BACKGROUND: Inflammation plays a critical role in severe cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) pathogenesis, but the benefits of anti-inflammatory therapies remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between steroid therapy combined with anticoagulation and the prognosis of acute/subacute severe CVT patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study enrolled patients with acute/subacute severe CVT at Xuanwu Hospital (July 2020-January 2024). Patients were allocated into steroid and non-steroid groups based on the treatment they received. Functional outcomes (modified Rankin scale [mRS]) were evaluated at admission, discharge, and 6 months after discharge. Serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-6, and intracranial pressure were measured at admission and discharge in the steroid group. Fundoscopic Frisén grades were assessed at admission and 6 months after discharge. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluat associations between steroid use and favorable outcomes (mRS ≤2) at the 6-month follow-up. Paired tests assessed changes in hs-CRP and other variables before and after treatment, and Spearman's correlations were used to analyze relationships between these changes and functional improvements. RESULTS: A total of 107 and 58 patients in the steroid and non-steroid groups, respectively, were included in the analysis. Compared with the non-steroid group, the steroid group had a higher likelihood of achieving an mRS score of 0-2 (93.5% vs . 82.5%, odds ratio [OR] = 2.98, P  = 0.037) at the 6-month follow-up. After adjusting for confounding factors, the result remained consistent. Pulsed steroid therapy did not increase mortality during hospitalization or follow-up, nor did it lead to severe steroid-related complications (all P  >0.05). Patients in the steroid group showed a significant reduction in serum hs-CRP, IL-6, CSF IL-6, and intracranial pressure at discharge compared to at admission, as well as a significant reduction in the fundoscopic Frisén grade at the 6-month follow-up compare to at admission (all P  <0.001). A reduction in serum inflammatory marker levels during hospitalization positively correlated with improvements in functional outcomes ( P  <0.05). CONCLUSION: Short-term steroid use may be an effective and safe adjuvant therapy for acute/subacute severe CVT when used alongside standard anticoagulant treatments, which are likely due to suppression of the inflammatory response. However, these findings require further validation in randomized controlled trials. TRAIL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT05990894.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Anticoagulants/therapeutic use* ; C-Reactive Protein/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Intracranial Thrombosis/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Steroids/therapeutic use* ; Venous Thrombosis/drug therapy*

Objective To investigate the role of mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein(MAVS)in viral infection-triggered generalized pustular psoriasis(GPP)in children.Methods This retrospective case-control study enrolled 80 GPP patients aged 0～18 years from Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University(from October 2013 to April 2019).Whole-exome sequencing identified rare MAVS variants associated with GPP.Pathogenicity of variants was predicted using Mutation Taster,Disease Association,SIFT,and CADD bioinformatics tools.Sanger sequencing validated variants,followed by construction of wild-type(WT)and mutant MAVS expression plasmids transfected into HEK 293 cells.Protein expression was assessed by Western blot.Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays measured IFNB1 and NF-κB transcriptional activity.Genotype distribution of the MAVS c.171dupT/p.H57fs variant was analyzed using Fisher's exact test.Results This study enrolled 80 pediatric GPP patients(aged 0～18 years).Whole-exome sequencing identified five rare MAVS variants,with bioinformatics analyses predicting deleterious effects on protein stability and function.Western blot demonstrated that the c.171dupT mutation in GPP patients significantly reduced full-length MAVS expression(P<0.001);dual-luciferase assays further revealed this variant impaired MAVS-mediated IFNB1 transcriptional activation by 85%(P<0.001),abrogated NF-κB signaling pathway activation(P<0.001),but exhibited no dominant-negative effect on wild-type MAVS function(P>0.05).Conclusion The MAVS c.171dupT frameshift variant may contribute to infection-triggered GPP in children,suggesting its potential as a genetic biomarker for GPP susceptibility.

