Objective To investigate the changes in serum levels of claudin-5 and Apelin-13 in patients with depression and their relationship with disease progression and sleep disorders.Methods A total of 128 patients with depression admitted to our hospital from June 2021 to July 2023 were selected as the study group,and another 128 patients who underwent physical examinations during the same period were selected as the control group.The correlation between the expression levels of serum claudin-5 and Apelin-13 in patients with depression and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD)score,as well as the diagnostic value of serum claudin-5 and Apelin-13 for the severity of depression in patients were analyzed.Results The expression level of claudin-5 in the serum of patients in study group was higher than that of the control group,which increased with the severity of the disease(P<0.05)and was positively correlated with the HAMD score(r=0.713,P<0.05).In addition,the expression level of claudin-5 in the serum of patients with sleep disorders was higher than that of those without sleep disorders(P<0.05),and the trend of changes in the expression level of Apelin-13 was opposite;Age,age at onset of depression,and claudin-5 were factors for sleep disorders in patients with depression,while Apelin-13 was a protec-tive factor(P<0.05);The combined detection of serum claudin-5 and Apelin-13 is superior to their individual detection(Z combined detection-claudin-5=2.393,Z combined detection-Apelin-13=1.964,P=0.016,0.044).Conclusion The expression levels of claudin-5 and Apelin-13 in serum of patients with depression were related to the progression of disease and the sleep disorders and the combined detection has high diagnostic value for severe depression.

Objective To investigate the clinical distribution,antimicrobial resistance,carbapenemase resistance genes,virulence genes,capsular serotypes and ST subtypes of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)strains in intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in Hunan Province for better management of CRKP infections.Methods CRKP strains were isolated from 8 intensive care units of the First People's Hospital of Chenzhou City from January 2020 to December 2021.The isolates were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and tested by VITEK Compact 2 for antimicrobial susceptibility.Carbapenemase phenotype was detected by modified carbapenem inactivation method(mCIM).The capsular serotypes were determined by wzi sequencing.Carbapenem resistance genes and virulence genes were identified by PCR and Sanger sequencing.The strains were also analyzed by multilocus sequence typing(MLST)in terms of ST subtypes.Results The 75 CRKP strains were mainly isolated from geriatric ICU(28.0％)and neurosurgery ICU(20.0％).Overall,6.7％(5/75)and 16.0％(12/75)of the CRKP strains were resistant to tigecycline and ceftazidime-avibactam,respectively.The CRKP strains(＞96.0％resistant)were highly resistant to carbapenems,cephalosporins,β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations,and levofloxacin.PCR and sequencing analysis found blaKPC-2 gene in 61 strains(81.3％),blaNDM-1 gene in 11 strains(14.7％),blaNDM-5 gene in 1 strain(1.3％),and blaOXA-48 gene in 2 strains(2.7％).MLST revealed that ST11(54.7％,41/75),ST1883(13.3％,10/75),and ST307(6.7％,5/75)were the top three ST subtypes.All ST11 and ST1883 CRKP strains harbored blaKPC-2.KL64(38.7％,29/75)and KL47(25.3％,19/75)were the most prevalent capsular serotypes among the 75 CRKP strains.The most common virulence genes among these CRKP strains were rmpA2(48.0％,36/75),iroN(38.7％,23/75)and iucA(37.3％,15/75).Conclusions The CRKP strains isolated from the intensive care units were mainly ST11-KL64 and ST11-KL47 types.Most of the strains harbor blaKPC-2 and virulence gene,and associated with high level antimicrobial resistance.It is urgent to strengthen the monitoring of molecular epidemiological characteristics of CRKP in order to inform individualized and precision treatment of CRKP infections.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous polidocanol sclerotherapy of the thyroglossal duct cysts in children.