A novel pair of Z/E isomeric compounds with unprecedented carbon skeleton were isolated from an aqueous extract of Aspongopus chinensis Dallas by macroporous resin, silica gel, and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Infrared spectroscopy (IR), Mass spectroscopy (MS) and other spectroscopic methods as (Z)-3-(but-1″-en-1″-yl)-1-(2ʹ-hydroxyethyl)-4-propylpyridin-1-ium, namely aspongopyridine A, and (E)-3-(but-1″-en-1″-yl)-1-(2ʹ-hydroxyethyl)-4-propylpyridin-1-ium, namely aspongopyridine B, respectively. Besides, the anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, acetylcholinesterase inhibition and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition activities of the compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 have no anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition activities instead of weak acetylcholinesterase inhibition activity.

Objectives:To investigate the value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in the diagnosis of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) in patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) .Methods:The data of 98 patients with suspected pulmonary infection after allo-HSCT who underwent pathogen detection from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid between June 2016 and August 2023 at Nanfang Hospital were analyzed. The diagnostic performance of mNGS, conventional methods, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for PJP were compared.Results:A total of 12 patients were diagnosed with PJP, including 11 with a proven diagnosis and 1 with a probable diagnosis. Among the patients with a proven diagnosis, 1 was positive by both conventional methods and qPCR, and 10 were positive by qPCR only. Pneumocystis jirovecii was detected by mNGS in all 12 patients. The diagnostic sensitivity of mNGS for PJP was 100%, which was greater than that of conventional methods (8.3%, P=0.001) and similar to that of qPCR (91.6%, P=1.000) . A total of 75% of the patients developed mixed pulmonary infections, and cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus were the most common pathogens. Mixed infection was detected in eight patients by mNGS and in five patients by qPCR, but not by conventional methods ( P=0.008) . Conclusions:mNGS had good sensitivity for diagnosing PJP after allo-HSCT and was advantageous for detecting mixed infectious pathogens; therefore, mNGS might be an effective supplement to regular detection methods and qPCR.

Objective:To investigate the effect of safflower yellow pigment injection combined with alprostadil on patients after coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG).Methods:A total of 92 patients with coronary heart disease who received CABG in Department of Cardiovascular Surgery,Handan Central Hospital between September 2018 and September 2020 were selected.According to order of admission,they were divided into control group(n=46,from September 2018 to Sep-tember 2019,routine therapy+alprostadil after CABG)and study group(n=46,from October 2019 to September 2020,safflower yellow pigment injection based on control group),both groups were treated for 28d.On 3d after drug withdraw-al,therapeutic effect,cardiac function indexes,four myocardial enzyme spectrum and perioperative indexes were compared between two groups.Results:On 3d after drug withdrawal,compared with control group,patients in study group had sig-nificant higher total effective rate(73.9％vs.91.3％),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)[(55.77±4.48)％vs.(62.18±4.21)％](P=0.028,＜0.001),and significant lower left atrial diameter(LAD)[(36.83±3.45)mm vs.(32.09±3.23)mm],left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDd)[(49.04±4.65)mm vs.(43.83±5.24)mm],levels of creatine kinase(CK)[(125.13±14.21)U/L vs.(62.56±8.42)U/L],lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)[(203.58±31.63)U/L vs.(156.07±22.26)U/L],aspartate aminotransferase(AST)[(44.25±12.98)U/L vs.(35.41±12.37)U/L]and creatine kinase isoenzyme MB(CK-MB)[(28.11±9.84)U/L vs.(17.59±7.41)U/L](P＜0.001 all).Conclusion:The combination of safflower yellow pigment injection and alprostadil can improve the thera-peutic effect and heart function,and reduce myocardial injury in patients after CABG.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection among patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in some regions of China. Methods Serum samples were collected from 3 131 patients with chronic HBV infection in 10 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions of China from March 2021 to June 2022, and anti-HDV IgG ELISA was used for the detection of all serum samples. Nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (nRT-PCR) was used to detect HDV RNA in anti-HDV IgG-positive samples, and the nRT-PCR amplification products of HDV RNA-positive samples were sequenced and analyzed to determine HDV genotype. The clinical features of anti-HDV IgG-positive patients were analyzed. The Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Results The positive rate of anti-HDV IgG in the 3 131 patients with chronic HBV infection was 0.70% (22/3 131), and that in the patients with chronic HBV infection in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Beijing, and Hunan Province was 1.81% (16/886), 0.88% (2/226), 0.28% (2/708), and 1.00% (2/200), respectively; the patients with chronic HBV infection in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region had a significantly higher positive rate of anti-HDV IgG than those in Beijing ( P =0.004), and there was no significant difference between the other regions ( P > 0.05). Clinical features of the patients with chronic HBV infection in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region showed that compared with the anti-HDV IgG-negative group, the anti-HDV IgG-positive group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with Mongol nationality ( P =0.001), abnormal alanine aminotransferase ( P =0.007), or antiviral treatment ( P =0.029), as well as a significantly lower median HBV DNA level ( P =0.030). A total of 19 HDV RNA-positive samples were identified, all of which had HDV genotype 1. Conclusion The prevalence rate of HDV varies greatly across different regions of China, with a higher prevalence rate of HDV in patients with chronic HBV infection from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. HDV genotype 1 is the predominant genotype in some provinces and cities of northern China.

