The Optimal Primary Treatment for Pediatric Perianal Abscess and Anal Fistula: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundPerianal abscesses and anal fistulas are common. The principle of intention-to-treat has not been considered in previous systemic reviews. Thus, the comparison between primary and post-recurrence management was confused, and the recommendation of primary treatment is obscure. The current study aims to identify the optimal initial treatment for pediatric patients.MethodsUsing PRISMA guidelines, studies were identified from MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar without any language or study design restriction. The inclusion criteria include original articles or articles with original data, studies of management for a perianal abscess with or without anal fistula, and patient age of <18 years. Patients with local malignancy, Crohn's disease, or other underlying predisposing conditions were excluded. Studies without analyzing recurrence, case series of <5, and irrelevant articles were excluded in the screening stage. Of the 124 screened articles, 14 articles had no full texts or detailed information. Articles written in a language other than English or Mandarin were translated by Google Translation first and confirmed with native speakers. After the eligibility process, studies that compared identified primary managements were then included in the qualitative synthesis.ResultsThirty-one studies involving 2507 pediatric patients met the inclusion criteria. The study design consisted of two prospective case series of 47 patients and retrospective cohort studies. No randomized control trials were identified. Meta-analyses for recurrence after initial management were performed with a random-effects model. Conservative treatment and drainage revealed no difference (Odds ratio [OR], 1.222; 95% Confidential interval [CI]: 0.615–2.427, p = 0.567). Conservative management had a higher risk of recurrence than surgery without statistical significance (OR 0.278, 95% CI: 0.109–0.707, p = 0.007). Compared with incision/drainage, surgery can prevent recurrence remarkably (OR 4.360, 95% CI: 1.761–10.792, p = 0.001). Subgroup analysis of different approaches within conservative treatment and operation was not performed for lacking information.ConclusionStrong recommendations cannot be made due to the lack of prospective or randomized controlled studies. However, the current study based on real primary management supports initial surgical intervention for pediatric patients with perianal abscesses and anal fistula to prevent recurrence.Level of evidenceType of study: Systemic review; Evidence level: Level II.     

重庆市万州区274家用人单位职业病危害项目申报现况分析

[摘要]　目的　分析新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情（新冠疫情）暴发前、后2个年度，安庆市流行性感冒（流感）流行的强度和特征。方法　在“中国流感监测信息系统”中选取安庆市2019—2021年度监测数据，分析我市新冠疫情发生前、后的流感样病例就诊百分比、病原学阳性率和聚集性疫情的变化。结果　新冠疫情前、后2个年度，流感样病例就诊百分比分别为4.17%和3.78%，差异有统计学意义（χ2=56.652，P=0.000）；病原学阳性率分别为23.43%和1.15%，差异有统计学意义（χ2=538.694，P=0.000）。新冠疫情前的流感病毒活动呈现双峰分布，新冠疫情后全年仅检出27份流感病毒阳性样本。结论　新冠疫情中采取的严格非药物预防措施，对流感的季节性特征有重要影响。应通过疫苗接种和非药物预防等措施，做好流感防控工作。     

A molecular perspective for the use of type IV tyrosine kinase inhibitors as anticancer therapeutics

Tyrosine kinases are enzymes that can transfer a phosphate group from ATP to a specific protein tyrosine, serine or threonine residue within a cell, operating as a switch that can turn ‘on’ and ‘off’ causing different physiological alterations in the body. Mutated kinases have been shown to display an equilibrium shift toward the activated state. Types I–III have been studied intensively leading to drugs like imatinib (type II), cobimetinib (type III), among others. It is the same scenario for types V–VII; however, there is a lacuna in information regarding type IV inhibitors, although recently some advances have surfaced. This review aims to accumulate the knowledge gained so far about type IV inhibitors.     

