OBJECTIVE: Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection frequently develop central nervous system damage, yet the mechanisms driving this pathology remain unclear. This study investigated the primary pathways and key factors underlying brain tissue damage induced by the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant (lineage B.1.351). METHODS: K18-hACE2 and C57BL/6 mice were intranasally infected with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant. Viral replication, pathological phenotypes, and brain transcriptomes were analyzed. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to identify altered pathways. Expression changes of host genes were verified using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. RESULTS: Pathological alterations were observed in the lungs of both mouse strains. However, only K18-hACE2 mice exhibited elevated viral RNA loads and infectious titers in the brain at 3 days post-infection, accompanied by neuropathological injury and weight loss. GO analysis of infected K18-hACE2 brain tissue revealed significant dysregulation of genes associated with innate immunity and antiviral defense responses, including type I interferons, pro-inflammatory cytokines, Toll-like receptor signaling components, and interferon-stimulated genes. Neuroinflammation was evident, alongside activation of apoptotic and pyroptotic pathways. Furthermore, altered neural cell marker expression suggested viral-induced neuroglial activation, resulting in caspase 4 and lipocalin 2 release and disruption of neuronal molecular networks. CONCLUSION These findings elucidate mechanisms of neuropathogenicity associated with the SARS-CoV-2 beta variant and highlight therapeutic targets to mitigate COVID-19-related neurological dysfunction.
Animals ; COVID-19/genetics* ; Mice ; Brain/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Pyroptosis ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Male ; Female

Objective:To investigate the distribution and molecular characteristics of Yersinia isolated from diarrhea patients in Jiangsu Province. Methods:From 2017 to 2021, the stool samples of diarrhea patients were collected in Tongshan District of Xuzhou City and Dongtai City of Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, where the national active monitoring sites of Yersinia enterocolitica, then Yersinia was isolated; meanwhile, suspected Yersinia strains were collected from sentinel hospitals in the province. The DNA of isolated strains was extracted for whole genome resequencing, and the data were uploaded to the EnteroBase database for Yersinia species identification; the original data were cleaned and processed for 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene polymorphism analysis. Five virulence genes (ail, ystA, ystB, yadA, virF) were scanned through the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and Pathogen Virulence Factor Database (VFDB), and K-mer Tree was constructed and genomic characteristics were analyzed. Results:From 2017 to 2021, a total of 2 058 stool samples from diarrhea patients were collected, and 57 strains of Yersinia were isolated and identified; meanwhile, two Yersinia strains were collected from the sentinel hospital. Compared with EnteroBase database, 51 strains were identified as Yersinia enterocolitica, 4 strains as Yersinia proxima, 1 strain each as Yersinia aleksiciae, Yersinia massiliensis, Yersinia intermedia and Yersinia canariae. The 16S rRNA gene polymorphism analysis showed that all strains were clustered into 3 groups, which could distinguish Yersinia enterocolitica from other Yersinia. Among the 51 strains of Yersinia enterocolitica, 49 strains were virulence genotype Ⅲ(ail-, ystA-, ystB+, yadA-, virF-), two strains were virulence genotype Ⅱ(ail+, ystA+, ystB-, yadA-, virF-); and 8 other Yersinia strains were virulence genotype Ⅳ (ail-, ystA-, ystB-, yadA-, virF-). K-mer analysis could distinguish Yersinia enterocolitica from other Yersinia, JS-XZ-2020001 strain was far away from other Yersinia enterocolitica isolates, and serotype O8 strains were more concentrated. Conclusions:The clinical isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica from diarrhea patients are mainly Yersinia and other Yersinia co-exist in a small amount in Jiangsu Province, two new Yersinia species ( Yersinia proxima and Yersinia canariae) are discovered. The virulence genotype of Yersinia enterocolitica is mainly type Ⅲ. The 16S rRNA gene polymorphism analysis and K-mer analysis can effectively distinguish Yersinia enterocolitica from other Yersinia.

