Objective To explore the correlation between serum glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),lym-phocyte activation gene-3(LAG-3)and thyroid nodules in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 120 T2DM patients with thyroid nodules admitted to the Third Hospital of Hebei Medi-cal University from July 2021 to July 2022 were included as the study group,and 100 simple T2DM patients(without thyroid nodules)were included as the control group during the same period.According to the patho-logical examination results of thyroid nodules,the study group was grouped into a benign nodule group(85 ca-ses)and a malignant nodule group(35 cases).Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was applied to detect the serum LAG-3 level of all study subjects.Fully automated glycated hemoglobin analyzer was applied to detect HbA1c level in all study subjects.Spearman method was applied to analyze the correlation between serum HbA1c,LAG-3,and thyroid imaging report and data system(TI-RADS)scores in patients with T2DM and thyroid nodules.Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of T2DM with thyroid nodules.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the diagnostic value of HbA1c and LAG-3 levels in T2DM with thyroid nodules.Results Compared with the control group,the level of HbA1c in the study group was obviously higher(P<0.05),while the level of LAG-3 was obviously lower(P<0.05).Compared with the benign nodule group,the serum LAG-3 level in the malignant nodule group was obviously lower(P<0.05),while the level of LAG-3 was obviously lower(P<0.05).Spearman analysis showed a positive correlation between HbA1c level and TI-RADS score in T2DM patients with thyroid nod-ules(r=0.378,P<0.001),while the serum LAG-3 level was negatively correlated with TI-RADS score(r=-0.472,P<0.001).The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that HbA1c was a risk factor for the occurrence of thyroid nodules in T2DM patients(P<0.05),and LAG-3 was a protective factor for the occurrence of thyroid nodules in T2DM patients(P<0.05).The combination of HbA1c and LAG-3 in the diagnosis of T2DM with thyroid nodules was superior to their individual diagnosis(Zcombination-HbA1c=2.542,P=0.011;Zcombination-LAG-3=3.098,P=0.002).Conclusion Patients with T2DM combined with thyroid nodules have obviously lower serum LAG-3 level and higher HbA1c level,and the two are related to the malignancy of thyroid nodules.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS)is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique which could improve cognitive and memory function in patients with Alzheimer's disease(AD)to some extent.The targeting errors of traditional TMS were often significant.Utilizing various MR techniques could accurately visualize localization information of brain structures and functions,hence being helpful for precise TMS.The progresses of MR-guided TMS for treating AD were reviewed in this article.

Objective To examine the changing antimicrobial resistance profile of Enterobacter spp.isolates in 53 hospitals across China from 2015 t0 2021.Methods The clinical isolates of Enterobacter spp.were collected from 53 hospitals across China during 2015-2021 and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using Kirby-Bauer method or automated testing systems according to the CHINET unified protocol.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints issued by the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)in 2021(M100 31st edition)and analyzed with WHONET 5.6 software.Results A total of 37 966 Enterobacter strains were isolated from 2015 to 2021.The proportion of Enterobacter isolates among all clinical isolates showed a fluctuating trend over the 7-year period,overall 2.5％in all clinical isolates amd 5.7％in Enterobacterale strains.The most frequently isolated Enterobacter species was Enterobacter cloacae,accounting for 93.7％(35 571/37 966).The strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(44.4±4.6)％,followed by secretions/pus(16.4±2.3)％and urine(16.0±0.9)％.The strains from respiratory samples decreased slightly,while those from sterile body fluids increased over the 7-year period.The Enterobacter strains were mainly isolated from inpatients(92.9％),and only(7.1±0.8)％of the strains were isolated from outpatients and emergency patients.The patients in surgical wards contributed the highest number of isolates(24.4±2.9)％compared to the inpatients in any other departement.Overall,≤ 7.9％of the E.cloacae strains were resistant to amikacin,tigecycline,polymyxin B,imipenem or meropenem,while ≤5.6％of the Enterobacter asburiae strains were resistant to these antimicrobial agents.E.asburiae showed higher resistance rate to polymyxin B than E.cloacae(19.7％vs 3.9％).Overall,≤8.1％of the Enterobacter gergoviae strains were resistant to tigecycline,amikacin,meropenem,or imipenem,while 10.5％of these strains were resistant to polycolistin B.The overall prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacter was 10.0％over the 7-year period,but showing an upward trend.The resistance profiles of Enterobacter isolates varied with the department from which they were isolated and whether the patient is an adult or a child.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.cloacae was the highest in the E.cloacae isolates from ICU patients.Conclusions The results of the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program indicate that the proportion of Enterobacter strains in all clinical isolates fluctuates slightly over the 7-year period from 2015 to 2021.The Enterobacter strains showed increasing resistance to multiple antimicrobial drugs,especially carbapenems over the 7-year period.

