Tocilizumab Treatment in a Patient of Refractory Anti-EJ Positive ASyS: A Case Report.

Anti-synthetase syndrome (ASyS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the presence of autoantibodies to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases accompanied with various organ involvements, including the lung, joints, and skin. The ASyS-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) can be seen in the vast majority of patients. The extent of lung involvement has a significant impact on patient prognosis; the occurrence of rapid-progressive ILD could prominently increase mortality. The mainstay of treatment is prednisone in combination with conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs or some biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Tocilizumab (TCZ), a recombinant humanized anti-interleukin (IL)-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, has also been used to treat some systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases associated with ILD. Although the most recent American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Guideline for the Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease conditionally recommends against the use of TCZ as a treatment option for people with idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM)-ILD progression despite initial ILD treatment, the treatment effect of TCZ in ASyS patients remains obscure, particularly for refractory cases with anti-non-Jo1 antibodies. This report describes a case of Chinese ASyS patients with anti-EJ-positive antibodies who presented with typical proximal muscle weakness, elevated creatine kinase, and ILD with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) pattern, along with typical skin involvement such as mechanic's hand. The patients were resistant to various treatments, including rituximab (RTX), but benefited from TCZ. In this case, TCZ shows good therapeutic efficacy in a fatal acute exacerbation of ILD with a hyperinflammatory status, resulting in a relative remission of the disease flare and full preservation of lung function with a positive long-term treatment outcome.

Occurrence, distribution, potential sources, and risks of organophosphate esters in fresh snow on Urumqi Glacier No. 1, eastern Tien Shan, China.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs), extensively used as flame retardants, are widely detected in various regions and environments. The potential toxicity of OPEs has caused great concern in recent years. Based on the global distillation model, the Tien Shan glaciers, such as Urumqi Glacier No. 1, could be as a potential "sink" for OPEs. However, little is known about the concentration, distribution, potential sources, and ecological risks of OPEs in Tien Shan glaciers. In this study, fresh snow samples were collected at various altitudes on the Urumqi Glacier No. 1, eastern Tien Shan, China. The total concentrations of ten OPEs (Σ10OPEs) ranged from 116 to 152 ng/L. The most abundant OPE was tris-(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), contributing to 74 % of the total OPEs. Σ10OPEs, tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), and TCIPP concentrations showed positive correlations with altitude, indicating the effect of cold condensation on OPEs deposition. Based on air mass back-trajectory analysis and principal component analysis, we found that emissions from both traffic and household products in indoor environment were the important sources, and OPEs on the Urumqi Glacier No. 1 might mainly originate from Europe. Our assessment also showed triphenyl phosphate (TPhP) posed a low ecological risk in snow. This is the first systematic study of OPEs on the Tien Shan glaciers.

Study on long-term morphological stability of three-dimensional-printed photosensitive resin dental models / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective: To study the long-term morphological stability of three-dimensional (3D) printed photosensitive resin dental models under natural light and dark conditions. Methods: Eighty sets of resin dental models were made by the desktop 3D printer from one digital standard model set, and randomly divided into two groups, namely natural light group (40 sets) and dark group (40 sets). All resin models were stored in sealed bags, with 4 model sets from each group randomly collected after 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 40, 60, or 90 days of storage and 3D scanned using an optical model scanner. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) was calculated to represent the mean deviation of the difference between the digital standard model and the scanned resin model. Meanwhile, three linear indexes (the width between the canines, the width between the first molars, and the arch length) of the resin dental model were measured and compared with the corresponding values of the standard model. RMSE and the linear measurements between the digital standard model and the scanned resin models were compared between the natural light group and the dark group and among models from different time points. Results: Compared with the digital standard model, the RMSE values of 96.9% (155/160) resin dental models were less than 0.1 mm within 90-day storage. Also, at the same time point, there was no significant difference in the RMSE between the natural light group and the dark group (P>0.05). 75.0% (360/480) of the absolute values of the linear differences (differences in inter-canine width, intra-molar width, and arch length between the digital standard model and the scanned resin model) were within 0.2 mm, and about 0.1% (3/480) of the linear differences were greater than 0.5 mm, and all of the linear differences were within 0.6 mm. Conclusions: 3D-printed resin dental models can be stored stably under natural light and dark conditions for a long time.

