Outcomes and factors associated with early mortality in pediatric postcardiotomy veno‐arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Mortality and morbidity of children received veno‐arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA‐ECMO) support after cardiac surgery remain high despite remarkable advances in medical management and devices. The purpose of this study was to describe outcomes and risk factors of applying VA‐ECMO in the surgical pediatric population. We retrospectively analyzed 85 consecutive pediatric patients (aged <18 years) who received postcardiotomy VA‐ECMO from January 2010 to December 2018. Median (IQR) age at ECMO implantation in this cohort was 12.7 (6.4, 43.2) months, median weight was 8.5 (6.0, 12.8) kg, mean ECMO duration was 143.2 ± 81.6 hours and mean hospital length of stay was 48.4 ± 32.4 days. Seventy‐five patients (88.2%) were indicated for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock. The successful ECMO weaning rate was 70.6% and in‐hospital mortality was 52.9%. The most common diagnosis was transposition of great arteries (n = 18, 21.2%), while acute kidney injury occurred most often (n = 64, 75.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that thrombocytopenia, hemolysis, and nosocomial infection were positively correlated with in‐hospital mortality. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis presented that thrombocytopenia significantly increased the 180‐day mortality in patients with successful weaning. Therefore, multiple factors had adverse effects on prognosis. Patient selection and procedures from ECMO implantation to weaning need to be closely monitored and performed in a timely manner to improve outcome.     

Pyriform sinus fistula in children: A comparison of endoscopic-assisted surgery and endoscopic radiofrequency ablation

BackgroundPyriform sinus fistula (PSF) is a rare congenital anomaly, and the preferred definitive treatment is yet to be verified. In this study, we investigated the treatment outcomes of PSF specifically comparing endoscopic-assisted surgery and endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (RA).MethodsThe medical records of patients treated for PSF at the Shanghai Children's Hospital between October 2016 and September 2019 were retrospectively evaluated.ResultsThere were 93 girls and 98 boys. The median age at onset and operation was 3 years and 5 years, respectively. Endoscopic-assisted surgery was performed in 143 patients. During the same period, RA was performed in 48 patients, and 10 of them concurrently underwent incision and drainage of neck abscesses. Longer hospital stay was found in the endoscopic-assisted surgery group than in the RA group (10.50 ± 3.93 vs. 5.02 ± 3.30 days, P < 0.001). Postoperative complications were not significantly different between the two groups, except for neck infection (0 vs. 8.3%, P = 0.004). After a median follow-up period of 21 months, no significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of recurrence (1.4% vs. 0, P = 0.560).ConclusionPatients treated with RA had a significantly shorter hospital stay than those treated with endoscopic-assisted surgery. Outcomes of endoscopic-assisted surgery and RA were not significantly different for the management of PSF and treatment method should be tailored to the patient.Level of evidenceIV.     

加味双柏凝胶贴膏质量研究及安全性考察

目的：建立加味双柏凝胶贴膏中黄柏、冰片、大黄的薄层色谱法（TLC）,对其质量稳定性进行考察,并初步评价加味双柏凝胶贴膏敷贴的用药安全性。方法：通过TLC对加味双柏凝胶贴膏处方中的黄柏、冰片、大黄进行鉴别,采用加速试验、长期试验和影响因素试验考察其稳定性,试验以新西兰兔为模型进行多次皮肤刺激试验,以Hartley豚鼠为模型进行主动皮肤过敏试验和豚鼠Buehler试验,观察凝胶贴膏的皮肤刺激作用和致敏作用。结果：TLC中色谱斑点清晰、特征明显且阴性对照无干扰。3批产品在长期试验和加速试验中均具有较好的稳定性,加味双柏凝胶贴膏对新西兰兔皮肤无刺激性,对豚鼠皮肤无过敏性。结论：建立的TLC可作为加味双柏凝胶贴膏的质量控制方法,加味双柏凝胶贴膏是一种较安全的新型外用制剂且制剂质量稳定可控。     

复杂受力下股骨应力分析

目的对人体在行走时身体发生扭曲、跌倒等情况下股骨可能发生在弯矩和压力复合荷载作用下的受力问题进行研究,为人工股骨头置换的设计和手术提供指导。方法应用大型通用有限元软件ANSYS进行受力分析,根据人体股骨的实际尺寸,采用plate42单元建立平面模型,将股骨头传递的关节力的作用点向外偏移为0mm、5mm、10mm、15mm,模拟股骨头受弯矩作用的情况下股骨应力分布。结果得出了在弯压复合荷载下股骨的变形、应力云图、股骨颈和股骨干上端的截面应力。结论股骨颈存在较大的应力集中现象,股骨颈外侧承受较大的拉应力,股骨颈内侧承受较大的压应力,股骨干在垂直方向上外侧为拉应力,内侧为压应力。随着弯矩的增加股骨的应力有明显增加。     

