Objective:To analyze the disease characteristics of aspiration pneumonia and its risk factors.Methods:In this retrospective case-control study, analysis was conducted on data from 92 patients aged ≥ 60 years admitted to Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University between June 1, 2018 and July 31, 2022, with aspiration pneumonia(AsP) as the primary diagnosis at the time of hospital discharge and from non-AsP patients admitted during the same period.The number of participants was matched at a 1∶1 ratio.Results:The average age of the AsP group was(80.88 ± 9.41) years and 57(62.0%) were men.The average age of the control group was(77.74 ± 10.98) years and 52(56.5%) were men.There was no statistically significant difference in age and sex ratio(age: t=1.973, P=0.060; sex ratio: χ2=0.661, P=0.416).Univariate analysis showed that, at admission, body mass index(BMI) and activities of daily living(ADL) scores of the AsP group were lower than those of the non-AsP group, the proportions of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, acute trauma, cerebrovascular disease, history of cerebral infarction/hemorrhage and sequelae of cerebrovascular disease were higher than those of the non-AsP group(all P<0.05), and the proportions of patients receiving feeding via indwelling nasogastric intubation and tracheal intubation were also higher in the AsP group(all P<0.05).The white blood cell count, the percentage of neutrophils and the procalcitonin level in the first round of tests were higher in the AsP group than those in the non-AsP group and the maximum values of the above parameters during hospitalization were also higher than those in non-AsP patients, while the levels of albumin and prealbumin were lower than those in the non-AsP group( P<0.05 for all).Chest CT showed that 83.7%(77/92) of patients with AsP had bilateral pneumonia, higher than 55.4%(51/92) in the non-AsP group( χ2=8.569, P=0.014).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that male sex( OR=16.206, 95% CI: 1.268-207.191, P=0.032) was a risk factor for AsP, and BMI( OR=0.747, 95% CI: 0.582-0.959, P=0.022) and ADL score at admission( OR=0.945, 95% CI: 0.903-0.988, P=0.014) were protective factors against AsP.ADL score at admission( OR=0.951, 95% CI: 0.907-0.982, P=0.043), tumor history( OR=6.859, 95% CI: 1.484-31.700, P=0.014), history of cerebral infarction/intracerebral hemorrhage( OR=4.368, 95% CI: 1.087-17.511, P=0.038), history of chronic renal insufficiency( OR=5.820, 95% CI: 1.445-23.440, P=0.013), acute respiratory failure( OR=5.281, 95% CI: 1.237-22.545, P=0.013) and myocardial infarction( OR=9.466, 95% CI: 2.151-41.660, P=0.003) were independent factors affecting the prognosis of pneumonia in the elderly. Conclusions:Aspiration pneumonia in the elderly is more common in men and in individuals with low BMI and low ADL scores.There is no increased risk of mortality in people with AsP, compared with people without AsP, but some risk factors in AsP patients may lead to poor prognosis, calling for increased awareness and early intervention in clinical practice.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of extracellular volume(ECV)based on CT delayed phase in combination with pathologic indicators in predicting early recurrence of gastric mesenchymal tumors after surgery.Methods A retrospective case-control trial was conducted on the imaging,clinical and pathological data of 110 patients with gastric mesenchymal tumors who were surgically resected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from January 2011 to August 2022.They were 60 males and 50 females,at a mean age of 58±10 years.All of them received preoperative multiphase dynamic CT enhancement examination of the abdomen,and ECV value was calculated with the formula:ECV=(1-hematocrit)×(△HU tumor/△HU aorta).According to the postoperative recurrence within 24 months after surgery,they were divided into early recurrence group and non early recurrence group.Statistical indexes:① Consistency analysis.② The factors affecting early recurrence after resection of gastric mesenchymal stromal tumors were analyzed and a prediction model was conducted.Delong test was used to assess the predictive value of the model.Then a nomogram was plotted based on the combines model,and calibration curves were drawn to assess the efficacy of the column charts,and decision curve analysis(DCA)was adopted to assess the value of the model for clinical application.Results ① Consistency analysis.After 2 radiologists outlined the region of interest and obtained ECV value according to the above formula,The intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC)was 0.806.