Safety and Efficacy of Oral Hydroxychloroquine in the Treatment of Ophthalmic Disease Associated with Sjögren's Syndrome.

Background: Dry eye disease is common among patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), known for its immunomodulatory effects and minimal adverse effects, has emerged as a pivotal treatment option for pSS. Nonetheless, conflicting evidence exists regarding the therapeutic efficacy of HCQ in managing dry eye disease associated with pSS. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral hydroxychloroquine in treating dry eye disease associated with pSS. Methods: A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted, enrolling pSS patients with moderate to severe dry eye disease. Participants were randomly assigned to an oral HCQ group and an observation group. Various scales (ESSDAI, ESSPRI, OSDI, and SPEED questionnaire score), dry eye-related tests (OSS score, TBUT, and Schirmer test I), ophthalmology-specific tests (BCVA, SD-OCT RT, field of view, latency and amplitudes for multifocal ERG ring 1 and ring 2), whole body protein levels (serum IgA, IgG, and IgM), and blood glucose were assessed before and after 12 months of treatment. Results: Pairwise comparison of the observed indicator baseline revealed no statistical significance (P > .05). After 12 months, the HCQ group exhibited notable improvements in ESSPRI, serum IgA, and Schirmer test I results compared to the control group (P < .05). Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in BCVA, OSDI, SPEED scores, and dry eye-associated examinations compared to baseline (P < .05). Serum IgG and IgM levels decreased in the HCQ group after 12 months of treatment, but without statistical significance (P > .05). None cases of HCQ retinopathy were reported during follow-up. Conclusions: Oral HCQ was demonstrated safety and efficacy in managing pSS-related dry eye disease. Treatment with Oral HCQ markedly reduced the ESSPRI score, improve patients' systemic dryness symptoms, and greatly decreased blood IgA levels. Combined with topical cyclosporin, HCQ improved Schirmer test I scores and alleviated ocular surface inflammation and dry eye signs and symptoms.

Comprehensive characterization of the genetic landscape of familial Hirschsprung's disease.

BACKGROUND: Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) is one of the most common congenital digestive tract malformations and can cause stubborn constipation or gastrointestinal obstruction after birth, causing great physical and mental pain to patients and their families. Studies have shown that more than 20 genes are involved in HSCR, and most cases of HSCR are sporadic. However, the overall rate of familial recurrence in 4331 cases of HSCR is about 7.6%. Furthermore, familial HSCR patients show incomplete dominance. We still do not know the penetrance and genetic characteristics of these known risk genes due to the rarity of HSCR families. METHODS: To find published references, we used the title/abstract terms "Hirschsprung" and "familial" in the PubMed database and the MeSH terms "Hirschsprung" and "familial" in Web of Science. Finally, we summarized 129 HSCR families over the last 40 years. RESULTS: The male-to-female ratio and the percentage of short segment-HSCR in familial HSCR are much lower than in sporadic HSCR. The primary gene factors in the syndromic families are ret proto-oncogene (RET) and endothelin B receptor gene (EDNRB). Most families show incomplete dominance and are relevant to RET, and the RET mutation has 56% penetrance in familial HSCR. When one of the parents is a RET mutation carrier in an HSCR family, the offspring's recurrence risk is 28%, and the incidence of the offspring does not depend on whether the parent suffers from HSCR. CONCLUSION: Our findings will help HSCR patients obtain better genetic counseling, calculate the risk of recurrence, and provide new insights for future pedigree studies.

Application and Effectiveness of Chinese Medicine in Regulating Immune Checkpoint Pathways / 中国结合医学杂志

Immunotherapy targeting immune checkpoint molecules has emerged as a key approach in cancer treatment, representing the forefront of antitumor research. However, studies on immune checkpoint molecules have mainly focused on targeted therapies. Chinese medicine (CM) research as a complementary medicine has revealed that immune checkpoint molecules also undergo disease-specific changes in the context of autoimmune diseases. This review article presents a comprehensive analysis of CM studies on immune checkpoint molecules in the last 5 years, with a focus on their role in different diseases and treatment modalities. CM research predominantly utilizes oral administration of herbal plant extracts or acupuncture techniques, which stimulate the immune system by activating specific acupoints through temperature and needling. In this study, we analyzed the modulation and mechanisms of immune checkpoint molecules associated with different coinhibitory and costimulatory molecules, and reviewed the immune functions of related molecules and CM studies in treating autoimmune diseases and tumors. By summarizing the characteristics and research value of CM in regulating immune checkpoint molecules, this review aims to provide a useful reference for future studies in this field.

