OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of chronic disseminated candidiasis (CDC) in children with acute leukemia (AL) following chemotherapy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on children diagnosed with CDC (including confirmed, clinically diagnosed, and suspected cases) after AL chemotherapy from January 2015 to December 2023 at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital, and Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University. Clinical characteristics and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: The incidence of CDC in children with AL following chemotherapy was 1.92% (32/1 668). Among the children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the incidence of CDC in the high-risk group was significantly higher than in the low-risk group (P=0.002). All patients presented with fever unresponsive to antibiotics during the neutropenic period, with 81% (26/32) involving the liver. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly elevated (≥50 mg/L) in 97% (31/32) of the patients. The efficacy of combined therapy with liposomal amphotericin B and caspofungin or posaconazole for CDC was 66% (19/29), higher than with caspofungin (9%, 2/22) or liposomal amphotericin B (18%, 2/11) monotherapy. The overall cure rate was 72% (23/32). The proportion of patients with CRP ≥50 mg/L and/or a positive β-D-glucan test for more than 2 weeks and breakthrough infections during caspofungin treatment was significantly higher in the treatment failure group compared to the successful treatment group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS CDC in children with AL after chemotherapy may be associated with prolonged neutropenia due to intensive chemotherapy. Combination antifungal regimens based on liposomal amphotericin B have a higher cure rate, while persistently high CRP levels and positive β-D-glucan tests may indicate poor prognosis.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use* ; Candidiasis/diagnosis* ; Chronic Disease ; Leukemia/complications* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/complications* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

Eightly-four novel thioheterocyclic nucleoside derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. Most of the compounds inhibited the growth of HCT116 and HeLa cancer cells in vitro, among them 33a and 36b exhibited potent activity against HCT116 cells (IC₅₀ = 0.27 and 0.49 μmol/L, respectively). Both compounds 33a and 36b inhibited cell metastasis, arrested the cell cycle in the G₂/M phase, and induced apoptosis in vitro. Mechanistic studies revealed that 33a and 36b increased ROS levels, led to DNA damage, ER stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction, and inhibited autophagy in HCT116 cells. Biological information analysis, RNA-sequencing, Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay, cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), and SPR experiments identified that compounds 33a and 36b showed antitumor activity by suppressing the c-MYC pathway. c-MYC silencing assays indicated that c-MYC proteins participated in 33a-mediated anticancer activities in HCT116 cells. More importantly, compound 33a presented favorable pharmacokinetic properties in mice (T _1/2 = 6.8 h) and showed significant antitumor efficacy in vivo without obvious toxicity, showing promising potential for further clinical development.

AIM: To investigate the clinical efficacy of pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)combined with fovea-sparing internal limiting membrane(ILM)peeling and silicone oil(SO)tamponade for treating pathological myopic foveoschisis(PMF).METHODS:This study is a retrospective observational analysis of 10 cases(10 eyes)diagnosed with PMF that underwent PPV with fovea-sparing ILM peeling and SO tamponade between January 2023 and November 2024. The best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central foveal thickness(CFT), foveoschisis(FS), and the detachment and reattachment of FS and macular fovea were assessed preoperatively and at 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo postoperatively.RESULTS:Among the 10 cases of PMF patients(10 eyes), the complete reattachment rate was 30%(3 eyes), while partial reattachment was observed in 70%(7 eyes). At 3 mo postoperatively, BCVA(LogMAR)was significantly improved to 0.957±0.393 compared with 1.432±0.509 before surgery(P<0.05), and both CFT(437.9±180.4 vs. 207.5±76.1 μm)and FS(686.5±172.2 vs. 290.7±86.6 μm)showed significant decreases(P<0.05). No complications such as macular hole, retinal detachment, silicone oil emulsification, or endophthalmitis were observed during the surgery or throughout the follow-up period.CONCLUSION:PPV with SO tamponade and fovea-sparing ILM peeling has been demonstrated to facilitate both visual acuity improvement and anatomical reattachment in cases of PMF.

