[Retrospective analysis of perioperative anaphylactic shock induced by cefuroxime].

This study investigated the characteristics and frequency of perioperative anaphylactic shock induced by cefuroxime, so as to provide a reference for the safe and rational use of cefuroxime in the perioperative period. Cases of perioperative anaphylactic shock caused by cefuroxime in our hospital from 2011 to 2021 were extracted from the Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring System. Literature reporting adverse drug reactions (ADR) including cefuroxime-induced anaphylactic shock in perioperative settings was collected from the CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, and Web of Science databases from their respective inception to May 2022. Statistical analysis was performed for all cases of cefuroxime-induced perioperative anaphylactic shock. A total of 31 patients were included [13 men (48.1%) and 14 women (51.9%)], most of whom were over 60 years old (n=16, 59.3%); 9 (29.0%) patients had a history of drug allergy; 5 (16.1%) patients had received skin tests, but with negative results; 28 (90.3%) patients received treatment intravenously; 22 (71.0%) patients were treated after anesthesia. For 20 (64.5%) patients the ADR occurred within 10 minutes after anesthesia. The main manifestations were hypotension, dyspnea, rash, and tachycardia. For all patients, symptoms resolved after withdrawal of the drug and active rescue, and there were no deaths. A history of allergy and skin test findings may have limitations in predicting perioperative anaphylactic shock caused by cefuroxime; greater vigilance should be exercised when using cefuroxime in the perioperative period. Close monitoring is recommended for patients undergoing treatment with cefuroxime. Rescue therapy should be administered for allergic shock, and suitable response measures must be taken in a timely manner to ensure the safety of patients.

[Investigation of the chronic respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function of adult residents in Hongtong County, Shanxi Province].

Objective: To investigate the chronic respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function of adult residents in 3 towns of Hongtong County, Shanxi Province, and to explore their risk factors. Methods: The investigation of chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function status of adult residents in Hongdong County is based on the regional population of the entire county in Hongdong County. The project was initiated by the Science and Technology Department of Linfen City and coordinated by the Hongdong County Government. The investigation will be conducted in 3 townships in Hongdong County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province from April to November 2021: Demographic characteristics, respiratory symptoms, smoking dust exposure and other personal history were collected through questionnaires. Physical examination, routine blood tests and lung function tests were also performed on each individual. SPSS 22.0 software was used to conduct t test, χ2 test, ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test for statistical analysis of the collected information. Results: 10 945 subjects aged 18-102 years were included in the analysis, of whom 3 754 (34.3%) were male, 1 222 (11.2%) had a history of dust exposure, 7 164 (65.5%) had used straw and firewood as cooking fuel, and 3 296 (30.1%) had a history of smoking. Among the participants, 394 (3.6%), 339 (3.1%), and 1 543 (14.1%) had respiratory symptoms such as chronic cough, sputum, and dyspnea. Statistics showed that the population with chronic respiratory symptoms was more elderly and had a smoking history, and the incidence of chronic respiratory symptoms was higher in those who smoked more than 40 packs a year (all P<0.05). Men with a history of dust exposure were more likely to suffer from chronic cough and expectoration, while emaciation and biofuel use for more than 40 years were more likely to suffer from chronic expectoration and dyspnea (all P<0.05). The median values of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC in 1 second were 2.19 L/s, 3.24 L and 69.16%, respectively. Among them, the lung function of 5 801 (53.0%) respondents was lower than the expected value. The median FEV1/FVC decreased with the increase of age. The FEV1/FVC of people over 40 years old with smoking history was lower, the dust exposure history of people with decreased lung function was more than that of people with normal lung function, and the incidence of chronic expectoration and dyspnea was higher in people with decreased lung function (all P<0.05). The absolute value and ratio of eosinophils in patients with decreased ventilation function over 60 years old were significantly higher than those with normal ventilation function, but the level of body mass index (BMI) was lower (all P<0.05). Conclusion: In Hongdong County, Shanxi Province, grassroots residents have poor medical awareness, low lung function examination rate, chronic respiratory symptoms and lung function decline are associated with more risk factors. Primary medical institutions need to formulate prevention strategies and carry out lung function detection according to the actual situation, focusing on monitoring and follow-up of high-risk groups to achieve early and timely prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

[Choroidal blood flow and visual function in idiopathic macular hole].

