AIM: To investigate the correlation between fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters in patients with hypertensive retinopathy(HRP).METHODS: A total of 50 patients(22 left eyes and 28 right eyes)with HRP admitted to our hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively included as the experimental group, and 50 healthy physical examination subjects(22 left eyes and 28 right eyes)during the same period were included as the healthy group. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters.RESULTS: The AUC values of fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters and their combined diagnosis of HRP were 0.853, 0.844 and 0.935, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed that carotid systolic peak blood flow velocity was negatively correlated with foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area, FAZ circumference and non-circularity index, and positively correlated with macular vascular density(all P<0.05). The end-diastolic blood flow velocity was positively correlated with FAZ area and macular vascular density(all P<0.05). The internal carotid artery resistance index was positively correlated with FAZ area(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The combination of fundus blood flow parameters and carotid artery ultrasound blood flow parameters in the diagnosis of HRP has good application value in the diagnosis of HRP.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of different noninvasive diagnostic models in the diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices since there is a high risk of esophageal and gastric varices in patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis and significant portal hypertension， and to provide a basis for the early diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices. MethodsA total of 108 patients with significant portal hypertension due to compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis who attended Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2017 to November 2023 were enrolled， and according to the presence or absence of esophageal and gastric varices under gastroscopy， they were divided into esophageal and gastric varices group （GOV group） and non-esophageal and gastric varices group （NGOV group）. Related data were collected， including age， sex， imaging findings， and laboratory markers. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups； the least significant difference t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of five scoring models， i.e.， fibrosis-4 （FIB-4）， LOK index， LPRI， aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （APRI）， and aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio （AAR）. The binary logistic regression method was used to establish a combined model， and the area under the ROC curve （AUC） was compared between the combined model and each scoring model used alone. The Delong test was used to compare the AUC value between any two noninvasive diagnostic models. ResultsThere were 55 patients in the GOV group and 53 patients in the NGOV group. Compared with the NGOV group， the GOV group had a significantly higher age （52.64±1.44 years vs 47.96±1.68 years， t=0.453， P<0.05） and significantly lower levels of alanine aminotransferase ［42.00 （24.00 — 17.00） U/L vs 82.00 （46.00 — 271.00） U/L， Z=-3.065， P<0.05］， aspartate aminotransferase ［44.00 （32.00 — 96.00） U/L vs 62.00 （42.50 — 154.50） U/L，Z=-2.351， P<0.05］， and platelet count ［100.00 （69.00 — 120.00）×10⁹/L vs 119.00 （108.50 — 140.50）×10⁹/L， Z=-3.667， P<0.05］. The ROC curve analysis showed that FIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR used alone had an accuracy of 0.667， 0.681， 0.730， and 0.639， respectively， in the diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices （all P<0.05）， and the positive diagnostic rates of GOV were 69.97%， 65.28%， 67.33%， and 58.86%， respectively， with no significant differences in AUC values （all P>0.05）， while APRI used alone had no diagnostic value （P>0.05）. A combined model （LAF） was established based on the binary logistic regression analysis and had an AUC of 0.805 and a positive diagnostic rate of GOV of 75.80%， with a significantly higher AUC than FIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR used alone （Z=-2.773，-2.479，-2.206， and-2.672， all P<0.05）. ConclusionFIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR have a similar diagnostic value for esophageal and gastric varices in patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis and significant portal hypertension， and APRI alone has no diagnostic value. The combined model LAF had the best diagnostic efficacy， which provides a certain reference for clinical promotion and application.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that mitochondrial oxidative stress has an important role in the development of knee osteoarthritis,and Hemin can regulate the expression of mitochondria-related proteins. OBJECTIVE:To study the regulatory effect of Hemin on oxidative stress in mouse chondrocytes and its interventional effect and mechanism in knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:(1)In vitro cell experiment:Primary chondrocytes from C57BL/6 mice were extracted and induced with 10 ng/mL interleukin-1β to construct an in vitro chondrocyte model of osteoarthritis.The optimal concentration of Hemin(0,1,10,20,40,80,and 160 μmol/L)for the intervention in mouse chondrocytes was determined by cell counting kit-8 method.Chondrocytes were randomly divided into control group,model group(interleukin-1β)and Hemin group(interleukin-1β+Hemin).Reactive oxygen species,mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis of chondrocytes in each group were detected.