Objective:To explore the distribution variation of ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions with clinical signs in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).Methods:This was based on the Peking University First Hospital Psoriatic Arthritis (PKUPsA) cohort. Patients enrolled from January 2019 to June 2024 were inchuded, patients with complete data of physical examination and ultrasonographic evaluations of 62 joints in the hand and foot. The ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions including synovitis, tenosynovitis, enthesitis, and soft tissue inflammation were compared with joint tenderness/swelling. The χ2 test was employed to analyze differences between groups. Results:A total of 7 440 joints in 120 PsA patients were included. Overall, the proportion of joints with clinical signs (tenderness or swelling) was higher than those with ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions [9.14%(680/7 440) vs. 7.93%(590/7 440), χ2=1 245.928, P<0.001], with more tenderness joints than swelling joints [7.72%(574/7 440) vs. 6.14%(457/7 440), χ2=3 264.45, P<0.001]. Clinical signs were primarily observed in hand proximal interphalangeal (PIP), distal interphalangeal (DIP), wrist and ankle joints, mostly in DIP2 joints [19.58%(47/240)]. Ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions were predominantly found in metatarsophalangeal (MTP), wrist, and ankle joints, mostly in MTP2 joints (18.75%, 45/240). Clinical signs were more prevalent than ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions in hand PIP1-3, PIP5, DIP2, and DIP5 joints ( P<0.05), whereas more frequent ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions than clinical tenderness/swelling were in MTP1-4 joints ( P<0.05). Among ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions, synovitis in MTP2 joints (18.75%, 45/240), tenosynovitis in ankle joints (10.00%, 24/240), enthesitis in hand DIP2 joints (8.75%, 21/240), and soft tissue inflammation in MTP4 joints (2.50%, 6/240) most commonly observed. Dactylitis was more frequently observed in toes than in fingers, with the fourth toe most commonly affected(16.67%, 40/240). Ultrasound-detected inflammatory lesions were observed in 72.37%(55/240) of fingers/toes with clinical dactylitis, mainly presenting as synovitis, tenosynovitis, or combinations of these. Conclusion:PsA exhibits significant heterogeneity in the inflammatory lesions across different joints and lesion types. The discrepancies between clinical findings and ultrasonic inflammatory changes highlight the limitations of physical examination in fully capturing the pathological features of PsA. As a critical tool for PsA evaluation, ultrasonography offers distinct advantages in detecting subclinical inflammation and differentiating inflammatory from non-inflammatory lesions.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of acute respiratory infections(ARIs)during the autumn-winter season in Beijing,providing evidence for the prevention,control,diagnosis,and treatment of ARIs.Methods A convenience sampling method was employed,enrolling patients who visited Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH)between September 2023 and February 2024 due to ARIs.Na-sopharyngeal swabs were collected,and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect six common respiratory pathogens[influenza A virus(FluA),influenza B virus(FluB),human rhinovirus(HRV),Myco-plasma pneumoniae(MP),respiratory syncytial virus(RSV),and adenovirus(ADV)],as well as SARS-CoV-2 infection.The distribution patterns of pathogen infections were analyzed.Results A total of 5556 eligible patients were included.The overall positivity rate for the six common respiratory pathogens was 63.7％,with sin-gle-pathogen positivity at 54.0％,dual-pathogen positivity at 8.9％,and triple or more pathogen positivity at 0.7％.The