ObjectiveTo investigate how Xiaoyao Shukun decoction （XYSKD） regulates the formation and release of neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs） via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway， thereby reducing inflammation， inhibiting the excessive proliferation of fibroblasts in pelvic adhesion tissue， decreasing adhesion and fibrosis， and repairing the tissue damage in sequelae of pelvic inflammatory disease （SPID）. MethodsA total of 84 Wistar rats were randomly allocated into seven groups： blank， model， XYSKD （8 mg·kg^-1）， mTOR agonist （10 mg·kg^-1）， mTOR agonist + XYSKD （10 mg·kg^-1+8 mg·kg^-1）， mTOR inhibitor （2 mg·kg^-1）， and mTOR inhibitor + XYSKD （2 mg·kg^-1+8 mg·kg^-1）. The rat model of SPID was constructed by starvation， fatigue， and ascending Escherichia coli infection. After 14 days of drug intervention， the ultrastructure of fibroblasts in the pelvic adhesion tissue was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The general morphology of the uterus， fallopian tube， and ovary was observed by laparotomy. The levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-17 （IL-17）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the peritoneal flushing fluid were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The expression of myeloperoxidase （MPO） and citrullinated histone 3 （H3） in the fallopian tube was detected by immunofluorescence. Western blot and Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were employed to determine the relative protein and mRNA levels， respectively， of neutrophil elastase （NE）， intercellular adhesion molecule-1 （CD54）， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， H3， PI3K， and Akt. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group presented a large number of collagen fibers in bundles， numerous cytoplasmic folds of fibroblasts， reduced or absent mitochondrial cristae， and disordered and expanded endoplasmic reticulum. By laparotomy， extensive pelvic congestion， connective tissue hyperplasia， thickening and hardening of the tubal end near the uterus， and tubal and ovarian adhesion or cyst were observed in the model group. In addition， the model group showed raised levels of IL-1β， IL-17， and TNF-α in the peritoneal flushing fluid （P<0.01）， increased average fluorescence intensities of MPO and H3 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of NE， H3， CD54， PI3K， and Akt （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the mTOR agonist group showed increased fibroblasts and cytoplasmic folds， absence of mitochondrial cristae， endoplasmic reticulum dilation， and evident collagen fiber hyperplasia. Pelvic adhesions were observed to cause aggravated damage to the uterine， fallopian tube， and ovarian tissues. The levels of IL-1β， IL-17， and TNF-α in the peritoneal lavage fluid elevated （P<0.01） and the average fluorescence intensities of MPO and H3 enhanced （P<0.01） in the mTOR agonist group. In contrast， the XYSKD group and the mTOR inhibitor group showcased decreased fibroblasts and collagen fibers， alleviated mitochondrial crista loss and endoplasmic reticulum dilation， improved morphology and appearance of the uterine， fallopian tube， and ovarian tissues， lowered levels of IL-1β， IL-17， and TNF-α in the peritoneal lavage fluid （P<0.01）， decreased average fluorescence intensities of MPO and H3 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of NE， H3， CD54， PI3K， and Akt （P<0.05）. Compared with the mTOR agonist group， the mTOR agonist + XYSKD group showed alleviated pathological changes in the pelvic tissue， declined levels of IL-1β， IL-17， and TNF-α （P<0.01）， decreased average fluorescence intensities of MPO and H3 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein levels of NE， H3， CD54， α-SMA， p-PI3K/PI3K， and p-Akt/Akt （P<0.01） and mRNA levels of NE， H3， CD54， α-SMA， PI3K， and Akt （P<0.01）. Compared with the mTOR inhibitor group， the mTOR inhibitor + XYSKD group demonstrated reduced pathological severity of the pelvic tissue， reduced levels of IL-1β， IL-17， and TNF-α （P<0.01）， decreased average fluorescence intensities of MPO and H3 （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of NE and CD54 （P<0.05）. ConclusionXYSKD can inhibit the excessive formation and release of NETs via PI3K/Akt/mTOR to ameliorate the inflammatory environment and reduce fibrosis and adhesion of the pelvic tissue， thereby playing a role in the treatment of SPID. It may exert the effects by lowering the levels of IL-1β， IL-17， and TNF-α and down-regulating the expression of NE， H3， CD54， α-SMA， PI3K， and Akt in the pelvic adhesion tissue.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for pulmonary infection in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF),and to establish a predictive model.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 585 ACLF patients who were admitted to Department of Infectious Diseases,The Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University,from January 2009 to September 2022,and according to the condition of pulmonary infection after admission,they were divided into infection group with 213 patients and non-infection group with 372 patients.The independent-samples t test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups,and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.The clinical data of these patients were collected.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the risk factors for pulmonary infection in ACLF patients and establish a predictive model,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to assess the predictive value of the model.The Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to evaluate the degree of fitting of the model,and the ROC curve and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)were used to assess the predictive performance of the model.Results Among the 585 patients with ACLF,213 experienced pulmonary infection,with an infection rate of 36.41%.The multivariate logistic analysis showed that upper gastrointestinal bleeding(odds ratio[OR]=2.463,P=0.047),infection at other sites(OR=2.218,P=0.004),femoral vein catheterization(OR=2.520,P＜0.001),and combined use of two or more antibiotics(OR=2.969,P＜0.001)were risk factors for pulmonary infection in ACLF patients.These factors were included in the risk factor predictive model of Logit(P)=-1.869+0.901×upper gastrointestinal bleeding+0.755×infection at other sites+0.924×femoral vein catheterization+1.088×combined use of two or more antibiotics.The ROC curve analysis showed that the model had a good predictive value(Hosmer-Lemeshow χ2=3.839,P=0.698),with an AUC of 0.753(95%confidence interval:0.700-0.772).Conclusion There is a relatively high incidence rate of pulmonary infection in patients with ACLF,and upper gastrointestinal bleeding,spontaneous peritonitis,femoral vein catheterization,and combined use of two or more antibiotics are related risk factors.The model established based on these factors can effectively predict the onset of pulmonary infection in ACLF patients.

