BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 4(lncRNA SNHG4)is involved in the progress of many inflammatory diseases,but the effect of lncRNA SNHG4 on the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells during the treatment of periodontitis is still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of lncRNA SNHG4 on the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells by regulating miR-152-3p. METHODS:Human periodontal ligament stem cells were isolated from periodontal membranes of premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes.After human periodontal ligament stem cells were induced to differentiate into osteoblasts for 0,7,and 14 days,the expression levels of RUNX family transcription factor 2,osteocalcin mRNA,lncRNA SNHG4 and miR-152-3p in human periodontal ligament stem cells were detected by qRT-PCR.The third-generation human periodontal ligament stem cells were divided into the NC group,pcDNA group,pcDNA-SNHG4 group,inhibitor NC group,miR-152-3p inhibitor group,pcDNA-SNHG4+mimic NC group,and pcDNA-SNHG4+miR-152-3p mimic group.The expression of lncRNA SNHG4 and miR-152-3p in human periodontal ligament stem cells was detected by qRT-PCR.The proliferation of human periodontal ligament stem cells was detected by CCK-8 assay.Alkaline phosphatase activity was detected by colorimetry.The formation of mineralized nodules was detected by alizarin red staining.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of RUNX family transcription factor 2,osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase proteins.A double luciferase reporter gene experiment was applied to verify the relationship between lncRNA SNHG4 and miR-152-3p. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The expression of RUNX family transcription factor 2,osteocalcin mRNA and lncRNA SNHG4 in human periodontal ligament stem cells after 7 and 14 days of osteogenic induction was higher than that after 0 days of osteogenic induction,while the expression of miR-152-3p was lower(P<0.05).(2)Overexpression of lncRNA SNHG4 or inhibition of miR-152-3p was able to enhance the proliferation of human periodontal ligament stem cells,the alkaline phosphatase activity,mineralized nodule formation,the expression of RUNX family transcription factor 2,osteocalcin,and alkaline phosphatase proteins(P<0.05).miR-152-3p mimic attenuated the promoting effect of overexpression of lncRNA SNHG4 on osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells.LncRNA SNHG4 had a targeting relationship with miR-152-3p.(3)These findings indicate that overexpression of lncRNA SNHG4 may promote the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells by inhibiting miR-152-3p.

ObjectiveTo investigate the performance of fibrosis-4 （FIB-4） versus aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （APRI） in predicting advanced liver fibrosis and disease progression in patients with chronic HBV infection. MethodsA total of 497 patients with chronic HBV infection who underwent liver biopsy in The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from February 2013 to December 2022 were enrolled， among whom 404 were enrolled in a retrospective study and 75 were enrolled in a prospective study. Related indicators were collected， including demographic features （sex and age）， biochemical indices （alanine aminotransferase ［ALT］ and aspartate aminotransferase ［AST］）， and platelet count， and FIB-4 and APRI were calculated. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The area under the ROC curve （AUC） was used to assess the ability of APRI and FIB-4 in evaluating liver fibrosis degree and disease progression in patients with chronic HBV infection. ResultsIn the retrospective analysis， compared with the FIB-4<2.67 group， the FIB-4≥2.67 group had a significantly higher proportion of the patients who were diagnosed with liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma （66.19% vs 47.54%， χ²=12.75， P<0.001）. The medians of FIB-4 and APRI increased significantly with liver fibrosis degree from F0 to F4 （H=42.5 and 35.9， both P<0.001）. As for the fibrosis stage of F0-F4， the median of FIB-4 was significantly higher than that of APRI in the patients with the same fibrosis stage （H=59.71， P<0.001）. FIB-4 and APRI had a similar AUC for predicting stage F3 fibrosis （0.67 vs 0.65， Z=0.71， P=0.480）， while FIB-4 had a higher AUC for predicting stage F4 fibrosis than APRI （0.72 vs 0.64， Z=10.50， P<0.001）. In the prospective study cohort， FIB-4 and APRI showed an increasing trend over time in predicting disease progression （chronic hepatitis B to liver cirrhosis）， with an AUC of 0.718 （95% confidence interval ［CI］： 0.476‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.760） and 0.555 （95%CI： 0.408‍ ‍—‍ ‍0.703）， respectively， and FIB-4 had a significantly higher accuracy than APRI in predicting disease progression （χ²=12.44， P<0.001）. ConclusionFIB-4 and APRI can be used to evaluate advanced liver fibrosis （F3 and F4） and predict disease progression， and FIB-4 is superior to APRI in certain aspects.