② For the 110 subjected patients,21 cases of them had early recurrence,and 89 one did not.Multivariate analysis showed that ECV value,risk degree,and tumor length were independent influencing factors for predicting early recurrence.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis indicated that the area under the curve(AUC)value of ECV,hazard degree,and tumor length diameter in predicting early recurrence was 0.838(95％CI 0.758～0.918),0.774(95％CI 0.656～0.892),and 0.700(95％CI 0.589～0.810),respectively,and the value of their combined model was 0.899(95％CI 0.811～0.987),which was higher than that of each independent model.The sensitivity and specificity of the combined model was 85.71％and 86.52％,respectively,and the optimal cutoff value was 0.19.Delong test revealed that there was statistical difference between the combined model and the clinical model established by the hazard level(Z=6.548,P＜0.001,95％CI 0.140～0.259).Calibration curve analysis suggested that the combined model had a better fit,and DCA displayed that the combined model had a better net benefit.Conclusion The model established by ECV combined with pathological indicators has good predictive performance and can be used as a more effective predictor of early recurrence of gastric mesenchymal tumors after surgery.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate whether the onset of the plateau phase of slow hepatitis B surface antigen decline in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated with intermittent interferon therapy is related to the frequency of dendritic cell subsets and expression of the costimulatory molecules CD40,CD80,CD83,and CD86. Method This was a cross-sectional study in which patients were divided into a natural history group(namely NH group),a long-term oral nucleoside analogs treatment group(namely NA group),and a plateau-arriving group(namely P group).The percentage of plasmacytoid dendritic cell and myeloid dendritic cell subsets in peripheral blood lymphocytes and monocytes and the mean fluorescence intensity of their surface costimulatory molecules were detected using a flow cytometer. Results In total,143 patients were enrolled(NH group,n = 49;NA group,n = 47;P group,n = 47).The results demonstrated that CD141/CD1c double negative myeloid dendritic cell(DNmDC)/lymphocytes and monocytes(%)in P group(0.041[0.024,0.069])was significantly lower than that in NH group(0.270[0.135,0.407])and NA group(0.273[0.150,0.443]),and CD86 mean fluorescence intensity of DNmDCs in P group(1832.0[1484.0,2793.0])was significantly lower than that in NH group(4316.0[2958.0,5169.0])and NA group(3299.0[2534.0,4371.0]),Adjusted P all<0.001. Conclusion Reduced DNmDCs and impaired maturation may be associated with the onset of the plateau phase during intermittent interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Objective To explore characteristics of clinical parameters and cytokines in patients with drug-induced liver injury(DILI)caused by different drugs and their correlation with clinical indicators. Method The study was conducted on patients who were up to Review of Uncertainties in Confidence Assessment for Medical Tests(RUCAM)scoring criteria and clinically diagnosed with DILI.Based on Chinese herbal medicine,cardiovascular drugs,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),anti-infective drugs,and other drugs,patients were divided into five groups.Cytokines were measured by Luminex technology.Baseline characteristics of clinical biochemical indicators and cytokines in DILI patients and their correlation were analyzed. Results 73 patients were enrolled.Age among five groups was statistically different(P=0.032).Alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P=0.033)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)(P=0.007)in NSAIDs group were higher than those in chinese herbal medicine group.Interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in patients with Chinese herbal medicine(IL-6:P<0.001;TNF-α:P<0.001)and cardiovascular medicine(IL-6:P=0.020;TNF-α:P=0.001)were lower than those in NSAIDs group.There was a positive correlation between ALT(r=0.697,P=0.025),AST(r=0.721,P=0.019),and IL-6 in NSAIDs group. Conclusion Older age may be more prone to DILI.Patients with NSAIDs have more severe liver damage in early stages of DILI,TNF-α and IL-6 may partake the inflammatory process of DILI.

