Mastoparans (MP), a class of α-helix cationic insect-derived antimicrobial peptides, have a broad spectrum of biological activities including inhibiting bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. Amino acid substitution, peptide modification, peptide chain cyclization, and dosage form modification can enhance the biological activities and target and reduce the toxicity of mastoparans. In this review, we summarize the structure, biological function and modification methods of mastoparans, and prospect the development of antibacterial drugs based on mastoparans, so as to provide reference for the research of mastoparans as a new antibacterial drug.
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/pharmacology* ; Peptides/chemistry* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry* ; Wasp Venoms/chemistry* ; Animals

Objective:To assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of Omalizumab for treating pediatric allergic asthma in real world in China.Methods:The clinical data of children aged 6 to 11 years with allergic asthma who received Omalizumab treatment in 17 hospitals in China between July 6, 2018 and September 30, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Such information as the demographic characteristics, allergic history, family history, total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, specific IgE levels, skin prick test, exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) levels, eosinophil (EOS) counts, and comorbidities at baseline were collected.Descriptive analysis of the Omalizumab treatment mode was made, and the difference in the first dose, injection frequency and course of treatment between the Omalizumab treatment mode and the mode recommended in the instruction was investigated.Global Evaluation of Treatment Effectiveness (GETE) analysis was made after Omalizumab treatment.The moderate-to-severe asthma exacerbation rate, inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) dose, lung functions were compared before and after Omalizumab treatment.Changes in the Childhood Asthma Control Test (C-ACT) and Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) results from baseline to 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 52 weeks after Omalizumab treatment were studied.The commodity improvement was assessed.The adverse event (AE) and serious adverse event (SAE) were analyzed for the evaluation of Omalizumab treatment safety.The difference in the annual rate of moderate-to-severe asthma exacerbation and ICS reduction was investigated by using t test.The significance level was set to 0.05.Other parameters were all subject to descriptive analysis.A total of 200 allergic asthma patients were enrolled, including 75.5% ( n=151) males and 24.5% ( n=49) females.The patients aged (8.20±1.81) years. Results:The median total IgE level of the 200 patients was 513.5 (24.4-11 600.0) IU/mL.Their median treatment time with Omalizumab was 112 (1-666) days.Their first dose of Omalizumab was 300 (150-600) mg.Of the 200 cases, 114 cases (57.0%) followed the first Omalizumab dosage recommended in the instruction.After 4-6 months of Omalizumab treatment, 88.5% of the patients enrolled ( n=117) responded to Omalizumab.After 4 weeks of treatment with Omalizumab, asthma was well-controlled, with an increased C-ACT score [from (22.70±3.70) points to (18.90±3.74) points at baseline]. Four-six months after Omalizumab administration, the annual rate of moderate-to-severe asthma exacerbation had a reduction of (2.00±5.68) per patient year( t=4.702 5, P<0.001), the median ICS daily dose was lowered [0 (0-240) μg vs. 160 (50-4 000) μg at baseline] ( P<0.001), the PAQLQ score was improved [(154.90±8.57) points vs. (122.80±27.15) points at baseline], and the forced expiratory volume in one second % predicted (FEV 1%pred) was increased [(92.80±10.50)% vs. (89.70±18.17)% at baseline]. In patients with available evaluations for comorbidities, including allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis or eczema, urticaria, allergic conjunctivitis and sinusitis, 92.8%-100.0% showed improved symptoms.A total of 124 AE were reported in 58 (29.0%) of the 200 patients, and the annual incidence was 0(0-15.1) per patient year.In 53 patients who suffered AE, 44 patients (83.0%) and 9 patients (17.0%) reported mild and moderate AE, respectively.No severe AE were observed in patients.The annual incidence of SAE was 0(0-1.9) per patient year.Most common drug-related AE were abdominal pain (2 patients, 1.0%) and fever (2 patients, 1.0%). No patient withdrew Omalizumab due to AE. Conclusions:Omalizumab shows good effectiveness and safety for the treatment of asthma in children.It can reduce the moderate-to-severe asthma exacerbation rate, reduce the ICS dose, improve asthma control levels, and improve lung functions and quality of life of patients.

