[A case report of ocular monkeypox].

A 35-year-old male patient arrived at the clinic, reporting a persistent issue of his right eye being difficult to open for the past three weeks. Alongside this, he had been experiencing a gradual development of lesions around the eye. Notably, about a month prior to the onset of these symptoms, the patient had engaged in unprotected intercourse with a male partner. The initial manifestation was a papule near the eye, which then rapidly progressed. Laboratory analysis of samples taken from the lesions confirmed the presence of monkeypox through polymerase chain reaction testing. Furthermore, this patient received positive diagnoses for both HIV and syphilis infections. Notably, his absolute CD4 count was measured at an extremely low level of 2 cells/µl.(This article was published ahead of print on the official website of Chinese Journal of Ophthalmology on September 18, 2023).

Insurance status and risk of suicide mortality among patients with cancer: a retrospective study based on the SEER database.

OBJECTIVE: Given that the presence of insurance may affect the risk of suicide mortality in cancer patients, we aimed to examine the association in a population-based study using the Surveillance, Epidemiologic, and End Results (SEER) database. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of data from the SEER database. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study using the SEER database. Hazard ratios (HRs), adjusted HRs (aHRs), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of suicide death were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the risk of suicide mortality among the cohorts. RESULTS: Multivariable analysis revealed that cancer patients without insurance had an increased risk of suicide death compared with patients with private insurance (aHR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.01-1.72), whereas no significant result was observed in patients with any Medicaid (aHR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.93-1.30; P = 0.27). In addition, the stratified analysis indicated that the risk of suicide death in patients in the uninsured and Medicaid groups presented with localized stage of disease (aHR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.02, 1.69), White (aHR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.05, 1.71), and American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander (aHR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.08, 3.30) were greater than insured patients. CONCLUSION: Overall, our results indicated that insurance status was a statistically significant predictor of suicide death in patients with cancer. Healthcare providers should identify those patients at high risk of suicide and provide appropriate mental health and psychosocial oncology services in time.

Prenatal and postnatal probiotics reduces maternal but not childhood allergic diseases: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of atopic diseases has increased rapidly in recent decades globally. The administration of probiotics to reduce gastrointestinal inflammation has been popular, but its role in the prevention or treatment of allergic disease remains controversial. This study evaluated the effectiveness of prenatal and postnatal probiotics in the prevention of early childhood and maternal allergic diseases. METHODS: In a prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, pregnant women with atopic diseases determined by history, total immunoglobulin (Ig)E > 100 kU/L, and/or positive specific IgE were assigned to receive either probiotics (Lactobacillus GG; ATCC 53103; 1 × 10(10) colony-forming units daily) or placebo from the second trimester of pregnancy. Both of clinical evaluation performed by questionnaires concerning any allergic symptoms and plasma total IgE, and allergen-specific IgE were obtained in high-risk parents and children at 0, 6, 18, and 36 months of age. The primary and secondary outcomes were the point and cumulative prevalence of sensitization and developing of allergic diseases, and improvement of maternal allergic symptom score and plasma immune parameters before and after intervention, respectively. RESULTS: In total, 191 pregnant women (LGG group, n = 95; control group, n = 96) were enrolled. No significant effects of prenatal and postnatal probiotics supplementation on sensitization, development of allergic diseases, and maternal IgE levels between placebo and LGG groups. Symptoms of maternal allergic scores improved significantly in the LGG group (P = 0.002). Maternal allergic diseases improvement was more prominent in pregnant women with IgE > 100 kU/L (P = 0.01) and significantly associated with higher interleukin-12p70 levels (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: LGG administration beginning at the second trimester of pregnancy reduced the severity of maternal allergic disease through increment of Th1 response, but not the incidence of childhood allergic sensitization or allergic diseases (ClinicalTrials.govnumber, IDNCT00325273).

[The progress of topical drug delivery to the inner ear for the inhibition of inflammation and fibrosis following cochlear implantation].

