Background::Total human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA and integrated HIV DNA are widely used markers of HIV persistence. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) can be used for absolute quantification without needing a standard curve. Here, we developed duplex ddPCR assays to detect and quantify total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA.Methods::The limit of detection, dynamic ranges, sensitivity, and reproducibility were evaluated by plasmid constructs containing both the HIV long terminal repeat (LTR) and human CD3 gene (for total HIV DNA) and ACH-2 cells (for integrated HIV DNA). Forty-two cases on stable suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART) were assayed in total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA. Correlation coefficient analysis was performed on the data related to DNA copies and cluster of differentiation 4 positive (CD4 +) T-cell counts, CD8 + T-cell counts and CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio, respectively. The assay linear dynamic range and lower limit of detection (LLOD) were also assessed. Results::The assay could detect the presence of HIV-1 copies 100% at concentrations of 6.3 copies/reaction, and the estimated LLOD of the ddPCR assay was 4.4 HIV DNA copies/reaction (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 3.6-6.5 copies/reaction) with linearity over a 5-log 10-unit range in total HIV DNA assay. For the integrated HIV DNA assay, the LLOD was 8.0 copies/reaction (95% CI: 5.8-16.6 copies/reaction) with linearity over a 3-log 10-unit range. Total HIV DNA in CD4 + T cells was positively associated with integrated HIV DNA ( r = 0.76, P <0.0001). Meanwhile, both total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA in CD4 + T cells were inversely correlated with the ratio of CD4/CD8 but positively correlated with the CD8 + T-cell counts. Conclusions::This ddPCR assay can quantify total HIV DNA and integrated HIV DNA efficiently with robustness and sensitivity. It can be readily adapted for measuring HIV DNA with non-B clades, and it could be beneficial for testing in clinical trials.

Objective To compare the safety and clinical efficacy of freehand and 3D printing navigation template assisted screw placement in patients with old odontoid fractures of type Ⅱ.Methods Total of 38 patients with old odontoid fractures of type Ⅱ were treated from November 2018 to December 2022,all of which presented as chronic neck pain.According to the dif-ferent methods of screw insertion into the pedicle,the patients were divided into a navigation template group and a freehand group.In the navigation template group,there were 17 patients including 9 males and 8 females with an average age of(51.30±13.20)years old,disease duration was(22.18±7.59)months.In the freehand group,there 21 patients including 7 males and 14 females with an average age of(49.46±11.92)years old,disease duration was(19.52±9.17)months.The intraoperative blood loss,operation time,and postoperative drainage output were recorded and compared between two groups.The accuracy of screw placement was evaluated by CT scan.Before operation and 1 year after operation,cervical pain was assessed by visual analogue scale(VAS),neurological changes were evaluated by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score,and the de-gree of spinal cord injury was assessed by the American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)injury scale.Results All patients were followed up for(25.31±1.21)months.The operation time of template group(112.00±20.48)min had significantly shorter than that of the freehand group(124.29±15.24)min(P＜0.05),while there were no significant differences between two groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss,postoperative drainage,and hospital stay(P＞0.05).At 1 year after operation,in template group and freehand group,the VAS[(2.88±0.86),(2.90±0.83)]and JOA[(14.94±1.82),(14.62±2.19)]improved with pre-operative[VAS(4.71±0.92),(4.86±0.79)and JOA(12.18±2.30),(11.95±2.31)](P＜0.05),with no significant difference between two groups(P＞0.05).No significant improvement was observed in ASIA grading in either group at 1 year after opera-tion(P＞0.05),and there was no significant difference between two groups(P＞0.05).The template group had significantly better accuracy of screw placement in the pedicle of the axis than the freehand group(P＜0.05),while no significant difference was observed between two groups in the accuracy of screw placement in the pedicle of the atlas(P＞0.05).Conclusion In the treat-ment of type Ⅱ old odontoid fractures with posterior pedicle screw fixation,3D printing navigation template screw placement can significantly shorten the operation time,achieve similar clinical efficacy as free-hand screw placement,and significantly im-prove the accuracy of screw placement in the pedicle of the axis.