Effects of herbal cake separated moxibustion on Tim-4 and ubiquitination of PD-1 in rabbits with immunosuppression / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effects of herbal cake separated moxibustion on macrophage effector molecule T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing-4 (Tim-4) and ubiquitination of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) in rabbits with immunosuppression, and to explore the possible mechanism on herbal cake separated moxibustion in improving immunosuppression.@*METHODS@#Thirty-two big-ear white rabbits were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a moxa stick moxibustion group and a herbal cake separated moxibustion group, 8 rabbits in each group. Except the normal group, the immunosuppression model was established by intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide of60 mg/kg in the other 3 groups. "Shenque" (CV 8), "Shenshu" (BL 23), "Zusanli" (ST 36), etc. were selected in both the moxa stick moxibustion group and the herbal cake separated moxibustion group. Moxa stick moxibustion was applied in the moxa stick moxibustion group, one cone at each acupoint; herbal cake separated moxibustion was applied in the herbal cake separated moxibustion group, 5 cones at each acupoint. The intervention was given once every other day for 10 times in both groups. Leukocyte content in peripheral blood was detected by blood cell analyzer; the positive expression of PD-1 in CD+4 T lymphocytes, CD+8T lymphocytes and CD+68 macrophages in peripheral blood was measured by flow cytometry, the serum levels of interleukin 2 (IL-2), CD8, CD68 and Tim-4 were detected by ELISA, and the expression of Tim-4 and F-box only protein 38 (FBXO38) in the liver and spleen tissues was measured by immunohistochemistry.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the normal group, in the model group, white blood cell count (WBC) and percentage of neutrophils (NEU%) were decreased while percentage of lymphocyte (LYM%) was increased (P<0.01) in peripheral blood; the positive expression rates of PD-1 in CD+4 T lymphocytes, CD+8T lymphocytes and CD+68 macrophages in peripheral blood were increased (P<0.01); the serum levels of IL-2, CD68 and Tim-4 were increased (P<0.01), the serum level of CD8 was decreased (P<0.01); the average optical density (AOD) of Tim-4 in the liver tissue and FBXO38 in the liver and spleen tissues was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, in the moxa stick moxibustion group and the herbal cake separated moxibustion group, WBC and NEU% were increased (P<0.01); the positive expression rates of PD-1 in CD+4 T lymphocytes, CD+8T lymphocytes and CD+68 macrophages in peripheral blood were decreased (P<0.01); the serum levels of IL-2, CD68 and Tim-4 were decreased (P<0.01), the serum levels of CD8 were increased (P<0.01); the AOD of Tim-4 and FBXO38 in the liver tissue and FBXO38 in the spleen tissue was decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared with the moxa stick moxibustion group, in the herbal cake separated moxibustion group, the positive expression rate of PD-1 in CD+68 macrophages in peripheral blood was increased (P<0.05); serum level of Tim-4 was increased (P<0.01); AOD of Tim-4 in the liver tissue was decreased (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Herbal cake separated moxibustion can improve immunosuppression by regulating the expression of macrophage effector molecule Tim-4 and the FBXO38 mediated ubiquitination of PD-1, Tim-4 may be one of the specific indexes of immunomodulation involving with herbal cake separated moxibustion.

A diagnostic prediction nomogram for small gastric stromal tumors based on features under endoscopic ultrasonography / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To establish a nomogram based on features under endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for predicting the diagnosis of small gastric stromal tumors.Methods:The clinicopathological data of 189 patients with gastric submucosal tumors (diameter less than 2 cm) who underwent endoscopic resection at the Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji University from June 2015 to August 2021 were retrospectively collected. All patients were divided into the modeling group ( n=126) and the validation group ( n=63) at 2∶1 by random function of software R. Independent influencing factors for the diagnosis of small gastric stromal tumors under EUS screened by univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to establish the diagnostic prediction nomogram. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the discrimination of the model both in the modeling group and the validation group. Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curve were used to evaluate the calibration of the model in both groups. Results:The age of patients >60 years ( OR=2.815, 95% CI:1.148-6.900, P=0.024), the lesions located in cardia/fundus ( OR=5.210, 95% CI:1.225-22.165, P=0.025), originated in muscularis propria ( OR=6.404, 95% CI:2.262-18.135, P<0.001) and of external growth ( OR=6.024, 95% CI:1.252-28.971, P=0.025) were independent influencing factors for the diagnosis of small gastric stromal tumors under EUS. The diagnostic prediction nomogram was established based on the four factors above. The areas under ROC curve of the modeling group and validation group were 0.834 (95% CI:0.765-0.903) and 0.780 (95% CI:0.667-0.893). Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicated that this model fit the data well ( χ2=10.23, P=0.176 in the modeling group; χ2=2.62, P=0.918 in the validation group). Calibration charts of the model drawn by Bootstrap method showed that the calibration curves fit well with the standard curves in both groups. Conclusion:The nomogram based on features under EUS for predicting the diagnosis of small gastric stromal tumors provides a visual reference for endoscopists to diagnose small gastric stromal tumors under EUS with good discrimination and calibration.