Objective: To investigate the choroidal blood flow and visual function in idiopathic macular hole. Methods: In this prospective study, fundus structure and visual function in 22 eyes with macular hole and their fellow eyes and 16 normal eyes were assessed. The best corrected visual acuity and retinal sensitivity were detected by the EDTRS visual chart and MP1. The choroidal blood flow was observed by optical coherence tomography angiography. The choriocapillary blood flow density was measured using MatLab. The thickness of the choroid and the aperture size of macular hole were measured using enhanced depth imaging mode of Heidelberg optical coherence tomography. Results: The best corrected visual acuity and retinal sensitivity of macular hole eyes [1.02±0.20 and (13.03±2.91) dB] were significantly lower than fellow eyes [0.15±0.11, t=17.019, P<0.001 and (17.25±2.03) dB, t=-4.085, P<0.001] and normal eyes [0.04±0.05, t=21.736, P=0.001 and (16.63±2.89) dB, t=-3.134, P=0.004]. The blood flow area of choroidal capillaries in macular hole eyes [(1.33±0.29) mm2] was significantly lower than fellow eyes [(1.98±0.13) mm2; t=-9.424, P<0.001] and normal eyes [(1.93±0.12) mm2; t=-8.707, P<0.001]. The paracentral blood vessel density of the choroid capillary layer in macular hole eyes (48.91%±10.12%) was significantly lower than fellow eyes (58.27%±6.18%; t=-3.502, P=0.001) and normal eyes (55.20%±2.12%; t=-2.830, P=0.020). The subfoveal choroidal thickness of macular hole eyes [(188±21) µm] was significantly lower than fellow eyes [(217±36) µm; t=-3.672, P=0.002] and normal eyes [(229±25) µm; t=-3.304, P<0.001]. The basic diameter of macular hole eyes was correlated with the blood vessel density (r=-0.584, P=0.004), the subfoveal choroidal thickness (r=-0.511, P=0.015) and the retinal sensitivity (r=-0.432, P=0.044). The retinal sensitivity was correlated with the blood vessel density (r=0.450, P=0.035) and the subfoveal choroidal thickness (r=0.429, P=0.046). Conclusions: The retinal sensitivity and fundus blood perfusion of idiopathic macular hole was decreased, and the thickness of paracentral choroid in the contralateral eye tended to become thinner. The reduced visual function in eyes with macular hole may be associated with the decreased choroidal thickness and worse blood flow of fundus microcirculation.

[The influencing factors and the effect of myopia control in children treated with orthokeratology].

Objective: To analyze the influencing factors and the effect of myopia control in children treated with orthokeratology. Methods: It was a retrospective case series study. Data of 137 children from June 2016 to July 2020 in the Optometry Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University who were fitted with orthokeratology lenses and kept wearing them for 24 months were retrospectively reviewed. These children were divided into the modeling group (n=91) and verification group (n=46). The baseline conditions were recorded before they wore the orthokeratology lenses, including age, spherical equivalent refractive power (SER) and pupil area. The decentration distance was measured with a tangential difference map. Axial length (AL) changes of all children during 24 months were calculated. The influencing factors and the effect of myopia control were analyzed, and a regression equation was formulated with the modeling group. Then the influencing factors were imported with the verification group to compare the AL change differences between prediction and measurement. Results: There was statistical difference in AL between baseline and after wearing orthokeratology lenses for 24 months both in the modeling group [(25.16±0.90) mm vs. (25.56±0.82) mm; t=-10.119, P<0.001] and verification group [(25.29±0.71) mm vs. (25.67±0.69) mm; t=-8.785, P<0.001]. The AL changes in the modeling group showed significant correlations with baseline age (r=-0.365, P<0.001), baseline SER (r=0.308, P=0.003), pupil area (r=-0.260, P=0.013) and decentration distance (r=-0.352, P=0.001). The regression equation was as follows: y=1.609-0.056a-0.315b-0.009c+0.054d (y: AL changes, a: baseline age, b: decentration distance, c: pupil area, d: baseline SER). There was no statistical difference between prediction and measurement [(0.40±0.20) mm vs. (0.40±0.32) mm; t=-0.036, P=0.971]. Conclusion: Baseline age, decentration distance, baseline SER and pupil area contributed to predict the effect of myopia control after orthokeratology treatment.

[Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder: report of 5 cases].

The clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging results, diagnosis and treatment and prognosis of 5 patients with mucinous adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder were analyzed. It was found that the clinical characteristics of mucinous adenocarcinoma of the gallbladder were very similar to that of gallbladder malignant tumor, and it was difficult to differentiate. Ultrasound guided gallbladder needle biopsy can confirm the diagnosis before surgery. Surgery is still the first choice of treatment. Since laparoscopic surgery has obvious advantages over open surgery, it is recommended to be preferentially used. If the tumor is under T2 stage and has no aggressive metastasis, the prognosis is generally good.

[Analysis on the situation of being supported by the national natural science foundation of China in the field of occupational diseases from 2010 to 2019].

Objective: To understand the situation supported by the National Natural Science Foundation in the field of occupational diseases (H2402) in China, so as to provide a reference basis for the application and research of scientific researchers in the field of occupational diseases in China. Methods: The information system of scientific and technological achievements was used to search the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) in the field of occupational diseases from 2010 to 2019. Results: From 2010 to 2019, a total of 55 projects were funded under the Occupational Disease code (H2402) , with a total funding of 22.33 million yuan, of which 30 were supported by the Youth Science Foundation, 20 by the Youth Science Foundation and 5 by the Regional Science Foundation. Thirty five items of the research projects focused on pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases which accounted for 63.64 per cent. Forty one items of scientific research projects are supported by domestic institutions of higher learning which accounted for 74.55 per cent. Conclusion: The research support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China to the field of occupational diseases (H2402) has increased steadily, but the support of different research directions and supporting units is not balanced. It is suggested that departments concerned strengthen guidance and support for the applicants in less developed areas and weak research directions of the projects in the National Natural Science Foundation.

Infection by Nanophyetus salmincola and Toxic Contaminant Exposure in Out-migrating Steelhead from Puget Sound, Washington: Implications for Early Marine Survival.

Out-migrating steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss from four Puget Sound rivers and associated marine basins of Puget Sound in Washington State were examined for the parasite, Nanophyetus salmincola in 2014 to determine whether recent trends in reduced marine survival are associated with the presence of this pathogen. A subset of steelhead from three of these river-marine basin combinations was analyzed for the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) to assess whether exposure to these contaminants is a contributing factor to their reduced marine survival. The prevalence and parasite load of N. salmincola were significantly higher in fish from central and southern Puget Sound than in fish from river systems in northern Puget Sound. The proportion of steelhead samples with concentrations of POPs higher than adverse effects thresholds (AETs) or concentrations known to cause adverse effects was also greater in fish from the central and southern regions of Puget Sound than in those from the northern region. Polybrominated diphenyl ether concentrations associated with increased disease susceptibility were observed in 10% and 40% of the steelhead sampled from central and southern Puget Sound regions, respectively, but in none of the fish sampled from the northern region. The AET for polychlorinated biphenyls was exceeded in steelhead collected from marine habitats: 25% of the samples from the marine basins in the central and southern regions of Puget Sound and 17% of samples from northern Puget Sound region. Both N. salmincola and POP levels suggest there are adverse health effects on out-migrating steelhead from one southern and one central Puget Sound river that have lower early marine survival than those from a river system in northern Puget Sound.

HLA-B*13:01 and the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Dapsone is used in the treatment of infections and inflammatory diseases. The dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome, which is associated with a reported mortality of 9.9%, develops in about 0.5 to 3.6% of persons treated with the drug. Currently, no tests are available to predict the risk of the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome. METHODS: We performed a genomewide association study involving 872 participants who had received dapsone as part of multidrug therapy for leprosy (39 participants with the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome and 833 controls), using log-additive tests of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and imputed HLA molecules. For a replication analysis, we genotyped 24 SNPs in an additional 31 participants with the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome and 1089 controls and performed next-generation sequencing for HLA-B and HLA-C typing at four-digit resolution in an independent series of 37 participants with the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome and 201 controls. RESULTS: Genomewide association analysis showed that SNP rs2844573, located between the HLA-B and MICA loci, was significantly associated with the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome among patients with leprosy (odds ratio, 6.18; P=3.84×10(-13)). HLA-B*13:01 was confirmed to be a risk factor for the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome (odds ratio, 20.53; P=6.84×10(-25)). The presence of HLA-B*13:01 had a sensitivity of 85.5% and a specificity of 85.7% as a predictor of the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome, and its absence was associated with a reduction in risk by a factor of 7 (from 1.4% to 0.2%). HLA-B*13:01 is present in about 2 to 20% of Chinese persons, 1.5% of Japanese persons, 1 to 12% of Indians, and 2 to 4% of Southeast Asians but is largely absent in Europeans and Africans. CONCLUSIONS: HLA-B*13:01 was associated with the development of the dapsone hypersensitivity syndrome among patients with leprosy. (Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and others.).

