Objective To investigate the changes in plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) level and their relationship with white matter microstructure in the patients with amnesic mild cognitive impairment(aMCI) and vascular mild cognitive impairment (vMCI).Methods A total of 36 aMCI patients,20 vMCI patients,and 34 sex and age matched healthy controls (HC) in the outpatient and inpatient departments of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University were enrolled in this study.Neuropsychological scales,including the Mini-Mental State Examination,the Montreal Cognitive Assessment,and the Activity of Daily Living Scale,were employed to assess the participants.Plasma samples of all the participants were collected for the measurement of Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels.All the participants underwent magnetic resonance scanning to obtain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data.The DTI indexes of 48 white matter regions of each individual were measured (based on the ICBM-DTI-81 white-matter labels atlas developed by Johns Hopkins University),including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD).The cognitive function,plasma Aβ42,Aβ40,and Aβ42/40 levels,and DTI index were compared among the three groups.The correlations between the plasma Aβ42/40 levels and DTI index of aMCI and vMCI patients were analyzed.Results The Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores of aMCI and vMCI groups were lower than those of the HC group (all P<0.001).There was no significant difference in the Activity of Daily Living Scale score among the three groups (P=0.654).The plasma Aβ42 level showed no significant difference among the three groups (P=0.227).The plasma Aβ40 level in the vMCI group was higher than that in the HC group (P=0.014),while it showed no significant difference between aMCI and HC groups (P=1.000).The plasma Aβ42/40 levels in aMCI and vMCI groups showed no significant differences from that in the HC group (P=1.000,P=0.105),while the plasma Aβ42/40 level was lower in the vMCI group than in the aMCI group (P=0.016).The FA value of the left anterior limb of internal capsule in the vMCI group was lower than those in HC and aMCI groups (all P=0.001).The MD values of the left superior corona radiata,left external capsule,left cingulum (cingulate gyrus),and left superior fronto-occipital fasciculus in the vMCI group were higher than those in HC (P=0.024,P=0.001,P=0.003,P<0.001) and aMCI (P=0.015,P=0.004,P=0.019,P=0.001) groups,while the MD values of the right posterior limb of internal capsule (P=0.005,P=0.001) and left cingulum (hippocampus) (P=0.017,P=0.031) in the aMCI and vMCI groups were higher than those in the HC group.In the aMCI group,plasma Aβ42/40 level was positively correlated with FA of left posterior limb of internal capsule (r=0.403,P=0.015) and negatively correlated with MD of the right fonix (r=-0.395,P=0.017).In the vMCI group,plasma Aβ42/40 level was positively correlated with FA of the right superior cerebellar peduncle and the right anterior limb of internal capsule (r=0.575,P=0.008;r=0.639,P=0.002),while it was negatively correlated with MD of the right superior cerebellar peduncle and the right anterior limb of internal capsule (r=-0.558,P=0.011;r=-0.626,P=0.003).Conclusions Plasma Aβ levels vary differently in the patients with aMCI and vMCI.The white matter regions of impaired microstructural integrity differ in the patients with different dementia types in the early stage.The plasma Aβ levels in the patients with aMCI and vMCI are associated with the structural integrity of white matter,and there is regional specificity between them.
Humans ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; White Matter/diagnostic imaging* ; Cognitive Dysfunction ; Outpatients ; Cognition ; Amyloid beta-Peptides

AIM: To investigate the impact of meteorological factors in different environments in the eastern and western regions of China on the incidence of lipid-abnormal dry eye.METHODS: This is a multicenter retrospective study. From March 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022, all patients with dry eye were selected from the ophthalmology clinic of Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and Friendship Hospital of Xinjiang Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. General data(gender, age, employment and education)and climate data for outdoor environments(temperature, humidity, air quality index and wind)on the day of the visit were collected. Patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected. Single factor, multiple factors and nonlinear model analysis were applied to identify environmental factors of lipid-abnormal dry eye in both regions.RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the incidence of lipid-abnormal dry eye between Nanjing and Yili in different seasons. The incidence of lipid-abnormal dry eye in Yili was significantly higher in all seasons than in Nanjing(P<0.001). The results of univariate research showed that the factors affecting the incidence of lipid-abnormal dry eye were gender, employment, humidity, air quality, and wind. The results of multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that humidity, temperature and air quality were statistically significant, and remained significant after adjusting for the three confounding factors of age, gender and employment situation. Nonlinear analysis showed that the probability of lipid-abnormal dry eye increased with the decrease of temperature when the temperature was below 10℃; within the range of 10℃～15℃, the probability of lipid-abnormal dry eye tended to stabilize. When the temperature exceeded 15℃, the probability of lipid-abnormal dry eye increased with the increase of temperature. Humidity was negatively correlated with the onset of lipid-abnormal dry eye. As humidity increased, the probability of lipid-abnormal dry eye decreased.CONCLUSIONS: The risk of lipid-abnormal dry eye in Yili is higher than that in Nanjing throughout the four seasons. Humidity, temperature, air quality and other environmental and meteorological factors can all affect the incidence of lipid-abnormal dry eye.

