ObjectiveTo explore the impacts of material type and loading volume of rigid containers on the hydrogen peroxide low temperature plasma sterilization of thoracoscopic instruments, to identify the best rigid containers and loading volume of thoracoscopic instruments. MethodsThoracoscopic instruments sterilized by STERRAD^® 100NX hydrogen peroxide low temperature plasma in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital affiliated to Tongji University from August to September 2024 were selected as the research items. According to the material of rigid containers, the instruments were divided into polyethylene case group (A), stainless steel case group (B) and silicone resin case group (C). In terms of the loading volume, the rigid containers were divided into (loading capacity <80%) groups of 8, 10 and 12 instruments. The results of physical monitoring, the first type of chemical indicator card monitoring, and the five types of card luminal chemical process challenge device (PCD) monitoring of the 9 groups of A8, A10, A12, B8, B10, B12, C8, C10 and C12 were compared and evaluated. ResultsCompared to A8, A10 A12, C8, C10 or C12 groups, the thoracoscope instruments in the stainless steel containers in B8, B10 or B12 group had higher hydrogen peroxide concentrations and shorter elapsed time in the pressure check phases 1 and phases 2, with the differences statistically significant (P<0.05), followed by the silicone resin case group and the polyethylene case group. The nine groups of physical parameter monitoring, the first type of chemical indicator monitoring, and the five types of chemical PCD monitoring for lumen sterilization achieved 100% qualification rates, and there were no significant differences in the qualified rates of sterilization among the 9 groups (P>0.05). ConclusionWhen using hydrogen peroxide low temperature plasma to sterilize thoracoscopic instruments, it is recommended to use stainless steel or silicone resin rigid containers with a controlled loading capacity (≤12) to ensure optimal sterilization quality.

Objective:To explore the association between environment exposure and hormone-sensitive cough in patients with chronic cough.Methods:Clinical data of 197 patients with chronic cough visited outpatient clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from June 2016 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 130 cases of corticosteroid responsive cough (CRC, 66.0%) and 67 cases of non-corticosteroid responsive cough (NCRC, 34.0%). The association between living environment exposure and hormone sensitivity was examined with a binary logistic regression analysis.Results:Among 197 patients with chronic cough, there were 82 males (41.6%) and 115 females (58.4%). 75.1% (148/197) had a history of smoking, and 16.8% (33/197) had a history of allergies. 66.0% (130/197) lived in the city center, 18.3% (36/197) had a chemical factory around their place of residence, 11.2% (22/197) renovated their homes within the first six months of the disease, 15.7% (31/197) purchase new furniture, 54.3% (107/197) plant flowers and plants in their houses, 21.3% (42/197) keep pets in their houses, 79.2% (156/197) had lived in their houses for more than 2 years, 71.1% (140/197) had cockroaches in their houses, 16.2% (32/197) had mold in their houses, 83.3% (164/197) had a frequency of air conditioning cleaning exceeds 2 months per time.There were 130 patients (66.0%) with CRC and 67 patients (34.0%) with NCRC.Binary logistic regression analysis showed that living close to the main road ( OR=2.296, 95% CI: 1.350-3.904, P=0.002), living near chemical factories ( OR=3.322, 95% CI: 2.158-5.573, P<0.001), history of allergy ( OR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.165-4.058, P=0.015), purchasing new furniture within 6 months ( OR=2.828, 95% CI: 1.402-5.706, P=0.004), cotton and linen curtains ( OR=1.875, 95% CI: 1.038-3.388, P=0.037) were positively correlated with CRC; while down and wool pillowcases and quilts ( OR=0.142, 95% CI: 0.033-0.602, P=0.008; OR=0.207, 95% CI: 0.067-0.640, P=0.006) and low ventilation frequency ( OR=0.281, 95% CI: 0.131-0.603, P=0.001) were negatively correlated with CRC. Conclusion:Hormone-sensitive cough patients account the most of chronic cough cases, and there are differences in the living environment exposure between CRC and NCRC patients, which provides information for corresponding interventions to prevent and manage CRC.

