THE EFFECT OF LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT HEPARIN SODIUM IN THE TREATMENT OF ACUTE EXACERBATION OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE COMORBID WITH PULMONARY HEART DISEASE ON PROMOTING THE BALANCE OF BLOOD VESSELS.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a frequently occurring and common respiratory disease which has an incidence of 13.7% among people over 40 years in China, and now nearly 100 million people at home suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. To observe the effect of Low molecular weight heparin sodium in the treatment of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) comorbid with pulmonary heart disease (PHD) on blood vessels. METHODS: A total of 92 patients with AECOPD accompanied by PHD in our Hospital from January 2019 to May 2021 were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was given basic treatment while the observation group was treated with basic treatment in combination with Low molecular weight heparin sodium. The changes of blood gas, hemorheology, cardiac function and serum factors were recorded to analyze their curative effect and safety. RESULTS: The total effective rate of the observation group was 95.65% (44 cases per 46 cases), which was significantly higher than that of the control group with 82.61% (38 cases per 46 cases), with statistical significance (P<0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), 6-min walking distance (6MWD), arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), pH, nitric oxide (NO), and oxygen saturation (SaO2) in the two groups were higher than those before treatment while 4-hydroxymenealdehyde (4-HNE), endothelin-1 (ET-1), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), high-sensitivity-C-reactive protein (hs -CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and hemorheology indexes were decreased compared with those before treatment. After treatment, the improvement of the above indexes in the observation group was higher than those in the control group (P<0.05) with no significant difference in adverse reactions between them(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Low molecular weight heparin sodium can reduce inflammation and improve hemorheology by regulating the balance of blood vessels, thus improve the curative effect in the treatment of AECOPD accompanied by PHD.

[Research progress on exposure to disinfectants and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common chronic respiratory disease. In recent years, the cumulative prevalence of COPD has been increasing. There are many etiologies and predisposing factors related to COPD, among which occupational risk factors play an important role. Recent studies have found an association between exposure to disinfectants and their products and airway inflammation, respiratory symptoms, and the development of COPD. During the period of COVID-19, disinfection has become an important link in the prevention and control of COVID-19, and the use rate of disinfectants has increased significantly. Therefore, this review summarizes the effects of disinfectants and their products on COPD, discusses the possible mechanisms, and puts forward suggestions for rational use of disinfectants according to the current situation and the development status of disinfectants.

[41 cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by occupational irritating chemicals].

Objective: To analyze the case characteristics of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease caused by occupational irritant chemicals (OI-COPD). To provide basis for revising its diagnostic criteria. Methods: From June to December 2021, we investigated the information of OI-COPD patients confirmed by Shandong Institute of Occupational Health and Prevention of Occupational Diseases, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Institute of Occupational Disease Prevention and Control, Qingdao Central Hospital affiliated to Qingdao University and other diagnostic institutions in the past five years, a total of 41 cases. The basic information of OI-COPD cases, occupational risk factors exposure information, medical history, smoking history and clinical symptoms were analyzed retrospectively. The measurement data were tested for normal distribution, which was described by x±s, and compared between groups by t test; Those who do not conform to the normal distribution are described by the median [M (Q(1), Q(3)) ] and analyzed by nonparametric test; The counting data were expressed in frequency and rate (% ), and the comparison between groups was tested. Results: Of the 41 cases, 33 were male and 8 were female. The age of the patient diagnosed with OI-COPD was (49.5±10.3) years old, and the minimum age was 30 years old; Among them, 8 patients had a definite long-term smoking history (more than 5 years) ; The exposure duration of occupational risk factors was (18.6±10.3) years, of which 3 patients had exposure duration of less than 5 years; The occupational risk factors leading to OI-COPD include acids and acid-forming compounds, bases, aldehydes, nitrogen oxides, chlorine and its compounds, etc. The exposure level of occupational risk factors is related to the degree of COPD airflow restriction (χ(2)=6.17, P <0.05). 18 patients with diagnosis age <50 years old were diagnosed as early-onset COPD. The incidence of respiratory symptoms in the early diagnosis COPD group was lower than that in the non-early diagnosis COPD group, and the FEV1% pred was significantly higher than that in the non-early diagnosis COPD group. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01 ) . Conclusion: The exposure level of occupational risk factors may be the risk factor affecting the degree of COPD airflow restriction. With the increase of the exposure level of COPD patients, the proportion of respiratory symptoms will also increase accordingly.