(2)In vivo experiment:Adult C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group(osteoarthritis)and Hemin group(osteoarthritis+Hemin),with eight mice in each group.After 4 weeks of Hemin treatment,the behavioral test and histopathological observation of the knee joint were performed in each group.Changes in extracellular matrix-related protein expression and apoptosis in chondrocytes and the expression level of Nrf2/HO-1 protein in cartilage tissue were detected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In vitro experiment:the optimal concentration of Hemin on primary chondrocytes was 40 μmol/L.Compared with the model group,the level of reactive oxygen species was significantly reduced,the mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly improved,and the apoptosis of chondrocytes was reduced in the hemin-treated interleukin-1β-induced chondrocytes.In vivo experiment:After 4 weeks of treatment,compared with the model group,the lower limb function of mice in the Hemin group was significantly improved,the histopathological score was significantly improved,and the apoptosis of knee chondrocytes was significantly reduced.All these findings indicate that Hemin can alleviate oxidative stress,restore mitochondrial function and reduce apoptosis in mouse chondrocytes induced by interleukin-1β.Hemin can improve extracellular matrix degradation,promote chondrocyte anabolism,reduce catabolism and reduce chondrocyte apoptosis in knee osteoarthritis.It may act by activating the chondrocyte Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway in the inflammatory environment.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and risk factors of death during hospitalization in patients with community-acquired pneumonia(CAP)complicated with diabetes mellitus(DM).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 566 patients with CAP hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from January 2018 to January 2022.The patients were divided into simple CAP group(n=478)and CAP combined with diabetes(CAP+DM)group(n=88)according to whether they had diabetes,and then CAP+DM group(n=88)was divided into survival group(n=69)and death group(n =19)according to whether the patients died during hospitalization.The clinical data and laboratory test indicators of patients in different groups were compared.Cox regression analysis was used to screen the risk factors of death during hospitalization in the CAP+DM group.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to evaluate the predictive value of independent risk factors on hospitalization death.Results Compared with the simple CAP group,the CAP+DM group had significant differences in age,concomitant hypertension,coronary heart disease,CURB-65 score,neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR),C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),albumin(ALB),prealbumin(PA),glucose(GLU),serum potassium(K),calcium(Ca),phosphorus(P),magnesium(Mg),lactic acid(Lac),non-invasive ventilation time,ICU occupancy rate and mortality rate(P<0.05);Compared with the survival group,there were statistically significant differences in CURB-65 score,NLR,CRP,PCT,GIU,ALB,PA,serum iron(Fe),Ca,non-invasive ventilation time,and ICU admission rate among the death group patients(P<0.05).Cox regression analysis showed that the increase of NLR level and the decrease in PA level were the risk factors for in-hospital death in patients with CAP complicated with diabetes(P<0.05).When the PA cutoff value was 91 mg/L,the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity for predicting in-hospital death of CAP patients with diabetes were 0.849,84.2%and 81.2%,respectively.Conclusion Patients with CAP combined with diabetes are more serious and have worse prognosis than those with CAP alone.PA has a good predictive value for the prognosis of these patients.Early detection and active intervention should be carried out to reduce the in-hospital mortality of patients.

Objective To develop an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)method for the simultaneous quantification of dolutegravir,raltegravir,efavirenz,lamivudine and tenofovir in human plasma and to apply it to the therapeutic monitoring.Methods Dolutegravir-D5,raltegravir-D4,efavirenz-D5,lamivudine-13 C-15 N2 and tenofovir-D7 were used as internal standard,respectively.All samples were extracted using the protein precipitation method with acetonitrile and then diluted for analysis.Chromatographic separation was performed on Shim-pack XR-ODS Ⅲ(2.0 mmx50 mm,1.6 μm)column.Mobile phases A and B consisted of 0.1％formic acid in water and acetonitrile respectively.A programmed mobile phase gradient was used at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min-1 and column temperature of 40 ℃.The tandem mass spectrometer was equipped with an electrospray ionization(ESI)source operating in multiple reaction monitoring(MRM)modes.After methodological validation,it can be used for therapeutic drug monitoring in HIV patients.Results There was good linearity in the validated concentration ranges of 62.5-3 000 ng·mL-1 for dolutegravir,10-500 ng·mL-1 for raltegravir,125-6 000 ng·mL-1for efavirenz,10-500 ng·mL-1 for lamivudine and 10-500 ng·mL-1 for tenofovir with the linear correlation coeffificients of determination(R2)of all higher than 0.998.The accuracy of both intra-day and inter-day studies ranged from 94.0％-109.3％,and the relative standard deviations were less than 7％.The IS-normalized matrix factor and extraction recoveries of all analytes were 95.7％-106.0％and 98.7％-104.5％at all concentrations.All analytes were stable in plasma at a certain storage environment.The trough blood concentrations of dolutegravir,efavirenz,lamivudine and tenofovir were 107.7-2 366.0,740.0-3 410.0,38.5-1 229.3,31.6-224.4ng·mL-1 in HIV patients,respectively.Conclusion The method is highly aceurate,easy to perform,low-cost,and suitable for therapeutic drug monitoring of dolutegravir,raltegravir,efavirenz,lamivudine and tenofovir in HIV patients.