Weekly paclitaxel with trastuzumab and pertuzumab in patients with HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer: overall survival and updated progression-free survival results from a phase II study.

We previously reported progression-free survival (PFS) results on a phase II trial of weekly paclitaxel, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treated in the first- and second-line setting. Here, we report results for overall survival (OS) and updated PFS after an additional year of follow-up. Patients with HER2-positive MBC with 0-1 prior treatment were eligible. Treatment consisted of paclitaxel (80 mg/m(2)) weekly, and trastuzumab (loading dose 8 mg/kg â†’ 6 mg/kg) and pertuzumab (loading dose 840 mg â†’ 420 mg) every 3 weeks, all given intravenously. Primary endpoint was 6-month PFS. Secondary endpoints included median PFS, 6-month and median OS. Evaluable patients received at least one full dose of treatment. From January 2011 to December 2013, 69 patients were enrolled: 51 (74 %) and 18 (26 %) treated in first- and second-line metastatic settings, respectively. As of July 1, 2015, the median follow-up was 33 months (range 3-49 months; 67 patients were evaluable for efficacy). The median OS was 44 months (95 % CI 37.5-NR) overall and 44 months (95 % CI 38.3-NR) and 37.5 months (95 % CI 30.3-NR) for patients with 0 and 1 prior metastatic treatment, respectively; 6-month OS was 98 % (95 % CI 90-1). The 6-month PFS was 86 % (95 % CI 75-93) overall and 89 % (95 % CI 76-95) and 78 % (95 % CI 51-91) for patients with 0 and 1 prior therapy, respectively; and median PFS was 21.4 months (95 % CI 14.1-NR) overall and 25.7 months (95 % CI 14.1-NR) and 16.9 months (95 % CI 8.5-NR) for patients with 0-1 prior treatment, respectively. Treatment was well tolerated. Updated analysis demonstrates that weekly paclitaxel, when added to trastuzumab and pertuzumab, is associated with a favorable OS and PFS and offers an alternative to docetaxel-based therapy. http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT0127604.

Androgen deprivation increases the risk of fracture in prostate cancer patients: a population-based study in Chinese patients.

UNLABELLED: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or orchiectomy is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis or fracture. In this nationwide database analysis, we found that ADT or orchiectomy increased the risk of fracture in Chinese patients with prostate cancer. However, the magnitude of increase is seemingly not as large as that in Western populations. INTRODUCTION: ADT using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists or orchiectomy is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis or fracture. To investigate the effects of ADT duration or orchiectomy on any type of fracture in Asian patients with prostate cancer, we conducted this retrospective analysis using a nationwide database in Taiwan. METHODS: We included 17,359 subjects who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2007. The risk of first fracture was our primary endpoint. RESULTS: The rates of fracture from 12 months after prostate cancer diagnosis until the last follow-up date were 8.7 % for all patients, 7.1 % for patients who did not receive ADT or orchiectomy, 9.8 % for patients who received ADT, and 14.4 % for patients who received orchiectomy with or without ADT (P < 0.0001). In a Cox proportional hazard analysis, the relative risk of fracture increased steadily with the number of doses of GnRH agonists received during the first year after cancer diagnosis and with dose density. A significant hazard ratio was observed in patients who received at least nine doses within 1 year after diagnosis and in those whose dose density exceeded two doses per year. Age greater than or equal to 65 years was associated with a significantly lower risk of fracture. CONCLUSION: ADT or orchiectomy increases the risk of fracture in Chinese patients with prostate cancer. However, the magnitude of this increase is seemingly not as large as that in Western populations.