Investigation on the Current Situation and Influencing Factors of Attitudes and Training Needs of Hospice Care among Nursing Staff in Hainan Province / 中国医学伦理学

【Objective:】 To investigate the current situation of attitudes and training needs of hospice care among nursing staff in Hainan Province, and analyze the influencing factors, so as to provide basis for formulating scientific and standardized hospice care training programs for nursing staff. 【Methods:】 From October to December in 2021, a total of 1 819 nursing staff from 45 general hospitals, specialized hospitals and nursing homes in 14 cities and counties of Hainan province were selected by convenience sampling method to conduct the questionnaire on hospice care attitude and training needs. 【Results:】 1 789 valid questionnaires were collected with effective recovery of 98.35%. Nursing staff hospice care attitude score was (88.13±12.10) points, the standard score was 70.4 points, hospice care attitude was at medium level. Nursing staff training needs score was (26.96±5.16) points, the standard score was 89.87, the needs of each dimension and item were higher than 75.1%, the training needs were at high level. Professional title, currently engaged in hospice care services, and willingness to engage in hospice care services were the influencing factors of hospice care training needs (P<0.05), and the hospital, have witnessed the death of dying patients or relatives, willingness to engage in hospice care services were the main influencing factors of nurses’ attitude toward hospice care (P<0.05). 【Conclusion:】 At present, nursing staff in Hainan Province held a moderate attitude towards hospice care, and had a high demand for training. The major obstacles for nursing staff to engage in hospice care at present were high stress in the face of dying patients and symptom management. Nursing managers should combine the current situation, pay attention to stimulate nurses’ intrinsic motivation, strengthen the training of nursing staff’s concept of hospice nursing, construct a diversified training system, and carry out specialized and modular skill practice and theoretical training to improve nursing staff’s hospice care ability.

Thymic lipofibroadenoma of the anterior mediastinum: A rare case report.

BACKGROUND: Lipofibroadenoma is an extremely rare thymic tumor, and the anterior mediastinum is the most common site. CASE SUMMARY: A 21-year-old male was admitted with fever without obvious cause for 2 months. After admission, the patient's highest temperature was 38.3°C, accompanied by diarrhea. Physical examination showed coarse breath sounds in both lungs. Chest enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed a mass of mixed density shadow on the left side of the anterior mediastinum with a size of approximately 9.2 cm × 5 cm × 2.1 cm and a clear boundary mixed with a low fat density shadow. Mediastinal tumors were removed under general anesthesia by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Macroscopically, a clear boundary was shown between the tumor and the remaining thymus. Microscopically, the tumor contained a large amount of mature adipose and fibrous tissue with scattered cord-like epithelial tissue and a small number of lymphocytes scattered in the stroma. The tumor lacked thymic bodies. The neoplastic epithelial cells were oval or polygonal and arranged in fissures, the nuclei were uniform in size and mild in shape, and mitosis was rare. Epithelial cells were positive for AE1/AE3 and CK19, lymphocytes were positive for CD3 and CD20, and fat and fibrous tissue were positive for S-100 and vimentin, respectively. The Ki67 labeling index was less than 5%. Based on histological features and immunophenotype, thymic lipofibroadenoma was diagnosed. The patient was followed up 1 year after the operation, and no recurrence or residual lesions were found on the X-ray re-examination. CONCLUSION: Lipofibroadenoma is a benign thymic tumor, and thymectomy is regarded as the best treatment. The biological behavior of thymic lipofibroadenoma is good, and the recurrence rate is low.

Case report: Cardiac metastatic leiomyoma in an Asian female.

