Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome in Southern Anhui Province, China, 2011-2020.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging hemorrhagic fever, and the causative pathogen, the SFTS virus (SFTSV), was first discovered in China in 2010. In this study, a retrospective analysis of 86 patients that were diagnosed with SFTS from two 5-year periods (2011-2015 and 2016-2020) was performed to explore the changes in epidemiology, clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and prognosis between both periods. The results showed that there were significant differences in age, the proportion of farmers, geographical distribution, the incidence of multiple organ dysfunction, the decrease in thrombocyte count, and the elevations of serum AST and lipase levels between the two groups (P < 0.05). Additionally, the case-fatality rate in the 2016-2020 group (16.7%) was higher than that in the 2011-2015 group (6.25%), although the difference was not significant. Our study shows that SFTS is broadly distributed across Anhui Province and the mortality rate is high. May to July was the peak of the epidemic, and farmers constituted a high-risk group. In recent years, thrombocytopenia has become more serious, and multiple organ dysfunction is more common. Clinicians need to strengthen their knowledge of the changing epidemiological and clinical characteristics of this disease.

Autophagy inhibition by reversine and its suppressive effects on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

INTRODUCTION: Therapy for human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a great challenge for physicians and patients worldwide. The anti-tumor effects of reversine have attracted much more concerns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study evaluated the growth regulatory effects of reversine on HCC cells lines. Meanwhile, the underlying mechanism including autophagy modulation was also identified. RESULTS: reversine markedly inhibited the proliferation of both HCC cells and induced cell apoptosis and multinuclear in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the decreased ratio of LC3II/LC3I as well as elevated p62 expression were observed under reversine treatment, indicating the autophagy inhibition by reversine in HepG2 cell line. Moreover, modulation of autophagy with rapamycin and chloroquine significantly attenuated and enhanced the cytostatic effects of reversine, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: reversine could reduce the cell viability of HCC cells via inducing cell apoptosis and polyploidy. In addition, cell autophagy was involved and might play a protective role in HCC cells, the joint use of autophagy inhibitor enhanced reversine-mediating antitumor effects. Our data offered novel ideas for comprehensive therapeutic regimes on human hepatocellular carcinoma.