Objective To analyze result of the external quality assessment for laboratories of toxicological pathology diagnosis in organizations in China. Methods A total of 86 organizations that participated in the 2020-2021 external quality assessment in laboratory of toxicological pathology diagnosis (hereinafter referred to as "reference units") were selected as research subjects using convenient sampling method, and the assessment results were analyzed. Results The median of total score was 92, and the 0-100 percentiles were 64-100 in these 86 reference units. Among these reference units, 76 were rated as excellent, 10 as qualified, with the excellent and the qualified rate of 88.4% and 11.6%, respectively. No reference unit was rated as unqualified. The rates of excellence of the reference units in public health institutions, pharmaceutical research institutions, drug safety evaluation centers and testing companies were 95.7%, 84.2%, 85.7% and 86.7%, and the qualified rates were 4.3%, 15.8%, 14.3% and 13.3%, respectively. The distribution of excellence and qualification among the four types of reference units showed no statistical difference (P>0.05). The distribution of sample scores according to the three grades of poor, good, and excellent were 4.9%, 20.7%, and 74.5% in public health institutions, 8.6%, 23.7%, and 67.8% in pharmaceutical research institutions, 12.5%, 25.0%, and 62.5% in drug safety evaluation centers, and 5.4%, 17.5%, and 77.1% in testing companies. The proportion of excellence unit in public health institutions was higher than that in pharmaceutical research institutions (P<0.05). Conclusion The overall toxicological pathology diagnostic capabilities in China are good, and various types of reference units demonstrate comparable technical capabilities. However, there is a need for standardization of diagnostic terminology.

Objective::This study aimed to investigate the immune response of a pregnant woman who recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID_RS) by using single-cell transcriptomic profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and to analyze the properties of different immune cell subsets.Methods::PBMCs were collected from the COVID_RS patient at 28 weeks of gestation, before a cesarean section. The PBMCs were then analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing. The transcriptional profiles of myeloid, T, and natural killer (NK) cell subsets were systematically analyzed and compared with those of healthy pregnant controls from a published single-cell RNA sequencing data set.Results::We identified major cell types such as T cells, B cells, NK cells, and myeloid cells in the PBMCs of our COVID_RS patient. The increase of myeloid and B cells and decrease of T cells and NK cells in the PBMCs in this patient were quite distinct compared with that in the control subjects. After reclustering and Augur analysis, we found that CD16 monocytes and mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells were mostly affected within different myeloid, T, and NK cell subtypes in our COVID_RS patient. The proportion of CD16 monocytes in the total myeloid population was increased, and the frequency of MAIT cells in the total T and NK cells was significantly decreased in the COVID-RS patient. We also observed significant enrichment of gene sets related to antigen processing and presentation, T-cell activation, T-cell differentiation, and tumor necrosis factor superfamily cytokine production in CD16 monocytes, and enrichment of gene sets related to antigen processing and presentation, response to type II interferon, and response to virus in MAIT cells.Conclusion::Our study provides a single-cell resolution atlas of the immune gene expression patterns in PBMCs from a COVID_RS patient. Our findings suggest that CD16-positive monocytes and MAIT cells likely play crucial roles in the maternal immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. These results contribute to a better understanding of the maternal immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and may have implications for the development of effective treatments and preventive strategies for the coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women.