Nowadays, more than 300 000 deaf people around the world benefit from cochlea implantation. With the extension of cochlear implantation indications, it has become a research focus for how to apply the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic drugs safely and effectively to better retain residual hearing, as well as to protect hair cells and the spiral ganglion cells from apoptosis. Due to the blood-labyrinth barrier, perioperative systemic steroids are often unable to achieve satisfactory drug concentration in the inner ear. Also, given that higher doses of steroids will cause more serious side effects and sometimes steroids are strictly limited to apply on some patients with certain diseases, the attention has been attracted on topical drug delivery to the inner ear. In this review, the methods of topical drug delivery to the inner ear are divided into four categories: transtympanic injection of liquid solutions, tympanic implantation of drug delivery systems, intracochlear injection and modified implant electrode. The results in each category and up to date progress are reviewed.

[The effect of surgical treatment on Meniere's disease].

Objective:To compare functional outcomes after different surgical procedures in treatment of patients with Meniere's disease. Method:Patients with Meniere's disease were categorized into different groups mainly based on pure-tone average and functional level scale. Individualized surgical procedure was provided including endolymphatic sac shunt or decompression (ELSS), vestibular neurectomy (VN), labyrinthectomy (LC), semicircular canals plugging (SCP) and endolymphatic duct blockage (EDB). Result:Vertigo control rate of Grade A and B was 78.4% in patients with ELSS, 100.0% with VN, 100.0% with LC, 87.0% with SCP and 86.4% with EDB, respectively. Hearing was preserved with ELSS, VN and EDB postoperatively (P>0.05). But there was a significant hearing loss after SCP (P<0.05). Postoperatively, the QOL score improved significantly in each group (P<0.01). There were CSF leakage in 4 cases, temporary facial paralysis in 1 case, intracranial infection in 1 case, and abdominal hematoma in 5 cases in VN group after surgeries. None of the above complications occurred in other groups. Conclusion:Surgical Treatment choice for patients with Meniere's disease depends on several factors. The functional outcomes after different surgeries are generally satisfying. Residual hearing can be preserved effectively and the quality of life can be improved greatly. VN can effectively eradicate vertigo and preserve residual hearing, however, there is still a risk of some complications with this procedure. As for VN, retrolabyrinthine approach is more advantageous compared with retrosigmoid sinus approach.

Relationship between secreted urokinase plasminogen activator activity and metastatic potential in murine B16 cells transfected with human urokinase sense and antisense genes.

Murine melanoma B16-F1 cells of low metastatic potential were transfected with the human gene for the prepro form of urokinase in an SV40 expression vector (plasmid pSV2-uPA), and cells expressing high amounts of the human urokinase gene product were selected for by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay specific for human high molecular weight urokinase. Southern analysis showed one of the cell lines (clone 7) had incorporated 150 copies of the pSV2-uPA plasmid into its genomic DNA. The human urokinase synthesized by the pSV2-uPA-transfected murine B16 cells was found to be glycosylated and did not bind to the murine cell surface urokinase receptor sites. In an in vivo assay that measures metastasis from a primary tumor (spontaneous metastatic assay), clone 7 cells showed an increased ability to metastasize (12 of 12 mice showed metastatic tumors), while control cells showed a lower ability to metastasize (only 2 of 11 mice showed metastatic tumors). In a second in vivo assay, which measures only the steps of the metastatic migration process during which tumor cells extravasate from the blood and then grow into pulmonary tumors (lung colonization assay), a significant multifold increase in the ability to form lung tumors was shown by the high human urokinase-secreting B16-F1 cells. In B16-F10 cells incorporating an antisense sequence to preprourokinase (plasmid pSV1-ASuPA-265) and secreting significantly decreased amounts of murine urokinase, a corresponding significant decrease in lung colonization was observed. These results provide direct experimental support for a role of secreted (non-surface-bound) urokinase in the colonization steps of the metastatic process. Furthermore, the data indicate that the higher lung colonization ability of the B16-F10 line than of the B16-F1 line is primarily based on the quantitative differences in their abilities to produce urokinase.

[Historical evolution and frontier of endolymphatic sac surgery for treatment of Ménière's disease].

Surgical treatment could be necessary for patients with intractable Ménière's disease.Endolymphatic sac surgery is a favorable option as it could preserve patient's hearing and vestibular function.The overall vertigo control rate after the surgery was about 80%.Endolymphatic sac surgery includes several variations,namely sac shunting,sac drainage,and sac decompression.Although their establishment and development have experienced a long tortuous process,the theoretical basis and clinical efficacy of the surgery remain controversial.Meanwhile,new findings and surgical innovation keep emerging.This article introduces the historical evolution and reviews the frontier of endolymphatic sac surgery for treatment of Ménière's disease.