[Treatment efficacy of dietary supplement Licofor for dry eye associated with meibomian gland dysfunction].

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of dietary supplement Licofor in the treatment of dry eye associated with meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Methods: This was a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial. Sixty patients [25 males, 35 females, aged (42±13) years] who had dry eye associated with MGD were recruited in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from December 2018 to October 2019. The patients were equally divided into two groups: 30 cases (60 eyes) in the experimental group and 30 cases (60 eyes) in the control group. All subjects were treated with eye hot compress, artificial tears and antibiotic ointment. After that, the experimental group and control group were received dietary supplementary Licofor or placebo daily for 12 weeks. The symptoms and signs of dry eye, morphology and function of meibomian gland, and inflammatory response were assessed at the beginning, 4th, 8th and 12th week of treatment. Results: After 12 weeks of treatment, statistically significant improvements in ocular surface disease index (OSDI) scores, tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), the morphology of eyelid margin, meibomian gland orifice, meibomian gland expressibility, meibum quality, and periglandular inflammatory cell density were determined in both groups (all P<0.05). In the Licofor group, the improvement of OSDI scores [16.7 (12.5, 20.8) vs 20.8 (18.8, 22.9), P<0.001], the morphology of eyelid margin, meibomian gland orifice and periglandular inflammatory cell density [443 (318, 513) vs 553 (415, 676)/mm2, P=0.002] were more significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The combined treatment of licofor and conventional treatment can significantly improve symptoms of dry eye, the morphology of eyelid margin, meibomian gland orifice, meibum quality, and eyelid inflammation response of dry eye associated with MGD.

[Antifibrotic effect of pirfenidone on orbital fibroblasts in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy and its mechanisms].

Objective: To investigate the effects of pirfenidone on orbital fibroblasts (OFs) from patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: OFs from patients with TAO were isolated and cultured in DMEM. Cells were divided into four groups and treated with 0, 250, 500 and 1 000 µg/ml pirfenidone for 24, 48 or 72 hours, respectively. Cell proliferation was detected by tetramethyl azo salt (MTT) assay, and cell viability was determined by trypan blue. Transforming growth factor (TGF) ß1 mRNA level was determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen secreted from cultured cells were measured by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). Results: (1) The primary cultured OFs had typical fibroblast spindle-like morphology. (2) MTT assay showed that pirfenidone treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of OFs in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05) with the proliferation rates of pirfenidone treated groups of -15.31%, -24.92%, -48.53% from 250, 500, 1 000 µg/ml after 72 h, respectively, in which the inhibition effect of 1 000 µg/ml pirfenidone was significantly different from the other two treated groups (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the inhibitory effect of the same concentration group among different time points at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h (P>0.05). Trypan blue showed that the survival rate of OFs in different concentrations of pirfenidone from 0,250, 500, 1 000 µg/ml at 72 h were 78.37%, 79.21%, 78.24% and 76.28%, respectively. There were no significant differences between each drug treated and the control group (P>0.05). (3) RT-qPCR results showed that the mRNA expression levels of TGFß1 at 250, 500, 1 000 µg/ml pirfenidone treated groups at 72 h were 0.760±0.010, 0.440±0.006, and 0.290±0.002, respectively. Compared with the control group (0.950±0.014), the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Moreover, TGFß1 mRNA expression level in 1 000 µg/ml pirfenidone treated group was significantly lower than those in the other two treated groups (all P<0.05). The secretion of type Ⅰ collagen (0.633±0.006, 0.527±0.003 and 0.402±0.008) and type Ⅲ collagen (0.511±0.003, 0.439±0.007 and 0.223±0.006) in 250, 500 and 1 000 µg/ml pirfenidone treated groups at 72 h were significantly lower than those in the control group (0.794±0.005, 0.527±0.007, all P<0.05). Type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ collagen secretion in 1 000 µg/ml pirfenidone treated group were significantly lower than those in the other two groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: Pirfenidone inhibits the cell proliferation, TGFß1 expression and collagen secretion of OFs, which may contribute to the anti-fibrotic effect of pirfenidone.