Background: Uterine leiomyomas are the most common gynecological tumors in women of child-bearing age and premenopausal women, while benign metastasizing leiomyomas of the heart are rare. Case presentation: We report a rare case of metastasizing leiomyoma in the heart of a 54-year-old woman 10 years after a uterine leiomyoma was discovered during hysterectomy. Echocardiography, cardiac plain scan and enhanced MRI at presentation showed a soft tissue signal mass in the right ventricle. A large cardiac mass attached to the chordae of the tricuspid valve and later shown to be histopathologically consistent with uterine leiomyoma was successfully resected through a right atriotomy. Conclusions: Our case report highlights a rare type of tumor of the heart and suggests that metastasizing leiomyoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of right-sided cardiac tumors. The complete surgical resection of the tumor was considered to be the best treatment.

Standardized diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated connective tissue disease and mixed connective tissue disease / 中华内科杂志

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (CTD) usually refers to patients who are presented with certain symptoms and signs related to CTD, and positive serological evidence of autoimmune diseases but don′t fulfill any of the classification criteria for a certain CTD. Mixed CTD refers to patients who are presented with one or more clinical manifestations such as hand swelling, synovitis, myositis, Raynaud′s phenomenon, and acrosclerosis. Patients with mixed CTD always have high-titer anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) of speckled pattern and high-titer anti-U 1 ribonuclear protein (RNP) antibody in serum, while with negative anti-Sm antibody. The update of diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated CTD and mixed CTD lags behind other established CTD. There is a lack of evidence from randomized controlled trials or guidelines/recommendations on the treatment of undifferentiated CTD or mixed CTD. At present, the conventional therapy is mainly adopted according to the specific clinical manifestations of the disease. The standardized diagnosis and treatment of undifferentiated CTD and mixed CTD were drafted by the Chinese Rheumatology Association based on the previous guidelines and the progress of available evidence, so as to improve the management of these patients in China.

Comparison of clinical efficacy and quality of life between uncut Roux-en-Y and Billroth II with Braun anastomosis in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy and quality of life between uncut Roux-en-Y and Billroth II with Braun anastomosis in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Inclusion criteria: (1) 18 to 75 years old; (2) gastric cancer proved by preoperative gastroscopy, CT and pathological results and tumor was suitable for D2 radical distal gastrectomy; (3) postoperative pathological diagnosis stage was T1-4aN0-3M0 (according to the AJCC-7th TNM tumor stage), and the margin was negative; (4) Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) physical status score <2 points, and American Association of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade 1 to 3; (5) no mental illness; (6) able to answer questionnaires independently; (7) patients agreed to undergo laparoscopic distal gastrectomy and signed an informed consent. Exclusion criteria: (1) patients with severe chronic diseases and American Association of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade >3; (2) patients with other malignant tumors; (3) patients suffered from serious mental diseases; (4) patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy or immunotherapy. According to the above criteria, clinical data of 200 patients who underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy at the Department of General Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from January 2016 to December 2019 were collected. Of the 200 patients, 108 underwent uncut Roux-en-Y anastomosis and 92 underwent Billroth II with Braun anastomosis. The general data, intraoperative and postoperative conditions, complications, and endoscopic evaluation 1 year after the surgery were compared. Besides, the quality of life of two groups was also compared using the Chinese version of the European Organization For Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire-Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and quality of life questionnaire-stomach 22 (QLQ-STO22). Results: There were no significant differences in baseline data between the two groups (all P>0.05). All the 200 patients successfully underwent laparoscopic distal gastrectomy without intraoperative complications, conversion to open surgery or perioperative death. There were no significant differences between two groups in operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, time to flatus, time to removal of gastric tube, time to liquid diet, time to removal of drainage tube or length of postoperative hospital stay (all P>0.05). Endoscopic evaluation was conducted 1 year after surgery. Compared to Billroth II with Braun group, the uncut Roux-en-Y group had a significantly lower incidences of gastric stasis [19.8% (17/86) vs. 37.0% (27/73), χ(2)=11.199, P=0.024], gastritis [11.6% (10/86) vs. 34.2% (25/73), χ(2)=20.892, P<0.001] and bile reflux [1.2% (1/86) vs. 28.8% (21/73), χ(2)=25.237, P<0.001], and the differences were statistically significant. The EORTC questionnaire was performed 1 year after surgery, there were no significant differences in the scores of QLQ-C30 scale between the two groups (all P>0.05), while the scores of QLQ-STO22 showed that, compared to the Billroth II with Braun group, the uncut Roux-en-Y group had a lower pain score (median: 8.3 vs. 16.7, Z=-2.342, P=0.019) and reflux score (median: 0 vs 5.6, Z=-2.284, P=0.022), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05), indicating milder symptoms. Conclusion: The uncut Roux-en-Y anastomosis is safe and reliable in laparoscopic distal gastrectomy, which can reduce the incidences of gastric stasis, gastritis and bile reflux, and improve the quality of life of patients after surgery.