predominant pathogens detected were FluA(16.1％)and RSV(15.7％),followed by ADV(11.1％),MP(11.1％),HRV(10.0％),and FluB(10.0％).No significant difference in overall pathogen positivity was observed between genders.However,significant differences were found between autumn and winter(x2=34.617,P＜0.001)and among pediatric,young/middle-aged,and elderly patients(x2=422.38,P＜0.001).Specifically,MP(x2=8.647,P=0.003),FluA(x2=131.932,P＜0.001),and HRV(x2=174.199,P＜0.001)exhibited significantly higher positivity rates in autumn than in winter,whereas FluB was more prevalent in winter(x2=287.894,P＜0.001).In pediatric patients,MP,RSV,HRV,and ADV positivity rates were significantly higher than in young/middle-aged and elderly patients(all P＜0.001),whereas FluB was more common in young/middle-aged patients(both P＜0.001).The positivity rates of the six common respiratory pathogens significantly declined during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic period,exhibiting an asynchronous seasonal pattern.Conclusions The prevalence of respiratory pathogens in Beijing is associated with age and season.Tar-geted preventive measures should be implemented in different seasons and for key populations.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of hyperoside on high glucose-induced excessive proliferation of retinal endo-thelial cells(RECs)and its possible mechanism.METHODS Diabetic retinopathy(DR)models were established in male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats.DR rats were treated with low-and high-dose hyperoside(DR+L-HY group and DR+H-HY group).Additional-ly,the normal control(NC)group,DR non-intervention(DR)group and DR+calcium dobesilate intervention(DR+CD)group were set up.The differences in the number of RECs in retinal blood vessels were observed and compared among all groups after intervention.In addition,RECs were inoculated into cell culture plates after normal culture and subculture.They were divided into 5 groups according to different treatments:normal glucose(NG)group,high glucose(HG)group,mannitol(MT)group,high glucose+low concentration of hyperoside(HG+H100)group and high glucose+high concentration of hyperoside(HG+H400)group.The activ-ity,cell migration and tubule formation of RECs in each group were detected and compared by CCK-8,cell migration and tubule for-mation assays.Western blot and qPCR were used to detect the expression of NADPH Oxidase 4(NOX4)and thioredoxin interacting protein(TXNIP)in each group.RESULTS The number of RECs in the DR group was significantly increased compared to the NC group(P<0.01).In contrast,the DR+L-HY,DR+H-HY,and DR+CD groups all showed significant decreases in RECs number compared to the DR group(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the reduction of RECs in the DR+H-HY group was significantly greater than that in the DR+L-HY group(P<0.05).Furthermore,the cell activity,migration number and tube formation number of RECs in the HG group were significantly higher than those in the NG group(P<0.05,P<0.01).The protein and mRNA expression levels of NOX4 and TXNIP in the HG group were also significantly higher than those in the NG group(P<0.01).However,the RECs activity,RECs mi-gration number and tube formation number in the HG+H100 group and the HG+H400 group were significantly lower than those in the HG group(P<0.05,P<0.01).The expression levels of NOX4 and TXNIP in both groups were significantly lower than those in the HG group(P<0.05,P<0.01),and the RECs activity,migration number,tube formation number,and the expression of NOX4 and TXNIP in the HG+H400 group were further significantly decreased compared with those in the HG+H100 group(P<0.01).CONCLU-SION Hyperoside could significantly inhibit the high glucose-induced excessive proliferation of RECs.The mechanism may be relat-ed to the inhibition of NOX4/TXNIP activation in high-glucose environment.

