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 explore the relationship between marital status and mild cognitive impairment in older adults.Methods:This study is a cluster random sampling.From January to December 2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted among older adults aged 60 years and over in four cities of Hebei Province.Finally, 2690 older adults with mild cognitive impairment and normal cognitive function were enrolled.The older adults were divided into 2 groups according to their marital status: married and living with their spouses(group E1), divorced or living alone(group E2). The mini-mental state examination(MMSE)scores of older adults in the two groups were compared.Moreover, the cognitive differences of older adults between the two groups and the interaction of marital status, social activities and life events on cognitive outcomes were analyzed.Results:The married older adults with partners had better cognitive preservation( P<0.01). The more life events were more likely to cause cognitive impairment( P<0.01), and the interaction of marital status, social activities and life events had a significant impact on cognition( P<0.01). Older men who were married and lived with spouse had better cognition than older women who were married and lived with spouse( P<0.05 in Model 3). The cognition of widowed elderly women was better than those of widowed elderly men( P<0.1 in Model 1; P<0.1 in Model 2). Among elderly men, the cognition of those married and living with spouse was better than that those of widowed( P<0.01 in models 1 and 2, P<0.1 in model 3). Among elderly women, those married and living with spouse had better cognitive outcomes than those widowed( P<0.01 in Model 1, P<0.01 in Model 2). Conclusions:Marital companionship is a protective factor for the cognition of older adults, and there are gender differences in the impact of marital status on cognition in late life.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze 43 leukemia genes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Yunnan province, and provide the basis for the diagnosis and treatment of children with ALL in this area. METHODS: The clinical data of 428 children with newly diagnosed ALL in Yunnan area from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Multiple nested PCR technology was used to detect 43 common leukemia genes. RESULTS: Among the 428 children with ALL, 159 were positive for leukemia genes, with a positive rate of 37.15% (159/428), and a total of 15 leukemia genes were detected. Among the 159 leukemia gene-positive children, ETV6-RUNX1⁺ accounted for 25.79% (41/159), followed by E2A-PBX1⁺ and BCR-ABL⁺, accounting for 24.53% (39/159) and 23.27% (37/159) respectively. MLL⁺ accounted for 6.29% (10/159), WT1⁺ accounted for 4.40% (7/159), IKZF1 gene deletion and CRLF2⁺ accounted for 3.77% (6/159) respectively. The positive rate of MLL (46.15%) was the highest in ＜1-year old group, the positive rate of ETV6-RUNX1 (10.56%) was the highest in 1-10-year old group, and BCR-ABL⁺ rate (23.65%) was the highest in >10-year old group. The distribution of leukemia genes in different age groups was statistically significant (P <0.05). CONCLUSION The most common fusion gene of children with ALL in Yunnan is ETV6-RUNX1, followed by E2A-PBX1 and BCR-ABL.
Child ; Humans ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion/genetics* ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl/genetics* ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit/genetics* ; Retrospective Studies ; China ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/therapy* ; Genotype

Objectives: . Branchio-oto syndrome (BOS) primarily manifests as hearing loss, preauricular pits, and branchial defects. EYA1 is the most common pathogenic gene, and splicing mutations account for a substantial proportion of cases. However, few studies have addressed the structural changes in the protein caused by splicing mutations and potential pathogenic factors, and several studies have shown that middle-ear surgery has limited effectiveness in improving hearing in these patients. BOS has also been relatively infrequently reported in the Chinese population. This study explored the genetic etiology in the family of a proband with BOS and provided clinical treatment to improve the patient’s hearing. Methods: . We collected detailed clinical features and peripheral blood samples from the patients and unaffected individuals within the family. Pathogenic mutations were identified by whole-exome sequencing and cosegregation analysis and classified according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. Alternative splicing was verified through a minigene assay. The predicted three-dimensional protein structure and biochemical experiments were used to investigate the pathogenicity of the mutation. The proband underwent middle-ear surgery and was followed up at 1 month and 6 months postoperatively to monitor auditory improvement. Results: . A novel heterozygous EYA1 splicing variant (c.1050+4 A>C) was identified and classified as pathogenic (PVS1(RNA), PM2, PP1). Skipping of exon 11 of the EYA1 pre-mRNA was confirmed using a minigene assay. This mutation may impair EYA1-SIX1 interactions, as shown by an immunoprecipitation assay. The EYA1-Mut protein exhibited cellular mislocalization and decreased protein expression in cytological experiments. Middle-ear surgery significantly improved hearing loss caused by bone-conduction abnormalities in the proband. Conclusion . We reported a novel splicing variant of EYA1 in a Chinese family with BOS and revealed the potential molecular pathogenic mechanism. The significant hearing improvement observed in the proband after middle-ear surgery provides a reference for auditory rehabilitation in similar patients.

