Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis（HLH）is a complex，rapidly progressing，and highly fatal disease that can lead to during multiple organ dysfunctions.Coagulation disorders frequently occur during the course of HLH and are a significant cause of early mortality.Early diagnosis of coagulation disorders or disseminated intravascular coagulation（DIC）in such patients is particularly challenging，as HLH itself interferes with the diagnostic markers associated with coagulation disorders or DIC.This article summarized the current state of research on HLH complicated by coagulation disorders，including its pathogenesis and the common and novel coagulation markers used in the collaborative assessment of HLH complicated by coagulation disorders or DIC.The goal was to provide more opportunities for subsequent treatment of the underlying disease.

Familial acute necrotizing encephalopathy，also known as acute necrotizing encephalopathy type 1（ANE1），is a rapidly progressing rare encephalopathy with high morbidity and mortality rates.Although the etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear，mutations in genes such as RANBP2 and CPTⅡ are known to be related to its occurrence and development.Additionally，pathogen infections and cytokine storms are also considered potential influencing factors.Compared to isolated acute necrotizing encephalopathy，the clinical manifestations of ANE1 are more diverse，making diagnosis and treatment more complex.Currently，there are no specific therapeutic strategies for ANE1，and the effectiveness of immunomodulatory therapy remains controversial.Mitochondrial cocktail therapy and interleukin inhibitors have shown some therapeutic potential.The prognosis for ANE1 is generally poor，with survivors likely to experience severe neurological deficits and have a risk of recurrence.Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving prognosis.

In recent years, as researchers delve deeply into the cell death mechanisms, ferroptosis, as a new iron-dependent cell death mode, has gradually become a research hotspot.It is mainly triggered by iron overload and lipid peroxidation in organisms.Sepsis-induced liver injury is an important pathophysiological process in the systemic inflammatory response caused by infection, which is closely related to various cell death modes.This review aims to explore the research progress on ferroptosis in sepsis-induced liver injury, including the mechanism of ferroptosis occurrence in sepsis-induced liver injury, its relationship with sepsis-induced liver injury, and possible therapeutic strategies for ferroptosis.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of a child with microcephaly-capillary malformation syndrome due to a STAMBP mutation. Methods:The clinical data of a case of microcephaly-capillary malformation syndrome caused by STAMBP gene mutation admitted to Anhui Children′s Hospital in August 2023 were collected. The genes of the child and his parents were detected by whole exome sequencing, and the risk was predicted by biological software. At the same time, the clinical characteristics of the child were analyzed and the literature was reviewed. Results:The patient is a male child aged 2 years and 7 months. The patient had special features, microcephaly, refractory epilepsy, severe comprehensive developmental delay, and capillary malformations. The results of genetic testing showed that the STAMBP gene in the child had complex heterozygous mutations NM_001353967: c.367delG[p.E123fs *27(p.Glu123fsTer27) and c.159A>C(p.Glu53Asp)], inherited from his mother and father respectively. The mutations have not been recorded in the HGMD, dbSNP and gnomAD databases,etc. The protein structure of the STAMBP gene was modeled that predicted c.367del(p.Glu123Lysfs *27) and c.159A>C (p.Glu53Asp) had a negative effect on the function of STAMBP protein. Conclusion:The STAMBP gene complex heterozygous mutations c.367delG(p.Glu123fsTer27) and c.159A>C(p.Glu53Asp) may be the pathogenic factor of this child, which further expands the variation spectrum of the STAMBP gene and the genotype of microcephaly-capillary malformation syndrome, and provides guidance for family genetic counseling.

