Incidence, clinical characteristics and prognostic factor of patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundRecently, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak started in Wuhan, China. Although the clinical features of COVID-19 have been reported previously, data regarding the risk factors associated with the clinical outcomes are lacking. ObjectivesTo summary and analyze the clinical characteristics and identify the predictors of disease severity and mortality. MethodsThe PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, Cochrane and MedRxiv databases were searched through February 25, 2020. Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) recommendations were followed. We extracted and pooled data using random-e{square}ects meta-analysis to summary the clinical feature of the confirmed COVID-19 patients, and further identify risk factors for disease severity and death. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 method and explained with subgroup analysis and meta-regression. ResultsA total of 30 studies including 53000 patients with COVID-19 were included in this study, the mean age was 49.8 years (95% CI, 47.5-52.2 yrs) and 55.5% were male. The pooled incidence of severity and mortality were 20.2% (95% CI, 15.1-25.2%) and 3.1% (95% CI, 1.9-4.2%), respectively. The predictor for disease severity included old age ([≥] 50 yrs, odds ratio [OR] = 2.61; 95% CI, 2.29-2.98), male (OR =1.348, 95% CI, 1.195-1.521), smoking (OR =1.734, 95% CI, 1.146-2.626) and any comorbidity (OR = 2.635, 95% CI, 2.098-3.309), especially chronic kidney disease (CKD, OR = 6.017; 95% CI, 2.192-16.514), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, OR = 5.323; 95% CI, 2.613-10.847) and cerebrovascular disease (OR = 3.219; 95% CI, 1.486-6.972). In terms of laboratory results, increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer and decreased blood platelet and lymphocytes count were highly associated with severe COVID-19 (all for P < 0.001). Meanwhile, old age ([≥] 60 yrs, RR = 9.45; 95% CI, 8.09-11.04), followed by cardiovascular disease (RR = 6.75; 95% CI, 5.40-8.43) hypertension (RR = 4.48; 95% CI, 3.69-5.45) and diabetes (RR = 4.43; 95% CI, 3.49-5.61) were found to be independent prognostic factors for the COVID-19 related death. ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first evidence-based medicine research to explore the risk factors of prognosis in patients with COVID-19, which is helpful to identify early-stage patients with poor prognosis and adapt effective treatment.

Effects of rivaroxaban on activated clotting time in catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in Chinese patients.

PURPOSE: It has been observed that patients on rivaroxaban require more heparin and frequent activated clotting time (ACT) monitoring throughout the catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, but the strategy of heparin injection varies in different studies. We sought to examine the determinants of heparin dosage in Chinese patients on rivaroxaban. METHODS: We reviewed consecutive patients who received rivaroxaban before atrial fibrillation ablation and compared them to patients on no anticoagulant. The dosage of heparin required to achieve ACT > 300 s was evaluated. We then tested determinants of heparin dosage prospectively. RESULTS: There were 124 patients on rivaroxaban (R group) and 42 on no anticoagulant (NA group) in retrospective study. Heparin dosage required to achieve target ACT was 0.89 ± 0.01 mg/kg in R group and 0.60 ± 0.01 mg/kg in NA group, P < 0.05. The bolus heparin dosage required was 0.77 ± 0.01 mg/kg (96.1 ± 1.1 U/kg) when baseline ACT > 200 s. In the prospective study, 80/90(88.9%) of patients in R group and 79/90(87.8%) in NA group achieved an ACT > 300 s after initial bolus injection of heparin. The ACT 60 min after target ACT (ACT60) in R group was higher than that in NA group (287.5 ± 28.3 VS 238.9 ± 29.5, P < 0.05). Rivaroxaban was the only independent predictor of ACT60. There was no significant difference in ACT or heparin dosage in patients with different duration on or withdrawal of rivaroxaban. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation on rivaroxaban, the effective duration of heparin is prolonged and the procedural heparin requirement is significantly greater. Heparin dosage can be predicted by baseline ACT, but not influenced by duration on or withdrawal of rivaroxaban.