Objective:To evaluate the residual risk (RR) of transfusion transmitted HIV (TT-HIV) after the implementation of nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) in blood screening test among blood centers in China.Methods:The data of blood donors and HIV infection markers from 2017 to 2020 were collected from 28 blood centers via the Platform of Comparison of blood establishments Practice in Chinese Mainland. The new infection rate/window period mathematical model was used for two types of blood screening strategies, namely, two rounds ELISA plus individual NAT take turn with pooling NAT (2ELISA+ ID-NAT/MP-NAT) and two ELISA plus one round pooling NAT (2ELISA+ MP-NAT), and the RR of HIV infection was estimated also based on first donors (FDs) and repeated donors (RDs) in different blood donation years. T-test analyses were conducted for comparing TT HIV RR among FDs and RDs in different blood donation years with two blood screening strategies, and the variation trend of RR in HIV test was observed.Results:From 2017 to 2020, the RR of FDs in 2ELISA+ ID-NAT/MP-NAT blood screening strategy was 2.869/10 6 person-year, 3.795/10 6 persons-year, 3.879/10 6 person-year, and 2.890/10 6 person-year respectively. The RR of RDs was 1.797/10 6 person-year, 1.502/10 6 person-year, 1.857/10 6 person-year, and 1.483/10 6 person-year respectively. Significant difference exists between RR of FDs and RDs, with F=9.898 and p<0.05. In 2ELISA+ MP-NAT strategy, the RR of FDs was 3.508/10 6 person-year, 1.868/10 6 person-year, 2.204/10 6 person-year, and 1.765/10 6 person-year respectively. The RR of RDs was 0.948/10 6 person-year, 0.926/10 6 person-year, 0.748/10 6 person-year, and 0.682/10 6 person-year respectively. Statistical difference existed between RR of FDs and RDs, with F=17.126 and P<0.05. There was no significant difference between the RR of FDs in these two strategies with F=3.493 and P>0.05, while there was a difference between the RR of RDs in these two strategies with F=24.516 and P<0.05, and a difference between the RR of total donors (TDs) in these two strategies F=20.216 and P<0.05. Conclusions:The RR of TT HIV significantly decreased after the introduction of NAT into blood test among blood centers in China. There were some differences in the RR of HIV testing among different blood screening strategies. There could be significant differences in the RR of HIV testing among different groups of blood donors. Compared with FDs, RDs is the low risk group for HIV.

BACKGROUND: Intensive phototherapy (IPT) and exchange transfusion (ET) are the main treatments for extreme hyperbilirubinemia. However, there is no reliable evidence on determining the thresholds for these treatments. This multicenter study compared the effectiveness and complications of IPT and ET in the treatment of extreme hyperbilirubinemia. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was conducted in seven centers from January 2015 to January 2018. Patients with extreme hyperbilirubinemia that met the criteria of ET were included. Patients were divided into three subgroups (low-, medium-, and high- risk) according to gestational week and risk factors. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the data before treatment. Study outcomes included the development of bilirubin encephalopathy, duration of hospitalization, expenses, and complications. Mortality, auditory complications, seizures, enamel dysplasia, ocular motility disorders, athetosis, motor, and language development were evaluated during follow-up at age of 3 years. RESULTS: A total of 1164 patients were included in this study. After PSM, 296 patients in the IPT only group and 296 patients in the IPT plus ET group were further divided into the low-, medium-, and high-risk subgroups with 188, 364, and 40 matched patients, respectively. No significant differences were found between the IPT only and IPT plus ET groups in terms of morbidity, complications, and sequelae. Hospitalization duration and expenses were lower in the low- and medium-risk subgroups in the IPT only group. CONCLUSIONS In this study, our results suggest that IPT is a safe and effective treatment for extreme hyperbilirubinemia. The indication of ET for patients with hyperbilirubinemia could be stricter. However, it is necessary to have a contingency plan for emergency ET as soon as IPT is commenced especially for infants with risk factors. If IPT can be guaranteed and proved to be therapeutic, ET should be avoided as much as possible.
Child, Preschool ; Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal/therapy* ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Kernicterus/therapy* ; Phototherapy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies

A total of 15 batches of the substance reference of Guizhi Jia Gegen Decoction(GZGGD) were prepared and the characteristic fingerprints of them were established. Furthermore, the similarity of the fingerprints and peak attributes were explored. The extraction rate, and the content and the transfer rate ranges of the index components, puerarin, paeoniflorin, liquiritin, and ammonium glycyrrhizate were determined for the analysis of the quality value transfer. The result demonstrated that the fingerprints of the 15 batches of the samples showed high similarity(>0.99). A total of 15 characteristic peaks were identified from the fingerprints, with 10 for Puerariae Lobatae Radix, 1 for Cinnamomi Ramulus, 2 for Paeoniae Radix Alba, and 2 for Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. The content of puerarin was 11.05-18.35 mg·g~(-1) and the average transfer rate was 21.27%-39.49%. The corresponding figures were 7.95-10.90 mg·g~(-1) and 23.28%-43.23% for paeoniflorin, 3.25-4.95 mg·g~(-1) and 32.31%-61.27% for ammonium glycyrrhizate, and 3.65-5.80 mg·g~(-1) and 14.57%-27.05% for liquiritin. The extraction rate of the 15 batches of samples was in the range of 16.85%-21.78%. In this paper, the quality value transfer of the substance reference of GZGGD was analyzed based on characteristic fingerprint, content of index components, and the extraction rate. This study is expected to lay a basis for the quality control and further development of GZGGD.
Ammonium Compounds ; Benchmarking ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Paeonia

A new lignan glucoside,(+)-fragransin A_2-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(1), has been isolated from the dry root of Paeonia lactiflora by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and MCI-gel resin, as well as preparative RP-HPLC. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis(MS, UV, IR, CD, 1 D and 2 D NMR) and chemical method. Compound 1 showed moderate inhibition against lipopolysaccharide induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophages, with an IC_(50) value of 21.3 μmol·L~(-1).
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Glucosides ; Lignans ; Paeonia ; Plant Extracts

Background and Objectives: The effective use of MSCs for the treatment of some B cell-mediated immune diseases is quite limited. The main reason is that the immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on B cells are unclear, and their underlying mechanisms have not been fully explored. Methods: and Results: By co-culturing B cells with MSCs without (MSC/CTLsh) or with suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) knockdown (MSC/SOCS1sh), we found that MSCs inhibited B cell proliferation, activation and terminal differentiation. Remarkably, the highest inhibition of B cell proliferation was observed in MSC/SOCS1sh co-culture. Besides, MSC/SOCS1sh reversed the inhibitory effect of MSCs in the last stage of B cell differentiation. However, MSC/SOCS1sh had no effect on inhibiting B cell activation by MSCs. We also showed that IgA+ B cell production was significantly higher in MSC/SOCS1sh than in MSC/CTLsh, although no difference was observed when both MSCs co-cultures were compared to isolated B cells. In addition, MSCs increased PGE2 production after TNF-α/IFN-γ stimulation, with the highest increase observed in MSC/SOCS1sh co-culture. Conclusions Our results highlighted the role of SOCS1 as an important new mediator in the regulation of B cell function by MSCs. Therefore, these data may help to develop new treatments for B cell-mediated immune diseases.