Clinical efficacy evaluation of accelerated epithelium-off corneal collagen cross-linking on corneal ectasia after keratorefractive surgery / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of accelerated epithelium-off corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in the treatment of corneal ectasia after keratorefractive surgery.Methods:An observational case series study was performed.Twelve patients (22 eyes) diagnosed with corneal ectasia after keratorefractive surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University were enrolled from January 2016 to December 2018.All the patients received accelerated epithelium-off CXL and were followed up for 12 months.Before and 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the operation, the uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) unit were measured.The sphericity, cylindricity, and spherical equivalent were examined by Topcon auto refractor.The maximum keratometry (Kmax) of the front surface, mean keratometry (Km) of the front surface, Km of the back surface, symmetry index of front surface (SIf), symmetry index of back surface (SIb), thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), total aberrations, total high-order aberrations, coma aberration, trefoil aberration and spherical aberration were detected by the Sirius analyzer.The depth of corneal demarcation lines was determined by optical coherence tomography.The intraocular pressure was measured by the non-contact tonometry.The corneal endothelial cell density was assayed by the endothelial cell densitometry.The inflammatory reaction and haze were observed with a slit lamp at different time points after surgery.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (No.KY2020063). Written informed consent was obtained from each patient before entering the cohort.Results:Among the 22 eyes of 12 cases, 3 eyes of 2 cases (13.64%) underwent small incision lenticule extraction, and 19 eyes of 10 cases (86.36%) underwent excimer laser in situ keratomileusis.The UCVA (LogMAR), BCVA (LogMAR), cylindricity and spherical equivalent before the operation were 0.61±0.42, 0.24±0.23, (-2.83±2.39)D, (-3.60±2.66)D, which were significantly worse than 0.45±0.31, 0.12±0.15, (-2.11±1.67)D, (-3.12±2.31)D at 12 months after the operation ( t=4.054, 4.956, -3.728, -2.742; all at P<0.05). The front surface Kmax, front surface Km and SIf at 12 months after the operation were (48.37±5.80), (41.49±3.04), (5.36±4.07)D, which were significantly lower than (49.61±5.97), (41.66±2.97), (5.85±4.18)D before the operation ( t=5.949, 2.278, 2.719; all at P<0.05). There was no significant difference in sphericity, Km of the back surface, SIb, TCT, total aberrations, total high-order aberrations, coma aberration, trefoil aberration, spherical aberration, intraocular pressure and endothelial cell density between before and 12 months after the operation (all at P>0.05). Grade 0.5-2 haze occurred in 8 eyes of 4 patients one month postoperatively.After administration of prednisolone acetate eye drops, haze decreased or disappeared 3 months postoperatively, with UCVA and BCVA unchanged.A corneal demarcation line with a depth of (285.40±51.61)μm was found in 11 eyes of 6 cases at 1 month after operation. Conclusions:Accelerated epithelium-off CXL can significantly improve visual acuity, reduce corneal astigmatism and corneal curvature, as well as effectively prevent the progress of corneal ectasia.

Correlation of telomere length of bone marrow mononuclear cells with relapse after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To investigate the relationship between telomere length of bone marrow mononuclear cells and prognosis of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).Methods:Telomere length of bone marrow mononuclear cells before transplantation, after transplantation and before donor mobilization as well as information related to follow-up of 33 AML patients who received allo-HSCT in the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University between June 2020 and June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Telomere length was detected by using telomeric terminal restriction fragment (TRF) method. Telomere length was compared among patients with different prognoses. The recurrence within 1 year was treated as the gold standard and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the effect of telomere length before transplantation or before donor mobilization in the judgement of the recurrence within 1 year after transplantation. The patients were stratified according to the optimal threshold value of telomere length for patients or donors, and Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with different stratification, and log-rank test was performed.Results:The median age of 33 patients was 34 years (14-61 years), and there were 17 males and 16 females; 31 patients were initially diagnosed with AML, 1 patient transferred from myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) to AML, and 1 patient transferred from chronic granulocytic leukemia (CML) to AML; 14 received identical sibling transplantation and 19 received haploidentical sibling transplantation. The median age of the donors was 30 years (20-65 years), including 24 males and 9 females. Telomere length of bone marrow mononuclear cells before mobilization in 33 donors was longer than that in patients before transplantation (33 cases) and at +30 d after transplantation (31 cases) [(6.67±0.31) kb, (6.40±0.33) kb, (6.48±0.33) kb, respectively; all P < 0.05], and the difference between patients before and at +30 d after transplantation was not statistically significant ( t = 0.89, P = 0.378), and the telomere length of bone marrow mononuclear cells in 11 patients +180 d after transplantation was (6.66±0.18) kb. The incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after transplantation was 45.5% (15/33), the incidence of infection with clear imaging and pathogenic basis was 39.4% (13/33), the mortality rate within 1 year after transplantation was 3.0% (1/33), and the recurrence rate within 1 year after transplantation was 15.2% (5/33). There were no statistically significant differences in telomere length of donor pre-mobilization bone marrow mononuclear cells between the groups with and without aGVHD and between the infected and non-infected groups (all P > 0.05).Compared with patients who had not relapsed within 1 year after transplantation, telomere length of donor pre-mobilization bone marrow mononuclear cells was shorter in patients who relapsed within 1 year after transplantation [(6.39±0.19) kb vs. (6.72±0.30) kb, t = -3.23, P = 0.011], telomere length was longer in patients before transplantation [(6.75±0.16) kb vs. (6.35±0.36) kb, t = 4.17, P = 0.001]. ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal threshold values for telomere length of pre-transplantation and donor pre-mobilization bone marrow mononuclear cells were 6.48 and 6.42 kb, respectively for patients who relapsed within 1 year after transplantation. PFS in patients with pre-transplantation bone marrow mononuclear cells telomere length < 6.48 kb was better than that in patients with telomere length ≥ 6.48 kb ( P = 0.003); PFS in patients with pre-mobilization bone marrow mononuclear cells telomere length>6.42 kb was better than that in patients with telomere length ≤ 6.42 kb ( P < 0.001). Conclusions:In allo-HSCT for AML, patients have an increased risk of relapse within 1 year after transplantation when their pre-transplantation bone marrow mononuclear cells telomere length is long and the donor bone marrow mononuclear cells telomere length is short.

