OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical features of children with STAT gene mutations, and to explore corresponding immunotherapy strategies. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 10 children with STAT gene mutations who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, from October 2015 to October 2024. Exploratory immunotherapy was implemented in some refractory cases, and the changes in symptoms, imaging manifestations, and cytokine levels were assessed after treatment. RESULTS: For the 10 children, the main clinical manifestations were recurrent rash since birth (7/10), cough (8/10), wheezing (5/10), expectoration (4/10), and purulent nasal discharge (4/10). Genotyping results showed that there was one child with heterozygous loss-of-function (LOF) mutation in the STAT1 gene, four children with heterozygous LOF mutation in the STAT3 gene, and five children with heterozygous gain-of-function (GOF) mutation in the STAT3 gene. Two children with LOF mutation in the STAT3 gene showed decreased interleukin-6 levels and improved clinical symptoms and imaging findings after omalizumab treatment. Three children with GOF mutation in the STAT3 gene achieved effective disease control after treatment with methylprednisolone (0.5 mg/kg per day). Two children with GOF mutation in the STAT3 gene received treatment with JAK inhibitor and then showed some improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS STAT gene mutation screening should be considered for children with recurrent rash and purulent respiratory tract infections. Targeted immunotherapy may improve prognosis in patients with no response to conventional treatment.
Humans ; Male ; Immunotherapy ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Gain of Function Mutation ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant ; Loss of Function Mutation ; STAT Transcription Factors/genetics*

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a kind of exogenous chemicals presenting in the human living environment widely which affects the action of endocrine hormones in the human body. Numerous studies have shown that BPA has reproductive toxicity in the spermatogenic function damage of the testes through a variety of mechanisms such as interfering with endocrine function, inducing oxidative stress, promoting spermatogonial cell apoptosis, destroying the integrity of the blood-testis barrier, and regulating epigenetic inheritance, thereby destroying male fertility. Relevant studies have shown that TCM can improve male fertility by reversing BPA-induced reproductive damage through multi-component, multi-target and multi-mechanisms. However, there is no systematic review on the mechanism of TCM to reduce the reproductive toxicity of BPA. Based on the existing studies, this article will systematically introduce the mechanisms of BPA-induced reproductive impairment in men and the progress of TCM interventions, with a view to providing reference targets and research directions for the development of new Chinese medicines.
Humans ; Benzhydryl Compounds/adverse effects* ; Male ; Phenols/adverse effects* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Infertility, Male/chemically induced* ; Testis/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Bisphenol A Compounds

Disharmony between nutritive qi(ying)and defensive qi(wei)is the core pathogenesis of insomnia.The normal function of ying-wei in the generation,dispersion,divergence and aggregation is the precondition for the realization of the coordination between ying and wei.The disordered function of ying-wei in the generation,dispersion,divergence and aggregation will cause the disharmony between ying and wei,and then the insomnia occurs.For the treatment of insomnia caused by the disordered function of ying-wei in the generation,Guizhi Decoction associated prescriptions are used for strengthening middle energizer and nourishing ying and wei.For the treatment of insomnia caused by the disordered function of ying-wei in the dispersion,Mahuang Decoction associated prescriptions are used to relieve the exterior and eliminate the pathogen for insomnia patients with the manifestations of the attack of exopathogens,and Xiao Chaihu Decoction associated prescriptions are used to dredge the triple energizer for insomnia patients with the dysfunction of the triple energizer.For the treatment of insomnia caused by the disordered function of ying-wei in the divergence,Rhei Radix et Rhizoma associated bitter-cold prescriptions are used to purge the interior heat for insomnia patients with abundant interior heat syndrome,Gypsum Fibrosum associated pungent-cold prescriptions are used to release muscles and clear heat for insomnia patients with the interior heat complicated by exterior syndrome,Natrii Sulfas Exsiccatus associated salty-cold prescriptions are used to clear heat,moisten dryness and dissipate the masses for insomnia patients with interior heat complicated by dryness syndrome,sour-cold medicines are used to clear heat and remove retained water,supplement deficiency and relieve exterior for insomnia patients with interior heat complicated by water-retention syndrome,deficiency syndrome and exterior syndrome,and Ophiopogonis Radix associated prescriptions and Lillli Bulbus associated prescriptions are used to clear heat and nourish ying for insomnia patients with the consumption of ying and yin.For the treatment of insomnia caused by the disordered function of ying-wei in the aggregation,the compatibility of Poria and Cinnamomi Ramulus is used for warming yang and resolving fluid retention in patients with fluid retention,Taohong Siwu Decoction associated prescriptions are used to activate blood and remove stasis in patients with predominance of blood stasis syndrome,the compatibility of Poria and Paeoniae Radix Alba are used to treat retained water and blood stasis in patients with water-blood co-morbidity.Treating insomnia caused by disharmony between ying and wei from the perspective of the function of ying-wei in the generation,dispersion,divergence and aggregation is aimed at the core pathogenesis of insomnia,which makes the treatment easy to be carried out,and can provide reference for clinical differentiation and treatment of insomnia.

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]

This study aimed to provide scientific evidence for predicting quality markers(Q-markers) of Elephantopus scaber by establishing UPLC fingerprint of E. scaber from different geographical origins and determining the content of 13 major components, as well as conducting in vitro anti-cancer activity investigation of the main components. The chromatographic column used was Waters CORTECS UPLC C_(18)(2.1 mm×150 mm, 1.6 μm), and the mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid solution(gradient elution). The column temperature was set at 30 ℃, and the flow rate was 0.2 mL·min~(-1). The injection volume was 1 μL, and the detection wavelength was 240 nm. The UPLC fingerprint of E. scaber was fitted using the Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of Traditional Chinese Medicine(2012 edition) to determine common peaks, evaluate similarity, identify and determine the content of major components. The CCK-8 assay was used to explore the inhibitory effect of the main components on the proliferation of lung cancer cells. The results showed that in the established UPLC fingerprint of E. scaber, 35 common peaks were identified. Thirteen major components, including neochlorogenic acid(peak 1), chlorogenic acid(peak 2), cryptochlorogenic acid(peak 3), caffeic acid(peak 4), schaftoside(peak 6), galuteolin(peak 9), isochlorogenic acid B(peak 10), isochlorogenic acid A(peak 12), isochlorogenic acid C(peak 18), deoxyelephantopin(peak 28), isodeoxyelephantopin(peak 29), isoscabertopin(peak 31), and scabertopin(peak 32) were identified and quantified, and a quantitative analysis method was established. The results of the in vitro anti-cancer activity study showed that deoxyelephantopin, isodeoxyelephantopin, isoscabertopin, and scabertopin in E. scaber exhibited inhibition rates of lung cancer cell proliferation exceeding 80% at a concentration of 10 μmol·L~(-1), higher than the positive drug paclitaxel. These results indicate that the fingerprint of E. scaber is highly characteristic, and the quantitative analysis method is accurate and stable, providing references for the research on quality standards of E. scaber. Four sesquiterpene lactones in E. scaber show significant anti-cancer activity and can serve as Q-markers for E. scaber.
Humans ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Asteraceae/chemistry* ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy*

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Fangji Fulingtang in the treatment of acute kidney injury （AKI） induced by ischemia-reperfusion based on network pharmacology and experimental verification. MethodActive components of Fangji Fulingtang were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP） and previous report and targets of these components were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction. The targets of AKI were searched from GeneCards， Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man （OMIM）， the database of gene-disease associations （DisGeNET）， and Therapeutic Target Database （TTD）. Protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed by STRING. Metascape was used for Gene Ontology （GO） term enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment of core targets. Cytoscape was employed to construct the "medicinal-active component-target-disease" network and “active component-target-pathway” network. AutoDock was applied for molecular docking. Finally， animal experiment was carried out to validate the mechanism of Fangji Fulingtang in treatment of AKI. ResultA total of 137 active components and 858 targets of Fangji Fulingtang， 1 294 targets of AKI， and 267 targets of Fangji Fulingtang in the treatment of AKI were screened out. Phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 （PIK3R1）， phosphatidylinositol-4，5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha （PIK3CA）， proto-oncogene tyrosine protein kinase （SRC）， protein kinase B1 （Akt1）， and mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 （MAPK3） were the key anti-AKI targets of Fangji Fulingtang， which were involved in 1 609 GO terms， particularly cell response to lipids， membrane rafts， and protein kinase activity， and 140 KEGG pathways such as PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， chemokine signaling pathway， and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that the core active components had strong binding affinity to the key targets. The hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining results indicated that Fangji Fulingtang can significantly improve the pathological state and the serological results suggested that the levels of serum creatinine （SCr） and blood urea nitrogen （BUN） were significantly reduced. ConclusionThis study clarified the mechanism of Fangji Fulingtang in the treatment of AKI and found that Fangji Fulingtang had the multi-component， multi-target， and multi-pathway characteristics in the treatment of AKI. The result lays a foundation for further study of its specific mechanism.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the technical feasibility, efficacy, and safety of the safe triangular working zone (STWZ) approach applied in percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) for spinal metastases involving the posterior part of the vertebral body. Materials and Methods: We prospectively enrolled 87 patients who underwent PV for spinal metastasis involving the posterior part of the vertebral body, with or without the STWZ approach, from January 2019 to April 2022. Forty-nine patients (27 females and 22 males; mean age ± standard deviation [SD], 57.2 ± 11.6 years; age range, 31–76 years) were included in group A (with STWZ approach), accounting for 54 vertebrae. Thirty-eight patients (18 females and 20 males; 59.1 ± 10.9 years; 29–81 years) were included in group B (without STWZ approach), accounting for 57 vertebrae. Patient demographics, procedure-related variables, and pain relief as assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) were collected at different time points. Tumor recurrence in the vertebrae after PV was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier curves. Results: The STWZ approach was successful from T1 to L5 without severe complications. Cement filling was satisfactory in 47/54 (87.0%) and 25/57 (43.9%) vertebrae in groups A and B, respectively (v< 0.001). Cement leakage was not significantly different between groups A and B (p= 1.000). Mean VAS score ± SD before and 1 week and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after PV were 7.6 ± 1.8, 4.2 ± 2.0, 2.7 ± 1.9, 1.9 ± 1.5, 1.7 ± 1.4, 1.7 ± 1.1, and 1.6 ± 1.3, respectively, in group A and 7.2 ± 1.7, 4.0 ± 1.3, 3.4 ± 1.6, 2.4 ± 1.2, 1.8 ± 1.0, 1.4 ± 0.5, and 1.7 ± 0.9, respectively, in group B. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a lower tumor recurrence rate in group A than in group B (p = 0.001). Conclusion The STWZ approach may represent a new, safe, alternative/auxiliary approach to target the posterior part of the vertebral body in the PV for spinal metastases.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of sex on the clinical outcome of extremely preterm infants (EPIs)/extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWIs) by propensity score matching. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the medical data of 731 EPIs or ELBWIs who were admitted from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2020. These infants were divided into two groups: male and female. A propensity score matching analysis was performed at a ratio of 1:1. The matching variables included gestational age, birth weight, percentage of withdrawal from active treatment, percentage of small-for-gestational-age infant, percentage of use of pulmonary surfactant, percentage of 1-minute Apgar score ≤3, percentage of mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, percentage of antenatal use of inadequate glucocorticoids, and percentage of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. The two groups were compared in the incidence rate of main complications during hospitalization and the rate of survival at discharge. RESULTS: Before matching, compared with the female group, the male group had significantly higher incidence rates of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), severe intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and patent ductus arteriosus (P<0.05), while after matching, the male group only had a significantly higher incidence rate of BPD than the female group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the rate of survival at discharge between the two groups before and after matching (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Male EPIs/ELBWIs have a higher risk of BPD than female EPIs/ELBWIs, but male and female EPIs/ELBWIs tend to have similar outcomes.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/etiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Characteristics

Objective: To examine the safety and effectiveness of a new stent graft system for endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm(AAA). Methods: This is a prospective,multi-center,single-arm clinical trial. The patients with AAA treated with a new stent graft system were enrolled at 21 centers from September 2018 to September 2019 in China. Follow-up was performed before discharge, and at 30, 180, 360 days after operation, respectively. The primary safety endpoint was the incidence of major adverse events(MAE) within 30 days. The primary efficacy endpoint was the success rate of AAA treatment at 360 days. Secondary safety endpoints were the incidence of perioperative access complications and acute lower limb ischemia,all-cause mortality, AAA related mortality and incidence of serious adverse events (SAE) at 180 and 360 days. Secondary efficacy endpoints were the incidence of type Ⅰ or Ⅲ endoleak,stent displacement,and conversion to open surgery or re-intervention at 180 and 360 days. Results: One hundred and fifty-six patients were enrolled,including 137 males and 19 females. The age was (68.9±6.9) years (range:48.2 to 84.6 years).Maximum aneurysm diameter was (50.8±11.2) mm (range:25.0 to 85.0 mm),diameter of proximal landing zone was (21.2±2.5) mm (range:17.0 to 29.5 mm),and length of proximal landing zone was (31.4±13.0) mm (range:11.0 to 75.0 mm).The incidence of MAE was 1.3% (2/156) at 30 days,both were all-cause death cases. The success rate of AAA treatment was 88.5% (138/156) at 360 days. No perioperative access complication and acute lower limb ischemia occurred. All-cause mortality was 2.0% (3/154) at 180 days and 2.6% (4/153) at 360 days,and there was no AAA related death. The incidence of SAE was 23.0%(35/152) at 180 days and 30.5%(46/151) at 360 days, and no device-related SAE occurred. The incidence of type Ⅰor Ⅲ endoleak was 3.4% (5/147) at 180 days and 3.5% (5/144) at 360 days. Conclusion: The new stent graft system is easy to operate,and early-term safety and effectiveness results are expected.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Prospective Studies ; China ; Ischemia ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/surgery*