[Determination of organic acids and anions in exhaled breath by condensation collection-ion chromatography].

A non-invasive condensation collection-ion chromatography method was established for the determination of organic acids and anions including lactic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, pyruvic acid, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, and sulfate in the exhaled breath of humans. The breath exhaled was condensed and collected using a home-made exhaled breath condensation equipment. This equipment included a disposable mouthpiece as a blow-off port, one-way valve and flow meter, cold trap, disposable condensate collection tube placed in the cold trap, and gas outlet. A standard sampling procedure was used. Before collection, the collection temperature and sampling volume were set on the instrument control panel, and sampling was started when the cold-trap temperature dropped to the set value, while maintaining the balance. Subjects were required to gargle with pure water before sampling. During the sampling process, the subjects were required to inhale deeply until the lungs were full of gas and then exhale evenly through the air outlet. When the set volume was collected, the instrument made a prompt sound; then, the collection was immediately ended, the expiration time was recorded, and the average collection flow was calculated according to the expiration time and sampling volume. After collection, the disposable condensation collection tube was immediately taken out, sealed, and stored in the refrigerator at -20 ℃ away from light, and immediately used for further testing. The organic acids and anions in exhaled breath condensation (EBC) were filtered through a 0.22 µm membrane filter before injection and detected by ion chromatography with conductivity detection. Factors such as collection temperature and collection flow rate during condensation collection were optimized. The optimal cooling temperature was set at -15 ℃, and the optimal exhaled breath flow rate was set at 15 L/min. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of sodium carbonate (1.5 mmol/L) and sodium bicarbonate (3 mmol/L). The flow rate was 0.8 mL/min, and the injection volume was 100 µL. An IC-SA3 column (250 mm×4.0 mm) was used, and the temperature was set at 45 ℃. An ICDS-40A electrodialysis suppressor was used, and the current was set at 150 mA. The linear ranges of the eight organic acids and anions were 0.1-10.0 mg/L; their correlation coefficients (r) were ≥0.9993. The limits of detection (LODs) for the eight organic acids and anions were 0.0017-0.0150 mg/L based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3, and the limits of quantification (LOQs) were 0.0057-0.0500 mg/L based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 10. The intra-day precisions were 5.06%-6.33% (n=5), and the inter-day precisions were 5.37%-7.50% (n=5). This method was used to detect organic acids and anions in the exhaled breath of five healthy subjects. The contents of organic acids and anions in the exhaled breath were calculated. The content of lactic acid was relatively high, at 1.13-42.3 ng/L, and the contents of other seven organic acids and anions were 0.18-11.0 ng/L. During a 10 km-long run, the majority of organic acids and anions in the exhaled breath of five subjects first increased and then decreased. However, due to abnormal metabolism, the content changes of lactic acid, acetic acid, pyruvic acid and chloride in one subject were obviously different from others during exercise, showing a continuous rise. This method has the advantages of involving a simple sampling process and exhibiting good precision, few side effects, and no obvious discomfort or risk to the subjects. This study provides experimental ideas and a theoretical basis for future research on human metabolites.

[Clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Omicron variant infection in children: an analysis of 201 cases]. / 201ä¾‹å„¿ç«¥æ–°åž‹å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’Omicronå˜å¼‚æ ªæ„ŸæŸ“çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical features of children with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 201 children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who were hospitalized and diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection in Quanzhou First Hospital from March 14 to April 7, 2022. Among the 201 children, there were 34 children with asymptomatic infection and 167 with symptomatic infection. The two groups were compared in terms of clinical features, results of experimental examinations, and outcome. RESULTS: Of all the 201 children, 161 (80.1%) had a history of exposure to COVID-19 patients and 132 (65.7%) had a history of COVID-19 vaccination. Among the 167 children with symptomatic infections, 151 had mild COVID-19 and 16 had common COVID-19, with no severe infection or death. Among the 101 children who underwent chest CT examination, 16 had ground glass changes and 20 had nodular or linear opacities. The mean time to nucleic acid clearance was (14±4) days for the 201 children with Omicron variant infection, and the symptomatic infection group had a significantly longer time than the asymptomatic infection group [(15±4) days vs (11±4) days, P<0.05]. The group vaccinated with one or two doses of COVID-19 vaccine had a significantly higher positive rate of IgG than the group without vaccination (P<0.05). The proportions of children with increased blood lymphocyte count in the symptomatic infection group was significantly lower than that in the asymptomatic infection group (P<0.05). Compared with the asymptomatic infection group, the symptomatic infection group had significantly higher proportions of children with increased interleukin-6, increased fibrinogen, and increased D-dimer (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Most of the children with Omicron variant infection have clinical symptoms, which are generally mild. The children with symptomatic infection are often accompanied by decreased or normal blood lymphocyte count and increased levels of interleukin-6, fibrinogen, and D-dimer, with a relatively long time to nucleic acid clearance. Some of them had ground glass changes on chest CT.

Clinical report of a neonate carrying a large deletion in the 10p15.3p13 region and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Terminal deletion of chromosome 10p is a rare chromosomal abnormality. We report a neonatal case with a large deletion of 10p15.3p13 diagnosed early because of severe clinical manifestations. CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient presented with specific facial features, hypoparathyroidism, sen sorineural deafness, renal abnormalities, and developmental retardation, and carried a 12.6 Mb deletion in the 10p15.3 p13 region. The terminal 10p deletion involved in our patient is the second largest reported terminal deletion reported to date, and includes the ZMYND11 and GATA3 genes and a partial critical region of the DiGeorge syndrome 2 gene (DGS2). CONCLUSION: On the basis of a literature review, this terminal 10p deletion in the present case is responsible for a specific contiguous gene syndrome. This rare case may help the understanding of the genotype-phenotype spectrum of terminal deletion of chromosome 10p.

