Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among children in Hebei from 2019 to 2023.Methods:A total of 46 576 lower respiratory tract specimens were collected from hospitalized children in the Children′s Hospital of Hebei Province from 2019 to 2023. Multiple RT-PCR and capillary electrophoresis were used to detect 13 common respiratory pathogens in the specimens, and the results were statistically analyzed.Results:The overall positive rate of RSV was 18.76%(8 739/46 576). The overall positive rates of RSV in male and female children were 18.84%(5 174/27 462) and 18.65%(3 565/19 114), respectively, showing no statistically significant difference between genders (χ 2=0.916, P=0.339). A linear relationship was found between the positive rate of RSV and age ( P<0.01). There was a significant difference in the positive rates of RSV in different years (χ 2=723.71, P<0.01). The positive rate of RSV peaked in the period from December to February from 2019 to 2021. In 2019 and 2020, the positive rates of RSV were very low from May to October, while the positive rate of RSV was above 10% throughout the whole year of 2021 and small off-season epidemics occurred in May and August. The positive rate of RSV was low in 2022, and no significant seasonal change was observed. The rate of RSV infections peaked from April to June in 2023. There were significant differences in the rates of RSV infections before, during and after the COVID-19 epidemic in each age group ( P<0.01). The rate of mixed infections was 29.20%(2 522/8 739), and the most common other respiratory pathogen was human rhinovirus (52.29%, 1 342/2 552 ). Conclusions:RSV is a common pathogen causing respiratory tract infections in children in Hebei, especially in children under 3 years old. After the COVID-19 epidemic, there are off-season RSV epidemics. Given the variations in the epidemiological features of RSV, it is necessary to carry out continuous monitoring of RSV to provide scientific data for the prevention and control of related diseases.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection in Hebei region, providing reference for the diagnosis and prevention of children with respiratory tract infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 20 577 children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection in Hebei Children′s Hospital from January 2022 to September 2023. Multiple PCR and capillary electrophoresis were used to detect HPIV and 12 other common respiratory viruses and atypical pathogens. The data from January to September 2022 were taken as the normalized epidemic prevention and control period, and the data from January to September 2023 were taken as the normalized epidemic control period. The epidemiological characteristics of HPIV were analyzed.Results:The overall HPIV-positive rate was 13.65% (2 808/20 577). There was no statistical difference in the total detection rate of HPIV [14.24%(1 236/8 679) and 14.35%(1 447/10 087)] at the same time before and after the novel coronavirus normalization prevention and control was lifted(χ 2= 0.041, P=0.839), while the detection rate of single infection [8.96%(778/8 679) and 7.58%(765/10 087)] decreased, while mixed infection [5.28%(458/8 679) and 6.76%(682/10 087)] increased, with statistically significant differences(χ 2= 11.776 and 18.008, P<0.01). The HPIV positive rate in the <1 year [18.53%(378/2 040) and 17.08%(369/2 161)] decreased after the release of normalized prevention and control, and the difference was statistically significant(χ 2= 5.932, P<0.05). The HPIV positive rate [13.03%(382/2 932) and 14.82%(529/3 570)] in the 3-5 years increased after the normalized prevention and control was lifted, and the difference was statistically significant(χ 2= 7.177, P<0.05). The rate of mixed infection of HPIV with other respiratory pathogens was 43.13% (1 211/2 808), among which double infection was 34.40% (966/2 808), triple infection was 7.55% (212/2 808), and quadruple infection was 1.18% (33/2 808). Mixed detection of HPIV and HRV (38.65%, 468/1 211) was the most common. Conclusions:HPIV is one of the respiratory pathogens in children in Hebei region and more prevalent in spring and summer. The susceptible population of HPIV is mainly children under the age of 3 years old. After the normal prevention and control of novel coronavirus was lifted, the detection rate of HPIV combined with other pathogens increased.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human parainfluenza virus (HPIV) in hospitalized children with acute respiratory tract infection in Hebei region, providing reference for the diagnosis and prevention of children with respiratory tract infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 20 577 children hospitalized with acute respiratory tract infection in Hebei Children′s Hospital from January 2022 to September 2023. Multiple PCR and capillary electrophoresis were used to detect HPIV and 12 other common respiratory viruses and atypical pathogens. The data from January to September 2022 were taken as the normalized epidemic prevention and control period, and the data from January to September 2023 were taken as the normalized epidemic control period. The epidemiological characteristics