[Serum screening of celiac disease in Chinese adults with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome in Hubei, China].

OBJECTIVE: To screen the prevalence of celiac disease with serologic markers in the central Chinese population, specifically in patients with chronic diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS). METHODS: A total of 282 adult patients with D-IBS were selected based on ROME III criteria with 296 age and sex matched consecutive healthy individuals as controls. A gluten-free diet (GFD) was advised in subjects positive for IgA/IgG anti-htTG/DGP antibodies and the serologic antibodies were retested after the GFD. RESULTS: Among the 578 study subjects, five D-IBS patients (5/282, 1.77%) and two healthy controls (2/296, 0.68%) were positive for anti-htTG/DGP antibodies. Among the seven positive cases, one was lost to follow-up and only four were evaluated during GFD therapy for an average of 5.2 months with clinical and/or serological manifestations improved. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of celiac disease may not be uncommon in China. Compared with the healthy population, patients with D-IBS tend to be affected more. Thus, it is significantly important to conduct routine screening for celiac disease in patients with D-IBS.

[Characteristics of Benthic Diatom Community Structure and Water Ecological Health Evaluation in the Lalin River Basin].

With the improvement of public requirements for the health status of aquatic ecosystems, there have been innovative assessment methods developed for aquatic ecosystems. In this study, benthic algae assemblages and water quality variables were analyzed to develop a benthic diatom-based index of biotic integrity (D-IBI) for the assessment of the aquatic environment in the Lalin River. In addition, using redundancy analysis (RDA) based on dominant species and physicochemical indexes, the ecological distribution characteristics of the benthic diatom community were revealed, and the key influencing factors were identified. The results showed that the benthic diatom community structure in the Lalin River basin had obvious spatial differences. The application of the index revealed that the water quality could be described as excellent condition in the upper reaches of the Lalin River, good to common condition in the middle of the sites, and moderate to poor condition in the downstream. The assessment further revealed that the main reason for the degradation of the Lalin River ecosystem was nutrient enrichment through agricultural land use.

Early renal impairment is associated with in-hospital death of patients with COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Renal impairment is a common complication in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), although its prognostic significance remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: This study determines the impact of early renal impairment on the clinical outcome of COVID-19. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and hospitalized in Xiaogan Central Hospital from 20 January to 29 February 2020 were retrospectively included and grouped into two cohorts (cohort with normal renal function and cohort with renal insufficiency) based on the renal function detected on admission. Records of clinical manifestation, laboratory findings and clinical outcome were collected and compared between these two cohorts. RESULTS: A total 543 COVID-19 patients were included. Among these patients, 70 patients developed early renal impairment, with an incidence of 12.89%. A significantly higher white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum creatine (Cr), blood urine nitrogen (BUN) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and a significantly lower blood platelet (PLT), lymphocyte count, prealbumin and albumin (ALB) were detected in the cohort with renal insufficiency (P < 0.05). Patients with early renal impairment were also associated with higher incidences of haematuria/proteinuria, higher incidences of mortality and prolonged hospitalization duration. The independent risk factors for in-hospital death included age >65 years old, complication of diabetes, renal impairment on admission (Cr > 73 µmol/L and eGFR < 60 ml/min 1.73 m2 ), WBC > 9.5 × 109 /L and ALB < 35 g/L. CONCLUSION: Early renal impairment is associated with higher risk of in-hospital death for patients with COVID-19. Risk stratification according to renal function can better guide the clinical management of COVID-19.