Objective::This study aimed to investigate the immune response of a pregnant woman who recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID_RS) by using single-cell transcriptomic profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and to analyze the properties of different immune cell subsets.Methods::PBMCs were collected from the COVID_RS patient at 28 weeks of gestation, before a cesarean section. The PBMCs were then analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing. The transcriptional profiles of myeloid, T, and natural killer (NK) cell subsets were systematically analyzed and compared with those of healthy pregnant controls from a published single-cell RNA sequencing data set.Results::We identified major cell types such as T cells, B cells, NK cells, and myeloid cells in the PBMCs of our COVID_RS patient. The increase of myeloid and B cells and decrease of T cells and NK cells in the PBMCs in this patient were quite distinct compared with that in the control subjects. After reclustering and Augur analysis, we found that CD16 monocytes and mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells were mostly affected within different myeloid, T, and NK cell subtypes in our COVID_RS patient. The proportion of CD16 monocytes in the total myeloid population was increased, and the frequency of MAIT cells in the total T and NK cells was significantly decreased in the COVID-RS patient. We also observed significant enrichment of gene sets related to antigen processing and presentation, T-cell activation, T-cell differentiation, and tumor necrosis factor superfamily cytokine production in CD16 monocytes, and enrichment of gene sets related to antigen processing and presentation, response to type II interferon, and response to virus in MAIT cells.Conclusion::Our study provides a single-cell resolution atlas of the immune gene expression patterns in PBMCs from a COVID_RS patient. Our findings suggest that CD16-positive monocytes and MAIT cells likely play crucial roles in the maternal immune response against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. These results contribute to a better understanding of the maternal immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and may have implications for the development of effective treatments and preventive strategies for the coronavirus disease 2019 in pregnant women.

Objective::To explore the risk factors and pregnancy outcomes in women with a history of cesarean section complicated by placenta accreta (PA).Methods::This case-control study included clinical data from singleton mothers with a history of cesarean section in 11 public tertiary hospitals in seven provinces of China between January 2017 and December 2017. According to the intraoperative findings after delivery, the study population was divided into PA and non-PA groups. We compared the pregnancy outcomes between the two groups, used multivariate logistic regression to analyze the risk factors for placental accreta.Results::For this study we included 11,074 pregnant women with a history of cesarean section; and of these, 869 cases were in the PA group and 10,205 cases were in the non-PA group. Compared with the non-PA group, the probability of postpartum hemorrhage (236/10,205, 2.31% vs. 283/869, 32.57%), severe postpartum hemorrhage (89/10,205, 0.87% vs. 186/869, 21.75%), diffuse intravascular coagulation (3/10,205, 0.03% vs. 4/869, 0.46%), puerperal infection (33/10,205, 0.32% vs. 12/869, 1.38%), intraoperative bladder injury (1/10,205, 0.01% vs. 16/869, 1.84%), hysterectomy (130/10,205, 1.27% vs. 59/869, 6.79%), and blood transfusion (328/10,205,3.21 % vs. 231/869,26.58%) was significantly increased in the PA group ( P < 0.05). At the same time, the neonatal birth weight (3250.00 (2950.00-3520.00) g vs. 2920.00 (2530.00-3250.00) g), the probability of neonatal comorbidities (245/10,205, 2.40% vs. 61/869, 7.02%), and the rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission (817/10,205, 8.01% vs. 210/869, 24.17%) also increased significantly ( P < 0.05). Weight (odds ratio ( OR)= 1.03, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.01-1.05)), parity ( OR= 1.18, 95% CI: 1.03-1.34), number of miscarriages ( OR= 1.31, 95% CI: 1.17-1.47), number of previous cesarean sections ( OR= 2.57, 95% CI: 2.02-3.26), history of premature rupture of membrane ( OR= 1.61, 95% CI: 1.32-1.96), previous cesarean-section transverse incisions ( OR= 1.38, 95% CI: 1.12-1.69), history of placenta previa ( OR= 2.44,95% CI: 1.50-3.96), and the combination of prenatal hemorrhage ( OR= 9.95,95% CI: 8.42-11.75) and placenta previa ( OR= 91.74, 95% CI: 74.11-113.56) were all independent risk factors for PA. Conclusion::There was an increased risk of adverse outcomes in pregnancies complicated by PA in women with a history of cesarean section, and this required close clinical attention. Weight before pregnancy, parity, number of miscarriages, number of previous cesarean sections, history of premature rupture of membranes, past transverse incisions in cesarean sections, a history of placenta previa, prenatal hemorrhage, and placenta previa were independent risk factors for pregnancies complicated with PA in women with a history of cesarean section. These independent risk factors showed a high value in predicting the risk for placentab accreta in pregnancies of women with a history of cesarean section.