Objective:To acquire the implementation effect of the neonatal Phenylketonuria(PKU)Screening Project in Dong-guan,and evaluate its economic effectiveness,so as to provide references for the prevention and control policies of genetic defects in newborns.Methods:Choosing PKU children born in Dongguan from January 2012 to December 2021(excluding BH4 deficien-cy)as the subjects,conduct the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis on the prevention and treatment of PKU.The relevant data was gained from questionnaire surveys,statistical data,medical service prices of non-profit medical institutions in Dongguan,and relevant literature materials.Results:In the past 10 years,1 245 243 newboms were screened for PKU in Dongguan,the average screening rate is 93.32％.Among them,29 were diagnosed with PKU,with a positive rate of 1:42939.During continuous follow-up,23 cases were diagnosed.Among the 23 follow-up cases,only 1 had intelligence at the critical value,while the rest were normal.The total cost of screening is 29.728 7 million,and the total benefit is 14.239 9 million.The cost-effectiveness ratio is 102.51:1,the cost-benefit ratio is 1:4.79.Conclusion:Neonatal phenylketonuria(PKU)screening in Dongguan has significant social and economic benefits.It's necessary to continue and improve the screening work,especially the policy which can benefit the PKU's full life.

Objective:To investigate whether long non-coding RNA(lncRNA) AW112010 can improve insulin resistance in aging adipocytes through the miR-204/POU2F2 signaling pathway.Methods:In vivo experiment: C57BL/6 mice were divided into young control group(4 months old) and aging model group(18 months old) based on body weight. The expression levels of AW112010, miR-204-5p, POU2F2, aging related indicators(p16, p21), and insulin signaling pathway genes [insulin receptor(INSR), insulin receptor substrate 1(IRS1), phosphatidylinositol kinase(PI3K), protein kinase B(AKT)] in epididymal adipose tissue were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. In vitro experiment: Using adriamycin(ADR) to induce 3T3-L1 aging adipocyte model, β-gal staining was used to observe cellular senescence, and miR-204 inhibitor and miR-204 mimic small interfering RNA were successfully constructed and transfected into 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Results:RT-qPCR and Western blot results showed that compared with the young group, the expression of AW112010 in the adipose tissue of aging mice was increased, while the expression of miR-204-5p was decreased. The expressions of POU2F2, p16, and p21 in the adipose tissue of aging mice were increased, while the expressions of INSR, IRS1, PI3K, GLUT4 mRNA and protein were decreased. The β-gal stainging results showed that the number of 3T3-L1 senescent adipocytes induced by ADR was significantly increased, and the expression levels of AW112010, POU2F2, p16, and p21 in ADR-induced senescent adipocytes were increased compared with the control group, while the expression levels of miR-204-5p, INSR, IRS1, PI3K, GLUT4 were decreased, and remaining glucose in the culture medium was increased. Compared with control, overexpression of miR-204 resulted in decreased expressions of aging indicators p16, p21, and target gene POU2F2 while the expressions of INSR and GLUT4 were increased.Conclusion:Upregulation of lncRNA AW112010 in adipocytes of aging mice may induce insulin resistance by targeting miR-204-5p/POU2F2/IRS1.

