Puerarin ameliorates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by inhibiting lipid metabolism through FMO5.

Introduction: Pueraria lobata is traditionally used in China for treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Puerarin, a functional drug extracted from Pueraria lobata, features a pharmacological activity. The present study aims to investigate the effect of puerarin intervention on NAFLD. Methods: We established an NAFLD mouse model using a high-fat diet with 60% fat and evaluated the impact of puerarin intervention. Results and discussion: Our results demonstrate that puerarin intervention significantly ameliorates lipid accumulation and protects the liver from high-fat-induced damage while reducing oxidative stress levels in the liver. Furthermore, puerarin intervention significantly downregulates the transcription levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC1) in the liver. It also upregulates the transcription levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ coactivator alpha (PGC1α), which are related to oxidation. Furthermore, we demonstrated that flavin-containing monooxygenase (FMO5) was involved in the protective effect of puerarin against NFALD. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the beneficial effect of puerarin on NAFLD and showed that puerarin could prevent liver injury and lipid accumulation caused by NAFLD via activating FMO5. These findings provide a new theoretical basis for applying puerarin as a therapeutic agent for NAFLD.

Actin-bundling protein fimbrin serves as a new auxin biosynthesis orchestrator in Arabidopsis root tips.

Plants delicately regulate endogenous auxin levels through the coordination of transport, biosynthesis, and inactivation, which is crucial for growth and development. While it is well-established that the actin cytoskeleton can regulate auxin levels by affecting polar transport, its potential role in auxin biosynthesis has remained largely unexplored. Using LC-MS/MS-based methods combined with fluorescent auxin marker detection, we observed a significant increase in root auxin levels upon deletion of the actin bundling proteins AtFIM4 and AtFIM5. Fluorescent observation, immunoblotting analysis, and biochemical approaches revealed that AtFIM4 and AtFIM5 affect the protein abundance of the key auxin synthesis enzyme YUC8 in roots. AtFIM4 and AtFIM5 regulate the auxin synthesis enzyme YUC8 at the protein level, with its degradation mediated by the 26S proteasome. This regulation modulates auxin synthesis and endogenous auxin levels in roots, consequently impacting root development. Based on these findings, we propose a molecular pathway centered on the 'actin cytoskeleton-26S proteasome-YUC8-auxin' axis that controls auxin levels. Our findings shed light on a new pathway through which plants regulate auxin synthesis. Moreover, this study illuminates a newfound role of the actin cytoskeleton in regulating plant growth and development, particularly through its involvement in maintaining protein homeostasis via the 26S proteasome.

A Case of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a deep fungal infection caused by invasion of Aspergillus mycelium into the lung parenchyma resulting in tissue destruction and necrosis, which occurs more often in im-munosuppressed populations. The severity of the disease and the rapid progression of the lung lesions puts pa¬tients at high risk of death and poor prognosis if the correct therapeutic intervention is not given as early as possible. METHODS: Here we report a case of IPA, which was initially diagnosed as community-acquired pneumonia in a local hospital. The symptoms did not improve after receiving anti-infective treatment. The patient was diagnosed with IPA after completing a chest CT examination and an electronic bronchoscopy, as well as pathogenetic examination of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and pathological examination of the left bronchial mass in the respiratory department of our hospital, which was finally diagnosed as IPA. After one week of administration of voriconazole for anti-fungal infection treatment, the patient's symptoms improved significantly, and a repeat chest CT suggested that the lung lesions were better than before. In order to raise clinicians' awareness of this disease, we also conducted a literature analysis. RESULTS: The final diagnosis of IPA was made by analyzing the patient's history, symptoms, signs, and relevant findings. CONCLUSIONS: When the patient's clinical symptoms and imaging manifestations are consistent with IPA, electronic bronchoscopy and pathogenetic and pathological examinations may be appropriately performed to clarify the na-ture of the lesion. More consideration should be given to the possibility of disease diagnosis to avoid misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis. Appropriate treatment should be given at an early stage.

A Case of IgG4 Related Lung Disease.

