To establish and optimize a method for the detection of recombinant human midkine (rhMK) activity and verify its methodology, cell counting kit-8 (cck-8) method was used to measure the proliferation activity of rat knee chondrocytes. The specificity, accuracy, precision, linearity and robustness of the method were also verified in this study. The established method was proven to have good specificity because the buffer of rhMK and recombinant human interleukin-1 receptor antagonist have no obvious active effect; the recoveries of the samples with relative activities of 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150% were in the range of 80.0% to 124.0% by statistical analysis, the relative standard deviations (RSD) of relative potency were all within 20%, the linear correlation coefficient, R² ≥ 0.98, suggesting that the accuracy, precision and linearity of the method were good; the robustness correlation coefficient, R² ≥ 0.92 and the ratio of maximum to minimum of sigmoidal dose-response were no less than 1.5, indicating that robustness of the methods was good. In conclusion, a bioactivity measurement method for rhMK was established and fully validated in this study and it provides a reliable method for the bioactivity analysis of rhMK routine samples during the development. This study was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc. (approval number: 2019-0008-06).

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristic and genetic variants of children with carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2(CPT2)deficiency.Methods:The clinical and genetic data of 6 children with CPT2 deficiency were retrospectively analyzed.The blood acylcarnitines and genetic variants were detected with tandem mass spectrometry and whole-exon gene sequencing,respectively.Results:There were 4 males and 2 females with a mean age of 32 months(15 d-9 years)at diagnosis.One case was asymptomatic and with normal laboratory test results,2 had delayed onset,and 3 were of infantile type.Three cases were diagnosed at neonatal screening,and 3 cases presented with clinical manifestations of fever,muscle weakness,and increased muscle enzymes.Five children presented with decreased free carnitine and elevated levels of palmitoyl and octadecenoyl carnitines.CPT2 gene variants were detected at 8 loci in 6 children(4 harboring biallelic mutations and 2 harboring single locus mutations),including 3 known variants(p.R631C,p.T589M,and p.D255G)and 5 newly reported variants(p.F352L,p.R498L,p.F434S,p.A515P,and c.153-2A>G).It was predicted by PolyPhen2 and SIFT software that c.153-2A>G and p.F352L were suspected pathogenic variants,while p.R498L,p.F434S and p.A515P were variants of unknown clinical significance.Conclusions:The clinical phenotypes of CPT2 deficiency are diverse.An early diagnosis can be facilitated by neonatal blood tandem mass spectrometry screening and genetic testing,and most patients have good prognosis after a timely diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To investigate the levels of serum folate and vitamin B12(VB12)and their association with the level of neurodevelopment in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD).Methods A total of 324 ASD children aged 2-6 years and 318 healthy children aged 2-6 years were recruited.Serum levels of folate and VB12 were measured using chemiluminescent immunoassay.The Social Responsiveness Scale and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale were used to assess the core symptoms of ASD children,and the Gesell Developmental Schedule was employed to evaluate the level of neurodevelopment.Results The levels of serum folate and VB12 in ASD children were significantly lower than those in healthy children(P＜0.05).Serum folate levels in ASD children were positively correlated with gross and fine motor developmental quotients(P＜0.05),and serum VB12 levels were positively correlated with adaptive behavior,fine motor,and language developmental quotients(P＜0.05).In ASD children aged 2 to＜4 years,serum folate levels were positively correlated with developmental quotients in all domains(P＜0.05),and serum VB12 levels were positively correlated with language developmental quotient(P＜0.05).In male ASD children,serum VB12 levels were positively correlated with language and personal-social developmental quotients(P＜0.05).Conclusions Serum folate and VB12 levels in preschool ASD children are lower than those in healthy children and are associated with neurodevelopmental levels,especially in ASD children under 4 years of age.Therefore,maintaining normal serum folate and VB12 levels may be beneficial for the neurodevelopment of ASD children,especially in ASD children under 4 years of age.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(4):371-377]