Objective:To explore the mechanism by which miRNA-4469 (miR-4469) regulates the proliferation and invasion of renal cancer cells in vitro.Methods:The survival differences of patients with different expression levels of miR-4469 were analyzed based on the OncomiR database. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method was used to detect the expression of miR-4469 in renal cancer cell lines ACHN, OS-RC-2, SK-RC-20, 769-P, A498 and normal renal tubular epithelial cell line HK-2, and the renal cancer cells with the lowest expression level of miR-4469 were divided into miR-4469 group and control group, and were transfected with miR-4469 mimic and negative control sequence, respectively. The CCK-8 assay was used to detect the cell proliferation ability (expressed as absorbance value) in the two groups, and Transwell assay was used to analyze the number of invasive cells in the two groups. TargetScan Release 8.0 software was used to predict the binding site between miR-4469 and protein disulfide isomerase A4 (PDIA4) mRNA, and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between miR-4469 and PDIA4 mRNA. qRT-PCR method was used to detect the expression of PDIA4 mRNA in cells of each group, and Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of PDIA4 protein and PI3K-AKT-m-TOR pathway proteins in cells of each group.Results:Analysis of relevant data from the OncomiR database showed that compared with patients with low miR-4469 expression, the overall survival of renal cancer patients with high miR-4469 expression was better ( P < 0.001). The relative expression of miR-4469 in each renal cancer cell line was lower than that in HK-2 cells (all P < 0.05), and the expression of miR-4469 in 769-P cells was the lowest, which were selected to perform the subsequent experiments. The proliferation ability of 769-P cells in the miR-4469 group was lower than that in the control group ( P < 0.01). The number of 769-P cell invasions in the miR-4469 group were less than that in the control group [(19±3) cells vs. (64±7) cells, t = 5.44, P = 0.002]. Compared with the co-transfection of wild-type PDIA4 and miR-4469 negative sequence group, the relative luciferase activity of cells in the co-transfection of wild-type PDIA4 and miR-4469 mimic sequence group was lower (0.42±0.07 vs. 1.01±0.08, t = 5.74, P = 0.001); there was no statistical difference in cell luciferase activity between the co-transfected mutant PDIA4 and miR-4469 negative sequence group and the co-transfected mutant PDIA4 and miR-4469 mimic sequence group (0.99±0.11 vs. 1.02±0.11, t = 0.19, P = 0.001). The relative expression levels of PDIA4 mRNA in 769-P cells in the miR-4469 group were lower than that in the control group (0.98±0.23 vs. 7.19±2.23, t = 2.77, P = 0.032). Compared with the control group, the expression of PDIA4 protein and PI3K-AKT-m-TOR pathway-related p-PI3K, p-AKT, p-mTOR, and p-SGK1 proteins in 769-P cells in the miR-4469 group were all lower (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:miR-4469 may be related to the survival of renal cancer patients, and its expression is down-regulated in various renal cancer cell lines. miR-4469 may inhibit the proliferation and invasion of renal cancer 769-P cells by regulating the PI3K-AKT-m-TOR pathway through PDIA4.

By analyzing the design principles and treatment modes of Gambro Prismaflex CRRT device,based on the basic structure and treatment process,and the typical failure cases of pressure joints and scale zeroing test failures in continuous renal replacement therapy(CRRT)equipment were analyzed,the targeted solution and maintenance strategies were proposed to ensure the stable and efficient operation of CRRT equipment.

ObjectiveTo explore the molecular mechanism of modified Shengjiangsan in alleviating endoplasmic reticulum （ER） stress and reducing urinary protein in the rat model of diabetic nephropathy （DN）. MethodSeventy-five SD rats were randomized into normal， model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （4.37， 8.73， 17.46 g·kg^-1， respectively） modified Shengjiangsan， and irbesartan （0.014 g·kg^-1） groups， with 10 rats in each group. Rats were administrated with corresponding doses of medications or distilled water by gavage， once a day， for 8 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the levels of glucose （GLU） in the blood， 24-hour urinary protein （24 h-UTP）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） in the renal tissue were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin staining， periodic acid-Schiff staining， and transmission electron microscopy were employed to observe the pathological changes in rat kidneys. Immunohistochemistry was employed to measure the expression levels of nephrin， podocin， glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）， and activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4） in the kidneys of rats. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of silent information regulator 1 （Sirt1）， phosphorylated （p）-protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）， and p-eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha （eIF2α） in rat kidneys. ResultCompared with the normal group， the modeling caused pathological damage to the kidneys， elevated the levels of GLU and 24 h-UTP （P<0.05）， up-regulated the protein levels of GRP78， CHOP， ATF4， p-PERK， and p-eIF2α （P<0.05）， and down-regulated the protein level of Sirt1 （P<0.05） in rat kidneys. Compared with the model group， modified Shengjiangsan and irbesartan lowered the GLU and 24 h-UTP levels （P<0.05）， alleviated the pathological damage in the renal tissue， down-regulated the protein levels of GRP78， CHOP， ATF4， p-PERK， and p-eIF2α （P<0.05）， and up-regulated the protein level of Sirt1 （P<0.05）. ConclusionModified Shengjiangsan up-regulates Sirt1 expression and inhibits phosphorylation of proteins in the PERK/eIF2α pathway to reduce ER stress and oxidative stress in the renal tissue， thus alleviating the pathological damage in the renal tissue and reducing urinary protein in DN rats.