Cistanche phenylethanoid glycosides induce apoptosis and pyroptosis in T-cell lymphoma.

Cistanche deserticola, known for its extensive history in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is valued for its therapeutic properties. Recent studies have identified its anticancer capabilities, yet the mechanisms underlying these properties remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we determined that a mixture of four cistanche-derived phenylethanoid glycosides (CPhGs), echinacoside, acteoside, 2-acetylacteoside, and cistanoside A, which are among the main bioactive compounds in C. deserticola, eliminated T-cell lymphoma (TCL) cells by inducing apoptosis and pyroptosis in vitro and attenuated tumor growth in vivo in a xenograft mouse model. At the molecular level, these CPhGs elevated P53 by inhibiting the SIRT2-MDM2/P300 and PI3K/AKT carcinogenic axes and activating PTEN-Bax tumor-suppressing signaling. Moreover, CPhGs activated noncanonical and alternative pathways to trigger pyroptosis. Interestingly, CPhGs did not activate canonical NLRP3-caspase-1 pyroptotic signaling pathway; instead, CPhGs suppressed the inflammasome factor NLRP3 and the maturation of IL-1ß. Treatment with a caspase-1/4 inhibitor and silencing of Gasdermin D (GSDMD) or Gasdermin E (GSDME) partially rescued CPhG-induced cell death. Conversely, forced expression of NLRP3 restored cell proliferation. In summary, our results indicate that CPhGs modulate multiple signaling pathways to achieve their anticancer properties and perform dual roles in pyroptosis and NLRP3-driven proliferation. This study offers experimental support for the potential application of CPhGs in the treatment of TCL.

Layer-dependent ultrafast carrier dynamics of PdSe2 investigated by photoemission electron microscopy.

For atomically thin two-dimensional materials, variations in layer thickness can result in significant changes in the electronic energy band structure and physicochemical properties, thereby influencing the carrier dynamics and device performance. In this work, we employ time- and energy-resolved photoemission electron microscopy to reveal the ultrafast carrier dynamics of PdSe2 with different layer thicknesses. We find that for few-layer PdSe2 with a semiconductor phase, an ultrafast hot carrier cooling on a timescale of approximately 0.3 ps and an ultrafast defect trapping on a timescale of approximately 1.3 ps are unveiled, followed by a slower decay of approximately tens of picoseconds. However, for bulk PdSe2 with a semimetal phase, only an ultrafast hot carrier cooling and a slower decay of approximately tens of picoseconds are observed, while the contribution of defect trapping is suppressed with the increase of layer number. Theoretical calculations of the electronic energy band structure further confirm the transition from a semiconductor to a semimetal. Our work demonstrates that TR- and ER-PEEM with ultrahigh spatiotemporal resolution and wide-field imaging capability has great advantages in revealing the intricate details of ultrafast carrier dynamics of nanomaterials.

The efficacy of cetuximab plus PD-1 inhibitors as salvage therapy in PD-1 refractory patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: The prognosis of patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) that are refractory to programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) immunotherapy is relatively poor. The salvage therapy was rarely investigated and urgently needed. Methods: We conducted a single center retrospective real-world study to explore the efficacy of cetuximab plus PD-1 inhibitors as salvage therapy in patients progressed from first-line immunotherapy. Results: In the present study, 28 eligible patients were included between October 2020 and May 2023. By the cut-off date (Sep 24th, 2023), the objective response rate (ORR) was 46.4% (95% CI, 29.5%-64.2%). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed the median progression free survival (mPFS) in the study was 6.87 months (95% CI, 4.77-8.97 months), and median overall survival (mOS) was 9.67 months (95% CI, 4.79-14.55 months). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that ECOG performance status and best response to salvage therapy was found to be the prognosis factor of salvage therapy. For the safety, the most common treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) were rash (72.1%), anemia (64.3%) and fatigue (46.5%) during the salvage therapy. The most common potential irAEs were hypothyroidism (25%), and pneumonitis (14.3%). Only 3 patients (10.7%) experienced grade 3 TRAEs, and no treatment-related deaths occurred. Conclusions: Our study showed the combination of cetuximab with PD-1 inhibitors might be a potential efficacy and safety choice in PD-1 refractory patients with R/M HNSCC which need further investigation.