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 26 children who were treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous puncture sclerosis for thyroglossal duct cysts in Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2019 to April 2022, the size of the cyst before treatment was recorded, and the cyst volume in accordance with V(ml) =1/6 πabc cyst volume was calculated. The follow-up time was the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months after sclerotherapy. And the cyst volume and volume reduction ratio at different time points was calculated. According to changes in the cystic volume, the treatment was considered effective if the cyst volume reduction rate was≥50%. Cosmetic grading scores (CGS) were performed pre-treatment and at the last follow-up after sclerotherapy using the WHO grading system. Complications were recorded during the follow-up period.Results:The cyst volume before treatment was 2.67 (3.78)ml, and the cyst volume at the 1st, 3rd, 6th and 12th month after treatment were 0.66(1.83), 0.45(0.87), 0.40(0.70), 0.38 (0.63)ml, respectively, there were significant differences between pre-treatment and each time point after-treatment (all P<0.001); the volume reduction rate at the last follow-up was (81.48±14.57)%. The reduction rate of cyst volume was more than 50% at the last follow-up in 22 children, the treatment efficiency was 84.62% (22/26). The cosmetic grading scores at the last follow-up after sclerotherapy was 1.74(1.50), and it decreased significantly compared with the pre-treatment score 3.85(0)( P<0.001). There was no skin pigmentation, pain in the injection area, local urticaria and blistering after sclerotherapy, no adverse reactions such as cyst bleeding and drunkenness-like reaction, and no serious complications occurred. There were 2 cases of cysts that presented infection with fever, and no serious complications occurred. Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided percutaneous sclerotherapy is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for thyroglossal duct cysts in children.

Objective:To test and evaluate the reliability and clinical effectiveness of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture (OTLF) scoring and classification system.Methods:A multicenter retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 530 OTLF patients admitted to 8 hospitals including Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2021 to June 2022. There were 212 males and 318 females, aged 55-90 years [(72.6±10.8)years]. There were 4 patients with grade C and 18 with grade D according to American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification. According to the osteoporotic thoracolumbar injury classification and severity (OTLICS) score, all patients had an OTLICS score over 4 points and required surgical treatment. Among them, 410 patients had acute symptomatic OTLF (ASOTLF), including 24 patients with type I, 159 type IIA, 47 type IIB, 31 type IIC, 136 type IIIA, 8 type IIIB, 2 type IV (absence of neurological symptoms) and 3 type IV (presence of neurological symptoms), and 120 patients had chronic symptomatic OTLF (CSOTLF), including 62 patients with type I, 21 type II, 17 type III, 3 type IV (reducible under general anesthesia), 9 type IV (not reducible under general anesthesia), 1 type V (reducible under general anesthesia), 5 type V (presence of neurological symptoms), and 2 type V (not reducible under general anesthesia). Surgical procedures included percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP), positional repositioning plus PVP, percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP), posterior open reduction combined with bone graft fusion and bone cement augmented screw internal fixation, posterior open reduction combined with decompression, bone graft fusion and bone cement augmented screw internal fixation, and posterior open reduction combined with osteotomy and orthopedics, bone graft fusion and bone cement augmented screw internal fixation. A weighted Kappa was used to test the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of the OTLICS score, the ASOTLF classification, and the CSOTLF classification. The visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), ASIA classification were compared before, at 1 month after surgery and at the last follow-up. Incidence of postoperative complications was observed.Results:The percentage of mean interobserver agreement for OTLICS staging was 93.4%, with a mean confidence Kappa value of 0.86, and the percentage of mean intraobserver agreement was 93.0%, with a mean confidence kappa value of 0.86. The percentage of mean interobserver agreement for ASOTLF staging was 94.2%, with a mean confidence Kappa value of 0.84, and the percentage of mean intraobserver agreement was 92.5%, with a mean confidence Kappa value of 0.83. The percentage of mean interobserver agreement for CSOTLF subtyping was 91.9%, with a mean confidence Kappa value of 0.80, and the percentage of mean intraobserver agreement was 91.3%, with a mean confidence Kappa value of 0.81. All the patients were followed up for 6-12 months [(9.0±2.1)months]. The VAS and ODI scores were significantly lower in patients with ASOTLF and CSOTLF classifications at 1 month after surgery and at the last follow-up than those before surgery (all P<0.05). The VAS scores in patients with ASOTLF types IIA, IIB, IIC, IIIA, and IV were significantly lower at the last follow-up than that at 1 month after surgery; the ODI scores in patients with ASOTLF types I, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB and IV were significantly lower at the last follow-up than those at 1 month after surgery. The VAS scores in patients with CSOTLF types II, III, IV, and V were significantly lower at the last follow-up than those at 1 month after surgery, and the ODI scores in patients with all CSOTLF types were significantly lower at the last follow-up than those at 1 month after surgery (all P<0.05). Two patients with ASIA grade C recovered to grade D, and the rest recovered to grade E at the last follow-up ( P<0.01). No major vessel or nerve injury or internal fixation failure was found during follow-up. There were 18 patients with cement leakage, none of whom showed relevant clinical symptoms. There were 35 patients with new vertebral fractures, all of whom recovered well after symptomatic treatment. Conclusions:The OTLICS score, ASOTLF classification and CSOTLF classification have a high degree of reliability. Application of stepwise treatment for patients with different levels of injury according to the scoring and classification system can reduce pain, promote recovery of the spinal function, and reduce complications, which is of some significance in guiding the selection of clinical treatment.

OBJECTIVE To determine the content of free lanolin alcohol and residual pesticides in lanolin by gas chromatography, and to evaluate the feasibility of the established method. METHODS Gel permeation chromatography(GPC) was used for pretreatment, and the contents of free lanolin alcohol and residual pesticides were determined by GC-FID and GC-MS, respectively. And the qualitative analysis was conducted based on the retention time and quantitative analysis was conducted by total peak area. RESULTS The recovery of GPC pretreatment system met the requirements. Under the two established methods, the determinand were well separated; the satisfactory linearity with good correlation coefficients >0.999 5 were obtained; and the average recoveries were in the range of 90.49%-102.78%(n=6). The content of free lanolin alcohol in 3 batches of lanolin was <2.84%, cis-permethrin and trans-permethrin were determined in lanolin and the other residual pesticides were not detected. CONCLUSION The GPC-GC/FID and GPC-GC/MS method established in the study have good specificity, high precision, accuracy and robustness, which can be used for the separation and determination of free lanolin alcohol and six organophosphorus and pyrethroid residual pesticides in lanolin. At the same time, this study can provide reference for the quality control of lanolin.

Previous studies suggest that the reduction of SMAD3 (mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3) has a great impact on tumor development, but its exact pathological function remains unclear. In this study, we found that the protein level of SMAD3 was greatly reduced in human-grade IV glioblastoma tissues, in which LAMP2A (lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2A) was significantly up-regulated. LAMP2A is a key rate-limiting protein of chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), a lysosome pathway of protein degradation that is activated in glioma. We carefully analyzed the amino-acid sequence of SMAD3 and found that it contained a pentapeptide motif biochemically related to KFERQ, which has been proposed to be a targeting sequence for CMA. In vitro, we confirmed that SMAD3 was degraded in either serum-free or KFERQ motif deleted condition, which was regulated by LAMP2A and interacted with HSC70 (heat shock cognate 71 kDa protein). Using isolated lysosomes, amino-acid residues 75 and 128 of SMAD3 were found to be of importance for this process, which affected the CMA pathway in which SMAD3 was involved. Similarly, down-regulating SMAD3 or up-regulating LAMP2A in cultured glioma cells enhanced their proliferation and invasion. Taken together, these results suggest that excessive activation of CMA regulates glioma cell growth by promoting the degradation of SMAD3. Therefore, targeting the SMAD3-LAMP2A-mediated CMA-lysosome pathway may be a promising approach in anti-cancer therapy.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of preoperative left atrial diameter in postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and its influencing factors.Methods:This study was a prospective observational study. A total of 113 patients with CABG surgery were enrolled in Beijing Anzhen Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2020 to December 2020. Preoperative coronary angiography, echocardiography and blood test were finished. The number of graft vessel was counted during the operation. The occurrence of POAF was confirmed by electrocardiogram or electrocardiograph monitoring after surgery. The preoperative baseline data, blood test, perioperative complications and other indicators of patients with or without POAF were