Objective:To characterize the longitudinal and dynamic high-density lipoprotein (HDL) trajectories in critically ill children and explore their correlation with clinical outcomes.Methods:Retrospective cohort study.All critically ill children admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of West China Hospital, Sichuan University from January 1, 2015 to October 1, 2020 were included in this retrospective study.Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was applied to characterize the HDL trajectories in days 0-6 post-PICU admission and develop HDL trajectory groups.The in-hospital mortality rate was reported as frequency (%) and then compared by the Chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test between HDL trajectory groups.The length of stay (LOS) in the PICU was described by M( Q1, Q3), and its difference between HDL trajectory groups was evaluated by the Kruskal Wallis test.Logistic regression and multiple linear regression were used to determine the correlation between HDL trajectories and clinical outcomes.The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality rate, and the secondary outcome was LOS in the PICU. Results:A total of 4 384 critically ill children were ultimately enrolled in the study, and 6 HDL trajectory groups were developed based on GBTM analyses: group 1 (758 cases), the lowest HDL group; group 2 (1 413 cases), the low HDL group; group 3 (74 cases), the low-to-high HDL group; group 4 (621 cases), the medium HDL group; group 5 (1 371 cases), the high HDL group; and group 6 (147 cases), the highest HDL group.Logistic regression analysis showed that compared with critically ill children in group 1, those belonging to groups 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were at lower risks of in-hospital mortality with odds ratio ( OR): 0.475, 95%confidence interval ( CI): 0.352-0.641, P<0.001; OR: 0.093, 95% CI: 0.013-0.679, P=0.019; OR: 0.322, 95% CI: 0.208-0.479, P<0.001; OR: 0.263, 95% CI: 0.185-0.374, P<0.001, and OR: 0.142, 95% CI: 0.044-0.454, P=0.001, respectively.Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that compared with critically ill children in group 1, those belonging to groups 4, 5, and 6 had the trend of shorter LOS in PICU, and the β value and 95% CI were β: -4.332, 95% CI: -5.238- -3.426, P<0.001; β: -3.053, 95% CI: -3.809--2.297, P<0.001; β: -6.281, 95% CI: -7.842--4.721, P<0.001, respectively. Conclusions:The dynamic HDL trajectories during 0-6 days after PICU admission are associated with in-hospital mortality rate of critically ill children.The HDL trajectory at a persistently low level is associated with higher mortality, while the HDL trajectory at a persistently high level or with the trend from a low level rising to a high level shows a lower risk of mortality.It is suggested that the HDL trajectory model may become an indicator to predict the condition and prognosis of critically ill children.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effectiveness of Piezocision combined with a microporous technique in accelerating periodontal tissue reconstruction during the anterior migration of mandibular molars in adults.Methods:A prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted on 30 adult orthodontic patients recruited from Shaoxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between January 2020 and September 2022. The inclusion criteria were patients who were unable to retain their first molars due to severe caries or long-term absence and were not suitable for implantation. Using the random number table method, the patients were randomly assigned to two groups: a simple orthodontic control group (Group A, n = 15) and a group that received Piezocision combined with a microporous technique (Group B, n = 15). After treatment, a comparison was made between the two groups in terms of mesial movement distance of the mandibular second molar, plaque index, gingival index, periodontal pocket depth, width of keratinized gingiva, gingival recession, clinical attachment loss, mesial root resorption of the mandibular second molar, alveolar bone height (measured as the distance from the center of the lower incisor to the anterior margin of the chin, referred to as the LM-AC distance), mandibular bone height (measured by the distance from the distal or mesial surface of the root to the alveolar bone margin, denoted as the CEJ-AC distance), and orthodontic satisfaction. Results:The mesial movement distances of the mandibular second molar in Group A patients were (0.86 ± 0.13) mm, (2.75 ± 0.24) mm, (3.54 ± 0.24) mm, and (4.67 ± 0.13) mm at 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks, respectively. These values were significantly greater than those observed in Group B, which were (0.43 ± 0.06) mm, (1.27 ± 0.14) mm, (1.85 ± 0.53) mm, and (2.65 ± 0.06) mm ( t = 6.83, 14.13, 18.24, 23.78, all P < 0.001). Prior to treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in plaque index, gingival index, periodontal pocket depth, width of keratinized gingiva, gingival recession, or clinical attachment loss between the two groups (all P > 0.05). After treatment, Group A did not exhibit statistically significant differences in plaque index, gingival index, width of keratinized gingiva, and gingival recession compared with baseline values (all P > 0.05). However, in Group A, periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment loss significantly increased compared with pretreatment levels ( t = -2.57, -7.50, both P < 0.05). After treatment, Group B exhibited significantly increased values for periodontal pocket depth, width of keratinized gingiva, gingival recession, and clinical attachment loss compared with baseline levels ( t = -8.66, -5.57, -45.33, -9.72, all P < 0.001). Furthermore, these values were significantly higher in Group B compared with those in Group A ( t = -4.28, -3.18, 10.00, 10.69, all P < 0.001). A statistically significant difference was also observed between the two groups in terms of mesial root resorption of the mandibular second molar ( t = 4.14, P < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in LM-AC distance between the two groups after treatment ( P > 0.05). Conclusion:The combination of Piezocision and a microporous technique can effectively accelerate the anterior migration of mandibular molars in adults while maintaining the health of periodontal tissues. This approach holds great potential for clinical promotion.

