OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Huayu jiedu formula in regulating inflammatory injury in chronic kidney disease （CKD）. METHODS Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham surgery group （10 rats） and a modeling group （40 rats）. The CKD model was replicated in the modeling group by unilateral ureteral obstruction surgery. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into model group， esaxerenone group （positive control）， and TCM low- and high-dose groups， with 10 rats in each group. The Esaxerenone group was given 1 mg/kg of esaxerenone， while the TCM low- and high-dose groups were given 13.7 and 27.4 g/kg of Huayu jiedu formula respectively， the sham surgery group and model group were given an equal volume of physiological saline， all groups were intervened continuously for 14 days. Hematoxylin eosin and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes in rat kidney tissue. Conventional biochemical methods were used to detect serum urea （SUr）， serum creatinine （SCr）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） levels； enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of serum interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）； immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α（PGC-1α） ， mitochondrial transcription factor A （TFAM）， absent in melanoma 2（AIM2）， caspase-1， gasdermin D （GSDMD）， IL-1β and IL-18 in renal tissue； real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of AIM2. RESULTS Compared with the sham surgery group， the renal tissue of the model group showed pathological changes such as glomerular deformation and destruction， severe tubular dilation， and increased deposition of blue fibrin； the levels of SUr， SCr， MDA， IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α，the protein expression of AIM2， GSDMD， caspase-1， IL-1β， IL-18 ， and the mRNA expression of AIM2 were significantly increased or up-regulated （P＜0.01）； the levels of SOD， the protein expression of PGC-1α， TFAM were significantly reduced or down-regulated （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups showed improvement in the above symptoms and most indicators in rats. CONCLUSIONS Huayu jiedu formula may improve renal function， alleviate renal inflammatory damage and pyroptosis， and exert renal protective effects by regulating the AIM2 pyroptosis pathway.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiology features, intervention effects and influencing factors of thrombosis in arteriovenous graft (AVG), and to provide reference for optimizing vascular access scheme in hemodialysis patients.Methods:It was a retrospective study. The clinical and follow-up data of patients with AVG constructed in the Blood Purification Center, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to December 2022 were analyzed. According to whether AVG thrombosis occurred during the follow-up period, they were divided into thrombosis group and non-thrombosis group, and the epidemiology status, influencing factors and patency rates of AVG thrombosis were analyzed. AVG was followed up until June 30, 2023 or abandonment or death of patient or loss of follow-up. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the patency rates of AVG. Log-rank test was used to compare the differences of patency rates between groups. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of AVG thrombosis.Results:The study included 475 AVG from 464 patients, with age of (55.50 ± 11.85) years old, 193 males (40.6%), 185 diabetes patients (38.9%) and dialysis age of 24 (1, 68) months. One hundred and fifty-four AVG (32.4%) had a total of 307 AVG thrombotic events during the follow-up of 602 (380, 920) days, with a standardized incidence of 0.34 times per patient-year. Among them, 60 cases (19.5%, 60/307) had frequent thrombosis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that AVG secondary patency rates at 2-years and 3-years in the thrombosis group and frequent thrombosis subgroup were inferior to those in the non-thrombosis group (84.0% vs. 92.5%, P=0.017; 66.5% vs. 85.7%, P<0.001; 78.9% vs. 92.5%, P=0.030; 54.6% vs. 85.7%, P<0.001). Two hundred and sixty-nine AVG thrombotic events were analyzed to evaluate the treatment effects. Endovascular interventional surgery was used for thrombectomy in 215 cases (79.9%), and hybrid surgery (endovascular interventional surgery combined with surgical incision) was used in 54 cases (20.1%), with a technical success rate of 98.9% (266/269) and a clinical success rate of 98.1% (264/269). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the primary post-intervention patency rates at 90 days and 365 days, respectively (all P>0.05), and there was statistically significant difference in the primary post-intervention patency rate at 180 days (45.1% vs. 26.5%, Z=2.563, P=0.015). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that graft-applied type (intering as the reference, propaten OR=1.953, 95% CI 1.139-3.350, P=0.015; acuseal OR=2.628, 95% CI 1.438-4.800, P=0.002), body mass index < 18.5 kg/m 2 (18.5-24.0 kg/m 2 as the reference, OR=0.291,95% CI 0.090-0.943, P=0.040), serum albumin < 40 g/L ( OR=1.579, 95% CI 1.019-2.445, P=0.041), serum ferritin < 200 μg/L ( OR=1.818, 95% CI 1.162-2.845, P=0.009) and mean arterial pressure < 70 mmHg ( OR=7.180, 95% CI 1.339-38.501, P=0.021) were the independent influencing factors of AVG thrombosis. Conclusions:The incidence of AVG thrombotic events is 0.34 times per patient-year, mainly concentrated in a small number of patients. Thrombosis reduces the secondary patency rate of AVG. AVG thrombosis treatment with endovascular interventional surgery or hybrid surgery has a high technical success rate and a clinical success rate. The thrombosis is related to graft-applied types, nutritional status of patients and mean arterial pressure level.