Objectives:This study aims to investigate the impact of different Low-Density Lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels on progression of intermediate coronary stenosis,and the associated risk factors leading to the progression of such lesions. Methods:Data were collected on 219 consecutive patients admitted at the Fuwai Central China Vascular Hospital from January 2020 to February 2021,underwent angiographic examinations and diagnosed with intermediate coronary stenosis,with at least one follow-up angiography after 11 months.Offline quantitative flow ratio(QFR)analysis was performed on these cases.Patients were divided into two groups:LDL-C controlled group(LDL-C<1.8 mmol/L,148 patients with 191 vessels)and LDL-C uncontrolled group(LDL-C≥1.8 mmol/L,71 patients with 98 vessels).Coronary artery QFR and anatomical indicators such as minimal lumen diameter,minimal lumen area,percentage diameter stenosis,percentage area stenosis were compared within and between the groups.Further analysis was performed to identify influencing factors leading to changes in coronary physiological parameters derived from QFR. Results:Within the LDL-C controlled group,there was no significant difference in the QFR values of the vessels compared to baseline(P>0.05),whereas in the LDL-C uncontrolled group(P<0.05),a notable decline in QFR was observed.Patients in the LDL-C controlled group had lower rates of maximum diameter and area stenosis and higher minimum lumen diameter and area(all P<0.05).Through multifactorial Logistic regression analysis,it was found that a body mass index＞28 kg/m2,LDL-C≥1.8 mmol/L,and a history of myocardial infarction were independent risk factors leading to the decline in QFR(all P<0.05). Conclusions:It was found that patients in the LDL-C controlled group had higher coronary artery QFR,minimum lumen diameter and area,lower rates of maximum diameter and area stenosis.