[Preliminary study of the antibacterial effect on the conjunctival sac and the influence on the corneal epithelium of domestic 5% povidone-iodine before cataract extraction].

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and adverse reactions of 5% povidone-iodine in removing bacteria from the conjunctival sac with different durations. Methods: Randomized controlled study. A total of 420 patients who underwent cataract surgery in Daping Hospital, Army Medical University from December 2017 to June 2018 were selected. Non-surgical eyes (420 eyes) were selected as the study subjects and divided into 4 groups randomly: 30-second group, 1.0-min group, 2.0-min group and 3.5-min group. On the day of surgery, domestic 5% povidone-iodine was used to flush the conjunctival sac for 30 seconds, 1.0 min, 2.0 min and 3.5 min, respectively. The conjunctival sac specimens were collected for bacterial culture and bacterial identification before and after flushing the conjunctival sac with povidone-iodine. The positive rates of bacterial culture and bacterial growth were compared. The patients' ocular surface was observed and the incidence of corneal epithelial injury was recorded at 1 hour and 1 day after surgery. The positive rates of bacterial culture and corneal epithelial injury between groups were compared by Pearson chi-square test. Results: After excluding 20 patients with suspected specimens contamination, 400 patients (400 non-surgical eyes) were enrolled, including 191 males and 209 females, with an average age of 66.8 years. Before flushing the conjunctival sac, the positive rates of bacterial culture in the 30-second group, 1.0-min group, 2.0-min group and 3.5-min group were 44.8% (43/96), 43.3% (39/90), 43.1% (47/109) and 43.8% (46/105), respectively, with no statistically significant difference (χ(2)=0.066, P=0.996). After flushing, the positive rates of conjunctival sac bacterial culture in the 4 groups were 29.2% (28/96), 31.1% (28/90), 13.8% (15/109) and 13.3% (14/105), respectively. The differences between the 30-second group and 2.0-min group (χ(2)=7.308, P=0.007), between the 1.0-min group and 2.0-min group (χ(2)=8.760, P=0.003), between the 30-second group and 3.5-min group (χ(2)=7.606, P=0.006), and between the 1.0-min group and 3.5-min group (χ(2)=9.063, P=0.003) were statistically significant. At 1 hour after surgery, mild corneal epithelial injury occurred in each group, with a rate of 16.7% (16/96), 18.9% (17/90), 20.2% (22/109) and 34.3% (36/105), respectively. The differences between the 30-second group and 3.5-min group (χ(2)=8.118, P=0.004), between the 1.0-min group and 3.5-min group (χ(2)=5.804, P=0.016), and between the 2.0-min group and 3.5-min group (χ(2)=5.383, P=0.020) were statistically significant. At 1 day after surgery, there was no occurrence of new injury, and the incidence of mild corneal injury in each group was 3.1% (3/96), 5.6% (5/90), 9.2% (10/109) and 15.2% (16/105), respectively. There was statistically significant difference between the 30-second group and 3.5-min group (χ(2)=8.597, P=0.003), and between the 1.0-min group and 3.5-min group (χ(2)=4.728, P=0.030). The corneal epithelial injury healed completely at 1 week after surgery. Conclusions: The preoperative bacterial load of the conjunctival sac is more effectively reduced with 5% povidone-iodine in the 2.0-min and 3.5-min than in the 30-second and 1.0-min, and the 2-min is superior to the 3.5-min in the occurrence of corneal epithelial injury at 1 hour after surgery. Irrigation of the conjunctival sac with 5% povidone-iodine for 2 min is effective and safe, which can be an alternative measure. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 509-514).