Effect of duodenal stump reinforcement on postoperative complications in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy / 中华胃肠外科杂志

Objective: To evaluate the influence of duodenal stump reinforcing on the short-term complications after laparoscopic radical gastrectomy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study with propensity score matching (PSM) was conducted. Clinical data of 1204 patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic radical gastrectomy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from April 2009 to December 2018 were collected. The digestive tract reconstruction methods included Billroth II anastomosis, Roux-en-Y anastomosis and un-cut-Roux- en-Y anastomosis. A linear stapler was used to transected the stomach and the duodenum. Among 1204 patients, 838 were males and 366 were females with mean age of (57.0±16.0) years. Duodenal stump was reinforced in 792 cases (reinforcement group) and unreinforced in 412 cases (non-reinforcement group). There were significant differences in resection range and anastomotic methods between the two groups (both P<0.001). The two groups were matched by propensity score according to the ratio of 1∶1, and the reinforcement group was further divided into purse string group and non-purse string group. The primary outcome was short-term postoperative complications (within one month after operation). Complications with Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III a were defined as severe complications, and the morbidity of complication between the reinforcement group and the non-reinforcement group, as well as between the purse string group and the non-purse string group was compared. Results: After PSM, 411 pairs were included in the reinforcement group and the non-reinforcement group, and there were no significant differences in baseline data between the two groups (all P>0.05). No perioperative death occurred in any patient.The short-term morbidity of postoperative complication was 7.4% (61/822), including 14 cases of anastomotic leakage (23.0%), 11 cases of abdominal hemorrhage (18.0%), 8 cases of duodenal stump leakage (13.1%), 2 cases of incision dehiscence (3.3%), 6 cases of incision infection (9.8%) and 20 cases of abdominal infection (32.8%). Short-term postoperative complications were found in 25 patients (6.1%) and 36 patients (8.8%) in the reinforcement group and the non-reinforcement group, respectively, without significant difference (χ2=2.142, P=0.143). Nineteen patients (2.3%) developed short-term severe complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥IIIa), while no significant difference in severe complications was found between the two groups (1.7% vs. 2.9%, χ2=1.347, P=0.246). Sub-group analysis showed that the morbidity of short-term postoperative complication of the purse string group was 2.6% (9/345), which was lower than 24.2% (16/66) of the non-purse string group (χ2=45.388, P<0.001). Conclusion: Conventional reinforcement of duodenal stump does not significantly reduce the incidence of duodenal stump leakage, so it is necessary to choose whether to reinforce the duodenal stump individually, and purse string suture should be the first choice when decided to reinforce.