We aimed to investigate the relationship of dietary zinc intake with new-onset hypertension among Chinese adults. A total of 12,177 participants who were free of hypertension at baseline from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were included. Dietary intake was assessed by three consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Participants with systolic blood pressure ≽ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≽ 90 mmHg or diagnosed by a physician or under antihypertensive treatment during the follow-up were defined as having new-onset hypertension. During a median follow-up duration of 6.1 years, 4269 participants developed new-onset hypertension. Overall, the association between dietary zinc intake and new-onset hypertension followed a J-shape (P for non-linearity < 0.001). The risk of new-onset hypertension significantly decreased with the increment of dietary zinc intake (per mg/day: hazard ratio (HR) 0.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88-0.98) in participants with zinc intake < 10.9 mg/day, and increased with the increment of zinc intake (per mg/day: HR 1.14; 95% CI 1.11-1.16) in participants with zinc intake ≽ 10.9 mg/day. In conclusion, there was a J-shaped association between dietary zinc intake and new-onset hypertension in general Chinese adults, with an inflection point at about 10.9 mg/day.
Adult ; Humans ; Cohort Studies ; Zinc ; Diet ; Hypertension/epidemiology* ; Eating ; China/epidemiology*

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued to spread globally since late 2019, representing a formidable challenge to the world's healthcare systems, wreaking havoc, and spreading rapidly through human contact. With fever, fatigue, and a persistent dry cough being the hallmark symptoms, this disease threatened to destabilize the delicate balance of our global community. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of COVID-19 is a prerequisite for understanding the number of confirmed cases in the world or a region, and an important factor in epidemic assessment and the development of control measures. It also plays a crucial role in ensuring that patients receive the appropriate medical treatment, leading to optimal patient care. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology is currently the most mature method for detecting viral nucleic acids, but it has many drawbacks. Meanwhile, a variety of COVID-19 detection methods, including molecular biological diagnostic, immunodiagnostic, imaging, and artificial intelligence methods have been developed and applied in clinical practice to meet diverse scenarios and needs. These methods can help clinicians diagnose and treat COVID-19 patients. This review describes the variety of such methods used in China, providing an important reference in the field of the clinical diagnosis of COVID-19.
Humans ; Artificial Intelligence ; China ; COVID-19/diagnosis* ; COVID-19 Testing

Objective:To investigate the clinical outcomes of hemodialysis (HD) patients with stent grafts for arteriovenous access complications in real-world.Methods:It was a retrospective cohort study. Clinical data of HD patients treated with stent grafts for arteriovenous access complications from August 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University was collected to analyze target lesion primary patency (TLPP), target lesion primary assisted patency (TLPAP), and access circuit primary patency (ACPP) using the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Log-rank test, and to compare TLPP and mean annual intervention times between pre-stent grafts and post-stent grafts placement.Results:A total of 77 stent grafts in 71 patients were included according to the inclusion criteria, of which 46 (59.7%) were arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and 31 (40.3%) were arteriovenous graft (AVG), with a median follow-up time of 22.4 months. At 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after stent grafts deployment, TLPP was 89.3%, 66.5%, 48.3% and 42.5%, respectively. TLPAP was 94.8%, 90.4%, 78.7% and 75.4%, respectively. And ACPP was 77.2%, 54.3%, 35.2% and 29.0%, respectively. At subgroup analysis, there was no difference in TLPP at the three different sites of central vein, cephalic arch, and AVG venous anastomosis or outflow tract ( χ2=0.086, P=0.808). TLPP was better in the stenosis group than thrombosis or occlusion group, but was not statistically significant ( χ2=2.551, P=0.110). Compared with pre-stent grafts, TLPP improved significantly ( χ2=7.484, P=0.006), the median patency time increased from 16.6 months to 23.2 months, and the mean annual intervention times decreased from 0.99 (0.10, 1.83) to 0.50 (0, 1.45) ( Z=-2.841, P=0.004) after stent grafts placement Conclusion:The TLPP of HD patients with stent grafts for arteriovenous access complications improves significantly, and the mean annual intervention times reduce significantly.