[Clinical multicenter study of carboprost methylate suppository for cervical ripening prior to diagnostic hysteroscopy].

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of carboprost methylate suppository for cervical ripening before diagnostic hysteroscopy in premenopausal women. Methods: From July 2014 to July 2015, 1 614 women who were undergone diagnostic hysteroscopy in 12 hospitals were randomly assigned into study group (n=1 209) and control group (n=405) . The cases in study group were given 1 mg carboprost methylate suppository in vagina before hysteroscopy, the cases in control group were given 1 mg placebo. The extent of cervical ripening, the time of dilated cervix, pain scoring, incidence of drug side reactions after 24, 48, 72 hours, satisfaction degree of operators and patients, the time of hysteroscopy, incidence of complications between the two groups were observed and compared. Results: (1) Mean cervical widths in the study and control groups were 6.11±1.11 and 5.95±1.11, and showed a significant difference (P=0.034) ; the percentage of women requiring cervical dilatation in study group was lower than the percentage in control group significantly [28.3% (342/1 209) versus 34.6% (140/405) , P=0.020]. (2) The time of dilated cervix in study group was shorter than the time in control group significantly [ (34±25) versus (52±49) s, P=0.028] for the patients whose mean cervical widths≤4. (3) There was no significant difference in pain scores between the two groups (P>0.05) . (4) The incidence of side reactions 24, 48, 72 hours after operation were no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05) . (5) The satisfaction degree of operators and patients, the time of hysteroscopy, incidence of complications between the two groups were no singnifcant difference between the two groups (all P>0.05) . Conclusion: Application of carboprost methylate suppository by vagina before hysteroscopy is an effective and safe method of cervical ripening.

[Effects of ApoE gene polymorphism on the efficacy of atorvastatin in the treatment of hyperlipidemia].

Objective: To study the role of ApoE gene polymorphism on efficacy of atorvastatin in lowering the lipid and its clinical significance. Methods: A total of 962 patients with hypercholesterolemia were selected between January 1 st and December 31 st 2014. The ApoE genepolymorphism in patients with hyperlipidemia was performed by using polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method in translational medicine center of Huaihe Hospital. Patients with ApoE genotype E3/3 and E3/4 were selected and treated with atorvastatin 10 mg/d for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) was detected by enzyme colorimetry method. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were performed by Clearance method. Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) was performed by turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay. ApoE gene expression was performed by real-time PCR. Results: In the 6 gene types, the frequencies of E3/4 and E3/3 were 30.6% (294 cases) and 59.1% (569 cases) respectively. After treatment with atorvastatin, the change percent of TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, TG, Lp(a) in E3/4 and E3/3 group were -(23.0±4.7)% vs -(12.0±3.1)% (P<0.001), -(33.0±4.8)% vs -(20.0±3.9)% (P<0.001), (18.0±3.8)% vs (6.0±2.6)% (P<0.001), -(23.0±3.9)% vs -(13.0±2.7)% (P<0.001), -(21.5±4.5)% vs -(20.9±4.0)% (P=0.054), respectively. ApoE gene expression in E3/3 and E3/4 groups were down-regulated in both groups, and the change in E3/3 group was obvious than that of E3/4 group. Conclusion: After treatment with atorvastatin, levels of lipids and ApoE gene expression in ApoE genotype E3/3 patients decreased, which were more evident than E3/4 patients.