Improvement of hyperphagia by activation of cerebral I(1)-imidazoline receptors in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

Imidazoline I1-receptors (I1R) are known to regulate blood pressure and rilmenidine, an agonist, is widely used as antihypertensive agent in clinic. However, the role of I1R in feeding behavior is still unclear. In the present study, we used the agonist of I1R to investigate the effect on hyperphagia in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Rilmenidine decreased the food intake of STZ-diabetic mice in a dose-dependent manner. The reduction of food intake was abolished by pretreatment with efaroxan at the dose sufficient to block I1R. Intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of rilmenidine into STZ-diabetic mice also significantly reduced hyperphagia, which was reversed by icv administration of efaroxan. In addition, similar results were observed in STZ-diabetic mice, which received chronic treatment with rilmenidine 3 times daily (t.i.d.) for 7 days. Moreover, the hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) level was reduced by rilmenidine that was also reversed by pretreatment with efaroxan. In conclusion, the obtained results suggest that rilmenidine can decrease food intake in STZ-diabetic mice through an activation of I1R to lower hypothalamic NPY level.

Activation of imidazoline I-2B receptors by allantoin to increase glucose uptake into C2C12 cells.

Allantoin, an active principle of the yam, belongs to the group of guanidinium derivatives and has been reported to lower plasma glucose in diabetic animals. Recent evidence indicates that activation of the imidazoline I(2B) receptor (I(2B)R) by guanidinium derivatives also increases glucose uptake; however, the effect of allantoin on I(2B)R is still unknown. Glucose uptake into cultured C2C12 cells was determined using 2-[¹4C]-deoxy-D-glucose as a tracer. The changes in 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression were also identified by Western blotting analysis. The allantoin-induced glucose uptake action was dose-dependently blocked by BU224, a specific I2R antagonist, in C2C12 cells. Moreover, AMPK phosphorylation by allantoin was found to be dose-dependently increased in C2C12 cells using AICAR treatment as a reference. In addition, both actions of allantoin, the increases in glucose uptake and AMPK phosphorylation, were dose-dependently attenuated by amiloride in C2C12 cells. Moreover, compound C at concentrations sufficient to inhibit AMPK blocked the allantoin-induced glucose uptake and AMPK phosphorylation. Thus, we suggest that allantoin can activate I(2B)R to increase glucose uptake into cells, and propose I(2B)R as a new target for diabetic therapy.

The role of LRP1 in Aß efflux transport across the blood-brain barrier and cognitive dysfunction in diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of cognitive dysfunction in diabetes is increasing yearly, which severely affects the quality of life of patients and places a heavy burden on families and society. It has been demonstrated that impaired clearance of cerebral amyloid ß-protein (Aß) is a central event in the initiation and progression of Aß deposition and cognitive impairment in diabetic patients. However, until now, the molecular mechanism by which diabetes mellitus induces impaired clearance of Aß has remained unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role and mechanism of lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) in Aß clearance impairment and cognitive function damage caused by diabetes. METHODS: SPF male C57BL/6 mice were bred, and streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg/d) was intraperitoneally injected for 5 days to establish a diabetes model. The novel object recognition test and fear conditioning test were used to assess the cognitive function of mice in each group. Western blotting, qRT-PCR, ELISAs, and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expression levels of Aß and Aß clearance-related proteins in mouse brains. HBMECs were cultured in vitro to establish the blood-brain barrier model. The clearance rate of Aß and the expression levels of LRP1 were measured under different glucose concentration culture conditions. HBMECs were transfected with lentivirus to overexpress or knock down the LRP1, and then, the changes in Aß clearance were detected again. We injected adeno-associated virus AAV9-SP-A-LRP1 shRNA into the tail vein of DM mice to selectively knock down LRP1 gene expression in cerebral vascular endothelial cells. Then, the cognitive function and the expression levels of Aß and Aß clearance-related proteins in the brains of normal, DM and LRP1 knockdown mice were detected. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, diabetic mice showed impaired cognitive performance, increased deposition of Aß in the brain and decreased expression of LRP1 in the brain microvasculature. In vitro experiments showed that high glucose can downregulate the expression of LRP1 in HBMECs and damage the Aß clearance across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The reduction in the clearance rate of Aß induced by high glucose was reversed by LRP1 overexpression but further substantially decreased when LRP1 was knocked down. CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia can impair Aß efflux in the brain by downregulating the expression of LRP1 in the brain microvasculature, eventually resulting in cognitive impairment.