Research on ontology construction of acupuncture effect based on ISO/TS 16843-6: 2022 / 中国针灸

In order to specify the information expression of acupuncture effect and realize the knowledge reuse and sharing, in view of animal experiments and clinical trials, the relevant knowledge of acupuncture effect is allocated. Using seven-step method and Protégé5.5.0 tool, the ontology of acupuncture effect is constructed on the base of ISO/TS 16843-6: 2022. A total of 199 classes are constructed, including 7 categories (acupuncture point, acupuncture therapy, needling method, biological process, genes and gene products, disorder, and anatomic structure), 12 object properties, 1 108 instances and 5 123 axioms. A semantic network with the characteristics of acupuncture and moxibustion is established and the structured expression for the knowledge of acupuncture effects is obtained, which lays the foundation for the innovation and development in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion.

Worse Sleep Quality Aggravates the Motor and Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson's Disease.

Backgrounds: Sleep disorders are the most common and disabling symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Understanding the associations between sleep characteristics and motor and non-motor symptoms (NMSs) in PD can provide evidence to guide therapeutic interventions and nursing strategies. We aimed to investigate the association between sleep characteristics and motor function and NMSs in PD using multiple approaches. Methods: A total of 328 participants were included, and all participants underwent Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) evaluation and clinical assessments of PD symptoms. We conducted Spearman's correlation to evaluate the associations between sleep and PD symptoms, nonlinear regression to assess the relationships between sleep habits and PD, and mediated analyses to test the effects of NMSs on global PSQI and PD severity, quality of life, and motor symptoms. Results: Poor sleep was associated with more severe PD symptoms. In addition, the reflection point for bedtime was around 21:52, associated with motor symptoms, and insufficient and excessive total time spent in bed and nocturnal sleep duration were correlated with higher NMS burdens. The optimal points were 8-9.2 and 6.2-6.9 h, respectively. It was also discovered that NMSs played the mediating roles in global sleep with the quality of life, PD stages, and motor symptoms to a varying range of 6.8-95.4%. Conclusions: Sleep disorders have a significant effect on the burden of PD symptoms. The current findings provide new insights into the monitoring and management of sleep and PD and need to be further explored in the future studies.

"Massive hemoptysis" and shock after fever and cough / 中国当代儿科杂志

A boy, aged 11 years, was admitted due to intermittent fever for 15 days, cough for 10 days, and "hemoptysis" for 7 days. The boy had fever and cough with left neck pain 15 days ago, and antibiotic treatment was effective. During the course of disease, the boy developed massive "hemoptysis" which caused shock. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed a left pyriform sinus fistula with continuous bleeding. In combination with neck and vascular imaging examination results, the boy was diagnosed with internal jugular vein injury and thrombosis due to congenital pyriform sinus fistula infection and neck abscess. The boy was improved after treatment with temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablation for the closure of pyriform sinus fistula, and no recurrence was observed during the follow-up for one year and six months. No reports of massive hemorrhage and shock due to pyriform sinus fistula infection were found in the searched literature, and this article summarizes the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of this boy, so as to provide a reference for the early diagnosis of such disease and the prevention and treatment of its complications.

Automatic labeling and extraction of terms in natural language processing in acupuncture clinical literature / 中国针灸

The paper analyzes the specificity of term recognition in acupuncture clinical literature and compares the advantages and disadvantages of three named entity recognition (NER) methods adopted in the field of traditional Chinese medicine. It is believed that the bi-directional long short-term memory networks-conditional random fields (Bi LSTM-CRF) may communicate the context information and complete NER by using less feature rules. This model is suitable for term recognition in acupuncture clinical literature. Based on this model, it is proposed that the process of term recognition in acupuncture clinical literature should include 4 aspects, i.e. literature pretreatment, sequence labeling, model training and effect evaluation, which provides an approach to the terminological structurization in acupuncture clinical literature.

The correlation between lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 and central overweight status.

OBJECTIVE: Being overweight is associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) can independently predict the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study is aimed to investigate whether Lp-PLA2 was associated with an overweight status. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that enrolled 3760 Chinese adults (age, 18-50 years) who underwent medical examination department of Xiamen Chang-Gung Hospital (XCGH) from 2018 to 2020. To explore the distribution of overweight classifications in the Chinese population, we evaluated the correlation of the overweight status with Lp-PLA2, after correcting for possible influencing factors. RESULTS: The Lp-PLA2 level was greater in male than in female subjects (p < 0.001). Subjects with a central overweight status had a greater Lp-PLA2 level than those with normal weight and a peripheral overweight status, in both male and female cohorts. The Lp-PLA2 level was significantly greater in those with additional comorbidities (namely diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), overweight, and metabolic syndrome (MetS)). The age-adjusted and LDL-adjusted Lp-PLA2 level also was significantly higher in the DM (+) and HTN (-) subgroups than in the DM (-), HTN (-), DM (-), and HTN (+) subgroups. CONCLUSION: Lp-PLA2 is associated with sex, central overweight status, diabetes, hypertension, and MetS in adults aged < 50 years and the age-adjusted and LDL-adjusted Lp-PLA2 was significantly higher in the DM (+) and HTN (-) subgroups than in the DM (-) and HTN (-) and DM (-) and HTN (+) subgroups.