compared.Results:According to the inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria, 90 patients undergoing CABG were enrolled in the study[71 males and 19 females, aged from 42 to 75, mean age (62±8)years old]. The incidence of POAF was 27.8%(25 cases). The left atrial diameter[40(36-43)mm vs. 35(33-37)mm, P=0.00]and troponin I[4.76(0.87-13.60)ng/ml vs. 1.48(0.56-4.52)ng/ml, P=0.04] in patients with POAF were significantly higher than that in patients without POAF. Compared to patients without POAF, POAF significantly increased the incidence of stroke[4(16%) vs. 0(0), P=0.01], ICU stay[67(24-96) days vs. 22(19-41) days, P=0.00] and hospital stay[21(19-24) days vs. 16(14-24) days, P=0.05]. Binary logistic regression showed that left atrial diameter was significantly correlated with the occurrence of POAF ( OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.39-2.79, P<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that 40 mm of left atrial diameter was a predictor of POAF( AUC=0.82, sensitivity 52%, specificity 100%, P<0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that left atrial diameter was significantly positively correlated with hypersensitive C-reactive protein ( Beta=0.24, 95% CI: 0.00-0.26, P=0.043). Conclusion:POAF significantly increased the incidence of stroke after CABG. Preoperative left atrial diameter is an independent predictor for POAF, which is closely related to the systemic inflammatory response.

Osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture in the elderly will seriously reduce their quality of life and life expectancy. For osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture in the elderly, spinal reconstruction is necessary, which should comprehensively consider factors such as the physical condition, fracture type, clinical characteristics and osteoporosis degree. While there lacks relevant clinical norms or guidelines on selection of spinal reconstruction strategies. In order to standardize the concept of spinal reconstruction for osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture in the elderly, based on the principles of scientificity, practicality and progressiveness, the authors formulated the Clinical guideline for spinal reconstruction of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture in elderly patients ( version 2022), in which suggestions based on evidence of evidence-based medicine were put forward upon 10 important issues related to the fracture classification, non-operative treatment strategies and surgical treatment strategies in spinal reconstruction after osteoporosis thoracolumbar fracture in the elderly, hoping to provide a reference for clinical treatment.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between preoperative high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) levels and clinical outcomes of patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG) surgery.Methods:We prospectively selected 123 patients who received OPCABG at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2019 to October 2019, and collected relevant preoperative and postoperative data. Patients were divided into a normal Hs-CRP group(78 cases) and an elevated Hs-CRP group(45 cases)according to the cutoff value (2 mg/L) of Hs-CRP level. The data of the two groups were compared, and regression analysis was performed on the postoperative data with differences to define independent factors.Results:The leukocyte count in the Hs-CRP group was significantly higher than that in the normal Hs-CRP group[(6.5±1.6)×10 9/ml vs. (7.4±2.1) ×10 9/ml, t=-2.839, P=0.005]. In the elevated Hs-CRP group, proportion of patients with atrial post-CABG atrial fibrillation (38% vs. 19%, χ2=5.100, P=0.024), duration of hospitalization[(21.2±7.1)days vs.(16.0±4.6)days, t=-4.469, P=0.000], hospital costs[(143.1±30.7)×10 3 yuan vs. (123.7±21.8)×10 3 yuan, t=-4.090, P=0.000]were significantly higher than those in the normal Hs-CRP level group. Smoking ( OR=1.660, 95% CI: 1.186-1.993, P=0.031) and Hs-CRP ( OR=1.170, 95% CI: 1.050-1.294, P=0.007) were independent risk factors for post-CABG atrial fibrillation. Hs-CRP ( B=0.436, 95% CI: 0.197-0.675, P=0.000) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF, B=-0.180, 95% CI: -0.289--0.071, P=0.001) were independent influencing factors of duration of hospitalization. Hypertension ( B=-11.256, 95% CI: -20.670--1.842, P=0.020), Hs-CRP( B=1.235, 95% CI: 0.217-2.254, P=0.018) and LVEF ( B=-1.168, 95% CI: -1.634--0.702, P=0.000) were independent influencing factors of hospital costs. Conclusion:The preoperative Hs-CRP level of OPCABG is an independent influencing factor of post-CABG atrial fibrillation, duration of hospitalization and hospital costs. This finding lays the foundation for Hs-CRP combined with other indicators to accurately predict the prognosis of OPCABG and screen high-risk patients.

