Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of pathogens causing infections within 90 days after liver transplantation and the influencing factors of infection. Methods Clinical data of 176 recipients who underwent liver transplantation at the Liver Transplant Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from September 2021 to August 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the infection group (n=124) and the non-infection group (n=52) based on whether they developed infection within 90 days after transplantation. The distribution characteristics of pathogens in infected patients were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore the influencing factors of infection. Results Among the 176 liver transplant recipients, 124 cases developed 243 episodes of 518 bacterial, fungal, viral or mycoplasma infections within 90 days after transplantation, with an overall infection rate of 70.5% (124/176). The composition of pathogens was mainly Gram-negative bacteria (38.6%, 200/518), followed by Gram-positive bacteria (32.2%, 167/518) and viruses (15.4%, 80/518), and fungi accounted for 13.1% (68/518). Among Gram-negative bacteria, the main pathogen was Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.8%, 35/518), and among Gram-positive bacteria, the main pathogen was Enterococcus faecalis (8.5%, 44/518). Viruses included Epstein-Barr virus (3.7%, 19/518) and cytomegalovirus (3.7%, 19/518), and fungi were mainly Candida albicans (6.8%, 35/518). The most common infection site among the 243 episodes was pulmonary infection (42.0%, 102/243), followed by abdominal infection (22.6%, 55/243) and bloodstream infection (18.1%, 44/243). The infections mainly occurred within 2 weeks after transplantation (60.9%, 148/243). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that preoperative infection within 2 weeks, a high preoperative model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, and preoperative sarcopenia were independent risk factors for infection within 90 days after liver transplantation (all odds ratio>1, P<0.05). After multivariate correction, the levels of CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells within 90 days after surgery were independently associated with the occurrence of infection. Low levels of CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells might be related to an increased risk of infection. Conclusions The infection rate after liver transplantation is high, and the pathogens are mainly Gram-negative bacteria. The lungs are the most common infection site. Preoperative MELD score, preoperative sarcopenia and preoperative infection within 2 weeks are independent risk factors for infection within 90 days after liver transplantation. Regular monitoring of immune indicators CD4⁺T cells and CD8⁺T cells levels after transplantation is helpful to reduce the occurrence of post-transplantation infection.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Huanglian Jiedutang （HLJDT） on cognitive function in mice with ischemic stroke （IS） and to elucidate whether its neuroprotective effects are mediated by inhibition of the nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway and subsequent suppression of NF-κB-regulated neuronal apoptosis. MethodsAn IS model was established using middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO）. Sixty C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to five groups （n =12 per group）， i.e.， sham operation， model， HLJDT low-dose （3.9 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， HLJDT high-dose （7.8 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Ginkgo biloba extract （GBE， 31.2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. Post-operatively， neurological deficit scores （Longa score）， cerebral infarct volume assessed by 2，3，5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride （TTC） staining， and brain water content were evaluated. Learning and memory were assessed using new object recognition （NOR） and fear conditioning （FC） tests. Hippocampal pathology was examined via hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining. Immunofluorescence detected expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP， astrocyte marker）， cellular oncogene Fos （c-Fos， neuronal activation marker）， and glutamate decarboxylase 65 （GAD65）. Western blot measured nuclear factor-κB inhibitor protein α （IκBα）， phosphorylated IκBα （p-IκBα）， NF-κB p65， phosphorylated NF-κB p65 （p-NF-κB p65）， ionic calcium binding adapter molecule 1 （Iba-1）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-1β， and apoptosis-related proteins， such as cleaved cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. Real-time quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR） was used to assess mRNA levels of Iba-1， TNF-α， IL-1β， NF-κB p65， cleaved Caspase-3， Bax， and Bcl-2. ResultsCompared with the sham group， the model group exhibited significantly increased neurological deficit scores， brain water content， and cerebral infarct volume （P<0.01）. Hippocampal CA1 neurons were disorganized， showing nuclear pyknosis and karyolysis. NOR exploration time and FC freezing time were significantly reduced （P<0.01）. GFAP and c-Fos expression were increased， while GAD65 expression was decreased （P<0.01）. Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax were upregulated， Bcl-2 was downregulated， and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was elevated （P<0.01）. Expression levels of p-IκBα， p-NF-κB p65， IL-1β， TNF-α， and Iba-1 were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， HLJDT high-dose， low-dose， and GBE groups showed significant improvements in all parameters （P<0.01）. Among them， the HLJDT high-dose group showed the most pronounced neuronal structural recovery and superior performance in NOR and FC tests （P<0.01）. In this group， GFAP and c-Fos decreased， GAD65 increased （P<0.01）， apoptosis-related protein expression was reversed， and NF-κB signaling and related inflammatory factor expression were suppressed （P<0.01）. ConclusionHLJDT ameliorates cognitive dysfunction in mice after IS， potentially by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway， thereby reducing neuroinflammation and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of Wendan Ningxin granules （WNG） on susceptibility to atrial fibrillation （AF） in mice with inflammatory injury. Methods100 C57BL/6 mice were divided into a blank control group， a model group， a low-dose WNG group （2.34 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， a high-dose WNG group （4.68 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and an amiodarone positive control group （0.091 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 20 mice in each group. Except for the blank control group， mice in other groups received intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide （LPS） to establish an inflammatory injury model. Treatment groups received continuous intragastric administration of their respective interventions for four weeks. During the fourth week， the treatment groups received LPS injections concurrently with their treatments. The blank control and model groups received distilled water （10 mL·kg^-1·d^-1） by gavage， with a gavage volume of 10 mL·kg^-1 for all groups， once daily. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Sirius red staining were used to observe atrial tissue morphology and fibrosis degree. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA） in mouse atrial tissue. Electrophysiological detection was performed using a multi-channel electrophysiology mapping system to measure AF inducibility， AF duration， and atrial effective refractory period （AERP）. High-resolution optical mapping was used to measure action potential duration （APD） dispersion， conduction heterogeneity index， and calcium transient （CaT） dispersion. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect mRNA expression of proteins related to diastolic calcium leakage in mouse atria： Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ（CaMKⅡ）， ryanodine receptor 2（RyR2）， sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase （SERCA）， and sodium-calcium exchanger （NCX）. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of CaMKII， RyR2， SERCA， and NCX proteins in myocardial tissue from each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure serum levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）. ResultsPathological staining results showed that compared with the blank control group， the model group exhibited disrupted atrial tissue structure， inflammatory cell infiltration， atrial fibrosis， and diffuse infiltration of numerous brown α-SMA positive cells in the atrial interstitium （P<0.01）. AF could be induced by electrical stimulation with a longer duration. AERP was shortened， while APD dispersion， conduction heterogeneity index， and CaT dispersion were increased （P<0.01）. The expression of proteins associated with diastolic calcium leakage， including CaMKⅡ， RyR2， and NCX1， showed elevated mRNA and protein levels， whereas SERCA2a mRNA and protein expression decreased （P<0.05）. Serum levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β and TNF-α were elevated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， intervention with WNG alleviated cardiac structural damage， reduced inflammatory cell infiltration， improved atrial fibrosis， and reduced the diffuse infiltration of α-SMA positive cells （P<0.01）. AF inducibility and AF duration upon electrical stimulation were significantly reduced （P<0.05）， AERP was prolonged （P<0.05）， mRNA and protein expression of CaMKⅡ， RyR2， and NCX1-proteins associated with diastolic calcium leakage-were reduced， whilst mRNA and protein expression of SERCA2a increased （P<0.05）， and serum levels of IL-1β and TNF-α were decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionBoth low‑ and high‑dose WNG can effectively reduce susceptibility to inflammation-related AF. The mechanism by which WNG reduce AF susceptibility may be related to regulating proteins involved in sarcoplasmic reticulum diastolic calcium leak， thereby improving cardiac electrical remodeling， and alleviating inflammation-induced myocardial fibrosis， thus improving cardiac structural remodeling.