Extragonadal teratomas in women and adolescent girls: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Extragonadal teratomas (EGTs) are rare and the commonest intra-abdominal subtype is omental. We present two cases: 1) a parasitic omental teratoma likely secondary to auto-amputation of an ovarian teratoma with subsequent omental reimplantation and 2) an omental immature teratoma likely due to parthenogenetic activation of displaced primordial germ cells. We subsequently conduct a systematic review to characterise EGTs. METHODS: We sourced for English, peer-reviewed case reports of extragonadal teratomas in women and female adolescents aged 11 and above published from inception of each database through 31st June 2020 following PRISMA guidelines. Two authors reviewed each case for appropriateness and each case was graded for methodological quality utilising a modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42020190131 RESULTS: Upon literature review between 1920-2020, from an initial screen of 818 articles, 67 articles were selected featuring 70 cases. One case featured an immature teratoma while the remaining were mature. Omental EGTs were the most common (56.5 %) followed by Pouch of Douglas and uterosacral ligament (23.2 %) and upper abdomen (14.5 %). There were statistically significant differences in EGT mean sizes between each location with the largest being in the upper abdomen (10.9 cm) and the smallest being in the adnexa or hernia (6.2 cm). Auto-amputation was deemed the commonest cause amongst omental EGTs (55.3 %) and Pouch of Douglas and uterosacral ligament EGTs (37.5 %) while 70 % of upper abdominal EGTs were likely due to displaced primordial germ cells. We characterise clinical features associated with each pathogenic mechanism and imaging characteristics of EGTs. Characterisation of EGT tumour marker profiles was limited as only 42.9 % of cases reported them but 19.2-25.0 % had raised tumour markers. The main risks are torsion, rupture, immature components and potential malignant change of the cell lines. Treatment is largely surgical. The mean size of EGTs approached laparoscopically and via laparotomy was 5.23 cm and 9.16 cm respectively. CONCLUSIONS: While rare, EGTs should be considered when evaluating pelviabdominal masses with imaging characteristics consistent with teratomas. Confirmation is usually intraoperative and a laparoscopic approach is reasonable if there is good surgeon comfort and the size is about 5 cm.

Development of a surgical competency assessment tool for sentinel lymph node dissection by minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Sentinel lymph node dissection is widely used in the staging of endometrial cancer. Variation in surgical techniques potentially impacts diagnostic accuracy and oncologic outcomes, and poses barriers to the comparison of outcomes across institutions or clinical trial sites. Standardization of surgical technique and surgical quality assessment tools are critical to the conduct of clinical trials. By identifying mandatory and prohibited steps of sentinel lymph node (SLN) dissection in endometrial cancer, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a competency assessment tool for use in surgical quality assurance. METHODS: A Delphi methodology was applied, included 35 expert gynecological oncology surgeons from 16 countries. Interviews identified key steps and tasks which were rated mandatory, optional, or prohibited using questionnaires. Using the surgical steps for which consensus was achieved, a competency assessment tool was developed and subjected to assessments of validity and reliability. RESULTS: Seventy percent consensus agreement standardized the specific mandatory, optional, and prohibited steps of SLN dissection for endometrial cancer and informed the development of a competency assessment tool. Consensus agreement identified 21 mandatory and three prohibited steps to complete a SLN dissection. The competency assessment tool was used to rate surgical quality in three preselected videos, demonstrating clear separation in the rating of the skill level displayed with mean skills summary scores differing significantly between the three videos (F score=89.4; P<0.001). Internal consistency of the items was high (Cronbach α=0.88). CONCLUSION: Specific mandatory and prohibited steps of SLN dissection in endometrial cancer have been identified and validated based on consensus among a large number of international experts. A competency assessment tool is now available and can be used for surgeon selection in clinical trials and for ongoing, prospective quality assurance in routine clinical care.

Progress in diagnosis and treatment of anti-MDA5 antibody-related dermatomyositis / 中华检验医学杂志

