OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors of different types of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in Tibetan patients at high altitude, as to provide reference for correctly identifying high-risk patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was used to analyze the 304 HSP patients admitted to Tibet Autonomous Region People's Hospital from April 2014 to March 2022. The gender, age, allergic history, family history, clinical type, laboratory indexes (hemoglobin, platelet count, eosinophil, C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin A, complement C3 and C4) were analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis to screen for risk factors affecting different types of HSP. RESULTS: Renal HSP patients showed higher IgA [(9.2±1.7) g/L vs. (6.4±2.4) g/L, P=0.015], lower complement C3 [(203.3±21.6) mg/dL vs. (301.1±19.5) mg/dL, P=0.043], and complement C4 [(33.5±2.3) mg/dL vs. (53.0±7.2) mg/dL, P=0.032]. The patients with abdominal HSP showed lower levels of hemoglobin [(119.6±19.6) g/L vs. (146.6±47.3) g/L, P=0.038] and plasma albumin [24.8 (22.1, 33.9) g/L vs. 32.6 (24.6, 35.1) g/L, P=0.045]. The patients with articular HSP exhibited higher CRP [13.5 (0.2, 20.6) g/L vs. 7.5 (0.1, 15.2) g/L, P=0.036] and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) [24 (5, 40) mm/h vs. 15 (4, 30) mm/h, P=0.049]. Elevated IgA and decreased complement C4 were risk factors for renal HSP, anemia and decreased plasma albumin were risk factors for abdominal HSP, and elevated CRP was a risk factor for articular HSP. CONCLUSION The clinical characteristics of different types of HSP in plateau areas were different. Patients with high IgA, low complement C4, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and significantly elevated CRP should be highly vigilant. Early and effective intervention can improve the clinical efficacy, avoid severe development, and improve the prognosis.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Tibet/epidemiology* ; Complement C3/analysis* ; IgA Vasculitis/complications* ; Altitude ; Complement C4 ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Immunoglobulin A ; Risk Factors ; Anemia ; Hemoglobins/analysis* ; Serum Albumin/analysis*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for assessing disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with tofacitinib. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted among 98 RA patients in active stage treated with tofacitinib in Third Xiangya Hospital and 100 healthy control subjects from the Health Management Center of the hospital from 2019 to 2021. We collected blood samples from all the participants for measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and other blood parameters 1 month before and 6 months after tofacitinib treatment. We further evaluated PLR and NLR before and after tofacitinib treatment in the RA patients, and analyzed their correlations with RA disease activity. RESULTS: PLR and NLR increased significantly in RA patients as compared with the healthy controls. In the RA patients, PLR and NLR were positively correlated with the levels of hs- CRP, ESR, IL- 6, Disease Activity Score of 28 joints-ESR (DAS28-ESR), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP), and rheumatoid factor (RF) before and after tofacitinib treatment. Tofacitinib treatment for 6 months significantly decreased hs-CRP, ESR, IL-6, CCP, RF and DAS28-ESR levels in the RA patients. CONCLUSION NLR and PLR can be useful biomarkers for assessing disease activity in RA patients treated with tofacitinib.
