Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

Background: and Purpose Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune-mediated disorder characterized by demyelinating or axonal injury of the peripheral nerve. Our aim is to determine whether serum amyloid A (SAA) is a biomarker of demyelinating injury and disease severity in patients with GBS. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 40 patients with either the demyelinating or axonal GBS and sex- and age-matched controls with other neurological diseases as well as healthy subjects. The demographic and clinical features at entry were collected. The serum levels of the SAA isoforms SAA1, SAA2, and SAA4 were determined in the patients with GBS and the controls using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and analyzed for the associations between levels of different SAA isoforms and the clinical features of the patients. Results: The levels of SAA2 and SAA4 were significantly higher in patients with GBS than in both the other neurological disease controls and the healthy subjects (p<0.05 for all). The level of SAA1 did not differ between patients with GBS and the controls. The level of SAA2 was considerably higher in GBS patients with antecedent infection than in those without infection (p=0.020). The levels of different SAA isoforms were not associated with the disease severity or other clinical features of patients with GBS (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions Increased levels of SAA2 and SAA4 may only represent the acute inflammatory status and so cannot be utilized as biomarkers of the disease severity or demyelinating injury in patients with GBS.

AIM: To evaluate the changes in corneal epithelial thickness(CET)and corneal optical density(CD)after smart pulse technology(SPT)-assisted transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy(TPRK)and analyze their correlation.METHODS: The prospective study included 60 patients(120 eyes)with myopia and myopic astigmatism who underwent SPT-TPRK in the ophthalmology department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University between February and August 2023. Changes in CET and CD were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo postoperatively.RESULTS: A total of 14 cases(28 eyes)were lost to follow-up, and 3 patients(6 eyes)with postoperative haze were excluded from this study, resulting in a final inclusion of 43 patients(86 eyes). At 1 wk after SPT-TPRK, CET had statistically significantly thickened compared to preoperative levels(P<0.05), particularly in the CET at 0-2 mm central corneal area(P<0.05). At 1 mo after SPT-TPRK, the CET at 0-2 mm area had statistically significantly decreased(P<0.05). At 3 mo after SPT-TPRK, the CET at 0-2 mm had essentially reached preoperative levels. Postoperative CD values increased, with a positive correlation between CET in the 0-2 mm area and CD in the whole 0-2 mm area(r=0.256, P<0.05), and a positive correlation between CET in the 2-5 mm area and CD in the anterior 2-6 mm area(r=0.319, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Corneal epithelial remodeling takes 3 mo in areas within 2 mm of the central cornea; areas with thinner CET have faster postoperative corneal epithelial remodeling and greater thickening in the early postoperative period; CD increases in the early postoperative period compared to the preoperative value, and in some areas, there is a positive correlation between CET and CD value.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in Haishu District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province from 2011 to 2022, so as to provide the basis for the formulation of HFMD prevention and control strategies. Methods: Data of HFMD in Haishu District from 2011 to 2022 were collected from Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System, and the epidemiological and etiological characteristics were analyzed using a descriptive epidemiological method. The trends in incidence of HFMD and prevalence of positive etiological tests were analyzed using annual percent change (APC). Results: A total of 33 334 cases of HFMD were reported in Haishu District from 2011 to 2022, with an average annual reported incidence of 279.16/105, showing no significant trend (APC=-5.492%, P>0.05). The average annual reported incidence of HFMD was lower after the enterovirus 71 vaccine was launched (from 2017 to 2022) than before (from 2011 to 2016; 219.69/105 vs. 343.70/105, P<0.05). The incidence of HFMD showed seasonal characteristics, with a peak from May to July. There were 19 720 male and 13 614 female cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.45∶1. The age of the HFMD cases ranged from 27 days to 63 years old, and the children aged 5 years and below were predominant (30 657 cases, 91.97%). A total of 1 976 specimens of HFMD cases were collected from 2011 to 2022, and 1 509 enterovirus positive specimens were detected, with a positive rate of 76.37%. The positive rates of enterovirus 71 decreased (APC=-32.599%, P<0.05), the positive rates of coxsackievirus A16 increased (APC=9.226%, P<0.05), while the positive rates of other enteroviruses showed no significant change (APC=0.808%, P>0.05). Conclusions The average annual reported incidence of HFMD in Haishu District from 2011 to 2022 decreased after the enterovirus 71 vaccine was launched, with a peak in spring and summer. Children aged 5 years and below were the high-incidence population, and coxsackievirus A16 was the main serotype.