Liver function may play an uneven role in haemorrhagic transformation for stroke subtypes after acute ischaemic stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Haemorrhagic transformation (HT) is common after acute ischaemic stroke. Whether liver function plays a role in HT remains an open question. METHODS: Acute ischaemic stroke patients within 7 days from stroke onset were included. Baseline data including liver function tests were collected. An independent association between liver function and HT was identified by multivariate regression analysis for stroke overall and stroke subtypes. RESULTS: A total of 2788 patients were included. HT occurred in 277 patients (9.9%), with 32 patients (1.1%) with symptomatic HT and 245 patients (8.8%) with asymptomatic HT. On multivariate regression analysis, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and bilirubin (BILI) were independently associated with HT for stroke overall. In different stroke subtypes, AST was independently associated with HT for cardioembolic stroke, BILI for stroke of undetermined aetiology, and no liver function indicators for stroke of large-artery atherosclerosis and small-artery occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: Liver function played an uneven role in HT for different stroke subtypes. Indicators of liver function independently associated with HT were AST for cardioembolic stroke, BILI for stroke of undetermined aetiology and none for stroke of large-artery atherosclerosis and small-artery occlusion.

Prevalence of different HIV-1 subtypes in sexual transmission in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Sexual transmission has become the primary route of HIV transmission in China. Therefore, a comprehensive overview of HIV-1 subtype distribution is necessary for the prevention and control of the HIV epidemic. The present study aimed to provide a comprehensive prevalence estimate of different HIV-1 subtypes in sexual transmission in China. We conducted a systematic literature review for studies of HIV-1 subtypes in English and Chinese through several databases. Eligible articles were screened and selected by two authors independently. Random-effects model were applied to calculate the pooled prevalence of different HIV-1 subtypes, and subgroup analyses examined prevalence estimates across time, locations, and populations. A total of 130 eligible studies were identified, including 18 752 successfully genotyped samples. The pooled prevalence of CRF01_AE, subtype B, CRF07_BC, CRF08_BC, and subtype C were 44·54% (95% CI 40·81-48·30), 18·31% (95% CI 14·71-22·17), 16·45% (95% CI 13·82-19·25), 2·55% (95% CI 1·56-3·73), 0·37% (95% CI 0·11-0·72), respectively. The prevalence of subtype B in sexual transmission decreased, while the prevalence of CRF01_AE and CRF07_BC in sexual transmission, and CRF08_BC in heterosexual transmission increased. There is significant variation in HIV-1 subtype distribution between regions. The distribution of HIV-1 subtypes and circulating recombinant forms have changed significantly. The high genetic variability of HIV-1 poses a significant challenge for disease control and surveillance in China.

Ultrasound diagnosis in gynecological acute abdomen.

As ultrasound diagnosis is applied more frequently in gynecological acute abdomen, we carried out this study to discuss the diagnosis of endometriosis with ultrasound imaging and analyze the efficacy of microRNA used for diagnosing endometriosis and evaluating prognosis by comparing differentially expressed microRNA in subjects with or without endometriosis. Ultrasound examination results and clinical pathological examination results of 60 cases of gynecological acute abdomen were compared. Blood samples were collected from patients with endometriosis. Of 60 cases, 38 cases recurred in 20 months after surgery and the remaining 22 cases had no recurrence in the 30-month follow-up. Additionally, blood was collected from 40 patients without endometriosis as control. Then total RNA was extracted from these blood samples to determine the difference of expression of microRNA (miR-17-5p, miR-20a, miR-199a and miR-141). Compared to healthy subjects, the endometriosis patients showed significantly increased expression of miR-199a, but the expression of miR-17-5p, miR-20a and miR-141 had an obvious decrease; the differences were statistically significant (p less than 0.01). For recurred cases, miR-199 showed a remarkably high expression and miR-17-5p and miR-20a expressed significantly low.

Gene Expression Characteristics and Regulation Mechanisms of Superoxide Dismutase and Its Physiological Roles in Plants under Stress.