Objective:To analyze the detection strategy and basic detection situation of markers of infectious diseases transmitted by transfusion in blood testing laboratories of blood stations in China.Methods:Based on the data of practice comparison working party of Blood Stations in Mainland of China from 2017 to 2021, the data on the testing strategies and the basic detection information of the markers for the transmission of infectious diseases through transfusion in the member laboratories of the practice comparison working party of Blood Stations in Mainland of China from 2017 to 2021 were collected, and the situation of the selection for testing markers, testing strategy and the testing method and other relevant aspects were sorted out and analyzed by charts.Results:The selection of the testing markers was consistent, but HTLV testing item was added in some member laboratories. The detection strategy of using two ELISA reagents and one nucleic acid testing (NAT) reagent simultaneously was adopted in 47 member blood stations; 3) NAT method was dominated by mini pool-NAT in member laboratories. The number of members adopting mini-pools of 8 (MP8)-NAT decreased from 17 in 2017 to 14 in 2021, while the number of members adopting mini-pools of 6 (MP6)-NAT increased from 13 in 2017 to 22 in 2021; Roche NAT system accounted for the largest proportion.Conclusions:In order to ensure blood safety and avoid missing detection, the blood stations still adopt the detection strategy of using two ELISA reagents and one nucleic acid testing (NAT) reagent simultaneously; Meanwhile, in order to increase the NAT positive rate, the proportion of mini pool-NAT mainly decreased year by year despite its dominating role, while the proportion of individual donation-NAT increased year by year; NAT method is transiting from mini-pools of 8 (MP8) to mini-pools of 6 (MP6); The proportion of imported NAT system used in NAT laboratory is relatively large.

Objective: To explore the classification and reconstruction strategy of defects in lateral face region after operation of malignant tumors. Methods: Eighteen cases with the reconstruction of complicated defects after resection of tumors in the region of lateral face from January 2015 to January 2018 in Hunan Cancer Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. There were 14 males and 4 females, aged from 32 to 68 years. According to the presence or absence of bony scaffold, complicated defects were divided into two main categories: soft tissue perforating defects and soft tissue defects combined with bony scaffold defects. All soft tissue perforating defects in 5 cases were repaired with free anterolateral femoral flaps. Among 13 cases with soft tissue plus bony scaffold defects, 3 were repaired with free fibular flaps, 6 with free fibular flaps combined with free anterolateral femoral flaps, and 4 with chimeric deep circumflex iliac artery perforator flaps combined with anterolateral femoral flaps. Results: All flaps survived well. Two patients complicated with fistula in floor of mouth, but the wound healed after dressing change. Transoral feeding was resumed within 2 weeks after surgery in all patients. One year follow-up evaluation showed that 14 cases had symmetrical face and 10 cases had mouth opening more than 3 transverse fingers. After 36-50 months of follow-up, 6 patients died, with an overall 3-year survival rate of 66.7%. Conclusion: The classification of defects with or without bony stent loss is conducive to the overall repair design, the recovery of facial contour stent, the effective fill of dead space and the maintain of residual occlusal relationship. Good reconstruction results require a multi flap combination of osteocutaneous and soft tissue flaps.
Facial Neoplasms ; Female ; Free Tissue Flaps ; Humans ; Male ; Perforator Flap ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Transplantation ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery* ; Thigh/surgery*

Brain ; pathology ; China ; Humans ; Organ Preservation ; standards ; Tissue Banks ; ethics ; standards

