ObjectiveThe detection of RNA single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is of great importance due to their association with protein expression related to various diseases and drug responses. At present, splintR ligase-assisted methods are important approaches for RNA direct detection, but its specificity will be limited when the fidelity of ligases is not ideal. The aim of this study was to create a method to improve the specificity of splintR ligase for RNA detection. MethodsIn this study, a dual-competitive-padlock-probe (DCPLP) assay without the need for additional enzymes or reactions is proposed to improve specificity of splintR ligase ligation. To verify the method, we employed dual competitive padlock probe-mediated rolling circle amplification (DCPLP-RCA) to genotype the CYP2C9 gene. ResultsThe specificity was well improved through the competition and strand displacement of dual padlock probe, with an 83.26% reduction in nonspecific signal. By detecting synthetic RNA samples, the method demonstrated a dynamic detection range of 10 pmol/L-1 nmol/L. Furthermore, clinical samples were applied to the method to evaluate its performance, and the genotyping results were consistent with those obtained using the qPCR method. ConclusionThis study has successfully established a highly specific direct RNA SNP detection method, and provided a novel avenue for accurate identification of various types of RNAs.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of causative microorganisms recovered from patients with intra-abdominal infections (IAIs). METHODS: A total of 2,926 bacterial and fungal strains were identified in samples collected from 1,679 patients with IAIs at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 2011 and 2021. Pathogenic bacteria and fungi were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using the VITEK 2 compact system and the Kirby-Bauer method. AST results were interpreted based on the M100-Ed31 clinical breakpoints of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. RESULTS: Of the 2,926 strains identified, 49.2%, 40.8%, and 9.5% were gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, and fungi, respectively. Escherichia coli was the most prevalent pathogen in intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients; however, a significant decrease was observed in the isolation of E. coli between 2011 and 2021. Specifically, significant decreases were observed between 2011 and 2021 in the levels of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli (from 76.9% to 14.3%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (from 45.8% to 4.8%). Polymicrobial infections, particularly those involving co-infection with gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, were commonly observed in IAI patients. Moreover, Candida albicans was more commonly isolated from hospital-associated IAI samples, while Staphylococcus epidermidis had a higher ratio in community-associated IAIs. Additionally, AST results revealed that most antimicrobial agents performed better in non-ESBL-producers than in ESBL-producers, while the overall resistance rates (56.9%-76.8%) of Acinetobacter baumanmii were higher against all antimicrobial agents than those of other common gram-negative bacteria. Indeed, Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus faecalis, S. epidermidis, and S. aureus were consistently found to be susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid. Similarly, C. albicans exhibited high susceptibility to all the tested antifungal drugs. CONCLUSION The distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of the causative microorganisms from patients with IAIs were altered between 2011 and 2021. This finding is valuable for the implementation of evidence-based antimicrobial therapy and provides guidance for the control of hospital infections.
Humans ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Escherichia coli ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Retrospective Studies ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Intraabdominal Infections/epidemiology* ; Candida albicans ; Coinfection

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the serum level of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific RBD IgG antibody (SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody for short) in children with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection during the recovery stage, as well as the protective effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination against Omicron infection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 110 children who were diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection in Tianjin of China from January 8 to February 7, 2022. According to the status of vaccination before diagnosis, they were divided into a booster vaccination (3 doses) group with 2 children, a complete vaccination (2 doses) group with 90 children, an incomplete vaccination (1 dose) group with 5 children, and a non-vaccination group with 13 children. The clinical data and IgG level were compared among the 4 groups. RESULTS: The complete vaccination group had a significantly higher age than the non-vaccination group at diagnosis (P<0.05), and there was a significant difference in the route of transmission between the two groups (P<0.05). There were no significant differences among the four groups in sex, clinical classification, and re-positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection (P>0.05). All 97 children were vaccinated with inactivated vaccine, among whom 85 children (88%) were vaccinated with BBIBP-CorV Sinopharm vaccine (Beijing Institute of Biological Products, Beijing, China). At 1 month after diagnosis, the booster vaccination group and the complete vaccination group had a significantly higher level of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody than the non-vaccination group (P<0.05), and at 2 months after diagnosis, the complete vaccination group had a significantly higher level of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody than the non-vaccination group (P<0.05). For the complete vaccination group, the level of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody at 2 months after diagnosis was significantly lower than that at 1 month after diagnosis (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Vaccination with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine has a protective effect against Omicron infection in children. For children vaccinated with 2 doses of the vaccine who experience Omicron infection, there may be a slight reduction in the level of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody at 2 months after diagnosis. Citation:Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics, 2022, 24(7): 736-741.
Antibodies, Viral ; COVID-19 ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Child ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Retrospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Viral Vaccines