Rhizome rot is one of the main disease in the cultivation of Polygonatum cyrtonema, and it is also a global disease which seriously occurs on the perennial medicinal plants such as Panax notoginseng and P. ginseng. There is no effective control method at present. To identify the effects of three biocontrol microbes(Penicillium oxalicum QZ8, Trichoderma asperellum QZ2, and Brevibacillus amyloliquefaciens WK1) on the pathogens causing rhizome rot of P. cyrtonema, this study verified six suspected pathogens for their pathogenicity on P. cyrtonema. The result showed that Fusarium sp. HJ4, Colletotrichum sp. HJ4-1, and Phomopsis sp. HJ15 were the pathogens of rhizome rot of P. cyrtonema, and it was found for the first time that Phomopsis sp. could cause rhizome rot P. cyrtonema. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of biocontrol microbes and their secondary metabolites on three pathogens were determined by confrontation culture. The results showed that the three tested biocontrol microbes significantly inhibited the growth of three pathogens. Moreover, the secondary metabolites of T. asperellum QZ2 and B. amyloliquefaciens WK1 showed significant inhibition against the three pathogens(P<0.05), and the effect of B. amyloliquefaciens WK1 sterile filtrate was significantly higher than that of high tempe-rature sterilized filtrate(P<0.05). B. amyloliquefaciens WK1 produced antibacterial metabolites to inhibit the growth of pathogens, and the growth inhibition rate of its sterile filtrate against three pathogens ranged from 87.84% to 93.14%. T. asperellum QZ2 inhibited the growth of pathogens through competition and antagonism, and P. oxalicum QZ8 exerted the inhibitory effect through competition. The research provides new ideas for the prevention and treatment of rhizome rot of P. cyrtonema and provides a basis for the di-sease control in other crops.
Polygonatum ; Rhizome

BACKGROUND: The presence of fibrosis is a criterion for subtype classification in the newly updated hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) guidelines. The present study aimed to summarize differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis of non-fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (NFHP) and fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (FHP) and explore factors associated with the presence of fibrosis. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, patients diagnosed with HP through a multidisciplinary discussion were enrolled. Collected data included demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory findings, and radiologic and histopathological features. Logistic regression analyses were performed to explore factors related to the presence of fibrosis. RESULTS: A total of 202 patients with HP were enrolled, including 87 (43.1%) NFHP patients and 115 (56.9%) FHP patients. Patients with FHP were older and more frequently presented with dyspnea, crackles, and digital clubbing than patients with NFHP. Serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 125, carbohydrate antigen 153, gastrin-releasing peptide precursor, squamous cell carcinoma antigen, and antigen cytokeratin 21-1, and count of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) eosinophils were higher in the FHP group than in the NFHP group. BAL lymphocytosis was present in both groups, but less pronounced in the FHP group. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that older age, <20% of lymphocyte in BAL, and ≥1.75% of eosinophil in BAL were risk factors for the development of FHP. Twelve patients developed adverse outcomes, with a median survival time of 12.5 months, all of whom had FHP. CONCLUSIONS Older age, <20% of lymphocyte in BAL, and ≥1.75% of eosinophil in BAL were risk factors associated with the development of FHP. Prognosis of patients with NFHP was better than that of patients with FHP. These results may provide insights into the mechanisms of fibrosis in HP.
Humans ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; Prospective Studies ; Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic/diagnosis* ; Fibrosis ; Carbohydrates