Objective:To investigate the genetic correlation of interleukin-12 (IL-12) pathway-related gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with psoriasis vulgaris and their interaction with HLA-Cw*0602 in populations of Mongolian and Han nationalities in Inner Mongolia.Methods:From December 2012 to March 2018, 1 409 inpatients with psoriasis vulgaris (1 030 of Han nationality and 379 of Mongo-lian nationality) and 1 483 healthy controls (965 of Han nationality and 518 of Mongolian nationality) were collected from the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University, and served as patient group and control group respectively. Five milliliters of peripheral venous blood samples were collected from these subjects, and DNA was extracted. Nine SNPs located in the coding regions of IL-12 pathway-related genes were selected, including IL-12B (rs2082412, rs2288831, rs3212227, rs3213094, rs7709212) , IL-23R (rs11209026, rs2201841, rs7530511) and IL-28RA (rs4649203) genes, and detected by next-generation sequencing. HLA-Cw*0602 was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) . Statistical analysis was carried out with PLINK1.07 software, Chi-square test was used to compare allele frequencies between the 2 groups, relative risk estimates of alleles were calculated by using odds ratio ( OR) , and chi-square test for R × C contingency tables was used for haplotype analysis. Results:The allele frequencies of rs2082412, rs2288831, rs3212227, rs3213094 and rs7709212 in the IL-12B gene were significantly lower in the patients with psoriasis vulgaris of Han nationality than in the controls of Han nationality (all P < 0.005) ; the allele frequency of rs3213094 in the IL-12B gene was significantly lower in the patients of Mongolian nationality than in the controls of Mongolian nationality ( P < 0.005) . The prevalence of HLA-Cw*0602 was significantly lower in the patients with psoriasis vulgaris of Han and Mongolian nationalities than in the controls of corresponding nationalities (both P < 0.005) . As stratification analysis showed, the allele frequencies of rs2082412, rs2288831, rs3212227, rs3213094 and rs7709212 in the IL-12B gene were significantly lower in HLA-Cw*0602-positive patients of Han nationality than in HLA-Cw*0602-positive controls of Han nationality (all P < 0.005) , while there was no significant difference between HLA-Cw*0602-negative patients of Han nationality and HLA-Cw*0602-negative controls of Han nationality (all P > 0.05) . Among the HLA-Cw*0602-positive or negative populations of Mongolian nationality, no significant difference was observed in the allele frequencies between the patients and controls (all P > 0.005) . Haplotypes were constructed using 5 SNPs in the IL-12B gene, and there was no significant difference in the frequencies of 6 haplotypes between the patients and controls of Mongolian or Han nationality (all P > 0.005) ; stratification analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the frequencies of 7 haplotypes between HLA-Cw*0602-positive/negative patients and controls of Mongolian or Han nationality (all P > 0.005) . Conclusion:IL-12 pathway-related gene polymorphisms are associated with psoriasis vulgaris in the populations of Mongolian and Han nationalities in Inner Mongolia, and there may be interaction between IL-12B and HLA-Cw*0602 in the occurrence of psoriasis vulgaris.