Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective:To investigate the application value of transanal intersphincteric resec-tion under direct vision in the Jackknife position in the anal preserving surgery for ultra-low rectal cancer.Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 15 patients with ultra-low rectal cancer who underwent transanal intersphincteric resection under direct vision in the Jackknife position, combined with laparoscopic total mesorectal excision in Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital from September 2021 to November 2022 were collected. There were 9 males and 6 females, aged (63±9)years. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers. Results:(1) Surgical and postoperative outcomes. All the 15 patients underwent operations successfully, without conversion to open abdo-minal operation. There were 5 cases of partial ISR and 10 cases of subtotal ISR. The operation time and volume of intraoperative blood loss of 15 patients were (260±30)minutes and 20(range, 10-30)mL, respectively. The distance from anastomosis to anal margin was (1.6±0.8)cm. The duration of post-operative hospital stay was 10(range, 8-13)days, and all 15 patients underwent colonic and anasto-mosis with staplers and protective ileostomy at the terminal ileum. Three patients had postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery, of whom 1 case with grade A anastomotic leakage was cured after conservative treatment and 2 cases with anastomotic membranous stenosis were cured by anal enlargement. (2) Postoperative pathological examination. The number of lymph nodes dissected of 15 patients was 18 ±6, and the distance between the tumor and distal resection margin was 1.3(range, 1.0-2.0)cm. The surgical specimens of all 15 patients showed complete mesorectum and negative for proximal, distal and circumferential margins. Results of postoperative pathological examination showed that there was 1 case in stage pT1N0M0, 9 cases in stage pT2N0M0, 1 case in stage pT2N1M0, 1 case in stage ypT0N0M0, 2 cases in stage ypT2N0M0, 1 case in ypT3N1M0 stage. The histological subtype showed 11 cases of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma and 4 cases of well-differentiated adenocarcinoma. (3) Follow-up. All 15 patients were followed up for 15(range, 12-24)months. No local recurrence and distant metastasis of the tumor was found, and no tumor-related death occurred. All 15 patients underwent stoma closure. The postoperative anal function assessment of 15 patients showed no disorder in 5 cases, mild disorder in 8 cases and severe disorder in 2 cases.Conclusion:Transanal intersphincteric resection under direct vision in the Jackknife position in the anal preserving surgery for ultra-low rectal cancer is safe and feasible.

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

Objective: To study the therapeutic effect of Huoxue Tongluo Decoction (HXTLD) on erectile dysfunction caused by ischemic stroke and identify the mechanisms involved. Methods: Network pharmacology was used to predict the key active ingredients and targets of HXTLD. Surgical methods were used to create a rat model of ischemic stroke. The rats were then given a suspension of HXTLD by ig administration. Erectile function was evaluated by Apomorphine (APO) induction. Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of related mRNAs and proteins in rat penile corpus cavernous tissue and brain tissue. Hematoxylin & Eosin (HE) staining was used to investigate structural changes in the penile cavernous tissue. Results: Network pharmacology showed that tumor necrosis factor (TNF), nitric oxide synthase 3 (eNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were the key targets of HXTLD in the treatment of erectile dysfunction caused by ischemic stroke. Experimental studies showed that HXTLD improved erectile dysfunction caused by ischemic stroke. HE results showed that HXTLD improved the structure of the corpus cavernosa. HXTLD also inhibited the expression of TNF and VEGF proteins in penile tissue (P < 0.05) and enhanced the expression of eNOS protein in penile tissue (P < 0.05). Conclusion: HXTLD improved the erectile function of rats with erectile dysfunction caused by ischemic stroke by regulating the mRNA and protein levels of TNF, eNOS and VEGF.