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of sintilimab in combination with intensity-modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)and chemotherapy in patients with advanced cervical cancer(ACC).Methods The clinical data of ACC patients diagnosed and treated in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Xi'an Ninth Hospital from January 2019 to June 2020 were retrospectively collected.According to the treatment regimen,ACC patients were divided into Sintilimab group(sintilimab + IMRT combined with cisplatin and taxane)and control group(IMRT combined with cisplatin and paclitaxel).Serum tumor markers[squamous cell carcinoma antigen(SCCA),carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA),carbohydrate antigen 724(CA724)and carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199)],immune function[CD3+,CD4+ and CD8+]and quality of life[quality of life(QOL)scale assessment]were observed and compared before and after treatment.The short-term efficacy[objective response rate(ORR)and disease control rate(DCR)]and long-term efficacy[mortality,local recurrence rate,distant metastasis rate,and overall survival(OS)]in patients with ACC were compared.The occurrence of adverse drug reactions were assessed according to the American Radiation Oncology Collaboration(RTOG)and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events.Results A total of 118 ACC patients were included in the study,including 59 patients in the sintilimab group and 59 in the control group.Before treatment,there were no significant differences in serum SCCA expression level,serum CEA expression level,serum CA724 expression level,serum CA199 expression level,CD3+,CD4+,CD8+/CD4+ and quality of life between the two groups(P>0.05).After treatment,the serum SCCA level,CEA expression level,CA724 expression level,serum CA199 expression level,CD3+,CD4+ and CD8+/CD4+ levels in the Sintilimab group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05),the quality of life and the ORR were significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05),while there was no significant difference in DCR between the two groups(P>0.05).The mortality rate,local recurrence rate and distant metastasis rate of ACC patients in the Sintilimab group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the OS of ACC patients in the Sintilimab group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).In addition,there was no statistically significant difference in adverse drug reactions between the Sintilimab group and the control group(P>0.05).Conclusion Sintilimab combined with IMRT and chemotherapy has significant efficacy in ACC patients,which can reduce the level of tumor markers,improve quality of life,reduce mortality,local recurrence rate and distant metastasis rate,and improve total OS,with high safety.

Humans ; Child ; Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein/genetics* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Ubiquitin Thiolesterase

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with an unclear etiology and various clinical manifestations. The diagnosis and consequent treatment of schizophrenia mainly rely on clinical symptoms. Multiple risk sites associated with schizophrenia have been identified, yet objective indicators have not been found to facilitate clinical diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia. The development of omics technology provides different perspectives on the etiology of schizophrenia and make the early identification, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder possible. This article summarizes the prevalence of schizophrenia, reviews the research results and shortcomings of transcriptomics and proteomics, as well as the latest achievements and prospects of multi-omics, aiming to reveal the use of omics in SZ, provide more comprehensive biological evidence to reveal the complex pathogenesis of schizophrenia and provide a theoretical basis for the early identification, accurate diagnosis, disease progression control, and prognosis improvement of schizophrenia.
Humans ; Proteomics/methods* ; Transcriptome ; Schizophrenia/genetics*

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with an unclear etiology and various clinical manifestations. The diagnosis and consequent treatment of schizophrenia mainly rely on clinical symptoms. Multiple risk sites associated with schizophrenia have been identified, yet objective indicators have not been found to facilitate clinical diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia. The development of omics technology provides different perspectives on the etiology of schizophrenia and make the early identification, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder possible. This article summarizes the prevalence of schizophrenia, reviews the research results and shortcomings of transcriptomics and proteomics, as well as the latest achievements and prospects of multi-omics, aiming to reveal the use of omics in SZ, provide more comprehensive biological evidence to reveal the complex pathogenesis of schizophrenia and provide a theoretical basis for the early identification, accurate diagnosis, disease progression control, and prognosis improvement of schizophrenia.
Humans ; Proteomics/methods* ; Transcriptome ; Schizophrenia/genetics*