To understand the distribution of ticks in the Wuwei Region,enrich tick species data,and provide a basis for the prevention of tick-borne diseases,tick were collected using flagging and tick-picking methods during the highest activity period from April to September in 2021 and 2022 in the mountainous areas of Wuwei City.The ticks were identified based on morpho-logical and molecular biological characteristics,and characteristic sequences were obtained.A systematic evolutionary tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining method in MEGA 11.0 software.In total,7 342 ticks collected in Wuwei,which be-longed to 5 species from 4 genera with in the Ixodidae family,which included Dermacentor nuttalli,Hyalomma asiaticum,Ixodes canisuga,Haemaphysalis longicornis and Haema-physalis danieli.Ticks of the same species clustered together into the same branch of an evolutionary tree.In the Wuwei Re-gion,five common tick species are found across various habi-tats,with each habitat featuring different distributions of tick species and populations.The Dermacentor nuttalli is the dom-inant tick species in this area.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

One patient was admitted to a hospital due to"sepsis,chronic kidney disease,type 2 diabetes,shock,and cerebral infarction".Patient's blood specimen was taken for clinical examination.Aerobic and anaerobic culture results of catheter blood and venous blood were both positive.The pathogen was identified as Staphylococcus pas-teuri by VITEK MS,and the patient was diagnosed as catheter-related bloodstream infection caused by Staphylo-coccus pasteuri.Clinical empirical use of piperacillin for anti-infection treatment was ineffective,and vancomycin was eventually used for treatment based on in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing.Patient's condition improved after removing the venous catheter.There are currently no reported cases of Staphylococcus pasteuri in China.Ear-ly identification of pathogen and adjustment of treatment plans based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing results are crucial for effective treatment of this case.

Objective　To observe the molluscicidal effect of a new molluscicide, 10% chlorosalicylicamide (LDS), against the intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni - Biomphalaria glabrata and Biomphalaria straminea, thus to provide the experimental foundation for the field application of this molluscicide. Methods　The 10% LDS was formulated into the series of standard solutions with effective concentrations of 0.400 0, 0.200 0, 0.100 0, 0.050 0, 0.025 0 mg/L and 0.012 5 mg/L, respectively. B. glabrata and B. straminea were separately immersed in these solutions in the laboratory. The deaths of the above snails were observed after immersing into the solutions for 24, 48, and 72 h, and the mortalities of each group were computed, as well as the median lethal concentration LC50 (s) and relative toxicity indexes were calculated. Meanwhile, 50% wettable power of niclosamide ethanolamine salt (WPN) was set as the drug group, and dechlorinated water as the blank control group. Results　 The effective concentration of LDS at or above 0.100 0 mg/L, or WPN at or above 0.200 0 mg/L resulted in a 100% mortality rate for B. glabrata and B. straminea after immersing 24, 48, and 72 h. The LC50 (s) at 24, 48, and 72 hours for Biomphalaria glabrata immersed in the LDS series concentration solution was 0.047 95, 0.046 52, and 0.037 10 mg/L, respectively; while the LC50 (s) of B. glabrata in WPN serial solutions was 0.063 48, 0.057 05, 0.057 05 mg/L for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. For Biomphalaria straminea, the LC50 (s) at 24, 48, and 72 hours in the LDS solution was 0.012 35, 0.013 99, and 0.008 40 mg/L, respectively; and for the WPN solution, it was 0.058 95, 0.025 71, and 0.0237 5 mg/L. Using WPN as the standard drug which had higher value of LC50, and the relative toxicity index of WPN was set to 1.00, the relative toxicity indexes of LDS against B. glabrata were 1.32, 1.23 and 1.54 for 24, 48 h and 72 h, respectively, while for B. straminea, it was 4.77, 1.84, and 2.83. After 24, 48, and 72 hours of immersion in LDS, the number of surviving B. glabrata was significantly higher than that of B. straminea, with a statistical significance (χ2=8.044, 5.263, 4.658, P<0.05, respectively). Conclusions　Compared to the traditional molluscicide WPN, 10% LDS shows a superior molluscicidal effect on B. glabrata and B. straminea, especially demonstrating heightened sensitivity and efficacy on B. straminea, suggesting its potential as a substitute agent for snail control.