The development of breast cancer is closely related to the information transfer in its microenvironment.As a novel information communication tool,exosomes present non-coding RNAs that are involved in breast cancer cell proliferation,migration,invasion,tumour-associated fibroblasts ogenesis,cell cycle,degradation of oncogenes,etc.This paper reviews the relationship between exosomes and the tumour microenvironment and the role of their presenting non-coding RNAs on breast cancer as well as their clinical applications in order to provide new ideas for biological research and therapeutic strategies.

Objective:This study aims to initially establish a scoring system for comprehensively reflecting the severity of intracranial atherosclerotic lesions and to explore the correlation between this score and atherosclerotic risk factors as well as stroke events.Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent head and neck computer tomography angiography(CTA)examinations and had head MRI examinations within one month before or after the CTA examination from January 2021 to August 2024 in Beijing Hospital.An intracranial atherosclerosis disease score(ICADS)system was constructed based on the degree and number of vascular stenosis.The relationship between ICADS and atherosclerotic risk factors was explored by grouping patients according to the quartile of ICADS.Patients were divided into acute stroke group and non-acute stroke group to compare differences in ICADS and cerebrovascular disease risk factors between the two groups, and to investigate the correlation between stroke events and ICADS.Results:There were statistically significant differences in the proportions of patients with hypertension and diabetes among different ICADS groups.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that hypertension( B=1.17, 95% CI: 0.20-2.14, P<0.05)and diabetes( B=2.75, 95% CI: 1.85-3.64, P<0.001)were risk factors for higher ICADS.The ICADS was higher in the acute stroke group than in the non-acute stroke group(9 vs.6, P<0.001), and a higher ICADS was identified as a risk factor for stroke( OR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.07-1.14, P<0.001). Conclusions:ICADS can comprehensively reflect the severity of intracranial atherosclerotic lesions and is correlated with stroke events, making it useful for clinical screening of high-risk patients for stroke.

Objective:To develop a treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to test its reliability and validity.Methods:The initial scale was constructed through a literature search, Delphi expert correspondence, and cognitive testing. This study conducted a preliminary survey of 379 patients with MM and a formal survey of 865 patients from the hematology departments of 155 hospitals nationwide from February 2024 to March 2024. The final scale was obtained after conducting item analysis and reliability and validity tests on the initial scale.Results:The constructed scale contains 36 items covering six domains: physiological, psychological, social, treatment side effects, general health, and others. In the preliminary survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.597 to 0.939, and the test-retest reliability was 0.747 ( P<0.001). Exploratory factor analysis extracted eight common factors with a cumulative variance contribution of 60.058%. In the formal survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.484 to 0.930, and the test-retest reliability was 0.835 ( P<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a comparative fit index of 0.750, a root-mean-square error of approximation of 0.090, and a root-mean-square residual of 0.067. Conclusion:The treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with MM designed in this study exhibited good reliability and validity, reflecting the impact of treatment on the quality of life of patients. This scale can provide a reference to clinicians for assessing the disease status of patients.

Objective To examine the changing prevalence and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Burkholderia cepacia in 52 hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were collected from 52 hospitals between January 1,2015 and December 31,2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility of the strains was tested using Kirby-Bauer method or automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems according to a unified protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints released in the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)guidelines(2023 edition).Results A total of 9 261 strains of B.cepacia were isolated from all age groups,especially elderly patients.The proportion was 11.1％(1 032 strains)in children,significantly lower than the proportion in adults.About half(46.5％,4 310/9 261)of the strains were isolated from patients at least 60 years old and 42.3％(3 919/9 261)of the strains were isolated from young adults.Most isolates(71.1％)were isolated from sputum and respiratory secretions,followed by urine(10.7％)and blood samples(8.1％).B.cepacia isolates were highly susceptible to the five antimicrobial agents recommended in the CLSI M100 document(33rd edition,2023).B.cepacia isolates showed relatively higher resistance rates to meropenem and levofloxacin.However,the resistance rates to ceftazidime,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,and minocycline remained below 8.1％.The percentage of B.cepacia strains resistant to levofloxacin was the highest compared to other antibiotics in any of the three age groups(from 12.4％in the patients＜18 years old to 20.6％in the patients aged 60 years or older).Conclusions B.cepacia is one of the clinically important non-fermenting gram-negative bacteria.Accurate and timely reporting of antimicrobial susceptibility test results and ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance are helpful for rational prescription of antimicrobial agents and proper prevention and control of nosocomial infections.