Effectiveness and Safety of Low-Dose Radiotherapy in Eosinophilic Lymphoid Granuloma.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of low-dose radiotherapy in treating eosinophilic lymphoid granuloma. Method: This study included a total of 20 patients diagnosed with eosinophilic lymphoid granuloma. All patients underwent low-dose three-dimensional conformal intensity-modulated radiotherapy for their lesions. We analyzed the control status of the lesions and any adverse reactions related to radiotherapy. Results: The overall effectiveness of low-dose radiotherapy in treating eosinophilic lymphoid granuloma was 90%. The incidence of grade I and grade II adverse reactions induced by radiotherapy was 70% and 30%, respectively. Over a median follow-up period of 23.6 months, all patients showed controlled lesions within the target delineation of radiotherapy. After radiotherapy, four patients experienced occasional pruritus, and one patient had a recurrence outside the target area three years later. No long-term severe adverse reactions related to radiotherapy were observed during the follow-up period. Conclusions: Low-dose radiotherapy demonstrates an apparent therapeutic effect on eosinophilic lymphoid granuloma with acceptable adverse reactions.

Reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation predicted the efficacy of camrelizumab in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Background: Reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation (RCCEP), a special adverse event (AE) only observed in patients treated with camrelizumab, was reported to be correlated with the efficacy of camrelizumab in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. This study to analyze the possible correlation between the occurrence of RCCEP and efficacy of camrelizumab in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC). Material and Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and RCCEP occurrence of camrelizumab in 58 patients with R/M HNSCC in the Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital affiliated to Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine between January 2019 and June 2022. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to assess the correlation between the occurrence of RCCEP and the survival of enrolled patients, and COX multifactor analysis was adopted to evaluate associated factors that affected the efficacy of camrelizumab immunotherapy. Results: A significant correlation between the incidence of RCCEP and a higher objective response rate was observed in this study (p=0.008). The occurrence of RCCEP was associated with better median overall survival (17.0 months vs. 8.7 months, p<0.0001, HR=5.944, 95% CI:2.097-16.84) and better median progression-free survival (15.1 months vs. 4.0 months, p<0.0001, HR=4.329,95% CI:1.683-11.13). In COX multifactor analysis, RCCEP occurrence was also an independent prognostic factor affecting OS and PFS in patients with R/M HNSCC. Conclusions: The occurrence of RCCEP can show a better prognosis, it could be used as a clinical biomarker to predict the efficacy of camrelizumab treatment. (AU)

Reveal Ultrafast Electron Relaxation across Sub-bands of Tellurium by Time- and Energy-Resolved Photoemission Microscopy.

Exploring ultrafast carrier dynamics is crucial for the materials' fundamental properties and device design. In this work, we employ time- and energy-resolved photoemission electron microscopy with tunable pump wavelengths from visible to near-infrared to reveal the ultrafast carrier dynamics of the elemental semiconductor tellurium. We find that two discrete sub-bands around the Γ point of the conduction band are involved in excited-state electron ultrafast relaxation and reveal that hot electrons first go through ultrafast intra sub-band cooling on a time scale of about 0.3 ps and then transfer from the higher sub-band to the lower one on a time scale of approximately 1 ps. Additionally, theoretical calculations reveal that the lower one has flat-band characteristics, possessing a large density of states and a long electron lifetime. Our work demonstrates that TR- and ER-PEEM with broad tunable pump wavelengths are powerful techniques in revealing the details of ultrafast carrier dynamics in time and energy domains.