Five patients with primary malignancies in the pterygopalatine fossa (PPF) and infra temporal fossa (ITF) were enrolled in this retrospective study between January 2012 and January 2018. After malignancies proven by biopsy and evaluation with CT and MRI scan, all patients received modified maxillary swing (MMS) approach for extirpation of malignant tumors in the PPF and ITF under general anesthesia. En bloc resection with wide surgical margins was successfully performed in all cases. Negative margins were observed in 4 cases and positive margins were found in one patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma who received postoperative radiotherapy. The most common complication was facial numbness. During the follow-up period (range 12 to 57 months), one patient suffered from recurrence while others did not. The advantages of MMS include wide surgical field, full exposure and easy manipulation. The MMS approach is expected to become an standard method for monobloc resection of malignancies in the PPF and ITF.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF) in prophylaxis neutropenia after chemotherapy in patients with lymphoma. Methods: This was a multicenter, single arm, open, phase Ⅳ clinical trial. Included 410 patients with lymphoma received multiple cycles of chemotherapy and PEG-rhG-CSF was administrated as prophylactic. The primary endpoint was the incidence of Ⅲ/Ⅳ grade neutropenia and febrile neutropenia (FN) after each chemotherapy cycle. Meanwhile the rate of antibiotics application during the whole period of chemotherapy was observed. Results: ①Among the 410 patients, 8 cases (1.95%) were contrary to the selected criteria, 35 cases (8.54%) lost, 19 cases (4.63%) experienced adverse events, 12 cases (2.93%) were eligible for the termination criteria, 15 cases (3.66%) develpoed disease progression or recurrence, thus the rest 321 cases (78.29%) were into the Per Protocol Set. ②During the first to fourth treatment cycles, the incidences of grade Ⅳ neutropenia after prophylactic use of PEG-rhG-CSF were 19.14% (49/256) , 12.5% (32/256) , 12.18% (24/197) , 13.61% (20/147) , respectively. The incidences of FN were 3.52% (9/256) , 0.39% (1/256) , 2.54% (5/197) , 2.04% (3/147) , respectively. After secondary prophylactic use of PEG-rhG-CSF, the incidences of Ⅳ grade neutropenia decreased from 61.54% (40/65) in the screening cycle to 16.92% (11/65) , 18.46% (12/65) and 20.75% (11/53) in 1-3 cycles, respectively. The incidences of FN decreased from 16.92% (11/65) in the screening cycle to 1.54% (1/65) , 4.62% (3/65) , 3.77% (2/53) in 1-3 cycles, respectively. ③The proportion of patients who received antibiotic therapy during the whole period of chemotherapy was 34.39% (141/410) . ④The incidence of adverse events associated with PEG-rhG-CSF was 4.63% (19/410) . The most common adverse events were bone pain[3.90% (16/410) ], fatigue (0.49%) and fever (0.24%) . Conclusion During the chemotherapy in patients with lymphoma, the prophylactic use of PEG-rhG-CSF could effectively reduce the incidences of grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ neutropenia and FN, which ensures that patients with lymphoma receive standard-dose chemotherapy to improve its cure rate.

Objective To investigate the incidence rate and assess the disease burden of respiratory illness associated with influenza among pregnant women in Suzhou , China. Methods As a subproject of“The Sino-US Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases Program”,pregnant women were recruited in-to the cohort since October , 2015 and follow-ups were carried out .Throat swab for influenza was taken for laboratory test when the pregnant women got influenza-like symptoms . Results In total 4438 pregnant women recruit up to 24th July 2016, among which1 539 are early-pregnancy, middle-pregnancy accounted 2 174 and late-pregnancy took 726.Lost to follow-up rate was 5.5%.And 995 cases of throat swabs was taken and tested (80.83%), of which 68 cases were positive (6.8%).The incidence density was 0.08 per hundred person-weeks . Conclusion This prospective cohort study took laboratory test of influenza virus to investigate the incidence rate of respiratory illness associated with influenza among pregnant women can provide credible data about the incidence of influenza .To a certain extent , this study makes up the blank of such research .

OBJECTIVE: This study aimd to evaluate the application and clinical effect of improved submental island flap in hypopharyngeal cancer reserved laryngeal function surgery. METHOD: A retrospective review of clinical data was performed on 38 patients of hypopharyngeal cancer reserved laryngeal function using sumental island flaps, by the way of improving in design of vascular pedicle, reconstructive mode of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal function and closing of wound of neck following hypopharyngeal cancer resection. Meanwhile, the effect and prognosis was comprehensively assessed on patients with hypopharyngeal cancer reserved laryngeal function using improved submental island flaps. RESULT: The submental flaps kept alive in all 38 cases. During the follow-up period, 18 cases were dead, and of them, 7 cases died of the second primary carcinoma, included 4 cases of esophagus cancer, 1 case of cancer of soft palate, 2 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma; and 5 cases died of cervical or parapharyngeal lymph nodes recurrence; 2 cases died of hepatic metastasis; and 4 cases died of pulmonary metastasis. The overall 5-years survival rate was 52.6%. CONCLUSION Improved submental island flap repairing postoperative defect of hypopharyngeal cancer reserved laryngeal function has many advantages including higher success rate, more security, easy and simple to operate as well as good clinical effects, and is worth to widespread using.
Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms ; surgery ; Hypopharynx ; surgery ; Larynx ; Neck ; surgery ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Prognosis ; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Flaps ; Survival Rate