This study aimed to explore the application value of new biological specimen oral fluid in SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid and antibody detection. Oral fluid and paired respiratory and blood specimens from 7 confirmed cases of two COVID-19 cluster epidemic were collected in Beijing from October to November 2021. SARS-CoV-2 virus and IgG antibody were detected by real time PCR kits and serum antibody detection reagents, and SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody in oral fluids was detected by a new established method of magnetic particle chemiluminescence. The results showed that the nucleic acid amplification test of SARS-CoV-2 on nasopharyngeal swabs, throat swabs and oral fluid specimens from 3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 was positive, among which the Ct value for ORF1a/b and N gene of oral fluid samples in 2 cases was close to that of throat swab, and the Ct value of oral fluid sample for 1 case was higher than that of throat swab. The complete genome sequence of one oral fluid specimen was obtained, which belonged to the VOC/Delta variant strain. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies of the paired oral fluid and serum were all positive, and the S/CO values of oral fluid were all lower than those of serum. The series of oral fluid results showed that SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody level increased from 11 to 32 days after the onset of the disease.
COVID-19/diagnosis* ; Humans ; Nucleic Acids ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Tibetan medicine is an essential part of Chinese medicine and has unique theoretical experience and therapeutic advantages. According to the development principle of inheriting the essence, sticking to the truth, and keeping innovative, the supervision department should give clear and reasonable guidance considering the characteristics of Tibetan medicine, establish a standard system for quality control, clinical verification and evaluation, and accelerate the research and commercialization of new drugs. In view of the needs of drug supply-side reform and the current situation of Tibetan medicine and new pharmaceutical research, we ponder and provide suggestions on the confusion faced by the current supervision of Tibetan drug registration, hoping to contribute to the supervision strategy of Tibetan drug registration and the high-quality development of Tibetan medicine industry.
Tibet ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Quality Control ; Pharmaceutical Research ; Drug Industry

BACKGROUND: Recently, T-helper 17 (Th17) cells have been proved to play an important role in promoting cervical cancer. But, till now, few study has been carried out to understand the involvement of these cells in efficacy of anti-tumor treatments. This study aimed to investigate the alterations in the percentage of circulating Th17 cells and related cytokines in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) patients before and after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) and to analyze the correlations between the alterations in Th17 cells and treatment efficacy. METHODS: A prospective study with 49 LACC (International federation of gynecology and obstetrics [FIGO] stage IIB-IIIB) patients and 23 controls was conducted. Patients received the same cCRT schedule and were followed up for 3 years. Circulating Th17 cells (CD3+CD8- interleukin [IL]-17+ T cells) and related cytokines IL-17, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), IL-10, IL-23, IL-6, and IL-22 were detected before and after cCRT. Correlations between alterations of circulating Th17 cells and treatment efficacy were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: We found that 40 patients finished the entire cCRT schedule and met the endpoint of this study. The percentage of circulating Th17 cells in the LACC patients was higher than that in the controls, and it significantly decreased after cCRT (P < 0.05). After cCRT, patients were divided into two groups based on the average of the Th17 cells declined. The subgroup of patients with a prominent decrease in circulating Th17 cells after cCRT had a higher treatment efficacy and longer PFS and OS times. Compared with the control patients, LACC patients had higher IL-6, IL-10, IL-22, TGF-β levels and a lower IL-23 level (P < 0.05). After cCRT, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IL-23 level significantly increased and TGF-β level significantly decreased compared with the levels before cCRT (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Circulating Th17 cells in the LACC patients (FIGO stage IIB-IIIB) were higher than those in the controls, but they generally decreased after cCRT. A more pronounced decrease in circulating Th17 cells after cCRT was correlated with better therapeutic effect and longer PFS and OS times.
Chemoradiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Th17 Cells ; Treatment Outcome ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/therapy*

