Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

Objective:To investigate the acceptance and attitude toward a novel fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in colorectal cancer screening among populations in China.Methods:From May 2018 to May 2019, 2 474 people aged 50-74 years were recruited from five provinces of China (Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan and Yunnan). The general demographic characteristics, acceptance of the new FIT technology and operational difficulties through the whole screening process were obtained through questionnaire survey. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors related to difficulties encountered in sampling stool, reading and uploading results.Results:The subjects were (60.0±6.4) years old, and female, high school of above educated, unemployed/retired/other, married and with medical insurance status of “new rural cooperative medical care (NRCMC)” accounted for 61.7% (1 526), 29.0%(718), 34.3% (849), 92.7% (2 293) and 31.3%(775), respectively. The population's acceptance of the FIT technology was 94.8%. In the process of FIT screening, the percentage of occurred difficulties in sampling stool, reading and uploading results were 33.1% (819), 46.4% (1 147) and 62.9% (1 557), respectively. The main difficulties were the uncertainty about whether the sampling operation was standard (28.0%), the inability to accurately judge the result displayed (32.5%) and the need for help without using a smartphone (44.2%). The results of multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that people aged 65-74 years old and with medical insurance status of “NRCMC” were more likely to encounter difficulties in sampling, and those who were unemployed/retired/other and living with 3 or more family members were less likely to encounter difficulties in sampling. Those aged 65-74 years old, farmers or migrant workers, and those with “NRCMC” were more likely to encounter difficulties in readingresults, and those with 3 or more family members were less likely to encounter difficulties in reading result. Those with “NRCMC” were more likely to encounter difficulties in uploading results, and those with education level of high school or above, living with more than 3 family members were less likely to encounter difficulties in uploading results.Conclusion:The acceptance of the new FIT technology is relatively high among the subjects. Age, education level, occupation, number of family members living together and medical insurance status might be related to difficulties encountered in sampling stool, reading and uploading results, and it can be further strengthened in terms of the technology and characteristics of sub-populations.

Objective:To investigate the acceptance and attitude toward a novel fecal immunochemical test (FIT) in colorectal cancer screening among populations in China.Methods:From May 2018 to May 2019, 2 474 people aged 50-74 years were recruited from five provinces of China (Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan and Yunnan). The general demographic characteristics, acceptance of the new FIT technology and operational difficulties through the whole screening process were obtained through questionnaire survey. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors related to difficulties encountered in sampling stool, reading and uploading results.Results:The subjects were (60.0±6.4) years old, and female, high school of above educated, unemployed/retired/other, married and with medical insurance status of “new rural cooperative medical care (NRCMC)” accounted for 61.7% (1 526), 29.0%(718), 34.3% (849), 92.7% (2 293) and 31.3%(775), respectively. The population's acceptance of the FIT technology was 94.8%. In the process of FIT screening, the percentage of occurred difficulties in sampling stool, reading and uploading results were 33.1% (819), 46.4% (1 147) and 62.9% (1 557), respectively. The main difficulties were the uncertainty about whether the sampling operation was standard (28.0%), the inability to accurately judge the result displayed (32.5%) and the need for help without using a smartphone (44.2%). The results of multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that people aged 65-74 years old and with medical insurance status of “NRCMC” were more likely to encounter difficulties in sampling, and those who were unemployed/retired/other and living with 3 or more family members were less likely to encounter difficulties in sampling. Those aged 65-74 years old, farmers or migrant workers, and those with “NRCMC” were more likely to encounter difficulties in readingresults, and those with 3 or more family members were less likely to encounter difficulties in reading result. Those with “NRCMC” were more likely to encounter difficulties in uploading results, and those with education level of high school or above, living with more than 3 family members were less likely to encounter difficulties in uploading results.Conclusion:The acceptance of the new FIT technology is relatively high among the subjects. Age, education level, occupation, number of family members living together and medical insurance status might be related to difficulties encountered in sampling stool, reading and uploading results, and it can be further strengthened in terms of the technology and characteristics of sub-populations.