Humans ; Neutrophils ; Retrospective Studies ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Lymphocytes

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of Dachengqi decoction in the treatment of sepsis complication with gastrointestinal dysfunction via gastric antrum cross-sectional area (CSA) measured by bedside ultrasound. METHODS: A parallel group randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 80 patients with sepsis with gastrointestinal dysfunction admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from January 2021 to October 2022 were enrolled. According to whether patients agree to use Dachengqi decoction after admission, all patients were divided into Dachengqi decoction group (observation group) and conventional treatment group (control group) by 1 : 1 randomization, each group has 40 patients. Both groups were treated with fluid resuscitation, anti-infection, maintaining stable respiratory circulation, early nourishing feeding, promoting gastrointestinal motility, and regulating intestinal flora. The observation group was treated with Dachengqi decoction on the basis of western medicine, 30 mL decoction was taken in the morning and evening. Both groups were treated for 7 days. The CSA of the two groups was measured by bedside ultrasound before and after treatment. The gastric residual volume (GRV1 and GRV2) were calculated by formula and traditional gastric tube withdrawal method. The gastrointestinal dysfunction score, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), intraperitoneal pressure (IAP), serum preprotein (PA), albumin (Alb), white blood cell count (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT), hypersensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay and incidence of aspiration were detected to evaluate the clinical efficacy of Dachengqi decoction, the correlation and advantages and disadvantages between CSA measured by bedside ultrasound and other evaluation indicators of gastrointestinal dysfunction in sepsis were also analyzed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the indicators before treatment between the two groups, which were comparable. In comparison with the pre-treatment period, CSA, GRV, gastrointestinal dysfunction score, APACHE II score, IAP, WBC, PCT, and hs-CRP of the two groups after treatment were significantly decreased, PA and Alb were significantly increased, and the observation group decreased or increased more significantly than the control group [CSA (cm²): 4.53±1.56 vs. 6.04±2.52, GRV1 (mL): 39.85±8.21 vs. 53.05±11.73, GRV2 (mL): 29.22±5.20 vs. 40.91±8.97, gastrointestinal dysfunction score: 0.87±0.19 vs. 1.35±0.26, APACHE II score: 11.54±3.43 vs. 14.28±3.07, IAP (cmH₂O, 1 cmH₂O ≈ 0.098 kPa): 9.79±2.01 vs. 13.30±2.73, WBC (×10⁹/L): 9.35±1.24 vs. 12.35±1.36, PCT (μg/L): 3.68±1.12 vs. 6.43±1.45, hs-CRP (mg/L): 24.76±5.41 vs. 46.76±6.38, PA (mg/L): 370.29±45.89 vs. 258.33±34.58, Alb (g/L): 38.83±5.64 vs. 33.20±4.98, all P < 0.05]. The length of ICU stay (days: 10.56±3.19 vs. 14.24±3.45) and incidence of aspiration (12.5% vs. 25.0%) were lower than those in the control group (both P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that CSA measured by bedside ultrasound was positively correlated with GRV2, gastrointestinal dysfunction score, APACHE II score, and IAP (r values were 0.84, 0.78, 0.75, 0.72, all P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with PA and Alb (r values were -0.64 and -0.62, both P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The Dachengqi decoction can significantly improve the clinical symptoms of septic patients with gastrointestinal dysfunction, reduce systemic inflammatory response, improve nutritional status, and shorten ICU hospital stay. Bedside ultrasound monitoring of CSA is a simple, accurate and effective means to evaluate gastrointestinal dysfunction, which is worthy of further clinical promotion.
Humans ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Pyloric Antrum ; Sepsis/therapy* ; Plant Extracts ; Procalcitonin ; Albumins ; Prognosis ; Intensive Care Units ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and antithrombin III (AT III) with the severity of sepsis, and to compare the predictive value of the above indicators alone or in combination. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Eighty-five patients with sepsis admitted to the department of intensive care medicine of Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from April 2021 to September 2022 were enrolled. General information, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score within 24 hours of admission, inflammatory indicators [PCT, IL-6, serum amyloid A (SAA), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP)] and coagulation indicators (D-dimer and AT III) levels at admission, and 28-day prognosis were collected. The differences of the above indicators were compared among patients with different prognosis at 28 days and different severity of sepsis. The correlation between PCT, IL-6, AT III and the severity of sepsis was analyzed by Spearman rank correlation method. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of PCT, IL-6 and AT III alone or in combination on the 28-day death of patients with sepsis. RESULTS: Eighty-five patients were enrolled finally, 67 cases survived and 18 cases died at 28 days. The mortality was 21.2%. There were no statistical significant differences in gender, age and other general data between the two groups. The patients in the death group were more serious than those in the survival group, and PCT, IL-6, and CRP levels were significantly higher than those in the survival group [PCT (μg/L): 4.34 (1.99, 14.42) vs. 1.17 (0.31, 3.94), IL-6 (ng/L): 332.40 (50.08, 590.18) vs. 61.95 (31.64, 194.20), CRP (mg/L): 149.28 (75.34, 218.60) vs. 83.23 (48.22, 174.96), all P < 0.05], and AT III activity was significantly lower than that in the survival group [(53.67±28.57)% vs. (80.96±24.18)%, P < 0.01]. However, there were no significant differences in D-dimer, NLR and SAA between the two groups. Among the 85 patients, 36 had sepsis with single organ dysfunction, 29 had sepsis with multiple organ dysfunction, and 20 had septic shock with multiple organ dysfunction. With the increase of the severity of sepsis, PCT and IL-6 levels gradually increased [PCT (μg/L): 0.36 (0.19, 1.10), 3.00 (1.22, 9.94), 4.34 (2.18, 8.86); IL-6 (ng/L): 43.99 (20.73, 111.13), 100.00 (45.37, 273.00), 332.40 (124.4, 693.65)], and the activity of AT III decreased gradually [(89.81±21.42)%, (71.97±24.88)%, and (53.50±25.41)%], all with statistically significant differences (all P < 0.01). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that PCT and IL-6 levels in sepsis patients were significantly positively correlated with the severity of the disease (r values were 0.562 and 0.517, respectively, both P < 0.01), and AT III activity was significantly negatively correlated with the severity of the disease (r = -0.523, P < 0.01). ROC curve analysis showed that PCT, IL-6, and AT III alone or in combination had some predictive value for the death of sepsis patients at 28 days. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the above three indicators in combination was higher than that of the individual tests (0.818 vs. 0.722, 0.725, and 0.770), with a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 73.1%. CONCLUSIONS PCT, IL-6, and AT III were significantly correlated with the severity of sepsis patients. The combined assay of the above three indicators can effectively improve the prediction of the prognosis of sepsis patients.
Humans ; Procalcitonin ; Interleukin-6 ; Antithrombin III ; Retrospective Studies ; Multiple Organ Failure ; ROC Curve ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Anticoagulants

Network Meta-analysis was employed to compare the efficacy of Chinese medicine injections for activating blood and resolving stasis combined with conventional western medicine in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke and the effects on platelet aggregation rate, fibrinogen(FIB), and hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP), with a view to providing evidence-based medicine reference for clinical medication. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMbase were searched for randomized controlled trial(RCT) on the treatment of acute ischemic stroke with Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection, Danhong Injection, Shuxuetong Injection, Xueshuantong Injection, Shuxuening Injection, Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection, and Ginkgo Diterpene Lactone Meglumine Injection combined with conventional western medicine. The retrieval time was from database inception to March 18, 2023. The articles were extracted by two researchers and their quality was evaluated. R 4.2.2 was used for network Meta-analysis. A total of 87 RCTs involving 8 580 patients were included. Network Meta-analysis showed that, in terms of reducing National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS) scores, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) showed the order of Xueshuantong Injection + conventional western medicine(88.7%) > Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection + conventional western medicine(73.7%) > Shuxuetong Injection + conventional western medicine(69.7%) > Shuxuening Injection + conventional western medicine(51.8%) > Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine(43.7%) > Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection + conventional western medicine(36.8%) > Ginkgo Diterpene Lactone Meglumine Injection + conventional western medicine(35.3%) > conventional western medicine(1.7%). In terms of improving clinical total effective rate, SUCRA showed the order of Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine(63.0%) > Shuxuening Injection + conventional western medicine(59.0%) > Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection + conventional western medicine(58.9%) > Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection + conventional western medicine(57.1%) > Xueshuantong Injection + conventional western medicine(56.8%) > Shuxuetong Injection + conventional western medicine(54.6%) > Ginkgo Diterpene Lactone Meglumine Injection + conventional western medicine(50.5%) > conventional western medicine(0.03%). In terms of improving Barthel index, SUCRA showed the order of Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine(84.7%) > Shuxuetong Injection + conventional western medicine(72.4%) > Safflower Yellow Pigment Injection + conventional western medicine(61.6%) > Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection + conventional western medicine(44.6%) > Ginkgo Diterpene Lactone Meglumine Injection + conventional western medicine(43.2%) > Shuxuening Injection + conventional western medicine(42.2%) > conventional western medicine(1.4%). In terms of reducing platelet aggregation rate, SUCRA showed the order of Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection + conventional western medicine(82.4%) > Shuxuetong Injection + conventional western medicine(81.6%) > Ginkgo Diterpene Lactone Meglumine Injection + conventional western medicine(40.7%) > Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine(37.3%) > conventional western medicine(8.0%). In terms of reducing