Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that infects nearly all warm-blooded animals, including humans (Montoya and Liesenfeld, 2004). It occurs worldwide and can persist for a lifetime in mammals. Humans get infected by eating undercooked meat of animals containing the tissue cysts of this parasite. In immune-competent individuals, T. gondii infection usually does not cause significant clinical symptoms, whereas in pregnant or immunocompromised individuals, T. gondii infection (toxoplasmosis) can cause more serious problems like abortion and even death (Dunn et al., 1999; Wang et al., 2017). A combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine is usually used to treat toxoplasmosis, although it is generally inefficient and causes side effects (Alday and Doggett, 2017). Worse still, there is a lack of vaccines to prevent T. gondii infection in humans or animals.
Toxoplasma/enzymology* ; Animals ; Humans ; Toxoplasmosis ; Mitochondria/enzymology* ; Protozoan Proteins/metabolism*

To evaluate the immunogenicity and immunoprotective effects of a tRNA thiouridylase TgMnmA deletion strain of Toxoplasma gondii(T.gondii)on ICR mice,we constructed a mouse model immunized with RH△MnmA.Mice were immunized with 10 RH△MnmA tachyzoites by in-traperitoneal injection.After 30 d,indirect ELISA was used to detect the specific IgG antibody and its subtypes of immunized mice.Spleen lymphocyte suspension was prepared,and the splenic lym-phocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry.Moreover,the relative expression level of cyto-kine mRNA was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.After 30 d of immunization,mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with RH△ku80 tachyzoites.At 5 d post infection,the para-site load in the ascites,heart,liver and brain of mice was measured,and the survival of mice within 30 d after infection was observed and recorded.The results showed that compared with the control PBS group,RH△MnmA immunized group produced higher level of IgG and IgG2a antibodies,higher mRNA relative expression level of cytokines IL-2,IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-12 and IFN-γ,and the number of CD4+and CD8a+in spleen lymphocytes also increased significantly.Mean-while,for the attack of RH△ku80 strain,the immune group can effectively reduce the parasite load in the ascites and some tissues,inhibit the reproduction of parasites In vivo,and significantly improve the survival rate of mice.The results of this study showed that the TgMnmA deletion strain of T.gondii can induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice,and provide good immune protection against the infection of RHΔku80 strain,which has the potential to be-come a potentially promising live attenuated vaccine candidate against T.gondii.

To evaluate the immunogenicity and immunoprotective effects of a tRNA thiouridylase TgMnmA deletion strain of Toxoplasma gondii(T.gondii)on ICR mice,we constructed a mouse model immunized with RH△MnmA.Mice were immunized with 10 RH△MnmA tachyzoites by in-traperitoneal injection.After 30 d,indirect ELISA was used to detect the specific IgG antibody and its subtypes of immunized mice.Spleen lymphocyte suspension was prepared,and the splenic lym-phocyte subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry.Moreover,the relative expression level of cyto-kine mRNA was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.After 30 d of immunization,mice were intraperitoneally inoculated with RH△ku80 tachyzoites.At 5 d post infection,the para-site load in the ascites,heart,liver and brain of mice was measured,and the survival of mice within 30 d after infection was observed and recorded.The results showed that compared with the control PBS group,RH△MnmA immunized group produced higher level of IgG and IgG2a antibodies,higher mRNA relative expression level of cytokines IL-2,IL-4,IL-6,IL-10,IL-12 and IFN-γ,and the number of CD4+and CD8a+in spleen lymphocytes also increased significantly.Mean-while,for the attack of RH△ku80 strain,the immune group can effectively reduce the parasite load in the ascites and some tissues,inhibit the reproduction of parasites In vivo,and significantly improve the survival rate of mice.The results of this study showed that the TgMnmA deletion strain of T.gondii can induce strong humoral and cellular immune responses in mice,and provide good immune protection against the infection of RHΔku80 strain,which has the potential to be-come a potentially promising live attenuated vaccine candidate against T.gondii.

Humans ; Aged ; Lung Diseases ; Pneumonia/drug therapy* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Administration, Inhalation ; Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy*

Objective:To deeply understand the views of nurses on nursing robots, so as to provide reference for standardizing the application of nursing robots and promoting innovation in smart nursing service models.Methods:From March to June 2023, purposive sampling was used to select 15 registered nurses from two ClassⅢ general hospitals in Shanghai as research subjects for semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was used to analyze interview data.Results:Three themes were extracted, including the perceived multiple benefits of nursing robots (obtaining work assistants, facilitating nursing safety, and promoting professional value recognition), the perceived multiple risks of nursing robots affecting patients (concerns about affecting patient safety, concerns about triggering negative emotions in patients, and concerns about functional limitations), and the perceived multiple dilemmas in the application of nursing robots (concerns about academic burden, concerns about changes in work patterns, concerns about unclear responsibilities, and concerns about affecting nursing positions) .Conclusions:Although nurses hold a positive attitude towards nursing robots and expect them to reduce their workload, nurses are also concerned that they may not be able to fully adapt to the clinical environment, pose potential risks to the physical and mental health of patients, and pose new challenges to nursing staff and work models. In the face of intelligent nursing, efforts should be made to strengthen professional training for nurses in information technology, improve nursing work models and processes, and perfect the rules and regulations for the application of intelligent products. Multiple parties should cooperate to create a smart nursing application ecosystem.