Flexible bronchoscopic diagnosis of airway injuries after intubation in children.

BACKGROUND: Airway intubation injuries occur frequently but are often neglected because of spontaneous regression. Although most airway injuries that result from intubation resolve without sequelae, severe complications can develop even when initial symptoms of upper airway obstruction are absent. This retrospective study assessed the clinical features, flexible bronchoscopic findings, and clinical outcomes in children with airway intubation injuries. METHODS: From February 1998 to February 1999, 90 children underwent flexible bronchoscopic examination in our hospital. Fifteen of these patients (6 girls, 9 boys; age range, 1 mo to 5 yr; mean, 21.1 +/- 24.4 mo) were noted to have intubation injuries. RESULTS: The average time for symptoms to emerge after extubation was 1.8 days (range, 0-14 days). The airway intubation injuries diagnosed by flexible bronchoscopy were subglottic stenosis in seven patients, vocal cord granulation in four, supraglottic granulation in two, subglottic web in two, bronchial granulation in two, glottic stenosis in one, and tracheal stenosis in one; two cases were discovered incidentally during postoperative follow-up. Four patients had undergone repeated intubation and eventually required tracheostomy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that flexible bronchoscopy is a simple, safe, and useful technique for the diagnosis and follow-up of airway intubation injury. It should be performed on all patients who have symptoms of upper airway obstruction after extubation as well as those who have undergone long-term or emergency intubation.

Common variable immunodeficiency with mosaic trisomy 8: report of one case.

This case study reported a 17-year-old female of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) associated with bronchiectasis, pernicious anemia and mosaic trisomy 8. Clinically this patient presented with recurrent sinopulmonary infections, intractable diarrhea, macrocytic anemia, and primary amenorrhea. Immunological tests showed pan-hypogammaglobulinemia and a decrease of peripheral blood B cells (4%) and CD4+ cells (25%). Lymphoproliferative responses to mitogen (PHA) and specific antigen (BCG) were profoundly impaired in the patient in comparison to those in control. Production of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) in the in vitro lymphoproliferation was also profoundly depressed. Pernicious anemia demonstrated by larger MCV (112.9 fl) and hyper-segmental granulocytes on peripheral blood smear responded to parental administration of vitamin B12. Interestingly, she had a mosaic trisomy 8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells but normal 46XX karyotype in the bone marrow cells. To our knowledge, this is the first case of CVID associated with mosaic trisomy 8 reported in the literature. As the case exemplifies, CVID should be considered when the physicians evaluate the patient presenting with recurrent sinopulmonary infections, diarrhea, malnutrition, and pernicious anemia. It requires further study to explore whether the genes in the chromosome 8 are linked to CVID.

Maternal citrulline supplementation prevents prenatal dexamethasone-induced programmed hypertension.

Glucocorticoids are administered to premature infants to accelerate pulmonary maturation. In experimental model, prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) results in reduced nephron number and adulthood hypertension. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), can cause oxidative stress and is involved in the development of hypertension. L-citrulline can be converted to l-arginine (the substrate for NOS) in the body. Thus we intended to determine if maternal L-citrulline therapy can prevent prenatal DEX-induced programmed hypertension by restoration ADMA/nitric oxide (NO) balance, alterations of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and sodium transporters, and epigenetic regulation by histone deacetylases (HDACs). Male offspring were assigned to four groups: control, pregnancy rats received intraperitoneal DEX (0.2 mg/kg body weight) daily on gestational days 15 and 16 (DEX), pregnancy rats received 0.25% L-citrulline in drinking water during the entire pregnancy and lactation period (CIT), and DEX + CIT. We found DEX group developed hypertension at 16 weeks of age, which was prevented by maternal L-citrulline therapy. Prenatal DEX exposure increased plasma ADMA concentrations and reduced renal NO production. However, L-citrulline reduced plasma ADMA level and increased renal level of NO in DEX + CIT group. Next, prenatal DEX-induced programmed hypertension is related to increased mRNA expression of angiotensin and angiotensin II type 1 receptor, and class I HDACs in the kidney. Prenatal DEX exposure increased renal protein abundance of Na(+)/Cl(-) cotransporter (NCC), which was prevented by L-citrulline therapy. The beneficial effects of L-citrulline therapy include restoration of ADMA/NO balance and alteration of NCC, to prevent the prenatal DEX-induced programmed hypertension.

