Objective:To investigate the effects of 30% ethanol elution fraction of Artemisia absinthium extract with macroporous resin (AAEM-30%) on the dendritic cell (DC) and immunity of mice. Methods:AAEM-30% was obtained from the alcoholic extracts of A. absinthium by AB-8 macroporous resin, and its polysaccharide, flavonoid, and terpenoid contents were determined. The expressions of AAEM-30% on DC surface molecular cluster of differentiation (CD) 40, CD80 and CD86 were detected in vitro by flow cytometry, and the expressions of DC cytokines IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The effect of AAEM-30% on the immune function of ICR mice was measured in vivo with different doses (50 and 100 mg/kg) and different administration methods (subcutaneous injection, intraperitoneal injection, and gavage). Results:The contents of polysaccharides, flavonoids, and terpenoids in AAEM-30% were 24.30%, 22.50% and 28.19%, respectively. AAEM-30% significantly enhanced the expression of CD40, and CD86 and the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α (all P<0.001). Compared with the control group, no statistically significant differences were found in the body mass of mice compared with the three administration methods (all P>0.05). The thymus index in the 50 and 100 mg/kg AAEM-30% intraperitoneal injection groups and the spleen index in the 50 mg/kg AAEM-30% gavage group were increased (all P<0.05). CD19 + cells increased in the 100 mg/kg AAEM-30% intraperitoneal injection group ( P<0.01) and in the 50 mg/kg AAEM-30% gavage group ( P<0.05). The CD11b + and CD11c + counts increased in the 100 mg/kg AAEM-30% gavage group ( P<0.05). The number of CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes was increased by both gavage and intraperitoneal administration (all P<0.05). Conclusions:AAEM-30% can promote the maturation of DC and enhanced the immunity of mice without obvious side effects.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of endoscopic histoacryl injection in cirrhotic patients with newly-developed esophagogastric varices (EGV) who have previously undergone splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization.Methods:From January 2015 to January 2020, 125 cirrhotic patients with EGV treated with endoscopic histoacryl injection at the Department of Gastroenterology, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, were included in the retrospective analysis. There were 45 patients in the group of splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization (splenectomy group for short) and 80 patients in the non-splenectomy group. The efficacy of endoscopic treatment, postoperative variceal improvement, rebleeding rate, and complications were analyzed between the two groups.Results:Endoscopic histoacryl injection was successfully completed in all 125 patients, and the median volume of histoacryl was 4.5 mL. The overall effective rate in splenectomy and non-splenectomy group was 80.0% (36/45) and 57.5% (46/80), respectively. The difference in the number of significantly effective, effective, and ineffective cases between the two groups was statistically significant (16, 20, 9 cases, and 20, 26, 34 cases, respectively, χ 2=6.469, P=0.039). Two and 14 patients developed rebleeding in the splenectomy group and non-splenectomy group, respectively; and the difference in the rebleeding rate between the two groups was statistically significant (4.4% VS 17.5%, Log-rank P=0.039). No patient died within 1 year in either group, and no serious complications such as ectopic embolism occurred. Conclusion:After splenectomy combined with pericardial devascularization in cirrhotic patients with EGV and hypersplenism, the application of histoacryl has better short-term efficacy and can significantly reduce the rebleeding rate compared with the non-splenectomy group.