Relationship of adiposity and body composition to the status of metabolic syndrome among ethnic Chinese Taiwanese.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The predictive power of adiposity and body compositions measured from bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for identifying the risk of metabolic syndrome is unknown among ethnic Chinese. METHODS AND RESULTS: We designed a nested case-control study by recruiting 1000 cases of metabolic syndrome and 986 matched controls from a health checkup center. For identifying the metabolic syndrome status, the highest areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were waist-height ratio (WHtR) (0.967, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.960-0.976). The body fat mass vs. lean body mass and body mass index (BMI) had a similar AUC (0.896 for fat mass vs. lean body mass, 0886 for BMI, P=0.07). WHtR and waist circumference had the highest correctly classified proportions (0.89-0.90) and the highest Youden's index (0.77-0.81). The optimal cut point for WHtR was 52.5, with a sensitivity of 0.92 and specificity of 0.89 for discriminating metabolic syndrome risk. The incremental values of AUC, net reclassification improvement and integrated discrimination improvement values were still highest among WHtR, waist circumference and the percent body fat in the multivariate logistic model. CONCLUSION: Waist circumference and BIA-derived body component measures are suitable for clinical application in identifying the metabolic syndrome status among ethnic Chinese in Taiwan.

Higher peripheral neutrophil and monocyte counts are independent indicators of the presence and severity of proteinuria in apparently normal adults.

BACKGROUND: Proteinuria reflects disrupted renal function in which enhanced immuno-inflammation activity plays a key role. So far, information concerning the relations between proteinuria and peripheral different leucocyte counts is limited. We thereby conducted this study aiming to obtain comprehensive information of the issue. METHODS: Study subjects were participants of a health check programme from 2000 to 2002. Additional two enrolment criteria were (i) leucocyte analysis was checked with a same blood cell counter and (ii) urinalysis showed no pyuria or haematuria. Data of subjects were retrospectively collected and analysed by using sas program. RESULTS: Higher neutrophil and monocyte counts, but not lymphocyte count, were significantly associated with both the presence and the severity of proteinuria (all P < 0.0001, n= 12 225). Such associations maintained significant after adjustments of age, sex, body mass index, mean blood pressure and blood levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol, triglycerides and creatinine (all P< or = 0.001, n= 12 225). There was a sharp increase in the incidence of proteinuria in association with a neutrophil count > or =4.50 x 10(9)/L (P< or = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Our study showed that in apparently normal adults the presence and the severity of proteinuria could be reflected by the peripheral neutrophil and monocyte counts, but not the lymphocyte count. These findings, together with the documented inflammatory basis of proteinuria and the diverse pathophysiological roles of differential leucocytes, suggest that peripheral differential leucocyte counting may be useful in predicting the course of an existing proteinuria. Perspective longitudinal follow-up studies are needed to test this presumption.

Assessment of the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of the management of systolic heart failure in Chinese patients using a home-based intervention.

This study was designed to assess the clinical effect of a home-based telephone intervention in Chinese heart failure patients. A total of 550 Chinese heart failure patients were enrolled into either (i) a group that received the usual standard of care (UC group); or (ii) a group that received a home-based heart failure centre management programme using nursing specialist-led telephone consultations (HFC group). The impact of the home-based intervention on admission rate, admission length and medical costs over 6 months was measured. Although the mean left ventricular ejection fraction in HFC patients was 29.3% compared with 34.8% in UC patients, the home-based intervention resulted in a significantly lower all-cause admission rate per person (HFC 0.60 +/- 0.77 times/person; UC 0.96 +/- 0.85 times/person), a shorter all-cause hospital stay (reduced by 8 days per person) and lower total 6-month medical costs (reduced by US$2682 per patient). These results suggest that the home-based intervention with nursing specialist-led telephone consultations may improve the clinical outcome and provide cost-savings for Chinese patients with heart failure.

The role of miR-99b in mediating hepatocellular carcinoma invasion and migration.

Since this article has been suspected of research misconduct and the corresponding authors did not respond to our request to prove originality of data and figures, "The role of miR-99b in mediating hepatocellular carcinoma invasion and migration, by C.-J. Liu, J.-H. Yang, F.-Z. Huang, J.-H. Yang, C.-P. Liu, X.-H. Mao, W.-M. Yi, X.-B. Shen, C. Peng, M.-F. Chen, B. Jiang, J.-S. Wu, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2018; 22 (8): 2273-2281-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201804_14815-PMID: 29762829" has been withdrawn. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/14815.