Dermatomyositis (DM) with positive anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibodies (MDA5+DM) is a kind of occasional and rare autoimmune disease. Due to the fact that MDA5+DM patients are prone to suffer from the rapid progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD), and the mortality rate is extremely high (all-cause mortality at 6 months is almost 50%). In addition to lung disease, patients with MDA5+DM also suffering from the skin and muscle symptoms. The biomarkers represented by the anti-MDA5 antibody titer, ferritin, KL-6 level and CD4 +/CXCR4 +T cell percentage are considered to relate with MDA5+DM-ILD′s severity, activity evaluation, therapeutic effect monitoring, and prognosis prediction. The current therapeutic strategies for the disease is mainly combined with immunosuppression. This work systemly summarizes the diagnosis and treatment progress of anti-mda5 antibody-related dermatomyositis, which not only contributes to the research work of related disciplines, but also provides reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Impacts of postoperative radiotherapy on long-term survival of patients with locally advanced biliary tract cancers——a propensity score-matched analysis based on the SEER database / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To explore the impacts of postoperative radiotherapy on long-term survival of the patients with resectable locally advanced (T 3-4and/or N +) biliary tract cancers (BTCs) and to analyze the prognostic factors. Methods:The patients with locally advanced gallbladder cancer ( n=1 922) and the patients with extrahepatic biliary duct cancer ( n=3 408) who received surgical resection during 2006-2016 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database. They were grouped according to different treatment schemes (only surgery and surgery + radiation). The propensity score matching (PSM) method was employed to adjust the differences in baseline prognostic characteristics between patients who received only surgery and those treated with surgery+ radiation. The role of the two treatment schemes on the survival of the patients was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the prognosis factors were assessed using the Cox regression. Results:The 1 174 patients with gallbladder cancers and the 2 144 patients with extrahepatic biliary duct cancer were respectively matched according to propensity scores. The postoperative radiotherapy showed a significant advantage in 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) compared to only surgery for both the patients with gallbladder cancer ( χ2=35.73, P< 0.001) and those with extrahepatic biliary duct cancer ( χ2=9.878, P=0.002). After adjusting related covariates, independent prognostic factors for all the patients included pathological grading, T status, N status, treatment pattern, and age. For the patients with extrahepatic biliary duct cancer, independent prognostic factors also included race and year of diagnosis. The benefits of postoperative radiotherapy were observed in various clinicopathologic characteristics except for the patients with T 1-2 gallbladder cancer and the extrahepatic biliary duct cancer patients with a pathological grade of Ⅰ-Ⅱ and N 0 status or with age ≥ 70. Conclusions:Long-term survival benefits can be gained through postoperative radiotherapy for the patients with resectable locally advanced (T 3-4 and/or N+ ) BTCs. However, adjuvant radiation should be cautiously adopted for the patients with T 1-2 gallbladder cancer and the extrahepatic biliary duct cancer patients with a pathological grade of I-Ⅱ and N 0 status or with age ≥70.

Infections in newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus patients with high disease activity: a retrospective cohort study / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To determine the characteristics of hospitalized newly diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with high disease activity, and identify the risk factors.Methods:Data from 194 newly diagnosed SLE patients at Shanghai Renji Hospital between May 2013 and December 2018 were collected retrospectively. All patients were followed up for 1 year or until death. Patients' demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics on admission and medication history were retrospectively collected as baseline data. Patients were divided into two groups, lupus patients with infection (51 cases) and lupus patients without infection (143 cases). The method of univariate analysis of data depended on the data distribution type. Variables that suggested association in the univariate analysis ( P<0.05) were entered into Cox regression model. Results:Among 194 patients with newly diagnosed SLE, 21 cases (11%) died and 51 cases (26%) were infected during 1-year follow-up. Regarding the infection site, 34 cases (67%) had lung infection, 9 cases (18%) had central nervous system infection and 9 cases (18%) had blood stream infection. Common bacteria were identified in 19 cases (45%), followed by fungal infection in 18 cases (43%) and mycobacterium infection in 7 cases (17%). Among the 51 patients with infection, 38 patients (75%) had infection within the first 3 months after diagnosis, and mortality in this group was significantly higher than that in the uninfected group (39%, 15/38 vs 2%, 3/143 , P<0.01). Comparing baseline parameters between patients with 3-month infection and without, significant differences ( P<0.05) were detected in age (≥40 years), systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) score (>10 points), Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinic (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology(ACR) systemic lupus erythematosus damage index (SDI) (≥1 point), pericardial effusion, nephritis, gastrointestinal vasculitis, diabetes, lymphocyte count <0.8×10 9/L platelet count <100×10 9/L, serum creatinine >104 mmol/L and serum globulin level <20 g/L. Finally, clinically meaningful candidate predictors were included in the Cox regression model and it showed that lymphocyte count <0.8×10 9/L, nephritis and gastrointestinal vasculitis were independently predictive for 3-month infection in new-onset lupus patients. Conclusion:Understanding disease spectrums and risk factors of infection in newly diagnosed SLE patients will help clinicians to manage those patients with infection effectively to achieve favorable prognosis.

