Objective:To investigate the correlation of the emm genotypes and virulence genes with the isolation sites of Group A Streptococcus (GAS). Methods:It was a retrospective study.The specimens were collected from children with impetigo in Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from 2006 to 2008 for GAS isolation and identification.A total of 24 GAS strains were isolated from 16 children with impetigo, among which 7 pairs of strains were isolated from the throat and skin of 7 children, and 1 pair of strains was isolated from the vulva and skin of one child, and the remaining 8 GAS strains were isolated from the skin pus samples of 8 children.Polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect the emm genotypes and 13 virulence genes ( speA, speB, speC, speF, speG, speH, speI, speJ, speK, speL, speM, smeZ and ssa). The correlation of the emm genotypes and virulence genes with the isolation sites of GAS strains was analyzed. Results:In this study, four emm genotypes were detected, including emm1.0 (15/24), emm12.0 (4/24), emm22.0 (2/24) and emm160.0 (1/24), and one subtype emm12.19 (2/24) was detected as well.The carrying rates of 13 virulence genes speA, speB, speC, speF, speG, speH, speI, speJ, speK, speL, speM, smeZ and ssa were 58.3%, 100%, 91.7%, 100%, 50.0%, 12.5%, 54.2%, 66.7%, 16.7%, 25.0%, 12.5%, 100% and 91.7%, respectively.All strains carried 5 to 11 virulence genes and they all carried speB, speF and smeZ.There were significant differences in the carrying rate of speA and speJ among the strains with different emm genotypes (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the distribution of virulence genes between skin isolates and pharyngeal isolates, including the 5 pairs of strains carrying the emm1.0 genotype (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The distribution of virulence gene of GAS in children with impetigo is significantly correlated with the emm genotype, rather than the isolation site.

BACKGROUND:For non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head,if the femoral head collapses,it will have a great impact on the normal life of the patients.Thus,it is necessary to use an appropriate way to evaluate the risk of femoral head collapse and then to take targeted measures to delay the process of femoral head collapse. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the natural course of early osteonecrosis of the femoral head(without collapse)under different locations of necrotic lesions. METHODS:121 patients(191 hips)with early non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head who were treated in the Outpatient Department of Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from October 2016 to October 2017 were enrolled in this study.The clinical data of all patients were followed up for 5 years to observe the collapse of osteonecrosis of the femoral head and the risk coefficient of femoral head collapse among different JIC types.The collapse rate of osteonecrosis of the femoral head was calculated during the follow-up. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 191 hips were included in this study.The femoral head collapsed in 86 hips during follow-up,with a total collapse rate of 45.0%.Among the influencing factors,age,ARCO stage and JIC classification were the main influencing factors of femoral head collapse(P<0.05),but body mass index,sex,incidence side and pathogenic factors were not the main influencing factors(P>0.05).(2)Among 191 hips,in JIC classification,the total collapse rates of type A,type B,type C1 and type C2 were 11.1%(2/18),30.2%(16/53),52.4%(43/82),and 65.8%(25/38),respectively.There were significant differences in the total collapse rate of the femoral head among all types(P<0.05).The collapse risk results showed that the collapse risk of type B,type C1 and type C2 was 2.41,5.22 and 7.89 times higher than that of type A,respectively.(3)Both JIC classification and ARCO stage were correlated with femoral head collapse(P<0.01).There was no significant difference in the collapse rate of the femoral head among all JIC types in ARCO I stage hips(P>0.05).In the hips with ARCO II stage,the collapse rates of the femoral head of JIC types A,B,C1 and C2 were 1.2%,19.5%,50.0%and 29.3%,respectively,and there were significant differences in the collapse rates among different types(P<0.05).(4)During follow-up,the collapse rates of the femoral head in the first to fifth years were 29.3%,7.9%,4.7%,2.6%and 0.5%,respectively.(5)Results showed that for early non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head,the risk of collapse of osteonecrosis of the femoral head is high within one year,and the location of the focus of osteonecrosis affects the risk of collapse of the femoral head.The effect of the location of the focus on the prognosis of the disease should be considered in clinical treatment.