Objective To analyze the red blood cell lifespan and its influencing factors in patients with acute leukemia (AL) under different disease states.Methods A total of 142 cases of patients with AL admit-ted to the department of hematology in the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2022 to June 2023 were selected as the research subjects,and their red blood cell lifespan and other clinical data were col-lected.The red blood cell lifespan were compared among patients with AL under different disease states. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the red blood cell lifespan with age and other laboratory indicators,and univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to explore the influencing factors of red blood cell lifespan in patients with AL.Results Among the 142 cases of AL,there were 33 newly diagnosed cases,19 relapsed cases,8 cases of partial response+no response,and 82 cases of complete response.The red blood cell lifespan was 33.0 (9.0-147.0),52.0 (15.0-115.0),20.5 (12.0-46.0),50.0 (11.0-186.0) d,respectively.The red cell lifespan of newly diagnosed patients and pa-tients with partial response+no response was shorter than that of patients with complete response,and the differences were statistically significant (Z=-3.933,P<0.001;Z=-3.586,P=0.002).Fifteen newly di-agnosed AL patients achieved complete response after treatment,and the red blood cell lifespan was signifi-cantly prolonged compared with that at initial diagnosis[42 (14-101) d vs. 27 (9-68) d,Z=-2.179,P=0.029].The results of correlation analysis showed that the red blood cell lifespan was positively correlated with white blood cell count,red blood cell count,hemoglobin level and platelet count (P<0.05),and nega-tively correlated with blast cell count and erythropoietin level (P<0.05).The results of multiple linear re-gression analysis showed that the chromosomal abnormalities in karyotypes,FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3),RUNX1 gene mutations and blood transfusion were the influencing factors of red blood cell lifespan in patients with AL (B=-11.151,-24.969,-30.838,-18.784,P<0.05).Conclusion The red blood cell lifespan in patients with AL is shortened under different disease states,which could obtain a certain degree of recovery after achieving complete response after treatment (but still below the normal reference range).The red blood cell lifespan in patients with AL is related to chromosomal abnormalities in karyotypes,FLT3,RUNX1 gene mutations and short term blood transfusion.