Objective To investigate the evaluation effect of lung ultrasound (LUS) score on the severity and prognosis of severe pneumonia in children. Methods A total of 120 children with severe pneumonia admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital from January 2020 to May 2023 were included in the study. Lung ultrasound examination, clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS), pediatric critical illness score (PCIS), and oxygenation index (OI) were analyzed before and after treatment, and the levels of various indicators in children were compared. According to OI value, the children were divided into low-risk group (OI≥300, 84 cases) and high-risk group (OI < 300, 36 cases). Based on the analysis of the prognosis of the children, they were divided into survival group and death group. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between LUS score and CPIS score, PCIS score, and OI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to calculate the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity of LUS score in evaluating the prognosis of children. Results After treatment, both LUS score and CPIS score of 120 cases were lower than before treatment, while PCIS score and OI were higher than before treatment (P < 0.05). Before treatment, the LUS score and CPIS score in the low-risk group were lower than those in the high-risk group, while the PCIS score and OI were higher than those in the high-risk group (P < 0.05). Among the 120 children, 87 survived(survival group) and 33 died(death group). Before treatment, the LUS score and CPIS score in the survival group were lower than those in the death group, while the PCIS score and OI were higher than those in the death group (P < 0.05). LUS score was positively correlated with CPIS score and negatively correlated with PCIS score and OI (P < 0.05). The area under the curve of LUS score in evaluating the prognosis of children was 0.899, with sensitivity and specificity of 0.758 and 0.863, respectively. Conclusion Lung ultrasound score plays a guiding role in the evaluation of severity and prognosis of severe pneumonia in children, with high sensitivity and specificity in prognosis evaluation.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and genotypes of neurodevelopmental disorders of microcephaly-epilepsy-cortical atrophy caused by VARS1 gene mutation.Methods:The clinical data of a child with VARS1 gene mutation who visited Anhui Children′s Hospital in December 2021 were reviewed and followed up. Using "VARS1" "VARS" "VALYL-tRNA synthetase" "Valyl-tRNA synthetase" as the search terms, the Chinese data bases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Wanfang database) and PubMed database (the database establishment until 2022). Articles related to genetic diseases were searched and clinical phenotypes and genotypes were summarized.Results:This case was a 3-month-old girl. After birth, she suffered from repeated convulsions and feeding difficulties, and gradually developed microcephaly, hypotonia, and overall developmental delay. Brain imaging showed cortical atrophy, corpus callosum dysplasia, and craniosynostosis. The results of whole exome sequencing indicated a new homozygous gene mutation in VARS1: gene mutation in exon 27 of chromosome 6 c.3203C>T(p.Thr1068 Met), which was from the patient 's parents. She took phenobarbital, levetiracetam, and sodium valproate for anti-epileptic treatment regularly, and then convulsed as a seizure every few days. A total of 19 patients were reported in 5 literatures that met the search criteria, all of whom presented with neurodevelopmental disorders. A total of 20 VARS1 gene mutation sites have been found so far. Conclusions:Neurodevelopmental disorders of microcephaly-epilepsy-cortical atrophy should be considered for children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as microcephaly, epilepsy, developmental delay, and cortical atrophy. Gene sequencing plays an important role in the diagnosis of the disease.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical features and genetic basis for a child with pyruvate carboxylase deficiency type A (PCD-A). METHODS: Clinical data of the child was retrospectively analyzed. The child and his parents were subjected to trio-whole exome sequencing, and candidate variants were verified by bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: The child was admitted due to fever with vomiting and disturbance of consciousness. His clinical manifestations included severe decompensated acidosis, hypotension and intractable shock. Cranial MRI showed abnormal signal in the brain, and chest X-ray revealed acute pulmonary edema. DNA sequencing revealed that he has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the PC gene, namely c.182T>C (p.I61T) and c.2581G>A (p.V861M), which were respectively inherited from his father and mother. Neither variant was retrievable in the ClinVar and HGMD databases. Through prediction of protein structure, both variants may affect the functional stability of the protein product. CONCLUSION The compound heterozygous variants of the PC gene probably underlay the PCD-A in this child. Combined with the clinical features, the child was ultimately diagnosed as PCD-A. Above finding has enriched the spectrum of PC gene variation underlying PCD-A.
Child ; Family ; Humans ; Male ; Mutation ; Pyruvate Carboxylase Deficiency Disease ; Retrospective Studies ; Exome Sequencing

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics of children with severe tuberculosis (TB) in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the diagnostic viability of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS).Methods:The clinical data and mNGS results of 3 children with severe TB admitted to PICU of Anhui Provincial Children′s Hospital from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.The literature reporting children with TB diagnosed by applying mNGS were searched in China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, VIP and PubMed data bases, all of which were searched from the establishment of the database to March 2021, and the relevant literature was reviewed.Results:(1)All of 3 cases, including 2 males and 1 female, all had fever.One case was diagnosed with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID). Acid-fast stain tests of body fluid, purified protein derivative (PPD) tests and T-cell spot tests of tuberculosis infection (T-SPOT.TB) were conducted in 3 cases, with the test results being negative, and the early diagnosis was confirmed with mNGS.Two cases were discharged from the hospital after being switched to special anti-TB treatment.(2)A total of 3 articles were retrieved, in which 7 children were reported.One male with X-SCID combined with bacillus Calmette-Guérin-associated hemophagocytic syndrome and 6 children with tuberculous meningitis were subject to early diagnosis with mNGS (detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex).Conclusions:It is promising for the application of mNGS in rapid pathogen diagnosis of children with severe TB, especially in children with immunodeficiency.It could optimize early diagnosis and treatment to improve prognosis.

