The modified systemic inflammation score is a predictor of ICU admission of COVID-19 patients

Objective:To evaluate the effect of the modified systemic inflammation score(mSIS)on prognosis in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.Methods:In this retrospective cross-sectional study,181 patients were selected and divided into two groups:patients with and without admission to the intensive care unit(ICU).An albumin level of≥4.0 g/dL and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio(LMR)of≥3.4 was scored 0,an albumin level of<4.0 g/dL or LMR of<3.4 was scored 1,and an albumin level of<4.0 g/dL and LMR of<3.4 was scored 2.Results:A total of 242 COVID-19 positive patients were initially included in this study.Of these patients,61 were excluded and 181 patients remained.Among the 181 participants,94(51.9%)were female,and the median age was 61(51,75)years.The mSIS scale ranged from 0 to 2.After analysis,the median score was 0(0,0)in the non-ICU group and 2(0,2)in the ICU group(P<0.001).The median white blood cell,lymphocyte counts,and albumin levels were lower in the ICU group(P<0.001,P<0.001,and P<0.001,respectively).In logistic regression analysis lymphocytopenia(OR=5.158,95%CI=1.249-21.304,P=0.023),hypoalbuminemia(OR=49.921,95%CI=1.843-1352.114,P=0.020),AST elevation(OR=3.939,95%CI=1.017-15.261,P=0.047),and mSIS=2(OR=5.853,95%CI=1.338-25.604,P=0.019)were identified as independent predictors of ICU admission.Conclusion:The mSIS can be used as an independent parameter for establishing the intensive care needs of patients with COVID-19.

Poor performance of the modified early warning score for predicting mortality in critically ill patients presenting to an emergency department

BACKGROUND:This study was undertaken to validate the use of the modified early warning score(MEWS) as a predictor of patient mortality and intensive care unit(ICU)/ high dependency(HD)admission in an Asian population.METHODS:The MEWS was applied to a retrospective cohort of 1 024 critically ill patients presenting to a large Asian tertiary emergency department(ED) between November 2006 and December2007.Individual MEWS was calculated based on vital signs parameters on arrival at ED.Outcomes of mortality and ICU/HD admission were obtained from hospital records.The ability of the composite MEWS and its individual components to predict mortality within 30 days from ED visit was assessed.Sensitivity,specificity,positive and negative predictive values were derived and compared with values from other cohorts.A MEWS of ≥4 was chosen as the cut-off value for poor prognosis based on previous studies.RESULTS:A total of 311(30.4%) critically ill patients were presented with a MEWS ≥4.Their mean age was 61.4 years(SD 18.1) with a male to female ratio of 1.10.Of the 311 patients,53(17%)died within 30 days,64(20.6%) were admitted to ICU and 86(27.7%) were admitted to HD.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.71 with a sensitivity of 53.0%and a specificity of 72.1%in addition to a positive predictive value(PPV) of 17.0%and a negative predictive value(NPV)of 93.4%(MEWS cut-off of ≥4) for predicting mortality.CONCLUSION:The composite MEWS did not perform well in predicting poor patient outcomes for critically ill patients presenting to an ED.

Predictors of short-term outcome in patients with acute middle cerebral artery occlusion: unsuitability of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vascular hyperintensity scores

Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery （FLAIR） vascular hyperintensity （FVH） is used to assess leptomeningeal collateral circulation, but clinical outcomes of patients with FVH can be very different. The aim of the present study was to assess a FVH score and explore its relationship with clinical outcomes. Patients with acute ischemic stroke due to middle cerebral artery M1 occlusion underwent magnetic resonance imaging and were followed up at 10 days （National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale） and 90 days （modified Rankin Scale） to determine short-term clinical outcomes. Effective collateral circulation indirectly improved recovery of neurological function and short-term clinical outcome by extending the size of the pial penumbra and reducing infarct lesions. FVH score showed no correlation with 90-day functional clinical outcome and was not sufficient as an independent predictor of short-term clinical outcome.