Objective To establish a pediatric rare disease catalog,analyze the current status of therapeutic drugs and their coverage of the medical insurance in China,and propose strategies to enhance drug accessibility.Methods Pediatric rare diseases were identified from China's two national rare disease catalogs combined with the EU Orphanet database,US FDA orphan drug database,and the Diagnosis and Treatment Standards for Rare Diseases in Children.We created a specialized drug catalog for pediatric rare diseases,then analyzed drug types(ATC classification),pricing,and medical insurance coverage using descriptive statistics based on Yaozhi.com drug bidding prices and the 2024 Drug of List National Basic Medical Insurance(NBMIDL).Drug affordability was assessed through annual treatment cost calculations.Results The national catalogs included 151 pediatric rare diseases(72.95%of listed conditions),spanning 13 disease systems.We identified 94 dedicated orphan drugs(by generic name)for these conditions,among which 43 were approved internationally but unavailable in China.The average unit price per package was 6 113.53 yuan.Overall NBMIDL coverage was 68.83%,but drugs priced above 7 000 yuan per unit had only 7.69%coverage.Annual treatment costs reached 4.54 million for laronidase(mucopolysaccharidosis).Conclusions Critical gaps persist in China's pediatric rare disease treatment landscape,including catalog deficiencies,inadequate coverage for high-cost drugs and insufficient domestic innovation.It is recommended to establish a list of orphan drugs for pediatric rare diseases,accelerate the import of foreign drugs and the local innovative drugs through policy incentives,optimizing medical insurance reimbursement mechanisms for pediatric rare disease drugs to comprehensively improve therapeutic accessibility.

A quadruplex RT-qPCR method was developed for rapid identification and diagnosis of transmissible gastroenteritis virus(TGEV)of swine,porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),porcine deltacorona virus(PDCoV),and porcine rotavirus type A(PoRVA).The full-length sequences of PEDV(77 strains),TGEV(63 strains),PDCoV(17 strains)that are prevalent in China,as well as the 85 VP6 gene sequences of PoRVA,were downloaded from the NCBI database for homology analysis.Based on the relatively conserved sequences,the corresponding primers and probes for each virus were designed and used to establish the quadruplex RT-qPCR method.After optimization of the probes and the reaction conditions,the specificity,sensitivity,and repeatability were determined.Using the established method,109 clinical samples of diarrhea were tested and further compared with the results by standard method.The results showed that the quadruplex RT-qPCR method established in this experiment has good amplification effect,with the C,value linearly correlated with the copies of templates(R2＞0.99).Specificity assay demonstrated that the quadruplex RT-qPCR method can identify TGEV,PEDV,PDCoV,PRoVA strains,and do not de-tect African swine fever virus(ASFV),porcine circovirus type 2(PCV2),porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV),classical swine fever virus(CSFV),pseudorabies virus(PRV)and other epidemic viruses.Sensitivity assay showed that the detection limits for TGEV,PEDV,PDCoV and PoRVA were 10,20,20 and 50 copies/μL,respectively.The method exhibits excellent reproducibility,with coefficients of variation(Cv)for both intra-and inter-assay repli-cates being less than 1％.Detection of 109 samples of diarrhea by this method yielded the coinci-dence rate of 100％with the industry standard,indicating high practical applicability.The devel-oped method possesses the advantages of strong strain compatibility,high sensitivity,strong speci-ficity,good repeatability and stability.It is suitable for virus diagnosis and large-scale clinical sam-ple testing,providing technical support for disease prevention and control as well as epidemiologi-cal investigation.

Background::Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with adverse metabolic outcomes during adulthood. Histone modifications and changes in DNA methylation-affected genes are important for fetal development. This study aimed to investigate the epigenetic mechanisms in IUGR.Methods::IUGR models were established in Sprague–Dawley rats using a maternal nutritional restriction approach during pregnancy. The abundance of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), AKT serine/threonine kinase 2 (AKT2), and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α) was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting analysis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation RT-PCR was employed to analyze histone modification in CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) 1–4 binding sites of the Igf2/H19 imprinting control region (ICR). The methylation states of CTCF1–4 binding sites were studied by pyrosequencing. Results::The IUGR models were constructed successfully. Igf2 mRNA abundance in the placenta, fetal liver, and newborn liver was decreased in the IUGR group ( P <0.01). Meanwhile, as compared with the control group, the expression levels of AKT2, PI3K, and PGC-1α were lower in newborn and 8-week-old livers in the IUGR group ( P <0.05). In addition, knocking down Igf2 reduced the protein expression levels of AKT2-phosphorylation and PGC-1α ( P <0.05). In CTCF binding sites 1-4 of the Igf2/ H19 ICR, acetylated histones H3 (AcH3) enrichment was significantly lower in CTCF1-3 in newborn and 8-week-old IUGR rats. Histone H3 tri-methylated lysine 4 (H3K4me3) enrichment was significantly lower in the CTCF1–4 of newborn and 8-week-old IUGR groups ( P <0.01). H3K9me2 enrichment was significantly higher in the IUGR group ( P <0.01). The CpG dinucleotide methylation levels of CTCF1 and CTCF3, but not those of CTCF2 and CTCF4 binding sites in IUGR rat fetal, 4-week old, and 8-week-old livers decreased significantly ( P <0.05). Conclusion::The methylation status and histone modification in the Igf2/H19 ICR are related to growth and lipid metabolism via the PGC-1α/PI3K/AKT2 pathway in IUGR rats.