ObjectiveTo investigate the ability of clinically isolated， Helicobacter pylori （H. pylori）-specific gene polymerase chain reaction （PCR）-positive gastric， vaginal， and fecal Candida to release H. pylori. MethodsResuscitate 4 strains of H. pylori -specific 16S rDNA and ureA gene PCR-positive Candida strains isolated in laboratory from clinical sources， including 1 strain of gastric Candida， 1 strain of fecal Candida， 2 strains of vaginal Candida and the standard Candida albicans strain ATCC10231 （Ca10231）. The presence of H. pylori-specific ureA in the 5 strains of Candida isolates was confirmed by PCR. The aforementioned strains of Candida and H.pylori were inoculated into urea medium and cultured in a constant temperature incubator at 37 ℃. The color change of the medium was observed daily. A change in the medium's color from yellow to red indicated the presence of urease activity. Then， the five strains of Candida and H. pylori were co-incubated with the magnetic beads coated with H. pylori antibodies respectively. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） was employed to observe the presence of bacilli adsorbed on the surface of the magnetic beads. PCR was used to detect the presence of H.pylori-specific 16S rDNA and ureA genes on magnetic beads. ResultsThe PCR analysis of the ureA gene in the four Candida isolates was positive， whereas the Ca10231 strain tested negative. Upon culturing the four Candida isolates on urea medium， the medium color changed from yellow to red which was determined to be urease positive， while the medium containing Ca10231 remained unchanged， which was urease negative. SEM revealed that bacilli could be observed on the surface of magnetic beads co-incubated with the 4 strains of Candida of clinical origin and H.pylori isolate. Specifically， PCR testing of the magnetic beads co-incubated with one vaginal Candida， one gastric Candida and H.pylori isolate showed positive results for the 16S rDNA and ureA genes of H. pylori； however， the PCR tests for the two genes were negative for the magnetic beads co-incubated with the other two Candida isolate. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that H. pylori-specific genes Candida can release H. pylori.

This paper summarizes Professor SHI Zaixiang's clinical experience in treating high fever caused by sepsis using Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction （柴胡桂枝干姜汤）. He holds that the key pathogenesis of sepsis involves constrained heat in the shaoyang and internal accumulation of water and fluids. The clinical manifestations such as high fever， chills， and alternating sensations of cold and heat are attributed to pathogenic heat constrained in the shaoyang. Meanwhile， soft tissue edema and serous cavity effusions are due to shaoyang dysfunction and internal water retention. In clinical practice， treating sepsis-related high fever requires addressing both the shaoyang-constrained heat and the associated edema and effusions. The therapeutic approach focuses on harmonizing the shaoyang and resolving internal fluids， using Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Decoction as the base formula with flexible modifications. Professor SHI emphasizes that this formula shows a rapid antipyretic effect， particularly in cases where multiple anti-infective treatments have failed.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of preoperative combined detection of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and prothrombin time-international normalized ratio to albumin ratio (PTAR) for early abdominal infection after liver transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 287 recipients who underwent liver transplantation at the Liver Transplant Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Affiliated to Capital Medical University, from January 2020 to April 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into infection group (n=60) and non-infection group (n=227) based on whether abdominal infection occurred within 30 days after surgery. The distribution characteristics of pathogens and infection time in infected patients were analyzed. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between NLR, PTAR, Child-Pugh score and preoperative model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for abdominal infection. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted for NLR, PTAR, and the combined prediction model to evaluate their predictive efficacy for abdominal infection after liver transplantation. Based on the cutoff value of the combined model, recipients were divided into low-risk and high-risk groups, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the cumulative incidence of abdominal infection within 30 days after surgery between the two groups. Results Among the 287 recipients who underwent liver transplantation, 60 developed bacterial or fungal abdominal infections postoperatively. A total of 86 strains were isolated from infected patients, with Gram-negative bacteria accounting for 58%, Gram-positive bacteria for 36%, and fungi for 5%. Preoperative NLR and PTAR were positively correlated with Child-Pugh and MELD scores (all 1 > r > 0, P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative NLR, preoperative PTAR, postoperative ICU stay duration and postoperative biliary leakage were risk factors for abdominal infection within 30 days after surgery. The area under the curve (AUC) for NLR, PTAR, Child-Pugh score and MELD score were 0.771, 0.735, 0.650 and 0.741, respectively. The AUC for the combined NLR and PTAR prediction model was 0.824 (95% confidence interval: 0.763-0.885, P < 0.001), with a cutoff value of 0.168. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of abdominal infection within 30 days after surgery was lower in the low-risk group than in the high-risk group, with statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). Conclusions Preoperative NLR and PTAR are independent risk factors for abdominal infection within 30 days after liver transplantation. The combined prediction model of NLR and PTAR may effectively identify high-risk recipients for early abdominal infection after liver transplantation, providing basis for early intervention.