OBJECTIVES: To study the survival rate and the incidence of complications of very preterm infants and the factors influencing the survival rate and the incidence of complications. METHODS: The medical data of the very preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks and who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology in 11 hospitals of Jiangsu Province in China from January 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Their survival rate and the incidence of serious complications were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors for death and serious complications in very preterm infants. RESULTS: A total of 2 339 very preterm infants were enrolled, among whom 2 010 (85.93%) survived and 1 507 (64.43%) survived without serious complications. The groups with a gestational age of 22-25 CONCLUSIONS The survival rate is closely associated with gestational age in very preterm infants. A low 1-minute Apgar score (≤3) may increase the risk of death in very preterm infants, while high gestational age, high birth weight, and prenatal use of glucocorticoids are associated with the reduced risk of death. A low 5-minute Apgar score (≤3) and maternal chorioamnionitis may increase the risk of serious complications in these infants, while high gestational age and high birth weight may reduce the risk of serious complications.
Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Premature, Diseases ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

ObjectiveCasitas B-lineage lymphoma proto-oncogene (CBL) expression in different types of breast cancer and its role in the diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of breast cancer patients have been rarely reported. Here, we aimed to analyze the expression levels of CBL in breast cancer tissues and its difference in different molecular types, pathological types, TNM grades and clinical stages. Additionally, the role of CBL in the diagnosis and clinical prognosis evaluation in breast cancer patients was researched.MethodsData were downloaded from the USCS Xena database, and the expression of CBL genes in breast cancer tissues (1104 cases) and adjacent tissues (113 cases) were analyzed. CBL gene expression of different molecular types (triple negative, HER2+, Luminal A, Luminal B) and different pathological types (invasive ductal cancer, invasive lobular cancer, mixed tissue breast cancer, mucinous cancer, others) in breast cancer tissue samples were analyzed. It is divided into T1, T2, T3, T4, and Tx according to the tumor volume and the affected area of adjacent tissues. It is divided into N0, N1, N2, N3, and Nx according to the regional lymph node involvement. It is divided into cM0 (i+), M0, M1, Mx according to whether there is a distant transfer. According to different clinical stages, it is divided into stage I, stage II, stage III, stage IV, and others. Expression of CBL gene in different TNM grades and clinical stages of breast cancer was compared.Correlation between CBL gene expression and different TNM grades, clinical stages of breast cancer was examined. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the value of CBL in the diagnosis of breast cancer. According to the median value of gene expression 2.152, it was divided into high expression group (≥2.152) and low expression group (<2.152). Survival analysis was performed to verify whether CBL gene is associated with survival prognosis gene. The expression level of CBL protein in breast cancer tissues was further detected by immunohistochemistry.ResultsIn breast cancer tissues with different molecular types, the expression of CBL gene was highest in triple-negative breast cancer tissues (P<0.05). The expression of CBL gene in Luminal B breast cancer tissues was lower than that of Luminal A (P<0.05). The expression level of CBL gene in invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma and mucinous carcinoma tissues was lower than that in mixed tissue breast cancer (P<0.05). The expression level of CBL gene in invasive ductal carcinoma was higher than that of invasive lobular carcinoma (P<0.05). The expression of CBL gene from T1 to T3 gradually decreased (P<0.05). The expression of CBL gene in N0 was higher than that in N1 (P<0.05). The expression of CBL gene gradually decreased from stage Ⅰ to Ⅲ (P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of CBL mRNA in breast cancer tissues for diagnosis was 0.768. The survival rate of the CBL gene high expression group was higher than low expression group (P<0.05). The CBL gene is a prognosis-related gene, and high expression of CBL is positively correlated with the good prognosis of breast cancer patients (P<0.05).ConclusionCBL is a good prognosis-related gene in breast cancer patients, and it is expected to become a new clinical diagnostic and prognostic marker for breast cancer patients.

Volatile oil of traditional Chinese medicine （VOTCM） is a plant volatile component obtained through distillation or supercritical fluid extraction. The volatile oil is rich in terpenes and phenylpropanoids， with many different effect. It is not only widely used in healthcare products， but also has a variety of pharmacological effect， such as analgesia， antioxidant， antibacterial， anti-inflammatory， anti-tumor effect. Malignant tumor is an important threat to human health. At present， the drugs commonly used in clinical treatment of tumors are expensive with certain toxic and side effect. Although new treatment technologies are also being promoted step by step， they have higher treatment costs than traditional chemotherapies， and the long-term efficacy remained to be further confirmed. The effect of volatile oil of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） on cancer is receiving more and more attention. In particular， it has a significant inhibitory effect on lung， liver， colon， and stomach cancer. Specifically， it can not only reduce the side effect of chemotherapy drugs， but also effectively prolong or stop the tumor recurrence， with special effects in treatment and adjuvant treatment. At the same time， various anti-tumor mechanisms of volatile oils have been discovered， such as inducing tumor cell apoptosis， inhibiting tumor blood vessel formation， inhibiting tumor cell proliferation， inducing tumor cell differentiation， interfering with multidrug resistance， and regulating the body's immune function. However， there are still some problems in the basic research， achievement transformation， and product development of volatile oil of TCM， which restricts its clinical and daily application. This paper summarizes the antitumor mechanism of volatile oil of TCM by consulting relevant domestic and foreign literatures， analyzes the current situation of volatile oils， and proposes improvement directions for its problems and development， in the expectation of laying the foundation for the research of volatile oil of TCM in anti-tumor research.

Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex（MOC） is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） in China. It is spicy-warm in property and bitter in flavor. It has the effects in eliminating dampness， eliminating phlegm and removing fullness. It is commonly used for dampness obstruction to spleen and stomach， chest and epigastric distension， glutinous grains， nausea， vomiting， abdominal pain and abdominal distension. It has a good efficacy in treating gastrointestinal discomfort and anorexia in clinic. The results showed that MOC mainly contains phenolic compounds， alkaloids and volatile oil. Magnolol， honokiol and other phenolic compounds are the main active substances， with obvious pharmacological activities on digestive， nervous， cardiovascular and respiratory systems. In addition， it also has anti-inflammatory， analgesic， anti-bacterial， anti-tumor and anti-oxidation effects. Except for magnolol and honokiol and other active substances， MOC flowers also contain volatile oil， with a similar effect with MOC but a weaker function. It is mainly used for treating spleen and stomach dampness， fullness， chest and epigastric distension. In addition to magnolol and honokiol and other phenolic compounds， MOC leaves also contain volatile oil， flavonoids and polysaccharides and other chemical components， which have antibacterial， antioxidative， vasodilatory and other pharmacological effects. It can be used as medicine instead of MOC in clinic. In this paper， the pharmacology studies of MOC in recent 5 years was reviewed， in order to better develop and utilize magnolia bark and its waste flowers and leaves， and further develop relevant functional products with MOC as the main drug， while providing new ideas for expanding the resources of TCM.

An ideal animal model of azoospermia would be a powerful tool for the evaluation of spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) transplantation. Busulfan has been commonly used to develop such a model, but 30%-87% of mice die when administered an intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg kg^-1. In the present study, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Western blot, immunofluorescence, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to test the effects of busulfan exposure in a mouse model that received two intraperitoneal injections of busulfan at a 3-h interval at different doses (20, 30, and 40 mg kg^-1) on day 36 or a dose of 40 mg kg^-1 at different time points (0, 9, 18, 27, 36, and 63 days). The survival rate of the mice was 100%. When the mice were treated with 40 mg kg^-1 busulfan, dramatic SSC depletion occurred 18 days later and all of the germ cells were cleared by day 36. In addition, the gene expressions of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), chemokine (C-X-C Motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12), and colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) were moderately increased by day 36. A 63-day, long-term observation showed the rare restoration of endogenous germ cells in the testes, suggesting that the potential period for SSC transplantation was between day 36 and day 63. Our results demonstrate that the administration of two intraperitoneal injections of busulfan (40 mg kg^-1 in total) at a 3-h interval to mice provided a nonlethal and efficient method for recipient preparation in SSC transplantation and could improve treatments for infertility and the understanding of chemotherapy-induced gonadotoxicity.
Adult Germline Stem Cells/transplantation* ; Animals ; Azoospermia/chemically induced* ; Busulfan/toxicity* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Infertility, Male/chemically induced* ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatogenesis/drug effects* ; Spermatogonia/drug effects* ; Stem Cell Transplantation/methods*

According to the pathological characteristics of symptomatic chronic thoracic and lumbar osteoporotic vertebral fracture (SCOVF), the different clinical treatment methods are selected, including vertebral augmentation, anterior-posterior fixation and fusion, posterior decompression fixation and fusion, and posterior correction osteotomy. However, there is still a lack of a unified understanding on how to choose appropriate treatment method for SCOVF. In order to reflect the new treatment concept and the evidence-based medicine progress of SCOVF in a timely manner and standardize its treatment, the clinical guideline for surgical treatment of SCOVF is formulated in compliance with the principle of scientificity, practicability and advancement and based on the level of evidence-based medicine.