Objective:To analyze the impact of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis on the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells.Methods:① Animal experiment: sixteen male C57BL/6 mice were divided into sham operation group (Sham group) and CLP-induced sepsis model group (CLP group) by random number table method, with 8 mice in each group. After 5 days of operation, the jejunal tissues were taken for determination of leucine-rich-repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) and intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The translation of LGR5 was detected by Western blotting. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (Ki67) was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. IAP level was detected by modified calcium cobalt staining and colorimetry. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression of Paneth cell marker molecule lysozyme 1 (LYZ1) and goblet cell marker molecule mucin 2 (MUC2). ② Cell experiment: IEC6 cells in logarithmic growth stage were divided into blank control group and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group (LPS 5 μg/mL). Twenty-four hours after treatment, PCR and Western blotting were used to analyze the transcription and translation of LGR5. The proliferation of IEC6 cells were detected by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining. The transcription and translation of IAP were detected by PCR and colorimetric method respectively.Results:① Animal experiment: the immunohistochemical results showed that the positive rate of Ki67 staining in the jejunal tissue of CLP group was lower than that of Sham group [(41.7±2.5)% vs. (48.7±1.4)%, P = 0.01]. PCR and Western blotting results showed that there were no statistical differences in the mRNA and protein expressions of LGR5 in the jejunal tissue between the CLP group and Sham group (Lgr5 mRNA: 0.7±0.1 vs. 1.0±0.2, P = 0.11; LGR5/β-actin: 0.83±0.17 vs. 0.68±0.19, P = 0.24). The mRNA (0.4±0.1 vs. 1.0±0.1, P < 0.01) and protein (U/g: 47.3±6.0 vs. 73.1±15.3, P < 0.01) levels of IAP in the jejunal tissue were lower in CLP group. Immunofluorescence saining analysis showed that the expressions of LYZ1 and MUC2 in the CLP group were lower than those in the Sham group. ②Cell experiment: PCR and Western blotting results showed that there was no significant difference in the expression of LGR5 between the LPS group and the blank control group (Lgr5 mRNA: 0.9±0.1 vs. 1.0±0.2, P = 0.33; LGR5/β-actin: 0.71±0.18 vs. 0.69±0.04, P = 0.81). The proliferation rate of IEC6 cells in the LPS group was lower than that in the blank control group, but there was no significant difference [positivity rate of EdU: (40.5±3.8)% vs. (46.5±3.6)%, P = 0.11]. The mRNA (0.5±0.1 vs. 1.0±0.2, P < 0.01) and protein (U/g: 15.0±4.0 vs. 41.2±10.4, P < 0.01) of IAP in the LPS group were lower than those in the blank control group. Conclusion:CLP-induced sepsis inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells, impairing the self-renewal ability of intestinal epithelium.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features, differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of complex lymphatic malformations.Methods:The clinical data of patients with complex lymphatic malformation were retrospectively analyzed from April 2010 to April 2022 in the Multidisciplinary Outpatient Department of the Vascular Disease Team of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. All patients were diagnosed with complex lymphatic malformation after consultation with multidisciplinary experts in pediatric surgery, radiology, plastic surgery, pathology, rehabilitation and other departments. The clinical manifestations, blood routine, coagulation function, magnetic resonance imaging and treatment methods of the patients were analyzed. According to the follow-up and disease results, the patients were divided into improvement, stability, progress and death.Results:A total of 18 patients with complex lymphatic malformations were included in the study, including 6 males and 12 females. The age of first diagnosis ranged from 1 month to 29 years old, and the median age was 2.5 years old. Patients were followed up and treated for 0.4 to 12.0 years, with an average follow-up of 3.5 years. Ten patients had pleural and pericardial effusion; 15 patients had visceral involvement which showed multifocal changes in imaging examinations; 9 cases were accompanied by bone destruction, which in Gorham-Stout disease patients broke through the cortex while in generalized lymphatic anomalies it did not; 14 patients had various degrees of coagulation abnormalities, of which 8 patients with severe coagulation dysfunction were all diagnosed as kaposiform lymphangiomatosis. Of the 18 patients, one kaposiform lymphangiomatosis patient died; six patients progressed; eight patients were stable; and three patients improved.Conclusion:The clinical characteristics of patients with complex lymphatic malformations are systemic, diverse and complex. The clinical symptoms of patients with diffuse lymphatic malformation accompanied by involvement of bone and multiple internal organs, chest and abdominal effusion, and coagulation dysfunction should be considered as complex lymphatic malformation. However, due to overlapping clinical characteristics of each subtypes, it is difficult to distinguish patients with complex lymphatic malformation, and the curative effect and prognosis are poor. Precision targeted drugs are the future research direction for the treatment of such diseases.