Objective:To compare the long-term clinical outcomes between cannulated screw internal fixation for stable femoral neck fractures and arthroplasty for unstable ones in the elderly patients.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 542 patients with femoral neck fracture who had been admitted to Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from May 2015 to April 2017. The 542 patients were divided into 2 groups based on fracture stability and treatment method. In the stable group (Garden type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ, and abduction compression type) of 121 cases who underwent cannulated screw internal fixation, there were 28 males and 93 females with a mean age of (77.6±8.1) years, and 20 cases of type Ⅰ, 101 cases of type Ⅱ, and 34 cases of abduction compression type by the Garden classification. In the unstable group (Garden type Ⅲ, type Ⅳ, and type Ⅱ with a posterior tilt angle >20°) of 421 cases who underwent arthroplasty, there were 130 males and 291 females with a mean age of (78.7 ± 6.9) years, and 14 cases of type Ⅱ, 403 cases of type Ⅲ, and 4 cases of type Ⅳ by the Garden classification. The postoperative mortality, reoperation rate, and mobility at the last follow-up were compared between the 2 groups.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline characteristics, except for serum albumin concentration and peripheral white blood cell count at admission, between the 2 groups, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). The hospital stay in the stable group [5.0 (4.0, 6.0)d] was significantly shorter than that in the unstable group [6.0 (5.0, 8.0)d], and the follow-up time for the stable group [54.4 (49.3, 58.7) months] significantly longer than that for the unstable group [52.2 (46.0, 59.3) months] ( P<0.05). A total of 158 patients (45 cases in the stable group and 113 cases in the unstable group) were lost to the last follow-up. At the last follow-up, the mortality in the stable group (18.4%, 14/76) was significantly lower than that in the unstable group (31.5%, 97/308), the reoperation rate in the former (15.8%, 12/76) significantly higher than that in the latter (3.6%, 11/308), and the capability of daily activities in the former (by the fracture mobility scoring: level 1 in 35 cases, level 2 in 13 cases, level 3 in 3 cases, level 4 in 2 cases, and level 5 in 1 case) significantly better than that in the latter (level 1 in 99 cases, level 2 in 47 cases, level 3 in 24 cases, level 4 in 22 cases, and level 5 in 5 cases) (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with the arthroplasty for unstable femoral neck fractures, cannulated screw internal fixation for stable femoral neck fractures leads to a lower long-term mortality and a better capability of daily activities, but a significantly higher reoperation rate.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of ultrasound contrast agent enema (UCAE) for anastomotic leakage (AL) after rectal cancer surgery.Methods:From January 2020 to December 2022, a total of 95 patients with presacral fluid collection after rectal cancer surgery in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University who received perineal ultrasound (PNUS) and UCAE were retrospectively selected. Among them, 70 patients (73.3%) were diagnosed with AL.After PNUS scanning, all patients received a diluted ultrasound contrast agent administered through the rectum. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to compare the accuracies of PNUS, UCAE, CT, MRI and water-soluble contrast enema in the diagnosis of AL. Factors that may have impacts on the sensitivity of UCAE were thoroughly analyzed.Results:UCAE improved the consistency (Kappa value: 0.757 vs 0.292, P<0.001) and accuracy (AUC: 0.893 vs 0.693, P<0.001) of PNUS in the diagnosis of AL, and its diagnostic accuracy was comparable to that of CT (AUC 0.807), MRI (AUC 0.811) and water-soluble contrast enema (AUC 0.923) (all P>0.05). For mid-to-high AL (anastomotic stoma distance ≥70 mm) and tiny AL (≤3 mm), the sensitivity of UCAE decreased significantly (anastomotic stoma position: 25.0% vs 85.5%, P=0.001; anastomotic leak diameter: 42.9% vs 87.5%, P=0.002). Conclusions:UCAE can significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy and consistency of PNUS for AL after rectal cancer surgery, and its diagnostic sensitivity is affected by the anastomotic stoma distance and the diameter of the leak.