FIB, SUCRA showed the order of Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine(81.0%) > Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection + conventional western medicine(71.9%) > Ginkgo Diterpene Lactone Meglumine Injection + conventional western medicine(70.0%) > Shuxuetong Injection + conventional western medicine(46.7%) > Xueshuantong Injection + conventional western medicine(22.6%) > conventional western medicine(8.7%). In terms of reducing hs-CRP, SUCRA showed the order of Shuxuening Injection + conventional western medicine(89.9%) > Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection + conventional western medicine(78.8%) > Ginkgo Diterpene Lactone Meglumine Injection + conventional western medicine(52.4%) > Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine(47.6%) > Xueshuantong Injection + conventional western medicine(43.5%) > Shuxuetong Injection + conventional Western medicine(35.6%) > conventional western medicine(2.3%). The results indicated that Xueshuantong Injection + conventional western medicine, Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine, and Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection + conventional western medicine ranked the top three. Xueshuantong Injection + conventional western medicine had the best effect on reducing NIHSS scores. Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine showed the best performance of improving clinical total effective rate, improving Barthel index, and reducing FIB in the blood. Salvia Miltiorrhiza Ligustrazine Injection + conventional western medicine had the best effect on reducing platelet aggregation rate in the blood. Shuxuening Injection + conventional western medicine had the best effect on reducing hs-CRP. However, more high-quality RCTs are needed for verification in the future to provide more reliable evidence-based medical reference.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Network Meta-Analysis ; C-Reactive Protein ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic ; Diterpenes ; Lactones ; Meglumine

This study aims to systematically review the efficacy and safety of different traditional Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional treatment for patients with post-acute myocardial infarction heart failure. The relevant randomized controlled trial(RCT) was retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, and Cochrane Library with the time interval from inception to May 13, 2023. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. Network Meta-analysis was then performed in RevMan 5.3 and Stata 15.1. A total of 68 RCTs involving 11 traditional Chinese medicine injections and 5 995 patients were included. The results were explained based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA).(1) In terms of reducing major adverse cardiovascular event(MACE), the therapies followed the trend of Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(83.8%) > Yiqi Fumai Injection+conventional treatment(57.1%) > Xuebijing Injection+conventional treatment(56.6%) > Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(53.1%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(45.3%) > conventional treatment(4.0%).(2) In terms of increasing left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF), the therapies followed the trend of Yiqi Fumai Injection+conventional treatment(84.0%) > Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(69.6%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(62.7%) > Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(61.6%) > Shuxuening Injection+conventional treatment(54.8%) > Shenqi Fuzheng Injection+conventional treatment(46.7%) > Shengmai Injection+conventional treatment(45.9%) > Breviscapine Injection+conventional treatment(39.9%) > Danhong Injection+conventional treatment(38.8%) > Huangqi Injection+conventional treatment(38.7%) > conventional treatment(7.3%).(3) In terms of reducing B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP), the therapies followed the trend of Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(98.6%) > Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(57.7%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(52.5%) > Shengmai Injection+conventional treatment(30.1%) > conventional treatment(11.0%).(4) In terms of reducing cardiac troponin Ⅰ(cTnⅠ), the therapies followed the trend of Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(92.3%) > Yiqi Fumai Injection+conventional treatment(61.5%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(51.2%) > Shengmai Injection+conventional treatment(48.1%) > Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(26.6%) > conventional treatment(20.3%).(5) In terms of reducing high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP), the therapies followed the trend of Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment(79.9%) > Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment(68.1%) > Shenfu Injection+conventional treatment(63.1%) > Xuebijing Injection+conventional treatment(56.7%) > Shengmai Injection+conventional treatment(51.1%) > Shenqi Fuzheng Injection+conventional treatment(42.8%) > Huangqi Injection+conventional treatment(34.7%) > conventional treatment(3.5%).(6) A total of 22 RCTs reported the occurrence of adverse reactions, mainly involving the damage of the circulatory system, digestive system, and coagulation function. The current evidence suggested that Xinmailong Injection+conventional treatment may have the best therapeutic effect in reducing MACE and BNP; Yiqi Fumai Injection+conventional treatment may be the best in increasing LVEF; Shenmai Injection+conventional treatment may be the best in reducing cTnI and hs-CRP. The safety needs further quantitative research and analysis. However, more high-quality RCT is required to validate the above conclusions due to limitations in the quality and quantity of the included studies.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Stroke Volume ; Network Meta-Analysis ; C-Reactive Protein ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Myocardial Infarction/drug therapy* ; Heart Failure/drug therapy*

