Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in pediatric patients with asthmatic exacerbation and community-acquired pneumonia.

BACKGROUND: Compared with a lower neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio(NLR), a higher one denotes severe asthma exacerbation in hospitalized asthmatic children. In addition, NLR is significantly higher in pediatric patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) than those without. Nevertheless, its role in pediatric patients with concomitant asthmatic exacerbation and CAP remains unknown. METHODS: In this retrospective study including 1032 pediatric patients aged 5 to 14 years old, the diagnostic and prognostic value of NLR in children with concomitant asthmatic exacerbation and non-severe CAP were investigated. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of NLR for a diagnosis of CAP in patients with asthmatic exacerbation were 56.9% and 90.1%, respectively. The cutoff value of NLR for a diagnosis of CAP in patients with asthmatic exacerbation was 4.15 (P < 0.001). The cumulative asthmatic exacerbation during 3-month followup of patients with high NLR were 23 (21.3%) and 58 (42.0%) in the asthma and asthmatic CAP groups, respectively (P < 0.001). The patients with high NLR who had unimproved CAP were 15 (8.3%) and 23 (12.2%) in the CAP and asthmatic CAP groups, respectively (P = 0.006). Multivariate analyses showed that along with the increase of NLR by 1.0 point, the HR for the occurrence of asthmatic exacerbation and unimproved CAP were 2.91 [1.83-3.96] (P = 0.001) and 3.38 [1.66-5.10] (P < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: NLR had high and moderate diagnostic value for the exclusion and indication of CAP, respectively, in pediatric patients with asthmatic exacerbation. It also had prognostic value for the outcomes of pediatric patients with concomitant asthmatic exacerbation and CAP.

[Genetic and clinical analysis of a novel GLB1 gene variant in a Chinese patient with GM1-gangliosidosis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genotype-phenotype correlation of a case with GM1-gangliosidosis caused by compound heterogenic variants in GLB1. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples from the patient and her parents. Trio-based whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed for the family and suspected mutation was verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The proband, a 2-year-3-month old Chinese girl, presented with psychomotor deterioration, absent speech, intellectual disabilities and behavior problem. Trio-based WES has identified compound heterozygosity for 2 variants in the GLB1 gene: NM_000404.2:c.1343A>T, p.Asp448Val and c.1064A>C, p.Gln355Pro (GRCh37/hg19),which was inherited from the mother and father, respectively. Homozygous or compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in GLB1, encoding ß-galactosidase, are responsible for GM1-gangliosidosis,an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder characterized by variable degrees of neurodegeneration and skeletal abnormalities. The p.Asp448Val variant has been classified as pathogenic for GM1 gangliosidosis in medical literatures for the reason that functional studies demonstrated that expression of the p.Asp448Val variant in COS-1 cells resulted in no detectable ß-galactosidase activity compared to wild type GLB1. The p.Gln355Pro variant has not been reported in literatures or database. The variant is highly conserved residue (PM1), and was not found in either the Genome Aggregation Database or the 1000 Genomes Project (PM2) and was predicted to have a deleterious effect on the gene product by multiple in silico prediction tools (PP3). Next, the ß-galactosidase activity of the patient's peripheral blood leukocytes was determined by fluorescent method. The result was 0.0 nmol/mg. It showed that the p.Gln355Pro variant also resulted in loss of ß-galactosidase activity, thus the variant was classified into clinical pathogenic variant. CONCLUSION: Our study expands the mutational spectrum of the GLB1 gene and provides genetic counseling for the family.