A simple and effective anti-backflow positioning evaluation device for orotracheal intubation in rats / 中国比较医学杂志

Objective To improve the orotracheal intubation verifying technique and reduce the complication of backflow in rat experiment.Methods A new position evaluation of anti-backflow device was designed and made of safety IV catheter and closed IV catheter system.60 adult male Sprague Dawley rats 216±20 g were randomly assigned to two groups: group A (n=40) for verifying placement, group B (n=20) for anti-backflow test.Group A was further divided into group A1 using self-designed positioning device, group A2 using aerosol, group A3 taking cotton fiber for positioning judgment.The group B was divided into two subgroups, B1 and B2, counting escaped bubbles as a means of positioning observation, the difference is that group B1 using frustum of a cone shape anti-backflow device, while the group B2 using common airway tube.Routine endotracheal intubation was performed to observe and record the time of positioning, the location of exhalation phase, and the length of inspiratory phase countercurrent water column.The group A1 further performed tracheotomy under direct vision clearly to confirm the anatomic positioning status.Results During the exhalation cycle,three or more bubbles were observed to escape continuously, indicating that the intubation tube was properly placed and open in the airway.Positioning time: It took 1.75±1.02 respiratory cycles in group A1,3.30±0.95 respiratory cycles in group A2 and 4.10±0.99 respiratory cycles in group A3 to complete the assessment the positioning status.There was no statistically significant difference between groups A2 and A3 (P> 0.05).The time needed for group A1 was significantly shorter than that of groups A2 and A3 (P < 0.01).The longest countercurrent water column length in group B1 was 3.23±0.53 cm, and 8.48±1.01 cm in the group B2.Conclusions The new designed anti-backflow positioning evaluation device is a simple and convenient appliance to evaluate the location of orotracheal intubation in rat experiment.It can effectively improve the positioning efficiency and has practical application value.

Inducible and constitutive expression of fip-fve from Flammulina velutipes in Pichia pastoris GS115 / 生物工程学报

We transformed the fip-fve gene into Pichia pastoris GS115 for inducible and constitutive expression to obtain feasible bioactvie recombinant Fip-fve. The fip-fve gene was cloned from Flammulina velutipes fruting body by PCR and ligated to pPIC9 to construct inducible expression vector pPIC9-FIP-fve, and promotor pgap was used to replace the paox1 to construct constitutive expression vector pPIC9-PGAP-FIP-fve. These two vectors were used to transform P. pastoris by PEG method. The fip-fve was expressed after histamine-absence screening and yeast colony PCR. The inducible expression level reached 158.2 mg/L at the fourth day and the constitutive expression level was 46.3 mg/L and 29.5 mg/L using glucose and glycerol, respectively. The SDS-PAGE and Western blotting both proved the correctness of rFip-fve, and the hemagglutination test indicats the rFip-fve's bioactivity.

Relationships between prehypertension and renal function or intima-media thickness of the carotid artery / 中国综合临床