Objective To investigate the effect of transcranial alternating current stimulation(tACS)on cerebral blood flow(CBF)in patients with Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods A ret-rospective study was conducted on 21 mild AD patients admitted in our hospital from September 2019 to April 2022.All of them received tACS treatment for 3 weeks.Mini-mental state examina-tion(MMSE),auditory verbal learning test(AVLT)and MRI were applied to obtain the data at baseline(T0),the end of the treatment(T1)and in three months after treatment(T2).Z-trans-form CBF(zCBF)was performed to reduce individual variability.The changes in MMSE and AVLT scores,as well as brain zCBF and CBF values before and after tACS treatment were ana-lyzed.Spearman correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship of zCBF and CBF with cognitive scores.Results In the AD patients,their MMSE score was significantly increased at T1 than at T0[22.00(20.00,25.00)vs 20.00(18.00,21.50),P＜0.01].Based on voxel analysis,the AD patients exhibited significantly increased zCBF in the bilateral frontal and temporal cortex at T1,and in the right frontal and temporal cortex at T2 when compared with the levels at T0(P＜0.05).The most pronounced increase in zCBF was observed in the right insular.Based on region of inter-est analysis,increased zCBF and CBF in the right frontal and temporal cortex at T1 were observed(P＜0.05).There was a positive correlation between the change of CBF in the right frontal cortex and AVLT-recognition recall at T1(r=0.617,P=0.005)and between the change of CBF in the left frontal cortex and MMSE at T2(r=0.596,P=0.012).Conclusion MRI 3D-ASL can objec-tively evaluate the changes of CBF in AD patients after tACS treatment,and it provides a reliable imaging marker for evaluating the efficacy of tACS.

Objective:To explore the prevalence and independent associated factors of vascular calcification (VC) in non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients of stage 3-5.Methods:It was a single-center cross-sectional observational study. Non-dialysis stage 3-5 CKD patients ≥18 years old who were admitted to the Department of Nephrology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from May 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 with VC evaluation were enrolled. The patients' general information, laboratory examination and imaging data were collected. Coronary artery calcification (CAC), thoracic aorta calcification (TAC), abdominal aorta calcification (AAC), carotid artery calcification and aortic valve calcification (AVC) were evaluated by cardiac-gated electron-beam CT (EBCT) scans, lateral lumbar x-ray, cervical macrovascular ultrasound and echocardiography, respectively. The differences in clinical data and the prevalence of VC at different sites of patients with different CKD stages were compared, and the prevalence of VC at different sites of patients in different age groups [youth group (18-44 years old), middle-aged group (45-64 years old) and elderly group (≥65 years old)] and patients with or without diabetes were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the independent associated factors of VC for different areas.Results:A total of 206 patients aged (51±14) years were included, including 129 (62.6%) males. There were 44 patients with CKD stage 3 (21.4%), 51 patients with CKD stage 4 (24.8%), and 111 patients with CKD stage 5 (53.9%). CKD was caused by chronic glomerulonephritis [104 cases (50.5%)], diabetic kidney damage [35 cases (17.0%)], hypertensive kidney damage [29 cases (14.1%)] and others [38 cases (18.4%)]. Among 206 patients, 131 (63.6%) exhibited cardiovascular calcification, and the prevalence of CAC, TAC, AAC, carotid artery calcification, and AVC was 37.9%, 43.7%, 37.9%, 35.9% and 9.7%, respectively. The overall prevalence of VC in young, middle-aged and elderly patients was 24.6%, 73.6% and 97.4%, respectively. With the increase of age, the prevalence of VC in each site gradually increased, and the increasing trend was statistically significant (all P<0.001). The overall prevalence of VC in CKD patients with diabetes was 92.5% (62/67), and the prevalence of VC at each site in the patients with diabetes was significantly higher than that in the patients without diabetes (all P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age (every 10 years increase, OR=2.51, 95% CI 1.77-3.56, P<0.001), hypertension ( OR=5.88, 95% CI 1.57-22.10, P=0.009), and diabetes ( OR=4.66, 95% CI 2.10-10.35, P<0.001) were independently correlated with CAC; Age (every 10 years increase, OR=6.43, 95% CI 3.64-11.36, P<0.001) and hypertension ( OR=6.09, 95% CI 1.33-27.84, P=0.020) were independently correlated with TAC; Female ( OR=0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.72, P=0.011), age (every 10 years increase, OR=3.90, 95% CI 2.42-6.29, P<0.001), diabetes ( OR=5.37, 95% CI 2.19-13.19, P<0.001) and serum magnesium ( OR=0.01,95% CI 0-0.35, P=0.014) were independently correlated with AAC. Moreover, age and diabetes were independently correlated with carotid artery calcification, AVC and overall VC Conclusions:The prevalence of VC in non-dialysis CKD patients of stage 3-5 is 63.59%, of which CAC reaches 37.9%, TAC is the most common one (43.7%), while AVC is the least one (9.7%). Age and diabetes are the independent associated factors for VC of all sites except TAC, while hypertension is an independent associated factor for both CAC and TAC.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics and drug resistance among COVID-19 patients with bacterial and fungal infections.Methods:Clinical data of COVID-19 patients whose blood, urine, sputum and alveolar lavage fluid samples were positive for bacteria and fungi were collected in Tongji Hospital from February 10 to March 31, 2020. WHONET5.6 software was used to analyze drug susceptibility test results.Results:A total of 95 COVID-19 patients positive for pathogenic bacteria were enrolled and among them, 23 were non-critical patients and 72 were critical patients. The main symptoms in these patients included fever, cough with sputum, fatigue and dyspnea. Male and female critical patients accounted for 63.89% and 36.11%, respectively. Most of the patients with bacterial and fungal infections were critical type, accounting for 23.61%. The mortality rates of non-critical and critical patients were 13.04% and 61.11%, respectively. A total of 179 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated. The positive rate of Escherichia coli in non-critical patients was 37.50%, which was higher than that in critical patients. However, the positive rates of Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae in critical patients were both 29.87%, higher than those in non-critical patients. There was no significant difference in the positive rate of gram-positive bacteria or fungi between non-critical and critical patients. It was noteworthy that the positive rate of Candida parapsilosis in blood samples of critical patients was relatively high, reaching 36.40%. Drug susceptibility test results showed that no carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli stains were detected and 60.87% of Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were resistant to carbapenems. Acinetobacter baumannii strains were 100% resistant to three antimicrobial drugs. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains accounted for 71.43%, but no vancomycin-resistant gram-positive cocci were found. Conclusions:Critical COVID-19 patients were mostly male and prone to multiple bacterial and fungal infections. The mortality of critical patients was higher than that of non-critical patients. Critical COVID-19 was often complicated by hospital acquired infections caused by bacteria including Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae with high drug resistance.

Objective To compare the pharmacodynamics between different batches of recombinant decoy receptor innovative drug RC28-E1 and RC28-E2 in retinal angiogenesis and neovascularization,and analyze its mechanism.Methods Sixty postnatal Day 4 (P4) C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal control group,vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)+fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) group,VEGF+FGF2+RC28-E1 group,VEGF+FGF2+RC28-E2 group,VEGF+FGF2+conbercept group and VEGF+FGF2+FGF trap group by using a random number table,with 10 mice in each group.The mouse retinal explant culture system was established,and stimulated with the corresponding factors and drugs prepared in the starving culture media.The normal controls were treated with the starving media.Then the retinal explants were stained with Isolectin B4 and imaged.The number of filopodia per vascular length was quantified.In addition,ninety-six P7 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal control group,oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR) model control group,OIR + RC28-E1 group,OIR + RC28-E2 group,OIR+conbercept group and OIR+FGF trap group by using a random number table,with 16 mice in each group.The normal controls were raised under normoxia for 10 days,and the rest of the groups were raised under hyperoxia for 5 days,then returned to normoxia for another 5 days.On P17,the retinas were isolated and stained with Isolectin B4.The stained retinas were mountedon the slides and photographed.The relative vessel obliteration and neovascularization in retina were analyzed with computer software.Then the protein levels of VEGF and FGF2 were examined by Western blot in the retinas of each group in the OIR experiment.Finally,in the RF/6A cells stimulated with VEGF and FGF2,the activities of the signaling pathways,including MEK-extracellular regulated protein kinases (Erk),protein kinase C (PKC) and protein kinase B (Akt) pathways,were examined by Western blot.All experimental procedures were evaluated and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Tianjin Medical University (SYXK 2009-0001),and were in accordance with the ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research.Results The results of retinal explant cultures showed that the numbers of filopodia per vascular length in VEGF + FGF2 + RC28-E1,VEGF + FGF2 + RC28-E2,VEGF + FGF2 + conbcrcept,and VEGF+FGF2+FGF trap groups were all significantly less than that in the VEGF+FGF2 group (all at P ＜ 0.001).The filopodia number in retinal vascular front in RC28-E1 group was similar to that in the RC28-E2 group (P =0.15),whereas the filopodia numbers in both groups were significantly decreased as compared to those in VEGF+ FGF2+conbercept group and VEGF+FGF2+FGF trap group (all at P＜0.001).The results from the OIR mouse model showed that the relative vessel obliteration area in OIR model control group was dramatically higher than those in the drug intervention groups (all at P＜0.05).There was no statistical significance in the relative vessel obliteration area between OIR+RC28-E1 group and OIR+RC28-E2 group (P =0.17),while the obliteration areas in both RC28-E-intervened groups were significantly lower than those in the OIR+conbercept group and OIR+FGF trap group (all at P＜0.05).The relative neovascular pixels in the intervention groups were significantly lower than those in the OIR model control group (all at P＜0.001).The neovascular pixels in OIR+RC28-E1 group were significantly lower than those in VEGF+FGF2+conbercept group and VEGF + FGF2 + FGF trap group (both at P ＜ 0.05),but comparable to those in OIR+RC28-E2 group (P =0.39).Western blot result showed that,the protein expression of VEGF and FGF2 in the OIR mouse retinas were significantly upregulated compared to those in the normal ones (both at P＜0.001).The upregulation of both genes were normalized by both RC28-E1 and RC28-E2.In addition,the stimulation of VEGF and FGF2 induced an enhanced activity in MEK-Erk pathway in RF/6A cells,whereas RC28-E1 inhibited the overactivation.Conclusions RC28-E1 and RC28-E2 both can inhibit angiogenesis in the retinal explants isolated from neonatal mice;they also reduce vessel obliteration and mitigate neovascularization in the OIR mouse model.Therefore,the pharmacology batch and pilot test batch of RC28-E have similar efficacies and reliable stability,and are superior in the anti-angiogenic and anti-neovascular efficacy to the currently clinically available drugs conbercept and FGF trap.RC28-E1 may suppress pathological neovascularization through inhibiting the overactivation of MEK-Erk pathway in retinal vascular endothelial cells.