Objective To explore the mechanism of'homotherapy for heteropathy'Zhigancao Decoction in the treatment of coronary heart disease arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.Methods All the active components of Zhigancao Decoction were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)and Herbal Compendium(HERB).The SwissTargetPrediction database was used to predict the targets.Cytoscape software was used to construct the drugs-targets network diagram and network topology analysis was performed to obtain the core drug targets.The disease targets of coronary heart disease,arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis were obtained in GeneCards and OMIM databases,and the intersection targets of Chinese medicine and disease were obtained by Venny software.The intersection targets were imported into the STRING online database to construct a protein-protein interaction network,and the data were imported into Cytoscape software for visualization and screening of core targets.Gene ontology(GO)function enrichment analysis and kyto encyclo-pedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the intersection targets using the Metascape database.Molecular docking verification and heat map visualization were performed on the core intersection target and the core drug target through the CB-DOCK2 online platform.Results A total of 137 active components of Zhigancao Decoction were screened out,and 848 corresponding drug targets were obtained by removing repeated values.A total of 9 962 targets of coronary heart disease,5 735 targets of arrhythmia and 7 722 targets of pulmonary fibrosis were obtained.A total of 362 drug-disease intersection targets were obtained by Venny platform processing.The potential core targets with higher degree values were GAPDH,IL-6,ALB,STAT3,TNF,MMP-9 and so on by network topology analysis.GO functional enrichment analysis showed that the main biological processes(BP)involved in Zhigancao Decoction'homotherapy for heteropathy'were the response to hormones,the positive regulation of circulatory system process,phosphorus metabolism process,the response to exogenous stimulation,and the response to organic matter,the main cellular components(CC)include lipid rafts,receptor complexes,cytoplasmic perinuclear regions,dendrites,membrane sides,etc.,the main molecular functions(MF)include protein kinase activity,kinase binding,protein homopolymerization activity,nuclear receptor activity,heme binding,etc..KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the main signaling pathways involved in Zhigancao Decoction'homotherapy for heteropathy'were lipid and atherosclerosis,calcium signaling pathway,cAMP signaling pathway,insulin resistance,cGMP-PKG signaling pathway,JAK-STAT signaling pathway,NF-κB signaling pathway,etc..The results of molecular docking suggested that there was a good binding activity between the main active component targets of Zhigancao Decoction and the core targets of'homotherapy for heteropathy'.Conclusion Zhigancao Decoction mainly regulates JAK-STAT,NF-κB,cAMP and other signaling pathways,acts on IL-6,STAT3,TNF,MMP-9 and other gene targets,and exerts the effect of'homotherapy for heteropathy'on coronary heart disease arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To summarize the reasons and management strategies of reoperation after oblique lateral interbody fusion(OLIF),and put forward preventive measures.Methods From October 2015 to December 2019,23 patients who under-went reoperation after OLIF in four spine surgery centers were retrospectively analyzed.There were 9 males and 14 females with an average age of(61.89±8.80)years old ranging from 44 to 81 years old.The index diagnosis was degenerative lumbar intervertebral dics diseases in 3 cases,discogenie low back pain in 1 case,degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis in 6 cases,lumbar spinal stenosis in 9 cases and degenerative lumbar spinal kyphoscoliosis in 4 cases.Sixteen patients were primarily treated with Stand-alone OLIF procedures and 7 cases were primarily treated with OLIF combined with posterior pedicle screw fixation.There were 17 cases of single fusion segment,2 of 2 fusion segments,4 of 3 fusion segments.All the cases underwent reoperation within 3 months after the initial surgery.The strategies of reoperation included supplementary posterior pedicle screw instrumentation in 16 cases;posterior laminectomy,cage adjustment and neurolysis in 2 cases,arthroplasty and neuroly-sis under endoscope in 1 case,posterior laminectomy and neurolysis in 1 case,pedicle screw adjustment in 1 case,exploration and decompression under percutaneous endoscopic in 1 case,interbody fusion cage and pedicle screw revision in 1 case.Visu-al analogue scale(VAS)and Oswestry disability index(ODI)index were used to evaluate and compare the recovery of low back pain and lumbar function before reoperation and at the last follow-up.During the follow-up process,the phenomenon of fusion cage settlement or re-displacement,as well as the condition of intervertebral fusion,were observed.The changes in in-tervertebral space height before the first operation,after the first operation,before the second operation,3 to 5 days after the second operation,6 months after the second operation,and at the latest follow-up were measured and compared.Results There was no skin necrosis and infection.All patients were followed up from 12 to 48 months with an average of(28.1±7.3)months.Nerve root injury symptoms were relieved within 3 to 6 months.No cage transverse shifting and no dislodgement,loosening or breakage of the instrumentation was observed in any patient during the follow-up period.Though the intervertebral disc height was obviously increased at the first postoperative,there was a rapid loss in the early stage,and still partially lost after reopera-tion.The VAS for back pain recovered from(6.20±1.69)points preoperatively to(1.60±0.71)points postoperatively(P＜0.05).The ODI recovered from(40.60±7.01)％preoperatively to(9.14±2.66)％postoperatively(P＜0.05).Conclusion There is a risk of reoperation due to failure after OLIF surgery.The reasons for reoperation include preoperative bone loss or osteoporosis the initial surgery was performed by Stand-alone,intraoperative endplate injury,significant subsidence of the fusion cage after surgery,postoperative fusion cage displacement,nerve damage,etc.As long as it is discovered in a timely manner and handled properly,further surgery after OLIF surgery can achieve better clinical results,but prevention still needs to be strengthened.