Risk factors for occult metastasis detected by inflammation-based prognostic scores and tumor markers in biliary tract cancer

BACKGROUND Radiological detection of small liver metastasis or peritoneal metastasis is still difficult,and some patients with biliary tract cancer(BTC)are unresectable after laparotomy.Staging laparoscopy may help avoid unnecessary laparotomy.However,which category of BTC is amenable with staging laparoscopy remains unclear.AIM To clarify the risk factors for occult metastasis in patients with BTC.METHODS Medical records of patients with BTC who underwent surgery at our institution between January 2008 and June 2014 were retrospectively reviewed.The patients were divided into two groups,according to resection or exploratory laparotomy(EL).Preoperative laboratory data,including inflammation-based prognostic scores and tumor markers,were compared between the two groups.Prognostic importance of detected risk factors was also evaluated.RESULTS A total of 236 patients were enrolled in this study.Twenty-six(11%)patients underwent EL.Among the EL patients,there were 16 cases of occult metastasis(7 liver metastases and 9 abdominal disseminations).Serum carcinoembryonic antigen level,carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level,neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and modified Glasgow prognostic score were significantly higher in the EL group than in the resected group,and these factors were prognostic.Among these factors,carcinoembryonic antigen>7 ng/mL was the most useful to predict occult metastasis in BTC.When patients have more than three of these positive factors,the rate of occult metastasis increases.CONCLUSION Inflammation-based prognostic scores and tumor markers are useful in detecting occult metastasis in BTC;based on these factors,staging laparoscopy may reduce the rate of EL.

Electro-acupuncture at Conception and Governor vessels and transplantation of umbilical cord bloodderived mesenchymal stem cells for treating cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Mesenchymal stem cell transplantation is a novel means of treating cerebral ischemia/reper- fusion, and can promote angiogenesis and neurological functional recovery. Acupuncture at Conception and Governor vessels also has positive effects as a treatment for cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion. Therefore, we hypothesized that electro-acupuncture at Conception and Governor vessels plus mesenchymal stem cell transplantation may have better therapeutic effects on the promotion of angiogenesis and recovery of neurological function than either treatment alone. In the present study, human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells were isolated, cultured, identified and intracranially transplanted into the striatum and subcortex of rats at 24 hours following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion. Subsequently, rats were electro-acupunctured at Conception and Governor vessels at 24 hours after transplantation. Modified neurological severity scores and immunohistochemistry findings revealed that the combined interventions of electro-acupuncture and mesenchymal stem cell transplantation clearly improved neurological impairment and up-regulated vascular endothelial growth factor expression around the isch- emic focus. The combined intervention provided a better outcome than mesenchymal stem cell transplantation alone. These findings demonstrate that electro-acupuncture at Conception and Governor vessels and mesenchymal stem cell transplantation have synergetic effects on promot- ing neurological function recovery and angiogenesis in rats after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.

Inflammatory response related scoring systems in assessing the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma:a systematic review

BACKGROUND： Various scoring systems based on assessment of the systemic inflammatory response help assessing the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.In the present systematic review we evaluated the validity of four pre-intervention scoring systems： Glasgow prognostic score（GPS） and its modified version（mGPS）, platelet lymphocyte ratio（PLR）, neutrophil lymphocyte ratio（NLR）, and prognostic nutrition index（PNI）.DATA SOURCES： MOOSE guidelines were followed and EMBASE and MEDLINE databases were searched for all published studies until September 2013 using comprehensive text word and MeSH terms. All identified studies were analyzed, and relevant studies were included in the systematic review.RESULTS： Six studies were identified for GPS/mGPS with3 reporting statistical significance for GPS/mGPS on both univariate analysis（UVA） and multivariate analysis（MVA）.Two studies suggested prognostic significance on UVA but not MVA, and in the final study UVA failed to show significance.Eleven studies evaluated the prognostic value of NLR. Six of them reported prognostic significance for NLR on UVA that persisted at MVA in 4 studies, and in the remaining 2 studies NLR was the only significant factor on UVA. In the remaining5 studies, all in patients undergoing resection, there was no significance on UVA. Seven studies evaluated PLR, with only one study demonstrated its prognostic significance on both UVAand MVA, the rest did not show the significance on UVA. Of the two studies identified for PNI, one demonstrated a statistically significant difference in survival on both UVA and MVA, and the other reported no significance for PNI on UVA.CONCLUSIONS： Both GPS/mGPS and NLR may be useful but further better-designed studies are required to confirm their value. PLR might be little useful, and there are at present inadequate data to assess the prognostic value of PNI. At present, no scoring system is reliable enough to be accepted into routine use for the prognosis of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Drug-induced erythroderma in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