Objective To compare the changes of the Chinese Materia Medica resources(CMMR)in Sichuan based on the data of the 3rd Chinese Materia Medica Resource Inventory(CMMRI,1983-1986)and the 4th CMMRI(2011-2022).Methods Using new techniques,after field investigation,collection and identification of the specimens of the animals,plants and minerals.The data of the CMMR in Sichuan found in the 4th CMMRI were analysed and compared with the data of 3rd CMMRI.Results ①9055 species of CMMR were found in Sichuan during the 4th CMMRI,including 8272 species of medicinal plants,745 species of medicinal animals and 38 species of medicinal minerals.Compared with the 3rd CMMRI,the number of CMMR found in Sichuan have greatly increased.The number of medicinal plants increased 5018 species,the number of medicinal animals increased 637 species and the number of medicinal minerals increased 5 species,too.②The medicinal plants is the main part of the CMMR,and the higher plants(7774 species)has the absolute advantage of the CMMR.The top 20 families which have plenty of plant species include Compositae,Rosaceae,Leguminosae,Ranunculaceae,etc.③ Based on the data of the CMMR of the 183 counties in Sichuan,the reserves of 235 species of wild CMMR in Sichuan is about 36.72 million ton.There were 49 CMMR which have reserves beyond 100 thousand tons,such as Arisaematis rhizoma,Epimedii folium,Cimicifugae rhizoma,Acori tatarinowii rhizoma,Gentianae macrophyllae radix,Polygoni multiflori radix etc.④In 2021,there were 215 species of CMMR cultivated in Sichuan,the main species were Aurantii fructus,Chuanxiong rhizoma,Polygonati rhizome,Salviae miltiorrhizae radix et rhizome.The planting area was 8.17 million and the production was 1.26 million ton.⑤All 183 countries were found CMMR,the number of the species of CMMR in 30 countries exceeded 800,including 16 countries which had more than 1000 kinds of CMMR,such as Emeishan,Hongya,Muli etc.The total types of the CMMR(up 118.31%),the reserves of the wild CMMR(up 119 times)and the number of the counties(up 3 times)which had plenty of CMMR,showed a marked increase over the 3rd CMMRI.8 new species were found in the the 4th CMMRI,such as Codonopsis atriplicifolia,Tongoloa tagongensis,Allium xinlongense,etc.Conclusion The species,the reserves of the CMMR and the resource rich countries in Sichuan are the top 3 in China and Sichuan is worthy of the title of"Hometown of Traditional Chinese Medicine".The compositions and types of the family,genus and species of the CMMR in Sichuan have significantly increased.The basic information of the CMR in Sichuan was clearly found out during the 4th CMMRI,and beneficial for the sustainable development and utilization of the CMMR in Sichuan.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of a modified continuous penetrating-suture pancreaticojejunostomy (PPJ), also known as a continuous PPJ with a U-shaped reinforcement of pancreatic section (U-PPJ), in patients with high risk of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF).Methods:Clinical data of 33 patients with pancreatic tumors undergoing pancreatic surgery in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College from August 2017 to December 2023 were collected, including 22 males and 11 females, aged (64.9±8.6) years old. According to the fashion of pancreaticojejunostomy, patients were divided into two groups: U-PPJ group ( n=11) and PPJ group ( n=22). The general data, incidence of CR-POPF, abdominal bleeding and other clinicopathological data were collected. Results:All patients underwent pancreatic surgery successfully and were discharged from the hospital uneventfully. Intraoperative blood loss in U-PPJ group was 200.00 (100.0, 200.0) ml, postoperative hospitalization was 13.0 (11.0, 18.0) d, and the drain removal time was 17.0 (12.0, 21.0) d, and no CR-POPF occurred. The intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospitalization days, drain removal time, and incidence of postoperative biochemical leakage were comparable between the groups (all P>0.05). The incidence of CR-POPF in U-PPJ group was lower than that in PPJ group [0 vs. 22.7% (5/22), P<0.05]. Conclusion:U-PPJ is safe and effective in patients with pancreatic tumors and might reduce the incidence of CR-POPF.