Daily precipitation isotope variation in Midwestern United States: Implication for hydroclimate and moisture source.

Stable isotopes of oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δD) in precipitation can be used as dual conservative tracers in the hydrologic cycle and help to understand hydrological and atmospheric processes. Although long-term monthly precipitation global isotope datasets are available in some locations, currently there are limited daily precipitation isotope data, particularly in the Midwest region of the USA. In this study we report a daily precipitation δ18O and δD dataset from March 2014-December 2017 in Dayton, Ohio, the USA. The daily δ18O and δD vary from -28.0 to 0.4‰, and -214.0 to 9.0‰ respectively. The data exhibit strong seasonality with lower δ18O and δD values in the winter and higher values in the summer. The precipitation isotopic values are mainly controlled by temperature, and show no correlation with precipitation amount and relative humidity. However, δ18O-temperature relationship varies among different seasons. The correlation is the strongest in winter (R2 = 0.56), weaker in spring (R2 = 0.28) and fall (R2 = 0.24), and almost non-existent in summer (R2 = 0.1). The slope values also vary with highest value in winter (0.68‰/OC) and much smaller in other seasons. The HYSPLIT back trajectory analyses show that Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Arctic and Continental moistures are the main sources for southwestern Ohio with different seasonal contributions. The isotopic compositions of precipitation from different sources show small intra-season variations but large seasonal variability. Our daily-resolved dataset provides new insights into the main controls on the isotopic composition of precipitation and its seasonal variations, which could help to understand atmospheric processes and enable their proper use in interpretation of paleoclimate proxies, particularly those with seasonal bias.

Association between metformin therapeutic efficacy and SLC47A1 polymorphism in systemic lupus erythematosus / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the association between the efficacy and safety of metformin and the influence of variants in SLC47A1 rs2289669 G>A polymorphism in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods:A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Patients were consented at enrollment for blood donation for genotyping, and their peripheral blood were used to detect the distribution frequency of SLC47A1 mutations. The major or mild/moderate flares defined by modified safety lupus erythematosus national assessment (SELENA)-systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) Flare Index (SFI) and adverse events were recorded at 12 months of follow-up. The correlation between efficacy/safety and genotype was analyzed. Student's t test and χ2 test was used to assess the continuous variables and categorical variables. Results:Between May 24, 2016, and Dec 13, 2017, a total of 31 patients in the metformin group and 35 in the placebo group were detected. There were no statistical significant differences in the clinical manifestations, SELENA-SLEDAI scores, and therapy of the participants at baseline. There was no significant difference in the frequency of AA genotype, GA genotype, and GG genotype of SLC47A1 rs2289669 distribution between the metformin group and the placebo group. In the metformin group, patients who flared had a lower frequency of A alleles than those non-flared [25%(4/16) vs 61%(28/46), χ2=6.116, P=0.019 8]; the flare rate was significantly lower in patients with AA genotype than in GG genotype [0%(0/8) vs 57%(4/7), χ2=6.234, P=0.012 5]. The infection rate was lower in the metformin group than that in the placebo group [38%(12/31) vs 69%(24/35), χ2=5.913, P=0.015 0], but there was no significant difference among different genotypes in the metformin group. Compared to GG geno-type, AA genotype showed a trend of decrease in infection rate[38%(3/8) vs 72%(5/7), χ2=1.727, P=0.188 8]. Conclusion:Metformin has a favorable safety profile and may reduce the frequency of flares in SLE patients with low-grade lupus disease activity. The metformin therapeutic efficacy in SLE is relevant to the SLC47A1 gene polymorphism. Patients of the AA genotype may benefit most from metformin than those of the GG and GA genotypes.