Objective To summarize the changing prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales based on the data of CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021 for improving antimicrobial treatment in clinical practice.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using a commercial automated susceptibility testing system according to the unified CHINET protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)M100 31st ed in 2021.Results Over the seven-year period(2015-2021),the overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)was 9.43％(62 342/661 235).The prevalence of CRE strains in Klebsiella pneumoniae,Citrobacter freundii,and Enterobacter cloacae was 22.38％,9.73％,and 8.47％,respectively.The prevalence of CRE strains in Escherichia coli was 1.99％.A few CRE strains were also identified in Salmonella and Shigella.The CRE strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.23±2.80)％,followed by blood(20.88±3.40)％and urine(18.40±3.45)％.Intensive care units(ICUs)were the major source of the CRE strains(27.43±5.20)％.CRE strains were resistant to all the β-lactam antibiotics tested and most non-β-lactam antimicrobial agents.The CRE strains were relatively susceptible to tigecycline and polymyxins with low resistance rates.Conclusions The prevalence of CRE strains was increasing from 2015 to 2021.CRE strains were highly resistant to most of the antibacterial drugs used in clinical practice.Clinicians should prescribe antimicrobial agents rationally.Hospitals should strengthen antibiotic stewardship in key clinical settings such as ICUs,and take effective infection control measures to curb CRE outbreak and epidemic in hospitals.

Objective To characterize the changing species distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles of respiratory isolates in hospitals participating in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Commercial automated antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems and disk diffusion method were used to test the susceptibility of respiratory bacterial isolates to antimicrobial agents following the standardized technical protocol established by the CHINET program.Results A total of 589 746 respiratory isolates were collected from 2015 to 2021.Overall,82.6％of the isolates were Gram-negative bacteria and 17.4％were Gram-positive bacteria.The bacterial isolates from outpatients and inpatients accounted for(6.0±0.9)％and(94.0±0.1)％,respectively.The top microorganisms were Klebsiella spp.,Acinetobacter spp.,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,Staphylococcus aureus,Haemophilus spp.,Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,Escherichia coli,and Streptococcus pneumoniae.Each microorganism was isolated from significantly more males than from females(P＜0.05).The overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)was 39.9％.The prevalence of penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae was 1.4％.The prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase(ESBL)-producing E.coli and K.pneumoniae was 67.8％and 41.3％,respectively.The overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli,K.pneumoniae,Enterobacter cloacae,Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and Acinetobacter baumannii was 3.7％,20.8％,9.4％,29.8％,and 73.3％,respectively.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 96.1％in Moraxella catarrhalis and 60.0％in Haemophilus influenzae.The H.influenzae isolates from children(＜18 years)showed significantly higher resistance rates to β-lactam antibiotics than the isolates from adults(P＜0.05).Conclusions Gram-negative bacteria are still predominant in respiratory isolates associated with serious antibiotic resistance.Antimicrobial resistance surveillance should be strengthened in clinical practice to support accurate etiological diagnosis and appropriate antimicrobial therapy based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing results.

Aim To investigate the effect of tetrameth-ylpyrazine(TMP)on neuroinflammation after cerebral ischemia and hypoxia via mannose-binding lectin(MBL).Methods Patients diagnosed with ischaemic stroke at Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital were in-cluded in the study,and their clinicopathological data,as well as blood and urine samples,were collected with the consent of the patients and their families.Using these biological samples,differential proteins and tar-gets were identified by proteomic analysis and subse-quently verified with animal experiments.The mice were divided into the sham,dMCAO,and TMP(10,20,40 mg·kg-1)treatment groups.After seven days of drug administration,the modified neurological sever-ity score(mNSS)was used to assess the neurological function.TTC staining was used to detect the volume of cerebral infarction.Motor function was evaluated be-haviourally,and ELISA was used to detect MASP1,sC5b-9,TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β.Western blot was used to determine the expression of relevant proteins,such as MBL2,MASP2,and C3.Results Compared with the sham group,the dMCAO group exhibited in-creased neurological impairment,which was signifi-cantly ameliorated by TMP treatment.The expression levels of MBL2,C3 and MASP2 were elevated in the dMCAO group and were reduced following TMP treat-ment.Additionally,the dMCAO group showed elevat-ed expression of inflammatory factors IL-1 β,IL-6 and TNF-α,which were then suppressed by TMP treat-ment.Conclusion TMP inhibits the inflammatory re-sponse after ischemia and hypoxia by regulating MBL,thus attenuating brain injury.