Purpose/Significance To classify the elderly according to their heterogeneous health status,and to explore the potential categories and influencing factors status,so as to promote the precision of health information services for the elderly.Method/Process Based on the data of the China health and retirement longitudinal study(CHARLS)database in 2018,the elderly are classified according to their health status by the method of latent class analysis,and the main influencing factors are identified by regression analysis.Result/Conclusion The elderly could be divided into 4 categories according to their health status.Age,sex,education level and retirement sta-tus are significant factors affecting the health grouping of the elderly.According to the heterogeneous health characteristics of the elderly,the service optimization strategy should be provided to promote the physical and mental health of the elderly.

Objective To explore the mechanism of butylphthalide(NBP)in regulating microglia acti-vation and inflammatory cytokine expression in the hippocampus of the mouse model of delayed encephalopathy af-ter carbon monoxide poisoning(DEACMP).Methods Wild-type C57 adult mice with normal cognitive function were selected,and DEACMP was modeled by static inhalation of carbon monoxide.The mice were randomized in-to three groups:DEACMP,control,and NBP.The NBP group was administrated with NBP suspension at 6 mg/kg by gavage for 21 days,and the DEACMP and control groups were administrated with the same amount of vegeta-ble oil by gavage.The hippocampal injury was observed by HE staining.The protein level of ionized calcium-bind-ing adapter molecule 1(IBA1)was determined by Western blotting,and the levels of downstream inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA.Results Compared with the control group,the DEACMP and NBP groups showed prolonged escape latency(P=0.001,P=0.029),reduced nerve cells(P=0.001,P=0.035),up-regulated expression of IBA1(P=0.001,P=0.042),increased mean fluorescence intensity of IBA1(P=0.001,P=0.021),and elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)(P=0.002,P=0.024),inter-leukin(IL)-6(P=0.001,P=0.015),and IL-1β(P=0.001,P=0.023).Compared with the DEACMP group,the NBP group showed shortened escape latency(P=0.025),increased nerve cells(P=0.039),down-regulated expression of IBA1(P=0.035),decreased average fluorescence intensity of IBA1(P=0.031),and lowered levels of TNF-α(P=0.028),IL-6(P=0.037),and IL-1 β(P=0.034).Conclusion NBP can inhibit the activation of microglia and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors,thereby alleviating cog-nitive dysfunction and brain tissue damage caused by DEACMP.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of syndecan-1 (SDC1), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) assessment in the early diagnosis and course monitoring of patients with type 2 diabetic kidney disease (DKD).Methods:This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 232 patients with type 2 diabetes admitted to the Department of Endocrinology of Kailuan General Hospital from December 2020 to December 2021 were included. The general biochemical indexes, SDC1 and ADMA were detected. According to urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), patients were divided into simple diabetes group (50 cases) and DKD group (182 cases). According to the risk of progression of DKD, the DKD group was further divided into low-progression diabetic nephropathy (LDKD) subgroup (90 cases), medium-progression diabetic nephropathy(MDKD)subgroup (55 cases), and high-progression diabetic nephropathy(HDKD) subgroup (37 cases). Forty healthy people undergoing physical examination during the same period in our hospital were selected as the healthy control group. According to the quartile value of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminase/urinary creatinine (NAG/Ucr), the DKD group was divided into Q1- Q4 subgroups, with 45, 45, 46 and 46 cases, respectively. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the correlation between SDC1, ADMA and glomerular and renal tubule injury indexes in DKD patients. Multifactor ordered Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of the progression risk of DKD and renal tubular injury. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of SDC1 and ADMA for DKD. Results:The levels of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride (TG), serum creatinine (Scr), uric acid (UA), NAG/Ucr, SDC1 and ADMA in DKD group were higher than those in SDM group and healthy control group (all P<0.05). The levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and hemoglobin A1c (HbA 1c) in DKD group were higher than those in healthy control group, and the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was lower than that in healthy control group (all P<0.05). The SDC1 level in HDKD subgroup was higher than that in SDM group and LDKD subgroup, and the ADMA level was higher than that in SDM group and lower than that in LDKD subgroup (all P<0.05). SDC1 level in MDKD subgroup was higher than that in SDM group and LDKD subgroup, ADMA level was higher than that in SDM group, but lower than that in LDKD subgroup (all P<0.05).The levels of SDC1 and ADMA in LDKD subgroup were higher than those in SDM group (all P<0.05). The levels of TC, AporB, HbA 1c, Scr, UACR and SDC1 in NAG/Ucr Q4 subgroup were higher than those in Q1 subgroup, the levels of Scr, UACR and SDC1 were higher than those in Q2 subgroup, and the levels of HbA 1c, Scr, UACR and SDC1 in Q3 subgroup were higher than those in Q1 subgroup (all P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that SDC1 was positively correlated with UACR, NAG/Ucr ( r=0.757, 0.566, all P<0.05),and was negatively correlated with eGFR ( r=-0.337, P<0.05). ADMA was positively correlated with UACR, NAG/Ucr ( r=0.197, 0.142, all P<0.05). Multifactor ordered Logistic regression analysis showed that SDC1, NAG/Ucr and Scr were the independent influencing factors of progression risk in DKD patients ( OR=2.043, 1.067, 1.047, 0.660, 1.394, all P<0.05), while SDC1, HbA 1c and ACR were the independent influencing factors of renal tubule injury in DKD patients ( OR=1.177, 1.193, 1.002,all P<0.05). ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of SDC1 for DKD diagnosis was 0.979, the sensitivity was 92.31%, and the specificity was 92.22%, while the AUC of ADMA for DKD diagnosis was 0.745, the sensitivity was 81.32%, and the specificity was 60.00%. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of the combined diagnosis of DKD were 0.981, 90.66% and 95.66%. Conclusions:SDC1 is an independent risk factor of DKD progression and tubular injury in DKD patients, which can be used to diagnose early DKD and monitor the progression of DKD. ADMA is suitable for early screening of DKD.