Background Reasearches showed that α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) inhibits inflammation and ameliorates the ocular surface abnormalities in a scopolamine-induced dry eye rat model,and the managing effect of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) on dry eyes also has been determined.However,whether α-MSH can enhance the therapeutic effects of CMC remains to be investigated.Objective This study was to investigate the protective effects of α-MSH combined with CMC on ocular surface in a scopolamine-induced dry eye rat model.Methods Sixty clean female Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control group,model control group,NaCl group,CMC group,α-MSH group and α-MSH+CMC group,and 10 rats for each group.The dry eye models were established by subcutaneous injection of scopolamine hydrobromide at 9:00,12:00,15:00 and 18:00 per day for 28 days.0.9％ NaCl solution,1×10 3 mg/ml α-MSH solution,0.5％ CMC eye drop,and 1 ×10-3 mg/ml α-MSH+0.5％ CMC solution were topically administered twice a day (8:00,17:00) since the initial day of modeling according to grouping.Shirmer Ⅰ test (S Ⅰ t),breakup time of tear film (BUT) and corneal fluorescence staining were performed before and 7,14,21,28 days after the application of drugs.At 28 days following the administration of drugs,the eyeballs of the rats were collected.Hemotoxylin and eosin staining was employed to examine the morphology of corneas,and periodic acid schiff (PAS) staining was used to count the conjunctival goblet cells.This study protocol was approved by Experimental Animal Ethic Committee of Tianjin Medical University (SYXK 2009-0001),and the use and care of the rats complied with ARVO Statement.Results The S Ⅰ t and BUT values were significantly reduced,and the corneal fluorescence staining scores were significantly increased over time following modeling in the model control group (all at P＜0.01).No significant differences were found in the S Ⅰ t,BUT and corneal fluorescence staining scores between model control group and NaCl group at various time points (all at P＞0.05).At 7,14 and 21 days after intervention,the S Ⅰ t values were (4.800±0.789),(4.100±0.516) and (4.300±0.856) mm in the α-MSH+CMC group,which were considerably higher than (2.875 ±0.719),(2.375 ±0.619) and (2.532±0.957)mm in the NaCl group (all at P＜0.01).At 7 days after intervention,the BUT values were (4.938± 1.843) seconds and (5.000±1.491) seconds in the α-MSH group and α-MSH+CMC group,which were significantly higher than (3.250±1.000) seconds in the NaCl group (both at P＜0.01).The corneal fluorescence staining scores in the CMC group,α-MSH group and α-MSH+CMC group were significantly lower than that in the NaCl group,with the lowest score in the α-MSH +CMC group (all at P＜0.05).The thickening of corneal epithelial layer,corneal edema and arrangement disorder of corneal stroma were found in the model control group and NaCl group;while slight corneal edema and epithelial cell proliferation were exhibited in the α-MSH+CMC group by hemotoxylin and eosin staining.PAS staining showed that the number of goblet cells was much more in the CMC group,α-MSH group and α-MSH+ CMC group than that in the model control group and NaCl group (all at P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The sole application of α-MSH or CMC alleviates ocular surface damage and morphological abnormality to certain extent,and the combination of α-MSH and CMC generates more effective protection in comparison with sole administration of α-MSH or CMC.The early application of the drugs plays an improvement role in tear secretion and tear film stability in dry eyes.