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are key enzymes functioning as the first line of antioxidant defense by virtue of the ability to convert highly reactive superoxide radicals to hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. SOD plays a central role in protecting plants against the toxic effects of reactive oxygen species generated during normal cellular metabolic activity or as a result of various environmental stresses. Our review focuses on the characteristics of expression of SOD genes, the mechanisms regulating expression of SOD genes at transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and translation levels, and their functional role(s) during development and in response to biotic or abiotic stresses. We propose two important research directions: studying SOD at the genome-wide or proteome-wide level, and improving plant stress tolerances by selecting varieties using transgenic technology.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus genotypes among women with cervical lesions in the Shaanxi Province of China.

This study aimed to investigate human papilloma virus (HPV) genotypes among women with cervical lesions in Shaanxi Province, China, to obtain information regarding cervical lesion prevention and treatment. The study included 4508 HPV-positive subjects; cervical swab specimens were collected and tested for HPV infection status and HPV genotypes using polymerase chain reaction and reverse dot-blot hybridization. Women positive for HPV with cervical lesions, including chronic cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), were examined; HPV-positive women with no cervical lesions were controls. Data were pooled and weighted estimates have been presented. For women with no cervical lesions and positive for one HPV genotype, HPV 52, 16, 58, 81, 33, and 56 were the most common; for multiple-HPV genotype infection, HPV 16, 52, 6, 18, 58, and 66 were the most common. Collectively, HPV 16, 58, 52, 18, 33, and 81 were the most common in women with cervical lesions. HPV 16 comprised 26.71% of single-genotype and 15.64% of multiple-genotype infections. The proportion of HPV-16-positive cases was 29.15%, which was the highest among all HPV genotypes (P < 0.01). Single-HPV genotype infection was the most common in cervical HPV infection (77.48%); infection with two HPV genotypes comprised 72.22% of multiple-genotype infections. The proportion of single-low-risk HPV genotype infections decreased with increase in cervical lesion severity; there were no single- or multiple-low-risk genotype HPV infections in cervical SCC patients. The proportion of multiple-genotype HPV infections with at least one high-risk genotype increased with cervical lesion severity.

A novel aptasensor for thrombin detection based on alkaline phosphatase decorated ZnO/Pt nanoflowers as signal amplifiers.

To remedy the problems caused by the introduction of an additional electron mediator and realize signal amplification, a new strategy has been presented to construct an electrochemical aptasensor for thrombin detection based on the cascade electrocatalysis of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Pt nanoparticle (PtNP)-functionalized ZnO nanoflowers.

Epidemiology of Mycoplasma acquisition in male HIV-1 infected patients: a multistage cross-sectional survey in Jiangsu, China.

Mycoplasma infections are most frequently associated with disease in the urogenital or respiratory tracts and, in most cases, mycoplasmas infect the host persistently. In HIV-infected individuals the prevalence and role of genital mycoplasmas has not been well studied. To investigate the six species of Mycoplasma and the risk factors for infection in Jiangsu province, first-void urine and venous blood samples were collected and epidemiological questionnaires were administered after informed consent. A total of 1541 HIV/AIDS patients were recruited in this study. The overall infection rates of six Mycoplasma species were: Ureaplasma urealyticum (26·7%), Mycoplasma hominis (25·3%), M. fermentans (5·1%), M. genitalium (20·1%), M. penetrans (1·6%) and M. pirum (15·4%). The Mycoplasma infection rate in the unmarried group was lower than that of the married, divorced and widowed groups [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1·432, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·077-1·904, P < 0·05]. The patients who refused highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) had a much higher risk of Mucoplasma infection (aOR 1·357, 95% CI 1·097-1·679, P < 0·05). Otherwise, a high CD4+ T cell count was a protective factor against Mycoplasma infection (aOR 0·576, 95% CI 0·460-0·719, P < 0·05). Further research will be required to confirm a causal relationship and to identify risk factors for Mycoplasma infection in HIV/AIDS populations.