Purpose::To investigate the accuracy and efficiency of bedside ultrasonography application performed by certified sonographer in emergency patients with blunt abdominal trauma.Methods::The study was carried out from 2017 to 2019. Findings in operations or on computed tomography (CT) were used as references to evaluate the accuracy of bedside abdominal ultrasonography. The time needed for bedside abdominal ultrasonography or CT examination was collected separately to evaluate the efficiency of bedside abdominal ultrasonography application.Results::Bedside abdominal ultrasonography was performed in 106 patients with blunt abdominal trauma, of which 71 critical patients received surgery. The overall diagnostic accordance rate was 88.68%. The diagnostic accordance rate for liver injury, spleen injury, kidney injury, gut perforation, retroperitoneal hematoma and multiple abdominal organ injury were 100%, 94.73%, 94.12%, 20.00%, 100% and 81.48%, respectively. Among the 71 critical patients, the diagnostic accordance rate was 94.37%, in which the diagnostic accordance rate for liver injury, spleen injury, kidney injury, gut perforation and multiple abdominal organ injury were 100%, 100%, 100%, 20.00% and 100%. The mean time for imaging examination of bedside abdominal ultrasonography was longer than that for CT scan (4.45 ± 1.63 vs. 2.38 ± 1.19) min; however, the mean waiting time before examination (7.37 ± 2.01 vs. 16.42 ± 6.37) min, the time to make a diagnostic report (6.42 ± 3.35 vs. 36.26 ± 13.33) min, and the overall time (17.24 ± 2.33 vs. 55.06 ± 6.96) min were shorter for bedside abdominal ultrasonography than for CT scan. Conclusion::Bedside ultrasonography application provides both efficiency and reliability for the assessment of blunt abdominal trauma. Especially for patients with free peritoneal effusion and critical patients, bedside ultrasonography has been proved obvious advantageous. However, for negative bedside ultrasonography patients with blunt abdominal trauma, we recommend further abdominal CT scan or serial ultrasonography scans subsequently.

Objective To explore the experience of infantile liver transplantation ,reconstructing portal vein (PV) and avoid the higher incidence of portal vein low flow and complications .Methods The clinical data were reviewed for 152 infantile liver transplantations performed by a single surgery group .And 114 cases with PV risk factors underwent customized PV reconstructions .All of them were diagnosed as cholestatic liver diseases and 106 (93％ ) belonged to biliary atresia .Forty-two cases (36％ ) had 2 or more risk factors .Results Most cases (n= 106 ,93％ ) underwent living donor transplantations using lateral left graft while another 8 cases had deceased donor transplantations . Four types of PV reconstructions were adopted based upon individual conditions :left/right branch of PV trunk (n= 103) ,autogenous patch PV venoplastic reconstruction (n= 3) ,duct-to-duct of PV trunk (n= 5) and donor PV duct-to-recipient confluence of SMV/CV and SV (n= 3) .Graft size reduction was performed when GRWR > 4 .5％ (n= 16) .During a median follow-up period of 6 .5 (1 .5-13) months ,there were 3 LPVF (2 .6％ ) ,2PVS (1 .7％ ) and 1 PVT (0 .8％ ) .Three LPVF cases was corrected by PV stenting ,two cases of PVS were stable after anticoagulation therapy while one PVT case undergoing thromboectomy plus PV stenting resumed a normal PV flow .Conclusions PV reconstruction of high-risk infants require comprehensive risk evaluations ,precise surgical skills and customized strategies .For PV complications ,stenting is both safe and feasible .

Objective: To observe the effect of Shenqi compound recipe on glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with Qi and Yin deficiency and blood stasis syndrome newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and its intervention effect on intestinal microecology and serum proinflammatory factors. Method: The 106 eligible patients were divided into the observation group (54 cases) and the control group (52 cases) by random number table method. Another 40 healthy volunteers in physical examination center of the hospital during the same period were enrolled as health control group. On the basis of Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in China(2013 edition), control group was provided lifestyle interventions, such as reasonable diet, weight control, moderate exercise, salt restriction, tobacco control, alcohol restriction and psychological balance. In addition to the therapy of the control group, the observation group was given Shengi compound for oral administration, 2 times/days. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. The fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial 2 h blood glucose (PBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) before and after treatment were evaluated. The structure and quantity of intestinal flora before and after treatment were detected. The traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)symptom was scored. The levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured before and after treatment. Result: FBG, PBG, HbA1c and HOMA-IR levels in observation group were lower than those in control group (P<0.05). The operational taxonomy unit (OUT) of observation group was higher than that of control group (P<0.05). The abundances of Bacteroides and Klebsiella in observation group were higher than those in control group, while actinomyces abundance was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05). TC, TG and LDL-C levels in observation group were lower than those in control group, while HDL-C was higher than that in control group (P<0.05). IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α levels in observation group were lower than those in control group (P<0.01). Rank-sum test showed that the efficacy on diseases of observation group was better than that of control group after treatment (Z=2.134, P<0.05). Conclusion: Shenqi compound can regulate blood glucose and blood lipid in patients with newly diagnosed T2DM (Qi and Yin deficiency and blood stasis syndrome), improve IR, intestinal microecology imbalance, and reduce non-specific inflammatory response, with a good clinical efficacy on intestinal microecology of patients with Qi and Yin deficiency and blood stasis syndrome newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.