Objective To investigate the detection conditions,risk factors and preventive measures of colorectal polyps in health examination population undergoing painless colonoscopy.Methods A total of 2 680 people who underwent painless colonoscopy at the Health Management Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from January to December 2023 were enrolled in this retrospective study.They were assigned into polyp group and non-polyp group according the examination results.The general information of the two groups was collected to explore the risk factors of colorectal polyps,so as to provide reference for the prevention strategy of colorectal polyps.Results The colorectal polyps were detected in 1 223 people(45.63%),including 633 cases(51.76%)of adenomatous polyps,587 cases(48.00%)of non-adenomatous polyps,and 3 cases(0.25%)of colorectal cancer.Logistic regression analysis indicated that male,smoking history,alcohol drinking history,age 40-59 years old,hyperlipidemia,and CRP>10 mg/L were risk factors of colorectal polyps(P<0.05).Conclusion There is a high detection rate of colorectal polyps in physical examination population.Men,aged 40-59 years old,hyperlipidemia,smoking history,alcohol drinking history,and CRP>10 mg/L are high risk factors of colorectal polyps,which should be paid more attention for the prevention and monitoring of colorectal polyps.

Objective:To predict pre-treatment clinical parameters that are associated with poor response and prognosis to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and to use second-line treatment drugs in the early stages to delay the progression of the disease so that patients can benefit from early-stage treatment.Methods:Patients diagnosed with PBC at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from 2013 to 2022 were collected. Two hundred fifty-seven cases were screened in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The response and prognosis conditions one year after treatment were followed up in outpatient and inpatient departments, as well as through telephone calls. Statistical analyses were performed using t-tests, Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis according to different data. Results:A total of 257 PBC cases were included, with 223 females (86.80%) and 34 males (13.20%). Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses showed that baseline high albumin levels [odds ratio ( OR): 0.882, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 0.805～0.967, P=0.008] were a protective factor for PBC patients' response to UDCA treatment after adjusting for different confounding factors, while baseline high alkaline phosphatase ( OR: 1.012, 95% CI: 1.008～1.016, P<0.001) and baseline high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) level ( OR: 1.462, 95% CI:1.079～1.981, P=0.014) were risk factors for a poor response to UDCA. Trend analysis showed that the baseline NLR quantile was positively correlated with the risk of poor response to UDCA ( OR: 5.512, 95% CI: 1.040～29.216, P=0.045) in patients with PBC. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis identified that age [hazard ratio ( HR): 1.050, 95% CI: 1.019～1.082] and NLR value ( HR:1.089, 95% CI:1.021～1.161) were independent influencing risk factors for all-cause mortality in PBC patients ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Baseline high albumin levels are protective factors against a poor biochemical response to UDCA, while baseline high alkaline phosphatase levels and high NLR are risk factors for a poor biochemical response to UDCA in patients with PBC. Additionally, baseline high NLR values are positively correlated with poor biochemical response to UDCA treatment.

Objective To establish a pediatric rare disease catalog,analyze the current status of therapeutic drugs and their coverage of the medical insurance in China,and propose strategies to enhance drug accessibility.Methods Pediatric rare diseases were identified from China's two national rare disease catalogs combined with the EU Orphanet database,US FDA orphan drug database,and the Diagnosis and Treatment Standards for Rare Diseases in Children.We created a specialized drug catalog for pediatric rare diseases,then analyzed drug types(ATC classification),pricing,and medical insurance coverage using descriptive statistics based on Yaozhi.com drug bidding prices and the 2024 Drug of List National Basic Medical Insurance(NBMIDL).Drug affordability was assessed through annual treatment cost calculations.Results The national catalogs included 151 pediatric rare diseases(72.95%of listed conditions),spanning 13 disease systems.We identified 94 dedicated orphan drugs(by generic name)for these conditions,among which 43 were approved internationally but unavailable in China.The average unit price per package was 6 113.53 yuan.Overall NBMIDL coverage was 68.83%,but drugs priced above 7 000 yuan per unit had only 7.69%coverage.Annual treatment costs reached 4.54 million for laronidase(mucopolysaccharidosis).Conclusions Critical gaps persist in China's pediatric rare disease treatment landscape,including catalog deficiencies,inadequate coverage for high-cost drugs and insufficient domestic innovation.It is recommended to establish a list of orphan drugs for pediatric rare diseases,accelerate the import of foreign drugs and the local innovative drugs through policy incentives,optimizing medical insurance reimbursement mechanisms for pediatric rare disease drugs to comprehensively improve therapeutic accessibility.