Astragali radix(AR,the dried root of Astragalus)is a popular herbal remedy in both China and the United States.The commercially available AR is commonly classified into premium graded(PG)and ungraded(UG)ones only according to the appearance.To uncover novel sensitive and specific markers for AR grading,we took the integrated mass spectrometry-based untargeted and targeted metabolomics ap-proaches to characterize chemical features of PG and UG samples in a discovery set(n=16 batches).A series of five differential compounds were screened out by univariate statistical analysis,including arginine,calycosin,ononin,formononetin,and astragaloside Ⅳ,most of which were observed to be accumulated in PG samples except for astragaloside Ⅳ.Then,we performed machine learning on the quantification data of five compounds and constructed a logistic regression prediction model.Finally,the external validation in an independent validation set of AR(n=20 batches)verified that the five com-pounds,as well as the model,had strong capability to distinguish the two grades of AR,with the pre-diction accuracy＞90％.Our findings present a panel of meaningful candidate markers that would significantly catalyze the innovation in AR grading.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mutation of RUNX1 gene in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and its correlation with other gene mutations and some clinical parameters. METHODS: The mutations of RUNX1, DNMT3A, TET2, IDH1/2, NPM1, FLT3-ITD and C-KIT in 170 patients with MDS were detected by direct and indirect sequencing of genomic DNA-PCR amplification products. RESULTS: The RUNX1 mutation was found in 23 patients (13.5 %, 23/170). Among the 170 patients, other most frequent mutation was TET2 (11.2%, 19/170), followed by mutations in DNMT3A (9.4%, 16/170), NPM1 (8.2%, 14/170), IDH2 (4.1%, 7/170)、FLT3-ITD (2.9%, 5/170), IDH1 (1.7%, 3/170) and c-KIT (0.58%, 1/170). The most common coexisting mutations were TET2 (5/23). The RUNX1-mutated group showed significantly higher leukocyte levels, higher percentages of blast cells, higher incidences of leukemia transformation and lower platelet counts in comparison with RUNX1 non-mutation group (P＜0.05). whereas there were no statistically significant difference in age, MDS subtype, karyotype and hemoglobin level between 2 groups (P＞0.05). Seventeen patients harboring RUNX1 mutations were followed up and almost 47.05% (8/17) of the patients progressed into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The rates of transformation into AML in ASXL1-mutation group was significantly higher than that in ASXLL- non-mutation group (47.05% vs 11.7%) (P=0.001). CONCLUSION The incidence of RUNX1 mutation is high in MDS patients. The RUNX1-mutated patients have higher leukocyte level, higher percentages of blast cells, higher incidences of leukemia transformation and lower platelet count.

Modified Da-chai-hu Decoction (MDD), a traditional Chinese medicinal formulation, which was empirically generated from Da-chai-hu decoction, has been utilized to treat severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) for decades. The aim of the present study was to explore its potential organprotective mechanism in SAP. In the present study, rat SAP model was induced by retrograde injection of 3.5% sodium taurocholate into the biliopancreatic duct, MDD (23.35 g/kg body weight, twelve times the clinical dose) were orally given at 2 h before and 10 h after injection. At 12 h after model induction, blood was taken from vena cava for analysis of amylase, diamine oxidase (DAO), pulmonary surfactant protein-A (SP-A), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Histopathological change of pancreas, ileum and lung was assayed by H&E staining, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were determinated using colorimetric assay, and the expressions of occludin and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were detected by real-time RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. In addition, the tissue concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that in SAP rats, MDD significantly alleviated histopathological damage, depressed the MPO activity and the concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, and MCP-1 of pancreas, ileum and lung, and reduced the serum levels of amylase [(3283.4 ± 585.5) U·Lvs (5626.4 ± 795.1)U·L], DAO [(1100.1 ± 334.3) U·Lvs (1666.4 ± 525.3) U·L] and CRP [(7.6 ± 1.2) μg·mLvs (17.8 ± 3.8) μg·mL]. However, the serum SP-A concentration [(106.1 ± 16.6) pg·mLvs (90.1 ± 14.9) pg·mL] was elevated when treated SAP rats with MDD. Furthermore, MDD increased the occludin expression and reduced the NF-κB expression in pancreas, ileum and lung of SAP rats. Our findings suggested that MDD administration was an effective therapeutic approach for SAP treatment. It could up-regulate occludin expression to protect intercellular tight junction and down-regulate NF-κB expression to inhibit inflammatory reaction of pancreas, ileum and lung.

Twenty-eight compounds were isolated and purified from Clinopodium chinense by Sephedax LH-20, ODS, MCI and preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified as apigenin (1), apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), apigenin-7-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (3), thellungianol (4), apigenin-7-O-β-D-rutinoside (5), luteolin (6), luteolin-4'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), apigenin-7-O-β-D-pyranglycuronate butyl ester (8), luteolin-7-O-β-D-rutinoside (9), luteolin-7-O-β-D-noehesperidoside (10), acacetin (11), acacetin-7-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside (12), buddleoside (13), naringenin (14), pruning (15), nairutin (16), isosakuranetin (17), isosakuranin (18), didymin (19), hesperidin (20), kaempferol (21), quercetin (22), kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rahmnoside (23), p-hydroxycinnamic acid (24), caffeic acid (25), cis-3-[2-[1-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl)-1 -hydroxymethyl]-1,3-ben-zodioxol-5-yl]-(E)-2-propenoic acid (26), mesaconic acid (27), gentisic acid 5-O-β-D-(6'-salicylyl)-glucopyranoside (28). Among them, compounds 7, 9-10, 12, 23, 26-28 were isolated from the Clinopodium for the first time. The protective effects of compounds 1-6, 8-17 and 19 against H2O2-induced H9c2 cardiomyocyte injury were tested, compounds 15 exhibited significantly protective effects. Compared with the cell viability of (62.12±6.18)% in the model, pruning exhibited viabilities of (84.25±7.36)% at 25.0 mg•L⁻¹, respectively, using quercetin as a positive control [cell viability of (84.55±8.26)%, 20 mg•L⁻¹].

OBJECTIVETo analyze the CARL gene mutation in the patients with chronic myeloproliferative neoplasm(MPN) and to explore the clinical significance of CALR mutation.