Abstract: Objective　To investigate the clinical characteristics and diagnosis key points of brain abscess caused by Nocardia asiatica, and provide a clinical basis for diagnosing and treating intracranial infection caused by Nocardia. Methods　A case of pulmonary Nocardia asiatica complicated with brain abscess diagnosed at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University was selected to analyze the clinical manifestations, cerebrospinal fluid characteristics, pulmonary and cranial imaging features, and treatment plan, and to summarize the diagnosis and treatment experience. Results　The patient was an elderly woman with a history of diabetes, dry cough was the first symptom without fever or headache. At the beginning of the course, it was diagnosed as pulmonary infection and tuberculosis in the local hospital, and received conventional antimicrobial and anti-tuberculosis therapies, but showed no improvement. The patient developed progressive limb weakness, followed by consciousness disorders, and coma. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) adenosine deaminase and lactate dehydrogenase were not abnormal, CSF pressure, protein and white blood cells were high, mainly with multiple nuclear cells. CSF glucose and chloride were normal in the early stage of the disease, but decreased significantly in the later stage. Metagenomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid indicated Nocardia asiatica with a specific sequence number of 537. Lung CT showed exudation, abscess, and cavity in the right lung. Skull MRI scan + enhancement suggested multiple scattered abscesses in both cerebral hemispheres. The abscesses were of different sizes and showed ring enhancement, with extensive surrounding edema, and ventricular compression. After treatment with meropenem, linezolid, and compound sulfamethoxazole tablets, the cerebrospinal fluid recovered, and the lesions in the lungs and intracranial structures improved. Conclusions　Brain abscess caused by Nocardia asiatica is similar to the tuberculous brain in clinical symptoms, cerebrospinal fluid examination, craniocerebral imaging, so we should be alert to the possibility of Nocardia infection in patients with diabetes. At the same time, metagenomic testing of the cerebrospinal fluid can help confirm the diagnosis. The mortality and disability rates of brain abscess caused by Nocardia are high. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve the prognosis.

This study aimed to investigate the development status of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) intervention in psoriasis in recent ten years, analyze the research hotspots, and summarize the development trends to provide reference materials for scholars in this field. Taking the available literature related to the field of TCM intervention in psoriasis as the research object, the trends, contents, and source publications were statistically analyzed based on bibliometrics. The research cooperation and co-occurrence of keywords in this field were studied by the knowledge map analysis method based on CiteSpace. The total number of Chinese papers was 2 993 and English papers 285. In terms of publication trend, the annual publication of English papers was low but showed an obvious upward trend, while the increase in Chinese papers fluctuated and tended to be flat. In terms of the content of Chinese papers published, TCM ranked first according to the discipline(2 415). In English papers, the number of publications in pharmacology and pharmaceutical science was the highest(87). Literature source analysis showed that the Chinese and English journals with the most publications were China Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy and Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, respectively. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine published the most dissertations in China(99). The authors with the most publications in Chinese and English were LI Bin(Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine) and LU Chuan-jian(Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine). As revealed by the CiteSpace analysis of the research cooperation network, there were four mature and stable core teams in this field, but the cooperation intensity between different teams was weak. According to the keywords co-occurrence knowledge graph constructed by CiteSpace, the current hot keywords in this field are as follows: psoriasis, blood-heat syndrome, blood-stasis syndrome, fire needle, blood-dryness type, imiquimod, TCM bath, etiology and pathogenesis, cytokines, cupping therapy, etc. In summary, Chinese scholars have conducted active exploration and research in the field of TCM intervention in psoriasis in recent ten years. The overall development trend is good, and the breadth and depth of the research are constantly extending. It is suggested that relevant research should be free from discipline restrictions and strive for interdisciplinary integration.
Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Psoriasis/drug therapy*

Objective: To understand the current status of diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) /small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) among hematologists, oncologists, and lymphoma physicians from hospitals of different levels in China. Methods: This multicenter questionnaire survey was conducted from March 2021 to July 2021 and included 1,000 eligible physicians. A combination of face-to-face interviews and online questionnaire surveys was used. A standardized questionnaire regarding the composition of patients treated for CLL/SLL, disease diagnosis and prognosis evaluation, concomitant diseases, organ function evaluation, treatment selection, and Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor was used. Results: ①The interviewed physicians stated that the proportion of male patients treated for CLL/SLL is higher than that of females, and the age is mainly concentrated in 61-70 years old. ②Most of the interviewed physicians conducted tests, such as bone marrow biopsies and immunohistochemistry, for patient diagnosis, in addition to the blood test. ③Only 13.7% of the interviewed physicians fully grasped the initial treatment indications recommended by the existing guidelines. ④In terms of cognition of high-risk prognostic factors, physicians' knowledge of unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable and 11q- is far inferior to that of TP53 mutation and complex karyotype, which are two high-risk prognostic factors, and only 17.1% of the interviewed physicians fully mastered CLL International Prognostic Index scoring system. ⑤Among the first-line treatment strategy, BTK inhibitors are used for different types of patients, and physicians have formed a certain understanding that BTK inhibitors should be preferentially used in patients with high-risk factors and elderly patients, but the actual use of BTK inhibitors in different types of patients is not high (31.6%-46.0%). ⑥BTK inhibitors at a reduced dose in actual clinical treatment were used by 69.0% of the physicians, and 66.8% of the physicians had interrupted the BTK inhibitor for >12 days in actual clinical treatment. The use of BTK inhibitors is reduced or interrupted mainly because of adverse reactions, such as atrial fibrillation, severe bone marrow suppression, hemorrhage, and pulmonary infection, as well as patients' payment capacity and effective disease progression control. ⑦Some differences were found in the perceptions and behaviors of hematologists and oncologists regarding the prognostic assessment of CLL/SLL, the choice of treatment options, the clinical use of BTK inhibitors, etc. Conclusion: At present, a gap remains between the diagnosis and treatment of CLL/SLL among Chinese physicians compared with the recommendations in the guidelines regarding the diagnostic criteria, treatment indications, prognosis assessment, accompanying disease assessment, treatment strategy selection, and rational BTK inhibitor use, especially the proportion of dose reduction or BTK inhibitor discontinuation due to high adverse events.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Prognosis ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/therapeutic use*

