Establishment of Multiple Locus Variable-number Tandem Repeat Analysis Assay for Genotyping of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato Detected in China

Objective Human Lyme Borreliosis （LB）, which is caused by Borrefia burgdorferi sensu lato （B. burgdorferi）, has been identified as a major arthropod-borne infectious disease in China. We aimed to develop a multiple locus variable-number tandem repeat （VNTR） analysis （MLVA） assay for the genotyping of Borrelia burgdorJ：eri strains detected in China. Methods B. garinii PBi complete 904.246 kb chromosome and two plasmids （cp26 and Ip54） were screened by using Tandem Repeats Finder program for getting potential VNTR loci, the potential VNTR loci were analyzed and identified with PCR and the VNTR loci data were analyzed and MLVA clustering tree were constrcted by using the categorical coefficient and the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means （UPGMA）. Results We identified 5 new VNTR loci through analyzing 47 potential VNTR loci. We used the MLVA protocol to analyse 101 B. burgdorferi strains detected in China and finally identified 51 unique genotypes in 4 major clusters including B. burgdorferi sensu stricto （B.b.s.s）, B. garinii, B. a[zelii, and B. valaisiana, consistent with the current MLSA phylogeny studies. The allele numbers of VNTR-1, VNTR-2, VNTR-3, VNTR-4, and VNTR-5 were 7, 3, 9, 7, and 6. The Hunter-Gaston index （HGI） of five VNTR loci were 0.79, 0.22, 0.77, 0.71, and 0.67, respectively. The combined HGI of five VNTR loci was 0.96. Clustering of the strains of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang was confirmed, and this situation was consistent with the close geographical distribution of those provinces. Conclusion The MLVA protocol esytablished in this study is easy and can show strains＇ phylogenetic relationships to distinguish the strains of Borrelia species. It is useful for further phylogenetic and epidemiological analyses of Borrelia strains.     

失败种植体的拔除方法

目前种植修复已经成为修复牙列缺损或缺失的常规治疗方法之一。种植体植入并形成骨结合后,部分种植体可能因无保留意义（折裂、种植体未植入正确的三维位置致无法修复、种植体周围炎等）需要拔除。本文回顾了拔除失败种植体的不同方法,并讨论各种方法的局限性及其在操作过程中可能出现的并发症。     

Evaluation of adalimumab biosimilar candidate (HS016) in Chinese patients with active ankylosing spondylitis based on a health survey: sub-analysis of a phase 3 study

Clinical Rheumatology - The equivalence of the biosimilar HS016 to adalimumab (Humira) for the treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients has been previously validated. The aim was to...     

Mental Health Multimorbidity among Caregivers of Older Adults During the COVID-19 Epidemic

ObjectiveTo investigate mental health status and associated factors among caregivers of older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic in China.MethodsFrom March 1 to 31, 2020, 916 caregivers of older adults participated in an online cross-sectional survey on the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. The seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was administered to measure anxiety symptoms, the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) was used to assess depressive symptoms, and a self-developed questionnaire was used to assess sleep quality and duration. Six questions about COVID-19-related experiences were used to assess community-level infection contact and the level of exposure to media information. The prevalence rates of anxiety, depression and sleep problems were computed. The Wald χ² were applied to compare the differences between subgroups. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate factors associated with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and multimorbidity.ResultsThe prevalence rates of anxiety, depression, and sleep problems were 46.8%, 29.8%, and 10.8%, respectively. Approximately 263 participants (28.7%) presented with two or more mental health problems. Being female (OR, 2.254; 95% CI, 1.510–3.363), having community-level COVID-19 contact (OR, 1.856; 95% CI, 1.189–2.898), and having a mental disorder (OR, 3.610; 95% CI, 1.644–7.930) were associated with increased risk of multimorbidity among caregivers. Caregivers who preferred positive information (OR, 0.652; 95% CI, 0.472–0.899) had reduced risk of multimorbidity.ConclusionAnxiety and depression were common among caregivers of older adults during the COVID-19 epidemic. Being female and having community-level COVID-19 contact were independent risk factors for experiencing multiple mental health problems. Preexisting mental disorders increased the risk of multimorbidity among caregivers, while enhanced access to positive media information decreased the risk of multimorbidity.