美国临床遗传学进展

第四讲 不孕症及高风险妊娠 临床遗传学医生的另一项重要职责是通过以下多种措施提供优生优育的建议和指导：①不孕症的病因诊断；②试管婴儿的产前及孕前咨询；③产前筛查及普查；④携带者的检出及产前咨询；⑤超声波的应用及所带来的困惑；⑥产前诊断及手段。     

Bacterial expression of immunoglobulin VH proteins

A bacterial expression system in Escherichia coli has been developed that produces as much as 10 mg/l of culture of the VH protein associated with monoclonal antibodies specific for the 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-2-sulfonyl (Dns) group. This system has been applied to the expression of the VH genes derived from a low-affinity, IgM-producing hybridoma and from a high-affinity, IgG-producing cell line. The plasmid vectors (contributed by Dr William F. Studier) utilize a T7 expression cassette whose activity is initiated by infection with a lambda phage derivative carrying the T7 RNA polymerase gene. The VH proteins were extracted from the bacterial pellet in 8 M urea and purified by chromatography in 8 M urea. Recombinants with the homologous light (L) chains were prepared to yield VHL molecules. These were used to measure intrinsic affinity for Dns-lysine by resonance energy transfer. The association constants were 7 x 10(6) M-1 and 7 x 10(9) M-1 for the low- and high-affinity systems, respectively. These values are not significantly different from those observed with monoclonal antibodies secreted from the corresponding cell lines. This system lends itself to the quantitative evaluation of the binding properties of the VH protein itself as well as the modulation of affinity by site-directed mutagenesis.     

Pretreatment with Tongxinluo protects porcine myocardium from ischaemia/reperfusion injury through a nitric oxide related mechanism

Background The traditional Chinese medicine Tongxinluo can protect myocardium against ischaemia/reperfusion injury, but the mechanism of its action is not well documented. We examined the involvement of nitric oxide in the protective role of Tongxinluo. Methods Miniswine were randomized to four groups of seven: sham, control, Tongxinluo and Tongxinluo coadministration with a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nω-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 10 mg/kg i.v.). Three hours after administration of Tongxinluo, the animals were anaesthetised and the left anterior descending coronary artery ligated and maintained in situ for 90 minutes followed by 3 hours of reperfusion before death. Area of no reflow and necrosis and risk region were determined pathologically by planimetry. The degree of neutrophil accumulation in myocardium was obtained by measuring myeloperoxidase activity and histological analysis. Myocardial endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and vascular endothelial cadherin content were measured by colorimetric method and immunoblotting analysis respectively.Results Tongxinluo significantly increased the local blood flow and limited the infarct and size of no reflow. Tongxinluo also attenuated myeloperoxidase activity and neutrophil accumulation in histological sections and maintained the level of vascular endothelial cadherin and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity in the reflow region when compared with control group. The protection of Tongxinluo was counteracted by coadministration with L-NNA. Conclusions Tongxinluo may limit myocardial ischaemia and protect the heart against reperfusion injury. Tongxinluo regulates synthesis of nitric oxide by altering activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase.     

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in the patients with hematologic malignancies and solid tumors

Objective To evaluate the long-term therapeutic effects of autologous peripheral blood st em cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) on the treatment of hematological and soli d tumors. Methods Fifty-one patients were recruited in this auto-PBSCT study, in which several p otentially important parameters were studied including the optimal time for stem cell co llection, the dose of stem cell reinfusion, the time of hematopoietic reconsti tution, the disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), complication s related to transplantation, and maintenance chemotherapy after auto-PBSCT. Results After APBSCT, 3-year and 5-year survival rates of NHL were 83.3%; those of AM L were 74.7%; those of MM were 37.9% and 19%; those of ALL were 40% and 0% res pectively. Hematopoietic reconstitution was greatly promoted by granulocyte col ony stimulating factor (G-CSF). The mean time for patients’ neutrophil to reco ver up to &gt;0.5×10(9) /L after APBSCT was 11.14 days in the group of the patien ts receiving G-CSF in contrast to 17.6 days in the group receiving no G-CSF. The most common complications of transplantation were fever, liver dysfunction and hypokalaemia, which were curable. No death was due to transplantation related complications.Conclusion Comparing with conventional chemotherapy, our study suggests that auto-PBSCT i s a very important therapeutic option that can significantly improve the prognos is in the patients with hematological and solid tumors, especially in the patien ts with AML and NHL.