Prospective characterization of incident hepatic steatosis in pediatric and adolescent patients after total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation

BackgroundHepatic steatosis has been described as a common finding in adults following total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) but it is unknown if this occurs in children and adolescents.ObjectivesTo define the frequency of post-TPIAT hepatic steatosis in a sample of children and adolescents and to identify clinical predictors of incident steatosis post-TPIAT.MethodsIn this prospective study, consecutive participants at least 1-month post-TPIAT underwent a liver MRI with proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and blood draw at our pediatric academic medical center between April 2021 and January 2022. Comparison clinical pre-TPIAT liver MRI or ultrasound and insulin use and graft function data were extracted from the medical record. T-tests were used for the comparison of means across continuous variables between participants with and without post-TPIAT steatosis.ResultsA total of 20 participants (mean: 13 ± 4 years; 12 female) were evaluated. Mean liver PDFF at research MRI was 7.4 ± 6.2% (range: 2–25%). Seven participants (35%) had categorical hepatic steatosis (PDFF>5%) post-TPIAT, five of whom had pre-TPIAT steatosis, reflecting a 13% (2/15; 95% CI: 2–40%) incidence of post-TPIAT steatosis. Participant characteristics were not significantly different between subgroups with and without post-TPIAT steatosis. Mean PDFF at research MRI was not different between graft function subgroups (7.5% optimal/good vs. 7.3% marginal/failure; p = .96).ConclusionOur study shows a moderate prevalence but low incidence of hepatic steatosis in a small sample of children and adolescents post-TPIAT. This study raises questions about a causal relationship between TPIAT and hepatic steatosis.     

SARS-CoV-2 and cancer: the intriguing and informative cross-talk

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has significantly disrupted and burdened the diagnostic workup and delivery of care, including transfusion, to cancer patients across the globe. Furthermore, cancer patients suffering from solid tumors or hematologic malignancies were more prone to the infection and had higher morbidity and mortality than the rest of the population. Major signaling pathways have been identified at the intersection of SARS-CoV-2 and cancer cells, often leading to tumor progression or alteration of the tumor response to therapy. The reactivation of oncogenic viruses has also been alluded to in the context and following COVID-19. Paradoxically, certain tumors responded better following the profound infection-induced immune modulation. Unveiling the mechanisms of the virus-tumor cell interactions will lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of both cancer progression and virus propagation. It would be challenging to monitor, through the different cancer registries, retrospectively, the response of patients who have been previously exposed to the virus in contrast to those who have not contracted the infection.     

安庆市新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情暴发前后流行性感冒流行特征分析

[摘要]　目的　分析新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情（新冠疫情）暴发前、后2个年度，安庆市流行性感冒（流感）流行的强度和特征。方法　在“中国流感监测信息系统”中选取安庆市2019—2021年度监测数据，分析我市新冠疫情发生前、后的流感样病例就诊百分比、病原学阳性率和聚集性疫情的变化。结果　新冠疫情前、后2个年度，流感样病例就诊百分比分别为4.17%和3.78%，差异有统计学意义（χ2=56.652，P=0.000）；病原学阳性率分别为23.43%和1.15%，差异有统计学意义（χ2=538.694，P=0.000）。新冠疫情前的流感病毒活动呈现双峰分布，新冠疫情后全年仅检出27份流感病毒阳性样本。结论　新冠疫情中采取的严格非药物预防措施，对流感的季节性特征有重要影响。应通过疫苗接种和非药物预防等措施，做好流感防控工作。     

Epidemiologic and socioeconomic factors impacting hepatitis B virus and related hepatocellular carcinoma

Chronic Hepatitis B is a highly prevalent disease worldwide and is estimated to cause more than 800000 annual deaths from complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although universal hepatitis B vaccination programs may have reduced the incidence and prevalence of chronic hepatitis B and related HCC, the disease still imposes a significant healthcare burden in many endemic regions such as Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. This is especially concerning given the global underdiagnosis of hepatitis B and the limited availability of vaccination, screening, and treatment in low-resource regions. Demographics including male gender, older age, ethnicity, and geographic location as well as low socioeconomic status are more heavily impacted by chronic hepatitis B and related HCC. Methods to mitigate this impact include increasing screening in high-risk groups according to national guidelines, increasing awareness and health literacy in vulnerable populations, and developing more robust vaccination programs in under-served regions.