of HPIV were analyzed.Results:The overall HPIV-positive rate was 13.65% (2 808/20 577). There was no statistical difference in the total detection rate of HPIV [14.24%(1 236/8 679) and 14.35%(1 447/10 087)] at the same time before and after the novel coronavirus normalization prevention and control was lifted(χ 2= 0.041, P=0.839), while the detection rate of single infection [8.96%(778/8 679) and 7.58%(765/10 087)] decreased, while mixed infection [5.28%(458/8 679) and 6.76%(682/10 087)] increased, with statistically significant differences(χ 2= 11.776 and 18.008, P<0.01). The HPIV positive rate in the <1 year [18.53%(378/2 040) and 17.08%(369/2 161)] decreased after the release of normalized prevention and control, and the difference was statistically significant(χ 2= 5.932, P<0.05). The HPIV positive rate [13.03%(382/2 932) and 14.82%(529/3 570)] in the 3-5 years increased after the normalized prevention and control was lifted, and the difference was statistically significant(χ 2= 7.177, P<0.05). The rate of mixed infection of HPIV with other respiratory pathogens was 43.13% (1 211/2 808), among which double infection was 34.40% (966/2 808), triple infection was 7.55% (212/2 808), and quadruple infection was 1.18% (33/2 808). Mixed detection of HPIV and HRV (38.65%, 468/1 211) was the most common. Conclusions:HPIV is one of the respiratory pathogens in children in Hebei region and more prevalent in spring and summer. The susceptible population of HPIV is mainly children under the age of 3 years old. After the normal prevention and control of novel coronavirus was lifted, the detection rate of HPIV combined with other pathogens increased.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of pertussis cases diagnosed by two pathological detection methods: bacterial culture and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and to explore the applicable value of two pathological detection methods in the diagnosis of pertussis.Methods:Bilateral nasopharyngeal swabs and clinical information of 165 children suspected of pertussis were collected by Hebei Children′s Hospital from April 2019 to January 2020. The bacterial culture and RT-PCR for nasopharyngeal swab specimens were performed in all cases. Chi-square test was used to analyze the cases of pertussis diagnosed by the above two methods.Results:Based on clinical diagnosis, the sensitivity of bacterial culture and RT-PCR for the diagnosis of pertussis was 61.70% (58/94) and 86.17% (81/94), and the specificity was 92.96% (66/71) and 71.83% (51/71), respectively. The positive rate of RT-PCR in children of all ages, seasons and cough courses is higher than that of bacterial culture. Children with pertussis diagnosed by bacterial culture and RT-PCR were basically similar in age, season, and cough course distribution, with the most common cases ≤3 months old, a high incidence trend in summer and autumn, and the course of coughing in children was mostly within 15-21days. The positive rate of bacterial culture in the diagnosis of pertussis in children is affected by the age of the children, and there are statistical differences between children in different age groups (χ2= 11.929, P=0.036). The positive rate of bacterial culture was the highest in children with >3 years old (51.85% [14/27]), followed by children with ≤3 months old (48.72% [19/39]), and the lowest in children with >6-12 months old (15.00% [3/20]). Moreover, the positive rate of bacterial culture in the diagnosis of pertussis in children is also affected by the cough course of the children, and there are statistical differences between children in different cough course groups (χ2=9.841, P=0.020). The positive rate of bacterial culture was the highest in children with cough course 15-21 days (49.23% [32/65]), followed by 43.59% (17/39) in children with cough course 8-14 days, and the lowest in children with cough course of less than 7 days (22.86% [8/35]). Conclusions:Compared with RT-PCR, bacterial culture has lower sensitivity and higher specificity in the detection of pertussis. These two detection methods have their own advantages and limitations. Medical institutions at all levels should comprehensively analyze different laboratory detection methods. Only by combining the two methods can the diagnostic value and level be effectively improved.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human coronavirus (HCoV) in hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection in Hebei region, providing evidence for the diagnosis and prevention of children with respiratory tract infection.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 1 062 HCoV positive children hospitalized for respiratory tract infection in Children′s Hospital of Hebei Province from January 2015 to December 2020, aged from 33 days to 14 years, with a median age of 2 years. 