Chondroitin sulfate is an important component of extracellular matrix (ECM) in animal and human body. In recent years, chondroitin sulfate has been proven to have potential efficacy in biomedical application and has been widely used in bone regeneration and osteogenesis, especially in craniofacial reconstruction and dental medicine. Research shows that chondroitin sulfate derivatives and chondroitin sulfate composite scaffolds have great potential in promoting osteogenesis and biomineralization. However, due to the variety of chondroitin sulfate and various application forms, study on its mechanism of osteogenic repair is still insufficient. In this paper, biological characteristics, bone regeneration and osteogenesis of chondroitin sulfate, its application in different biomaterial design and future prospect are discussed.

BACKGROUND: Given the general unavailability, common adverse effects, and complicated administration of tetracycline, the clinical application of classic bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) is greatly limited. Whether minocycline can replace tetracycline for Helicobacter pylori ( H . pylori ) eradication is unknown. We aimed to compare the eradication rate, safety, and compliance between minocycline- and tetracycline-containing BQT as first-line regimens. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 434 naïve patients with H . pylori infection. The participants were randomly assigned to 14-day minocycline-containing BQT group (bismuth potassium citrate 110 mg q.i.d., esomeprazole 20 mg b.i.d., metronidazole 400 mg q.i.d., and minocycline 100 mg b.i.d.) and tetracycline-containing BQT group (bismuth potassium citrate/esomeprazole/metronidazole with doses same as above and tetracycline 500 mg q.i.d.). Safety and compliance were assessed within 3 days after eradication. Urea breath test was performed at 4-8 weeks after eradication to evaluate outcome. We used a noninferiority test to compare the eradication rates of the two groups. The intergroup differences were evaluated using Pearson chi-squared or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables and Student's t -test for continuous variables. RESULTS: As for the eradication rates of minocycline- and tetracycline-containing BQT, the results of both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses showed that the difference rate of lower limit of 95% confidence interval (CI) was >-10.0% (ITT analysis: 181/217 [83.4%] vs . 180/217 [82.9%], with a rate difference of 0.5% [-6.9% to 7.9%]; PP analysis: 177/193 [91.7%] vs . 176/191 [92.1%], with a rate difference of -0.4% [-5.6% to 6.4%]). Except for dizziness more common (35/215 [16.3%] vs . 13/214 [6.1%], P = 0.001) in minocycline-containing therapy groups, the incidences of adverse events (75/215 [34.9%] vs . 88/214 [41.1%]) and compliance (195/215 [90.7%] vs . 192/214 [89.7%]) were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The eradication efficacy of minocycline-containing BQT was noninferior to tetracycline-containing BQT as first-line regimen for H . pylori eradication with similar safety and compliance. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov, ChiCTR 1900023646.
Humans ; Bismuth/therapeutic use* ; Metronidazole/therapeutic use* ; Esomeprazole/pharmacology* ; Minocycline/pharmacology* ; Helicobacter pylori ; Potassium Citrate/therapeutic use* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Tetracycline/adverse effects* ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Amoxicillin