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of fluoropezil on embryo-fetal developmental toxicity and toxicokinetics in rabbits,and provide reference for clinical medication.METHODS According to the sequence of pregnancy,pregnant rabbits were divided into five groups:vehicle control group(1%hydroxy-propyl methylcellulose+1.5%polyethylene glycol 400 aqueous solution),positive control group(cyclo-phosphamide 18 mg·kg-1),and fluoropezil(3.6,9.0 and 22.5 mg·kg-1)groups.The vehicle control group and the fluoropezil groups were ig administrated on the 6th to 18th day of gestation(GD6-18)while the positive control group was ig given cyclophosphamide on GD6-20.The pregnant rabbits were sacri-ficed on GD28,and the embryo-fetal development was detected.Sex hormone levels of pregnant rabbits on GD5,GD18 and GD28 were detected by ELISA method.Blood samples with toxokinetics were collected for concomitant toxic generation at the first and last administration,and drug concentrations in fetal,placenta and amniotic fluid were detected with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS).RESULTS Fluoropezil 3.6,9.0 and 22.5 mg·kg-1 had no significant effect on body mass,mass gain,food consumption,pregnancy outcomes,fetal appearance,viscera,skeletal and physical growth and development of pregnant rabbits.Only on GD18 or GD28,the levels of follicle stimulating hormone,estra-diol and progesterone in each dose group fluctuated to some extent.The combined toxokinetics results indicated that fluoropezil could cross the placental barrier of the rabbits,but did not accumulate in preg-nant rabbits or fetuses.Fetal mass,crown-rump length and uterus mass in the cyclophosphamide group were lower than those in the vehicle control group.The appearance and bone of the cyclophos-phamide group were positive.CONCLUSION The no observed adverse effect level(NOAEL)of fluoro-pezil toxicity on rabbit embryo-fetal development is 22.5 mg·kg-1,which is 125 times of the effective dose.At the dosage level of 22.5 mg·kg-1,Cmax is 1093 μg·L-1,and AUC(0-24 h)6650 μg·h·L-1 on GD18.

Aim To explore the mechanism of oxidized lipoprotein(a)(oxLp(a))inducing pyroptosis of vascu-lar endothelial cells.Methods After incubating human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)with 100 mg/L ox-Lp(a)for 24 hours,Western blot and RT-qPCR was used to detect pyroptosis related proteins,pro-inflammatory cytokines,mitochondrial related proteins NRF1,NRF2,PGC-1α and mitochondrial gene cytochrome b(CYTB),ELISA was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors,scanning electron microscopy was used to detect cell membrane rup-ture,transmission electron microscopy was used to detect mitochondrial morphology,Hoechst33342/PI staining was used to detect cell apoptosis,MitoSOX probe was used to detect mitochondrial reactive oxygen species(mtROS),Flu-4AM probe was used to detect calcium ions,JC-1 probe was used to detect mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP),and Calcein AM staining was used to detect mitochondrial permeability transition pore(mPTP).Transfecting HUVEC with CYTB overexpressing lentivirus and analyzing its effects on oxLp(a)induced pyroptosis and mitochondrial function.Results After treatment with oxLp(a),the expression of NLRP3,pro-Caspase-1,Caspase-1,GSDMD and GSDMD-N proteins re-lated to pyroptosis were significantly increased(P＜0.05);the protein and mRNA levels of CYTB and pro-inflammatory cy-tokine IL-1β,IL-18 were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Small pores appeared on the cell membrane,the percentage of PI stained positive cells significantly increased(P＜0.05).OxLp(a)significantly inhibited the expression of mito-chondrial related proteins NRF1,NRF2 and PGC-1α,and the expression of mitochondrial gene CYTB,promoted an in-crease in mtROS generation,Ca2+overload,a decrease in ATP levels,a decrease in MMP,an increase in mPTP values,and abnormal mitochondrial morphology.After transfection with pHelper 2.0 lentivirus vector overexpressing CYTB,it was found that oxLp(a)induced HUVEC pyroptosis and mitochondrial morphological and functional abnormalities were par-tially reversed by overexpression of CYTB.Conclusion oxLp(a)promotes mitochondrial morphological and functional abnormalities and induces HUVEC pyroptosis by downregulating CYTB.

Objective To investigate the influencing factors of Mismatch ratio in computed tomography perfusion(CTP)and dif-fusion weighted imaging(DWI)to assess the lesion outcome after treatment in patients with acute ischemic stroke(AIS).Methods Whether there were any differences in clinical and imaging data of AIS patients were analyzed retrospectively between the Mismatch ratio＞1.2 group and the Mismatch ratio≤1.2 group,and between the hemorrhagic transformation group and the non-hemorrhagic transformation group.Results The age of onset and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)score of AIS patients in the group with Mismatch ratio＞1.2 were greater than those in the group with Mismatch ratio≤1.2.The Mismatch ratio＞1.2 group had lower incidence of hyperlipidemia,new infarct foci,and higher hypercoagulability,cerebral hemorrhage,as well as large cerebral infarction.The NIHSS score was higher in the hemorrhagic transformation group than the non-hemorrhagic transformation group,and the incidence of large cerebral infarction and digital subtraction angiography(DSA)thrombectomy was higher in the former than in the latter.Multifactorial logistic analysis showed that age,NIHSS score,and hyperlipidemia were independent risk factors for AIS patients with Mismatch ratio＞1.2 and large cerebral infarction was an independent risk factor for hemorrhagic transformation.Conclusion The Mismatch ratio in CTP is correlated with age,NIHSS score,and hyperlipidemia in patients with AIS and large cerebral infarction is correlated with hemorrhagic transformation.

