BACKGROUND:Endothelin has been found to be involved in the breakdown of the blood-spinal cord barrier after spinal cord injury,and stem cell-derived exosomes can reduce the permeability of the blood-spinal cord barrier and repair spinal cord injury. OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether exosomes produced by human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can reduce the permeability of the blood-spinal cord barrier by inhibiting endothelin-1 expression,thus repairing spinal cord injury. METHODS:Exosomes were extracted from the cultured supernatant by the hyperspeed centrifugation method.The morphology of exosomes was observed by transmission electron microscope.The expression levels of tsg101 and CD63 were detected by western blot assay.Eighty SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,exosome group,and endothelin-1 group(n=20).The modified Allen's method was used to create the rat model of spinal cord injury.In the endothelin-1 group,10 μL(1 μg/mL)endothelin-1 was injected directly into the injured area with a microsyringe.Immediately,1 day,2 days after operation,sham operation group and model group were injected with 200 μL PBS solution through the tail vein;the exosome group and endothelin-1 group were injected with 200 μL exosome(200 μg/mL)solution through the tail vein,respectively.Hind limb motor function scores were performed on days 1,3,7,14 and 21 after spinal cord injury.The blood-spinal cord barrier permeability was observed by Evans blue staining on day 7 after injury.The expression levels of tight junction proteins β-Catenin,ZO-1,Occludin and endothelin-1 in the spinal cord were detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score in the exosome group was significantly higher than that in the model group at 3-21 days after injury(P<0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that spinal cord injury was greatly reduced in the exosome group compared with the model group.Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score in the endothelin-1 group was significantly decreased compared with the exosome group(P<0.05).Spinal cord injury was more severe in the endothelin-1 group than that in the exosome group.(2)The expression of endothelin-1 in the model group was significantly increased compared with the sham operation group(P<0.05),and the expression of endothelin-1 in the exosome group was significantly decreased compared with the model group(P<0.05).(3)The blood-spinal cord barrier Evans blue exudate in the exosome group was significantly decreased compared with the model group(P<0.05).The expression levels of the tight junction proteins β-Catenin,Occludin and ZO-1 in the exosome group were increased(P<0.05);the Evans blue exudate in the endothelin-1 group was significantly increased compared with the exosome group(P<0.05).The expression level of tight junction protein was significantly decreased compared with the exosome group(P<0.05).(4)The results show that human umbilical cord mesenchymal cell-derived exosomes protect the permeability of the blood-spinal cord barrier by down-regulating the expression of endothelin-1 and play a role in the repair of spinal cord injury.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of ferric derisomaltose injection versus iron sucrose injection in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) .Methods:A total of 120 patients with iron deficiency anemia admitted from June 2021 to March 2023 were given intravenous iron supplementation with ferric derisomaltose to assess the efficacy and safety of hemoglobin (HGB) elevation before and after treatment. Simultaneously, the clinical effects of iron supplementation with iron sucrose were compared to those of inpatient patients during the same period.Results:Baseline values were comparable in both groups. Within 12 weeks of treatment, the elevated HGB level in the ferric derisomaltose group was higher than that of the iron sucrose group, with a statistical difference at all time points, and the proportion of HGB increased over 20 g/L in the patients treated for 4 weeks was higher (98.7%, 75.9% ). During the treatment with ferric derisomaltose and iron sucrose, the proportion of mild adverse reactions in the ferric derisomaltose group was slightly lower than that of the iron sucrose group, and neither group experienced any serious adverse reactions. The patients responded well to the infusion treatment, with no reports of pain or pigmentation at the injection site.Conclusion:The treatment of IDA patients with ferric derisomaltose has a satisfactory curative effect, with the advantages of rapidity, accuracy, and safety. Therefore, it is worthy of widespread clinical use.