Objective:To report the results of national surveillance on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-negative bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2022.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of national bloodstream infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）were collected during January 2022 to December 2022. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software were used to analyze the data.Results:During the study period，9 035 strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected from 51 hospitals，of which 7 895（87.4%）were Enterobacteriaceae and 1 140（12.6%）were non-fermenting bacteria. The top 5 bacterial species were Escherichia coli（ n=4 510，49.9%）， Klebsiella pneumoniae（ n=2 340，25.9%）， Pseudomonas aeruginosa（ n=534，5.9%）， Acinetobacter baumannii complex（ n=405，4.5%）and Enterobacter cloacae（ n=327，3.6%）. The ESBLs-producing rates in Escherichia coli， Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus spp. were 47.1%（2 095/4 452），21.0%（427/2 033）and 41.1%（58/141），respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli（CREC）and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（CRKP）were 1.3%（58/4 510）and 13.1%（307/2 340）；62.1%（36/58）and 9.8%（30/307）of CREC and CRKP were resistant to ceftazidime/avibactam combination，respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii（CRAB）complex was 59.5%（241/405），while less than 5% of Acinetobacter baumannii complex was resistant to tigecycline and polymyxin B. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa（CRPA）was 18.4%（98/534）. There were differences in the composition ratio of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections and the prevalence of main Gram-negative bacteria resistance among different regions，with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of CRKP and CRPA（ χ2=20.489 and 20.252， P<0.001）. The prevalence of CREC，CRKP，CRPA，CRAB，ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were higher in provinicial hospitals than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=11.953，81.183，10.404，5.915，12.415 and 6.459， P<0.01 or <0.05），while the prevalence of CRPA was higher in economically developed regions（per capita GDP ≥ 92 059 Yuan）than that in economically less-developed regions（per capita GDP <92 059 Yuan）（ χ2=6.240， P=0.012）. Conclusions:The proportion of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections shows an increasing trend，and Escherichia coli is ranked in the top，while the trend of CRKP decreases continuously with time. Decreasing trends are noted in ESBLs-producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Low prevalence of carbapenem resistance in Escherichia coli and high prevalence in CRAB complex have been observed. The composition ratio and antibacterial spectrum of bloodstream infections in different regions of China are slightly different，and the proportion of main drug resistant bacteria in provincial hospitals is higher than those in municipal hospitals.

Following the principles of evidence-based medicine,in accordance with the structure and drafting rules of standardized documents,based on literature research,according to the characteristics of chronic cough in children and issues that need to form a consensus,the TCM Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough in Children was formulated based on the Delphi method,expert discussion meetings,and public solicitation of opinions.The guideline includes scope of application,terms and definitions,eti-ology and diagnosis,auxiliary examination,treatment,prevention and care.The aim is to clarify the optimal treatment plan of Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease,and to provide guidance for improving the clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in children with Chinese medicine.

Since 2022, there has been an increasing trend in the incidence of scarlet fever and deaths due to Group A Streptococcus (GAS) in the UK and some European countries, with the paediatric population particularly affected, a phenomenon that has attracted widespread international attention.The author believes that GAS has not received sufficient attention and that there are significant national differences in early surveillance, treatment strategies, management and control.Here, author present professional insights on the unresolved scientific issues related to GAS infections, with a view to attracting the attention of domestic colleagues and jointly promoting GAS-related research, prevention and control.

Objective:To analyze the factors affecting delayed chemotherapy in children with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and their influence on prognosis.Methods:Retrospective cohort study. Clinical data of 591 children aged ≤18 years with BL from May 2017 to December 2022 in China Net Childhood Lymphoma (CNCL) was collected. The patients were treated according to the protocol CNCL-BL-2017. According to the clinical characteristics, therapeutic regimen was divided into group A, group B and group C .Based on whether the total chemotherapy time was delayed, patients were divided into two groups: the delayed chemotherapy group and the non-delayed chemotherapy group. Based on the total delayed time of chemotherapy, patients in group C were divided into non-delayed chemotherapy group, 1-7 days delayed group and more than 7 days delayed group. Relationships between delayed chemotherapy and gender, age, tumor lysis syndrome before chemotherapy, bone marrow involvement, disease group (B/C group), serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 4 times than normal, grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ myelosuppression after chemotherapy, minimal residual disease in the interim assessment, and severe infection (including severe pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis, chickenpox, etc.) were analyzed. Logistic analysis was used to identify the relevant factors. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the patients' survival information. Log-Rank was used for comparison between groups.Results:Among 591 patients, 504 were males and 87 were females, the follow-up time was 34.8 (18.6,50.1) months. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was (92.5±1.1)%,and the 3-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was (90.5±1.2)%. Seventy-three (12.4%) patients were in delayed chemotherapy group and 518 (87.6%) patients were in non-delayed chemotherapy group. The reasons for chemotherapy delay included 72 cases (98.6%) of severe infection, 65 cases (89.0%) of bone marrow suppression, 35 cases (47.9%) of organ dysfunction, 22 cases (30.1%) of tumor lysis syndrome,etc. There were 7 cases of chemotherapy delay in group B, which were seen in COPADM (vincristine+cyclophosphamide+prednisone+daunorubicin+methotrexate+intrathecal injection,4 cases) and CYM (methotrexate+cytarabine+intrathecal injection,3 cases) stages. There were 66 cases of chemotherapy delay in group C, which were common in COPADM (28 cases) and CYVE 1 (low dose cytarabine+high dose cytarabine+etoposide+methotrexate, 12 cases) stages. Multinomial Logistic regression analysis showed that the age over 10 years old ( OR=0.54,95% CI 0.30-0.93), tumor lysis syndrome before chemotherapy ( OR=0.48,95% CI 0.27-0.84) and grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ myelosuppression after chemotherapy ( OR=0.55,95% CI 0.33-0.91)were independent risk factors for chemotherapy delay.The 3-year OS rate and the 3-year EFS rate of children with Burkitt lymphoma in the delayed chemotherapy group were lower than those in the non-delayed chemotherapy group ((79.4±4.9)% vs. (94.2±1.1)%, (80.2±4.8)% vs. (92.0±1.2)%,both P<0.05). The 3-year OS rate of the group C with chemotherapy delay >7 days (42 cases) was lower than that of the group with chemotherapy delay of 1-7 days (22 cases) and the non-delay group (399 cases) ((76.7±6.9)% vs. (81.8±8.2)% vs. (92.7±1.3)%, P=0.002).The 3-year OS rate of the chemotherapy delay group (9 cases) in the COP (vincristine+cyclophosphamide+prednisone) phase was lower than that of the non-chemotherapy delay group (454 cases) ((66.7±15.7)% vs. (91.3±1.4)%, P=0.005). Similarly, the 3-year OS rate of the chemotherapy delay group (11 cases) in the COPADM1 phase was lower than that of the non-chemotherapy delay group (452 cases) ((63.6±14.5)% vs. (91.5±1.3)%, P=0.001). Conclusions:The delayed chemotherapy was related to the age over 10 years old, tumor lysis syndrome before chemotherapy and grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ myelosuppression after chemotherapy in pediatric BL. There is a significant relationship between delayed chemotherapy and prognosis of BL in children.

The monkeypox epidemic has re-emerged and is at a stage of rapid development in Africa.It is rare that has been designated as a public health emergency of international concern twice in just 2 years since May 2022, which fully demonstrates the urgency of the current monkeypox epidemic.This outbreak is caused by a new monkeypox variant strain Ⅰb.It has a faster transmission rate and may have a higher fatality rate, especially in children.Therefore, medical staff, especially pediatricians, should attach great importance to this strain, do a good job in epidemic surveillance and strengthen vaccine research and development.Nip it in the bud.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) are important human pathogens.In recent years, the M1 UK strain has attracted widespread attention in the United Kingdom and other countries because it has been associated with a surge in scarlet fever and an increase in invasive GAS infections.Author conducted a whole-genome sequencing study of 42 GAS strains from 2016 to 2018 in Shenzhen, and found that a GAS strain isolated from a child with scarlet fever in Shenzhen area in 2018 was homologous to M1 UK, which is the first strain of M1 UK confirmed in the mainland of China.For this reason, hereby publish it with a view to attracting the attention of our domestic counterparts and safeguarding public health safety.

End-stage liver diseases,such as cirrhosis and liver cancer caused by hepatitis B,are often combined with hepatic encephalopathy(HE);ammonia poisoning is posited as one of its main pathogenesis mechanisms.Ammonia is closely related to autophagy,but the molecular mechanism of ammonia's regulatory effect on autophagy in HE remains unclear.Sialylation is an essential form of glycosylation.In the nervous system,abnormal sialylation affects various physiological processes,such as neural development and synapse formation.ST3 β-galactoside α2,3-sialyltransferase 6(ST3GAL6)is one of the significant glycosyltransferases responsible for adding α2,3-linked sialic acid to substrates and generating glycan structures.We found that the expression of ST3GAL6 was upregulated in the brains of mice with HE and in astrocytes after ammonia induction,and the expression levels of α2,3-sialylated glycans and autophagy-related proteins microtubule-associated protein light chain 3(LC3)and Beclin-1 were upregulated in ammonia-induced astrocytes.These findings suggest that ST3GAL6 is related to autophagy in HE.Therefore,we aimed to determine the regulatory relationship between ST3GAL6 and autophagy.We found that silencing ST3GAL6 and blocking or degrading α2,3-sialylated glycans by way of Maackia amurensis lectin-Ⅱ(MAL-Ⅱ)and neuraminidase can inhibit autophagy.In addition,silencing the expression of ST3GAL6 can downregulate the expression of heat shock protein β8(HSPB8)and Bcl2-associated athanogene 3(BAG3).Notably,the overexpression of HSPB8 partially restored the reduced autophagy levels caused by silencing ST3GAL6 expression.Our results indicate that ST3GAL6 regulates autophagy through the HSPB8-BAG3 complex.

Objective To investigate the effect of aqueous extract of Scrophularia ningpoensis(AESN)on AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)activity in INS-1 cells under high glucose(HG)conditions.Methods INS-1 cells were cultured in HG medium and treated with different concentrations of AESN.The influences of AESN on cell viability and pyroptotic body formation were detected using the CCK-8 assay.Western blotting was used to observe the effects of AESN on AMPK expression and phosphorylation.The effect of AESN on AMPK activity was measured using time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer(TR-FRET)assay.Results Compared with normal glucose controls,INS-1 cells exposed to HG showed decreased cell viabilities and increased formation of pyroptotic bubbles using CCK-8 assay.Western blotting results indicated that HG exposure led to a decrease in intracellular AMPK phosphorylation levels.However,co-incubation with AESN under HG exposure AESN treatment increased the cell viabilities and phosphorylation of AMPK and decreased the pyroptotic bubbles formation in a concentration-dependent manner.In addition,the results of TR-FRET revealed that AESN treatment effectively increased AMPK activity in a concentration-dependent manner.Conclusion AESN has an activating effect on AMPK activity in HG-treated INS-1 cells.