Objective:To investigate the impacts of hierarchical management based on medical alliance on the patency of arteriovenous graft (AVG),and provide a basis for further exploration of optimal AVG management.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, clinical and follow-up data of patients with AVG established in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021 were analyzed. Patients were divided into medical alliance group and non-medical alliance group according to whether they were under hierarchical management model, and the patency rate of AVGs and the incidence of clinical events were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 328 AVGs were included in this study, which were from 151 hemodialysis centers, including 189 AVGs (57.6%) from 72 centers in medical alliance group, and 139 AVGs (42.4%) from 79 centers in non-medical alliance group. The age of the patients was (55.57±11.80) years, among whom 130 (39.6%) were males and 126 (38.4%) were diabetic. The follow-up time of AVGs in this cohort was 15.5 (9.5, 26.2) months, with 15.4 (9.8, 25.2) months in medical alliance group and 15.5 (9.2, 27.3) months in non-medical alliance group. The incidence of thrombosis or occlusion (0.328 times/patient-year), graft dissection (0.007 times/patient-year), graft infection (0.030 times/patient-year), and catheter utilization (0.043 times/patient-year) in the medical alliance group were lower than those in the non-medical alliance group (0.589 times/patient-year, 0.040 times/patient-year, 0.054 times/patient-year and 0.147 times/patient-year, respectively), and there was no significant difference in clinic follow-up rates between the two group (1.91 times/patient-year vs. 1.94 times/patient-year). The median primary patency time was 17.4 (95% CI 11.3-23.5) months, the median primary assisted patency time was 32.6 (95% CI 25.0-40.2) months, and the median secondary patency time was 47.9 (95% CI 40.0-55.8) months in the medical alliance group, compared with 12.3 (95% CI 9.4-15.2) months, 19.4 (95% CI 14.3-24.5) months, and 34.6 (95% CI 29.3-39.9) months in the non-medical alliance group, respectively. Primary patency were significantly higher in the medical alliance group (77.4%, 62.2%, 39.9%, and 26.6%) than those in the non-medical alliance group (71.1%, 50.1%, 30.6%, and 13.4%) at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months (Log-rank test, χ2=4.504, P=0.034). Primary assisted patency were significantly higher in the medical alliance group (90.9%, 84.3%, 67.1%, and 46.1%) than those in the non-medical alliance group (89.2%, 75.7%, 42.0%, and 16.6%) at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months (Log-rank test, χ2=10.655, P=0.001). Secondary patency were significantly higher in the medical alliance group (96.8%, 91.8%, 84.2%, and 74.0%) than those in the non-medical alliance group (89.9%, 85.8%, 69.3%, and 47.5%) at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months (Log-rank test, χ2=11.634, P=0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that it was a protective factor for primary patency ( HR=0.708, 95% CI 0.512-0.980, P=0.037), primary assisted patency ( HR=0.506, 95% CI 0.342-0.749, P=0.001) and secondary patency ( HR=0.432, 95% CI 0.261-0.716, P=0.001) under the medical alliance model. Conclusion:The hierarchical management based on medical alliances can improve the patency of AVGs and reduce the incidence of clinical events.