The Baimai Ointment with the effect of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals demonstrates a definite effect on Baimai disease with pain, spasm, stiffness and other symptoms, while the pharmacodynamic characteristics and mechanism of this agent remain unclear. In this study, a rat model of chronic compression of L4 dorsal root ganglion(CCD) was established by lumbar disc herniation, and the efficacy and mechanism of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of CCD were preliminarily explored by behavioral tests, side effect evaluation, network analysis, antagonist and molecular biology verification. The pharmacodynamic experiment indicated that Baimai Ointment significantly improved the pain thresholds(mechanical pain, thermal pain, and cold pain) and gait behavior of CCD model rats without causing tolerance or obvious toxic and side effects. Baimai Ointment inhibited the second-phase nociceptive response of mice in the formalin test, increased the hot plate threshold of normal mice, and down-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. Network analysis showed that Baimai Ointment had synergistic effect in the treatment of CCD and was related to descending inhibition/facilitation system and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, behavioral tests, Western blot, and immunofluorescence assay revealed that the pain-relieving effect of Baimai Ointment on CCD may be related to the regulation of the interaction between neuroactive ligand and receptors(neuroligands) such as CHRNA7, ADRA2A, and ADRB2, and the down-regulation of the expression of NOS2/pERK/PI3K, the core regulatory element of HIF-1 signaling pathway in spinal microglia. The findings preliminarily reveal the mechanism of relaxing sinew and activating collaterals of Baimai Ointment in the treatment of Baimai disease, providing a reference for the rational drug use and further research of this agent.
Rats ; Mice ; Animals ; Chronic Pain/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism* ; Ligands ; Signal Transduction ; Hyperalgesia/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

OBJECTIVE: To explore the disease spectrum for abnormal 3-hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine (C5OH) metabolism identified through newborn screening and clinical diagnosis patients and the key points for differential diagnosis so as to raise the awareness of pediatricians for such diseases. METHODS: Clinical data of 85 neonates with abnormal C5OH metabolism identified from February 2004 to January 2022 at Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were collected. Their clinical manifestations and results of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and genetic testing were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 85 cases, 46 (54.1%) were identified by neonate screening, whilst 39 (45.9%) were clinically diagnosed patients. Five diseases were diagnosed, including 28 cases with multiple carboxylase deficiency (MCD, 32.9%), 29 cases with 3-methylcrotonyl-coenzymeAcarboxylasedeficiency (MCCD, 34.1%), 4 cases with 3-methylglutaconic acid (3-MGA, 4.7%), 7 cases with 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaric acid (3-HMG, 8.2%), and 17 cases with beta-ketothiolase deficiency (BKD, 20.0%). The disorders were characterized by sudden onset, anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal breathing, consciousness disorder, spasm and developmental delay. CONCLUSION Among newborns with abnormal C5OH metabolism, MCCD is the most common disorder, which was followed by BKD and MCD. For patients with abnormal C5OH metabolism, MCD is the most common, followed by BKD and 3-HMG. C5OH related diseases have great heterogeneity. Combination of blood acylcarnitine levels, urinary organic acid levels and genetic testing based on clinical characteristics can help to attain the diagnosis.
Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; China ; Neonatal Screening ; Retrospective Studies ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods*

