Murine typhus complicated by sHLH mimicking adult-onset Still's disease

IntroductionAdult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare multisystemic disorder and a diagnostic challenge for physicians because of the wide range of differential diagnoses. Common features of AOSD and secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) could favour diagnostic uncertainty, in particular in case of infection-related sHLH.ObservationA 61-year-old man was admitted to our internal medicine department for suspected AOSD. He reported a 2-week history of sudden onset fever, headaches, myalgia, sore throat, diarrhoea, and an erythematous macular rash of the trunk as well as petechial purpuric lesions on both legs on return from Reunion Island. Laboratory tests found cytopenia, hepatic cytolysis, hypertriglyceridaemia, and hyperferritinaemia. Hemophagocytosis was diagnosed on bone marrow aspiration in favour of the diagnosis of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH). Subcutaneous anakinra (100 mg) was initiated to treat sHLH with favourable course. Oral doxycycline was added 3 days later because of atypical features for AOSD diagnosis such as diarrhoea, hypergammaglobulinaemia, and doubtful serologies for Rickettsia and Coxiella. Three weeks later, Rickettsia typhi serology was checked again and revealed an increase in IgG titer > 4 times that confirmed the diagnosis of murine typhus. A diagnosis of murine typhus complicated by sHLH was retained, successfully treated by anakinra and doxycycline.ConclusionOur observation shows that AOSD diagnosis has to be stringent due to the many differential diagnoses, particularly infection complicated by sHLH, which may be rare. It is important to consider murine typhus in patients returning from endemic areas, such as La Reunion or other tropical areas, when they present fever of unknown origin with non-specific clinical features. Moreover, this case illustrates the effectiveness of IL-1 blockers as a treatment for symptomatic sHLH without severity criteria, regardless of the aetiology.     

发热伴血小板减少综合征研究热点的可视化分析

[摘要]　目的　对发热伴血小板减少综合征（severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, SFTS）的相关文献进行文献计量学和可视化分析，探寻近年来的研究现状、热点及趋势，为临床治疗和基础研究提供参考。方法?以Web of Science（WOS）核心合集和中国知网（China national knowledge infrastructure, CNKI）数据库为文献来源，检索2011年1月1日—2021年12月31日有关SFTS的文献，导入CiteSpace.5.7.R2软件，以国家、作者、文献共被引、关键词为节点进行可视化分析，并绘制相关图谱。结果?在WOS核心合集共检索到797篇文献，在CNKI数据库共检索到714篇文献。相关领域发文量总体呈上升趋势，中国发文量居首位，美国和日本之间机构合作密切。研究热点集中在发病机制、抗体、特异性治疗等领域。非结构蛋白、临床预后、血小板减少、SFTS感染的靶细胞等将是未来的研究重点。结论?国内外关于SFTS的研究逐渐成熟，新型布尼亚病毒、免疫功能、预后是研究重点，但是对SFTS发病机制和病毒受体尚不清楚，仍须进一步探索。     

Pure laparoscopic living donor liver transplantation: Dreams come true

Minimally invasive approaches are increasingly being applied in surgeries and have recently been used in living donor hepatectomy. We have developed a safe and reproducible method for minimally invasive living donor liver transplantation, which consists of pure laparoscopic explant hepatectomy and pure laparoscopic implantation of the graft, which was inserted through a suprapubic incision. Pure laparoscopic explant hepatectomy without liver fragmentation was performed in a 60-year-old man with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The explanted liver was retrieved through a suprapubic incision. A modified right liver graft, procured from his 24-year-old son using the pure laparoscopic method, was inserted through a suprapubic incision, and implantation was performed intracorporeally throughout the procedure. The time required to remove the liver was 369 min, and the total operative time was 960 min. No complications occurred during or after the surgery. The patient recovered well, and his hospital stay was of 11 days. Pure laparoscopic living donor liver transplantation from explant hepatectomy to implantation was performed successfully. It is a feasible procedure when performed by a highly experienced surgeon and transplantation team. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm its safety and feasibility.

     

外柱细胞软化对Corti器感音影响的生物力学研究

Corti器的感音过程容易受到内部结构属性变化的影响。外柱细胞血管舒张刺激磷蛋白缺失会减缓肌动蛋白丝的形成,从而产生听力延迟。本研究运用COMSOL建立三维有限元模型研究肌动蛋白缺失导致外柱细胞软化时,Corti器感音过程中基底膜和外毛细胞与Deiters细胞结合点的力学行为变化。结果表明,外柱细胞软化会削弱外毛细胞主动力对基底膜位移增益的放大作用,但削弱作用并不会立即产生,Corti器存在维持正常功能的"缓冲"阶段。在100 dB和120 dB之间可能存在一个声压级临界值,在该临界值两侧外柱细胞软化对基底膜应力变化的影响是截然相反的。另外外柱细胞软化对不同外毛细胞与Deiters细胞结合点力学行为的影响也不同,位移增益优先级会因此产生改变。     

Medicinal nicotine in COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome,the new corticosteroid

The cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) refers to the anti-inflammatory effects mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system. Existence of this pathway was first demonstrated when acetylcholinesterase inhibitors showed benefits in animal models of sepsis. CAP functions via the vagus nerve. The systemic anti-inflammatory effects of CAP converges on the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor on splenic macrophages, leading to suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and simultaneous stimulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 10. CAP offers a novel mechanism to mitigate inflammation. Electrical vagal nerve stimulation has shown benefits in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Direct agonists like nicotine and GTS-1 have also demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties in models of sepsis and acute respiratory distress syndrome, as have acetylcholinesterase inhibitors like Galantamine and Physostigmine. Experience with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced acute respiratory distress syndrome indicates that immunomodulators have a protective role in patient outcomes. Dexamethasone is the only medication currently in use that has shown to improve clinical outcomes. This is likely due to the suppression of what is referred to as a cytokine storm, which is implicated in the lethality of viral pneumonia. Nicotine transdermal patch activates CAP and harvests its anti-inflammatory potential by means of an easily administered depot delivery mechanism. It could prove to be a promising, safe and inexpensive additional tool in the currently limited armamentarium at our disposal for management of COVID-19 induced acute hypoxic respiratory failure.