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of inflammatory response in chronic glomerulonephritis(CGN) based on network Meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trial(RCT) of oral Chinese patent medicines for improving inflammatory response in patients with CGN was retrieved from databases such as CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, and Web of Science from database inception to March 2023. All investigators independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the quality. Stata 16.0 and RevMan 5.4.1 software were used to analyze the data of the literature that met the quality standards. Finally, 71 RCTs were included, involving 7 Chinese patent medicines. The total sample size was 6 880 cases, including 3 441 cases in the test group and 3 439 cases in the control group. The network Meta-analysis showed that(1) in terms of reducing TNF-α, the top 3 optimal interventions according to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve(SUCRA) were Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(2) In terms of reducing hs-CRP, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Huangkui Capsules+conventional wes-tern medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(3) In terms of reducing IL-6, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Shenyan Kangfu Tablets+conventional western medicine.(4) In terms of reducing 24hUTP, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Shenyan Kangfu Tablets+conventional western medicine, Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine.(5) In terms of reducing Scr, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine, Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, and Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine.(6) In terms of reducing BUN, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine, Shenyanshu Capsules/Granules/Tablets+conventional western medicine, and Bailing Capsules+conventional western medicine.(7) In terms of improving the clinical total effective rate, the top 3 optimal interventions according to SUCRA were Huangkui Capsules+conventional western medicine, Kunxian Capsules+conventional western medicine, and Yishen Huashi Granules+conventional western medicine. The results showed that the combination of conventional western medicine and Chinese patent medicine could reduce the expression of serum inflammatory factors TNF-α, hs-CRP, and IL-6 and inhibit the inflammatory response. The combination of conventional western medicine and Chinese patent medicine was superior to conventional western medicine alone in reducing Scr, BUN, and 24hUTP, and improving the clinical total effective rate of treatment. Due to the limitation of the quantity and quality of literature included, the above conclusions need to be validated by more high-quality studies.
Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Network Meta-Analysis ; Nonprescription Drugs ; C-Reactive Protein ; Interleukin-6 ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Glomerulonephritis/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors for performing bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) and pulmonary consolidation, and to construct a predictive model for performing BAL in these children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 202 children with MPP who were hospitalized in the Department of Pediatrics, Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, from August 2019 to September 2022. According to whether BAL was performed, they were divided into BAL group with 100 children and non-BAL group with 102 children. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for performing BAL in MPP children with pulmonary consolidation. Rstudio software (R4.2.3) was used to establish a predictive model for performing BAL, and the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, C-index, and calibration curve were used to assess the predictive performance of the model. RESULTS: The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the fever duration, C-reactive protein levels, D-dimer levels, and presence of pleural effusion were risk factors for performing BAL in MPP children with pulmonary consolidation (P<0.05). A nomogram predictive model was established based on the results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis. In the training set, this model had an area under the ROC curve of 0.915 (95%CI: 0.827-0.938), with a sensitivity of 0.826 and a specificity of 0.875, while in the validation set, it had an area under the ROC curve of 0.983 (95%CI: 0.912-0.996), with a sensitivity of 0.879 and a specificity of 1.000. The Bootstrap-corrected C-index was 0.952 (95%CI: 0.901-0.986), and the calibration curve demonstrated good consistency between the predicted probability of the model and the actual probability of occurrence. CONCLUSIONS The predictive model established in this study can be used to assess the likelihood of performing BAL in MPP children with pulmonary consolidation, based on factors such as fever duration, C-reactive protein levels, D-dimer levels, and the presence of pleural effusion. Additionally, the model demonstrates good predictive performance.