A wavelet-based feature vector model for DNA clustering.

DNA data are important in the bioinformatic domain. To extract useful information from the enormous collection of DNA sequences, DNA clustering is often adopted to efficiently deal with DNA data. The alignment-free method is a very popular way of creating feature vectors from DNA sequences, which are then used to compare DNA similarities. This paper proposes a wavelet-based feature vector (WFV) model, which is also an alignment-free method. From the perspective of signal processing, a DNA sequence is a sequence of digital signals. However, most traditional alignment-free models only extract features in the time domain. The WFV model uses discrete wavelet transform to adaptively yield feature vectors with a fixed dimension based on the features in both the time and frequency domains. The level of wavelet transform is adjusted according to the length of the DNA sequence rather than a fixed manually set value. The WFV model prefers a 32-dimension feature vector, which greatly promotes system performance. We compared the WFV model with the other five alignment-free models, i.e., k-tuple, DMK, TSM, AMI, and CV, on several large-scale DNA datasets on the DNA clustering application by means of the K-means algorithm. The experimental results showed that the WFV model outperformed the other models in terms of both the clustering results and the running time.

Molecular cloning and immune responsive expression of LGP2 gene, a pivotal member of the RLR gene family from Muscovy duck Cairina moschata.

Laboratory of genetics and physiology 2 (LGP2) is an important intracellular receptor that recognizes viral RNAs in innate immunity. In this study, a novel LGP2 cDNA was identified from the spleen of a Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata). The deduced amino acid sequence of Muscovy duck LGP2 (MDLGP2) consisted of 675 amino acid residues. The peptide contained two main structure domains: six important motifs, including a DExD/H box for RNA helicase activity in the RNA helicase region located at the N-terminal region, and two Zn2+-binding regions with an RNA-binding loop in the C-terminus regulatory domain (CTD). The MdLGP2 mRNA was ubiquitously expressed in the tested tissues, with high expression levels in glandular stomach, colon, ileum, crop, and caecum tissues, and low expression levels in the brain, skin, and heart. The mRNA expression of MdLGP2 was significantly upregulated in the brain, spleen, and lungs of ducks in the early stages of postinfection with H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV). These results suggested that MdLGP2 was involved in the early stages of antiviral innate immune response in ducks after infection with H5N1 HPAIV. However, whether it plays a positive or negative regulatory role in the host antiviral response requires further investigation.

[Budd-Chiari syndrome with hepatopulmonary syndrome: a case report and literature review].

Objective: To summarize the clinical features and prognosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) in children. Methods: The clinical data of a child who had Budd-Chiari syndrome with HPS treated at the Department of Pediatrics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in December 2016 was analyzed retrospectively. Taking "Budd-Chiari syndrome" and "hepatopulmonary syndrome" in Chinese or English as the keywords, literature was searched at CNKI, Wanfang, China Biomedical Literature Database and PubMed up to July 2023. Combined with this case, the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome with HPS in children under the age of 18 were summarized. Results: A 13-year-old boy, presented with cyanosis and chest tightness after activities for 6 months, and yellow staining of the skin for 1 week. Physical examination at admission not only found mild yellow staining of the skin and sclera, but also found cyanosis of the lips, periocular skin, and extremities. Laboratory examination showed abnormal liver function with total bilirubin 53 µmol/L, direct bilirubin 14 µmol/L, and indirect bilirubin 39 µmol/L, and abnormal blood gas analysis with the partial pressure of oxygen of 54 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), the partial pressure of carbon dioxide of 31 mmHg, and the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient of 57 mmHg. Hepatic vein-type Budd-Chiari syndrome, cirrhosis, and portal hypertension were indicated by abdominal CT venography. Contrast-enhanced transthoracic echocardiography (CE-TTE) was positive. After symptomatic and supportive treatment, this patient was discharged and received oxygen therapy outside the hospital. At follow-up until March 2023, there was no significant improvement in hypoxemia, accompanied by limited daily activities. Based on the literature, there were 3 reports in English while none in Chinese, 3 cases were reported. Among a total of 4 children, the chief complaints were dyspnea, cyanosis, or hypoxemia in 3 cases, and unknown in 1 case. There were 2 cases diagnosed with Budd-Chiari syndrome with HPS at the same time due to respiratory symptoms, and 2 cases developed HPS 1.5 years and 8.0 years after the diagnosis of Budd-Chiari syndrome respectively. CE-TTE was positive in 2 cases and pulmonary perfusion imaging was positive in 2 cases. Liver transplantation was performed in 2 cases and their respiratory function recovered well; 1 case received oxygen therapy, with no improvement in hypoxemia; 1 case was waiting for liver transplantation. Conclusions: The onset of Budd-Chiari syndrome with HPS is insidious. The most common clinical manifestations are dyspnea and cyanosis. It can reduce misdiagnosis to confirm intrapulmonary vascular dilatations with CE-TTE at an early stage. Liver transplantation is helpful in improving the prognosis.