Objective To investigate the clinical diagnostic value of extra-spindle pole-like protein 1(ESPL1)in the progression of hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related liver fibrosis.Methods A total of 228 patients with HBV infection who were admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from June 2017 to August 2023 were enrolled.The transient elastography system FibroScan was used to determine liver stiffness measurement(LSM)for all patients,and according to the LSM value,they were divided into non-liver fibrosis group with 80 patients,mild liver fibrosis group with 83 patients,advanced liver fibrosis group with 30 patients,and liver cirrhosis group with 35 patients.ELISA was used to measure the serum level of ESPL1.The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of the serum level of ESPL1 between the four groups;the Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between ESPL1 and LSM;the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the value of serum ESPL1 in predicting the progression of liver fibrosis.Results The liver cirrhosis group had a significantly higher serum level of ESPL1 than the non-liver fibrosis group and the mild liver fibrosis group(both P<0.05),and the advanced liver fibrosis group and the mild liver fibrosis group had a significantly higher serum level of ESPL1 than the non-liver fibrosis group(both P<0.05).The correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between serum ESPL1 and LSM in the patients with HBV infection and varying degrees of liver fibrosis(r=0.515,P<0.001).Serum ESPL1 had an area under the ROC curve(AUC)of 0.809 in predicting liver cirrhosis and an AUC of 0.638 in predicting advanced liver fibrosis,with a sensitivity of 87.5%and 100%,respectively,and a specificity of 59.7%and 31.3%,respectively.Conclusion There is a certain correlation between serum ESPL1 and HBV-related liver fibrosis,and higher serum ESPL1 may indicate a higher degree of liver fibrosis.Serum ESPL1 is expected to become one of the serum markers for assisting in the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and an important clinical method for dynamically monitoring the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with HBV infection.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a complication in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The Chinese Children's Cancer Group-ALL-2015 protocol was carried out in China, and epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and risk factors associated with VTE were analyzed. We collected data on VTE in a multi-institutional clinical study of 7640 patients with ALL diagnosed in 20 hospitals from January 2015 to December 2019. First, VTE occurred in 159 (2.08%) patients, including 90 (56.6%) during induction therapy and 108 (67.92%) in the upper extremities. T-ALL had a 1.74-fold increased risk of VTE (95% CI 1.08-2.8, P = 0.022). Septicemia, as an adverse event of ALL treatment, can significantly promote the occurrence of VTE (P < 0.001). Catheter-related thrombosis (CRT) accounted for 75.47% (n = 120); and, symptomatic VTE, 58.49% (n = 93), which was more common in patients aged 12-18 years (P = 0.023), non-CRT patients (P < 0.001), or patients with cerebral thrombosis (P < 0.001). Of the patients with VTE treated with anticoagulation therapy (n = 147), 4.08% (n = 6) had bleeding. The VTE recurrence rate was 5.03% (n = 8). Patients with VTE treated by non-ultrasound-guided venous cannulation (P = 0.02), with residual thrombus (P = 0.006), or with short anticoagulation period (P = 0.026) had high recurrence rates. Thus, preventing repeated venous puncture and appropriately prolonged anticoagulation time can reduce the risk of VTE recurrence.