Objective:This study aimed at investigating the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag in the treatment of adult primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and evaluated the factors influencing its efficacy and side effects.Methods:A total of 198 patients with adult ITP who were admitted to Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between January 2018 and March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The efficacy of each starting dose of eltrombopag was evaluated, and adverse events were analyzed. The factors influencing efficacy were investigated, including sex, age, adult ITP type, platelet antibodies, and combined drug treatments.Results:Of the 198 patients, 70 males and 128 females with a median age of 45 years (18-88 years) were included; 130 (65.7%) had newly diagnosed adult ITP, 25 (12.6%) had persistent adult ITP, and 43 (21.7%) had chronic adult ITP. The bleeding event scores at baseline were assessed; 84.3% had scores of<4 and 15.7% had scores of ≥4. The eltrombopag response rate (initial response) at 6 weeks was 78.8% (complete response [CR]: 49.0%; CR1: 14.6%; CR2: 15.2%). The median response time to eltrombopag was 7 (7, 14) days. The initial response rates to 25, 50, and 75 mg eltrombopag were 74.1%, 85.9%, and 60.0%, respectively ( P=0.031). The initial response rate to the 50 mg dose was significantly higher than that of the 25-mg and 75-mg doses. Two patients received 100 mg as the starting dose, and their initial response was 0. Regarding dose adjustment, 70.7% of the patients remained on the starting dose, 8.6% underwent dose adjustment to 50 mg, and 6.1% underwent dose adjustment to 75 mg. Another two patients underwent dose adjustment to 100 mg. After dose adjustment, the persistent response rates were 83.6%, 85.3%, and 85.7% for the 25-, 50-, and 75-mg doses, respectively, with no significant difference. After dose adjustment, the sustained efficacy rate for the 100-mg dose (4 patients) was 100.0%. After 6 weeks of treatment with eltrombopag, the overall bleeding score of patients with ITP decreased. The number of patients with a score of ≥4 decreased to 0, the number of patients with a score of<4 decreased, and there was no significant change in the number of patients with a score of 1-2. The most common adverse event associated with eltrombopag was impaired liver function (7.7%). No thrombosis events or other adverse events were observed. ITP type and number of megakaryocytes significantly affected the initial response to eltrombopag. The initial response rates to eltrombopag for newly diagnosed adult ITP, persistent adult ITP, and chronic adult ITP were 85.3%, 56.0%, and 76.2%, respectively ( P=0.003). For megakaryocytes, the initial response rates were 61.8%, 87.1%, and 84.3% ( P=0.009) for the decreased, normal, and increased megakaryocyte groups, respectively. Conclusion:Eltrombopag, as a second-line or higher treatment for adult ITP, has a rapid onset of action and good safety. The initial response rate is significantly higher with a dose of 50 mg than with a dose of 25 mg. Patients with newly diagnosed ITP and those with normal or increased megakaryocyte numbers have a higher initial response rate to eltrombopag.

Objective:To analyze the distribution and drug resistance of pathogens of bacterial bloodstream infection in patients with hematological diseases in the Department of Hematology of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, and to provide etiological data for clinical empirical anti-infection treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the general clinical information, pathogenic bacteria and drug susceptibility test results of patients with hematological diseases diagnosed with bacterial bloodstream infection by menstrual blood culture in our center from January 2016 to December 2022.Results:Patients included 498 inpatients, with a total of 639 bacterial strains. Among the patients, 86.9% patients had malignancies, and 76.7% had agranulocytosis. Symptoms of concurrent infections, including those of the respiratory tract, oral mucosa, skin and soft tissues, and abdominal sources were observed in 68.3% patients. Gram-negative bacteria (G -) accounted for 79.0% of the isolated bacteria, and gram-positive bacteria (G +) accounted for 21.0%. The top five isolated pathogens were Klebsiella pneumoniae (22.5%), Escherichia coli (20.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15.0%), Enterococcus faecium (5.5%), and Stenotrophomonas maltophilum (5.0%). Escherichia coli exhibited a decreasing trend of resistance to quinolones, cephalosporins, and carbapenems. Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited increasing rates of resistance to quinolones and cephalosporins between 2016 and 2018, but the rated decreased after 2019. The resistance rate to carbapenems exhibited by Pseudomonas aeruginosa was approximately 20%. Carbapenem-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were first detected in 2017, with a peak resistance rate of 35.7%, detected in 2019. A 60.0% resistance rate to methicillin was observed in methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCNS), and one case of linezolid-resistant MRCNS was detected. Conclusions:Pathogenic bacteria of bacterial bloodstream infections were widely distributed in our center, and precautions are warranted against carbapenem resistant P. aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Objective : To examine the association between acute exposure to traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP) NOX and NO2 and outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases. Methods : Data regarding outpatient visits to Department of Respiratory Diseases of Beijing Children's Hospital from 2015 to 2020 were collected, and the concentrations of nitrogen oxides (NOX), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other TRAP were collected from the surveillance sites assigned by the Peking University Health Science Center. A time-stratified case-crossover design was employed, and a conditional logistic regression model was created to examine the association between NOX and NO2 acute exposure and outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases. Results : The daily mean outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases were 571 (interquartile range, 554) person-times among children at ages of 0 to 14 years in Beijing Children's Hospital from 2015 to 2020, and the daily mean outpatient visits for upper respiratory tract infections (URI), bronchitis, and pneumonia were 265 (interquartile range, 282), 143 (interquartile range, 178) and 128 (interquartile range, 120) person-times, respectively. The daily mean concentrations of atmospheric NOX and NO2 were 67.8 (interquartile range, 50.7) and 49.3 (interquartile range, 30.7) μg/m3, respectively. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed the largest lagged effect of NOX and NO2 on pediatric respiratory diseases at cumulative lags of 0 to 7 days. An increase in NOX concentrations by an interquartile range resulted in the excess risks of URI, bronchitis and pneumonia by 6.87% (95%CI: 6.37%-7.38%), 7.25% (95%CI: 6.51%-7.99%), and 5.51% (95%CI: 4.69%-6.33%), and an increase in NO2 concentrations by an interquartile range resulted in excess risks of URI, bronchitis and pneumonia by 5.71% (95%CI: 5.12%-6.31%), 5.32% (95%CI: 4.51%-6.14%), and 4.83% (95%CI: 3.91%-5.75%), respectively. NOX and NO2 presented a more remarkable effect on outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases among children at ages of over 5 years. Conclusion NOx and NO2 acute exposure may increase the outpatient visits of pediatric respiratory diseases.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the role and clinical significance of MUC4 gene mutations in thrombotic events in patients with classic paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and gene sequencing results of 45 patients with classic PNH admitted to the Department of Hematology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, from June 2018 to February 2022. MUC4 gene mutations in patients with classic PNH were summarized, and the risk factors for thrombotic events in these patients were analyzed. Additionally, the effects of MUC4 gene mutations on the cumulative incidence and survival of thrombotic events in patients with classic PNH were determined.Results:The detection rate of MUC4 gene mutations in patients with classic PNH who experienced thrombotic events (thrombotic group) was 68.8% (11/16), which was significantly higher than that in the non-thrombotic group [10.3% (3/29) ] ( P<0.001). All mutations occurred in exon 2. MUC4 mutation ( OR=20.815, P=0.010) was identified as an independent risk factor for thrombotic events in patients with classic PNH. The cumulative incidence of thrombotic events was 78.6% (11/14) in the MUC4 gene mutation group (mutation group) and 16.1% (5/31) in the non-mutation group, showing a statistically significant difference between the two groups ( P<0.001). Survival analysis showed a lower overall survival (OS) rate in the thrombotic group compared with that in the non-thrombotic group [ (34.4±25.2) % vs. (62.7±19.3) % ] ( P=0.045). The OS rate of patients was (41.7±29.9) % in the mutation group and (59.1±18.3) % in the non-mutation group ( P=0.487) . Conclusion:MUC4 gene mutations are associated with an increased incidence of thrombotic events in classic PNH patients, highlighting their role as independent risk factors for thrombosis in this population. These mutations can be considered a novel predictive factor that aids in evaluating the risk of thrombosis in patients with classic PNH.

Objective:To explore the effectiveness, safety and cost between urinary follicle stimulating hormone (uFSH) and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in China.Methods:Data were collected from 16 reproductive centers in China covering oocytes collection time from May 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018. Eligible patients were over 18 years old, adopting COS with uFSH (uFSH group) or rFSH (rFSH group) as start gonadotropins (Gn), and using in vitro fertilization (IVF) and (or) intracytoplasmic sperm injection for fertilisation, excluding frozen embryo recovery cycle. Generalised estimating equation was used to address the violation of independency assumption between cycles due to multiple IVF cycles for one person and clustering nature of cycles carried out within one center. Controlling variables included age, body mass index, anti-Müllerian hormone level, cause of infertility, ovulation protocol, type of fertilisation, number of embryos transferred, number of days of Gn use.Results:Totally 102 061 cycles met eligibility criteria and were included in the analyses. In terms of effectiveness, after controlling relevant unbalanced baseline characteristics, compared with rFSH group, the high oocyte retrieval (>15 oocytes was considered high retrieval) rate of uFSH group significantly decreased in gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist protocol ( OR=0.642, P<0.01) and in gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol ( OR=0.556, P=0.001), but the clinical pregnancy rate per transfer cycle and the live birth rate per transfer cycle significantly increased ( OR=1.179, OR=1.169, both P<0.01) in both agonist and antagonist protocols. For safety, multiple analysis result demonstrated that in the agonist protocol, compared with rFSH group, the incidence of moderate to severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome of uFSH group significantly decreased ( OR=0.644, P=0.002). The differences in ectopic pregnancy rate and multiple pregnancy rate between the uFSH and rFSH groups were not significant ( P=0.890, P=0.470) in all patients. In terms of cost, compared with rFSH group, the uFSH group had lower total Gn costs for each patient ( P<0.01). Conclusion:For patients who underwent COS, uFSH has better safety, and economic profiles over rFSH in China.