[Clinical study of the cytokine panel in the diagnosis of ocular chronic graft-versus-host disease].

Objective: To investigate the association between cytokines and ocular chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and identify specific biomarkers for ocular cGVHD to enhance clinical diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation. Methods: A mouse model of cGVHD was established to explore the correlation between cGVHD and serum cytokines. Based on the findings from the animal experiments and literature review, a panel of 16 cytokine combinations was identified. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to compare the cytokine concentrations in the serum and tear samples from patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from June 2017 to March 2022 at the Medical Center of Hematology, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University. Results: ① Compared with the control group, mice with cGVHD exhibited elevated serum IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IFN-γ, CX3CL1, CXCL11, CXCL13, CCL11, and CCL19 concentrations (all P<0.05). ② Analysis of the cytokine profiles of the serum and tear samples revealed that compared with patients without ocular cGVHD, those with ocular cGVHD exhibited increased serum IL-8 [P=0.032, area under the curve (AUC) =0.678]; decreased serum IL-10 (P=0.030, AUC=0.701) ; elevated IL-8, IFN-γ, CXCL9, and CCL17 in tear samples; and lower IL-10 and CCL19 in tear samples (all P<0.05, all AUC>0.7). Moreover, cytokines in tear samples showed correlations with ocular surface parameters related to ocular cGVHD. Conclusions: Tear fluid demonstrates greater specificity and sensitivity as a biomarker for diagnosing ocular cGVHD than serum biomarkers. Among the identified cytokines in tear samples, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, CXCL9, CCL17, and CCL19 serve as diagnostic biomarkers for ocular cGVHD post-transplantation, offering practical reference value for diagnosis.

A new chromosome translocation t(7;16)(q31,q22) change during an acute promyelocytic leukemia relapse.

The translocation t(15;17), which results in the PML-RARα fusion gene, is a characteristic chromosomal translocation in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). But additional chromosome aberrations in APL are increasingly recognized. Here, we report on a 16-year-old APL patient who had an fms-related tyrosine kinase 3-internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) and a 46,XY,t(15;17)(q22;q21)-16+mar karyotype at diagnosis. The patient achieved complete remission after induction therapy with all-trans retinoic acid and chemotherapy. But he soon relapsed presenting distinctive APL features in the bone marrow and leptomeninges and showing a chromosome translocation change involving chromosomes 7 and 16 besides t(15;17)(q22;q21). The new karyotype 46,XY,t(7;16)(q31;q22),t(15;17)(q22;q21) was determined. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a de novo APL with a chromosome translocation t(7;16)(q31,q22) together with a t(15;17)(q22;q21) and FLT3-ITD mutation.