A quadruplex RT-qPCR method was developed for rapid identification and diagnosis of transmissible gastroenteritis virus(TGEV)of swine,porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),porcine deltacorona virus(PDCoV),and porcine rotavirus type A(PoRVA).The full-length sequences of PEDV(77 strains),TGEV(63 strains),PDCoV(17 strains)that are prevalent in China,as well as the 85 VP6 gene sequences of PoRVA,were downloaded from the NCBI database for homology analysis.Based on the relatively conserved sequences,the corresponding primers and probes for each virus were designed and used to establish the quadruplex RT-qPCR method.After optimization of the probes and the reaction conditions,the specificity,sensitivity,and repeatability were determined.Using the established method,109 clinical samples of diarrhea were tested and further compared with the results by standard method.The results showed that the quadruplex RT-qPCR method established in this experiment has good amplification effect,with the C,value linearly correlated with the copies of templates(R2＞0.99).Specificity assay demonstrated that the quadruplex RT-qPCR method can identify TGEV,PEDV,PDCoV,PRoVA strains,and do not de-tect African swine fever virus(ASFV),porcine circovirus type 2(PCV2),porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus(PRRSV),classical swine fever virus(CSFV),pseudorabies virus(PRV)and other epidemic viruses.Sensitivity assay showed that the detection limits for TGEV,PEDV,PDCoV and PoRVA were 10,20,20 and 50 copies/μL,respectively.The method exhibits excellent reproducibility,with coefficients of variation(Cv)for both intra-and inter-assay repli-cates being less than 1％.Detection of 109 samples of diarrhea by this method yielded the coinci-dence rate of 100％with the industry standard,indicating high practical applicability.The devel-oped method possesses the advantages of strong strain compatibility,high sensitivity,strong speci-ficity,good repeatability and stability.It is suitable for virus diagnosis and large-scale clinical sam-ple testing,providing technical support for disease prevention and control as well as epidemiologi-cal investigation.

Objective:To predict pre-treatment clinical parameters that are associated with poor response and prognosis to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and to use second-line treatment drugs in the early stages to delay the progression of the disease so that patients can benefit from early-stage treatment.Methods:Patients diagnosed with PBC at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from 2013 to 2022 were collected. Two hundred fifty-seven cases were screened in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The response and prognosis conditions one year after treatment were followed up in outpatient and inpatient departments, as well as through telephone calls. Statistical analyses were performed using t-tests, Mann-Whitney U test, χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis according to different data. Results:A total of 257 PBC cases were included, with 223 females (86.80%) and 34 males (13.20%). Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses showed that baseline high albumin levels [odds ratio ( OR): 0.882, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 0.805～0.967, P=0.008] were a protective factor for PBC patients' response to UDCA treatment after adjusting for different confounding factors, while baseline high alkaline phosphatase ( OR: 1.012, 95% CI: 1.008～1.016, P<0.001) and baseline high neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) level ( OR: 1.462, 95% CI:1.079～1.981, P=0.014) were risk factors for a poor response to UDCA. Trend analysis showed that the baseline NLR quantile was positively correlated with the risk of poor response to UDCA ( OR: 5.512, 95% CI: 1.040～29.216, P=0.045) in patients with PBC. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis identified that age [hazard ratio ( HR): 1.050, 95% CI: 1.019～1.082] and NLR value ( HR:1.089, 95% CI:1.021～1.161) were independent influencing risk factors for all-cause mortality in PBC patients ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Baseline high albumin levels are protective factors against a poor biochemical response to UDCA, while baseline high alkaline phosphatase levels and high NLR are risk factors for a poor biochemical response to UDCA in patients with PBC. Additionally, baseline high NLR values are positively correlated with poor biochemical response to UDCA treatment.