BACKGROUND: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an immune-mediated systemic inflammatory fibrotic disease, which is a relatively rare and novel disease that can involve multiple organs or tissues, with variable clinical manifestations, and for which pulmonary involvement has been reported relatively infrequently. METHODS: Here we report a case of pulmonary infection that was initially suspected and received anti-inflammatory treatment, but the symptoms did not improve. CT examination indicated progression of the pulmonary lesion, and the nature of the lesion could not be determined by tracheoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage. The diagnosis of IgG4 related lung disease (IgG4-RLD) was confirmed by percutaneous lung biopsy. A joint literature analysis was conducted to improve clinicians' understanding of this disease. RESULTS: The patient's history, symptoms, signs and relevant examination results were analyzed. The final diagnosis was IgG4-RLD. CONCLUSIONS: When the clinical symptoms and imaging manifestations of the patients are consistent with IgG4-RLD, pathological examination can be appropriately performed to clarify the nature of the lesions. More consideration should be given to the possibility of disease diagnosis to avoid misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis, and proper treatment should be given at an early stage.

Complication of Intrapulmonary Cavitary Lesions after COVID-19 Finally Proved as Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2, which is characterized by high infectiousness and diverse clinical manifestations. They are more likely to become critical in people who have underlying diseases or are immunocompromised. In the daunting task of treating patients with COVID-19, those with comorbid fungal infections are susceptible to underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis, which can ultimately lead to increased morbidity and mortality in this group of patients. We report a case of intrapulmonary cavitary lesions after COVID-19, which was eventually diagnosed as pulmonary aspergillosis (PA) by metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing (mNGS) to improve our understanding of the disease. METHODS: Appropriate laboratory tests, chest computed tomography (CT), mNGS, and serologic tests were performed for diagnosis. RESULTS: Laboratory tests showed Glactomannan (GM) of 1.41, multiple cavitary lesions in both lungs on chest CT and the presence of aspergillus infection was confirmed by sputum sent for mNGS. CONCLUSIONS: In the case of cavitary lesions after COVID-19, we should be alert to the possibility of combined fungi and should promptly perform mNGS to clarify whether there is a combination of specific pathogenic fungal infections.

Organizing Pneumonia due to Secondary Invasive Pulmonary Mycosis and Cytomegalovirus Infection in a Patient with Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Reactivation of cytomegalovirus is more common in lymphoma patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, but reactivation of cytomegalovirus due to chemotherapy for lymphoma has rarely been reported. We report a case of a lymphoma patient with secondary pulmonary fungal infection and cytomegalovirus infection after chemotherapy, which ultimately led to organizing pneumonia. METHODS: Percutaneous lung biopsy, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). RESULTS: NGS examination suggestive of cytomegalovirus infection, percutaneous lung biopsy suggests the presence of organizing pneumonia. The patient was discharged after a combination of antifungal and antiviral treatment with posaconazole, ganciclovir, and anti-inflammatory treatment with methylprednisolone. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with lymphoma, one should be alert for fungal and viral infections of the lungs when lung related clinical manifestations occur. Patients with persistent unrelieved symptoms after treatment should undergo lung biopsy or bronchoscopy to obtain pathologic tissue for definitive diagnosis.

Neglected Mycobacterium Avium Complex Infection in a Patient with Prolonged Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infections (NTM-PD) are becoming increasingly common in clinical practice, and early detection and accurate determination of the infecting pathogen is crucial for subsequent treatment. We report a case of NTM-PD in a healthy middle-aged female with Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex group (MAC) infection confirmed by mNGS examination. METHODS: Appropriate laboratory tests, chest CT scan, bronchoscopic alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) examination, and macrogenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) were performed to establish the diagnosis. RESULTS: Chest CT showed multiple inflammatory lesions in the right middle lobe, and BALF sent for mNGS finally confirmed the diagnosis of MAC infection. After symptomatic treatment with azithromycin combined with ethambutol and rifampicin, the patient improved and was discharged from the hospital. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with pulmonary infections, pathogens should be clarified early to determine the diagnosis. mNGS of BALF samples have high specificity in detecting pathogens of infectious diseases, especially complex mixed infectious disease pathogens.