Objective:To investigate the application effect of virtual simulation combined with flipped classroom in experimental teaching of the nursing care of falls in the elderly.Methods:The 497 nursing undergraduates in the class of 2019 in Chongqing Medical University were selected as subjects and were then divided into control group (two classes with 251 students) and intervention group (two classes with 246 students). The students in the control group received traditional experimental teaching, and those in the intervention group received blended experimental teaching with virtual simulation combined with flipped classroom. At the end of the course, the use of virtual simulation platform was analyzed for the students in the intervention group, and a questionnaire survey and theoretical examination were used to compare the effect of experimental teaching between the two groups. SPSS 27.0 was used for the t-test and the chi-square test. Results:The frequency of use of the virtual simulation platform was (2.65±1.38) times per person in the intervention group, with an online learning time of 54.12-147.32 minutes. The questionnaire survey showed that compared with the control group, the intervention group had significantly higher scores of the achievement of teaching objectives and teaching satisfaction ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group after teaching, the intervention group had significantly higher scores of teaching promotion in terms of stimulating learning interest, cultivating self-learning ability, developing clinical thinking ability, improving innovation, and enhancing health education ability ( P<0.05). The intervention group had a significantly higher theoretical examination score than the control group [(79.38±5.09) vs. (77.88±4.97), P<0.05]. Conclusions:In the blended experimental teaching of the nursing care of falls in the elderly, virtual simulation combined with flipped classroom can help students master related knowledge and skills and cultivate their self-learning ability, clinical thinking ability, innovation ability, and health education ability.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and risk factors of self-reported cancer in adults in China in 2015. Methods: The data used in this study were from China Chronic Disease and Risk Factors Surveillance in 2015. The frequency and proportion of the classified variables were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the disordered classified variables were compared by χ² test, and the possible risk factors of cancer patients were screened by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: In 2015, there were 1 809 self-reported tumors patients in China, including 689 males (0.63%), 1 120 females (1.03%), 769 (0.71%) in the eastern region, 465 (0.43%) in the central region and 575 (0.53%) in the western region. The patients were mainly distributed in people aged 45- and 55- years old, being overweight or obese, living in eastern urban area, having low education level, being married, having low annual household income and being occupational population. The results of multivariate logistic regression showed that compared with the western region, the prevalence rate of cancer was higher in the eastern region (OR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.04-1.06), while lower in the central region (OR=0.94, 95%CI: 0.93-0.95); the risk for cancer in people with family history of malignancy was higher than that in people without family history of malignancy (OR=1.95, 95%CI:1.94-1.96) the risk for cancer in people with an annual household income of less than 10 000 yuan or between 10 000 and 50 000 yuan was higher than that in people with an annual household income of more than 50 000 yuan (<10 000 yuan: OR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.58-1.60; between 10 000 and 50 000 yuan: OR=1.27, 95%CI: 1.26-1.28); and the risk for cancer in people living urban areas was lower than that in people living in rural areas (OR=0.98, 95%CI: 0.97-0.99). In terms of personal behavior and diet, the risk for cancer in smokers was 1.25 times higher than that in non-smokers (OR=1.25, 95%CI: 1.24-1.26), and the risk for cancer in alcoholics was 1.16 times higher than that in non-alcoholics (OR=1.16, 95%CI: 1.15-1.17), the risk for cancer in people with insufficient vegetable and fruit intakes was 1.29 times and 1.03 times higher than those in people with sufficient intakes of vegetables and fruits, respectively (OR=1.29, 95%CI: 1.28-1.30;OR=1.03,95%CI: 1.02-1.04). People with low frequency of high-intensity exercise had a higher risk for cancer compared with those with high frequency of high-intensity exercise (OR=1.32, 95%CI: 1.31-1.33), the risk for cancer was higher in people with low frequency of moderate exercise than in people with high frequency of moderate exercise (OR=1.08, 95%CI: 1.07-1.09). The risk for cancer in people with sedentary time less than 2 hours was higher than that in those with sedentary time more than 2 hours (OR=1.69, 95%CI: 1.68-1.70), and the risk for cancer in people who ate moderate amount of red meat was lower than that in people who ate excessive amount of red meat (OR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.85-0.87). Conclusions: The number of female self-reported cancer was more than that in males, and the number of self-reported cancer in the eastern region was higher than that in the central and western regions. Living in eastern region, with family history of malignancy, having low annual household income, smoking, drinking, insufficient vegetable intake, insufficient fruit intake and low frequency of high-intensity exercise and low frequency of moderate intensity exercise were the main risk factors for cancer, while living in central region, living in urban area and low red meat intake were protective factors.
Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Self Report ; Vegetables