Objective To study the accuracy and safety of oral mucosal exfoliated cell specimens used in the bedside rapid detection of MTHFR C677T genotype by using the fluorescent probe method.Methods The outpatients and inpatients with hypertension visited and admitted in the department of cardiovascular medicine of this hospital from January 2019 to September 2020 were selected.The plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level in all patients was detected in the laboratory,a total of 482 hypertensive patients with Hcy≥10 μmol/L were se-lected,and the oral mucosal cells and whole blood sample were collected in all patients,and the genotypes of the above specimens were detected by the oral mucosal exfoliative cell fluorescent probe method and whole blood sample contrast reagents.If the two test results were inconsistent,the "gold standard" Sanger sequen-cing method was used to detect the whole blood sample for the final determination of MTHFR C677T geno-type.The coincidence rate was compared between the two detection methods,and the probability of adverse e-vents during the samples collection was observed and recorded.The accuracy and safety of fluorescence probe method for detecting MTHFR C677T genotype in the patients with oral mucosa exfoliation was evaluated.Re-sults The oral mucosal exfoliated cell samples and whole blood samples from 482 hypertensive patients were successfully collected,and no obvious adverse reactions occurred during the sampling process.The incidence rate of total mutation of MTHFR C677T gene detected by the fluorescence probe method and contrast reagent all were 73.23％ (353/482),the coincidence rate of homozygous wild type (CC type) in MTHFR C677T gene detected by the two methods was 100.00％ (95％CI:97.11-100.00),which of heterozygous mutant type (CT type) was 99.14％ (95％CI:96.91-99.76),which of homozygous mutant type (TT type) was 99.17％(95％CI:95.47-99.85),the total coincident rate of MTHFR C677T genotype was 99.38％ (95％CI:98.19-99.79)and the detection results consistency Kappa value was 0.9902.Conclusion The detection of MTHFR C677T gene mutation in oral mucosal exfoliated cells by fluorescent probe method is simple with less invasion,moreover which is rapid,safe and accurate.

SGLT2 inhibitors currently have clear benefits in the treatment of heart failure whether combined with diabetes or not. Ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction leads to the occurrence and development of heart failure, and eventually leads to death. There are relatively few studies on SGLT2 inhibitors in patients with myocardial infarction. The purpose of this article is to review the research progress of SGLT2 inhibitors application before and after myocardial infarction.

Objective:To analyze the difference of clinical characteristics and outcomes of infants with moderate and severe pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome(PARDS)diagnosed according to baseline oxygenation index(OI) in pediatric intensive care unit(PICU).Methods:Second analysis of the data collected from the "Efficacy of pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the treatment of children with moderate and severe ARDS" program.Retrospectively compare of the differences in clinical data such as general condition, underlying diseases, OI, mechanical ventilation, PS administration and outcomes among infants with moderate and severe PARDS divided by baseline OI who admitted to PICUs at 14 participating tertiary hospitals from 2016 to December 2021.Results:Among the 101 cases, 55 cases (54.5%) were moderate and 46 cases (45.5%) were severe PARDS.The proportion of male in the severe group (50.0% vs.72.7%, P=0.019) and the pediatric critical illness score(PCIS)[72 (68, 78) vs.76 (70, 80), P=0.019] were significantly lower than those in the moderate group, while there was no significant difference regarding age, body weight, etiology of PARDS and underlying diseases.The utilization rate of high-frequency ventilator in the severe group was significantly higher than that in the moderate group (34.8% vs.10.9%, P=0.004), but there was no significant difference in PS use, fluid load and pulmonary complications.The 24 h OI improvement (0.26±0.33 vs.0.04±0.34, P=0.001) and the 72 h OI improvement[0.34 (-0.04, 0.62) vs.0.15 (-0.14, 0.42), P=0.029)]in the severe group were significantly better than those in the moderate group, but there was no significant difference regarding mortality, length of hospital stay and intubation duration after diagnosis of PARDS between the two groups. Conclusion:In moderate and severe(divided by baseline OI) PARDS infants with invasive mechanical ventilation, children in severe group have better oxygenation improvement in the early stage after PARDS identified and are more likely to receive high frequency ventilation compared to those in moderate group.Baseline OI can not sensitively distinguish the outcomes and is not an ideal index for PARDS grading of this kind of patient.