Objective:To study the correlation between plasma concentration and clinical efficacy in newly diagnosed type 2 diabe-tes treated with nateglinide. Methods:On the basis of diet control and exercise, 73 cases of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes received nateglinde therapy for 2 months. Adverse events were routinely monitored during the therapy. Fasting blood glucose(FBG), 2h post-prandial blood glucose(2h-PG), fasting C-peptide(F-CP), 2h C-peptide(P-CP) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were ob-served before and after the treatment. LC-MS was used to determine the plasma concentration of nateglinide on the last day of treat-ment. Results:FBG, 2h-PG, HbAlc and P-CP after the treatment had significant changes when compared with those before the treat-ment (P<0. 05). There was no significant difference in F-CP in spite of minor increase (P>0. 05). The difference in HbA1c and P-CP before and after the treatment both showed a significantly positive correlation with plasma concentration of nateglinide (P<0. 05). Conclusion:Nateglinide displays good clinical efficacy and safety in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, and its plasma concentration can be used to evaluate the pancreatic islets function and glucose-lowing effects.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the correlation of blood concentrations of tamoxifen (TAM) and its metabolites with endometrial hyperplasia in estrogen receptor(ER)-positive breast cancer patients. METHODS:A total of 69 patients with ER-posi-tive breast cancer selected from our hospital during Mar. 2015-Apr. 2016 received TAM (twice a day,one tablet each time) for more than 6 months. According to endometrial thickness,they were divided into abnormal hyperplasia group(40 cases)and normal group(29 cases). The steady state concentrations of TAM and its metabolites [4-OH-tamoxifen(OHT),N-demethylation tamoxifen (DMT),Endoxifen] were determined by HPLC-FLU. The correlation of blood concentration and other factors with endometrial thickness were investigated by Pearson test and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS:The medication time and Endoxifen steady state concentration in abnormal hyperplasia group were both significantly longer or higher than normal group,with statistical signifi-cance (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance in age,BMI,complication and steady state concentrations of TAM,OHT and DMT between 2 groups(P>0.05). The endometrial thickness was positively correlated with Endoxifen steady state concentra-tion and medication time(r=0.447,0.460,P<0.05). Using endometrial thickness(y)as dependent variable,medication time(x1) and Endoxifen steady state concentration(x2)as independent variable,multiple regression analysis was conducted. Multiple regres-sion equation was calculated as follows:y=2.436+0.123x1+0.082x2(F=12.610,r=0.526,P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Medication time and Endoxifen steady state concentration may be related to endometrial hyperplasia,which can provide reference for predicting TAM induced endometrial abnormal hyperplasia in ER-positive breast cancer patients.