Objective: To explore the impact of maternal anxiety during pregnancy on social emotional development of toddlers aged 1-3 year old, so as to provide references for scientific early parenting and early intervention for toddlers with social emotional difficulties. Methods: From September 2022 to March 2023, a total of 815 toddlers aged 1-3 who underwent physical examinations and their mothers at Nantong Maternal and Child Health Hospital were enrolled. The Chinese Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (CITSEA) was used to evaluate the social emotional ability among toddlers. Maternal anxiety evaluated using the Self rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) during prenatal visit was collected. Results: The average scores on the externalizing, internalizing, dysregulation and competence domains of the CITSEA were (49.40±9.48,47.42±9.60,48.67± 10.15 , 50.07± 10.20), respectively. Among boys, the score of externalizing domain (50.89±9.45) was higher than that of girls (48.76± 9.50 ), while the score of competence domain (49.22±10.30) was lower than that of girls (51.17±9.84), and the differences were statistically significant( t =2.10, -3.03, P <0.05). The detection rates of abnormalities in the externalizing, internalizing, dysregulation, and competence domains were 7.36%, 7.12%, 7.61%, and 7.24%, respectively. Among them, boys (8.43%,6.32%, 7.96 %,7.49%) and girls (6.19%, 7.99 %,7.22%,6.96%) showed no statistical differences ( χ 2=1.50, 0.85, 0.16, 0.09, P >0.05). There were significant differences in externalizing domain scores（47.77±9.52，49.56±8.95，52.51±9.77） and competence domain scores（51.70±10.38，49.65±10.05，46.68±10.03） among toddlers of different maternal anxiety（normal, mild, moderate to severe） （ F =7.05,7.10, P <0.01）. There were significant differences in the abnormal detection rate of externalizing domain （4.81%，7.54%，11.17%） and competence domain（4.81%，6.96%，11.73%）（ χ 2=6.60，7.98， P ＜0.05）. Conclusion Maternal anxiety during pregnancy has a negative impact on the social emotional development among toddlers. In order to improve social emotional development of toddlers, multidimensional social support and education during pregnancy should be carried out.

Objective: To understand sensory characteristics and its correlation with behavioral problems among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), so as to provide reference basis for early diagnosis and comprehensive intervention of ASD children. Methods: Using cross sectional survey, 193 ASD children trained by Nantong rehabilitation institutions were recruited from September 2021 to February 2022. All children were investigated with the Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ). Results: Among the 193 ASD children, 106 (54.9%) children had abnormal sensory characteristics, including 45 (23.3%) with possible abnormalities and 61 (31.6%) with obvious abnormalities. The abnormal rate of auditory filtering was the highest in the seven dimensions, reaching 85.0%, followed by low strength/weakness, motor sensitivity, taste/smell sensitivity, low response/seeking sensation, vision/hearing sensitivity and tactile sensitivity. The total incidence of sensory abnormalities was 93.3%. There were significant differences in six dimensions of PSQ scale scores of ASD children with different degrees of sensory abnormalities, including conduct problems, learning problems, psychosomatic disorders, impulsive hyperactivity, anxiety and hyperactivity index ( H =38.89, 38.90, 19.53, 46.34, 34.54, 54.90, P <0.01). With the aggravation of sensory abnormalities in children with ASD, the scores of all dimensions of the PSQ scale increased significantly. The total score of SSP was negatively correlated with the six dimensions of conduct problems, learning problems, psychosomatic disorders, impulsive hyperactivity, anxiety and hyperactivity index in PSQ ( r =-0.53, -0.50, -0.32, -0.55, -0.43, -0.61, P <0.01). Conclusion ASD children generally have sensory abnormalities, which coincide with severity of behavioral problems. There is a positive correlation between sensory abnormalities and behavioral problems in ASD children. More attention should be paid to the abnormal sensory characteristics of children with ASD in the future diagnosis and treatment process.

ObjectiveTo explore the impact of COVID-19 epidemic on the lifestyles of patients with chronic diseases and to help better chronic disease prevention and control during the epidemic. MethodsThe patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes who were still under management in Baoshan District， Shanghai at the end of September 2019 were selected for the investigation through telephone follow-up from March 1 to April 30 in 2020. 960 participants were selected using a stratified random sampling method. Those who did not complete the investigation for any reasons were excluded. A total of 613 people were effectively investigated. We compared and analyzed the lifestyles of patients with chronic diseases during 2020 （COVID-19） with those in 2019. ResultsDuring the epidemic， the proportion of people who had regular physical exercise （P<0.05）and transportation activities（P<0.05） was lower than that before the epidemic. The proportion of people with light， moderate and heavy activity intensity（P<0.05） was lower than before the epidemic， and the difference was statistically significant. The time spent on sitting or leaning was more than that before the epidemic （P<0.05）. As for the condition of complying with the doctor’s advice， no significant difference was found in different age and chronic disease groups. There was a statistically significant difference in total food intake （χ²=7.994，P<0.05） and staple foods （χ²=6.677，P<0.05） between patients with or without hypertension. There was a statistically significant difference in total food intake（χ²=10.694，P<0.05） and staple food intake （χ²=9.523，P<0.05） between those with or without diabetes mellitus（P<0.05）. Patients with chronic diseases during the epidemic could not know about latest values of measurement index and had emotional problems such as restlessness， nervousness and irritability. ConclusionPatients with chronic diseases changes their lifestyles during the epidemic， and their exercise and travel conditions decrease during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Most patients have different levels of emotional problems such as restlessness and nervousness. It is recommended to increase the intensity and frequency of physical activity and promote mental health to better prevent and control the occurrence of chronic diseases.