Objective:To investigate Helicobactor pylori (H. pylori) infection status and interfamilial transmission pattern in Zhengzhou area. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2020 to march 2021, among 731 individual from 266 families randomly selected from 9 communities of Zhengzhou area. H. pylori infection status was determined by serum antibody tests, and 13C-urea breath test was performed in the previously eradicated population to clarify the current infection status. The individual and familial infection rate, infection status for couples and children and adolescent were analyzed. Results:Among 731 individuals from 266 families, 397 of them were H. pylori positive. The individual infection rate was 54.31% (397/731); among infected individuals 77.83% (307/397) were infected with type Ⅰ strain, 22.67% (90/397) were infected by type Ⅱ strain. Annual household income ( χ2=0.419, 0.410, 0.213, all P>0.05), smoking history (χ 2=0.071, P>0.05), drinking history ( χ2=0.071, P>0.05), dining place ( χ2=0.009, P>0.05), gastrointestinal symptoms ( χ2=0.047, P>0.05), family history of gastric disease ( χ2=0.069, P>0.05), and history of gastric cancer ( χ2=0.004, P>0.05) had no significant differences between H. pylori-positive and -negative groups, but the infection rate in individuals with higher education level was lower ( χ2=4.449, P<0.05). The infection rate was significantly higher in≥18 age groups compared with<18 age groups ( χ2=6.531, 23.362, 20.671, 24.244, 37.948, 14.597 and 5.170, all P<0.05). The familial H. pylori infection rate was 87.59% (233/266), and in 61 families all member were infected (26.18%, 61/233). The positive rate was 23.08% (6/26) in 50 families with children under 18 years when both parents were infected. Among 231 coupled families, both couples were infected in 78 families (33.76%), one couple was infected in 113 families (48.92%), and both couples were not infected in 40 (17.32%). With the increase of marriage time, the infection rate of both spouses increased significantly ( χ2=7.775, 12.662, 15.487, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The distribution of H. pylori infection presents a family cluster pattern, and intrafamilial infection is an important transmission rout of H. pylori. The type I strain of H. pylori is the dominate strain in this area.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on the prognosis of patients with extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL). METHODS: The clinical data of 203 patients with ENKTL admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2011 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The ROC curve determined the limit values of LMR and NLR; Categorical variables were compared using a chi-square test, expressed as frequency and percentage (n,%). Continuous variables were expressed as medians and extremes and compared with the Mann-Whitney U test; Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of different grouped LMR and NLR patients were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and compared with log-rank tests. The COX proportional risk regression model was used to perform one-factor and multi-factor analysis of PFS and OS. RESULTS: The optimal critical values of LMR and NLR were determined by the ROC curve, which were 2.60 and 3.40, respectively. LMR≤2.60 was more likely to occur in patients with bone marrow invasion (P=0.029) and higher LDH (P=0.036), while NLR≥3.40 was more likely to occur in patients with higher ECOG scores (P=0.002), higher LDH (P=0.008), higher blood glucose (P=0.024), and lower PLT (P=0.010). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that PFS and OS of patients in the high LMR group were significantly better than the low LMR group, while PFS and OS in the low NLR group were significantly better than the high NLR group. The results of multivariate COX analysis showed that EBV-DNA positive (P=0.047), LMR≤2.60 (P=0.014), NLR≥3.40 (P=0.023) were independent risk factors affecting PFS in patients with ENKTL. LMR≤2.60 (P<0.001), NLR≥3.40 (P=0.048), and high β2-MG (P=0.013) were independent risk factors affecting OS in patients with ENKTL. CONCLUSION Low LMR and high NLR before treatment are associated with poor prognosis in patients with ENKTL, which also can be used as an easily testable, inexpensive, and practical prognostic indicator in the clinic.
Humans ; Monocytes/pathology* ; Neutrophils ; Lymphoma, Extranodal NK-T-Cell/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Lymphocytes ; Prognosis

BACKGROUND: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a common autosomal dominant hereditary disease. Its early diagnosis and intervention significantly improve the patient's quality of life. However, there are few types of research on the FH pathogenic genes in China. METHODS: In this study, we recruited a family diagnosed with FH and used whole exome sequencing (WES) to analyze the proband variants. Intracellular cholesterol level, reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, and the expression of pyroptosis-related genes were detected after overexpression of wild-type or variant LDLR in L02 cells. RESULTS: A heterozygous missense variant predicted to be deleterious to LDLR (c.1879G > A, p.Ala627Thr) was identified in the proband. Mechanistically, intracellular cholesterol level, ROS level, and the expression of pyroptosis-related genes, nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and components (caspase 1, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC) and NLRP3), gasdermin D (GSDMD), interleukin (IL) -18, IL-1β was elevated in the variant LDLR group, which was attenuated by inhibition of ROS. CONCLUSIONS FH is associated with a variant (c.1879G>A, p.Ala627Thr) in the LDLR gene. Regarding the mechanism, the ROS/NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis in hepatic cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of the LDLR variant.

Humans ; Stroke, Lacunar ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Leukocytes ; Telomere/genetics* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide