Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)combined with serum Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 1(SMURF1)detection for thyroid cancer.Methods A total of 144 suspected thyroid cancer patients admitted to Lishui branch of Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University from February 2019 to February 2020 were selected as the study subjects.Based on the histopathological results,they were divided into the thyroid cancer group(76 cases)and the benign group(68 cases).All patients underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination and serum SMURF1 level detection;the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters,serum SMURF1 detection alone,and the combination of the two methods for thyroid cancer were analyzed.Results Contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters peak intensity(PI),mean perfusion intensity(SImean)and maximum perfusion intensity(SImax)in the thyroid cancer group were lower than those in the benign group,and the level of SMURF1 mRNA was higher than that in the benign group(P<0.05).The sensitivity of contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameter SImax in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer was 82.89%,the specificity was 72.06%,the accuracy was 77.78%,and the Kappa value was 0.552.The sensitivity of serum SMURF1 in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer was 65.79%,the specificity was 94.12%,the accuracy was 79.17%,and the Kappa value was 0.589.The sensitivity,specificity,accuracy and Kappa value of SImax combined with serum SMURF1 in the diagnosis of thyroid cancer were 97.37%,85.29%,91.67%and 0.832,respectively,which were higher than those of SImax and SMURF1 alone(P<0.05),the AUC of the combination of the two methods was 0.927,which was significantly higher than that of the two methods alone(Zcombined vs.SImax=3.999,P<0.001;Zcombined vs.SMURF1=3.270,P=0.001).Conclusion Contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with serum SMURF1 detection can improve the diagnostic efficiency of thyroid cancer,which may avoid the over-diagnosis on the premise of ensuring the effective diagnosis of thyroid cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) at sensitized acupoints could reduce sympathetic-sensory coupling (SSC) and neurogenic inflammatory response by interfering with 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)ergic neural pathways to relieve colitis and somatic referred pain, and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Rats were treated with 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) solution for 7 days to establish a colitis model. Twelve rats were randomly divided into the control and model groups according to a random number table (n=6). According to the "Research on Rat Acupoint Atlas", sensitized acupoints and non-sensitized acupoints were determined. Rats were randomly divided into the control, model, Zusanli-EA (ST 36), Dachangshu-EA (BL 25), and Xinshu (BL 15) groups (n=6), as well as the control, model, EA, and EA + GR113808 (a 5-HT inhibitor) groups (n=6). The rats in the control group received no treatment. Acupuncture was administered on 2 days after modeling using the stimulation pavameters: 1 mA, 2 Hz, for 30 min, with sparse and dense waves, for 14 consecutive days. GR113808 was injected into the tail vein at 5 mg/kg before EA for 10 min for 7 consecutive days. Mechanical sensitivity was assessed with von Frey filaments. Body weight and disease activity index (DAI) scores of rats were determined. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe colon histopathology. SSC was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect 5-HT and substance P (SP) expressions. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in skin tissue and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein levels in DRG were detected by Western blot. The levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), bradykinin (BK), prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) in skin tissue, 5-HT, tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), serotonin transporters (SERT), 5-HT 3 receptor (5-HT3R), and 5-HT 4 receptor (5-HT4R) in colon tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: BL 25 and ST 36 acupoints were determined as sensitized acupoints, and BL 15 acupoint was used as a non-sensitized acupoint. EA at sensitized acupoints improved the DAI score, increased mechanical withdrawal thresholds, and alleviated colonic pathological damage of rats. EA at sensitized acupoints reduced SSC structures and decreased TH and CGRP expression levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, EA at sensitized acupoints reduced BK, PGI2, 5-HT, 5-HT3R and TPH1 levels, and increased HA, 5-HT4R and SERT levels in colitis rats (P<0.05). GR113808 treatment diminished the protective effect of EA at sensitized acupoints in colitis rats (P<0.05). CONCLUSION EA at sensitized acupoints alleviated DSS-induced somatic referred pain in colitis rats by interfering with 5-HTergic neural pathway, and reducing SSC inflammatory response.
Rats ; Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; Acupuncture Points ; Pain, Referred ; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; Signal Transduction ; Colitis/therapy* ; Indoles ; Sulfonamides

Objective To investigate the effect of varying blood pressure stratification on renal function in the diabetic population.Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted,enrolling 9 489 diabetic patients from a total of 101 510 Kailuan Group employees who underwent health examinations between July 2006 and October 2007.The follow-up period was(8.6±4.0)years.Participants were categorized into four groups based on their baseline blood pressure levels:normal blood pressure(systolic blood pressure<120 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure<80 mmHg),elevated blood pressure(systolic blood pressure 120-130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure<80 mmHg),stage 1 hypertension(systolic blood pressure 130-140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure 80-90 mmHg),and stage 2 hypertension(systolic blood pressure≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure≥90 mmHg).The incidence density of chronic kidney disease(CKD)was compared among these groups.A multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to assess the effects of different blood pressure levels on renal function in diabetic patients,with the stability of the results confirmed using a multivariate time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model.Sensitivity analysis was conducted after excluding cases of cardiovascular disease(CVD)during follow-up,and cases using antihypertensive and antidiabetic medications at baseline.Results(1)At baseline,stage 1 hypertension patients demonstrated statistically significant higher differences with age and body mass index(BMI)compared to normal blood pressure group(P<0.05).(2)By the end of the follow-up,2 294 cases of CKD were identified,including 1 117 cases of estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)decline and 1 575 cases of urinary protein.The incidences density of CKD,eGFR decline and urinary protein for stage 1 hypertension group were 39.4,16.3 and 25.5 per thousand person-years,respectively,all of which were statistically significant different from normal blood pressure group(log-rank test,P<0.01).(3)Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that,compared to the normal blood pressure group,stage 1 hypertension was associated with a 29%increased risk of CKD(HR=1.29,95%CI 1.09-1.52)and a 40%increased risk of eGFR decline(HR=1.40,95%CI 1.08-1.80)in diabetic individuals.Conclusion Stage 1 hypertension significantly increases the risk of CKD and eGFR decline in diabetic individuals,with a particularly notable effect on the risk of eGFR decline.

Objective:To analyze the causes of hyperdynamic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in sepsis patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) and its impact on prognosis.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 273 sepsis patients admitted to the department of critical care medicine of the Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University from January 2018 to October 2021 were collected including gender, age, severity score, comorbidities, source of infection, vital signs, transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) parameters, fluid intake and output, vasoactive drug dose, therapeutic measures and prognostic indicators. The patients were divided into normal LVEF group (LVEF 0.55-0.70), low LVEF group (LVEF < 0.55) and hyperdynamic LVEF group (LVEF > 0.70) according to the TTE examination results within 7 days of ICU admission. The clinical indicators among the three groups were compared and analyzed, and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen risk factors for the development of hyperdynamic LVEF in patients with sepsis. Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation between the mortality of different types of LVEF and clinical variables.Results:Among 273 patients, 20 patients with severe valvular or cardiomyopathy at admission and those who did not completed cardiac ultrasound within 7 days of ICU admission were excluded. A total of 253 patients were finally enrolled, including 169 patients in the normal LVEF group, 40 patients in the low LVEF group, and 44 patients in the hyperdynamic LVEF group. There were statistically significant differences in age, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, central venous pressure (CVP), heart rate (HR), oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2), blood lactate (Lac), urine output, vasoactive drug dose, ratio of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, chronic liver disease, cancer, invasive mechanical ventilation and renal replacement therapy (RRT), and incidence of septic shock among the different types of LVEF groups. TTE results analysis showed that the hyperdynamic LVEF group had higher stroke volume (SV) and cardiac index (CI) than those in the normal LVEF and low LVEF groups, lower systemic vascular resistance (SVR) than that in the normal LVEF and low LVEF groups, and an increased E/A ratio. The 90-day mortality in the hyperdynamic LVEF group was significantly higher than that in the normal LVEF and low LVEF groups [59.1% (26/44) vs. 24.9% (42/169), 32.5% (13/40), both P < 0.05]. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that chronic liver disease [odds ratio ( OR) = 1.712, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.912-3.234, P < 0.001], cancer ( OR = 2.784, 95% CI was 1.296-6.151, P < 0.001), HR ( OR = 1.026, 95% CI was 1.014-1.038, P < 0.001), vasoactive drug dose ( OR = 1.133, 95% CI was 1.009-1.291, P < 0.001), and invasive mechanical ventilation ( OR = 2.141, 95% CI was 1.285-3.651, P < 0.001) were independent factors for hyperdynamic LVEF in ICU sepsis patients. Correlation analysis showed that the mortality of hyperdynamic LVEF, normal LVEF and low LVEF patients was positively correlated with vasoactive drug dose ( r value was 0.251, 0.361, 0.289, respectively, all P < 0.001). The mortality of the hyperdynamic LVEF patients was negatively correlated with SVR ( r = -0.545, P < 0.001). Conclusions:Chronic liver disease, cancer, HR, vasoactive drugs dose, and invasive mechanical ventilation are independent risk factors for hyperdynamic LVEF in patients with sepsis. Hyperdynamic LVEF is positively associated with mortality in sepsis patients, which may be due to the the decrease of SVR caused by septic vascular paralysis.

AIM: To investigate long-term efficacy and safety of patients after excimer laser in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)surgery in 20a.METHODS: A retrospective study.Patients who underwent LASIK in our hospital from January 1998 to December 2001 were recruited. The patients were notified by telephone to the outpatient for follow-up. The collected data included demographic characteristics(gender and age), preoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity(UCVA)and best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), preoperative diopter, intraoperative corneal flap thickness and corneal stromal residual thickness(RST). The main indicators were long-term efficacy index, safety index, UCVA, BCVA, corneal thickness and axial length. The slit lamp, fundus and optical coherence tomography(OCT)examination were performed at the same time.RESULTS: A total of 95 patients(190 eyes)were recruited. At the final postoperative visit, there were 71 patients(142 eyes, 74.7%)had UCVA≥1.0, and 82 patients(164 eyes, 86.3%)had BCVA≥1.0. There were 2 eyes among them had bad BCVA(≤0.6)due to macular retinoschisis and glaucoma, respectively, while other patients' BCVA was 0.8. There was no significant correlation between the UCVA and BCVA of patients after surgery in 20a and the factors such as age at surgery, preoperative diopter and corneal thickness(P>0.05), but there was a negative correlation with the increase of axis length(rs=-0.32, -0.31, all P<0.05). UCVA and BCVA were positively correlated with corneal stromal residual thickness at the last postoperative follow-up(P<0.05). The safety and efficacy indexes of LASIK after surgery in 20a were 1.00±0.10 and 0.83±0.27, respectively. During the follow-up, no patients were found to have corneal ectasia and complications related to corneal flap, and no patients underwent secondary surgery. No patients with corneal dryness were found after silt lamp examination.CONCLUSION: LASIK after surgery in 20a shows good safety and efficacy.

With prominent medicinal value, Gelsemium elegans has been overexploited, resulting in the reduction of the wild resource. As a result, artificial cultivation turns out to be a solution. However, this medicinal species is intolerant to low temperature, and thus genes responding to the low temperature are important for the cultivation of this species. Based on the transcriptome database of G. elegans at 4 ℃, 29 differentially expressed GeERF genes were identified. Bioinformatics analysis of 21 GeERF gene sequences with intact open reading frames showed that 12 and 9 of the GeERF proteins respectively clustered in DREB subgroup and ERF subgroup. GeDREB1 A-1-GeERF6 B-1, with molecular weight of 23.78-50.96 kDa and length of 212-459 aa, were all predicted to be hydrophilic and in nucleus. Furthermore, the full-length cDNA sequence of GeERF2B-1 was cloned from the leaves of G. elegans. Subcellular localization suggested that GeERF2B-1 was located in the nucleus. According to the quantitative reverse-transcription PCR(qRT-PCR), GeERF2B-1 showed constitutive expression in roots, stems, and leaves of G. elegans, and the expression was the highest in roots. In terms of the response to 4 ℃ treatment, the expression of GeERF2B-1 was significantly higher than that in the control and peaked at 12 h, suggesting a positive response to low temperature. This study lays a scientific basis for the functional study of GeERF transcription factors and provides gene resources for the improvement of stress resistance of G. elegans.
DNA, Complementary ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Temperature ; Transcription Factors/metabolism*

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain Abscess ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; beta-Lactamases

Computed tomography (CT) examination is the major measure for detecting and diagnosis of foreign bodies in human body. Although CT has high sensitivity in diagnosis of foreign body, some interference factors may still lead to missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Here we report a rare case that a bamboo stick accidentally pierced into the left chest of a young man who was drunk and unware of this hurt. The patient experienced cough, chest pain, fever, hemoptysis, and was misdiagnosed as primary and secondary tuberculosis based on chest CT examinations at a local hospital, although no tubercular bacillus detected by sputum smear. He subsequently received anti-tuberculous treatments in the following three years, but no improvement of his symptoms was observed. Until one month before his death, the bamboo stick was detected by spiral CT examination as well as three-dimensional image reconstruction at another hospital. Postmortem examination revealed pneumonia, pulmonary infarction, and abscess as the causes of his death. We analyze the potential reasons of misdiagnosis in this case, aiming to provide reference for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary inflammation associated with foreign body in the future.
Abscess ; Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Male ; Pneumonia ; Pulmonary Infarction ; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary

BACKGROUND: Human infections with zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs), including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, have raised great public health concern globally. Here, we report a novel bat-origin CoV causing severe and fatal pneumonia in humans. METHODS: We collected clinical data and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens from five patients with severe pneumonia from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Hubei province, China. Nucleic acids of the BAL were extracted and subjected to next-generation sequencing. Virus isolation was carried out, and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed. RESULTS: Five patients hospitalized from December 18 to December 29, 2019 presented with fever, cough, and dyspnea accompanied by complications of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Chest radiography revealed diffuse opacities and consolidation. One of these patients died. Sequence results revealed the presence of a previously unknown β-CoV strain in all five patients, with 99.8% to 99.9% nucleotide identities among the isolates. These isolates showed 79.0% nucleotide identity with the sequence of SARS-CoV (GenBank NC_004718) and 51.8% identity with the sequence of MERS-CoV (GenBank NC_019843). The virus is phylogenetically closest to a bat SARS-like CoV (SL-ZC45, GenBank MG772933) with 87.6% to 87.7% nucleotide identity, but is in a separate clade. Moreover, these viruses have a single intact open reading frame gene 8, as a further indicator of bat-origin CoVs. However, the amino acid sequence of the tentative receptor-binding domain resembles that of SARS-CoV, indicating that these viruses might use the same receptor. CONCLUSION A novel bat-borne CoV was identified that is associated with severe and fatal respiratory disease in humans.
Adult ; Aged ; Betacoronavirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; virology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; virology ; Tomography, X-Ray ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of Blimp1, ATF4 and CHOP in bone marrow mononuclear cells from patients with multiple myeloma as well as the effect of aspirin on their expression. METHODS: Sixty untreated patients with multiple myeloma and 30 patients with relatively normal bone marrow were selected. Mononuclear cells from the bone marrow fluid were separated using Ficoll separation solution. CD138 plasma cells were sorted by immunomagnetic beads method. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of Blimp1, ATF4 and CHOP mRNA in U266 cells cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into blank control group, negative control group (no-loaded virus transfection) and positive experimental group [LV-Blimp1-RNAi (40051-2) transfection] by lentivirus transfection. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of Blimp1, ATF4 and CHOP mRNA in cells of different groups. U266 cells were stimulated in vitro with different concentrations of aspirin solution (0, 0.5 mmol/L, 2.5 mmol/L, 5.0 mmol/L) for 24, 48 h and 72 h, respectively. The ability of cell proliferation in different groups was measured by CCK-8. U266 cells were stimulated with different concentrations of aspirin for 48 hours. And the mRNA expression of Blimp1, ATF4 and CHOP was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with plasma cells in normal group, the expression of Blimp1 mRNA in CD138 plasma cells of MM patients significantly increased (8.040±1.878), and the mRNA expression levels of ATF4 and CHOP significantly decreased (0.735±0.089; 0.837±0.062) (P＜0.05). U266 cells were cultured in vitro. Compared with the blank control group and the negative control group, the mRNA expression level of Blimp in the positive experimental group was significantly down-regulated after infection with LV-Blimp1-RNAi (40051-2) lentiviral expression vector (0.637±0.021). ATF4 and CHOP mRNA expression levels were significantly increased (1.452 ± 0.027; 1.721 ± 0.038) (P＜0.05). The proliferation of U266 cells decreased after stimulation with aspirin. In the range of (0.5-5) mmol/L, aspirin could significantly inhibit the proliferation of U266 cells. The inhibition effect of aspirin was increased along with prolongation of time and increase of concentrations. After aspirin stimulation of different concentrations for 48 hours, the expression level of Blimp1 in U266 cells decreased with increasing of drug concentration, while the expression levels of ATF4 and CHOP increased with increasing of drug concentration. CONCLUSION Inhibition of Blimp1 expression in multiple myeloma cells can promote the expression of ATF4 and CHOP. Aspirin can inhibit the proliferation activity of myeloma cells by down-regulating Blimp1 expression in myeloma cells and up-regulating ATF4 and CHOP expression, therefore plays an anti-tumor rote.