Objective:The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of vitamin B12 as the non-invasive biomarker to predict long-term rebleeding rate in cirrhotic patients with esophagogastric varices.Methods:From Dec 1, 2016 to Dec 31, 2017, cirrhotic patients with esophagogastric varices who had been admitted to Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University were enrolled. All these patients received endoscopic treatment to prevent variceal rebleeding. The serum vitamin B12 and folic acid levels were measured in all of them. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate cox regression analysis were conducted to explore the value of vitamin B12 in predicting 3-year variceal rebleeding in cirrhotic patients with esophagogastric varices after endoscopic treatment.Results:115 patients were included. The ROC curve analysis indicated that the optimal cutoff value of vitamin B12 for 3-year variceal rebleeding was 567.25 pg/ml. According to the cut-off value, the patients were divided into high-level vitamin B12 group ( n=49) and low-level vitamin B12 group ( n=66). Compared with the low vitamin B12 group, the high vitamin B12 group had lower albumin level, less male (63.3% vs 80.3%), and higher 3-year rebleeding rate ( P<0.05). Cox analysis showed that vitamin B12 and platelet were independent prognostic factors for 3-year rebleeding in patients with variceal bleeding. Conclusions:Elevated peripheral blood vitamin B12 predicts a higher risk of long-term rebleeding in patients with liver cirrhosis and esophagogastric varices.

Objective:To investigate the application value of new urinary biomarkers insulin-like growth factor binding protein 7 (IGFBP7) and tissue matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor-2 (TIMP-2) in acute kidney injury with decompensated hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis.Methods:45 newly hospitalized cases with decompensated hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis were selected. Among them, 19 cases were combined with AKI on admission (cirrhosis-AKI group), 26 cases without AKI (cirrhosis-non-AKI group), and 12 healthy cases (normal control group). First-morning urine samples were collected and IGFBP7 and TIMP-2 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Urinary IGFBP7 and serum creatinine (SCr) were dynamically monitored after hospitalization in cirrhosis-non-AKI group. Normally distributed measurement data were compared by t-test, and non-normally distributed measurement data were compared by rank sum test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the indicators.Results:Urinary IGFBP7, IGFBP7 with TIMP-2 (IGFBP7×TIMP-2) in cirrhosis-AKI group ( n = 19) were equally higher than that of the cirrhosis-non-AKI group ( P < 0.05). Urinary IGFBP7, TIMP-2 and IGFBP7×TIMP-2 in cirrhosis-AKI group or cirrhosis-non-AKI group were significantly higher than those of the normal control group ( P < 0.01). The AUC of urinary IGFBP7 and urinary IGFBP7×TIMP-2 for diagnosis of AKI were 0.703 (95% CI 0.547-0.860) and 0.700 (95% CI 0.541-0.859), respectively. In the liver cirrhosis-non-AKI group ( n = 26), 5 cases of AKI were newly diagnosed according to the changes in SCr during hospitalization (progressive group). Urinary IGFBP7 was significantly increased 2 days before the diagnosis of AKI. The concentration of urinary IGFBP7 at admission in the progressive group ( n = 5) was higher than that of the non-progressive group ( n = 21) ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:Urinary IGFBP7 and TIMP-2 concentrations were significantly increased in patients with decompensated hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis. When AKI occurred, urinary IGFBP7 and IGFBP7×TIMP-2 was further increased. Urinary IGFBP7 is valuable for early AKI diagnosis, and may play a role in predicting AKI occurrence.