Objective:To study the incidence and risk factors of central vein stenosis (CVS) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients who received arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation for the first time, as well as effects of CVS on patency of ipsilateral AVF.Methods:It was a retrospective study. The CKD patients who received AVF creation for the first time in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to August 2020, with central vein digital subtraction angiography (DSA) results prior to angioplasty were selected as the study subjects. The differences of incidence of CVS in CKD patients with/without a history of cervical catheterization and primary patency rates of AVF between CVS and non-CVS groups were compared. Logistic regression analysis method was applied to analyze the influencing factors of CVS in CKD patients. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the primary patency rate of AVF. Cox regression analysis method was used to analyze the effect of CVS on the primary patency of ipsilateral AVF.Results:A total of 283 CKD patients aged (50.45±14.76) years were enrolled in the study, including 165 males (58.3%). The dialysis age was 0.5 (0, 7.0) months. There were 55 patients (19.4%) diagnosed with CVS before AVF, including 39 patients with stenosis <50% and 16 patients with stenosis ≥50%. The incidence of CVS in patients with history of right internal jugular vein central venous catheter insertion was significantly higher than that in those without this history [60.5% (26/43) vs. 9.9% (15/151), χ2=51.274, P<0.001]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that hemodialysis catheters indwelling time ≥3 months elevated the risk of CVS ( OR=4.345, 95% CI 1.540-12.263, P=0.006). A subset of 268 patients who had AVF creation ipsilateral to CVS were analyzed to determine the effects of CVS on patency of AVF. The median follow-up time was 34 months. The primary patency rate of AVF in the moderate to severe CVS group was significantly lower than that in the non-CVS group (5/7 vs. 58/228, χ2=7.720, P=0.005). The primary patency rates of AVF in the subclavian vein stenosis group and superior vena cava stenosis group were significantly lower than those in the brachiocephalic vein stenosis group (4/5 vs. 8/27, χ 2=6.974, P=0.008; 6/8 vs. 8/27, χ 2=6.908, P=0.009, respectively). Moderate to severe CVS and combined diabetes were independent influencing factors of primary patency of AVF ( HR=4.362, 95% CI 1.644-11.574, P=0.003; HR=2.682, 95% CI 1.624-4.431, P<0.001, respectively). Conclusions:The incidence of CVS is higher in CKD patients who establish an arteriovenous fistula for the first time. Hemodialysis catheter indwelling time ≥3 months is an independent risk factor of CVS. The moderate to severe CVS is an independent risk factor of primary patency of AVF.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors for catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) in hemodialysis (HD) patients with tunnel-cuffed catheter (TCC) and construct a risk prediction model for the prevention and treatment of catheter infection.Methods:It was a retrospective study. Patients who had their TCC removed in Hemodialysis Access Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July to December 2020 were randomly divided into a training set (for model building) and a validation set (for model validation) in the ratio of 7∶3. The training set was divided into CRBSI group and non-CRBSI group with reference to the 2019 Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative clinical practice guidelines for vascular access, and the risk factors for the occurrence of CRBSI were analyzed. The odds ratio ( OR) values of the variables in the multivariate logistic regression analysis were applied to construct a risk prediction model, and the assessment ability of the model was validated in the validation set. Results:A total of 254 HD patients were included. The training set consisted of 179 patients with male-to-female ratio of 1.36∶1, age of (55.81±15.95) years old, median dialysis age of 18(8, 27) months, median TCC retention time of 15(5, 24) months, and 40 patients with confirmed CRBSI. Logistic regression analysis showed that, combined diabetes ( OR=2.711, 95% CI 1.174-6.258, P=0.019), history of catheter-related infection within 3 months ( OR=3.674, 95% CI 1.541-8.760, P=0.003), more than 4 times nursing interventions within 1 month ( OR=3.128, 95% CI 1.343-7.283, P=0.008), and central venous disease ( OR=2.572, 95% CI 1.130-5.854, P=0.024) were the independent influencing factors for CRBSI occurrence in HD patients with TCC. The OR values of the variables in the multivariate logistic regression were rounded to the assigned scores of the risk prediction model. The corresponding scores of each factor were summed in the training set to obtain the risk score. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted, with area under the curve ( AUC) of 0.761(0.683-0.839) and maximum Youden index of 0.461, at which time the corresponding cut-off value was 6, with sensitivity of 90.0% and specificity of 56.1%. The model was validated in the validation set with AUC of 0.794(0.674-0.914) and cut-off value of 6, with sensitivity of 61.6% and specificity of 82.5%. Conclusions:Combined diabetes, history of catheter-related infection within 3 months, more than 4 times nursing interventions within 1 month, and central venous disease are the independent risk factors for CRBSI, and the prediction model based on the above factors has good efficacy in predicting the risk of CRBSI and can provide guidance for the prevention and treatment of CRBSI in HD patients.