Diaphyseal and Metaphyseal Modeling Defects-Clinical Findings and Identification of WRAP53 Deficiency in Craniometadiaphyseal Dysplasia.

Background: Diaphyseal and metaphyseal modeling defects lead to severe changes in bone mass and shape, which are common features in osteoporosis that linked to non-vertebral fractures. Original mechanism of diaphyseal and metaphyseal modeling defects has proved elusive. Studying rare syndromes can elucidate mechanisms of common disorders and identify potential therapeutic targets. Methods: We evaluated a family pedigree with craniometadiaphyseal dysplasia (CRMDD, OMIM 269300), a genetic disorder that is characterized by cortical-bone thinning, limb deformity, and absent of normal metaphyseal flaring and diaphyseal constriction. Systemic radiographic examination and serum hormone test were made for this rare disease. One patient and her two normal parents were examined by means of whole-exome sequencing (WES) to identify the candidate pathogenic gene and rule out mucopolysaccharidosis and Prader-Willi Syndrome by means of Sanger sequencing. Results: There are several conspicuous radiographic characteristics: (1) bullet-shaped phalanges, (2) long and narrow pelvic inlet, absent of supra-acetabular constriction, (3) round rod-shaped long tubular bones, (4) prominent aiploic mastoid, (5) bending-shaped limb, genua varus and genu varum, and (6) congenital dislocation of elbow. Here, we did not find any wormian bones, and there are several typical clinical characteristics: (1) macrocephaly and wide jaw, (2) Avatar elf-shaped ears, pointed and protruding ears, (3) hypertrophy of limbs, (4) flat feet and giant hand phenomenon, (5) nail dystrophy, (6) limb deformity, (7) high-arched palate, (8) superficial hemangiomas, (9) tall stature, and intellectual disability. In this patient, we found biallelic frameshift deletion mutations in WRAP53, and those two mutations were transmitted from her parents respectively. Conclusions: We describe her clinical and radiological findings and presented a new subtype without wormian bones and with a tall stature. Our study showed that craniometadiaphyseal dysplasia was caused by a deficiency of WRAP53 with autosomal recessive inheritance.

Phalangeal Intra-Articular Osteochondroma Caused a Rare Clinodactyly Deformity in Children: Case Series and Literature Review.

Background: Various factors are discovered in the development of clinodactyly. The purpose of this retrospective study was to present a group of children with a rare clinodactyly deformity caused by phalangeal intra-articular osteochondroma and evaluate the efficacy of various treatment methods. Methods: All child patients that were treated for finger problems in our center between Jan 2017 and Dec 2020 were reviewed. A detailed analysis was made of the diagnosis and treatment methods in eight rare cases. X-rays and histopathology were applied. Results: A preliminary analysis of 405 patients in total was performed, and we included eight cases in our final analysis. This cohort consisted of 2 girls and 6 boys, with a mean age of 5.74 ± 3.22 years (range: 2y5m to 11y). Overall, four patients had their right hand affected and four patients had their left hand affected. One patient was diagnosed as having hereditary multiple osteochondroma (HMO) while the other seven patients were all grouped into solitary osteochondroma. Osteochondroma was proven in all of them by histopathology examination. Preoperative X-rays were used to allow identification and surgery planning in all cases. All osteochondromas were intra-articular and in the distal end of the phalanges, which is located opposite the epiphyseal growth area. All of the osteochondromas developed in half side of the phalanges. The angulation in the finger long axis was measured, and resulted in a mean angulation of 34.63 ± 24.93 degree (range: 10.16-88.91 degree). All of them received surgery, resulting in good appearance and fingers straightening. No recurrence was recorded. Conclusions: This retrospective analysis indicates that 10 degrees can be selected as the angulation level for diagnosis of clinodactyly deformities. What's more important, the abnormal mass proven by X-rays should be included as the classical direct sign for diagnosis. The first choice of treatment is surgery in symptomatic osteochondromas.

Beneficial effect of Arbidol in the management of COVID-19 infection.