Neglected Right Hemidiaphragmatic Angle Soft Tissue Shadow in a Renal Transplant Recipient Diagnosed as Lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders are characterized by atypical clinical manifestations, high mortality, and missed diagnosis rates. METHODS: We report a case of renal transplantation in a patient with unexplained soft-tissue nodular shadows, and the type of the post-transplant abnormal soft-tissue shadows was clarified by puncture biopsy. RESULTS: The pathologic returns were consistent with the post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, and the immunohistochemical returns supported a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (non-growth center origin). CONCLUSIONS: In organ transplant patients, when unexplained soft tissue nodular shadows are present, the possibility of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders should be considered, and an aggressive puncture biopsy should be performed to clarify the diagnosis.

A Prediction Model for Prolonged Hospital Length of Stay (ProLOS) in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Patients.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). With the normalization of COVID-19 globally, it is crucial to construct a prediction model that enables clinicians to identify patients at risk for ProLOS based on demographics and serum inflammatory biomarkers. METHODS: The study included hospitalized patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. These patients were randomly grouped into a training (80%) and a test (20%) cohort. The LASSO regression and ten-fold cross-validation method were applied to filter variables. The training cohort utilized multifactorial logistic regression analyses to identify the independent factors of ProLOS in COVID-19 patients. A 4-variable nomogram was created for clinical use. ROC curves were plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the model's discrimination; calibration analysis was planned to assess the validity of the nomogram, and decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the model. RESULTS: The results showed that among 310 patients with COVID-19, 80 had extended hospitalization (80/310). Four independent risk factors for COVID-19 patients were identified: age, coexisting chronic respiratory diseases, white blood cell count (WBC), and serum albumin (ALB). A nomogram based on these variables was created. The AUC in the training cohort was 0.808 (95% CI: 0.75 - 0.8671), and the AUC in the test cohort was 0.815 (95% CI: 0.7031 - 0.9282). The model demonstrates good calibration and can be used with threshold probabilities ranging from 0% to 100% to obtain clinical net benefits. CONCLUSIONS: A predictive model has been created to accurately predict whether the hospitalization duration of COVID-19 patients will be prolonged. This model incorporates serum WBC, ALB levels, age, and the presence of chronic respiratory system diseases.

A Case of Organizing Pneumonia Resembling Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a pathologic diagnosis with clinical and imaging manifestations that often resemble other diseases, such as infections and cancers, which can lead to delays in diagnosis and inappropriate management of the underlying disease. In this article, we present a case of organized pneumonia that resembles lung cancer. METHODS: We report a case of initial suspicion of pulmonary malignancy, treated with anti-inflammatory medication and then reviewed with CT suggesting no improvement, and finally confirmed to be OP by pathological biopsy taken via transbronchoscopy. A joint literature analysis was performed to raise clinicians' awareness of the diagnosis and treatment of OP. RESULTS: Initially, because of the atypical auxiliary findings, we thought that the disease turned out to be a lung tumor, which was eventually confirmed as OP by pathological diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis and treatment of OP requires a combination of clinical information and radiological expertise, as well as biopsy to obtain histopathological evidence. That is, clinical-imaging-pathological tripartite cooperation and comprehensive analysis.

Probiotic yogurt regulates gut microbiota homeostasis and alleviates hepatic steatosis and liver injury induced by high-fat diet in golden hamsters.

This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of probiotic yogurt on lipid metabolism and gut microbiota in metabolic-related fatty liver disease (MAFLD) golden hamsters fed on a high-fat diet (HFD). The results demonstrated that probiotic yogurt significantly reversed the adverse effects caused by HFD, such as body and liver weight gain, liver steatosis and damage, sterol deposition, and oxidative stress after 8 weeks of intervention. qRT-PCR analysis showed that golden hamsters fed HFD had upregulated genes related to adipogenesis, increased free fatty acid infiltration, and downregulated genes related to lipolysis and very low-density lipoprotein secretion. Probiotic yogurt supplements significantly inhibited HFD-induced changes in the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes. Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the intestinal content microbiota suggested that probiotic yogurt changed the diversity and composition of the gut microbiota in HFD-fed hamsters. Probiotic yogurt decreased the ratio of the phyla Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes, the relative abundance of the LPS-producing genus Desulfovibrio, and bacteria involved in lipid metabolism, whereas it increased the relative abundance of short-chain fatty acids producing bacteria in HFD-fed hamsters. Predictive functional analysis of the microbial community showed that probiotic yogurt-modified genes involved in LPS biosynthesis and lipid metabolism. In summary, these findings support the possibility that probiotic yogurt significantly improves HFD-induced metabolic disorders through modulating intestinal microflora and lipid metabolism and effectively regulating the occurrence and development of MAFLD. Therefore, probiotic yogurt supplementation may serve as an effective nutrition strategy for the treatment of patients with MAFLD clinically.

A Case of Tuberculosis Misdiagnosed as Sarcoidosis and then Confirmed by NGS Testing.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) is an important infectious disease that threatens the health and life of human beings. In the diagnosis of PTB, imaging plays a dominant role, but due to the increasing drug resistance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, atypical clinical manifestations, "different images with the same disease" or "different diseases with the same image" in chest imaging, and the low positivity rate of routine sputum bacteriology, which leads to a high rate of misdiagnosis of PTB. We report a case of pulmonary tuberculosis that was misdiagnosed on imaging. We report a case of pulmonary tuberculosis that resembled sarcoidosis on imaging and was negative for antacid staining on sputum smear and alveolar lavage fluid, and was later diagnosed by microbial next-generation sequencing (NGS). The case was initially misdiagnosed as sarcoidosis. METHODS: Alveolar lavage fluid NGS, chest CT, bronchoscopy. RESULTS: Chest CT showed multiple inflammatory lesions in both lungs, multiple nodular foci in both lungs, and multiple enlarged lymph nodes in the mediastinum and hilar region on both sides. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed in the basal segment of the left lower lobe of the lungs to carry out bronchoalveolar lavage, and the lavage fluid was sent to the NGS test and returned the following results: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex group detected in the number of sequences of 293. Based on the results of the NGS test, the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis could be confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis cannot be easily excluded in patients with "different images with the same disease" or "different diseases with the same image" on chest imaging without the support of sputum positivity. The goal was to improve the alertness of medical personnel to the misdiagnosis of tuberculosis and the application of NGS technology.

Air-Stable Self-Driven UV Photodetectors on Controllable Lead-Free CsCu2I3 Microwire Arrays.

The rapid evolution of the Internet of Things has engendered increased requirements for low-cost, self-powered UV photodetectors. Herein, high-performance self-driven UV photodetectors are fabricated by designing asymmetric metal-semiconductor-metal structures on the high-quality large-area CsCu2I3 microwire arrays. The asymmetrical depletion region doubles the photocurrent and response speed compared to the symmetric structure device, leading to a high responsivity of 233 mA/W to 355 nm radiation. Notably, at 0 V bias, the asymmetric device produces an open-circuit voltage of 356 mV and drives to a short-circuit current of 372 pA; meanwhile, the switch ratio (Iph/Idark) reaches up to 103, indicating its excellent potential for detecting weak light. Furthermore, the device maintains stable responses throughout 10000 UV-light switch cycles, with negligible degradation even after 90-day storage in air. Our work establishes that CsCu2I3 is a good candidate for self-powered UV detection and thoroughly demonstrates its potential as a passive device.

Elevated extracellular matrix protein 1 in circulating extracellular vesicles supports breast cancer progression under obesity conditions.

The cargo content in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) changes under pathological conditions. Our data shows that in obesity, extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) protein levels are significantly increased in circulating sEVs, which is dependent on integrin-ß2. Knockdown of integrin-ß2 does not affect cellular ECM1 protein levels but significantly reduces ECM1 protein levels in the sEVs released by these cells. In breast cancer (BC), overexpressing ECM1 increases matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) and S100A/B protein levels. Interestingly, sEVs purified from high-fat diet-induced obesity mice (D-sEVs) deliver more ECM1 protein to BC cells compared to sEVs from control diet-fed mice. Consequently, BC cells secrete more ECM1 protein, which promotes cancer cell invasion and migration. D-sEVs treatment also significantly enhances ECM1-mediated BC metastasis and growth in mouse models, as evidenced by the elevated tumor levels of MMP3 and S100A/B. Our study reveals a mechanism and suggests sEV-based strategies for treating obesity-associated BC.

Positive Herpesvirus IgG Antibodies in Lung Cancer Patients Finally Proved as Drug-induced Pemphigus.

BACKGROUND: Herpesvirus IgG antibody positivity can be a lifelong burden of disease replication and reinfection or recent viruses can be reactivated and play an important role in the diagnosis and monitoring of herpesvirus [1]. However, sometimes serum IgG antibody positivity is of limited help in determining the onset of disease. We reported a case of herpesvirus IgG antibody positive in a patient with lung cancer who was initially misdiagnosed as herpes simplex and later confirmed drug-induced pemphigus (DIP) by histological and immunofluorescence studies. METHODS: Appropriate laboratory tests, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence and histological tests were performed for diagnosis. RESULTS: In lung cancer patients who were positive for herpesvirus IgG antibodies, were initially misdiagnosed as herpes simplex and eventually confirmed by histological and immunofluorescence examinations as DIP. CONCLUSIONS: Positive herpesvirus IgG antibody is not a specific manifestation of herpesvirus infection. For patients with unexplained skin blisters, we should improve histological examinations as soon as possible to clarify the type of lesion.

Accumulation of livestock manure-derived heavy metals in the Hexi Corridor oasis agricultural alkaline soil and bioavailability to Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis L.) after 4-year continuous application.

Hexi Corridor is one of the most important base of vegetable producing areas in China. Livestock manure (LM) applied to agricultural field could lead to soil heavy metal (HM) pollution. Previous studies have focused on HM pollution following LM application in acidic polluted soils; however, fewer studies have been conducted in alkaline unpolluted soils. A 4-year field vegetable production experiment was conducted using pig manure (PM) and chicken manure (CM) at five application rates (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 t ha-1) to elucidate potential risks of HMs in an alkaline unpolluted soil in the Hexi Corridor oasis agricultural area and HM uptake by Chinese cabbage. The results showed that LM application caused a significant build-up of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Ni content in topsoil by 30.6-99.7%, 11.4-51.7%, 1.4-31.3%, 5.6-44.9%, 14%-40.8%, respectively. The Cd, Cu, Zn could potentially exceed the soil threshold in next 8-65 years after 15-60 t ha-1 LM application. Under LM treatment, the soil DTPA-extractable Cu, Zn, Fe, the acid-extractable fraction of Cu, Zn, Fe, Cd, Ni, and the Oxidable fraction of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cd, Ni significantly increased, but the DTPA-extractable Pb, Cd, the acid-extractable fraction of Pb, and the reducible fraction of Cd significantly decreased. Cu and Zn could migrate to the deeper soil and relatively increase in DTPA-extracted Cu, Zn were found in 20-40 cm soil depth after LM application. The pH and SOM could influence the bioavailability of HMs in soil. The bioaccumulation factor and transfer factor (TF) values were <1 except Mn (TF > 1). HMs in leaf did not approach the threshold for HM toxicity due to the "dilution effect". Recommend the type of manure was the PM and the annual PM application rate was 30 t ha-1 to ensure a 20-year period of clean production in alkaline unpolluted Fluvo-aqiuc vegetable soils.

Comparison of 0.02% atropine eye drops, peripheral myopia defocus design spectacle lenses, and orthokeratology for myopia control.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There are many methods to control the progression of myopia. However, it is currently unknown which method could better control myopia progression: 0.02% atropine eye drops, peripheral myopic defocus design spectacle lenses (PMDSL), or orthokeratology (OK). BACKGROUND: To compare the efficacy of 0.02% atropine, PMDSL, and OK to control axial length (AL) elongation in children with myopia. METHODS: This study was analysed based on a previous cohort study (0.02% atropine group) and retrospective data (PMDSL and OK group). Overall, 387 children aged 6-14 years with myopia - 1.00D to - 6.00D in the three groups were divided into four subgroups according to age and spherical equivalent refraction (SER). The primary outcome was changed in AL over 1-year. RESULTS: The mean axial elongation was 0.30 ± 0.21 mm, 0.23 ± 0.16 mm, and 0.17 ± 0.19 mm in the 0.02% atropine, PMDSL, and OK groups, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed significant differences in axial elongation among the three groups, especially in children aged 6-10, but not in children aged 10.1-14; the corresponding axial elongation was 0.35 ± 0.21 mm, 0.23 ± 0.17 mm, and 0.21 ± 0.20 mm (P < 0.05 between any two groups, except between PMDSL and OK groups at P > 0.05) and 0.22 ± 0.20 mm, 0.21 ± 0.13 mm, and 0.13 ± 0.18 mm (P < 0.05 between any two groups, except between 0.02% atropine and PMDSL groups at P > 0.05) in children with SER from - 1.00D to - 3.00D and from - 3.01D to - 6.00D, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of this study design and using only the current brand of PMDSL, OK appeared to be the best method, followed by PMDSL and then 0.02% atropine, for controlling AL elongation over one year. However, different effects were found in the various age and SER subgroups.

Left Lung High-Density Shadow Combined with Elevated NSE Ultimately Confirmed as Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Detection of serum neuron specific enolase (NSE) has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of lung cancer, especially small cell lung cancer, but sometimes serum NSE provides limited help. We report a case of high-density shadow of the left lung and elevated serum NSE which mimicked lung cancer. It was ultimately confirmed to be pulmonary aspergillosis (PA) by bronchoscopic alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). METHODS: Appropriate laboratory tests, chest computed tomography (CT) scan, bronchoscopic alveolar lavage fluid, and next-generation sequencing were used to explore latent causes. RESULTS: NSE level was elevated, chest CT scan showed high-density shadow of the left lung, bronchoscopy showed flesh-colored new organisms in the lower lobe of the left lung, BALF and NGS revealed the presence of Aspergillus. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated NSE is not a typical manifestation of lung cancer, and we should perform BALF and NGS early to determine whether there is infection with special pathogenic bacteria.

Elevated CEA Misdiagnosed as Lung Cancer Ultimately Confirmed Pulmonary Cryptococcosis.

BACKGROUND: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a polysaccharide complex present in the human respiratory system, which can reflect the presence of tumors in the human body and has important value in the monitoring of lung cancer [1], but sometimes serum CEA provides limited help. We reported a case of multiple consolidation of the lungs with elevated serum CEA, initially misdiagnosed as lung cancer and eventually confirmed by bronchoscopic lung biopsy as pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC). METHODS: Appropriate laboratory examination, chest computed tomography (CT) scan, and bronchoscopy lung biopsy were used to explore the latent etiology. RESULTS: CEA level was elevated, chest CT scan showed multiple consolidation of the lungs, serum cryptococcal antigen was positive, and pathological findings on bronchoscopic lung biopsy confirmed pulmonary cryptococcosis. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated CEA is not typical of lung cancer. We should also consider the possibility of specific pathogenic infection. Bronchoscopic lung biopsy is the gold standard should be performed as soon as possible to identify the lesion.

Acute Heart Failure due to Pulmonary Aspergillus Fumigatus and Cryptococcus Neoformans Infection Associated with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Current studies have reported that it is rare for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to be combined with two fungal infections and that COVID-19 can be combined with multiple cardiovascular complications, both of which can complicate the condition and increase the risk of death. METHODS: We report a case of COVID-19 in which Aspergillus fumigatus and Cryptococcus neoformans were detected by sputum targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) and cardiac monitoring during treatment revealed cardiovascular complications. RESULTS: We consider that this patient's fungal infection was associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and the application of corticosteroids. In addition, cardiovascular complications were associated with an inflammatory response and increased sympathetic stimulation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of COVID-19-associated fungal infections cannot be excluded when multiple risk factors for fungal infections are present in patients with COVID-19 and the condition is rapidly deteriorating. Effective long-term monitoring of cardiac function during the patient's hospitalization is necessary to reduce morbidity and mortality.