Effects of Prenatal PM10 Exposure on Fetal Cardiovascular Malformations in Fuzhou, China: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with an increased risk of congenital heart defects in offspring; however, the results are inconsistent. OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether there is an association between prenatal exposure to particulate matter with diameter ≤10µm (PM10) during early pregnancy and fetal cardiovascular malformations. METHODS: The gravidae from a hospital-based case­control study in Fuzhou, China, during 2007­2013 were assigned 10-d or 1-mo averages of daily PM10 using an air monitor­based inverse distance weighting method during early pregnancy. A total of 662 live-birth or selectively terminated cases and 3,972 live-birth controls were enrolled. The exposure was considered as a categorical variable. A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to quantify the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of the exposure to PM10 and the risks of fetal cardiovascular malformations. RESULTS: PM10 levels were positively associated with the risks of atrial septal defect (aORs ranging from 1.29 to 2.17), patent ductus arteriosus [aORs = 1.54, 1.63; 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 1.17, 2.23; 1.06, 3.24], overall fetal cardiovascular malformations (aOR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.61), ventricular septal defect (aOR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.43), and tetralogy of Fallot (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.19) in the various observed periods scaled by 10 d or 1 mo in the first and second gestation months. The strongest associations were observed for exposure to PM10 in the second quartile, whereas the associations were attenuated when higher concentrations of PM10 in the third and fourth quartiles of the exposure were evaluated. No correlations of PM10 levels with these cardiovascular malformations in the other time periods of gestation were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest some positive associations between maternal exposure to ambient PM10 during the first two months of pregnancy and fetal cardiovascular malformations. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP289.

Clonidine attenuates morphine withdrawal and subsequent drug sensitization in rhesus monkeys.

AIM: Clonidine is an alpha2 adrenoceptor agonist that is frequently used to reduce withdrawal symptoms during opioid detoxification in humans. The long-term effects of clonidine on withdrawal symptoms and its effects on subsequent drug exposure have not been thoroughly documented. The aim of the study was to determine if clonidine administered during morphine withdrawal in rhesus monkeys produces long-lasting effects on withdrawal symptoms and alters the effects of subsequently taken drugs of abuse. METHODS: Adult male rhesus monkeys were treated with increasing doses of morphine for 90 d to induce opiate (narcotic) dependence. The immediate and long-lasting effects of 1 week's administration of clonidine were measured via the recording of morphine withdrawal signs and the subsequent effects of challenge injections of morphine or cocaine. RESULTS: Monkeys chronically treated with morphine displayed withdrawal signs that lasted 2 weeks after cessation of morphine administration and displayed sensitized responses to subsequent morphine and cocaine injections. Clonidine significantly reduced certain morphine withdrawal signs and overall withdrawal score, but these effects did not persist upon cessation of clonidine treatment. Sensitization to the effects of morphine and cocaine were significantly reduced in monkeys previously treated with clonidine. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that in addition to its short-term alleviating effect on morphine withdrawal signs, clonidine may reduce subsequent effects of drugs of abuse after prolonged abstinence.

[Study on the S region gene mutation of hepatitis B virus during prevention of HBV transmission in uterus with hepatitis B immunoglobulin].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) injection before delivery and hepatitis B virus (HBV) S gene mutation. METHODS: 18 neonates infected with HBV in uterus and their mothers were divided to a) HBIG group (8) in which their mothers received HBIG injection before delivery and b) control group (10) in which their mothers never received any treatment HBV DNA fragments were amplified by nest-PCR from sera of these neonates and their mothers. S gene region of these HBV DNA fragments were directly sequenced and data on mutations was analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference on nucleotide and amino acid changes in the S gene between the HBIG group and the control group. The majority HBV strains of newborn (17/18) were identical to their mother's dominant strains before delivery, including four mutation HBV strains. Among 18 newborns with HBV intrauterine infection, 12 were infected by B type (adw2), and 6 by C type (adrq+). CONCLUSION: Mothers who were asymptomatic HBsAg carrier and received injections ofHBIG before delivery would not be influenced by HBV S gene mutation. HBV intrauterine transmission with or without gene mutation might occur in the third-trimester of pregnancy. Gene mutation of HBV was not the main factor in intrauterine transmission of HBV.

Different effects of valproate on methamphetamine- and cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in mice.

Repetitive exposure to psychostimulants elicits behavioral sensitization. Accumulating evidence have shown that the central GABAergic system is involved in psychostimulants sensitization. Valproate, a clinically widely used anticonvulsant mood-stabilizing agent, can modulate central GABAergic neurotransmission. Herein, the effects of valproate on the development and expression of behavioral sensitization to methamphetamine (METH) and cocaine was studied in mice. Behavioral sensitization of METH and cocaine was rendered by injection of METH (2.0mg/kg) or cocaine (20mg/kg) once daily for seven days. Locomotor activity was measured by an ambulometer. Single or multiple administration of valproate (37.5, 75, 150 mg/kg) could not decrease acute METH- and cocaine-induced hyperactivity. Co-administration of valproate with METH or cocaine dose-dependently inhibited the development of behavioral sensitization. Single administration of valproate (37.5, 75, 150 mg/kg) did not affect the expression of behavioral sensitization induced by METH and cocaine. Multiple administration of valproate (37.5, 75, 150 mg/kg) dose-dependently inhibited the expression of behavioral sensitization to METH, but not to cocaine. The present results supported that METH- and cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization possesses distinct neural mechanisms, which implies that valproate may have different modulatory effect on METH and cocaine addiction in humans.