Objective:To investigate changes in circadian gene cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) expression in mouse models of psoriasis and HaCaT cells, and to explore underlying mechanisms.Methods:Imiquimod-induced mouse model experiment: 12 C57BL/6 female mice were randomly and equally divided into imiquimod group receiving topical imiquimod treatment for 5 consecutive days and control group receiving no treatment; these mice were sacrificed on day 6, skin tissues were resected from the back of mice, and immunofluorescence staining was performed to determine the CRY2 expression in the epidermis. HaCaT cell transfection experiment: HaCaT cells with small interfering RNA (siRNA) -mediated knockdown of CRY2 served as siRNA-CRY2 group, and siRNA-NC group as control group; 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining was performed to evaluate the proliferative activity of the HaCaT cells, real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine the mRNA expression of chemokines in the HaCaT cells, and Western blot analysis to determine phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) . Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) -stimulated animal and cell experiments: 12 C57BL/6 female mice were randomly and equally divided into TNF-α group subcutaneously injected with TNF-α solution in the ear for 6 days, and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) group subcutaneously injected with the same amount of PBS; the mice were sacrificed on day 7, skin tissues were resected from the ear of mice, and immunofluorescence staining was conducted to determine the CRY2 expression in the epidermis; CRY2-knockdown HaCaT cells stimulated with 50 ng/ml TNF-α for 12 hours served as siRNA-CRY2 + TNF-α group, and siRNA-NC + TNF-α group as control group; qPCR was performed to determine the mRNA expression of chemokines in HaCaT cells in the above groups. Statistical analysis was carried out by using two-independent-sample t test. Results:Immunofluorescence staining showed that the CRY2 protein expression was significantly lower in the mouse dorsal epidermis in the imiquimod group (0.94 ± 0.23) than in the control group (2.30 ± 0.25, t = 3.99, P = 0.016) . Compared with the siRNA-NC group, the siRNA-CRY2 group showed significantly increased proportions of EdU-positive cells (48.13% ± 10.97% vs. 38.23% ± 0.81%, t = 5.00, P = 0.007) , mRNA expression levels of chemokines CXCL1 and CXCL8, as well as significantly increased phosphorylated (p) -ERK1/2 protein expression levels (all P < 0.05) , while there were no significant differences in the CCL20 mRNA expression or ERK1/2 protein expression between the two groups (both P > 0.05) . Immunofluorescence staining showed significantly decreased CRY2 protein expression level in the mouse ear epidermis in the TNF-α group (0.37 ± 0.34) compared with the PBS group (2.04 ± 0.17, t = 4.38, P = 0.012) ; the relative mRNA expression levels of chemokines CXCL1, CXCL8, and CCL20 in HaCaT cells were significantly higher in the siRNA-CRY2 + TNF-α group than in the siRNA-NC + TNF-α group (all P < 0.05) . Conclusion:CRY2 was markedly underexpressed in psoriasis, which might promote the proliferation of keratinocytes and expression of chemokines CXCL1, CXCL8 and CCL20, and TNF-α might be an upstream cytokine that could downregulate CRY2 expression.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of gene polymorphism on the pharmacokinetics of sufentanil （SUF） in children with congenital heart disease undergoing interventional cardiac surgery. MethodsA total of 168 ASA grade Ⅱ patients aged 6~72 months and scheduled for interventional cardiac surgery were enrolled into the study. Anesthesia was induced by using propofol 2 mg·kg^-1， SUF 0.3 μg·kg^-1 and cisatracurium besilate 0.2 mg·kg^-1. Propofol 8 mg·kg^-1·h^-1 was administered to maintain anesthesia. Blood samples were collected at 5， 10， 20， 30， 45， 60， 75， 90 min after administration of SUF by dilution sampling method. Plasma concentration of sufentanil was determined by UHPLC-MS/MS method and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by Phoenix Winnonlintm^TM software. The genotypes were detected by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry （MALDI-TOF MS）. The genotypes and pharmacokinetic data were analyzed by SNPStats software and the model with the smallest value of Akaike information criterion was chosen as the best model. ResultsThirty single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） in 9 genes possibly involved in pharmacokinetics， pharmacodynamics related targets， metabolic enzymes， transporters and pathways of SUF were examined. ABCG2 rs2054576 and OPRM1 rs4870266 were found to be related to area under the curve （AUC） （P<0.05）. OPRM1 rs2236257 was correlated with the apparent volume of distribution （V_d） （P<0.05）. CYP3A4 rs2246709， OPRM1 rs2236257 and rs4870266 were associated with the drug clearance rate （CL） （P<0.05）. ConclusionGene polymorphisms of ABCG2 rs2054576，CYP3A4 rs2246709 and OPRM1 rs2236257， rs4870266 could significantly affect the pharmacokinetics of SUF in children undergoing interventional cardiac surgery.

Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of the minimally invasive treatment of unstable pelvic fractures with the blunt head technique of Kirschner wire and 3D-printed external template technique.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted of the clinical data of 21 patients with unstable pelvic fracture who had undergone minimally invasive treatment at Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital from May 2016 to July 2018 using 3D-printed external templates and the blunt head technique of Kirschner wire. There were 7 males and 14 females with an age of 43.6 years (from 19 to 65 years). According to the Tile classification, there were 3 cases of B1, 7 ones of B2, 6 ones of C1 and 5 ones of C2. The intraoperative fluoroscopy, operation time, postoperative fracture reduction and functional recovery of the pelvis at the last follow-up were recorded.Results:The 21 patients were followed up for an average of 16.3 months (from 12 to 24 months). A total of 33 wires were inserted in the 21 patients, including 15 S 1 ones and 18 S 2 ones. The intraoperative fluoroscopy ranged from 13 to 27 times, averaging 21.8 times. The operation time ranged from 65 to 130 min, averaging 88.6 min. The anterior subcutaneous internal fixation was used to fix the anterior ring in 9 patients. No vascular injury occurred during the operation. By the Matta criteria, the postoperative fracture reduction was assessed as excellent in 14 cases, good in 5, and fair in 2, giving an excellent to good rate of 90.5% (19/21). By the Majeed scoring system, the pelvic function at the last follow-up was assessed as excellent in 10 cases, good in 8, and fair in 3, giving an excellent to good rate of 85.7% (18/21). Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury occurred in 2 patients but was recovered by the 3-month follow-up. No other complications were follwed up. Conclusion:The minimally invasive treatment of unstable pelvic fractures with the blunt head technique of Kirschner wire assissted by 3D-printed external templates is safe and effective, showing advatages of reduced fluoroscopic frequency and operation time.

Objective:To investigate the advantages and disadvantages and clinical effects of integrated acetabular quadrilateral surface buttress plate in the treatment of acetabular both column fractures.Methods:From September 2017 to March 2019, 14 patients with acetabular both column fractures were treated with integrated quadrilateral acetabular buttress plate and were followed up. The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. There were 10 males and 4 females with an average age of 53.2 years (range, 26-75 years). Fracture classification were both column fractures according to the Letournel-Judet classification system, including 11 cases of combined posterior wall without posterior dislocation. The time from injury to operation was 8-19 days, with an average of 10.3 days. All operations were performed with a supra-ilioinguinal approach. After satisfactory reduction, the integrated acetabular quadrilateral surface buttress plate was used to fix the anterior and posterior column and quadrilateral fractures at the same time. After operation, Matta criteria was used to evaluate the quality of fracture reduction on postoperative images, and modified Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score to evaluate hip joint function.Results:The average operation time was 180 min (range, 120-320 min), and the intraoperative average blood loss was 980 ml (range, 700-1 600 ml). Operations were performed successfully with none intraoperative reshaping conducted, and the plate could fit into the bone surface well. All 14 patients were followed up with an average of 15.6 months (range, 9-20 months). During the follow-up, all fractures healed with an average of 3 months (range, 2.5-5 months). The reduction quality evaluated by the Matta criteria were 7 anatomical, 5 satisfactory, and 2 unsatisfactory, with an excellent and good rate of 85.7% (12/14). The hip joint function at the last follow-up was in accordance with the modified Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score was 12-18 points, with an average of 16.9 points, of which 8 excellent, 4 good, and 2 fair. The excellent and good function rate was 85.7% (12/14). During the operation, 1 patient had a rupture of about 1 cm of the peritoneum during the separation of the spermatic cord, which was immediately sutured and repaired. One patient had obturator nerve paralysis after the operation, without special treatment, and the paralysis symptoms were relieved during the 6th-month follow-up. There were no other operation-related complications.Conclusion:For both-column fractures characterized by central dislocation of the femoral head, the integrated acetabular quadrilateral buttress plate can simultaneously fix the anterior and posterior columns and quadrilateral surface at the same time. Satisfactory reduction and functional outcomes could be achieved by the novel plates.

Objective:To explore the feasibility, safety and clinical efficacy of using the self-developed acetabular posterior wall and column integrative anatomical plate to treat various types of posterior wall/column fractures.Methods:Between January 2016 and January 2019, 21 patients involving acetabular posterior wall and/or column were treated with the novel acetabular posterior wall and column integrative plate, the data were collected and retrospectively analyzed. There were 11 males and 10 females, with an average of 48 years old (range, 18-65 years old). According to the classification of AO/OTA, there were 6 simple fractures, 9 comminuted fractures, and 6 associated with joint surface compression of posterior wall; and there were 16 simple acetabular posterior wall fractures and 5 cases associated with acetabular posterior column fractures. Before operation, the CT data of each patient was collected and imported into Mimics software to reconstruct and print a 3D model of pelvis and injured and mirrored side to simulate operation. All patients were treated with a single Kocher-Langenbeck approach for posterior acetabular fractures, and fixed with the novel integrated anatomical plate after satisfactory reduction was achieved. Matta score was used to evaluate the quality of fracture reduction, and the modified Merle D'Aubigné-Postel score was adopted to evaluate functional recovery of hip joint.Results:21 patients involved in this study, the average time of plate insertion after successful reduction was 20 min (range, 15-30 min); the mean time of operation was 180 min (range, 90-300 min); the intraoperative mean bleeding volume was 700 ml (range, 300-1 500 ml). All the incisions healed by level 1 classification, and no incisions infection and sciatic nerve injury occurred. The patients included in the study have been followed up for at least one year and the imaging data was intact, the mean follow-up time was 19 month (range, 12-26 month). The fracture reduction was evaluated according to the Matta score: 16 cases were anatomical reduction, 3 cases were satisfactory reduction, 2 cases were unsatisfactory reduction, the satisfactory rate of reduction was 90.5% (19/21); the modified Merle D'Aubigné-Postel score at 3 month was 13.0±2.2 (range, 9-16), 6 month was 15.8±2.4 (range, 10-18) and last follow up was 17.0±1.8 (range, 13-18), respectively; the difference was statistically significant ( F=15.38, P < 0.001). At the last follow-up, 15 cases were excellent, 3 cases were good and 3 cases were fair, the total excellent and good rate was 85.7% (18/21). One case developed symptoms of sciatic nerve injury after operation, but the symptoms resolved after treating with neurotrophic drug by 6 months. 2 cases developed arthritis related pain after operation, receiving symptomatic treatment with oral painkillers. During the follow-up period, no complications such as plate broken and screw loosen occurred. Conclusion:The use of an integrative anatomical plate for treating posterior wall/column fractures of acetabulum achieved satisfactory fixation and postoperative functional recovery.

Objective: The current study aims to explore precipitating and social risk factors for internet addiction (IA) in university undergraduate students, and to provide evidence for interventions and the early prevention of IA in different genders. Methods: Four thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight college sophomores completed an online survey on their internet use-related behaviours and social risk factors. Results: We found that more male (8.3%) than female students (5.4%) had moderate and severe IA. The main online activity in the moderate and severe IA groups was online gaming in males and online streaming in females. Roommates engaging in similar internetbased entertainment was a risk factor of IA only for males, while not being in a romantic relationship was a risk factor of IA for females only. Infatuation with the internet before college and adjustment problems for college life were shared risk factors for both genders in the mild and moderate IA groups. Conclusion IA was a common phenomenon in college students with shared and unique precipitating and social risk factors in males and females. The gender-sensitive risk factors for IA warranted earlier and individualized intervention and prevention strategies for IA in this population.

Objective: The current study aims to explore precipitating and social risk factors for internet addiction (IA) in university undergraduate students, and to provide evidence for interventions and the early prevention of IA in different genders. Methods: Four thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight college sophomores completed an online survey on their internet use-related behaviours and social risk factors. Results: We found that more male (8.3%) than female students (5.4%) had moderate and severe IA. The main online activity in the moderate and severe IA groups was online gaming in males and online streaming in females. Roommates engaging in similar internetbased entertainment was a risk factor of IA only for males, while not being in a romantic relationship was a risk factor of IA for females only. Infatuation with the internet before college and adjustment problems for college life were shared risk factors for both genders in the mild and moderate IA groups. Conclusion IA was a common phenomenon in college students with shared and unique precipitating and social risk factors in males and females. The gender-sensitive risk factors for IA warranted earlier and individualized intervention and prevention strategies for IA in this population.