This study analyzed the effect of Arbidol, a broad-spectrum antiviral compound, on the outcomes of COVID-19 patients. Records of 252 COVID-19 patients were retrospectively analyzed from February 13 to February 29, 2020 in 4 inpatient wards in the Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. The rate of clinical improvement was significantly greater among patients treated with Arbidol than among those who did not receive Arbidol (86.8% vs. 54.2%). In moderately and severely ill patients, the clinical improvement rates in the Arbidol group were 95.6% and 81.7%, respectively, which was significantly higher than in the no-Arbidol group (66.6% and 53.8%). Among critically ill patients, however, there was no significant difference. The levels of hypersensitive C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, D-dimer, IL-6, and IL-10 were increased in non-improved patients but declined during treatment in the improved patients. This suggests these mediators are associated with the disease severity and could potentially serve as prognostic markers. Moreover, our data demonstrate that Arbidol is effective in the treatment of COVID-19 patients and may serve as a cost-effective antiviral treatment strategy for patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Long-Term Efficacy of T3 Versus T3+T4 Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy for Concurrent Palmar and Plantar Hyperhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: More than 50% of patients with palmar hyperhidrosis (PAH) also have plantar hyperhidrosis (PLH). We compared the long-term results of T3 sympathectomy with those of combined T3+T4 sympathectomy among patients with concurrent PAH and PLH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the records of patients with concurrent PAH and PLH who underwent T3 alone or T3+T4 sympathectomy from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2017. Preoperative and postoperative sweating (hyperhidrosis index) was evaluated through questionnaires, physical examination, and outpatient follow-up. The relief rates and hyperhidrosis index were used as outcome measures to compare the efficacy of the two approaches. Patients' satisfaction and side effects were also evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 220 eligible patients, 60 underwent T3 sympathectomy (T3 group), and 160 underwent T3+T4 sympathectomy (T3+T4 group). Compared with the T3 group, the T3+T4 group showed higher symptom relief rates both for PAH (98.75% versus 93.33%, P = 0.048) and PLH (65.63% versus 46.67%, P = 0.01), and a greater postoperative decrease in both hyperhidrosis indices. The rate of severe compensatory hyperhidrosis also increased (10% versus 5%, P = 0.197), although the rates of overall satisfaction were comparable between the groups. The incidence of postoperative pneumothorax requiring chest tube placement and postoperative neuralgia was also similar. There were no cases of perioperative death, secondary operation, wound infection, or Horner syndrome in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with T3 alone, T3+T4 sympathectomy achieved a higher symptom relief rate and a lower hyperhidrosis index. T3+T4 sympathectomy may be a choice for the treatment of concurrent PAH and PLH; however, patients need to be informed that this kind of surgery may increase the risk of compensatory sweating.

Experimental observation of effects of acupoints, cone numbers and durations of moxibustion with different moxibustion methods on skin surface and inside temperature / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

Objective: To observe the effects of acupoints, cone numbers and durations of moxibustion with different moxibustion methods on skin surface and inside temperature, and to provide references for the clinical standardization of moxibustion amount. Methods: The 42 big-ear white rabbits were divided into 6 groups according to the random number table method, a 1-cone direct moxibustion group, a 2-cone direct moxibustion group, a 3-cone direct moxibustion group, a 1-cone herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group, a 2-cone herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group, and a 3-cone herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group, with 7 rabbits in each group. Shenque (CV 8), Shenshu (BL 23) and Zusanli (ST 36) were used in each group, but the moxibustion methods, cone numbers and durations of moxibustion were different. Rabbits in each group received moxibustion once every other day for 5 times in total. During the intervention, a thermoelectricity coupled probe and a temperature recorder were used to record the real-time acupoint skin temperature and the temperature at different time points, so as to observe, analyze and process the real-time changes in the temperature difference between the surface and inside of acupoint skin. Results: For herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion, the best temperature for cone changing was (46.38±0.51) ℃ when the highest surface temperature was (49.20±0.52) ℃; the multi-factor comparison of acupoint × cone number × time and acupoint × moxibustion method × time showed that time × acupoint, time × moxibustion method and cone number × acupoint had interactive effects (all P<0.05). Comparing skin temperature differences between different cone numbers at the same acupoint, Shenque (CV 8) on the 1st and the 5th days, Shenshu (BL 23) on the 3rd and the 7th days, Zusanli (ST 36) on the 1st and the 9th days of experiment showed statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). The skin temperature comparison of different moxibustion methods at the same acupoint all had statistical differences (all P<0.05), except for Shenque (CV 8) before moxibustion, Shenshu (BL 23) before moxibustion and on the 5th day; Zusanli (ST 36) only showed statistical differences on the 5th and 7th days (both P<0.05). The skin temperature differences of different acupoints after moxibustion in the 1-cone, 2-cone and 3-cone groups were statistically different (all P<0.05); direct moxibustion and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion at different acupoints were all statistically different (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Cone changing temperature under the same specifications of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion was confirmed. Temperature difference between surface and inside of different acupoint skin at the same maximum temperature was significantly different due to the cone numbers and moxibustion methods, which showed the highest at Shenshu (BL 23), the second at Shenque (CV 8), and the lowest at Zusanli (ST 36). The influence of acupoint factor should be considered to determine the quantitative indicators of moxibustion.

