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Objective:To evaluate the effect of thymosin alpha 1 on the prognosis of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was performed to collect clinical data of 95 patients treated by Shanghai Aid Medical Team in Wuhan Third Hospital during January 31, 2020 and March 4, 2020, who were confirmed COVID-19. They were divided into two groups according to whether they were treated with thymosin alpha 1 after admission. The 28-day mortality (primary outcome), and 28-ventilator-free-day, lymphocyte count (LYM) level, C-reactive protein (CRP) level (secondary outcomes) were compared between two groups. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier curve. The effect of thymosin alpha 1 on 28-day survival was evaluated with Cox regression model.Results:Among the 95 patients, there were 31 cases in thymosin group and 64 cases in non-thymosin group; 29 patients died 28 days after admission, including 11 cases (35.5%) in thymosin group and 18 cases (28.1%) in non-thymosin group. Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that thymosin alpha 1 could improve the 28-day survival of patients with COVID-19, but the univariate Cox model analysis showed that the difference was not statistically significant [hazard ratio ( HR) = 0.48, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.20-1.14, P = 0.098]; multivariate Cox model analysis showed that thymosin alpha 1 was the factor to improve the 28-day mortality ( HR = 0.15, 95% CI was 0.04-0.55, P = 0.004), old age ( HR = 1.10, 95% CI was 1.05-1.15, P < 0.001), accompanied by chronic renal dysfunction ( HR = 42.35, 95% CI was 2.77-648.64, P = 0.007), decrease of LYM at admission ( HR = 0.15, 95% CI was 0.04-0.60, P = 0.007) and the use of methylprednisolone ( HR = 4.59, 95% CI was 1.26-16.67, P = 0.021) were also risk factors for the increase of 28-day mortality. The use of immunoglobulin and antiviral drugs abidol and ganciclovir did not affect the 28-day mortality. After adjustment for age, gender, LYM and other factors, weighted multivariate Cox analysis model showed thymosin alpha 1 could significantly improve the 28-day survival of COVID-19 patients ( HR = 0.45, 95% CI was 0.25-0.84, P = 0.012). In terms of secondary outcomes, no statistical difference (all P > 0.05) was found between two groups in days without ventilator at 28 days after admission (days: 17.97±13.56 vs. 20.09±12.67) and the increase of LYM at 7 days after admission [×10 9/L: -0.07 (-0.23, 0.43) vs. 0.12 (-0.54, 0.41)]. But the decrease of CRP at 7 days after admission in thymosin alpha group was significantly greater than that in non-thymosin group [mg/L: 39.99 (8.44, 82.22) vs. 0.53 (-7.78, 22.93), P < 0.05]. Conclusion:Thymosin alpha 1 may improve 28-day mortality and inflammation state in COVID-19 patients.
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Objective:To compare and analyze the clinical features of patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (sCOVID-19) and severe community acquired pneumonia (sCAP) who meet the diagnostic criteria for severe pneumonia of the Infectious Diseases Society of America/American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS).Methods:A retrospective comparative analysis of the clinical records of 116 patients with sCOVID-19 admitted to the department of critical care medicine of Wuhan Third Hospital from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020 and 135 patients with sCAP admitted to the department of critical care medicine of Shanghai First People's Hospital from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2017 was conducted. The basic information, diagnosis and comorbidities, laboratory data, etiology and imaging results, treatment, prognosis and outcome of the patients were collected. The differences in clinical data between sCOVID-19 and sCAP patients were compared, and the risk factors of death were analyzed.Results:The 28-day mortality of sCOVID-19 and sCAP patients were 50.9% (59/116) and 37.0% (50/135), respectively. The proportion of arterial partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO 2/FiO 2)≤250 mmHg (1 mmHg ≈ 0.133 kPa) in sCOVID-19 patients was significantly higher than that of sCAP [62.1% (72/116) vs. 34.8% (47/135), P < 0.01]. The possible reason was that the proportion of multiple lung lobe infiltration in sCOVID-19 was significantly higher than that caused by sCAP [94.0% (109/116) vs. 40.0% (54/135), P < 0.01], but the proportion of sCOVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation was significantly lower than that of sCAP [45.7% (53/116) vs. 60.0% (81/135), P < 0.05]. Further analysis of clinical indicators related to patient death found that for sCOVID-19 patients PaO 2/FiO 2, white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophils (NEU), neutrophil percentage (NEU%), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), total bilirubin (TBil), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin (ALB), Ca 2+, prothrombin time (PT), D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP) and other indicators were significantly different between the death group and the survival group, in addition, the proportion of receiving mechanical ventilation, gamma globulin, steroid hormones and fluid resuscitation in death group were higher than survival group. Logistic regression analysis showed that the need for mechanical ventilation, NLR > 10, TBil > 10 μmol/L, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) > 250 U/L were risk factors for death at 28 days. For sCAP patients, there were significant differences in age, BUN, ALB, blood glucose (GLU), Ca 2+ and D-dimer between the death group and the survival group, but there was no significant difference in treatment. Logistic regression analysis showed that BUN > 7.14 mmol/L and ALB < 30 g/L were risk factors for 28-day death of sCAP patients. Conclusions:The sCOVID-19 patients in this cohort have worse oxygen condition and symptoms than sCAP patients, which may be due to the high proportion of lesions involving the lungs. The indicators of the difference between the death group and the survival group were similar in sCOVID-19 and sCAP patients. It is suggested that the two diseases have similar effects on renal function, nutritional status and coagulation function. But there were still differences in risk factors affecting survival. It may be that sCOVID-19 has a greater impact on lung oxygenation function, inflammatory cascade response, and liver function, while sCAP has a greater impact on renal function and nutritional status.
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There were many progressions of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the 2017 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).(1) Sorafenib has been at the heart of treatment for advanced HCC,meanwhile,it has been confirmed to effectively prolong the life time of patients and improve the clinical efficacies combined with other therapies.A variety of molecular and clinical indicators also help screening out peoples.(2) New molecular targeted drugs have sprung up,and Lenvatinib (multiple receptor tyrosine kinases inhibitor) is expected to become the next first-line drug.The second-line Regorafenib has obtained supporting evidence from evidencebased medicine,and a combination therapy of Sorafenib and Regorafenib promises to be a new model of targeted therapy for HCC.However,the phase Ⅲ study (METIV-HCC) of which Tivatinib (ARQ 197) becomes the second-line drug for HCC has failed.(3) Immunization therapy remains a hotspot for HCC.The monoclonal antibodies of immunological checkpoint and adoptive immunotherapy have better safety and clinical efficacy.(4) Primary lesions resection of HCC and drug control of metastatic lesions are expected to be the therapy model for metastatic HCC.The liver transplantation for primary HCC will be further developed.(5) The combination and sequential application of multiple therapies will become an inevitable choice,and efficacy of stereotactic body radiation therapy is expected.The combination and sequential application of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and other therapies is still a main therapy for unresectable HCC.(6) The new predictors and models of prognosis have been popping up,nevertheless,its therapy effects should be further proven.