Objective:To analyze the clinical features, differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of complex lymphatic malformations.Methods:The clinical data of patients with complex lymphatic malformation were retrospectively analyzed from April 2010 to April 2022 in the Multidisciplinary Outpatient Department of the Vascular Disease Team of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. All patients were diagnosed with complex lymphatic malformation after consultation with multidisciplinary experts in pediatric surgery, radiology, plastic surgery, pathology, rehabilitation and other departments. The clinical manifestations, blood routine, coagulation function, magnetic resonance imaging and treatment methods of the patients were analyzed. According to the follow-up and disease results, the patients were divided into improvement, stability, progress and death.Results:A total of 18 patients with complex lymphatic malformations were included in the study, including 6 males and 12 females. The age of first diagnosis ranged from 1 month to 29 years old, and the median age was 2.5 years old. Patients were followed up and treated for 0.4 to 12.0 years, with an average follow-up of 3.5 years. Ten patients had pleural and pericardial effusion; 15 patients had visceral involvement which showed multifocal changes in imaging examinations; 9 cases were accompanied by bone destruction, which in Gorham-Stout disease patients broke through the cortex while in generalized lymphatic anomalies it did not; 14 patients had various degrees of coagulation abnormalities, of which 8 patients with severe coagulation dysfunction were all diagnosed as kaposiform lymphangiomatosis. Of the 18 patients, one kaposiform lymphangiomatosis patient died; six patients progressed; eight patients were stable; and three patients improved.Conclusion:The clinical characteristics of patients with complex lymphatic malformations are systemic, diverse and complex. The clinical symptoms of patients with diffuse lymphatic malformation accompanied by involvement of bone and multiple internal organs, chest and abdominal effusion, and coagulation dysfunction should be considered as complex lymphatic malformation. However, due to overlapping clinical characteristics of each subtypes, it is difficult to distinguish patients with complex lymphatic malformation, and the curative effect and prognosis are poor. Precision targeted drugs are the future research direction for the treatment of such diseases.

Cystatin, a cysteine protease inhibitor found in many parasites, plays important roles in immune evasion. This study analyzed the molecular characteristics of a cystatin from Fasciola hepatica (FhCystatin) and expressed recombinant FhCystatin (rFhcystatin) to investigate the immune modulatory effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced proliferation, migration, cytokine secretion, nitric oxide (NO) production, and apoptosis in mouse macrophages. The FhCystatin gene encoded 116 amino acids and contained a conserved cystatin-like domain. rFhCystatin significantly inhibited the activity of cathepsin B. rFhCystatin bound to the surface of mouse RAW264.7 cells, significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Moreover, rFhCystatin inhibited the expression of cellular nitric oxide, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and promoted the expression of transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-10. These results showed that FhCystatin played an important role in regulating the activity of mouse macrophages. Our findings provide new insights into mechanisms underlying the immune evasion and contribute to the exploration of potential targets for the development of new drug to control F. hepatica infection.

Chitinase AO-801 is a hydrolase secreted by Arthrobotrys oligospora during nematode feeding, while its role remained elusive. This study analyzed the molecular characteristics of recombinant chitinase of Arthrobotrys oligospora (reAO-801). AO-801 belongs to the typical glycoside hydrolase 18 family with conserved chitinase sequence and tertiary structure of (α/β)8 triose-phosphate isomerase (TIM) barrel. The molecular weight of reAO-801 was 42 kDa. reAO-801 effectively degraded colloidal and powdered chitin, egg lysate, and stage I larval lysate of Caenorhabditis elegans. The activity of reAO-801 reached its peak at 40˚C and pH values between 4-7. Enzyme activity was inhibited by Zn2+, Ca2+, and Fe3+, whereas Mg2+ and K+ potentiated its activity. In addition, urea, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and 2-mercaptoethanol significantly inhibited enzyme activity. reAO-801 showed complete nematicidal activity against C. elegans stage I larvae. reAO-801 broke down the C. elegans egg shells, causing them to die or die prematurely by hatching the eggs. It also invoked degradation of Haemonchus contortus eggs, resulting in apparent changes in the morphological structure. This study demonstrated the cytotoxic effect of reAO-801, which laid the foundation for further dissecting the mechanism of nematode infestation by A. oligospora.