This study explored the effect of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb)PE/PPE family protein PE_PGRS37 on the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis(Ms)and macrophage autophagy during Mtb infection.The pe_pgrs37 gene was amplified from Mtb genome through PCR,and the recombinant vector pAIN-PE_PGRS37 was successfully constructed through homologous recombi-nation.pAIN-PE_PGRS37 and pAIN were integrated into Ms through electroshock to construct pAIN-PGRS37/Ms and pAIN/Ms re-combinant bacteria.Western blotting indicated that the PE_PGRS37 protein was correctly expressed in pAIN-PE_PGRS37/Ms.The re-combinant bacteria were inoculated in 7H9/7H10 medium,and their colony morphology and growth curves were observed.No signifi-cant difference in colony morphology was observed between pAIN-PE_PGRS37/Ms and pAIN/Ms.The growth rate significantly in-creased between 10 and 16 h,and a plateau was reached at 26 h.After infection of U937 cells with pAIN-PE_PGRS37/Ms and pAIN/Ms,macrophage autophagy flow was detected with western blotting and immunofluorescence.In the pAIN-PE_PGRS37/Ms-infected group,compared with the pAIN/Ms-infected group,macrophage LC3-II and p62 protein expression was significantly up-regulated(P<0.001)and inhibited autophagosome and lysosome fusion.The intracellular survival of the recombinant bacteria was detected through colony counting,and pAIN-PE_PGRS37/Ms showed significantly greater survival in macrophages at 12 h,24 h,and 48 h than pAIN/Ms(P<0.05).Our results suggested that PE_PGRS37 protein promotes Mycobacterium survival in macrophages by blocking macro-phage autophagy flow,thus inhibiting macrophage autophagy.

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of patent ductus arteriosus(PDA)for the incidence and mortality of neonatal pulmonary hemorrhage(NPH)in infants with a gestational age(GA)of≤32 weeks.Methods Retrospective analysis of clinical data from premature infants with GA≤32 weeks consecutively admitted between January 2021 and June 2024.The analyzed clinical characteristics included GA,birth weight(WT),mode of delivery,diseases experienced by the infants,and maternal perinatal factors.Infants were categorized based on the presence or absence of NPH,and the clinical features of both groups were compared.Furthermore,infants with NPH and hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus(hsPDA)were subdivided according to in-hospital mortality for additional analysis.Results The study included a total of 511 pediatric patients,of whom 92 cases were diagnosed with NPH.NPH was strongly correlated with mechanical ventilation(MV),high-frequency oscil-lation(HFO),hsPDA,disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC),and intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH)(r=0.443,0.407,0.352,0.325,0.310,respectively;all P<0.001).Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS)(grades 3-4),IVH,MV,HFO,DIC,and hsPDA were identified as independent risk factors for NPH in infants≤32 weeks of GA(OR=2.641,2.097,1.065,2.298,5.550,3.820,respectively;all P<0.05).GA,WT,PDA diameter,PDA velocity,left ventricular output(LVO),velocity of the late diastolic a'wave in the left ventricle(LV a'),and neonatal asphyxia(NA)were significant factors influencing NPH combined with hsPDA(all P<0.05).The PDA severity score(PDAsc)was determined to be a risk factor for mortality in infants≤32 weeks of GA with NPH and hsPDA(OR=1.265,95%CI 1.031-1.553,P=0.024).A strong correlation was observed between the predicted probability of death in infants with NPH and PDA and PDAsc(r=0.901,P=0.001).The ROC curve analysis demonstrated that PDAsc served as an ideal predictor of mortality in infants with NPH and PDA(AUC=0.687,P=0.002).Conclusions hsPDA is an independent risk factor for the development of NPH in infants≤32 weeks of GA.Additionally,PDAsc serves as a significant risk factor for mortality in infants≤32 weeks of GA who have both NPH and PDA,indicating a strong correlation and potential predictive value.