Objective To investigate the effect of double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) upon the removal of donor specific antibody (DSA) in highly sensitized recipients with renal transplantation. Methods Four highly sensitized recipients undergoing renal transplantation received 7 cycles of DFPP. Luminex technology was adopted to monitor the changes of DSA. Clinical efficacy, incidence of acute rejection and adverse reactions were observed. Results After DFPP, the DSA MFI [1036 (0-4113)] was significantly declined than that before treatment [6446 (2999-12905), Z= -2.503, P=0.012]. No hyperacute rejections occurred in four highly sensitized recipients undergoing renal transplantation.Acute rejection was noted in one case, which was mitigated by postoperative DFPP and adjustment of immunosuppressive agents. During postoperative follow-up, the function of transplant kidney was normal and no rejection reactions occurred. The level of albumin was decreased after DFPP. Conclusions DFPP can effectively remove the DSA in the recipients.It is an efficacious and safe approach to prevent the incidence of acute rejections in highly sensitized recipients after renal transplantation.

Considering that some antibacterial agents can identify the outer structure of pathogens like cell wall and/or cell membrane, we explored a self-enhanced targeted delivery strategy by which a small amount of the antibiotic molecules were modified on the surface of carriers as targeting ligands of certain bacteria while more antibiotic molecules were loaded inside the carriers, and thus has the potential to improve the drug concentration at the infection site, enhance efficacy and reduce potential toxicity. In this study, a novel targeted delivery system against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia was constructed with daptomycin, a lipopeptide antibiotic, which can bind to the cell wall of S. aureus via its hydrophobic tail. Daptomycin was conjugated with N-hydroxysuccinimidyl-polyethylene glycol-1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine to synthesize a targeting compound (Dapt-PEG-DSPE) which could be anchored on the surface of liposomes, while additional daptomycin molecules were encapsulated inside the liposomes. These daptomycin-modified, daptomycin-loaded liposomes (DPD-L[D]) showed specific binding to MRSA as detected by flow cytometry and good targeting capabilities in vivo to MRSA-infected lungs in a pneumonia model. DPD-L[D] exhibited more favorable antibacterial efficacy against MRSA than conventional PEGylated liposomal daptomycin both in vitro and in vivo. Our study demonstrates that daptomycin-modified liposomes can enhance MRSA-targeted delivery of encapsulated antibiotic, suggesting a novel drug delivery approach for existing antimicrobial agents.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics, differential diagnosis and biological behavior of extracardiac rhabdomyoma.

METHODSNine cases of extracardiac rhabdomyoma diagnosed between January of 1997 and July of 2014 were reviewed. The clinical, pathologic and immunohistochemical profiles were evaluated.

RESULTSThere were 5 males and 4 females at diagnosis with age ranging from 2 years and three months to 59 years (mean, 37.6 years). Sites included the head and neck region (7 cases), chest (1 case ) and vagina wall (1 case). Clinically, most cases manifested as a subcutaneous nodule or as a submucosal polypoid lesion with a mean diameter of 3.2 cm. Histologically, 4 were adult-type rhabdomyoma characterized by tightly packed large round or polygonal rhabdomyoblasts with abundant eosinophilic to clear cytoplasm; 3 were myxoid variant of fetal rhabdomyoma composed of immature myofibrils, spindled and primitive mesenchymal cells embedded in a myxoid background, 1 was an intermediate form of fetal rhabdomyoma consisting of densely arranged differentiated myoblasts with little myxoid stroma; 1 was a genital rhabdomyoma composed of elongated or strap-like myoblasts scattered in loose fibrous connective tissue. By immunohistochemistry, they showed diffuse and strong positivity for desmin, MSA and myoglobin with variable expression of myogenin. A case of intermediate type also stained for α-smooth muscle actin. Follow up data (2 months ~ 17 years) showed local recurrence in one patient 6 months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONSRhabdomyoma is a distinctively rare benign mesenchymal tumor showing skeletal muscle differentiation, which may occassionally recur if incompletely excised. Familiarity with its clinical and morphological variants is essential to avoid misdiagnosing this benign lesion as embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cell Differentiation ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Desmin ; analysis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; chemistry ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Mesenchymoma ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Myogenin ; analysis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Rhabdomyoma ; chemistry ; pathology ; Rhabdomyosarcoma, Embryonal ; pathology ; Thoracic Neoplasms ; chemistry ; pathology ; Thoracic Wall ; pathology ; Vaginal Neoplasms ; chemistry ; pathology