Endocarditis with ruptured cerebral aneurysm caused by Cardiobacterium valvarum sp. nov

A fastidious gram-negative bacterium was isolated from the blood of a 37-year-old man who had insidious endocarditis with a sudden rupture of a cerebral aneurysm. Characterization of the organism through phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses revealed a novel species of Cardiobacterium, for which the name Cardiobacterium valvarum sp. nov. is proposed. C. valvarum will supplement the current sole species Cardiobacterium hominis, a known cause of endocarditis. Surgeries and antibiotic treatment cured the patient's infection and associated complications. During cardiac surgery, a congenital bicuspid aortic valve was found to be the predisposing factor for his endocarditis.     

多种金属离子与单宁酸反应媒染微血管的对比研究

目的　镜下观察单宁酸与金属盐溶液中Ca2 + 、Au+ 、Ag+ 、Pb2 + 、Cu2 + 、Al3 + 、U6+ 、K+ 联用显示大脑微血管的效果。方法　用单宁酸媒染固定液灌流大鼠 ,取脑切片 ,入氯化钙、氯化金、硝酸银、硝酸铅、硫酸铜、硫酸铝钾、醋酸双氧铀、高锰酸钾和重铬酸钾等溶液中呈色。结果　单宁酸与Ca2 + 、Cu2 + 、Ag+ 、Al3 + 结合显示血管清晰 ,与Au+ 、U6+ 、Pb2 + 、K+ 联用媒染血管效果欠佳。结论　含Ca2 + 、Cu2 + 、Ag+ 、Al3 + 的金属盐类可替代氯化铁媒染微血管 ,氯化金、醋酸双氧铀、硝酸铅、重铬酸钾和高锰酸钾不宜与单宁酸联用来显示血管     

Brachydactyly type A3 is caused by a novel 13 bp HOXD13 frameshift deletion in a Chinese family

Brachydactyly type A (BDA) is defined as short middle phalanges of the affected digits and is subdivided into four types (BDA1‐4). To date, the molecular cause is unknown. However, there is some evidence that pathogenic variants of HOXD13 could be associated with BDA3 and BDA4. Here, we report a Chinese autosomal dominant BDA3 pedigree with a novel HOXD13 mutation. The affected individuals presented with an obviously shorter fifth middle phalanx. The radial side of the middle phalanx was shorter than the ulnar side, and the terminal phalanx of the fifth finger inclined radially and formed classical clinodactyly. Interestingly, the index finger was normal. The initial diagnosis was BDA3. However, the distal third and fourth middle phalanges were also slightly affected, resulting in mild radial clinodactyly. Both feet showed shortening of the middle phalanges, which were fused to the distal phalanges of the second to the fifth toes, as reported in BDA4. Therefore, this pedigree had combined BDA3 and atypical BDA4. By direct sequencing, a 13 bp deletion within exon 1 of HOXD13 (NM_000523.4: c.708_720del13; NP_000514.2: p.Gly237fs) was identified. The 13 bp deletion resulted in a frameshift and premature termination of HOXD13. This study provides further evidences that variants in HOXD13 cause BDA3‐BDA4 phenotypes.     

Correlation of preS antigens and clinical status during chronic hepatitis B virus infection

The serum kinetics of preS1 and preS2 antigens has been evaluated in 38 serial samples from eight patients with chronic active (CAH) or chronic persistent (CPH) hepatitis, followed for 2–7 years (mean 4.4 years) in whom liver biopsy was performed at intervals, and in 46 samples from ten asymptomatic HBsAg carriers followed for 4–5 years (mean 4.6 years). Four patterns of preS behaviour have been observed: (1) persistently positive preS1 and preS2; (2) disappearance of preS2; (3) disappearance of both preS1 and preS2; and (4) persistently negative preS1 and preS2. Pattern 4 has been observed exclusively among healthy carriers, while seven out of eight chronic patients exhibited either pattern 1 or 2. Among the chronic patients, preS2 disappearance was accompanied or followed by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization. The correlation of preS antigens with conventional viral replication markers showed that 100% of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA-positive and 86.6% of HBeAg-positive sera were preS1/preS2 positive, while 61% of HBV-DNA-negative and 64% of HBeAg-negative sera were preS1/preS2 negative. Our data suggest that continuous monitoring of preS antigens in follow-up sera will allow for an improved prognostic evaluation of chronic HBV infection.     

A method that allows easy characterization of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

A method was developed to compare the lymphocytic infiltrates in regressing vs. progressing experimental mouse tumors using a model for human papillomavirus-16 (HPV-16) oncoprotein-linked cancer. Tumor cells mixed with matrigel, composed of natural matrix substances that provide a basement membrane structure for adherent cells, were inoculated into mice vaccinated with an efficacious vaccine to the E7 oncoprotein or a vaccine to a control antigen. The tumor cells remained within the solidified gel and recruited a cellular infiltrate that could readily be analyzed upon removal of the gelatinous mass containing progressing or regressing tumors. The results show that tumors recruit activated CD8(+) T cells regardless of their antigen specificity. In regressing tumors expressing an appropriate target antigen for the vaccine-induced CD8(+) T cells, a strong increase of the tumor antigen-specific T cell population was observed over time. Progressing tumors that lacked the target antigen for the activated CD8(+) T cell population did not show this selective enrichment.     

2010—2019年中国居民四类慢性非传染病的死亡趋势及差别分解分析

目的 分析2010—2019年我国居民4类主要慢性病（恶性肿瘤、糖尿病、心血管疾病和呼吸系统疾病）的死亡率变化趋势及影响其变化的因素。方法 数据来自全国疾病监测系统死亡数据资料,运用Joinpoint模型计算死亡率的年度平均变化百分比（AAPC）和年度变化百分比（APC）,并用死亡率差别分解法解释该趋势变化的影响因素。结果 2010—2019年我国居民四种慢性病的粗死亡率由456.22/10万上升至556.00/10万,标化死亡率由541.40/10万降至419.83/10万。死亡率变化是人口构成和其它危险因素共同作用的结果,其中人口构成因素促进了恶性肿瘤、糖尿病、心血管疾病和呼吸系统疾病死亡率的上升,贡献值分别48.52/10万、5.12/10万、135.28/10万、38.39/10万;其它危险因素促进糖尿病死亡率上升,而驱使另3种慢性病死亡率下降,贡献值分别- 23.11/10万、1.27/10万、- 55.87/10万、- 49.83/10万。结论 我国综合防控重大慢性病造成的死亡取得一定成效,但与此同时随着老龄化加剧,上述疾病依然是引发死亡的主要原因,卫生健康事业发展面临严峻挑战。     

Free Sugars Intake among Chinese Adolescents and Its Association with Dental Caries: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aims to estimate the free sugars intake, identify the primary food sources of free sugars, and explore the relationship between free sugars intake and dental caries among Chinese adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 1517 middle-school students aged 12–14 years in Changsha city, China. Adolescents completed a 12-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and oral health assessment. The students’ dental caries experience was available as DMFT score (number of decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth). Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression model. The average intake of free sugars was 53.1 g/d in adolescents, and 43.2% of the students consumed more than 50 g of free sugars daily. The primary contributor to free sugars was sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Age, boarders, and high family income were risk factors for excessive free sugars intake (p < 0.05), and increased free sugars intake was a risk factor for dental caries (odds ratio, OR = 1.446, 95% confidence interval: 1.138–1.839). Both the free sugars intake and dental caries prevalence in Chinese adolescents were high. Targeted interventions are urgently needed to address the excessive consumption of free sugars and improve Chinese adolescents’ oral health.