Extracellular vesicles in renal cell carcinoma: challenges and opportunities coexist.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents an extremely challenging disease in terms of both diagnosis and treatment. It poses a significant threat to human health, with incidence rates increasing at a yearly rate of roughly 2%. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid-based bilayer structures of membranes that are essential for intercellular interaction and have been linked to the advancement of RCC. This review provides an overview of recent studies on the role of EVs in RCC progression, including involvement in the interaction of tumor cells with M2 macrophages, mediating the generation of immune tolerance, and assuming the role of communication messengers in the tumor microenvironment leading to disease progression. Finally, the " troika " of EVs in RCC therapy is presented, including engineered sEVs' or EVs tumor vaccines, mesenchymal stem cell EVs therapy, and reduction of tumor-derived EVs secretion. In this context, we highlight the limitations and challenges of EV-based research and the prospects for future developments in this field. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive summary of the role of EVs in RCC and their potential as a viable pathway for the future treatment of this complex disease.

Significance of differential expression of OLFM4 in the development of endometrial adenocarcinoma.

The incidence of endometrial adenocarcinoma (EA) has increased worldwide in recent years due to the widespread use of estrogen therapy and the overall increase in life expectancy. However, we know of no sensitive molecular index that can be used to predict the onset of EA, evaluate the therapeutic effects of treatment agents, or provide prognostic benefit in post-treatment follow-up. To explore the correlation between human olfactomedin 4 (OLFM4) and the clinicopathologic parameters of EA, and to determine the precise involvement of OLFM4 as a related factor in the occurrence and development of EA. We enrolled 61 gynecologic patients for a retrospective study at the Tai'an Central Hospital of Shandong Province from January 1, 2016, to June 30, 2022. We determined the expression levels of estrogen receptor α (ERα), progesterone receptor (PR), and OLFM4 proteins in endometrial tissue with the immunohistochemical S-P staining method, and analyzed the correlations among ERα, PR, and OLFM4 protein expression levels and with the pathologic stage, histologic grade, myometrial invasiveness, and lymphatic metastasis of EA. The expression levels of OLFM4 in EA were higher than in normal endometrium (P = .036). The expression level of OLFM4 protein in stage II-III patients was higher than that in stage I patients (P = .034), and the expression levels of ERα and PR proteins in EA were lower than those in normal endometrial tissue (P = .014 and P = .0005). While we observed no correlation in endometrial tissues of disparate pathologic types between OLFM4 and the expression levels of ERα and PR proteins, we noted a positive correlation between the expression levels of ERα and PR protein. The expression level of OLFM4 protein increased with the malignant degree of endometrial lesions and OLFM4 protein expression was related to the FIGO stage of EA. And OLFM4 protein can be used as 1 of the potential diagnostic factors for endometrial lesions, which is worthy of further study.

The Association of Low Molecular Weight Heparin Use and In-hospital Mortality Among Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19.

PURPOSE: To determine the association between low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) use and mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients consecutively enrolled from two major academic hospitals exclusively for COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, from January 26, 2020, to March 26, 2020. The primary outcome was adjusted in-hospital mortality in the LMWH group compared with the non-LMWH group using the propensity score. RESULTS: Overall, 525 patients with COVID-19 enrolled with a median age of 64 years (IQR 19), and 49.33% men. Among these, 120 (22.86%) were treated with LMWH. Compared with the non-LMWH group, the LMWH group was more likely to be older and male; had a history of hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), or stroke; and had more severe COVID-19 parameters such as higher inflammatory cytokines or D-dimer. Compared with non-LMWH group, LMWH group had a higher unadjusted in-hospital mortality rate (21.70% vs. 11.10%; p = 0.004), but a lower adjusted mortality risk (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.20; 95% CI, 0.09-0.46). A propensity score-weighting analysis demonstrated similar findings (adjusted OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.10-0.30). Subgroup analysis showed a significant survival benefit among those who were severely (adjusted OR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.02-0.23) and critically ill (adjusted OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.15-0.65), as well as among the elderly patients' age > 65, IL-6 > 10 times upper limit level, and D-dimer > 5 times upper limit level. CONCLUSIONS: Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, LMWH use was associated with lower all-cause in-hospital mortality than non-LMWH users. The survival benefit was particularly significant among more severely ill patients.

Statin Use and In-hospital Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 and Coronary Heart Disease.