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial communities of biting midges and ticks collected from three sites in the Poyang Lake area,namely,Qunlu Practice Base,Peach Blossom Garden,and Huangtong Animal Husbandry,and whether vectors carry any bacterial pathogens that may cause diseases to humans,to provide scientific basis for prospective pathogen discovery and disease prevention and control. Methods Using a metataxonomics approach in concert with full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and operational phylogenetic unit(OPU)analysis,we characterized the species-level microbial community structure of two important vector species,biting midges and ticks,including 33 arthropod samples comprising 3,885 individuals,collected around Poyang Lake. Results A total of 662 OPUs were classified in biting midges,including 195 known species and 373 potentially new species,and 618 OPUs were classified in ticks,including 217 known species and 326 potentially new species.Surprisingly,OPUs with potentially pathogenicity were detected in both arthropod vectors,with 66 known species of biting midges reported to carry potential pathogens,including Asaia lannensis and Rickettsia bellii,compared to 50 in ticks,such as Acinetobacter lwoffii and Staphylococcus sciuri.We found that Proteobacteria was the most dominant group in both midges and ticks.Furthermore,the outcomes demonstrated that the microbiota of midges and ticks tend to be governed by a few highly abundant bacteria.Pantoea sp7 was predominant in biting midges,while Coxiella sp1 was enriched in ticks.Meanwhile,Coxiella spp.,which may be essential for the survival of Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann,were detected in all tick samples.The identification of dominant species and pathogens of biting midges and ticks in this study serves to broaden our knowledge associated to microbes of arthropod vectors. Conclusion Biting midges and ticks carry large numbers of known and potentially novel bacteria,and carry a wide range of potentially pathogenic bacteria,which may pose a risk of infection to humans and animals.The microbial communities of midges and ticks tend to be dominated by a few highly abundant bacteria.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and the risk factors of fungal sepsis in 25 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) among preterm infants in China, and to provide a basis for preventive strategies of fungal sepsis. Methods: This was a second-analysis of the data from the "reduction of infection in neonatal intensive care units using the evidence-based practice for improving quality" study. The current status of fungal sepsis of the 24 731 preterm infants with the gestational age of <34⁺⁰ weeks, who were admitted to 25 participating NICU within 7 days of birth between May 2015 and April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. These preterm infants were divided into the fungal sepsis group and the without fungal sepsis group according to whether they developed fungal sepsis to analyze the incidences and the microbiology of fungal sepsis. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidences of fungal sepsis in preterm infants with different gestational ages and birth weights and in different NICU. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to study the outcomes of preterm infants with fungal sepsis, which were further compared with those of preterm infants without fungal sepsis. The 144 preterm infants in the fungal sepsis group were matched with 288 preterm infants in the non-fungal sepsis group by propensity score-matched method. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of fungal sepsis. Results: In all, 166 (0.7%) of the 24 731 preterm infants developed fungal sepsis, with the gestational age of (29.7±2.0) weeks and the birth weight of (1 300±293) g. The incidence of fungal sepsis increased with decreasing gestational age and birth weight (both P<0.001). The preterm infants with gestational age of <32 weeks accounted for 87.3% (145/166). The incidence of fungal sepsis was 1.0% (117/11 438) in very preterm infants and 2.0% (28/1 401) in extremely preterm infants, and was 1.3% (103/8 060) in very low birth weight infants and 1.7% (21/1 211) in extremely low birth weight infants, respectively. There was no fungal sepsis in 3 NICU, and the incidences in the other 22 NICU ranged from 0.7% (10/1 397) to 2.9% (21/724), with significant statistical difference (P<0.001). The pathogens were mainly Candida (150/166, 90.4%), including 59 cases of Candida albicans and 91 cases of non-Candida albicans, of which Candida parapsilosis was the most common (41 cases). Fungal sepsis was independently associated with increased risk of moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (adjusted OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.04-2.22, P=0.030) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (adjusted OR 2.55, 95%CI 1.12-5.80, P=0.025). Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure (adjusted OR=2.50, 95%CI 1.50-4.17, P<0.001), prolonged use of central line (adjusted OR=1.05, 95%CI 1.03-1.08, P<0.001) and previous total parenteral nutrition (TPN) duration (adjusted OR=1.04, 95%CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001) were all independently associated with increasing risk of fungal sepsis. Conclusions: Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis are the main pathogens of fungal sepsis among preterm infants in Chinese NICU. Preterm infants with fungal sepsis are at increased risk of moderate to severe BPD and severe ROP. Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure, prolonged use of central line and prolonged duration of TPN will increase the risk of fungal sepsis. Ongoing initiatives are needed to reduce fungal sepsis based on these risk factors.
Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Birth Weight ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Sepsis/epidemiology* ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/epidemiology* ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology*

Objective:To explore the mid-term efficacy of liquid nitrogen-inactivated autologous tumor segment bone replantation for repairing bone defects after resection of malignant tumors in the long bone shaft.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 16 patients treated with liquid nitrogen-inactivated autologous bone graft at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from July 2015 to June 2017 to repair defects caused by malignant tumour resection of the diaphysis. There were 10 males and 6 females with a mean age of 23.4±11.6 years (range, 8-44 years), including 8 classic osteosarcoma, 2 high-grade surface osteosarcoma, 4 Ewing's sarcoma, 1 periosteal osteosarcoma, and 1 undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma. Tumors were located in the humerus in 2 cases, in the femur in 8 cases and in the tibia in 6 cases. The mean length of tumor was 12.4±4.8 cm (range, 5.5-26 cm). Postoperative imaging examination was performed every 6 months, and the healing status of the transplanted bone-host bone was evaluated based on the imaging assessment method of the International Society of Limb Salvage (ISOLS) imaging assessment after allogeneic bone transplantation, and the complications were assessed using the Henderson classification. The five-year survival rate for patients and grafted bone was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve.Results:The median follow-up was 64 (60.3, 69.8) months. At the end of follow-up, 13 patients were tumour free and 3 patients died of multiple metastases at 19, 20 and 33 months after surgery. There were 32 osteotomy ends in 16 patients, of which 30 healed, including 11 metaphyseal osteotomy ends, and the healing time was 9 (6, 12) months after replantation of the tumour segment with liquid nitrogen-inactivated autologous bone; 19 osteotomy ends in the diaphysis took 13 (9, 21) months to heal, with a statistically significant difference in healing time between different sites ( Z=-2.25, P=0.025). Sixteen patients had six complications, including two cases of non-union at the diaphyseal site, one case of failure of internal fixation due to non-union, three cases of recurrence, and no soft tissue complications or infections. One patient with failed internal fixation was treated with a vascularized tip iliac bone graft that healed 6 months after surgery. Another patient died of multiple metastases with 1 unhealed diaphysis left. Three cases of recurrence were all located in the extracranial soft tissue of the autologous tumor segment inactivated by liquid nitrogen. Among them, one case underwent reoperation and local radiotherapy, and there was still no tumor survival after 65 months of surgery, and two cases died due to multiple metastases. The five-year survival rate of patients was 81% as calculated using the Kaplan-Meier survival curve, and the graft survival rate was 100%. There was no amputation and the limb salvage rate was 100%. Conclusion:The use of liquid nitrogen-inactivated autologous tumor segment bone replantation for reconstruction of bone defects after resection of malignant tumors in the shaft has advantages of higher healing rate, shorter healing time at the metaphyseal end compared to the osteotomy end, fewer complications, and higher survival rate of the replanted bone.

Objective: To explore the relationship between low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio with the severity of coronary artery disease and 2-yeat outcome in patients with premature coronary heart disease. Methods: This prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study is originated from the PROMISE study. Eighteen thousand seven hundred and one patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) were screened from January 2015 to May 2019. Three thousand eight hundred and sixty-one patients with premature CHD were enrolled in the current study. According to the median LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (2.4), the patients were divided into two groups: low LDL-C/HDL-C group (LDL-C/HDL-C≤2.4, n=1 867) and high LDL-C/HDL-C group (LDL-C/HDL-C>2.4, n=1 994). Baseline data and 2-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were collected and analyzed in order to find the differences between premature CHD patients at different LDL-C/HDL-C levels, and explore the correlation between LDL-C/HDL-C ratio with the severity of coronary artery disease and MACCE. Results: The average age of the low LDL-C/HDL-C ratio group was (48.5±6.5) years, 1 154 patients were males (61.8%); the average age of high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio group was (46.5±6.8) years, 1 523 were males (76.4%). The number of target lesions, the number of coronary artery lesions, the preoperative SNYTAX score and the proportion of three-vessel coronary artery disease in the high LDL-C/HDL-C group were significantly higher than those in the low LDL-C/HDL-C group (1.04±0.74 vs. 0.97±0.80, P=0.002; 2.04±0.84 vs. 1.85±0.84, P<0.001; 13.81±8.87 vs. 11.70±8.05, P<0.001; 36.2% vs. 27.4%, respectively, P<0.001). Correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and preoperative SYNTAX score, the number of coronary artery lesions, the number of target lesions and whether it was a three-vessel coronary artery disease (all P<0.05). The 2-year follow-up results showed that the incidence of MACCE was significantly higher in the high LDL-C/HDL-C group than that in the low LDL-C/HDL-C group (6.9% vs. 9.1%, P=0.011). There was no significant difference in the incidence of all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization and bleeding between the two groups. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio has no correlation with 2-year MACCE, death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, stroke and bleeding events above BARC2 in patients with premature CHD. Conclusion: High LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is positively correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with premature CHD. The incidence of MACCE of patients with high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is significantly higher during 2 years follow-up; LDL-C/HDL-C ratio may be an indicator for evaluating the severity of coronary artery disease and long-term prognosis in patients with premature CHD.
Male ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/complications* ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Prospective Studies ; Myocardial Infarction/etiology* ; Stroke ; Risk Factors