To investigate the risk factors and prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) in children with sepsis in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical data of PICU sepsis children in Anhui Children's Hospital from May 2015 to May 2018 was performed. The children were divided into AKI group and non-AKI group according to whether AKI occurred within 48 hours of PICU [referring to the diagnostic criteria for Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)]. The general data, physiological data and clinical outcomes of the two groups were compared; Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of AKI in children with sepsis and the prognostic factors. Results AKI occurred in 55 of 127 children with sepsis, the incidence of AKI was 43.3%, and the overall mortality was 28.3% (36/127), with 41.8% (23/55) in AKI group and 18.1% (13/72) in non-AKI group.① Compared with non-AKI group, oxygenation index, albumin, the pediatric critical illness case score (PCIS) and urine volume in AKI group were significantly decreased, while cystatin C, procalcitonin (PCT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), pediatric multiple organ dysfunction score (P-MODS), the proportions of mechanical ventilation, vasoactive drug use, shock, septic shock and mortality were significantly increased, while there was no difference in age, gender, mean arterial pressure (MAP), white blood cell count (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) between the two groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that low serum albumin [odds ratio (OR) = 0.627, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 0.495-0.794, P = 0.000] and homocystatin C (OR = 2.641, 95%CI = 1.157-6.032, P = 0.021) were risk factors for AKI in children with sepsis. ② Compared with the survival group of children with sepsis AKI, the proportion of mechanical ventilation, septic shock, vasoactive drug use, positive balance ratio of liquid for 72 hours, 6-hour lactate clearance rate < 10%, and AKI 3-stage patients in the death group of children with sepsis AKI were significantly increased. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that 72-hour positive liquid balance (OR = 8.542, 95%CI = 1.956-37.307, P = 0.004) and 6-hour lactate clearance rate < 10% (OR = 5.980, 95%CI = 1.393-25.676, P = 0.016) were risk factors for the death of children with sepsis AKI. Conclusions Serum albumin and cystatin C should be closely monitored in children with sepsis. Early detection and intervention of positive fluid balance and low lactate clearance rate can reduce the mortality of AKI in children with sepsis.

Objective To investigate the treatment,outcomes and disease burden of severe hand-foot-and mouth diseases(HFMD),and to evaluate the compliance to the 2011 guideline for treatment in regions with a high in-cidence of HFMD.Methods A collaborative study group was established including Children's Hospital of Fudan Uni-versity,Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital,Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital,Linyi People's Hospital and the Second People's Hospital of Fuyang City.Clinical manifestation,treatment,prognosis and other data of severe HFMD pa-tients were prospectively collected by filling out a survey form in real time from April 2014 to October 2016. Results Two hundred and twenty-six severe HFMD cases were collected during the research time,including 114 ca-ses in stage 2,75 cases in stage 3,and 37 cases in stage 4.Two hundred and twenty-one cases(97.8%)were given mannitol,with a mortality of 6.2%;91 cases(40.3%)were given mannitol and glycerol fructose,with a mortality of 3.3%;the combined use of mannitol and glycerol fructose might have a better result than the single use of mannitol. One hundred and ninety-eight cases(87.6%)were given intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG).One hundred and ninety cases(84.1%)were given antiviral drugs.One hundred and forty-five cases(64.2%)were given hormone therapy,and the use of hormone could reduce temperature,but did not reduce the mortality.One hundred and fifty cases (66.4%)needed vasoactive agent,including milrinone,dobutamine,phentolamine and sodium nitroprusside. The vasoactive agent use in stage 3 and 4 were 88.0%(66/75 cases)and 91.9%(34/37 cases),respectively.Sixty-nine cases(30.5%)received continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP),91 cases(40.3%)with mechanical ventila-tion,peak inspiratory pressure(PIP)≥20 cmH2O(1 cmH2O=0.098 kPa)accounted for 61.6%(53/86 cases),po-sitive end-expiratory pressure(PEEP)≥10 cmH2O accounted for 36.3%(33/91 cases).The mean mechanical ven-tilation time was(125.9 ± 101.8)h.Eleven cases(4.86%)died or died after giving up treatment,in which the mortality in stage 3 was 6.7%(5/75 cases),and the mortality in stage 4 was 16.2%(6/37 cases).The death causes were respiratory failure,pulmonary hemorrhage,and circulatory failure. The average time from onset to death was (5.91 ± 5.26)(1-15)d.Length of stay in hospital was(9.18 ± 5.16)(1-37)d in which length of stay in hospi-tal in stage 3 and 4 were(11.3 ± 6.35)d,(11.4 ± 6.62)d,respectively,which were significantly longer than that in stage 2[(7.50 ± 3.04)d],and the difference was statistically significant(P <0.05). The cost was(19 136 ± 12 556)CNY,of which the cost in stage 3 and 4 was(23 121 ± 13 846)CNY,(29 849 ± 16 015)CNY,respectively, which were significantly higher than that in stage 2[(12 961 ± 4 272)CNY],and the difference was statistically sig-nificant(P<0.05). Multivariate analysis found that respiratory rhythm abnormality,capillary refill time more than 3 seconds were risk factors for the deaths in the severe HFMD.Conclusion The 2011 edition of guidelines for treat-ment of children with severe HFMD was well executed.Hormone,IVIG,antiviral drugs did not significantly reduce the mortality of severe HFMD in children.