Aim To evaluate the in vitro anti-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)effects of six batches of Rhizoma Pinelliae(RP)ethanol extracts by the technique for order preference by similarity to an i-deal solution(TOPSIS),so as to establish a new method for comprehensive quality evaluation of RP.Methods Cigarette smoke extract(CSE)and lipopo-lysaccharide(LPS)were utilized to establish an airway inflammation model of Beas-2b human normal lung cells.MTT assay was employed to determine the toxici-ty and pharmacological concentrations of Pinellia Ter-nata(PT)and six different batches RP of their ethanol extracts.EC50 and IC50 values were calculated accord-ingly.Additionally,relevant markers were assessed u-sing qRT-PCR and the superoxide dismutase(SOD)assay kit.Finally,a comprehensive evaluation invol-ving multiple indices was performed using the TOPSIS method for both PT and the six batches of RP extracts.Results According to the IC50 values of seven differ-ent Pinellia ternata,the toxicity ranking was as fol-lows:PT＞RP④＞RP①＞RP⑤＞RP③＞RP⑥＞RP ②.On the other hand,the expressions of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 were down-regulated in the treatment group compared with those of the model group by qRT-PCR.In addition,the levels of SOD de-creased in all groups after treatment.All the data were normalized and the comprehensive ranking results were obtained through TOPSIS analysis as follows:RP⑥＞RP⑤＞RP②＞RP①＞RP③＞RP④＞PT.Con-clusions The ethanol extracts of different Rhizoma Pinelliae varieties all demonstrate the capacity to sup-press inflammation and oxidative stress induced by LPS and CSE.The comprehensive evaluation indicates that the quality of the ⑥ batch of RP shows the highest quality.Moreover,the TOPSIS method can serve as an assessment approach for medicinal materials,offering a pathway for controling the varying quality of herbal ma-terials available in the market.

A method for simultaneous determination of 21 kinds of Aconitum alkaloids(ATS)in biological specimens and infused liquor using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)was developed.The biological samples were pretreated with methanol-acetonitrile(1∶2,V/V)for protein precipitation,while infused liquors were diluted 100-fold with acetonitrile,followed by centrifugation,and filtration by a 0.22-μm membrane.Chromatographic separation was carried out on an EC-C18 column using gradient elution with the mixture of 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate and 0.2%formic acid as mobile phase A and acetonitrile as mobile phase B.With this method,all the analytes were separated within 9.5 min.The samples were detected in positive ESI mode with dynamic multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)and quantified via external standard calibration.The results showed that the concentrations of the analytes in the range of 2-1000 ng/mL had excellent linearity(R2>0.9992)with the peak area.The developed method was successfully used for detection of 21 kinds of aconitum alkaloids,with limits of detection of 0.5-2 ng/mL,quantification limits of 2-6 ng/mL,intra/inter-day precision≤6.0%,spiked recoveries of 89.4%-100.9%,extraction recoveries of 74.2%-104.4%,and matrix effects ranging from-11.1%to 9.2%in blood/urine.The method was applied to detection of 12 samples from 4 fatal aconite poisoning cases,and all 21 kinds of ATS with total alkaloid concentrations of 0.04-4.18 μg/mL in blood and 154.96-422.83 μg/mL in medicinal liquors were detected.Tissue distribution revealed that the order of concentrations from highest to lowest is as follows:urine(157.22 μg/mL)>gastric contents(51.37 μg/mL)>kidney(21.6 μg/g)>whole blood(4.18 μg/mL)>liver(0.03 μg/g).This method showed many advantages such as simple pretreatment,low detection limits,accurate quantification,broad analyte coverage,and superior anti-interference capability in complex matrices,proving ideal for forensic and toxicological analysis of aconitum alkaloids.

AIM To investigate the protective effect of Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills against house dust mite(HDM)-induced allergic asthma in mice.METHODS Compared to the intact BALB/c mice in the blank control group,the BALB/c mice randomly assigned into the model group,the dexamethasone group(0.67 mg/kg),and the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills groups(15,30 and 60 mg/kg),were induced into acute allergic asthma models via weekly intraperitoneal sensitization with 0.1 mL HDM solution(0.5 mg/mL)for three weeks followed by three consecutive daily intranasal challenges with 10 μL HDM solution(2.5 mg/mL)starting in the third week.The drug administered continuously 7 days after the last excitation.The mice had their airway reactive Penh value detected,their pulmonary pathological changes observed by HE staining,their blood eosinophils(EOS)counted,their Th2 cytokines in lung tissue and serum IgE levels detected by ELISA,and their number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)and pulmonary Th2 cells detected by flow cytometry.Chronic allergic asthma was induced in grouped BALB/c mice through repeated intranasal challenges with 10 μL HDM solution(2.5 mg/mL)administered five times weekly for five consecutive weeks.Drug treatment continued for 14 days following the final challenge.After the final treatment,the mice had their pulmonary pathological changes observed by HE staining,and their levels of Th2 cytokines in B ALF and lung tissue and serum IgE detected by ELISA.RESULTS Compared to the blank control group,the acute allergic asthma model group exhibited increases in Penh value,EOS count and IgE level in serum,IL-4 and IL-5 levels in lung tissue(P＜0.01);obvious pulmonary inflammatory cells infiltration,and thickened airway wall;and increase in pulmonary number of Th2 cells(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills demonstrated decreased Penh value,serum EOS count,IgE level and IL-5 level in lung tissue(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and alleviated airway wall thickening;and decreased number of pulmonary Th2 cells.Compared to the blank group,the chronic allergic asthma model group showed obvious pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and airway wall thickening;and increased EOS count and IgE level in serum,IL-4 and IL-13 in lung tissue and IL-14 in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with either medium-dose or high-dose Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills demonstrated reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration;and decreased serum EOS count,IgE level,IL-13 in lung tissue and IL-14 in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills reduce Th2 cells in peripheral blood and lung tissue,suppress type 2 inflammation,and thereby alleviate allergic asthma.