Humans ; Child ; Venous Thromboembolism/etiology* ; East Asian People ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Thrombosis/chemically induced* ; China/epidemiology* ; Anticoagulants/adverse effects* ; Recurrence

Objective:To analyze the molecular characteristics of hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) gene of human parainfluenza virus type 3 (HPIV3) among the cases with acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) in Henan Province.Methods:Nasal/throat swab samples collected from patients with severe acute respiratory tract infection (SARI) in Luohe and patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) in Zhengzhou were used in this study. HPIV nucleic acids in the samples were detected using real-time fluorescent PCR. HPIV3-positive samples were subjected to RT-PCR for the amplification of HN genes and the sequences were analyzed with Sanger method. CExpress and MEGA7.0 software were used for sequences editing, evolution tree construction and gene sequence analysis.Results:A total of 374 throat swab samples collected form ARI cases in Luohe and Zhengzhou were tested and 20 (5.3%) of them were positive for HPIV3. Eighteen HPIV3 HN gene sequences were successfully amplified and all belonged to C3 subgroups, including 16 sequences of C3f genotype and two sequences of C3a genotype. The 18 HN gene sequences shared the homology of 97.6%-100.0% in nucleotide and 99.3%-100.0% in amino acid, but the differences between them and the prototype strain Wash/47885/57 were significant. There were 12 amino acid mutations shared by them, including four function-related mutations (H295Y, I391V, D556N and I53T). There were no significant differences in the nucleotide or amino acid sequences as compared with the epidemic strain of China/BCH4210A/2014.Conclusions:The C3f and C3a branches of HPIV3 were the epidemic genotypes in Henan Province in recent years and a local circulating prevalence might be established. Continuous and in-depth monitoring of HPIV3 C3 subtype would be of great significance for the prevention and control of HPIV3-associated diseases.

Objective:Analysis of the characteristics of influenza epidemic in Anhui Province and quantification of the impact of different factors on influenza occurrence, providing scientific basis for better influenza prevention and control.Methods:Descriptive analysis and factor analysis were conducted on influenza-like illness (ILI) cases and RT-PCR results in Anhui Province from 2013 to 2021 using data from China's Influenza Monitoring Information System.Results:The percentage of influenza-like illness (ILI%) of sentinel hospitals in Anhui Province from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2021 was 3.80% (1 209 142/31 779 987), showing an overall increasing trend, with a relatively high proportion in 2017-2018 at 4.30% (191 148/4 448 211). The proportion of ILI cases in infants and young children aged 0-4 years was a relatively high at 54.14% (654 676/1 209 142), and the highest ILI% was observed in Fuyang City, Anhui Province (6.25%, 236 863/3 788 863). Laboratory monitoring results showed that the positive rate of ILI cases in sentinel hospitals in 8 influenza monitoring years was 16.38% (34 868/212 912), showing an increasing trend year by year, with a relatively proportion in 2017-2018 at 26.19% (6 936/26 488). The detection rate of school-age children aged 5-14 years was a relativelyhigh at 28.81% (13 869/48 144), and the positive rate was a relatively high in Wuhu City among the 16 cities, reaching 22.01% (2 693/122 237). Influenza activity showed a single peak in winter-spring and alternating double peaks in winter-spring and summer, with different subtypes alternating, and A (H3N2) was the dominant subtype in summer. The results of a multiple logistic regression model showed that the positive rate was higher in 2017-2018, among children aged 5-14 years, in winter, and in southern Anhui.Conclusions:Influenza epidemic in Anhui Province has a clear seasonal pattern, and the ILI% and detection rate have shown an upward trend from 2013 to 2021. Therefore, it is suggested to ensure vaccine supply before the winter-spring influenza season arrives, and to strengthen vaccine uptake and health education to avoid the risk of infection during the peak period of influenza.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of entecavir (ETV) versus tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and the treatment measures for poor response in previously untreated chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with high viral load. Methods A total of 165 CHB patients who received antiviral therapy and met the inclusion criteria in Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, from June 2016 to July 2021 were enrolled. The patients enrolled had a baseline HBV DNA level of > 6lg copies/ml and were previously untreated CHB patients who had used ETV or TDF for 48 weeks, and quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure HBV DNA. Virologic response rate was calculated after 48 weeks of treatment; a logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for the response of HBV DNA < 500 copies/mL and HBV DNA < 100 copies /mL at 48 weeks; a stratified analysis was performed to compare the virologic response rate of HBV DNA < 500 copies /ml and HBV DNA < 100 copies/ml after 48 weeks between the patients with different ages, sexes, baseline HBV DNA levels, baseline alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, types of first-line medication, and HBeAg statuses. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups, the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups, and the binary logistic regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results After 48 weeks of treatment, 85.5% (141/165) of the patients achieved an HBV DNA load of < 500 copies/mL, and 66.1% (109/165) of the patients achieved an HBV DNA load of < 100 copies /mL, with no significant difference in treatment outcome between the ETV group and the TDF group. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sex( OR =2.793, 95% CI : 1.197-6.517), baseline HBV DNA( OR =0.369, 95% CI : 0.142-0.959), baseline ALT( OR =4.556, 95% CI : 1.770-11.732), and baseline HBeAg( OR =0.120, 95% CI : 0.033-0.429) were influencing factors for complete virologic response(all P < 0.05). For the patients with normal ALT (≤40 U/L) at baseline, 75.6% (34/45) achieved an HBV DNA load of < 500 copies/mL after 48 weeks of treatment, and 53.3% (24/45) achieved an HBV DNA load of < 100 copies/mL, with no significant difference in treatment outcome between the ETV group and the TDF group. For the patients with abnormal ALT (> 40 U/L) at baseline, 89.2% (107/120) achieved an HBV DNA load of < 500 copies/mL after 48 weeks of treatment, and the proportion of such patients in the TDF group was significantly higher than that in the ETV group (96.1% vs 84.1%, χ 2 =4.386, P =0.036); 70.8% (85/120) achieved an HBV DNA load of < 100 copies/mL, the proportion of such patients was no significant difference between the TDF group and the ETV group (78.4% vs 65.2%). The response of HBV DNA < 100 copies/ml of the normal baseline ALT group and the abnormal baseline ALT group, there were no significant differences between the patients aged≤30 years and aged > 30 years (77.8% vs 47.2%, 85.2% vs 66.7%). For the patients who did not achieve complete virologic response (HBV DNA ≥100 copies/mL) after 48 weeks of treatment, 87.9% (29/33) achieved complete virologic response after the original treatment regimen was prolonged for 48 weeks, and 100% (9/9) of the patients achieved complete virologic response after switching to or adding the first-line nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) without cross-resistance sites with the original regimen for another 48 weeks. Conclusion The patients aged > 30 years should receive antiviral therapy as early as possible, regardless of viral load and ALT level, especially those with a family history of liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma; the patients aged ≤30 years who have a normal ALT level and a high viral load should consider initiating antiviral therapy after providing informed consent. For the patients with poor response after 48 weeks of treatment, first-line NUCs without cross-resistance sites with the original regimen should be switched to or added in time.

Objective:To investigate the clinical application value of enhanced recovery after surgery using the LEER model in patients subjected to laparoscopic cholecystectomy in basic hospitals of Yi nationality area.Methods:Twenty-six patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy based on the concept of enhancing recovery after surgery using the LEER model in People's Hospital of Jinkouhe District of Leshan from January to October 2021 were included in the observation group. An additional 20 patients who concurrently underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and conventional intervention were included in the control group. Clinical efficacy, postoperative complications and postoperative pain were compared between the two groups.Results:Postoperative fasting time, length of hospital stay, and total hospital days in the observation group were 6 (6, 6) hours, 2 (2, 3) days and 4 (4, 6) days respectively, which were significantly shorter than 24 (24, 36) hours, 5 (5, 6) days, 7 (7, 9) days in the control group ( H = 351.00, 407.50, 458.00, all P < 0.05). Hospitalization cost in the observation group was 5 454.58 (5 014.11, 6 016.58) yuan, which was significantly lower than 6 611.91 (6 192.68, 7 841.73) yuan in the control group ( H = 420.00, P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in operative time and postoperative complications between the two groups (both P > 0.05). At postoperative 6 hours, Visual Analogue Scale score in the observation group was 3 (3, 4) points, and patients with mild pain accounted for 73.07% (19/26). At postoperative 24 hours, Visual Analogue Scale score in the observation group was 2 (2, 3) points, and patients with mild pain accounted for 92.31% (24/26). Overall pain was well controlled after surgery. Patient satisfaction rate in the observation was 96.15% (25/26). All patients recovered and were discharged. Conclusion:Application of enhanced recovery after surgery using the LEER model in patients subjected to laparoscopic cholecystectomy in basic hospitals of Yi nationality area can promote postoperative recovery, contribute to changing the theory of diagnosis and treatment, and improve overall medical quality. The enhanced recovery after surgery protocol using the LEER model has a good application value.