BACKGROUND: To explore the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome(AIDS) complicated with drug-induced erythroderma.METHODS: The clinical data of 12 AIDS patients with drug-induced erythroderma in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The general information, offending medications, complications, modified severity-of-illness score for toxic epidermal necrolysis(SCORTEN) scores, and disease outcome spectrums were analyzed.RESULTS: Drug-induced erythroderma was mostly caused by antiviral drugs, antituberculosis drugs, antibiotics, traditional Chinese medicine, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The spectrum of sensitizing drugs was broad, the clinical situation was complex, and infections were common. The affected areas were greater than 40% body surface area in all patients. The modified SCOTERN score averaged 3.01±0.99. All patients were treated with glucocorticoids, and nine patients were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG) pulse therapy at the same time. The average time to effectiveness was 7.08±2.23 days, and the average hospital stay was 17.92±8.46 days. Eleven patients were cured, and one patient died of secondary multiple infections, who had a modified SCORTEN score of 5 points. The mortality rate in this study was 8.3%.CONCLUSIONS: The clinical situation of AIDS patients with drug-induced erythroderma in hospitalized patients is complex and the co-infection rate is high. The use of modified SCORTEN score may objectively and accurately assess the conditions, and the use of glucocorticoid combined with IVIG therapy may improve the prognosis.

Effect of acupuncture on cerebral hematoma volume and HO-1 expression in rats with acute cerebral hemorrhage

Objective:To explore the effect of acupuncture on the expression of heme oxygenase-1 in rats with acute cerebral hemorrhage.Methods:108 Wistar male rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,and acupuncture combined with model group(referred to as acupuncture group).Each group was divided into 3 subgroups according to 1d,3d and 7d,with 6 rats in each subgroup.The rat model of cerebral hemorrhage was established by autologous blood injection.Acupuncture was given at Baihui(GU20)and Qubin(GB7).Separately,at the 1st,3rd and 7th day,modified neurological severity score was used to evaluate the neurological function of rats,HE staining was used to measure the volume of cerebral hematoma and western blot was used to detect the expression of heme oxygenase-1 protein in cerebral hematoma tissue.Results:Compared with the model group,at each time point,the modified neurological severity score of the acupuncture group was significantly reduced(P<0.01);at the two time points of 3rd and 7th day,the cerebral hematoma volume of the acupuncture group was significantly reduced(P<0.05)and the expression of heme oxygenase-1 protein in brain tissue was significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion:Acupuncture may promote the expression of heme oxygenase-1 protein,reduce the volume of hematoma and the score of neurological deficit in rats with intracerebral hemorrhage,improve the performance of neurological deficit,and play a role in brain protection.

Treatment of Acute Cutaneous Leishmaniasis by Oral Zinc Sulfate and Oral Ketocanazole Singly and in Combination