Background and purpose: Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is of advantage in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with EGFR mutations. However, their clinical effects vary individually. This study aimed to evaluate whether the EGFR ligand, plasma transforming growth factor α (TGF-α), could act as a predictor for the EGFR-TKI treatment e?ciency in NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations and the association between TGF-α and prognosis in these patients. Methods: Seventy-five NSCLC patients with EGFR gene positive mutation were included in the current study from May 2012 to Jul. 2014 in Ruikang Hospital A?liated to Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine. Plasma TGF-α was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in all of the patients before EGFR-TKI treatment. The radiographic evaluation was performed 2 months after the therapy. The association between TGF-α and clinical outcome and its prediction e?ciency were determined, followed by the further analysis of the association between TGF-α and overall survival (OS) as well as progression-free survival (PFS). Results: After EGFR-TKI treatment, there were 20 patients with partial response (PR), 25 with stable disease (SD) and 30 with progression disease (PD) in all 75 NSCLC patients harboring EGFR positive mutation. The disease control (DC) rate reached 60%. Patients in PD group presented statistically significant higher plasma TGF-αthan patients in the DC group (P<0.01). Multivariate COX model indicated that smoking status, lymph node metastasis and plasma TGF-α levels were independent risk factors for prognosis in these patients. The ROC analysis revealed that baseline plasma TGF-α showed good prediction e?ciency [area under the curve (AUC)=0.926] and the cut-off point of TGF-α was 16.75 pg/mL. Higher level of TGF-α (≥16.75 pg/mL) was associated with smoking history, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and clinical outcome of the patients (P<0.05). In comparison to patients with low TGF-α, the patients with high TGF-α concentration presented significantly reduced median OS and PFS (log-rank P<0.05). Conclusion: Higher plasma TGF-α (≥16.75 pg/mL) had a predictive role in EGFR-TKI resistance and poor prognosis.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and toxicity of oxaliplatin reintroduction combined with raltitrexed as second-line che-motherapy after the first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer patients. Methods:The 48 evaluable pa-tients with advanced colorectal cancer following disease progression prior to the first-line chemotherapy were treated with oxaliplatin and raltitrexed (raltitrexed 3 mg/m2 ivgtt d1, oxaliplatin 100-130 mg/m2 ivgtt d1, q21d). All 48 patients were divided into two groups:Group A, non-oxaliplatin-based regimens as the first-line chemotherapy, 20 cases;Group B, oxaliplatin-based regimens as the first-line chemotherapy, 28 cases. Each group was evaluated every two cycles. Results:The response rates (RR) of Groups A and B were 30.0%(6/20) and 32.1%(9/28), the disease control rates (DCR) were 80.0%(16/20) and 75.0%(21/28), the median progression free survival time (mPFS) was 6.5 and 7.0 months, and the median overall survival time (mOS) was 10 and 13 months, respectively. No statistical sig-nificance was observed between the two groups in their RR, CR, mPFS, and mOS (P=0.264, 0.514, 0.713, 0.788), respectively. The most common adverse effects observed wereⅠ-Ⅱgrades of bone marrow suppression, aminotransferase abnormality, and digestive toxici-ties. The incidence of neurotoxicity (Ⅰ-Ⅱgrades) between the two groups was similar. Conclusion:Instead of irinotecan combined with raltitrexed, oxaliplatin reintroduction combined with raltitrexed for second-line chemotherapy after the first-line oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer patients is feasible.

AIM:To investigate the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in nephritic epithelium of primates. METHODS:The expression of ACE2 in Vero E6 cells was detected by the techniques of RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry (ICC) techniques. The distribution of ACE2 protein in kidney tissues of two Rhesus monkeys and two normal human cases was observed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques. RESULTS:Vero E6 cells were found to express both ACE2 mRNA and protein. ACE2 protein was mainly located in epithelium of proximal tubules of Rhesus monkey and human kidney. CONCLUSION:The expression of ACE2 in epithelium of primate kidney may provide the condition for SARS-CoV entry,which may be one of the reasons for inducing renal damage in SARS patients.

Objective To study the effects of breast conserving surgery for early stage breast cancer. Methods The record of 38 patients with 0-IIa-stage breast cancer who received breast conserving surgery from Jan. 2005 to Feb.2010 was reviewed. The short-term effect was analyzed and the cosmetic effect was evaluated according to Rose standard. Results All patients recovered well and they were all satisfied with the shape of their breasts. No complication occurred. During the follow-up, no local recurrence and distant metastasis occurred. Conclusion Satisfactory clinical and cosmetic effect can be achieved by breast-conserving surgery in patients with early stage breast cancer.

Aim To investigate radioprotective effects of platelet factor 4 (PF4) on hemopoiesis of mice after γ -ray irradiation and their mechanisms. Methods The mice were injected with PF4 twice at 6h intervals; and 20 h after the second injection they were given one irradiation of 7.5Gy 60Co γ -ray. 8d later the colony forming unit of granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), colony forming of unit spleen (FU-S), number and DNA contents in bone marrow cells (BMCs) were examined by flow cytometry. Results 8d after irradiation, a significant difference was shown between DNA contents in BMCs and cell cycles of the PF4-injected mice and those of the irradiated mice (P∨ 0.01), whereas little difference was found between those of the irradiated mice and the controls (P∧ 0.05). Conclusion PF4 can obviously protect hemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) of mice from radiation injury and promote proliferation of HSCs after radiation.