Objective:To establish a predictive model of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive breast cancer based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters and multimodal ultrasound.Methods:The medical records of 279 patients with HER2 positive breast cancer admitted to Linyi People’s Hospital, Tai’an Central Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University and Shandong First Medical University affiliated Provincial Hospital from Mar. 2021 to Nov. 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and randomly divided into a training set ( n=223) and a validation set ( n=56) according to the 8∶2 law. All patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with targeted therapy and were divided into non-pathologic complete response (NpCR) and pathologic complete response (pCR) groups according to chemotherapy effect. By comparing MRI parameters and multimodal ultrasound parameters of the two groups, and the pCR risk model after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HER2 positive breast cancer patients was constructed and verified. Results:After 3 cycles of chemotherapy, the incidence of pCR in 223 patients in the training set was 42.15%. Among 56 patients in the validation set, the incidence of pCR was 42.86%. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of pCR group was higher than NpCR group ( P<0.05). The peak systolic flow velocity (PSV), resistance index (RI), maximum radial change rate, area under the curve (AUC) and peak intensity (PI) in pCR group were higher than NpCR group ( P<0.05), and the ultrasound elastic score in pCR group was lower than NpCR group ( P<0.05). ΔADC ( OR=4.141, 95% CI: 1.820-9.421), maximum diameter change rate ( OR=5.212, 95% CI: 2.291-11.857), PI ( OR=4.802, 95% CI: 2.111-10.923) and ultrasonic elasticity score ( OR=6.629, 95% CI: 1.595-8.256) were the influencing factors of pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HER2 positive breast cancer ( P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of pCR predicted by the training set model after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HER2 positive breast cancer were 90.43% (95% CI: 82.15%-95.26%), 91.47% (95% CI: 84.91%-95.45%), and the AUC was 0.904 (95% CI: 0.834-0.968). Validation set model predicted the pCR sensitivity after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HER2 positive breast cancer was 87.50% (95% CI: 66.54%-96.71), specificity was 90.63% (95% CI: 73.83%-97.55%), and AUC was 0.897 (95% CI: 0.821-0.954) . Conclusion:The histogram model based on ΔADC, maximum radial rate of lesion change, PI and ultrasonic elasticity score can be used to evaluate the risk of pCR after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for HER2 positive breast cancer.

Objective To evaluate the predictive value of patent ductus arteriosus(PDA)for the incidence and mortality of neonatal pulmonary hemorrhage(NPH)in infants with a gestational age(GA)of≤32 weeks.Methods Retrospective analysis of clinical data from premature infants with GA≤32 weeks consecutively admitted between January 2021 and June 2024.The analyzed clinical characteristics included GA,birth weight(WT),mode of delivery,diseases experienced by the infants,and maternal perinatal factors.Infants were categorized based on the presence or absence of NPH,and the clinical features of both groups were compared.Furthermore,infants with NPH and hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus(hsPDA)were subdivided according to in-hospital mortality for additional analysis.Results The study included a total of 511 pediatric patients,of whom 92 cases were diagnosed with NPH.NPH was strongly correlated with mechanical ventilation(MV),high-frequency oscil-lation(HFO),hsPDA,disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC),and intraventricular hemorrhage(IVH)(r=0.443,0.407,0.352,0.325,0.310,respectively;all P<0.001).Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(NRDS)(grades 3-4),IVH,MV,HFO,DIC,and hsPDA were identified as independent risk factors for NPH in infants≤32 weeks of GA(OR=2.641,2.097,1.065,2.298,5.550,3.820,respectively;all P<0.05).GA,WT,PDA diameter,PDA velocity,left ventricular output(LVO),velocity of the late diastolic a'wave in the left ventricle(LV a'),and neonatal asphyxia(NA)were significant factors influencing NPH combined with hsPDA(all P<0.05).The PDA severity score(PDAsc)was determined to be a risk factor for mortality in infants≤32 weeks of GA with NPH and hsPDA(OR=1.265,95%CI 1.031-1.553,P=0.024).A strong correlation was observed between the predicted probability of death in infants with NPH and PDA and PDAsc(r=0.901,P=0.001).The ROC curve analysis demonstrated that PDAsc served as an ideal predictor of mortality in infants with NPH and PDA(AUC=0.687,P=0.002).Conclusions hsPDA is an independent risk factor for the development of NPH in infants≤32 weeks of GA.Additionally,PDAsc serves as a significant risk factor for mortality in infants≤32 weeks of GA who have both NPH and PDA,indicating a strong correlation and potential predictive value.