Clinical analysis of 86 juvenile cases of periorbital cellulitis / 中华全科医师杂志

The clinical data of 86 juvenile cases of periorbital cellulitis treated in the Lianyungang Hospital from March 2010 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, including 72 cases of pre-orbital septal infection (44 males, aged 0.5-11.0 years) and 14 cases of post-orbital septal infection (9 males, aged 2.0-17.0 years). The age of pre-orbital septal infection [(6.14±2.18)years] was higher than that of pre-orbital [(3.71±2.83) years, P<0.05]. Sinusitis was the main cause of periorbital cellulitis in juvenile, accounting for 62.8%. All patients showed local symptoms such as eyelid redness, swelling and tenderness; 9 patients with post-orbital cellulitis were accompanied by limited eye movement and exophthalmos. CT scan was performed in all 86 patients and showed that the normal interface of anterior orbital septal space was disappeared and the density of orbital soft tissue was increased; the ocular compression and displacement were observed in 12 patients with post-orbital septal cellulitis. MRI was performed in 7 patients with post-orbital infection and showed that the orbital fat space was blurred, and the long T1 and T2 signals of orbital circumference were observed. Laboratory tests showed the increase of leukocyte count (WBC) and C-reactive protein (CRP); compared to pre-orbital septal infection there was a tendency of higher WBC and CRP in post-orbital infection patients, but the difference was not significant ( P>0.05). Blood culture was carried out in 69 patients. 5 pathogenic bacteria in post-orbital septal infection patients were isolated, including S. aureus in 4 cases and H. influenzae in 1 case. All patients were treated with local antibiotic eye drops combined with intravenous antibiotics; incision drainage was performed in 1 case and ultrasound-guided needle puncture drainage in 3 cases. All the patients were cured. It is suggested that there are differences in age and clinical manifestations between patients with pre-orbital septal infection and post-orbital septal infection. CT and MRI are important for the differential diagnosis of them. Local eye drops of antibiotics combined with intravenous infusion are mainly used for treatment.

Establish the urodynamic classification of male patients with benign prostatic obstruction and analysis of the effect of transurethral resection of the prostate on different classifications / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To establish the urodynamic classification of middle-aged and elderly men with benign prostatic obstruction(BPO), and to analyze the efficacy of transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP) on various types of patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis of middle-aged and elderly male patients with non-neurogenic lower urinary tract symptoms(LUTS) who underwent urodynamic tests from January 2010 to December 2018, including 793 patients with BPO. Urodynamics examination of detrusor without contraction needs to complete cystoscopy to diagnose BPO. During urodynamic examination, the detrusor uninhibited contraction induced by spontaneous or stimulation during the bladder filling period is diagnosed as overactivity of the bladder detrusor(DO), and the LinPURR chart indicates the detrusor underactivity(DU). Based on the persistence of BPO leading to DO, DU, and decreased bladder compliance, 793 male patients with BPO with LUTS were divided into four types, including type Ⅰ(BPO: n=164, 20.7%), type Ⅱ(BPO combined with DO: n=333, 42.00%), type Ⅲ(BPO combined with DU: n=267, 33.7%), type Ⅳ(BPO combined with decreased bladder compliance: n=29, 3.7%). The preoperative comparison between groups showed that the age of type Ⅰ-Ⅳ gradually increased, and the age of type Ⅰ was significantly smaller than other types [(67.3±8.2)years, (69.7±7.7)years, (71.5±7.9)years, (72.4±7.1)years, P<0.05]. Compared with other types, the type Ⅰ’s IPSS-S[(9.1±3.6)points vs.(10.4±3.1) points, (9.2±3.3) points, (10.4±3.1)points, P<0.05], IPSS-V[(13.5±3.4) points vs. (14.2±3.5)points, (14.0±3.5)points, (14.2±2.9)points, P<0.05], IPSS scores[(22.6±5.4)points, (24.7±4.9)points, (23.1±5.3)points, (24.6±4.7)points, P<0.05] were significantly lower than other groups, the maximum bladder capacity [(332.6±83.2)ml vs.(221.4±80.8)ml, (286.7±108.2)ml, (242.3±103.4)ml, P<0.05], the functional bladder capacity was significantly higher than other types[(215.2±90.0)ml, (148.5±76.0)ml, (154.9±87.2)ml, (121.2±72.9)ml, P<0.05]. Type Ⅱ’s IPSS-S[(10.4±3.1)points vs.(9.1±3.6)points, (9.2±3.3)points, P<0.05], nocturia frequency[(3.7±1.8)times vs.(3.2±1.8)times, (3.2±1.6)times, P<0.05], IPSS score[(24.7±4.9)points vs.(22.6±5.4)points, (23.1±5.3)points, P<0.05], quality of life scores [(4.9±0.9) points, (4.6±0.9)points, (4.6±0.9)points, P<0.05] was significantly higher than type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ ( P<0.05). Type Ⅲ and Ⅳ had higher residual urine than type Ⅱ[(121.3±96.4)ml, (121.3±96.4)ml vs.(71.2±73.5)ml, P<0.05]. Type Ⅳ’s IPSS-S[(10.4±3.1)points vs. (9.1±3.6)points, (9.2±3.3)points, P<0.05], IPSS-V[(14.2±2.9) points vs.(13.5±3.4)points, (14.0±3.5)points, P<0.05], the frequency of nocturia[(3.8±1.9)times vs.(3.2±1.8)times, (3.2±1.6)times, P<0.05] was significantly higher than that of type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ, and the quality of life score was higher than type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ[(4.3±0.8)points vs.(4.7±0.9)points, (4.6±0.9)points, P<0.05]. type Ⅱ and type Ⅳ’s bladder compliance[(21.4±24.2)ml/cmH 2O, (11.0±11.4)ml/cmH 2O vs.(33.9±23.7)ml/cmH 2O, (33.1±32.7)ml/cmH 2O, P<0.05], maximum bladder capacity[(221.4±80.8)ml, (242.3±103.4)ml vs.(332.6±83.2)ml, (286.7±108.2)ml, P<0.05], functional bladder capacity[(148.5±76.0)ml, (121.2±72.9)ml vs.(215.2±90.0)ml, (154.9±87.2)ml, P<0.05] were significantly less than type Ⅰ and type Ⅲ( P<0.05). From November 2016 to November 2018, 60 middle-aged and elderly male patients with confirmed BPO and TURP were selected, including type Ⅰ( n=17, 28.3%), type Ⅱ ( n=23, 38.3%), and Ⅲ type ( n=11, 18.3%), Ⅳ type( n=9, 15.1%). Type IV patients are significantly older than other types ( P<0.05), bladder compliance is significantly worse than other types( P<0.05), the maximum bladder capacity is smaller than other types( P<0.05). The follow-up started 3 months after the operation. The content of the follow-up included IPSS, IPSS-S, IPSS-V, nocturia frequency, undisturbed sleep time, nocturia quality of life score, and life quality score. Results:The IPSS scores of type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ, and type Ⅲ after TURP were significantly improved compared with preoperative(19.8±6.2 vs.3.4±1.8; 21.9±5.2 vs.4.6±2.6; 21.5±6.2 vs.5.7±4.6, P<0.05), type Ⅳ urine storage symptom score (9.1±4.1 vs.4.3±3.7), nocturia frequency(3.6±1.5vs.2.3±1.6), nocturia quality of life score (25.3±6.9 vs.31.4±13.7) Compared with preoperatively, there was no significant improvement( P>0.05). The quality of life score improvement of type Ⅳ patients was significantly lower than that of type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ, and type Ⅲ (10.9±9.1 vs.12.2±9.0, 14.4±5.7, 12.7±5.8, P<0.05). The IPSS score of type Ⅳ patients was significantly higher than that of type Ⅰ(7.0±5.8 vs.3.4±1.8), and the nocturia quality of life score was significantly lower than that of each group (31.4±13.7 vs.37.5±4.2, 38.7±3.5, 37.8±3.8, P<0.05). Conclusions:For middle-aged and elderly men with BPO, we divide them into four types based on the results of urodynamic examinations, type Ⅰ(simple BPO), type Ⅱ(BPO combined with DO), type Ⅲ(BPO combined with DU), type Ⅳ(BPO combined with bladder compliance decline). Type Ⅰ patients have the best bladder function, and TURP has the best effect; type Ⅱ has a high symptom score and poor quality of life, and can benefit after TURP; type Ⅲ bladder function is poor, and surgery should be performed as soon as possible to prevent further deterioration of bladder function; type Ⅳ bladder function is the best poor, IPSS score and quality of life score are high, TURP surgery is not effective.