Objective:To investigate the effect of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of FCN gene on the susceptibility of pre-eclampsia (PE) in Han nationality pregnant women.Methods:A total of 274 PE pregnant women (PE group) and 154 healthy pregnant women (control group) admitted to Boai Hospital of Zhongshan, Affiliated Hospital to Southern Medical University from October 2020 to October 2022 were collected. The general information, medical history, reproductive history, blood pressure, body mass index and blood biochemical indicators before delivery were compared between the two groups. Twenty-three SNP loci of FCN gene family were genotyped by time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the serum levels of ficolins (ficolin-1, -2 and -3) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:(1) Compared with the control group, the body mass index, mean arterial pressure, gestational age at delivery, blood urea nitrogen, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, direct bilirubin, albumin, and C-reactive protein in the PE group were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The levels of N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), placental growth factor (PlGF) and human soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sFlt-1) were significantly different between the two groups (all P<0.05). (2) Among the 23 SNP loci in FCN gene family, 18 loci were in Hardy-Weinberg genetic equilibrium, including 5 loci in FCN1 gene, 10 loci in FCN2 gene, and 3 loci in FCN3 gene. Five loci that did not conform to Hardy-Weinberg genetic equilibrium were not included in the subsequent analysis. Compared with the control group, the genotype distribution of 3 loci of FCN2 gene (rs7872508, rs11103563, rs73664188) and 1 locus of FCN3 gene (rs3813800) in the PE group were significantly different (all P<0.05). After Bonferroni correction, only the genotype distribution of rs7872508 and rs73664188 in FCN2 gene were statistically different between the PE group and the control group (all P<0.05). Further analysis showed that for the rs7872508 locus of FCN2 gene, compared with GG genotype, genotype GT ( OR=3.025, 95% CI: 1.080-8.471) and TT ( OR=4.777, 95% CI: 1.758-12.979) both significantly increased the risk of PE (both P<0.05). For rs73664188 locus of FCN2 gene, compared with TT genotype, genotype TC ( OR=0.510, 95% CI: 0.334-0.778) significantly reduced the risk of PE ( P<0.05). (3) Compared with the control group, the serum levels of ficolin-1 and ficolin-2 in pregnant women in the PE group were significantly reduced (both P<0.05), while the level of ficolin-3 showed no significant change ( P=0.271). Correlation analysis showed that the serum levels of ficolin-2 in pregnant women in the PE group were significantly positively correlated with PlGF level ( r=0.321, P<0.001), and significantly negatively correlated with sFlt-1 level ( r=-0.187, P=0.002) and NT-proBNP level ( r=-0.392, P<0.001). Further analysis revealed that the serum levels of ficolin-2 in pregnant women of the PE group with GT and TT genotypes at rs7872508 locus of FCN2 gene were significantly reduced (both P<0.05), while the serum level of ficolin-2 in pregnant women of the PE group with TC genotype at the rs73664188 locus were significantly increased ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The SNP of FCN2 gene in FCN gene family might be related to the susceptibility to PE and have an effect on serum ficolin-2 level in PE pregnant women.

Objective: To investigate the seroprevalence and influencing factors of serum neutralizing antibodies among SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals, so as to provide the evidence for developing the health management and COVID-19 vaccination strategy among SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals. Methods: Recovered SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals from January 1st, 2020 to February 10th, 2021 in Zhejiang Province were recruited in March 2021. Participants' demographics, underlying diseases, date of definitive diagnosis and severity of clinical symptoms were collected using questionnaire surveys, and serum neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 was detected using a fluorescent immunoassay. In addition, factors affecting the seropositivity of neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 559 SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals were enrolled, including 480 confirmed cases and 79 asymptomatic carriers, with an median (interquartile range) age of 47.00 (22.00) years, and all participants had never received COVID-19 vaccination. The median (interquartile range) duration from diagnosis to serum sampling was 387.00 (11.00) days, and the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 was 83.90%. The serum neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 was all positive 9 months after diagnosis, and the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 appeared no tendency towards a decline with time within 14 months after diagnosis (P>0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that women were 1.892 times (95%CI: 1.169-3.064) more likely to produce serum neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 than men, and mild, common and severe/critically ill SARS-CoV-2 infected cases were 2.438 (95%CI: 1.305-4.557), 4.481 (95%CI: 2.318-8.663), and 23.525 (95%CI: 2.990-185.068) times more likely to produce serum neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 than asymptomatic carrier, respectively. Conclusions The seroprevalence of neutralizing antibody was 100.00% among SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals within 9 months after diagnosis. Individuals' gender and severity of clinical symptoms correlate with the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2.

