Comparative analysis of anxiety/depression scores in COVID-19 patients with disease severity, sleep patterns, and certain laboratory test results.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with severe emotional changes. This research aims to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in COVID-19 patients and its relationship with disease severity, sleep patterns, lifestyle, and specific laboratory test results. Material and methods: An observational study of 52 Chinese patients with COVID-19 was conducted to assess the relation between anxiety and depression (evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and laboratory findings (lymphocytes, C-reactive proteins, leukocytes, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase). The relationships between the severity of COVID-19 in patients, the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) score, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) score were also investigated. Results: There were statistically significant associations between disease, smoking, and HADS-A scores (p = 0.011/0.020). The HADS-D score of patients with the disease was higher than in those without a past medical history (p = 0.008). The difference in C-reactive protein (CRP) between different lung infections, the HADS-A and HADS-D scores between different ages and ISI groups, and the correlation between the two scores were statistically significant. Conclusions: Anxiety and depression are associated with poor sleep quality, smoking, and past medical history in patients with COVID-19. Additionally, anxiety and depression were seen to coexist, and there was a positive correlation between them. Further, the inflammatory index CRP was significantly increased in bilateral lung infections.

Abernethy malformation associated with Caroli's syndrome in a patient with a PKHD1 mutation: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Abernethy malformation is a rare congenital anomaly characterised by the partial or complete absence of the portal vein and the subsequent development of an extrahepatic portosystemic shunt. Caroli's disease is a rare congenital condition characterised by non-obstructive saccular intrahepatic bile duct dilation. Caroli's disease combined with congenital hepatic fibrosis and/or renal cystic disease is referred to - Caroli's syndrome. The combination of Abernethy malformation and Caroli's syndrome has not been reported previously. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 23-year-old female who was found to have both type II Abernethy malformation and Caroli's syndrome. Radiological imaging was performed, including computed tomography with three-dimensional reconstruction and magnetic resonance imaging with (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP), which revealed a side-to-side portocaval shunt, intrahepatic bile duct dilation, congenital hepatic fibrosis, and renal cysts. In addition, PKHD1 (polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1) gene mutational analysis revealed a paternally inherited heterozygous missense mutation (c.1877A > G, p.Lys626Arg). A liver biopsy confirmed the pathological features of Caroli's syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a patient with both type II Abernethy malformation and Caroli's syndrome diagnosed using a comprehensive approach that included imaging, mutational analysis, and liver biopsy. Additionally, this is the second reported case to date of an Asian patient presenting with liver and renal disorders with the same paternally inherited PKHD1 missense mutation.

Nested real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA.

BACKGROUND: Successful treatment of hepatitis B can be achieved only if the template for hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA replication, the covalently closed circular HBV DNA (cccDNA) can be completely cleared. To date, detecting cccDNA remains clinically challenging. The purpose of this study was to develop a nested real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detecting HBV cccDNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and bone marrow mononuclear cells (MMNCs). METHODS: Based on the structural differences between HBV cccDNA and HBV relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA), two pairs of primers were synthesized as well as a downstream TaqMan probe. Blood and bone marrow samples were collected from hepatitis B patients and healthy controls. To remove rcDNA, samples were incubated with mung bean nuclease and the resultant purified HBV cccDNA was then amplified by nested real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The cccDNA levels were calculated using a positive standard. RESULTS: The nested real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method for HBV cccDNA was successful, with a linear range of 3.0 × 10(2) copies/ml to 3.9 × 10(8) copies/ml. Of the 25 PBMC samples and 7 MMNC samples obtained from chronic hepatitis B or liver cirrhosis patients, 3 MMNC samples and 9 PBMC samples were positive for HBV cccDNA, while all of the 21 PBMC samples from healthy controls were negative. CONCLUSION: The nested real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR may be used as an important tool for detecting cccDNA in hepatitis B patients.

[Establishment and application of nested real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a nested real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detection of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA in PBMC( peripheral blood monocyte) and MMNC (marrow monocyte). METHODS: Based on the structural differences between HBVcccDNA and HBV rcDNA, two pairs of specific primers spanned the gap of the positive and negative chains and a specific TaqMan probe situated downstream were designed. To remove rcDNA, cccDNA was processed by Mung Bean Nuclease,and then amplified by nested real-time quantitative PCR using a pair of outer primers and a pair of inner primers. According to the standard preparation, cccDNA levels of specimen were calculated. RESULTS: We have established a nested real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method for HBV cccDNA successfully, and the linear range is from 5.0 x 10(2) to 3. 9 x 10(7) copies per milliliter. Of the 25 PBMC samples and 7 MMNC samples of the chronic hepatitis B or liver cirrhosis patients, 3 MMNC samples and 9 PBMC samples were HBV cccDNA positive, while all of the 21 healthy donator blood PBMC samples were negative. CONCLUSIONS: The nested real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR method may be applied to detect HBVcccDNA level in PBMC and MMNC. HBVcccDNA can be detected in PBMC and MMNC.

[The detection and clinical significance of hepatic fibrosis index].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between levels of serum HA, LN, IV-C, PC III of chronic hepatitis and indexes of hepatic fibrosis. METHODS: The levels of serum HA, LN, IV-C and PC III of chronic hepatitis of 124 cases and health 18 cases were measured by radio immunoassay, combined with clinical characteristics and 33 cases pathologic slice etc. The diagnostic of the indexes of serum was analyzed with statistics. RESULTS: HA and IV-C are parallel in chronic hepatitis periods. LN and PC III are concert in the same pathologic periods. In G4 period PC III is nearly closed with comparative group. The value of HA, LN, NV-C and PC III in the chronic hepatitis group was significantly higher than that in the normal comparative group. Conclusion The levels of serum HA LN IV-C and PC III are in concert with the degree of hepatic fibrosis, and these indexes are valuable for chronic hepatitis diagnoses combined with the clinic. LN and PC III are coincidence with hepatic fibrosis degree before G4 period.

[Research of open situation x-ray of cervical vertebra in healthy people].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence rate of the different width in two sides of vertebra and C2 spinal process tilt, and analyze the different incidence rate between the unusual change of open situation x-ray and migraine. METHODS: Among the 350 investigators, testing the open situation x-ray of cervical vertebra and the questionnaire of migraine situation (163 male and 187 female with an average age of 39.6 years ranging from 26 to 54 years). They were divided into several groups according to the age, including 94 people from 26 to 34 years, 103 people from 35 to 44 years, 153 people from 45 to 54 years. The method of contrasting the incidence rate of open situation x-ray with the rate of migraine was used. RESULTS: Among the 350 investigated people, the incidence rate of the different width in two sides of vertebra and C2 spinal process tilt was 32.28%. The relationship between the different width in two sides of vertebra and the rate of migraine is not obvious (P > 0.05). However,the relationship between C2 spinal process tilt and the migraine was obvious (0.05 > P > 0.01). CONCLUSION: The difference between the different width in two sides of vertebra and the rate of migraine is not obvious in the investigated people, so it is not reliable to diagnose the illness as cervical vertebra disease. While the difference between the C2 spinal process tilt and the migraine is obvious, it is one of the reasons to diagnose the migraine.