Bupleuri Radix is commonly used in the traditional Chinese medicine, and saikosaponins are the important active ingredients. In this study, we first established a relative quantitative method for 25 saikosaponins using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTrap-MS) in the scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (sMRM) mode. The established method showed good intra-day and intra-day precision, linearity, repeatability and stability. Then the method was applied to compare 37 batches of Bupleuri Radix from different planting areas. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the saikosaponins composition of Bupleuri Radix from different planting areas in Shanxi Province, which indicating that Bupleuri Radix is well adapted to the environment, so it is suitable for widely planting. However, Bupleuri Radix harvested at spring and autumn were differed from those harvested at summer, which indicated that the traditional harvesting experience was reasonable. Correlation analysis showed that saikosaponins a and d were positively correlated with some saponins, and 4 saponins (such as clinoposaponin XII) showed bigger content variation were identified by coefficient of variation analysis. The LC-MS based pseudotargeted metabonomic method established in this study can be applied to the comprehensive detection of saikosaponins, which providing new method for the quality evaluation of Bupleuri Radix.

This study aims to compare the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with semen quality in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility. Semen samples were collected from 133 men who requested fertility evaluation. Seminal tract infection with Ureaplasma spp. (UU), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Chlamydia trachomatis (CT), Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG), and herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) was assessed by PCR-based diagnostic assays. Among all patients, the prevalence of STIs was higher in men from couples with primary infertility than that in men from couples with secondary infertility (39.7% vs 21.7%, P = 0.03). The prevalence of UU was 28.8% and 13.3% in men from couples with primary and secondary infertility, respectively. Men from couples with primary infertility were more likely to be positive for UU than men from couples with secondary infertility (P = 0.04). Regarding the UU subtype, the prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (Uuu) and Ureaplasma parvum (Uup; including Uup1, Uup3, Uup6, and Uup14) did not differ between the two groups. No associations between the prevalence rates of MH, MG, and CT were found in men from either infertility group. A lower sperm concentration was associated with STI pathogen positivity in men with primary infertility according to the crude model (P = 0.04). The crude and adjusted models showed that semen volume (both P = 0.03) and semen leukocyte count (both P = 0.02) were independently associated with secondary infertility. These findings suggest the importance of classifying the type of infertility during routine diagnosis of seminal tract infections.
Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Male/epidemiology* ; Male ; Mycoplasma genitalium ; Mycoplasma hominis ; Prevalence ; Semen ; Semen Analysis ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases/epidemiology* ; Ureaplasma urealyticum

ObjectiveTo investigate the long-term safety of triptolide ferulic acid ethosome gel in percutaneous administration. MethodWe mixed triptolide with ferulic acid to make liposomes gel in different doses and then administrated the gel to SD rats of both sexes with intact skin and damaged skin for 12 weeks. The daily dosages calculated based on triptolide for the low-， middle-， and high-dose groups were 63.75， 127.50， 255.00 μg·kg^-1， respectively. The body weight of each rat was measured weekly. The rats were sacrificed in the last week for the determination of serum biochemical parameters and organ indexes as well as the observation of histopathology. The toxicity was assessed based on the body weight and all the parameters and indexes. ResultAfter long-term administration， the body weight and serum biochemical parameters did not show significant difference between the gel-treated groups and the blank group with intact skin， which indicated that the percutaneous administration of triptolide and ferulic acid ethosomes gel was relatively safe. However， the rats in the high-dose group showed sparse hair and were easy to die in the case of unhairing with chloral hydrate at the late stage of the study. Comprared with the female rats with intact skin in the blank control group， the female rats with damaged skin in the middle-dose group showed decreased heart index （P<0.05）， which indicated certain cardiotoxicity. Moreover， damage appeared in skin and lung， which may be influeneced by dosage， sex， and skin state. ConclusionFerulic acid in combination with triptolide is relatively safe for percutaneous administration， whereas there are some risks of skin and lung damage in the case of long-term administration. Individualized administration scheme should be developed according to liver and kidney function and skin conditons to ensure the safety of clinical medication.