Objective:To investigate the patency rates and risk factors of arteriovenous graft (AVG), and provide a clinical guidance for further optimization of vascular access selection and improvement of dialysis quality.Methods:This was a retrospective study. The clinical and follow-up data of patients who received AVG in the Blood Purification Center, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021 were selected. Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox regression model were used to analyze the patency rates and risk factors of AVG.Results:A total of 381 cases with AVG were included, with 154 cases (40.4%) of males, age of (55.5±11.8) years old, and 140 cases (36.7%) of diabetes. The median time of primary patency was 377.00(95% CI 314.26-439.74) days, and the primary patency rates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 51.0%, 30.7%, and 15.4%, respectively. The median time of primary assisted patency was 839.00(95% CI 668.89-1 009.11) days, and the primary assisted patency rates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 78.3%, 56.4%, and 39.1%, respectively. The secondary patency rates at 1, 2, and 3 years were 96.7%, 90.1%, and 78.5%, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that anastomotic vein types of basilic vein and cephalic vein (median cubital vein as a reference, HR=1.869, 95% CI 1.124-3.107, P=0.016; HR=2.110, 95% CI 1.176-3.786, P=0.012) and the diameter of anastomotic vein<3.5 mm ( HR=1.411, 95% CI 1.020-1.952, P=0.037) were the independent influencing factors for abnormal primary patency of AVG. Males ( HR=1.680, 95% CI 1.127-2.503, P=0.011), mean arterial pressure<70 mmHg ( HR=3.228, 95% CI 1.109-9.394, P=0.032), Acuseal graft type (Intering as a reference, HR=1.884, 95% CI 1.185-2.994, P=0.007), anastomotic vein type of cephalic vein (median cubital vein as a reference, HR=2.817, 95% CI 1.328-5.977, P=0.007), the diameter of anastomotic vein<3.5 mm ( HR=1.555, 95% CI 1.048-2.306, P=0.028), serum phosphorus ≤1.78 mmol/L (1.13-1.78 mmol/L />1.78 mmol/L, HR=1.737, 95% CI 1.111-2.716, P=0.015;<1.13 mmol/L />1.78 mmol/L, HR=2.162, 95% CI 1.072- 4.362, P=0.031), and ferritin<200 μg/L ( HR=1.850, 95% CI 1.231-2.780, P=0.003) were the independent influencing factors for abnormal primary assisted patency of AVG. Serum albumin<40 g/L ( HR=2.165, 95% CI 1.096-4.275, P=0.026) was an independent influencing factor for abnormal secondary patency of AVG. Conclusions:The primary patency rates of AVG at 1, 2, and 3 years were 51.0%, 30.7%, and 15.4%, respectively. The secondary patency rates of AVG at 1, 2, and 3 years were 96.7%, 90.1%, and 78.5%, respectively. Anastomotic vein types of cephalic vein and basilic vein, and internal diameter<3.5 mm are the independent risk factors for abnormal primary patency of AVG. Anastomotic vein type of cephalic vein and internal diameter<3.5 mm are the independent risk factors for abnormal assisted primary patency of AVG. Serum albumin<40 g/L is an independent risk factor for abnormal secondary patency of AVG. It is suggested that systematic preoperative evaluation and good nutritional status of patients are important to maintain long-term patency of the AVG.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between indicators of carotid atherosclerosis and onset of ischemic stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).Methods:This is a case-control study, a total of 397 NVAF patients with newly diagnosed ischemic stroke (case group) and 3 038 NVAF patients without ischemic stroke (control group) from January 2015 to December 2017 were included in the study. Differences in general clinical features and carotid atherosclerosis indexes between the two groups were compared. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to analyze the correlation between carotid atherosclerosis indexes and ischemic stroke.Results:Proportions of patients with carotid intima thickening, carotid plaque, stable plaque, unstable plaque, and moderate to severe stenosis were higher in the ischemic stroke group than those in the control group (82.1% vs. 64.4%, 69.3% vs. 50.3%, 43.6% vs. 30.6%, 25.7% vs. 19.7%, and 7.3% vs. 4.0%, respectively, all P <0.05). After adjustment of age, gender, heart failure, hypertension, low density lipoprotein -cholesterol and drug use, multivariate analyses showed that subjects with carotid intima thickening, carotid plaque, stable plaque, unstable plaque, moderate to severe stenosis had 1.766, 2.111, 1.892, 2.256 and 1.824 times the risk for the development of ischemic stroke compared with the subjects without any carotid atherosclerosis indicators. Conclusion:Carotid atherosclerosis, especially with unstable carotid plaque, is associated with ischemic stroke in patients with NVAF.