Objective To observe the changes of urine microalbumin (mAlb), renal function and intima-media thickness(IMT) of the carotid artery in prehypertensive patients and investigate whether there are related target organ damage. Methods From August 2009 to May 2010,one hundred and eighty patients were recruited into the study and divided into 3 groups according to the 2005 revised edition of guideline for prevention and treatment of hypertension in China: Sixty normotensive subjects ( NT group,41 males, 19 females,mean age [54. 6 ± 12. 3] years old) ;Sixty prehypertensive patients( PH group,32 males,28 females,mean age [57.0 ± 12.7] years old) and 60 hypertensive patients ( EH group, 28 males, 32 females, mean age [65.0 ±12. 1] years old). Urine mAlb, serum creatinine(Cr) and IMT of the carotid artery were measured and compared among the three groups. The relationships between prehypertension and urine mAlb,serum Cr, IMT of the carotid artery were analyzed. Results In the NT group, PH group and EH group, the urine mAlb concentrations were ( 15.3 ± 7.5 ) mg/L, ( 24. 6 ± 10. 7 ) mg/L and ( 37.3 ± 20. 4) mg/L respectively ;serum Cr were ( 68.0 ± 16. 5 )μmol/L, (81.9 ± 14.9)μmol/L and (95.8 ± 22.5)μmol/L respectively; IMT of the carotid artery were ( 1.46 ± 0. 67 ) mm, ( 1.79 ± 0. 74 ) mm and( 2. 34 ± 0. 78 ) mm respectively. Urine mAlb, serum Cr and IMT of the carotid artery were significantly higher in the PH group and EH group when compared to NT group ( P ＜0. 05 or 0. 01 ); and in the EH group these indices were also significantly higher than those in the PH group( P ＜0. 01 ). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that after adjusted age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure( BP), serum lipid and serum glucose, in the PH group,the standard partial regression coefficients of correlation between urine mAlb and systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure(DBP) and serum glucose were 0. 279,0. 259 and 0. 360 respectively ( P = 0. 012, 0. 043 and ＜ 0. 001 ); the standard partial regression coefficients of correlation between serum Cr and SBP, DBP and serum glucose were 0. 317,0. 257 and 0. 377 respectively ( P = 0. 006,0. 049 and ＜ 0. 001 ). The standard partial regression coefficients of correlation between IMT of the carotid artery and age, SBP, DBP, total cholesterol and serum glucose were 0. 381,0. 375,0. 263,0. 265 and 0. 372 respectively( P ＜ 0. 001, ＜ 0. 001, = 0. 033,0. 021 and ＜ 0. 001 ). In the EH group, the standard partial regression coefficients of correlation between urine mAlb and SBP, DBP and serum glucose were 0. 378,0. 258 and 0. 283 respectively( P ＜ 0. 001, = 0. 046, and 0. 009); the standard partial regression coefficients of correlation between serum Cr and SBP, DBP and serum glucose were 0. 294,0. 261 and 0. 464respectively (P =0. 008,0. 042 and ＜0. 001 ) ;the standard partial regression coefficients of correlation between IMT of the carotid artery and age, SBP, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and serum glucose were 0. 262,0. 264, -0. 374 and 0. 306 respectively ( P = 0. 035,0. 023, ＜ 0. 001 and 0. 007 ). We found that both urine mAlb and serum Cr were significantly associated with BP and serum glucose; IMT of the carotid artery was significantly associated with age, BP, serum lipid and serum glucose. Conclusion Urine mAlb, serum Cr andIMT of the carotid artery increased in prehypertensive patients, and these indices were significantly associatedwith the level of the BP. These data indicated there were related target organ damage occurred in prehypertensive patients,the BP level was the risk factor that increased urine mAlb,serum Cr and IMT of the carotid artery.

Identification of Schisandra sphenanthera and S. chinensis by random amplified polymorphic DNA sequence characterized applied region / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a new method for the identification of Schisandra sphenanthera and S. chinensis.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Random amplified polymorphic DNA-Sequence characterized applied region (RAPD-SCAR) method was applied to screen primers.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Screening from 100 primers, only 2 random primers, which can be used to identify S. sphenanthera and S. chinensis accurately with a good reproducibility. It worked to fit them into sequence characterized applied region.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>RAPD-SCAR can be used to identify S. sphenanthera and S. chinensis accurately.</p>

Progress in the study of drug-eluting intra-stent thrombosis / 介入放射学杂志

Durg-eluting stent has been regarded as the milestone in the history of PCI for their efficiency in the prevention of coronary arterial restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. But unfortunately intra-stent thrombosis continues to be a serious complication of contemporary DES use. The incidence of drug-eluting stents thrombosis is at least not lower than that of bare metal stents at present. The clinical consequences of stent thrombosis are frequently catastrophic, including death in 40% to 50% of the cases or major myocardial infarction in 60% to 70%. Premature discontinuation of standard antiplatelet therapy is by far the most important predictor of stent thrombosis with DES and other predictors included renal failure, diabetes, bifurcation lesions, multiple lesions or multivessel disease, long stents, female, advanced age, stent underexpansion and residual stenosis etc. The delayed endothelialization may be the underling mechanism of DES thrombosis.