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 understand the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 epidemic in Ejina banner, Inner Mongolia, in October 2021 and provide evidence for the improvement of COVID-19 prevention and control. Methods: The information about the time, area and population distributions of COVID-19 cases in Ejina before November 13, 2021 and the gene sequencing result of the isolates were collected for a statistical descriptive analysis. Results: The first COVID-19 case in Ejina occurred on 7 October, 2021. A total of 164 COVID-19 cases were reported from October 19 to November 12. Most cases were distributed in 6 communities in Darahub (156 cases, 95.12%). The result of full gene sequencing of the isolates indicted that the pathogen was Delta variant (B.1.617.2). The male to female ratio of the cases was 1.3∶1. The age of cases ranged from 1 to 85 years, and the cases aged 20-59 years accounted for 78.66%. The main clinical symptoms were sore throat (91 cases, 91.92%), cough (49 cases, 49.49%) and fever (23 cases, 23.23%). Most cases were ordinary ones (81 cases, 49.39%) and mild ones (68 cases, 41.46%). The cases were mainly detected at the isolation points (84 cases, 51.22%) and through population based nucleic acid testing (62 cases, 37.80%). The basic reproduction number (R₀) of COVID-19 was 5.3, the average incubation period was 3.9 days. The local government rapidly started Ⅳ level emergency response and conducted 10 rounds of nucleic acid tests. The transferring of travelers reduced the risk for the further spread of COVID-19 in Ejina. Conclusions: The epidemic of COVID-19 in Ejina characterized by strong transmission, short incubation period, herd susceptibility and case clustering. Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was the pathogen, which might be imported from Zeke port. Comprehensive prevention and control measures, such as closed-loop management and vaccination, should be continued. The successful transferring of the patients and travelers provided evidence for the effective and precise prevention and control of COVID-19 in a routine manner.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; COVID-19 ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China/epidemiology* ; Epidemics ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Young Adult

Objective:To explore the mechanism of Sishenwan， Baitouweng Tang， and Lianlitang in the treatment of ulcerative colitis （UC）， and compare their efficacies on UC in rats. Method:Ninety SD rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into blank group （distilled water， 2 mL·d^-1） and experimental group. The rats in the experimental groups were administered with 2，4，6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid （TNBS） by clysis to induce the UC model. Subsequently， the model rats were divided into a model group （distilled water， 2 mL·d^-1）， positive group ［sulfasalazine （SASP）， 0.4 g·kg^-1·d^-1］， Sishenwan group （1.76 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， a Baitouweng Tang group （1.40 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and Lianlitang group （2.13 g·kg^-1·d^-1） according to the random number table. The rats in each group were dosed at 2 mL·d^-1 for 14 days. The pathological score for colonic mucosa was detected. Cytokines were detected by the cytokine chip. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the free triiodothyronine （FT₃）， glucagon-like peptide-1 （GLP-1）， and corticosterone （CORT） in plasma， and neurotensin （NT）， substance P （SP）， vasoactive intestinal peptide （VIP）， and somatostatin （SST） in colon tissues. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group showed increased colon mass-length ratio and pathological score for colonic mucosa （P<0.01）， infiltration of massive lymphocytes， disordered or absent intestinal villi， elevated levels of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1/2α/β/3 （CINC-1/2α/β/3）， interleukin-1α （IL-1α）， interferon-inducible protein-10 （IP-10） and other factors in colon tissues （P<0.05）， dwindled CORT and GLP-1 levels in plasma （P<0.05）， and increased SP content in colon tissues （P<0.05）. Compared with the results in the model group， the mucosal injury in the colon of rats in each drug group was relieved. The levels of IL-1α， IP-10， lipopolysaccharide-inducible CXC chemokine （LIX）， and L-selectin of rats in the Lianlitang group and Sishenwan group were reduced （P<0.05）， and the CINC-3 and IL-17 levels were diminished in the Baitouweng Tang group （P<0.05）. The levels of CINC-1/3， IL-1α， and IP-10 were reduced in the SASP group （P<0.05）. The plasma FT₃ was up-regulated in the Lianlitang group， and the plasma GLP-1 levels were elevated in the three Chinese medicine groups （P<0.05）. The VIP content in colon tissues of the Sishenwan group and Baitouweng Tang group was down-regulated （P<0.05）， and the SST content in colon tissues of the SASP group was significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）. Conclusion:The intervention of Lianlitang and Sishenwan on UC was significant， and the underlying mechanism of action might be related to inflammation inhibition and immune balance by regulating the cytokine network. The efficacy of Lianlitang was predominant， followed by Sishenwan and Baitouweng Tang.