[Effect of Chuanhuang No. 1 recipe on renal function and micro-inflammation in phase 3 chronic kidney disease patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Chuanhuang No.1 Recipe (CHR) on renal function and micro-inflammation in phase 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. METHODS: Totally 60 phase 3 CKD patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group (treated by CHR) and the control group (treated by Losartan Potassium), 30 in each group. All patients received basic treatment. Patients in the treatment group took CHR decoction, 400 mL each time, one dose per day, while those in the control group took Losartan Potassium, 50-100 mg per day. All medication lasted for 24 weeks. Changes of serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), serum uric acid (UA), 24 h urinary protein excretion (24 h U-pro), urinary microalbumin (U-Alb), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and serum IL-6 were detected and compared before and after treatment. Efficacy was also compared. RESULTS: Compared with before treatment, SCr and BUN significantly decreased in the treatment group (P<0.05, P<0.01); eGFR in- creased (P<0.05). Only UA obviously decreased in the control group (P<0.05), but with no obvious change in SCr, BUN, or eGFR. Compared with before treatment, 24 h U-pro decreased after treatment in the treatment group (P<0.05), but with less decreased level when compared with the control group. U- Alb was also significantly decreased in the control group (P<0.01). There was statistical difference in 24 h U-pro and U-Alb between the two groups after treatment (P<0.05). Compared with before treatment, hs-CRP obviously decreased after treatment in the two groups, but serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 obviously decreased only in the treatment group (P<0.05). The total effective rate was obviously higher in the treatment group than in the control group (70.00% vs. 43.33%, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: CHR could efficiently improve the renal function of phase 3 CKD patients and alleviate the micro-inflammation.

The timing of the initial collision between the South and North China blocks constraining from the sediments in the eastern Sichuan Basin.

In this study, detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology, trace element and Hf isotopic compositional data from the Early-Middle Triassic clastic rocks in the eastern Sichuan Basin were obtained to distinguish the sediment provenance and constrain the timing of the initial collision between the South China and North China blocks. Detrital zircons from the Early Triassic Feixianguan Formation clastic rocks yield one major age peak at 2476 Ma and three minor age peaks at 1886, 802 and 304 Ma. These detrital zircons may be derived from the South China Block. Detrital zircons from the Early Triassic Jialingjiang Formation clastic rocks yield multiple age peaks at 979, 856, 392 and 269 Ma, indicating a mixed sediment provenance from the South China Block and Qinling Orogenic Belt. This is the first appearance of the detritus with the Qinling Orogenic Belt affinity in the eastern Sichuan Basin. Detrital zircons from the Middle Triassic Leikoupo Formation clastic rocks yield two centralized age peaks at 447 and ca. 245 Ma. These zircons may mainly be derived from the Qinling Orogenic Belt. The results indicate an abrupt change in the detrital zircon U-Pb provenance from the South China Block to the Qinling Orogenic Belt during the Early-Middle Triassic. Integrating the provenance change and other geological characteristics, we suggest that the initial collision in the eastern Qinling Orogenic Belt occurred in the Early Triassic.

Overexpression of MsSAG113 gene promotes leaf senescence in alfalfa via participating in the hormone regulatory network.

Introduction: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a kind of high quality leguminous forage species, which was widely cultivated in the world. Leaf senescence is an essential process in plant development and life cycle. Here, we reported the isolation and functional analysis of an alfalfa SENESCENCE-ASSOCIATED GENE113 (MsSAG113), which belongs to the PP2C family and mainly plays a role in promoting plant senescence. Methods: In the study, Agrobacterium-mediated, gene expression analysis, next generation sequencing, DNA pull-down, yeast single hybridization and transient expression were used to identify the function of MsSAG113 gene. Results: The MsSAG113 gene was isolated from alfalfa, and the transgenic plants were obtained by Agrobacterium-mediated method. Compared with the wildtype, transgenic plants showed premature senescence in leaves, especially when cultivated under dark conditions. Meanwhile, application of exogenous hormones ABA, SA, MeJA, obviously acclerated leaf senescence of transgenic plants. Furthermore, the detached leaves from transgenic plants turned yellow earlier with lower chlorophyll content. Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 1,392 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), involving 13 transcription factor families. Of which, 234 genes were related to phytohormone synthesis, metabolism and transduction. Pull-down assay and yeast one-hybrid assay confirmed that alfalfa zinc finger CCCH domain-containing protein 39 (MsC3H-39) could directly bind the upstream of MsSAG113 gene. In conclusion, the MsSAG113 gene plays a crucial role in promoting leaf senescence in alfalfa via participating in the hormone regulatory network. Discussion: This provides an essential basis for further analysis on the regulatory network involving senescence-associated genes in alfalfa.