, P<0.001), and the IL-6 level was significantly higher in the OP group (75.19±9.15) than in the non-OP group (50.23±10.08) ( t=10.26, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the levels of Ca, P, β-CTX, PINP, or N-MID between the two groups (all P>0.05). The levels of BAP (13.25±3.12) and OC (6.62±1.24) in the OP group were significantly lower than those in the non-OP group (BAP: 18.23±3.78, t=5.52, P<0.001; OC: 8.75±1.52, t=5.87, P<0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between 25 (OH) D level and bone density, BAP, and OC ( r=0.26, 0.21, 0.23, all P<0.05), while IL-6 level showed a negative correlation with bone density, BAP, and OC ( r=-0.39, -0.21, -0.27, all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that serum 25 (OH) D and IL-6 could serve as effective diagnostic markers for GDM complicated with OP (AUC=0.853, P<0.0001; AUC=0.869, P<0.0001) during early pregnancy. Conclusions:The serum 25 (OH) D level is decreased and IL-6 level is increased in GDM patients with OP during early pregnancy. The levels of serum 25 (OH) D and IL-6 have predictive value for the development of GDM complicated with OP during early pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the risk factors of in-hospital death in patients with sepsis in the intensive care unit (ICU) based on machine learning, and to construct a predictive model, and to explore the predictive value of the predictive model. METHODS: The clinical data of patients with sepsis who were hospitalized in the ICU of the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from April 2015 to April 2021 were retrospectively analyzed,including demographic information, vital signs, complications, laboratory examination indicators, diagnosis, treatment, etc. Patients were divided into death group and survival group according to whether in-hospital death occurred. The cases in the dataset (70%) were randomly selected as the training set for building the model, and the remaining 30% of the cases were used as the validation set. Based on seven machine learning models including logistic regression (LR), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and artificial neural network (ANN), a prediction model for in-hospital mortality of sepsis patients was constructed. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve), calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the predictive performance of the seven models from the aspects of identification, calibration and clinical application, respectively. In addition, the predictive model based on machine learning was compared with the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) models. RESULTS: A total of 741 patients with sepsis were included, of which 390 were discharged after improvement, 351 died in hospital, and the in-hospital mortality was 47.4%. There were significant differences in gender, age, APACHE II score, SOFA score, Glasgow coma score (GCS), heart rate, oxygen index (PaO₂/FiO₂), mechanical ventilation ratio, mechanical ventilation time, proportion of norepinephrine (NE) used, maximum NE, lactic acid (Lac), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), albumin (ALB), serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood uric acid (BUA), pH value, base excess (BE), and K⁺ between the death group and the survival group. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of RF, XGBoost, LR, ANN, DT, SVM, KNN models, SOFA score, and APACHE II score for predicting in-hospital mortality of sepsis patients were 0.871, 0.846, 0.751, 0.747, 0.677, 0.657, 0.555, 0.749 and 0.760, respectively. Among all the models, the RF model had the highest precision (0.750), accuracy (0.785), recall (0.773), and F1 score (0.761), and best discrimination. The calibration curve showed that the RF model performed best among the seven machine learning models. DCA curve showed that the RF model exhibited greater net benefit as well as threshold probability compared to other models, indicating that the RF model was the best model with good clinical utility. CONCLUSIONS The machine learning model can be used as a reliable tool for predicting in-hospital mortality in sepsis patients. RF models has the best predictive performance, which is helpful for clinicians to identify high-risk patients and implement early intervention to reduce mortality.