METHODSThe peripheral blood of patients was collected and the genomic DNA was exacted, the 9 exon of CALR gene and the fragment of human thrombopoetic receptor(MPL) gene were amplified by PCR, the mutation of CALR and MPL genes was detected by using the direct sequencing, the JAK2 V617F mutation was detected by using allele spicific PCR.

RESULTSThe CALR mutations were detected in 13 patients out of 55 MPN patients (23.6%). The frequency of CALR mutation was 22.7% (10/44) in 44 essential thrombocythemia(ET) patients. A total of 3 types of CALR mutation were identified (type I c.1092_1143del52bp, n=5; type II c.1154_1155insTTGTC, n=4; type III c.1094_1139del46bp, n=1). CALR mutations occurred at a frequency of 27.2% in primary myelofibrosis (PMF), including type I (n=2) and type II (n=1). The incidence of JAK2 V617F was 58.1%(32/55), that in ET and PMF was 59.1%(26/44) and 54.5% (6/11), respectively. The mutations of MPL W515 were not detectable in all cases, and the simultaneous mutation of CARL and MPL W515 was not detected. The median age of patients with CALR mutation was significantly younger than that of patients with JAK2 mutations (48 vs 64 years of old, P<0.05). The levels of hemoglobin and leukocytes in patients with CARL mutations were significantly lower (P<0.05) but the level of plateletes was higher than that in patients with JAK2 V617F mutations (P<0.05). Deep venous thrombosis occurred in 4 of 35 ET patients with the JAK2 V617F mutation (n=4), but did not occurr in the patients with CALR mutation. Karyotype abnormality was detected in only one case among 48 patients by chromosome karyotype analysis.

CONCLUSIONThe incidence of CALR mutation is high in ET and PMF patients without JAK2 V617F and MPL W515K mutations, which is associated with younger median age, lower leucocyte and hemoglobin levels, higher platelet counts, and rare thrombocytosis, compared with the patients with JAK2 V617F mutation.

?AIM: To study correcting effect and visual quality after laser - assisted in situ keratomileusis ( LASIK ) with femtosecond and posterior chamber intraocular lens ( ICL) implantation in high myopia patients.?METHODS: Fifty-five patients ( 106 eyes ) with high myopia from February 2012 to February 2015 in our hospital were analyzed. According to the different operation, patients were divided into the observation group( using ICL implantation, 27 cases with 53 eyes) and the control group (using LASIK, 28 cases with 53 eyes). Postoperative follow-up was 1a, to observe and analyze the visual quality, higher order aberration and complications of two groups.?RESULTS: Uncorrected visual acuity ( UCVA ) , the best corrected visual acuity ( BCVA ) , effectiveness index and security index at 1a postoperatively of observation group, were 1. 04±0. 86(LogMAR), 0. 97±0. 19(LogMAR), 104. 69± 18. 56, 108. 79 ± 17. 68, significantly higher than those of control group 0. 78 ± 0. 11 ( LogMAR ), 1. 04 ± 0. 09 (LogMAR), 93.78±15. 65, 100. 71±11. 68 (P<0. 05). And observation group in the two kinds of light and shade environment at various spatial frequency contrast sensitivity were higher than the control group. Those under the light environment at 1. 5, 3, 6, 12 c/d and under dark environment at 1. 5, 3, 6, 18 c/d compared were different between the two groups (P<0. 05). Spherical aberration and comatic aberration of observation group at 1a after operation were lower than those of control group (P<0. 05 ). The difference of trefoil between the two groups was not significant ( P > 0. 05 ). No severe complications were observed in both groups.?CONCLUSION: LASIK with femtosecond and ICL lens implantation can effectively improve the patient’s visual quality, but for patients with high myopia, ICL lens implantation effect is more significant, the safety index of ICL implantation, as well as the effectiveness index and the visual quality are better than those of LASIK.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between ambient air pollution and hospital emergency admissions in Beijing.

METHODSIn this study, a semi-parametric generalized additive model (GAM) was used to evaluate the specific influences of air pollutants (PM10, SO2, and NO2) on hospital emergency admissions with different lag structures from 2009 to 2011, the sex and age specific influences of air pollution and the modifying effect of seasons on air pollution to analyze the possible interaction.

RESULTSIt was found that a 10 μg/m3 increase in concentration of PM10 at lag 03 day, SO2 and NO2 at lag 0 day were associated with an increase of 0.88%, 0.76%, and 1.82% respectively in overall emergency admissions. A 10 μg/m3 increase in concentration of PM10, SO2 and NO2 at lag 5 day were associated with an increase of 1.39%, 1.56%, and 1.18% respectively in cardiovascular disease emergency admissions. For lag 02, a 10 μg/m3 increase in concentration of PM10, SO2 and NO2 were associated with 1.72%, 1.34%, and 2.57% increases respectively in respiratory disease emergency admissions.

CONCLUSIONThis study further confirmed that short-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with increased risk of hospital emergency admissions in Beijing.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Air Pollution ; adverse effects ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Emergency Medical Services ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Respiratory Tract Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Seasons ; Young Adult