27 932 (60.9%) were males and 17 944(39.1%) were females. And the gender, ages, seasonal distribution, HCoV-positive rates, co-detection distribution and clinical diagnosis of HCoV positive cases were analyzed by SPSS 25.0. Enumeration data were expressed by frequency and percentage; categorical variable were compared by the Pearson χ 2test. Results:The overall HCoV-positive rate was 2.31% (1 062/45 876), which was 2.37% (662/27 932) in male children and 2.23% (400/17 944) in female children. There was no statistically significant difference between genders (χ2=0.916, P=0.339). Children at age groups<1 years (2.44%) and 1-<3 years (2.63%) had higher HCoV-positive rates than those at age groups 3-<5 years (1.97%) and ≥5 years (1.38%) (χ2=27.332, P<0.01). The HCoV-positive rates from 2015 to 2018 were 2.13%, 2.45%, 2.28% and 2.23%. The HCoV-positive rate of 2019 (1.71%) was significantly lower than in 2016 (χ2=12.05, P<0.01), 2017 (χ2=7.34, P=0.01) and 2018 (χ2=6.78, P=0.01), but there was no significant difference compared with 2015 (χ2=2.84, P=0.09). The HCoV-positive rate of 2020 (3.37%) was significantly higher than in 2015 (χ2=13.636, P<0.01), 2016 (χ2=11.099, P<0.01), 2017 (χ2=15.482, P<0.01), 2018(χ2=18.601, P<0.01) and 2019(χ2=45.580, P<0.01). The positive rate was highest in spring (March to May) in 2015 and 2017 to 2018. February to April and July to September of 2016 were the peak periods of positive detection. No obvious seasonal change was observed in 2019 and the HCoV-positive rate of 2020 was extremely low from January to July, following significantly increased from August to December. 26.37% (280/1 062) of HCoV were co-detected with other respiratory pathogens and the most frequently identified mixed detection was RSV. Three or more pathogens were detected in 7.34% (78/1 062) of the HCoV-positive samples. Bronchopneumonia and bronchiolitis were more frequently observed in the single HCoV positive (61.89% and 16.75%) children compared to co-detected children(34.29% and 9.64%)(χ2=63.394 and 8.228, P<0.01). However, compared to those with HCoV mono-detection, co-detected children were more likely to have severe pneumonia (4.6% and 47.14%) (χ2=280.171, P<0.01). Conclusions:HCoV is one of the respiratory pathogens in children in Hebei region and more prevalent in spring. The susceptible population of HCoV is mainly children under the age of 3 years old. HCoV often co-detects with other respiratory pathogens, and the co-infection is one of the risk factors of severe pneumonia in children with respiratory infection.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human coronavirus (HCoV) in hospitalized children with respiratory tract infection in Hebei region, providing evidence for the diagnosis and prevention of children with respiratory tract infection.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 1 062 HCoV positive children hospitalized for respiratory tract infection in Children′s Hospital of Hebei Province from January 2015 to December 2020, aged from 33 days to 14 years, with a median age of 2 years. 27 932 (60.9%) were males and 17 944(39.1%) were females. And the gender, ages, seasonal distribution, HCoV-positive rates, co-detection distribution and clinical diagnosis of HCoV positive cases were analyzed by SPSS 25.0. Enumeration data were expressed by frequency and percentage; categorical variable were compared by the Pearson χ 2test. Results:The overall HCoV-positive rate was 2.31% (1 062/45 876), which was 2.37% (662/27 932) in male children and 2.23% (400/17 944) in female children. There was no statistically significant difference between genders (χ2=0.916, P=0.339). Children at age groups<1 years (2.44%) and 1-<3 years (2.63%) had higher HCoV-positive rates than those at age groups 3-<5 years (1.97%) and ≥5 years (1.38%) (χ2=27.332, P<0.01). The HCoV-positive rates from 2015 to 2018 were 2.13%, 2.45%, 2.28% and 2.23%. The HCoV-positive rate of 2019 (1.71%) was significantly lower than in 2016 (χ2=12.05, P<0.01), 2017 (χ2=7.34, P=0.01) and 2018 (χ2=6.78, P=0.01), but there was no significant difference compared with 2015 (χ2=2.84, P=0.09). The HCoV-positive rate of 2020 (3.37%) was significantly higher than in 2015 (χ2=13.636, P<0.01), 2016 (χ2=11.099, P<0.01), 2017 (χ2=15.482, P<0.01), 2018(χ2=18.601, P<0.01) and 2019(χ2=45.580, P<0.01). The positive rate was highest in spring (March to May) in 2015 and 2017 to 2018. February to April and July to September of 2016 were the peak periods of positive detection. No obvious seasonal change was observed in 2019 and the HCoV-positive rate of 2020 was extremely low from January to July, following significantly increased from August to December. 26.37% (280/1 062) of HCoV were co-detected with other respiratory pathogens and the most frequently identified mixed detection was RSV. Three or more pathogens were detected in 7.34% (78/1 062) of the HCoV-positive samples. Bronchopneumonia and bronchiolitis were more frequently observed in the single HCoV positive (61.89% and 16.75%) children compared to co-detected children(34.29% and 9.64%)(χ2=63.394 and 8.228, P<0.01). However, compared to those with HCoV mono-detection, co-detected children were more likely to have severe pneumonia (4.6% and 47.14%) (χ2=280.171, P<0.01). Conclusions:HCoV is one of the respiratory pathogens in children in Hebei region and more prevalent in spring. The susceptible population of HCoV is mainly children under the age of 3 years old. HCoV often co-detects with other respiratory pathogens, and the co-infection is one of the risk factors of severe pneumonia in children with respiratory infection.