Child ; Humans ; Mycoplasma pneumoniae ; Retrospective Studies ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma/diagnosis* ; Bronchoalveolar Lavage ; Pleural Effusion

Objective: To investigate the changes of intestinal wall barrier function and its correlation with infection occurrence in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension. Methods: 263 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension were split into: the clinically evident portal hypertension (CEPH) combined with infection group (n = 74); CEPH group (n = 104); and Non-CEPH group (n = 85). Among them, 20 CEPH patients and 12 non-CEPH patients in non-infection status were subjected to sigmoidoscopy. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of trigger receptor-1 (TREM-1), CD68, CD14, the inducible nitric oxide synthase molecule, and Escherichia coli (E.coli) in the medullary cells of the colon mucosa. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of soluble myeloid cell trigger receptor-1 (sTREM-1), soluble leukocyte differentiation antigen-14 subtype (sCD14-ST) and intestinal wall permeability index enteric fatty acid binding protein (I-FABP). Fisher's exact probability method, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis-H test, Bonferroni method, and Spearman correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: The serum sTREM-1 and I-FABP levels were higher in CEPH patients than those of non-CEPH patients in the non-infectious state (P < 0.05), but the difference in blood sCD14-ST levels was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Serum levels of sTREM-1, sCD14-ST, and I-FABP in infected patients were higher than those in patients without a concurrent infection (P < 0.05). Serum sCD14-ST levels were positively correlated with serum sTREM-1, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT), and sTREM-1 levels were also positively correlated with CRP and PCT (r > 0.5, P < 0.001). The rates of CD68, inducible nitric oxide synthase, CD14-positive cells, and E.coli-positive glands were higher in the intestinal mucosa of the CEPH group than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Spearman's correlation analysis showed that the rate of E.coli-positive glands in CEPH patients was positively correlated with the expression of molecular markers CD68 and CD14 in the lamina propria macrophages. Conclusion: Patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension have increased intestinal permeability and inflammatory cells, accompanied by bacterial translocation. Serum sCD14-ST and sTREM-1 can be used as indicators to predict and evaluate the occurrence of infection in patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension.
Humans ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; Prospective Studies ; Biomarkers ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Liver Cirrhosis/complications* ; Hypertension, Portal

OBJECTIVES: To study the expression of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in the serum of children with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-resistant Kawasaki disease (KD) and its clinical significance. METHODS: A total of 143 children with KD who were hospitalized in Wuhan Children's Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, from June 2021 to June 2022 were enrolled in this prospective study, among whom 115 had IVIG-sensitive KD and 28 had IVIG-resistant KD. After matching for sex and age, 110 children with acute respiratory infectious diseases (fever time ≥5 days but without KD) were enrolled as the control group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the serum level of IL-17A. The levels of white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count (NE), platelet count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. The receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to analyze the value of WBC, NE, CRP, and IL-17A in the prediction of IVIG-resistant KD. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictive factors for resistance to IVIG in children with KD. RESULTS: Before IVIG treatment, the KD group had a significantly higher serum level of IL-17A than the control group (P<0.05), and the children with IVIG-resistant KD had a significantly higher serum level of IL-17A than those with IVIG-sensitive KD (P<0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that WBC, NE, CRP, and IL-17A had an area under the curve of 0.718, 0.741, 0.627, and 0.840, respectively, in the prediction of IVIG-resistant KD. With serum IL-17A ≥44.06 pg/mL as the cut-off value, IL-17A had a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 81% in the prediction of IVIG-resistant KD. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a high serum level of IL-17A was a predictive factor for resistance to IVIG in children with KD (OR=1.161, P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS Serum IL-17A levels are elevated in children with IVIG-resistant KD, and serum IL-17A level (≥44.06 pg/mL) may have a predictive value for resistance to IVIG in children with KD.
Humans ; Child ; Infant ; Aged, 80 and over ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous/therapeutic use* ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-17 ; Clinical Relevance ; Prospective Studies ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Retrospective Studies