A proteoglycan-induced spondyloarthritis mouse model and the therapeutic effect of CCN1 monoclonal antibody / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective To set up a mouse model of spondyloarthritis,analyzethe clinical phenotype,radiographic and pathological features,and investigate the therapeutic effect of cysteine-rich 61 (CCN1) monoclonal antibody in spondyloarthritis mouse model.Methods Proteoglycan from bovine nasal septum was used for immunization of 14-16 week old female BALB/c mice.CCN1 monoclonal antibody 093G9 or control immunoglobulin (Ig)G were injected to the spondyloarthritis mice.The arthritis scores were analyzed by t test.Peripheral and axial joints disease development was assessed by Micro-CT and histology.Results Proteoglycan immunized mice began to develop peripheral arthritis in the 8th week.The peripheral arthritis score reached the peak (10.5±1.5) in the 11th week,with the inflammation and spur formation of the ankle and knee joint.We found infiltration of inflammation cells in intervertebral discs of the lumbar vertebrae and the caudal vertebrae.Chondrocyte proliferation couldbe seen in the meniscus of knee and lumbar intervertebral discs.In the 18th week,the intervertebral discsof thoracic vertebrae and the cervical vertebrae were also damaged.Abundant chondrocytesgathered in the intervertebra] discs.The inflammation and new bone for-marion of peripheral and axial joints were more severe in control IgG group than 093G9 group.The peripheral arthritis score in the 093G9 group decreased significantly after 2 treatments,[(2.8±1.3) vs (4.2±2.1),t=2.516,P＜0.05].The difference in arthritis scores between the two groups was the most significant after 8.treatments,[(2.0±2.0)vs (5.3±2.0),t=4.082,P＜0.01].Conclusion The mouse model of spondyloarthritissimulates human spondyloarthritis,including inflammation and new bone formation in p()gheral and axial joints.CCN1 monoclonal antibody can improve the inflammation and new bone formation inspondyloarthritis mouse model.

Application of the 2016 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology/Pediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization classification criteria for macrophage activation syndrome complicating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis in adult-onset Still disease / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective In 2016,European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/Pediatric rheumatology international trials organization (PRINTO) released the classification criteria for macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) in patients with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA).Due to the similarities of both clinical manifestations and pathogenesis between adult-onset Still dsease (AOSD) and sJIA,we hope to evaluate the 2016 sJIA-AMS classification in AOSD patients.Methods A total of 169 AOSD patients who were hospitalized in Renji Hospital were enrolled in this study.AOSD patients were divided into AOSD with MAS and AOSD without MAS,using the 2016 sJIA-MAS criteria.The data of the two groups were analyzed by Chi-square test,Mann-Whitney U test and binary Logistic analysis,and factors influencing the prognosis of patients were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and COX regression analysis.Results According to sJIA-MAS criteria,56 AOSD patients with MAS were identified in all the 169 AOSD cases.In AOSD patients,the incidence of splenomegaly and pericarditis/myocarditis was significantly higher in patients with MAS than in AOSD without MAS [42.9％ vs 14.2％,OR(95％CI)=4.50(2.13,9.51),P＜0.01;10.7％ vs 0.9％,OR(95％CI)=13.21 (1.56,113.57),P＜0.01],also the incidence of liver dysfunction was higher in AOSD with MAS [67.8％ vs 11.5％,OR(95％CI)=0.18(7.26,36.33),P＜0.01].Among the AOSD with MAS,62.5％(35/56) of these patients received large-dose glucocorticoid therapy,5.4％ (3/56) received the glucocorticoid pulse therapy,48.2％(27/56) were treated with IVIG,and 26.8％(15/56) were treated with calcium phosphatase inhibitors.The mortality rates of AOSD with MAS was 8.9％(5/56),which was significantly higher than 1.8％(2/113) (OR =5.44,P＜0.05),the mortality rate of the AOSD without MAS.Patients who fulfilled the sJIA-MAS criteria suggested poor prognosis (OR=0.041,P=5.44),and the platelet count ≤ 181× 109/L (OR=12.17,P=0.002),alanine aminotransferase ＞48 U/L (OR=9.43,P=9.040) were also highly suggestive of poor prognosis.Conclusion The 2016 sJIA-MAS classification criteria are particularly valuable for early recognization of MAS in AOSD patients,and convenient to use.AOSD patients fulfilled sJIA-MAS criteria are more severe,and require larger doses of glucocorticoid and more immunosuppression therapy compared to patients without MAS,and the prognosis of these patients is also poor.