【Objective】 To analyze the basic characteristics of whole blood donors from blood stations before and after the outbreak of COVID-19. 【Methods】 After excluding invalid data, data related to the basic characteristics of whole blood donors collected from 26 blood stations in China during 2018 to 2021 were statistically analyzed, including the trend of total whole blood donors, the number of repeated blood donors, the frequency of blood donation, the average age of donors and the recruitment of first-time blood donors. 【Results】 Affected by the epidemic, 8 out of 14 indicators were with large variations, accounting for 57%. The overall growth rate of total whole blood donors during the epidemic was higher than before the epidemic (P<0.05).The number of repeated blood donors has shown an increased trend, with a higher number during the epidemic than before (P<0.05). The frequency of blood donation was lower during the epidemic than before(P<0.05).Average ages of blood donors and female blood donors fluctuated widely during the epidemic, both higher than those before the epidemic(P<0.05).The donation rate of first-time blood donors <25 years old and ≥25 years old varied widely and irregularly during the epidemic (both P<0.05). The percentage of first-time blood donors fluctuated irregularly during the epidemic, with overall percentage lower than that before the epidemic(P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Whole blood donors from 26 blood stations increased after the outbreak of COVID-19, and some indicators in certain areas showed significant fluctuations during the epidemic.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the disease characteristics of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who experiencing prolonged glucocorticoid (GC) exposure. METHODS: Between January 2016 and June 2019, 449 SLE patients meeting the criteria were recruited from multiple centers. Hip MRI examinations were performed during screening and regular follow-up to determine the occurrence of ONFH. The cohort was divided into ONFH and non-ONFH groups, and the differences in demographic baseline characteristics, general clinical characteristics, GC medication information, combined medication, and hip clinical features were compared and comprehensively described. RESULTS: The age at SLE diagnosis was 29.8 (23.2, 40.9) years, with 93.1% (418 cases) being female. The duration of GC exposure was 5.3 (2.0, 10.5) years, and the cumulative incidence of SLE-ONFH was 9.1%. Significant differences ( P<0.05) between ONFH and non-ONFH groups were observed in the following clinical characteristics: ① Demographic baseline characteristics: ONFH group had a higher proportion of patients with body mass index (BMI)<20 kg/m ² compared to non-ONFH group. ② General clinical characteristics: ONFH group showed a higher proportion of patients with cutaneous and renal manifestations, positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) and anticardiolipin antibodies, severe SLE patients [baseline SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score ≥15], and secondary hypertension. Fasting blood glucose in ONFH group was also higher. ③ GC medication information: ONFH group had higher initial intravenous GC exposure rates, duration, cumulative doses, higher cumulative GC doses in the first month and the first 3 months, higher average daily doses in the first 3 months, and higher proportions of average daily doses ≥15.0 mg/d and ≥30.0 mg/d, as well as higher full-course average daily doses and proportion of full-course daily doses ≥30.0 mg/d compared to non-ONFH group. ④ Combined medications: ONFH group had a significantly higher rate of antiplatelet drug use than non-ONFH group. ⑤ Hip clinical features: ONFH group had a higher proportion of hip discomfort or pain and a higher incidence of hip joint effusion before MRI screening than non-ONFH group. CONCLUSION The incidence of ONFH after GC exposure in China's SLE population remains high (9.1%), with short-term (first 3 months), medium-to-high dose (average daily dose ≥15 mg/d) GC being closely associated with ONFH. Severe SLE, low BMI, certain clinical phenotypes, positive aPLs, and secondary hypertension may also be related to ONFH.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Glucocorticoids/adverse effects* ; Incidence ; Femur Head ; Prospective Studies ; Femur Head Necrosis/epidemiology* ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/chemically induced* ; Hypertension/drug therapy*