The worsening progress of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is attributed to the proinflammatory state, leading to increased mortality. Statin works with its anti-inflammatory effects and may attenuate the worsening of COVID-19. COVID-19 patients were retrospectively enrolled from two academic hospitals in Wuhan, China, from 01/26/2020 to 03/26/2020. Adjusted in-hospital mortality was compared between the statin and the non-statin group by CHD status using multivariable Cox regression model after propensity score matching. Our study included 3133 COVID-19 patients (median age: 62y, female: 49.8%), and 404 (12.9%) received statin. Compared with the non-statin group, the statin group was older, more likely to have comorbidities but with a lower level of inflammatory markers. The Statin group also had a lower adjusted mortality risk (6.44% vs. 10.88%; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.47; 95% CI, 0.29-0.77). Subgroup analysis of CHD patients showed a similar result. Propensity score matching showed an overall 87% (HR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.05-0.36) lower risk of in-hospital mortality for statin users than nonusers. Such survival benefit of statin was obvious both among CHD and non-CHD patients (HR = 0.30 [0.09-0.98]; HR = 0.23 [0.1-0.49], respectively). Statin use was associated with reduced in-hospital mortality in COVID-19. The benefit of statin was both prominent among CHD and non-CHD patients. These findings may further reemphasize the continuation of statins in patients with CHD during the COVID-19 era.

Complete remission of combined pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma: a case report.

Pulmonary large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC), which accounts for approximately 1% of all lung cancers, is a rare and highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. Therefore, it is important to devise an effective treatment strategy. In the treatment of locally advanced complex LCNEC, it is unique to first administer radiotherapy combined with albumin-bound paclitaxel plus carboplatin, followed by durvalumab for immune maintenance treatment after concurrent radiotherapy and chemotherapy to achieve complete remission. We report a 54-year-old man who smoked and who felt chest tightness for 2 weeks and was diagnosed as having combined pulmonary LCNEC. For patients with locally advanced pulmonary LCNEC, chemoradiotherapy increases overall survival. After surgical resection and chemoradiotherapy, our patient achieved complete remission. Durvalumab was then started to consolidate the treatment. After six courses of immune maintenance therapy, the patient developed grade 2 immune-related pneumonitis and took prednisone orally until the symptoms resolved, and then reached complete remission again. The patient achieved complete remission, which was a challenge with this rare carcinoma, through albumin-bound paclitaxel plus platinum-based chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy and durvalumab for immune maintenance therapy. This approach may provide a treatment option for locally advanced combined pulmonary LCNEC.

Terpene-Shikimate conjugated meroterpenoids from the endophytic fungus Guignardia mangiferae.

Nine undescribed shikimate-conjugated meroterpenes, as well as nine known compounds, were isolated from solid cultures of the fungus Guignardia mangiferae, an endophyte obtained from the leaves of Dendrobium nobile. The structures of these undescribed compounds were characterized by analyses of their 1D and 2D NMR and HRESIMS data, and their absolute configurations were assigned by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, modified Mosher's method, and Mo2(OCOCH3)4-induced ECD experiments. Of these compounds, mangnardone A represents the first example of terpene-shikimate-conjugated meroterpenoid with a hydroxy group at C-5. In addition, the X-ray diffraction analysis of mangnardone I is the first example to confirm the structure of bicycloalternarene (BCA) meroterpenoid by single-crystal data. Nine undescribed meroterpenes inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells with IC50 values in the range of 4.7-40.0 µM.

Analysis of the Effect of Incentive Nursing Intervention in Children with Severe Viral Encephalitis and Myocarditis during Rehabilitation Based on Diffusion Weighted MRI.