[A study on injured policemen in dental field].

In 1989, there were 8893 injured policemen by various demonstrations. This injury ratio (8893/130,000) is about 3 times higher than other occupations. Of them, 2869 (31%) were treated at National Police Hospital, and 13% of which were facial injuries. The most common etiologic factor of facial injuries was demonstrations by Univ. students (89.2%), and 93.9% of the victims were injured by thrown stone.

Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis presenting as pseudo-Bartter's syndrome and seizures: report of one case.

We report a hypertrophic pyloric stenosis case with an unusual initial presentation of seizures and Bartter's syndrome like symptoms. This case suffered from vomiting, diarrhea and poor appetite for several days, and seizures developed after these symptoms. From laboratory tests, hypochloremic and hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis associated with hyperreninemia, hyperaldosteronism and normal blood pressure were noted. Pseudo-Bartter's syndrome was diagnosed through these clinical and laboratory tests. Although the first abdominal echo was negative, we still speculated about the peculiar symptoms of vomiting and it's relationship to pseudo-Bartter's syndrome. After all, we found the hypertrophic pyloric stenosis through an upper gastrointestinal series. From these experiences, we postulated that it's very important to put the hypertrophic pyloric stenosis into the differential diagnosis of pseudo-Batter's syndrome.

Purification and functional characterization of MerD. A coregulator of the mercury resistance operon in gram-negative bacteria.

Mercury resistance operons (mer) from transposons Tn21, Tn501, and plasmid pDU1358 are highly homologous and inducible with Hg2+. The regulatory gene merR is transcribed from one promoter, which is divergently oriented from the promoter for the other mer genes. MerR, the product of the regulatory gene, negatively regulates its own expression as well as the expression of the other genes. MerR activates transcription of the operon in the presence of inducing concentrations of Hg2+. The most promoter distal gene, merD, which is cotranscribed with the structural genes, down regulates the mer operon. A frame-shift mutation in merD, created by deletion of 3 bp and an insertion of a 16 bp sequence upstream of the major inverted repeats present at the 3' end of the merD sequence, resulted in increased synthesis of the structural gene transcript and higher level of resistance to Hg2+ by a factor of about 2. MerD protein was over-produced using a T7 expression system. The overproduced protein was present in the pellet fraction, when cell lysates were centrifuged at a low speed. Approximately 80% pure MerD protein was recovered from the pellet fraction by extracting with a buffer solution containing 5 M urea. The purified protein migrated as a 13,500 molecular weight protein on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the N-terminal amino acid sequence corresponded to that deduced from the DNA sequence of merD. MerD bound specifically with the mer promoter sequence. DNase I footprinting experiments identified a common mer operator sequence for MerR and MerD.

Clinical features and outcome of appendicitis in children younger than three years of age.

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is the most common surgically amenable cause of acute abdominal pain in children. We analyzed our past experience of appendectomies in children and present the clinical characteristics of appendicitis in children younger than 3 years of age. A better understanding of appendicitis in early childhood would allow us to achieve an earlier diagnosis. METHODS: A group of 475 children from 4 months to 15 years of age who underwent appendectomy for appendicitis was studied over a 5-year period from July 1994 to June 1999. Excluding cases with negative pathological findings (n = 34), they were divided into 2 age groups: group I (< or = 3 years old) and group II (> 3 years old). Medical records were reviewed and comparisons between clinical findings, laboratory data, pathology findings, and complications were made. RESULTS: Of 441 cases enrolled in our study, 24 (5.4%) were 3 years of age or younger. Of all children older than 3 years of age, 32 (7.1%) had negative pathological findings compared to children younger than 3 years of age (7.7%). The duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis in group I was 3.6 days compared to group II at 2.0 days. Children from group I frequently showed a higher incidence of fever (90% vs. 53.4%), abdominal distention (50% vs. 9.8%), perforation (50% vs. 40.1%), and missed first impression (29% vs. 2.4%) than those from group II. Children of group I also had a higher complication rate (41.7% vs. 11.5%). CONCLUSIONS: In early childhood the symptoms and signs of appendicitis usually are nonspecific. There is a longer duration before diagnosis, more instances of fever and abdominal distention, less right lower quadrant pain, less local tenderness and rebounding pain, and no obturator sign. Close observation and on-going evaluation of patients are essential.