Aim To evaluate the in vitro anti-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)effects of six batches of Rhizoma Pinelliae(RP)ethanol extracts by the technique for order preference by similarity to an i-deal solution(TOPSIS),so as to establish a new method for comprehensive quality evaluation of RP.Methods Cigarette smoke extract(CSE)and lipopo-lysaccharide(LPS)were utilized to establish an airway inflammation model of Beas-2b human normal lung cells.MTT assay was employed to determine the toxici-ty and pharmacological concentrations of Pinellia Ter-nata(PT)and six different batches RP of their ethanol extracts.EC50 and IC50 values were calculated accord-ingly.Additionally,relevant markers were assessed u-sing qRT-PCR and the superoxide dismutase(SOD)assay kit.Finally,a comprehensive evaluation invol-ving multiple indices was performed using the TOPSIS method for both PT and the six batches of RP extracts.Results According to the IC50 values of seven differ-ent Pinellia ternata,the toxicity ranking was as fol-lows:PT＞RP④＞RP①＞RP⑤＞RP③＞RP⑥＞RP ②.On the other hand,the expressions of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 were down-regulated in the treatment group compared with those of the model group by qRT-PCR.In addition,the levels of SOD de-creased in all groups after treatment.All the data were normalized and the comprehensive ranking results were obtained through TOPSIS analysis as follows:RP⑥＞RP⑤＞RP②＞RP①＞RP③＞RP④＞PT.Con-clusions The ethanol extracts of different Rhizoma Pinelliae varieties all demonstrate the capacity to sup-press inflammation and oxidative stress induced by LPS and CSE.The comprehensive evaluation indicates that the quality of the ⑥ batch of RP shows the highest quality.Moreover,the TOPSIS method can serve as an assessment approach for medicinal materials,offering a pathway for controling the varying quality of herbal ma-terials available in the market.

AIM To investigate the protective effect of Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills against house dust mite(HDM)-induced allergic asthma in mice.METHODS Compared to the intact BALB/c mice in the blank control group,the BALB/c mice randomly assigned into the model group,the dexamethasone group(0.67 mg/kg),and the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills groups(15,30 and 60 mg/kg),were induced into acute allergic asthma models via weekly intraperitoneal sensitization with 0.1 mL HDM solution(0.5 mg/mL)for three weeks followed by three consecutive daily intranasal challenges with 10 μL HDM solution(2.5 mg/mL)starting in the third week.The drug administered continuously 7 days after the last excitation.The mice had their airway reactive Penh value detected,their pulmonary pathological changes observed by HE staining,their blood eosinophils(EOS)counted,their Th2 cytokines in lung tissue and serum IgE levels detected by ELISA,and their number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)and pulmonary Th2 cells detected by flow cytometry.Chronic allergic asthma was induced in grouped BALB/c mice through repeated intranasal challenges with 10 μL HDM solution(2.5 mg/mL)administered five times weekly for five consecutive weeks.Drug treatment continued for 14 days following the final challenge.After the final treatment,the mice had their pulmonary pathological changes observed by HE staining,and their levels of Th2 cytokines in B ALF and lung tissue and serum IgE detected by ELISA.RESULTS Compared to the blank control group,the acute allergic asthma model group exhibited increases in Penh value,EOS count and IgE level in serum,IL-4 and IL-5 levels in lung tissue(P＜0.01);obvious pulmonary inflammatory cells infiltration,and thickened airway wall;and increase in pulmonary number of Th2 cells(P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills demonstrated decreased Penh value,serum EOS count,IgE level and IL-5 level in lung tissue(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and alleviated airway wall thickening;and decreased number of pulmonary Th2 cells.Compared to the blank group,the chronic allergic asthma model group showed obvious pulmonary inflammatory infiltration and airway wall thickening;and increased EOS count and IgE level in serum,IL-4 and IL-13 in lung tissue and IL-14 in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with either medium-dose or high-dose Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills demonstrated reduced pulmonary inflammatory infiltration;and decreased serum EOS count,IgE level,IL-13 in lung tissue and IL-14 in BALF(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Sanfeng Tongqiao Dropping Pills reduce Th2 cells in peripheral blood and lung tissue,suppress type 2 inflammation,and thereby alleviate allergic asthma.