Objective Based on middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model,to investigate the effects of melatonin (MT) on DWI and expression of Fas,FasL and cleaved Caspase-3 proteins in rat model with focal cerebral ischemia.Methods Eighty SD rats were randomly divided into Sham group (n=16),MCAO group (n=32) and MT group (n=32).The rats in sham group were treated with sham-operation.And the rats in MCAO and MT groups were peritoneally injected with saline and MT respectively.The behavioral scores were assessed in the three groups.The rats in MCAO and MT group with the behavioral scores of 1 3 points were selected in the study.The DWI relative signal intensity (rDWI-SI),Fas,FasL and cleaved Caspase-3 proteins were respectively examined by MR scaning and immunohistochemical staining in all rats of each group at 6 h,24 h,72 h and 7 days after ischemia reperfusion (IR) or sham-operation.And the DWI and immunohistochemical results for each group were compared.Results At last,there were 16 rats in sham group,29 rats in MCAO group and 30 rats in MT group,respectively.There was significant difference of the behavioral scores among the three groups (x2 =50.125,P＜0.01).The behavioral scores of MT and MCAO groups were higher than those of sham group (all P ＜0.05).And the behavior scores of the MT group were lower compared with MCAO group after IR.Compared with the rDWI-SI values measured at 6 h,24 h and 72 h,7 days in sham group,the rDWLSI values of MT and MCAO groups were significantly higher (all P＜0.01).And the rDWI-SI was higher in MCAO group than those in MT group at 6 h,24 h and 72 h after IR (all P＜0.01).And there was no significant difference of rDWI-SI at 7 days after IR between MT and MCAO groups (P＞0.05).The immunohistochemical staining results showed that the number of Fas,FasL and cleaved Caspase-3 positive cells in MCAO and MT groups were significantly higher than those in sham group (all P＜0.01).And there were less Fas,FasL and cleaved Caspase-3 positive cells in MT groups compared with MCAO group (all P＜0.05) at 6 h,24 h and 72 h after IR.There was no significant difference of Fas,FasL and cleaved Caspase-3 positive cells among the three groups at 7 days after IR (P＞0.05).Conclusion MT can effectively alleviate the rDWI-SI value and inhibit the expression of Fas,FasL and cleaved Caspase-3 proteins in rats of focal cerebral ischemia.

BACKGROUND:cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) is a key protein of memory, which is closely related to long-term memory. It wil provide a new way for the treatment of hypoxic ischemic brain damage (HIBD) to study the effects of dental pulp stem cel s transplantation on the long-term behavior and CREB protein via the lateral ventricle in neonatal HIBD rats. OBJECTIVE:To observe the changes in long-term behavior and CREB protein expression in neonatal HIBD rats after human dental pulp stem cel transplantation, thereby providing scientific evidence for clinical treatment of neonatal HIBD. METHODS:Thirty-six healthy 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal, HIBD and cel transplantation group. The hypoxic ischemic brain damage models were established in the brain damage and cel transplantation groups. Twenty-four hours after HIBD, human dental pulp stem cel s were injected into the left lateral cerebral ventricle of rats in the cel transplantation group, total y 3×106 living cel s. Equal volume of normal saline was injected into the left lateral cerebral ventricle of rats in the normal control and HIBD groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The average time to seek water, the average escape latency and escape distance of the human dental pulp stem cel s group were significantly shorter than those of hypoxic ischemic brain injury group (P<0.01), but longer than those in the normal group (P<0.01). Nissl staining showed that the cel s in the hippocampal CA1 region in human dental pulp stem cel s group were more regular, the number of cel s was significantly higher than that of hypoxic ischemic brain injury group, but stil significantly less than that in the normal group (P<0.05). Immunohistochemical staining results showed that the number of CREB positive cel s in human dental pulp stem cel s group was significantly higher than those in HIBD group, but stil significantly less than those in the normal group (P<0.01). It is suggested that human dental pulp stem cel s transplantation could promote the expression of CREB protein in the hippocampal CA1 region, to improve the long-term learning and memory ability of hypoxic ischemic neonatal rats, and thus repair HIBD.