BACKGROUND: Severe viral encephalitis in children causes a viral infection that damages their central nervous system. This situation arises the mental abnormalities, sudden rise in body temperature, disturbance of consciousness, and so forth in children, which can be life-threatening. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed at exploring the effect of diffusion weighted MRI on children with severe viral encephalitis and myocarditis. METHODS: This work presents a diffusion weighted MRI scanning method that involves scanning through a serial imaging device, axial scanning, and sagittal and coronal scanning. 60 children with severe viral encephalitis and myocarditis who admitted to Brain Hospital of Hunan Province from April 2017 to May 2020 were deemed as research subjects. All the children underwent CT and MRI examination, blood routine examination, and cerebrospinal fluid examination after admission. This work uses the random number table method to classify the subjects into control group and observation group, each consisting of 30 cases. Children in the control group were provided with the routine nursing intervention, whereas children in the observation group were subjected to incentive nursing intervention. The baseline data, ECG monitoring indicators, body abnormalities, and clinical symptom relief time of the two groups of children were compared and the results of diffusion weighted MRI scans were analyzed and the ADC values were counted. RESULTS: The two groups of children were compared on the basis of baseline data, and the variation was not statistically substantial (P > 0.05). The cases of children in the control group had higher heart rate and respiration, and physical dysfunction, language dysfunction, unconsciousness, and nervous dysfunction were more than those in the observation group. However, the cases of blood oxygen saturation were less than those of the observation group. After nursing intervention done for the control group, remission time of clinical symptoms such as convulsion, physical dysfunction, unconsciousness, and nerve dysfunction was longer relative to the observation group (all P < 0.05 are considered). CONCLUSION: The diffusion weighted MRI had diagnostic significance for severe viral encephalitis and myocarditis. For children with severe viral encephalitis and myocarditis, clinical incentive nursing intervention was particularly imperative. It can not only help children to relieve symptoms and control the deterioration of the disease in a short time but also help improve the quality of life of the children and the confidence of family members to cope with the disease.

Effectiveness of early treatment of lopinavir-ritonavir in patients with severe COVID-19: a case series.

AIM: The inconsistent effects of lopinavir-ritonavir (LPV/r) on COVID-19 seem to be caused by the therapeutic window. In the present study, we aim to present the effects of early LPV/r treatment on patients with severe COVID-19. METHODS: The demographics, characteristics, treatments, SARS-CoV-2 test results and outcomes of 19 patients with severe COVID-19 treated with LPV/r within 12 days of onset of symptoms were retrospectively assessed. RESULTS: Within 3 days of admission, three (15.79%) patients received noninvasive ventilation, and 16 (84.21%) patients received high-flow oxygen support. The median duration between the onset of symptoms and initiating LPV/r therapy was 9 (range 2-12) days. The median course of LPV/r treatment was 11 (range 7-17) days. One of the 19 patients (5.26%) died. Of the 18 patients discharged, the median hospital stay was 17 (range 11-45) days. At day 6 after LPV/r therapy was initiated, 68.42% of patients were virologically cured, increasing to 84.22% at day 12. CONCLUSION: In this cohort of patients with severe COVID-19 who were treated with LPV/r within 12 days of the onset of symptoms, clinical improvement was observed in 18/19 patients (94.74%). Randomised controlled trials are urgently needed to further evaluate this strategy.

Analysis of the prophylactic effect of thymosin drugs on COVID-19 for 435 medical staff: A hospital-based retrospective study.

To explore the role of thymosin drugs in the prevention of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we analyzed the preventive effects of different medication timings on health medical staff, and then provided recommendations for pharmaceutical monitoring of thymus drugs. The hospital-based retrospective study analyzed 435 medical staffers, treated with or without thymosin drugs as preventive medicines in our hospital of Wuhan City, from January 25 to March 25, 2020. For the prophylactics, the medical staff was prevented from pre-exposure prophylaxis (risk prevention of exposure to COVID-19 patients before using thymosin drugs) and postexposure prophylaxis (risk prevention of exposure to COVID-19 patients after using thymosin drugs). The effectiveness and safety of thymosin drugs were studied in the prevention and control of COVID-19 application, in real-world data research for the application of the drug for COVID- 19. In a similar exposure environment, compared to medical staffers who did not take preventive medicine, the use of thymosin drugs, before exposure and after exposure had an insignificant effect, and the adverse drug reaction (ADR) was increased, especially when thymosin drugs were used together with α-interferon.

Efficacy of ACEIs/ARBs vs CCBs on the progression of COVID-19 patients with hypertension in Wuhan: A hospital-based retrospective cohort study.