Comparison of therapeutic effect between regular spherical CRT and dual axis CRT on myopia with corneal astigmatism / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To compare the therapeutic effect between regular spherical corneal refractive therapy (CRT) and dual axis CRT on myopia with corneal astigmatism.Methods:A non-randomized controlled study was conducted.Aged 8 to 14 years old, forty-eight patients (48 eyes) wearing CRT orthokeratology enrolled from May, 2018 to December, 2018 in First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University were divided into dual axis CRT group (24 eyes) and spherical CRT group (24 eyes) according to their guardians' willingness.After 1-year follow-up, the visual acuity, eccentricity distance in treatment area, annual axial growth and the corneal punctate staining incidence of the two groups were compared.The study followed the Declaration of Helsinki, and was approved by an Ethics Committee of First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (No.KY201975). Written informed consent was obtained from guardians prior to any examination.Results:The uncorrected visual acuity of the dual axis CRT group was better than that of the spherical CRT group at one week and one month after correction, and the differences were statistically significant (both at P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in uncorrected visual acuity between the two groups at other time points (all at P>0.05). The deviations of optical center in the spherical CRT group at each observation time points were significantly larger than that in the dual axis group (all at P<0.05), and the deviation was not obviously changed with time in both groups and there was no significant difference in deviation change between the two groups ( Ftime=2.301, P=0.074). The eccentricity was mainly in horizontal direction in spherical CRT group.The median annual axial growth was 0.12 (0.10, 0.45)mm in the dual axis CRT group and 0.14 (0.10, 0.46)mm in the spherical CRT group, with no significant difference between the two groups ( Z=0.248, P=0.804). There was 4.2%(1/24) of the patients having grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ corneal punctate staining in the dual axis CRT group, and 25.0%(6/24) in the regular spherical CRT group, showing significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=4.180, P=0.049). Conclusions:For the treatment of myopia with astigmatism, dual axis CRT shows better centricity and safety than spherical CRT.