Objective To develop a tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system PCR(T-ARMS-PCR)assay for detecting four single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs): rs1801133,rs1801131, rs1805087 and rs1801394 associated with folate metabolism in a single reaction tube.Methods Methodology was developed.Then, it applied the established method to analyze 150 physical examination children′s anticoagulant blood samples admitted to the Department of Clinical Laboratory, Children′s Hospital of Hebei Province from January 2017 to April 2017.Four sets of chimeric primers consisting of a universal Tag sequence and targeting rs 1801133,rs1801131,rs1805087 and rs1801394 fused to the specific sequence were designed according to the T-ARMS-PCR principle and the multiplex chimeric primers strategy.A single tube PCR was then conducted after optimizing the primer concentrations and the reaction conditions.The amplified products were analyzed by QIAxcel capillary electrophoresis, and the corresponding SNP genotypes of 150 samples were identified.Furthermore,all samples were verified by direct sequencing.And the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium(HWE)testing of four SNPs from 150 samples were conducted by SPSS17.0 Chi-square test.Results The improved T-ARMS-PCR combined with capillary electrophoresis can accurately verify eight different alleles of the four SNPs associated with folate metabolism at one time in 3 hours.Four SNPs of 150 whole blood samples were accurately classified and the results were completely consistent with direct sequencing.All the genotype frequencies of these four SNPs were in HWE (χ2rs1801133=0.69, Prs1801133=0.40; χ2rs1801131=0.21, Prs1801131=0.64; χ2rs1805087=3.32, Prs1805087=0.07;χ2rs1801394=1.91, Prs1801394=0.17).Conclusions The proposed improved T-ARMS-PCR combined with capillary electrophoresis in this study can accurately verify four SNPs associated with folate metabolism in a single reaction tube.This method might be a valuable tool to specifically guide the folate supplement in general population.

Objective: To understand the potential viral pathogens other than enteroviruses existing in samples of hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD) patient and study their molecular feature and genotype. Methods: The deep sequencing analysis of a fecal specimen collected from HFMD patient was conducted by metagenomics and bioinformatics. Results: Enterovirus A71 and sapovirus mixed infection was found in this case. The nucleic acid of sapovirus was confirmed positive by RT-PCR and the 7 429 bp complete genome sequence of sapovirus was obtained by assembling sequencing reads which consisted of 3 open reading frames. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this strain of virus should belong to the genotype 1 of sapovirus having a homology of 99.4% with sapovirus Hu/G1/Zhejiang1/China/2014 strain, which is a currently predominant genotype circulating in China. Conclusions The sapovirus, which is a predominant strain circulating in China, was a mixed infected causative agent existing in HFMD sample identified by deep sequencing. This study will serve as a reference for pathogen detection of HFMD and diarrheal related diseases, as well as provide a sequence reference for molecular feature study of sapovirus in China in the future.

Objective　To study the ultrastructural changes of 8 human fetus hearts of different months Method　by TEM and SEM chemical digestion. Results　The shape and ultrastructure of myocytes became complicated gradually with development. Conclusion　All the changes are related to function of blood supply of human fetal heart.