Background: Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is an endemic disease in many countries and caused by different species of Leishmania parasite. It results in a deformed scar after a relatively long period. Many therapies have been tried in treatment of this disease. Objective: To compare the effect of oral zinc sulfate and oral ketoconazole singly and in combination in the treatment of acute cutaneous leishmaniasis. Patients and Methods: This single, blinded, therapeutic, controlled study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology, Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, during the period, January 2015 to July 2015. Seventy-five patients with acute CL were enrolled in this study. The total numbers of lesions were 327, and the duration of lesions ranged from 4 to 12 (6.9 ± 0.7) weeks. The diagnosis was confirmed by smear and histopathology. Patients were divided into three groups: 24 patients in Group A were treated with oral zinc sulfate capsules 10 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks;24 patients in Group B were treated with ketoconazole tablets 200 mg twice daily for 6 weeks and 27 patients in Group C were treated orally with a combination of zinc sulfate and ketoconazole for 6 weeks. All patients were seen regularly every 2 weeks for 6 weeks of treatment period, then monthly for the next three months as follow up period. Healing of the lesions was assessed by using Sharquie’s modified Leishmania score to assess the objective response to the topical or systemic therapy. Results:After six weeks, 75 patients have completed the treatment, 24patients received zinc sulfate capsule, 24 patients received oral ketoconazole and 27 patients received a combination of both treatments. The cure rate was (60%) in the group receiving oral zinc sulfate capsuleand (50%) in the one receiving oral ketoconazole tablet (P = 0.146) and (96%) in the combination group (P ? 0.04). Conclusion: The combination therapy using oral zinc sulfate and oral ketoconazole gave a high cure rate. The combination therapy is a new mode of therapy as both drugs act in a synergistic way.

Association of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide with the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction

Backround N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） is a reliable predictor in acute coronary artery disease （CAD）. Little is known about patients with stable CAD, especially Chinese patients with CAD. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of NT-proBNP levels with the severity of CAD in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction. Methods A total of 658 consecutive patients were divided into two groups based on angiograms： CAD group （n=484） and angiographic normal control group （n=174）. The severity of CAD was evaluated by modified Gensini score, and its relationship with NT-proBNP was analyzed. Results The prevalence of risk factors such as age, male gender, diabetes mellitus （DM）, dyslipidemia, smoking, and family history of CAD in the CAD group were higher than that in the control group. In multivariate regression model analysis, age, gender, and DM were determinants of the presence of CAD. NT-pro BNP was found to be an independent predictor for CAD （OR：1.66 （95% CI： 1.06-2.61）, P 〈0.05）. In a receiver operating characteristic （ROC）curve analysis, an NT-proBNP value of 641.15 pmol/L was identified as a cut-off value in the diagnosis or exclusion of CAD （area under curve （AUC）=0.56, 95% CI： 0.51-0.61）. Furthermore, NT-proBNP was positively correlated with Gensini score （r=0.14, P 〈0.001） in patients with CAD. Conclusion NT-proBNP was an independent predictor for Chinese patients with CAD, suggesting that the NT-proBNP level might be associated with the presence and the severity of CAD.

修正后Chlid记分在乙型肝炎相关性疾病中预后预测研究(英文)

Objective To evaluate whether the traditional Child-Turcotte-Pugh(CTP) can be improved by adding serum creatinine and/or serum sodium values,and to assess whether the modified CTP score can challenge the short-term prognostic ability of the MELD score.Methods 187 patients with hepatitis B related disease were studied.CTP score,Child-Pugh-Na (CTP-Na),Child-Pugh-creatinine(CTP-Cr)score,Child-Pugh-Na-creatinine (CTP-Na-Cr)score,model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD)score and MELD the incorporation of serum sodium (MELD-Na) score were calculated.The 3-month and 1 year mortality in the patients was measured,and the validity of each models was analyzed.Results At 3-month and 1 year enrollment,the prognostic score of survival group was significantly lower than that of death group in each prognostic score model,P<0.05.There were no significant difference between the same group in 3-month and 1 year enrollment of each prognostic score,P>0.05.The CTP-Na-Cr score and MELD-Na score had a significantly higher AUC in comparison with MELD,CTP-Na and CTP at 3-month enrollment(P<0.05)and CTP-Na-Cr score also had a significantly higher AUC in comparison with MELD,CTP-Na and CTP at 1 year enrollment.There was no significant difference between 3-month AUC data and 1 year enrollment one of each prognostic score,P>0.05.Conclusions The CTP-Na-Cr score model is a more accuracy model than other score models,it deserve further research.