To evaluate the efficacy of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) vs calcium channel blockers (CCBs) on the progression of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with hypertension in Wuhan. This retrospective single-center case series analyzed COVID-19 patients with hypertension, treated with ACEIs/ARBs or CCBs at the Tongji Hospital of Wuhan City, China from 25th January to 15th March 2020. After propensity score matching analysis, 76 patients were selected into two groups. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to determine factors related to improvement measures and outcome measures by Cox proportional hazard regression models. Among 157 patients with confirmed COVID-19 combined hypertension, including 73 males and 84 females, a median age of 67.28 ± 9.11 vs 65.39 ± 10.85 years. A univariable analysis indicated that clinical classification, lymphocyte count, and interleukin-2 receptor were associated with a lengthened negative time of nucleic acid, with a significant difference between two groups (P = .036). Furthermore, we found no obvious difference in nucleic acid conversion time between ACEIs/ARBs and CCBs groups (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.97, 3.38]; P = .18) in the multivariable analysis as well as chest computed tomography improved time (HR: 0.73; 95% CI [0.45, 1.2]; P = .87), and hospitalization time between ACEIs/ARBs and CCBs groups (HR: 1.06; 95% CI [0.44, 1.1]; P = .83). Our study provided additional evidence of no obvious difference in progress and prognosis between ACEIs/ACEIs and CCBs group, which may suggest ACEIs/ARBs may have scarcely influence on increasing the clinical severe situations of COVID-19 patients with hypertension.

Hydroxychloroquine treatment in COVID-19: A descriptive observational analysis of 30 cases from a single center in Wuhan, China.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) garnered scientific attention in early February following publication of reports showing in vitro activity of chloroquine (CQ) against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While studies are mixed on this topic, the therapeutic effect of HCQ or CQ still need more valid clinical evidence. In this descriptive observational study, we aimed to discuss the treatment response of HCQ in COVID-19 infected patients and 30 cases were included. The demographic, treatment, laboratory parameters of C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) before and after HCQ therapy and clinical outcome in the 30 patients with COVID-19 were assessed. To evaluate the effect of mediation time point, we also divided these cases into two groups, patients began administrated with HCQ within 7 days hospital (defined as early delivery group) and 7 days after hospital (defined as later delivery group). We found that, the elevated IL-6, a risk factor in severe patients were reduced to normal level after HCQ treatment. More importantly, patients treated with HCQ at the time of early hospital recovered faster than those who treated later or taken as second line choose for their obvious shorter hospitalization time. In summary, early use of HCQ was better than later use and the effect of IL-6 and CRP level cannot be ruled out.

Metformin Treatment Was Associated with Decreased Mortality in COVID-19 Patients with Diabetes in a Retrospective Analysis.

Metformin was proposed to be a candidate for host-directed therapy for COVID-19. However, its efficacy remains to be validated. In this study, we compared the outcome of metformin users and nonusers in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with diabetes. Hospitalized diabetic patients with confirmed COVID-19 in the Tongji Hospital of Wuhan, China, from January 27, 2020 to March 24, 2020, were grouped into metformin and no-metformin groups according to the diabetic medications used. The demographics, characteristics, laboratory parameters, treatments, and clinical outcome in these patients were retrospectively assessed. A total of 283 patients (104 in the metformin and 179 in the no-metformin group) were included in this study. There were no significant differences between the two groups in gender, age, underlying diseases, clinical severity, and oxygen-support category at admission. The fasting blood glucose level of the metformin group was higher than that of the no-metformin group at admission and was under effective control in both groups after admission. Other laboratory parameters at admission and treatments after admission were not different between the two groups. The length of hospital stay did not differ between the two groups (21.0 days for metformin versus 19.5 days for no metformin, P = 0.74). However, in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the metformin group (3/104 (2.9%) versus 22/179 (12.3%), P = 0.01). Antidiabetic treatment with metformin was associated with decreased mortality compared with diabetics not receiving metformin. This retrospective analysis suggests that metformin may offer benefits in patients with COVID-19 and that further study is indicated.