Objective::To explore the risk factors and pregnancy outcomes in women with a history of cesarean section complicated by placenta accreta (PA).Methods::This case-control study included clinical data from singleton mothers with a history of cesarean section in 11 public tertiary hospitals in seven provinces of China between January 2017 and December 2017. According to the intraoperative findings after delivery, the study population was divided into PA and non-PA groups. We compared the pregnancy outcomes between the two groups, used multivariate logistic regression to analyze the risk factors for placental accreta.Results::For this study we included 11,074 pregnant women with a history of cesarean section; and of these, 869 cases were in the PA group and 10,205 cases were in the non-PA group. Compared with the non-PA group, the probability of postpartum hemorrhage (236/10,205, 2.31% vs. 283/869, 32.57%), severe postpartum hemorrhage (89/10,205, 0.87% vs. 186/869, 21.75%), diffuse intravascular coagulation (3/10,205, 0.03% vs. 4/869, 0.46%), puerperal infection (33/10,205, 0.32% vs. 12/869, 1.38%), intraoperative bladder injury (1/10,205, 0.01% vs. 16/869, 1.84%), hysterectomy (130/10,205, 1.27% vs. 59/869, 6.79%), and blood transfusion (328/10,205,3.21 % vs. 231/869,26.58%) was significantly increased in the PA group ( P < 0.05). At the same time, the neonatal birth weight (3250.00 (2950.00-3520.00) g vs. 2920.00 (2530.00-3250.00) g), the probability of neonatal comorbidities (245/10,205, 2.40% vs. 61/869, 7.02%), and the rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission (817/10,205, 8.01% vs. 210/869, 24.17%) also increased significantly ( P < 0.05). Weight (odds ratio ( OR)= 1.03, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.01-1.05)), parity ( OR= 1.18, 95% CI: 1.03-1.34), number of miscarriages ( OR= 1.31, 95% CI: 1.17-1.47), number of previous cesarean sections ( OR= 2.57, 95% CI: 2.02-3.26), history of premature rupture of membrane ( OR= 1.61, 95% CI: 1.32-1.96), previous cesarean-section transverse incisions ( OR= 1.38, 95% CI: 1.12-1.69), history of placenta previa ( OR= 2.44,95% CI: 1.50-3.96), and the combination of prenatal hemorrhage ( OR= 9.95,95% CI: 8.42-11.75) and placenta previa ( OR= 91.74, 95% CI: 74.11-113.56) were all independent risk factors for PA. Conclusion::There was an increased risk of adverse outcomes in pregnancies complicated by PA in women with a history of cesarean section, and this required close clinical attention. Weight before pregnancy, parity, number of miscarriages, number of previous cesarean sections, history of premature rupture of membranes, past transverse incisions in cesarean sections, a history of placenta previa, prenatal hemorrhage, and placenta previa were independent risk factors for pregnancies complicated with PA in women with a history of cesarean section. These independent risk factors showed a high value in predicting the risk for placentab accreta in pregnancies of women with a history of cesarean section.