Objective:To study the effect of Wuzhi capsules on tacrolimus trough concentration in kidney transplant recipients with different CYP3A5 genotypes.Methods:From June 2015 to October 2019, 162 patients who underwent renal transplantation for the first time were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups, combined and uncombined, according to whether combined with Wuzhi capsules. There were 81 cases in the uncombined group (55 males and 26 females), and 81 in the combined group (62 males and 19 females). There was no significant difference between the two groups( P=0.219). The ages of the uncombined group and the combined group were (39.26±11.91) years old and (37.21±10.88) years old ( P=0.103), the weights were (62.39±11.64) kg and (66.18±13.89)kg ( P=0.298), systolic blood pressure were (147.28±20.24) mmHg and (145.00±16.42) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)( P=0.276), diastolic blood pressure were (92.25±13.87) mmHg and (92.20±12.53) mmHg ( P=0.886), alanine aminotransferase were (12.24±8.59) U/L and (17.06±13.11) U/L ( P=0.015), aspartate aminotransferase were (17.76±9.12) U/L and (16.57±8.37) U/L ( P=0.463), fasting blood glucose were (8.70±3.48) mmol/L and (7.18±2.74)mmol/L ( P=0.006), hemoglobin were (98.96±17.53) g/L and (101.05±18.67) g/L ( P=0.789), creatinine were (665.22±296.55) μmol/L and (797.32±279.32) μmol/L ( P=0.007), estimated glomerular filtration rate were (11.47±14.11) ml/(min·1.73m 2) and (8.85±3.71) ml/(min·1.73m 2) ( P=0.130)in the kidney transplant recipients before surgery. Among the 162 cases in this study, there were 86 cases (53.09%) of CYP3A5*1*3 genotype, 17 cases (10.49%) of CYP3A5*1*1 genotype, 59 cases (36.42%) of CYP3A5*3*3 genotype, and the minimum allele frequency of CYP3A5*1 was 37.04%. In the uncombined group, CYP3A5*1*3 genotype 39 cases (48.15%), CYP3A5*1*1 genotype 5 cases (6.17%), and CYP3A5*3*3 genotype 37 cases (45.68%). In the combined group, CYP3A5*1*3 genotype 47 cases (58.02%), CYP3A5*1*1 genotype 12 cases (14.81%), and CYP3A5*3*3 genotype 22 cases (27.16%), with statistically significant differences in the two groups ( P=0.024). The patients were treated with a triple immunosuppressive regimen (tacrolimus+ mycophenolate mofetil+ glucocorticoid) based on tacrolimus [initial dose: 0.15-0.30 mg/(kg·d)], combination of Wuzhi capsules in the combination group (11.25 mg, twice a day). The trough concentration of tacrolimus was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, compare the difference in the trough concentration of tacrolimus between the two groups. The relationship between the effect of Wuzhi capsules and CYP3A5 gene polymorphism was compared, and compare the changes before and after the application of CYP3A5 genotype combined with Wuzhi Capsules. The influencing factors of tacrolimus trough concentration were analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results:In the combined with Wuzhi capsules, the dose corrected trough concentration (C 0/D) of tacrolimus was higher than that in patients without Wuzhi capsules, and the extent of increase was related to genotype. The C 0/D of tacrolimus in patients with CYP3A5*3*3 genotype in the combination and non-combination groups were (12.15±2.95) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) and (9.99±2.33) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) ( P=0.004), CYP3A5*1*3 genotype were (11.11±3.20) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) and (6.86±1.62) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) ( P<0.001), and there were significant difference. However, CYP3A5*1*1 genotype were(8.29±2.64) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) and (6.16±2.87) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) ( P=0.160), there was no significant difference. The tacrolimus C 0/D of the combined group before and after the Wuzhi capsule were as follows: CYP3A5*3*3 genotype: (7.18±2.33)(ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) and (13.33±3.09) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) ( P<0.001); CYP3A5*1*3 genotype: (5.14±2.14) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) and (10.61±3.20) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) ( P<0.001); CYP3A5*1*1 genotype: (5.17±3.75) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1) and (8.31±2.74) (ng·ml -1/0.1mg·kg -1·d -1)( P=0.002), and the differences were statistically significant. The results of multiple linear regression showed that the combination of Wuzhi capsules (β=0.508, P<0.001) and CYP3A5 genotype(CYP3A5*1*3 and CYP3A5*3*3: β=-0.361, P<0.001; CYP3A5*1*1 and CYP3A5*3*3: β=-0.425, P<0.001)could influence the trough concentration. The sex (β=-0.100, P=0.124) and age (β=-0.003, P=0.967) of renal transplant recipients had no statistical significance to tacrolimus C 0/D. Conclusions:In the renal transplant patients, CYP3A5 genotype and combined use of Wuzhi capsules are the main factors affecting tacrolimus C 0/D. In order to achieve the expected trough concentration as soon as possible, the interaction between CYP3A5 genotypes and drug combination should be considered.

Objective:To investigate the clinical application value of peripheral blood metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) test for patients with hematological diseases accompanied by fever.Methods:The blood mNGS results and clinical data of inpatients with hematological diseases accompanied by fever treated in the Hematology Department of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in March 2020 to June 2021were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 90 patients with 98 cases of specimens were included. The pathogen distribution characteristics and mNGS test performance were analyzed.Results:The positive rate of peripheral blood mNGS was significantly higher than that of traditional examination (68.37% vs 37.76%, P<0.001) and blood culture (68.37% vs 9.18%, P<0.001) . Viral, bacterial, and fungal infections accounted for 38.81%, 14.93%, and 2.99% in patients with single-pathogen infections, respectively. Polymicrobial infections accounted for 43.28%, in which viral and bacterial coinfections were the most common type (25.37%) . There were 55 virus-positive cases (82.09%) , 30 bacteria-positive cases (44.78%) , and 14 fungus-positive cases (20.90%) . The clinical approval rate of peripheral blood mNGS was 64.63% (63/98) . The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value (NPV) of peripheral blood mNGS were 75.68%, 36.07%, 41.79%, and 70.97%, respectively, and the overall consistency rate with traditional examination was 51.02%. Of the 22 pulmonary infection cases with no detectable pathogens by conventional tests, the pathogens were identified by peripheral blood mNGS in 14 cases, 10 of which were clinically approved. Conclusion:The positive rate of peripheral blood mNGS was significantly higher than that of blood culture and traditional laboratory examination. Peripheral blood mNGS had a high clinical recognition rate, sensitivity, and NPV in the detection of pathogens in patients with hematological diseases accompanied by fever.

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of transrectal ultrasound(TRUS)/multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging(mpMRI) fusion targeted biopsy(FTB) for clinically significant prostate cancer(PCa) detection by using both biopsy histopathology and radical prostatectomy histopathology as reference standards.Methods:A total of 303 consecutive patients with suspicious lesions detected by mpMBI and underwent prostate biopsy at Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine between November 2017 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All the suspicious lesions were sampled by TRUS/mpMRI FTB in addition with standard 12-core systematic biopsy(SB). The clinically significant PCa detection rates by TRUS/mpMRI FTB and SB were compared by using both biopsy histopathology and radical prostatectomy histopathology as reference standards.Results:The diagnosis of PCa was histologically confirmed in 189 of 303 patients, including 178 patients with clinically significant PCa and 11 patients with clinically insignificant PCa. With biopsy histopathology as reference standard, the clinically significant PCa detection rate of TRUS/mpMRI FTB was statistically higher than SB (57.1% vs 45.9%, P<0.001). Among 189 patients with biopsy proven PCa, 80 patients underwent radical prostatectomy, and the radical prostatectomy histopathology confirmed 79 patients with clinically significant PCa.With radical prostatectomy as reference standard, the clinically significant PCa detection rate of TRUS/mpMRI FTB was statistically higher than SB (91.1% vs 74.7%, P<0.001). Conclusions:Compared with SB, MRI/US FTB can offer more accurate sampling of suspicious lesions on mpMRI, and consequently improve the clinically significant PCa detection rate.