Objective:To evaluate the application effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction(MBSR)therapy on the patients treated with image fusion-guided transperineal prostate biopsy.Methods:A total of 160 patients who underwent image fusion-guided transperineal prostate biopsy in the Urology Department from April 2023 to April 2024 were included.Patients were randomly assigned to a control group and an observation group,with 80 cases in each group.The control group received routine care,while the observa-tion group received combined MBSR on the basis of routine care.The surgical indicators,pain levels,psychological states,nursing satisfaction,and postoperative complication rates of both groups were compared.Results:There was no statistically significant differ-ence in general personal information and clinical data between the two groups(P＞0.05).The surgery duration,secondary fusion rate,and postoperative complication rate in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group([23.54±2.07]min vs[26.25±1.69]min,P＜0.05;8.75％vs 22.50％,P=0.017;17％vs 29％,P=0.036),and nursing satisfaction was higher in the observation group than in the control group(77％vs 69％,P=0.025).The VAS scores biopsy(5.11±0.93 vs 6.27±1.32,P=0.041),discharge(0.74±0.67 vs 1.85±0.95,P=0.004),and scores of SDS(47.76±2.06 vs 50.46±2.07,P=0.009)and SAS(46.89±2.68 vs 49.75±2.83,P=0.031)in the observation group were all lower than those in the control group.Conclusion:The application of MBSR in image fusion-guided prostate biopsy can synergistically utilize the advantages of minimally in-vasive technology,significantly optimize surgical indicators,and improve patients' psychological experiences,which is worthy of clinical application and promotion.

Objective:To analyze the incidence of abnormal hemoglobin(Hb)in neonates in Guangzhou area,as well as the results of quantitative analysis of Hb in neonatal umbilical cord blood and genetic diagnosis of thalassemia in neonates with abnormal Hb;And to explore the hematological phenotypes and clinical characteristics of neonates with abnormal Hb and their parents,providing a reference for eugenics and childcare.Methods:650 neonates born at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital who underwent Hb electrophoresis were included in this study.The results of routine blood test of umbilical cord blood,Hb electrophoresis and α-,β-thalassemia gene detection of the neonates were collected.The genotype distribution of thalassemia in the neonates was analyzed.Additionally,the abnormal Hb content of α and β variants was studied.Furthermore,the differences in hematological parameters between abnormal Hb neonates and normal neonates and α-thalassemia neonates,as well as between the parents of abnormal Hb neonates and normal adults were compared.Results:Among the 650 neonates,332(51.08％)were diagnosed with thalassemia,including 235 cases of α-thalassemia(36.15％),79 cases of β-thalassemia(12.15％),and 18 cases of compound α β-thalassemia(2.77％).Among all the α-thalassemia genotypes,the most prevalent one was--SEA/α α(48.94％),followed by-α3.7/α α(20.00％),-α42/α α(11.06％),and α α CS/α α(8.94％).The four most common genotypes of β-thalassemia were β CD41-42(32.91％),βIVS-Ⅱ-654(26.58％),β-28(21.52％),and β E(10.13％),respectively.275 cases of abnormal bands were found in Hb electrophoresis of umbilical cord blood,with a detection rate of 42.31％.The abnormal Hb content ofα-variant in the neonates was significantly higher than that of β-variant(P＜0.001).The levels of Hb,MCV,MCH,Hb A,and Hb F in neonates with abnormal Hb were lower than those in normal neonates,while the RDW-CV was higher than that in normal neonates,with statistical significantce(P＜0.05).The levels of RBC and Hb A in neonates with abnormal Hb were lower than those in neonates with α-thalassemia,while the level of MCH was higher than that in neonats withα-thalassemia,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).The levels of Hb,MCV,MCH,and Hb A in parents of neonates with abnormal Hb were lower than those in normal adults,while the RDW-CV was higher than that in normal adults,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The abnormal Hb content of α-variant in the neonates is significantly higher than that of β-variant in the neonates in Guangzhou,which can help to presume whether it isα chain or β chain based on the abnormal Hb content,providing a reference for globin gene sequencing.Meanwhile,analysis of various hematological screening-related indicators in neonates in the early stage is beneficial for early warning of the occurrence of abnormal Hb combined with thalassemia,reducing missed diagnoses to a certain extent.