Objective: To investigate the effect of peroxiredoxin 2 (Prx2) overexpression on fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis induced by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) . Methods: Fibroblasts were randomly divided into control group (DMEM medium) , TGF-β1 group (5 μg/L TGF-β1) , negative control group (treated with 5 μg/L TGF-β1 and transfected with empty lentiviral vector) , and Prx2 group (treated with 5 μg/L TGF-β1 and transfected with Prx2 overexpression lentiviral vector) . MTT assay was used to measure cell proliferation, immunofluorescence assay was used to measure the expression of 8-OHdG, and Western blot was used to measure the expression of p-JNK, p-P38, collagen type I, collagen type III, and Prx2. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis. The continuous data were expressed as mean±standard deviation; an analysis of variance was used for comparison between groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. Results: Lentiviral transfection was performed successfully, and the Prx2 group had a significant increase in the protein expression of Prx2 (P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the TGF-β1 group had a significant increase in the proliferation ability (P<0.05) , and compared with the TGF-β1 group, the Prx2 group had a significant reduction in the proliferation ability (P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the TGF-β1 group had significant increases in the expression of 8-OHdG, p-JNK, p-P38, collagen type I, and collagen type III (P<0.05) ; compared with the TGF-β1 group, the negative control group had no significant changes in the expression of 8-OHdG, p-JNK, p-P38, collagen type I, and collagen type III (P>0.05) , while the Prx2 group had significant reductions in the above parameters (P<0.05) . Conclusion Prx2 overexpression inhibits fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis induced by TGF-β1 through inhibiting reactive oxygen species and activating the JNK and P38 pathways.

This study mainly explored the pulse parameters in children with RRTI with different TCM syndromes,aiming at providing therapeutic indexes and objective basis for its diagnosis and treatment.Three hundred and forty-eight cases of RRTI were divided into five groups,including the group of qi deficiency in the lung (or Fei Qi Xu,FQX),the group of invasion of the lung by wind-heat (or Feng Re Fan Fei,FRFF),the group of invasion of lung by wind-cold (or Feng Han Fan Fei,FHFF),the group of obstruction of phlegm-damp in the lung (or Tan Shi Zu Fei,TSZF) and the group of obstruction of phlegm-heat in the lung (or Tan Re Yong Fei,TRYF).65 children of good health were involved in the control group.Z-BOX pulsemeter apparatus was applied to the paraticipants for analyzing their pulse parameters.As a result,it was found that values of h1,h3,h4,h5,t and h4/h1 of RRTI children decreased,compared with the children of good health (P ＜ 0.01);while h1,h3,h4 and h5 of children in FQX group declined (P ＜ 0.01);and the values of h4,h5,t,w,h3/h1,h4/h1 and h5/h1 of children in FRFF group went down (P ＜ 0.01);while the values of h1,h3,h4,h5,t,w,h3/h1 and h4/h1 of TRYF group fell (P ＜ 0.01);and those of h5,t and h5/h1 of children in FHFF group decreased (P ＜ 0.01).Compared with FQX group,h1 value of FRFF group increased (P ＜ 0.01),while the values of w,h3/h1,hs/h1 and w/t of FRFF group declined (P ＜ 0.01);and the h1 value of TSZF group boosted (P ＜ 0.01),while the value of w and h3/h1 of TRYF group decreased (P ＜ 0.01);and the h5/h1 value of FHFF group fell (P ＜ 0.01).In comparison with FRFF group,the values of t,w and h5/h1 of TSZF group went up (P ＜ 0.01),while the values of h1 and h3 of TRYF group declined (P ＜ 0.01).In comparison with TSZF group,the values of h3,h4,t and w of TRYF group went down (P ＜ 0.01),and the t value of FHFF group decreased (P ＜ 0.01).In conclusion,the pulse parameters of RRTI children can be recognized as objective indicators for TCM syndrome differentiations.

Objective To explore the effect of 5A intervention method on the success rates for quitting smoking and glucose metabolism level of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods Thirty-two patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from patients from January to June 2014 were divided into the control group, receiving traditional intervention, including asking, advising, assessing, assisting and arranging. The differences in the success rates for quitting smoking and glucose metabolism level between pre-and post-intervention was compared. Results The success rate for quitting smoking after intervention in the experment group higher than that in the control group. Statistical significance was found in glucose metabolism level before and after the intervention as well (P<0.05). Conclusion 5A intervention method can improve the success rate for quitting smoking and glucose metabolism level in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.