Aim To explore the ameliorative effects of berberine(BBR)on diabetic nephropathy(DN)in mice and investigate its potential mechanisms through transcriptomic analysis.Methods 8-week-old db/db mice were randomly assigned into four groups:model group(DN group),BBR 50 mg·kg-1 group(BBR-L group),BBR 100 mg·kg-1 group(BBR-H group),and empagliflozin 10 mg·kg-1 group(EMPA group).Age-matched db/m mice were used as the control group(NC group),with eight mice in each group.Each group received intragastric administration once daily for eight weeks.After the treatment,serum,u-rine,and kidney samples were collected to evaluate re-nal function indicators and observe renal pathological changes.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)in kidney tissue were identified through transcriptomic a-nalysis,followed by KEGG and GO enrichment analy-sis.Potential targets were further validated using mo-lecular docking,molecular dynamics simulations,West-ern blot,and immunohistochemistry.Results Both BBR and EMPA significantly reduced fasting blood glu-cose levels in DN mice,improved renal function,and alleviated renal injury and fibrosis.Compared to the NC group,855 DEGs were identified in the DN group,while 194 DEGs were identified in the BBR-H group compared to the DN group.KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the mechanisms underlying BBR's effects on DN were primarily related to type 1 diabetes and bile secretion pathways.Molecular docking results demonstrated a strong binding affinity between BBR and FXR and a moderate binding affinity with SHP.Molecular dynamics simulations corroborated the doc-king results.FXR and SHP protein expression signifi-cantly decreased in the DN group compared to the NC group.At the same time,BBR treatment significantly increased the expression of these proteins compared to the DN group.Conclusion BBR may mitigate DN-in-duced renal injury by modulating bile acid and lipid homeostasis through the FXR-SHP pathway.

Objective:To compare the differences in inhaled medication prescriptions among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who visited the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GOLD 2023) one year after its release and the previous year, and to analyze the impact of GOLD 2023 on physician inhaled medication prescriptions.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study, with data sourced from the RealDTC study. The study subjects were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients who visited the respiratory and critical care departments of 13 hospitals in southern China from November 14, 2021 to November 15, 2023. According to the time of patient visits, they are divided into the following two groups: the group 1 year before the release of GOLD 2023 (November 14, 2021 to November 14, 2022), and the group 1 year after the release of GOLD 2023 (November 15, 2022 to November 15, 2023). We collected demographic characteristics, lung function, symptom scores, history of acute exacerbation in the past year, and inhaled medication prescriptions from patients. According to the symptom score of COPD patients in GOLD 2023 and their history of acute exacerbation in the past year, they were divided into three groups: A, B, and E. The treatment status of inhaled drugs in groups A, B, and E before and after the release of GOLD 2023 was compared.Results:There were statistically significant differences in COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores, Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scores, and the number of acute exacerbations in the past year between patients with COPD before and after the release of GOLD 2023 (all P<0.05). Compared with the group one year before the release of GOLD 2023, the proportion of patients in the group one year after the release of GOLD 2023 using long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) and inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)+ long-acting β2-receptor agonists (LABA) was lower, while the proportion of patients using LABA+ LAMA and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA was higher (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in the proportion of patients in group A using LAMA between the year before and after the release of GOLD 2023. Compared to the year before the release of GOLD 2023, the proportion of patients in group A who prescribed ICS+ LABA was lower, while the proportion of using LABA+ LAMA and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA was higher (all P<0.05); The proportion of patients in group B who prescribed LAMA and ICS+ LABA was lower (all P<0.05), while the proportion of using LABA+ LAMA and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA was higher (all P<0.05); The proportion of patients in group E who prescribed LAMA and ICS+ LABA was lower (all P<0.05), while the proportion of using LABA+ LAMA and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA was higher (all P<0.05). Conclusions:After the release of GOLD 2023, the prescription of ICS+ LAMA in groups A, B, and E decreased, and the prescriptions of LABA+ LAMA and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA increased compared to before; However, in the real world, the compliance of physicians with GOLD 2023 is still not ideal.

Platelet count is an important basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment decisions,and accurate platelet count can assist in making correct clinical diagnosis and taking effective treatment measures in clinical practice.The common detection methods for platelet counting were reviewed,including peripheral blood smear platelet estimation,sheath flow impedance,optical method,microscope digital imaging technology and flow cytometry indirect counting.The advantages and disadvantages and the application conditions of the above methods were analyzed,and the new detection technology of platelet count was introduced,it provides ideas for developing new platelet counting methods.