Comparison of initial clinic characteristics of hospitalized patients in Suzhou City during the COVID-19 Omicron wave with ancestral variant wave.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, Omicron (B.1.1.529), was identified as responsible for a novel wave of COVID-19 worldwide. Here, we compared initial clinical features of hospitalized COVID-19 patients during recent wave (Omicron Variant) with those in ancestral variant wave (2020). METHODS: This is a cohort study of electronic health record (EHR) data from a signal center in the China. The clinical data of 116 cases of Omicron hospitalized in 2022 and 87 cases hospitalized in 2020 were collected. The comparisons were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher exact test or the chi-square test, and multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Clinically, compared with 2020-cohort, Omicron-cohort was more inclined to cluster in younger population and had more nonsymptomatic (25.0%) and nonsevere cases, as well as suffered from comparable extrapulmonary complication. Radiologically, although the major computed tomography (CT) findings of both cohorts were ground-glass opacities (GGOs), crazy-paving pattern was relatively less seen in the Omicron-cohort. Based on multiple logistic regression analysis, Omicron-cohort was associated with a lower risk of complaining with fever, the presence of lung opacity, and increased Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. CONCLUSION: This study provided the data of different patterns of clinic characteristics and reduced severity from infections that occurred in Omicron variant as compared with the outbreak of the epidemic in 2020 wave (ancestral variant).

Paclitaxel-loaded trimethyl chitosan-based polymeric nanoparticle for the effective treatment of gastroenteric tumors.

Gastroenteric cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers and is responsible for most cancer-related deaths worldwide. Paclitaxel (PTX), a classical microtubule inhibitor, is indicated in the treatment of gastric/gastroenteric cancers. In the present study, trimethyl chitosan (TMC)-loaded PTX (TMC-PTX) was prepared and evaluated for its therapeutic effect in gastric cancers. A spherical shaped nanosized TMC-PTX particle was formed with high loading capacity (~30%) for PTX. The nanoparticles (NPs) showed a sustained release pattern (~70%) for up to 96 h of study period. The positively charged NPs were preferentially internalized by Caco-2 cells. TMC-PTX inhibited the gastric cell proliferation with an IC50 value of 0.6 µg in NCI-N87 cells while it was 1.26 µg in the SGC-7901 cell line after 24 h exposure. The apoptosis assay (Annexin V/PI) showed a large presence of cells in the early and late apoptosis chamber, while cell cycle analysis showed a marked G2/M phase arrest (50-60%) in NCI-N87 and SGC-7901 cell lines indicating its potent anti-proliferative effect. The in vivo antitumor study in NCI-N87 and SGC-7901 bearing xenograft model showed a superior chemotherapeutic efficacy for TMC-PTX NP. The NP group significantly reduced the tumor growth with no obvious sign of systemic side-effects (safety). Collectively, our results suggest that the microtubule inhibitory effect of PTX-loaded polymer NP could be a promising system for the treatment of gastroenteric cancers.

[Thyroid functional changes of normal human fetus and newborns].

OBJECTIVE: To study the changes of the thyroid hormones level of human fetus and newborns. METHODS: More than 71 cases of medically indicated cordocentesis have been done in 16 -36 gestational weeks in our hospital during last three years. Among them, 71 fetus who were free of diseases and their maternal thyroid function were normal were included into the study group. The blood samples were sent to analysis of thyroxine (T(4)), triiodothyroxine (T(3)), free thyroxine (FT(4)), free triiodothyroxine (FT(3)) and thyrotropin (TSH). 140 umbilical cord blood samples taken at the time of term delivery were sent to analysis of FT(4), FT(3) and TSH as a control. Normal range of different gestational weeks was calculated. Statistical analysis was done for the changes of all these thyroid hormones before 28 weeks and after. RESULTS: All the thyroid hormones can be detected in 16 weeks of pregnancy, FT(4) already reaches the top level of adults (5.8 +/- 2.6) pmol/L and will continually increase with the increase of gestational age. There was a parallel increment of all the fetal thyroid hormone concentrations with the gestational age. The concentrations of T(4), T(3) and FT(4) have a rapidly increase after 28 weeks and have a statistically significant difference from (2.8 +/- 1.8) nmol/L, (37.2 +/- 27.2) nmol/L and (10.6 +/- 3.1) pmol/L, respectively to (5.8 +/- 2.6) nmol/L, (55.9 +/- 33.3) nmol/L, (13.0 +/- 4.5) pmol/L, respectively. TSH level of fetus was increased gradually along the gestation, reaching the up level of the adults at the 20 weeks and peaking at the birth time. While the T(3) and FT(3) keep in a lower level in gestation. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal thyroid hormones increase with the gestational age. The diagnosis of congenital fetal thyroid hormone malfunction in the second half of the pregnancy should be monitored mainly by the T(4), FT(4) and TSH levels in different gestational age. For this consideration, to set up a reliable data for normal human fetus thyroid hormone concentrations is a very important and essential step to provide a practical guide for doctors to do intra-uterine diagnosis and treatment of associated high-risk groups. The peaking level of TSH at the birth time will surely company the changing of other thyroid hormones, so it might not be the best time to screening the congenital thyroid malfunction at the 72 hours after birth.