Humans ; Hospital Mortality ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Prognosis ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Intensive Care Units

Objective:To learn about the iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, and to provide evidence for scientific supplementation of iodine of pregnant women.Methods:From May 2016 to July 2020, five sampling districts were divided in each county (district) of Suqian City according to the oriation of east, west, south, north and center each year. One township (street) was selected from each district, and 20 pregnant women who lived in the local area for more than half a year were selected from each township (street). The 30 g of household salt samples of pregnant women and 5 ml of urine samples at random once were collected to test the salt iodine and urinary iodine content.Results:A total of 2 483 household salt samples of pregnant women were tested, and the median salt iodine was 23.9 mg/kg; among them, 2 454 were iodized salt, and the coverage rate of iodized salt was 98.8%; the qualified iodized salt was 2 383, the qualified rate of iodized salt was 97.1%, and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 96.0%. There were statistically significant differences in coverage rate of iodized salt, qualified rate of iodized salt and consumption rate of qualified iodized salt between different years (χ 2 = 10.55, 13.23, 11.37, P < 0.05). A total of 2 483 urine samples of pregnant women were tested, and the median urinary iodine was 167.6 μg/L, which was at the appropriate iodine level. However, the median urinary iodine of pregnant women in 2020 was 146.7 μg/L, lower than the WHO/UNICEF/ICCIDD recommendation standard (150 μg/L). The differences of median urinary iodine of pregnant women in different years, pregnancy periods and regions were statistically significant ( H = 26.08, 8.17, 19.87, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The coverage rate of iodized salt, qualified rate of iodized salt and consumption rate of qualified iodized salt in Suqian City , meet the national standard for eliminating iodine deficiency disorders. Iodine nutrition of pregnant women in Suqian City is at an appropriate iodine level, but some pregnant women may have iodine deficiency.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with septic shock in intensive care unit (ICU), construct a predictive model, and explore the predictive value of the predictive model.Methods:The clinical data of patients with septic shock who were hospitalized in the ICU of the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from April 2015 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether the patients had AKI within 7 days of admission to the ICU, they were divided into AKI group and non-AKI group. 70% of the cases were randomly selected as the training set for building the model, and the remaining 30% of the cases were used as the validation set. XGBoost model was used to integrate relevant parameters to predict the risk of AKI in patients with septic shock. The predictive ability was assessed through receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve), and was correlated with acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), procalcitonin (PCT) and other comparative verification models to verify the predictive value.Results:A total of 303 patients with septic shock were enrolled, including 153 patients with AKI and 150 patients without AKI. The incidence of AKI was 50.50%. Compared with the non-AKI group, the AKI group had higher APACHEⅡscore, SOFA score and blood lactate (Lac), higher dose of norepinephrine (NE), higher proportion of mechanical ventilation, and tachycardiac. In the XGBoost prediction model of AKI risk in septic shock patients, the top 10 features were serum creatinine (SCr) level at ICU admission, NE use, drinking history, albumin, serum sodium, C-reactive protein (CRP), Lac, body mass index (BMI), platelet count (PLT), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the XGBoost model for predicting the risk of AKI in patients with septic shock was 0.816, with a sensitivity of 73.3%, a specificity of 71.7%, and an accuracy of 72.5%. Compared with the APACHEⅡscore, SOFA score and PCT, the performance of the model improved significantly. The calibration curve of the model showed that the goodness of fit of the XGBoost model was higher than the other scores (the calibration curve had the lowest score, with a score of 0.205).Conclusion:Compared with the commonly used clinical scores, the XGBoost model can more accurately predict the risk of AKI in patients with septic shock, which helps to make appropriate diagnosis, treatment and follow-up strategies while predicting the prognosis of patients.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of malaria in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the post-elimination control strategy for malaria in Hangzhou City. Methods: The epidemic situation of malaria in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021 were collected from the National Information System for Disease Control and Prevention in China, and the temporal, spatial and human distributions of malaria cases and the source of malaria infections were analyzed in Hangzhou City during the pre-elimination stage (2004 to 2009), the elimination stage (2010 to 2015) and the post-elimination stage (2016 to 2021). Results: Totally 602 malaria cases were reported in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021,and the annual mean incidence of malaria was 0.22/105, 0.20/105 and 0.18/105 during the pre-elimination, elimination and post-elimination stages, appearing a tendency towards a decline. Men accounted for 63.96%, 85.07% and 93.75% of all malaria cases and there were 67.86%, 82.84% and 80.00% of cases at ages of 18 to 50 years during the pre-elimination, elimination and post-elimination stages, both appearing a tendency towards a decline (χ2trend=56.748, P<0.001; χ2trend=39.971, P<0.001). The predominant occupation of malaria cases shifted from farmers or migrant workers to multiple occupations, and the proportion of commercial servants increased from 4.87% during the pre-elimination stage to 24.38% during the post-elimination stage (χ2trend=73.308, P<0.001). The proportion of Plasmodium vivax malaria cases reduced from 96.43% during the pre-elimination stage to 7.50% during the post-elimination stage, and the proportion of P. falciparum malaria cases increased from 3.57% to 71.25%, while P. ovale, P. malariae and mixed infections were identified since 2010. There was a significant season-specific incidence of P. vivax malaria during the pre-elimination stage, and the period between May and October was an epidemic season; however, there was no season-specific incidence of P. vivax malaria during the elimination and post-elimination stages. The regional distribution of malaria cases presented a tendency towards a shift from suburb and rural areas to urban areas (χ2trend=74.229, P<0.001). No local cases were detected in Hangzhou City since 2010, and 94.22% of malaria cases were overseas imported cases after malaria elimination, including 90.61% from Africa. Conclusions oung and middle-aged men were high-risk populations for malaria in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021, and overseas commercial servants gradually became the predominant source of malaria infections, with malaria parasite species tending to be diverse. Improving the management of overseas imported cases and timely identification and treatment of cases are major interventions to consolidate malaria elimination achievements in Hangzhou City.