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and prognostic factors of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) with chronic renal failure (CRF).Methods:A retrospective study. From January 2016 to June 2021, a total of 82 eyes of 58 patients diagnosed with PDR combined with CRF and treated with PPV in Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University were included in the study. There were 32 cases in males and 26 cases in females. The mean age was (48.45±10.41) years. The course of renal failure was (4.15±3.23) years, and the course of diabetes was (14.45±6.71) years. All patients undergo best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). The BCVA examination was performed using the international standard Snellen visual acuity chart, which was converted to logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity for recording. The mean number of logMAR BCVA was 2.04±0.82 (0.7-2.8). The duration of vitreous hemorrhage averaged (2.65±1.55) months. There were 38 eyes (46.3%, 38/82) with traction retinal detachment; 32 eyes had a history of panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) treatment (39.0%, 32/82). All eyes were treated with 25G PPV. Patients with traction retinal detachment were treated with intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) 3 days before surgery. Opacification of the lens affected the operation operator combined with phacoemulsification. Biochemical indexes such as hemoglobin, glycosylated hemoglobin, albumin, creatinine, uric acid, and alternative treatment (non-dialysis/hemodialysis/peritoneal dialysis) were collected. Postoperative follow-up time was ≥6 months. χ2 test or Fisher's exact test were used for comparison between groups. A logistic regression model was used for multivariate analysis, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between variables. Results:At 6 months after surgery, the mean logMAR BCVA was 1.16±0.57. Compared with logMAR BCVA before surgery, the difference was statistically significant ( t=-0.837, P<0.001); 44 eyes had BCVA ≥0.1 and 38 eyes had BCVA <0.1. Postoperative vitreous hemorrhage (PVH) was observed in 17 eyes after surgery (20.7%, 17/82). PVH occurred in 15 (46.9%, 15/32), 1 (2.3%, 1/44), and 1 (16.7%, 1/6) eyes in patients without dialysis, hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, respectively. There was significant difference between those without dialysis and those on hemodialysis ( χ2=26.506, P<0.05). There was no significant difference between peritoneal dialysis patients and those without dialysis and hemodialysis patients ( χ2=2.694, 2.849; P>0.05). PVH occurred in 3 (10.0%, 3/30) and 14 (27.0%, 14/52) eyes of vitreous cavity filled with silicone oil and perfusion fluid, respectively. The difference was statistically significant ( χ2=3.315, P<0.05); 1 (33.3%, 1/3) and 10 (71.4%, 10/14) eyes were treated with PPV again, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) occurred in 12 eyes (14.6%, 12/82). Logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio ( OR) =0.911, P<0.05], diabetic retinopathy (DR) stage ( OR=7.229, P<0.05), renal failure duration ( OR=0.850, P<0.05), operation time ( OR=1.135, P<0.05) was an independent risk factor for poor vision prognosis. Diabetes duration ( OR=1.158, P<0.05), renal failure duration ( OR=1.172, P<0.05) and alternative therapy were independent factors affecting the occurrence of PVH. Diabetes duration ( OR=1.138, P<0.05) and renal failure duration ( OR=1.157, P<0.05) were independent risk factors for postoperative NVG. Spearman correlation analysis showed that PVH was strongly correlated with post-operative NVG ( r=0.469, P<0.01). There was no significant correlation between blood glucose, hemoglobin, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen and prognosis of postoperative vision, PVH and NVG occurrence ( P>0.05). Conclusions:In PDR patients with CRF, DR Stage, age, renal failure course and operation duration are correlated with vision prognosis. Compared with those who do not receive alternative therapy, hemodialysis treatment can reduce the occurrence of PVH and NVG after surgery.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread globally. Although mixed liver impairment has been reported in COVID-19 patients, the association of liver injury caused by specific subtype especially chronic hepatitis B (CHB) with COVID-19 has not been elucidated. In this multi-center, retrospective, and observational cohort study, 109 CHB and 327 non-CHB patients with COVID-19 were propensity score matched at an approximate ratio of 3:1 on the basis of age, sex, and comorbidities. Demographic characteristics, laboratory examinations, disease severity, and clinical outcomes were compared. Furthermore, univariable and multivariable logistic and Cox regression models were used to explore the risk factors for disease severity and mortality, respectively. A higher proportion of CHB patients (30 of 109 (27.52%)) developed into severe status than non-CHB patients (17 of 327 (5.20%)). In addition to previously reported liver impairment markers, such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin, we identified several novel risk factors including elevated lactate dehydrogenase (⩾ 245 U/L, hazard ratio (HR) = 8.639, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.528-29.523; P < 0.001) and coagulation-related biomarker D-dimer (⩾ 0.5 µg/mL, HR = 4.321, 95% CI = 1.443-12.939; P = 0.009) and decreased albumin (< 35 g/L, HR = 0.131, 95% CI = 0.048-0.361; P < 0.001) and albumin/globulin ratio (< 1.5, HR = 0.123, 95% CI = 0.017-0.918; P = 0.041). In conclusion, COVID-19 patients with CHB were more likely to develop into severe illness and die. The risk factors that we identified may be helpful for early clinical surveillance of critical progression.
COVID-19 ; Cohort Studies ; Hepatitis B, Chronic/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors