[Cerebral oxygen metabolism and brain electrical activity of healthy full-term neonates in high-altitude areas: a multicenter clinical research protocol]. / é«˜æµ·æ‹”åœ°åŒºå¥åº·è¶³æœˆæ–°ç”Ÿå„¿è„‘æ°§ä»£è°¢åŠè„‘ç”µæ´»åŠ¨å·®å¼‚çš„å¤šä¸­å¿ƒä¸´åºŠç ”ç©¶æ–¹æ¡ˆ.

Further evidence is needed to explore the impact of high-altitude environments on the neurologic function of neonates. Non-invasive techniques such as cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography can provide data on cerebral oxygenation and brain electrical activity. This study will conduct multiple cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography monitoring sessions at various time points within the first 3 days postpartum for healthy full-term neonates at different altitudes. The obtained data on cerebral oxygenation and brain electrical activity will be compared between different altitudes, and corresponding reference ranges will be established. The study involves 6 participating centers in the Chinese High Altitude Neonatal Medicine Alliance, with altitude gradients divided into 4 categories: 800 m, 1 900 m, 2 400 m, and 3 500 m, with an anticipated sample size of 170 neonates per altitude gradient. This multicenter prospective cohort study aims to provide evidence supporting the impact of high-altitude environments on early brain function and metabolism in neonates.

Cardiotoxicity induced by fluoropyrimidine drugs in the treatment of gastrointestinal tumors.

In this editorial, we review the article published in World J Gastrointest Oncol 2019, 11: 1031-1042. We specifically focus on the occurrence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors of fluoropyrimidine drug-related cardiotoxicity in patients with gastrointestinal tumors. Despite significant advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that have reduced mortality rates associated with digestive system tumors, the incidence and mortality rates of treatment-related cardiotoxicity have been increasing, severely impacting the survival and prognosis of cancer patients. Fluoropyrimidine drugs are widely used as antimetabolites in the treatment of malignant tumors, including gastrointestinal tumors, and they represent the second largest class of drugs associated with cardiotoxicity. However, there is often a lack of awareness or understanding regarding their cardiotoxic effects and associated risks.

Oxygen Saturation Ranges for Healthy Newborns within 2 h at Altitudes between 847 and 4,360 m: A Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: The partial oxygen pressure in the air decreases with increasing altitude. This study was designed to compare the pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) among well full-term neonates at different altitudes during their first 2 h after birth and to establish cutoff values of SpO2 identifying hypoxemia between 30 and 120 min after birth. METHODS: A multisite prospective cohort study was conducted at five participating hospitals from the Chinese High Altitude Neonatal Medicine Alliance. Healthy full-term infants were recruited and divided into four groups based on the altitude. Preductal SpO2 was recorded at 10 min, 10-30 min, and 30-120 min after birth. The 2.5th percentile of the SpO2 distribution range was considered as the cutoff for identifying hypoxemia at each altitude. RESULTS: A total of 727 infants were eligible for analysis. The SpO2 of neonates at different altitudes increased with the time after birth. A higher altitude was associated with lower SpO2, especially Shangri-La (3,509 m) and Yushu (4,360 m). The cutoff SpO2 for identifying hypoxemia during 30-120 min after birth were 94% in Xishuangbanna (847 m), 92% in Kunming (1,983 m), 89% in Shangri-La (3,509 m), and 83% in Yushu (4,360 m). CONCLUSION: An increase in altitude, especially Shangri-La (3,509 m) and Yushu (4,360 m), had a significant impact on SpO2 among healthy full-term neonates during their first 2 h of life. Establishing the cutoff value of SpO2 for identifying hypoxemia during the early postnatal period serves to optimize the oxygen therapy at different altitudes.

Efficacy and prognostic impact of Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection combined with nicorandil for intractable angina pectoris in elderly patients: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of global cardiovascular mortality. Refractory angina pectoris, a manifestation of CAD, requires effective drug treatments. Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection, a traditional Chinese medicine, improves cardiovascular symptoms, while nicorandil alleviates spasms and angina. Both have potential in treating CAD. AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effects of combining Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection and nicorandil in elderly patients suffering from refractory angina caused by coronary heart disease. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 130 patients diagnosed with refractory coronary heart disease. Based on the different treatment regimens administered during hospitalization, the patients were divided into a control group (58 cases) and a study group (72 cases). The control group received conventional treatment, which included aspirin, statins, and nitrate vasodilators. In addition to the conventional medication, the study group received a combination treatment of Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection and nicorandil. RESULTS: After treatment, the study group showed significantly higher left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac output, and lower brain natriuretic peptide and C-reactive protein levels compared to the control group. The study group also exhibited improvements in angina, quality of life, exercise endurance, and lipid profiles. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a relationship of lipid levels and heart function with the combined treatment. Some patients in the study group experienced headaches during treatment, but no significant adverse reactions were observed. Follow-up showed that the treatment was well-tolerated, with no drug-related adverse reactions detected. CONCLUSION: Combination of Pericarpium Trichosanthis injection and nicorandil is more effective than conventional treatment in improving symptoms and heart function in elderly patients with refractory angina pectoris.

Human genetic basis of severe or critical illness in COVID-19.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. The clinical manifestation of COVID-19 ranges from asymptomatic or mild infection to severe or critical illness, such as respiratory failure, multi-organ dysfunction or even death. Large-scale genetic association studies have indicated that genetic variations affecting SARS-CoV-2 receptors (angiotensin-converting enzymes, transmembrane serine protease-2) and immune components (Interferons, Interleukins, Toll-like receptors and Human leukocyte antigen) are critical host determinants related to the severity of COVID-19. Genetic background, such as 3p21.31 and 9q34.2 loci were also identified to influence outcomes of COVID-19. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current literature focusing on human genetic factors that may contribute to the observed diversified severity of COVID-19. Enhanced understanding of host genetic factors and viral interactions of SARS-CoV-2 could provide scientific bases for personalized preventive measures and precision medicine strategies.

Hemorrhage Risk Profiles among Different Antithrombotic Regimens: Evidence from a Real-World Analysis of Postmarketing Surveillance Data.

BACKGROUND: Although the use of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has been reported in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), there is currently no consensus on the occurrence or characteristics of the hemorrhage risk in different antithrombotic regimens. METHODS: Disproportionality and Bayesian analyses were performed in mining data of suspected hemorrhagic events after antithrombotic drug use from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from January 2004 to September 2019. The time to onset and fatality rate of hemorrhage following different antithrombotic regimens were also compared. RESULTS: A total of 84,998 reports of hemorrhage-related adverse events with the use of antithrombotic drugs were identified. The patients included were mostly from the Americas (80.87%) and Europe (13.22%), with most data submitted by nonhealthcare professionals. Among the seven antithrombotic drug monotherapies, betrixaban had the highest association with hemorrhage based on the highest reporting odds ratio (ROR, 829.95; 95% CI = 113.61-6063.15), proportional reporting ratio (PRR, 24.68, χ2 = 804.24), and multi-item gamma Poisson shrinker (MGPS, 24.68, 95% one-sided CI = 4.67). The combination therapies of clopidogrel plus new oral anticoagulants had higher RORs, PRRs, and empirical Bayesian geometric means (EBGMs) than the antithrombotic drug monotherapies. Hemorrhage associated with rivaroxaban plus clopidogrel appeared to have an earlier onset (171 days vs 219 days, 95% two-sided CI =68.68-27.34, p < 0.0001) and a lower fatality rate (15.30% vs 17.74%, p<0.05) than that associated with rivaroxaban monotherapy. CONCLUSION: This study provides a relevant overview of the hemorrhagic complications/fatalities associated with different antithrombotic regimens in their real-world use. Among the combination therapies, clopidogrel plus DOACs were found to have stronger associations with hemorrhage than traditional dual antithrombotic therapies. Rivaroxaban showed a stronger association with hemorrhage than other antithrombotic drug monotherapies, and apixaban monotherapy appeared to have weaker associations with hemorrhage than others.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Monitoring of Cerebral Oxygenation and Influencing Factors in Neonates from High-Altitude Areas.

BACKGROUND: Accurate detection of cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) may be useful for neonatal brain injury prevention, and the normal range of rSO2 of neonates at high altitude remained unclear. OBJECTIVE: To compare cerebral rSO2 and cerebral fractional tissue oxygen extraction (cFTOE) at high-altitude and low-altitude areas in healthy neonates and neonates with underlying diseases. METHODS: 515 neonates from low-altitude areas and 151 from Tibet were enrolled. These neonates were assigned into the normal group, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) group, and other diseases group. Near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure rSO2 in neonates within 24 h after admission. The differences of rSO2, pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2), and cFTOE levels were compared between neonates from low- and high-altitude areas. RESULTS: (1) The mean rSO2 and cFTOE levels in normal neonates from Tibet were 55.0 ± 6.4% and 32.6 ± 8.5%, significantly lower than those from low-altitude areas (p < 0.05). (2) At high altitude, neonates with HIE, pneumonia (p < 0.05), anemia, and congenital heart disease (p < 0.05) have higher cFTOE than healthy neonates. (3) Compared with HIE neonates from plain areas, neonates with HIE at higher altitude had lower cFTOE (p < 0.05), while neonates with heart disease in plateau areas had higher cFTOE than those in plain areas (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The rSO2 and cFTOE levels in normal neonates from high-altitude areas are lower than neonates from the low-altitude areas. Lower cFTOE is possibly because of an increase in blood flow to the brain, and this may be adversely affected by disease states which may increase the risk of brain injury.

The Alteration and Significance of Erythropoietin Serum Levels in Preterm Infants with Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Objective This study aims to investigate the changes of serum erythropoietin (EPO) in premature infants with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) after birth. Method The premature infants were divided into two groups, the first were infants with ROP, and the rest were infants without ROP. The peripheral blood of these infants after birth was collected, aiming to identify the correlation of serum EPO with ROP in the first 8 weeks after birth and before 38 weeks' postconceptual age. Results A total of 299 infants without ROP and 107 infants with ROP were recruited into our study. It was suggested that serum the EPO level in ROP group was significantly lower than it is in the group without ROP on the 28th day after birth. The median value of serum EPO in the group with and without ROP at day 28 of life were 0.44 mIU/mL and 0.62 mIU/mL, respectively (p = 0.017). These data indicated that there was no significant association between serum EPO and the clinical factors. Multivariate analysis identified only EPO serum level on the 28th day after birth and gestational age as independent predictors of ROP (p was 0.025 and 0.021, respectively). Conclusion EPO serum level may serve as a surrogate marker for the development of ROP.

[HPLC-PDA-CAD Fingerprints of Salt Anemarrhenae Rhizoma].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the HPLC-PDA-CAD fingerprints and to determine its seven main constituents so as to provide a reliable evidence for the scientific evaluation and quality control of salt Anemarrhenae Rhizoma. METHODS: The chromatographic fingerprint was obtained with Thermo Hypersil C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 µm) and gradient eluted with acetonitrile and water; The CAD parameters were pressure of 241. 3 kPa, filter of high and range of 200 pA. The detection wavelength of PDA was set at 258 nm. RESULTS: The common mode of HPLC-PDA-CAD fingerprint of salt Anemarrhenae Rhizoma was set up. There were 5 PDA and 12 CAD common peaks in the fingerprints. Timosaponin B II, anemarsaponin E, timosaponin B III, timosaponin A III, neomangiferin, mangiferin and baohuoside I were identified in fingerprints and determined. CONCLUSION: The established HPLC-PDA-CAD fingerprint method is accurate, reliable, and has a good reproducibility and precision, which can be used for the quality control of salt Anemarrhenae Rhizoma.