Objective:To analyze demographic and clinical characteristics of infantile hemangioma (IH) , and to explore related risk factors for IH.Methods:A multicenter case-control study was conducted. IH patients (case group) and healthy children (control group) were collected from West China Hospital of Sichuan University, West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University and Yulin Community Central Hospital of Chengdu from October 2018 to December 2020. The data on patients′ demographic characteristics, and risk factors during their mothers′ pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and perinatal period were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using binary logistic regression.Results:A total of 1 479 patients with IH and 1 086 healthy children were included in this study. There were 456 males and 1 023 females in the case group, with the age being 3.74 ± 2.82 months, and there were 359 males and 727 females in the control group, with the age being 3.95 ± 2.77 months. There was no significant difference in the gender ratio, age, ethnic composition, birth weight or birth height between the case group and control group (all P > 0.05) . IH lesions mostly affected the head and face (564 cases, 38.1%) , followed by the trunk (449 cases, 30.6%) and limbs (356 cases, 24.1%) . At the visit, 1 109 (75.0%) patients presented with proliferating IH, 1 059 (71.6%) with superficial IH, and 1 306 (88.3%) with focal IH. The IH lesion area ranged from 0.01 to 168.00 (6.24 ± 12.91) cm 2, and the segmental IH area ranged from 7.50 to 168.00 (32.17 ± 26.94) cm 2. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed some factors influencing the occurrence of IH (all P < 0.05) , including pre-pregnancy factors (delivery history and miscarriage history) , pregnancy factors (fetal distress, cord entanglement, history of threatened abortion, placenta previa, oligohydramnios, gestational hypothyroidism, gestational anemia, history of progesterone supplementation, history of thyroxine drug use, history of uterus myomas) , and perinatal factors (including fetal position, gestational weeks, premature rupture of membranes and preterm premature rupture of membranes) . Multivariate binary logistic regression adjusted analysis showed that fetal breech presentation, preterm birth, cord entanglement and history of thyroxine drug use during pregnancy did not influence the occurrence of IH (all P > 0.05) ; the delivery history was the strongest independent risk factor for IH (adjusted OR = 5.624, 95% CI: 4.275 to 7.398, P < 0.001) , and gestational hypothyroidism and history of uterus myomas were protective factors for IH. Conclusions:In this study, the average age of IH patients at visit was 4 months, skin lesions mostly occurred on the head and face, and most were superficial and focal in the proliferative stage. The occurrence and development of IH may be associated with placental diseases, hypoxia, maternal hormone levels during pregnancy, etc.

Objective:To investigate the similarities and differences in clinical manifestations, lesion features, treatment options and prognosis in patients with kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE) and tufted angioma (TA).Methods:The clinical data of KHE patients and TA patients diagnosed and treated in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from August 2016 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The similarities and differences in gender, the age of onset, clinical features, complications, histopathology, imaging manifestations, treatment and prognosis of the two diseases were compared. The χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test were used to analyze the qualitative data. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the quantitative data of the two groups that did not conform to the normal distribution. P<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results:A total of 217 patients were included, including 183 patients with KHE and 34 patients with TA. There was no significant difference between KHE and TA in male to female ratio ( χ2=0.44, P=0.510), the age of onset ( U=2 757.00, Z=-1.09, P=0.278) and the sites of lesion ( χ2=3.64, P=0.162). The mixed type of KHE was the most common, reaching 63.39% (116/183), while the superficial type of TA was the most common, reaching 88.24% (30/34). The lesion diameter of KHE patients was 6.30(4.40, 9.70) cm, which was larger than that of TA patients 2.95(2.05, 4.03) cm, and the difference was statistically significant ( U=967.50, Z=-6.38, P<0.001). KHE is more likely to involve skeletal muscle, and cause thrombocytopenia and severe fibrinogenopenia. KHE mainly involved the dermis, subcutaneous tissue and even deep muscles, and manifested as an infiltrative mass. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed mass diffuse with high signal on T 2 phase. TA was often a superficial lesion that only involved the subcutaneous fat layer and was lumpy. MRI showed that the high signal was confined to the subcutaneous fat layer. The total effective rate of KHE [KHE(85.79%) vs. TA(91.18%)] and the total effective rate of drug therapy [KHE(85.32%) vs. TA(95.65%)] were lower than those of TA. Conclusions:Compared with TA, KHE has a larger tumor diameter, higher invasiveness, higher risk of complications. In addition, treatment plan was more complicated and treatment response rate was lower in patients with KHE compared with those in patients with TA.