Clinical Characteristics of Children with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Hubei, China

Since December 2019,COVID-19 has occurred unexpectedly and emerged as a health problem worldw ide.Despite the rapidly increasing number of cases in subsequent weeks,the clinical characteristics of pediatric cases are rarely described.A cross-sectional multicenter study was carried out in 10 hospitals across Hubei province.A total of 25 confirmed pediatric cases of COVID-19 were collected.The demographic data,epidemiological history,underlying discascs,clinical mani festations,laboratory and radiological data,treatments,and outcomes were analyzcd.Of 25 hospitalized patients with COVID-19,the boy to girl ratio was 1.27:1.The median age was 3 years.COVID-19 cases in children aged<3 years,3-6 years,and≥6-years patients were 10(40%),6(24%),and 9(36%),respectively.The most common symptoms at onset of ilness were fever(13[52%]),and dry cough(11[44%]).Chest CT images showed essential normal in 8 cases(33.3%),unilateral involvement of lungs in 5 cases(20.8%),and bilateral involvement in 11 cases(45.8%).Clinical diagnoses included upper respiratory tract infection(n=8),mild pneumonia(n=15),and critical cases(n=2).Two critical cases(8%)were given invasive mechanical ventilation,corticosteroids,and immunoglobulin.The symptoms in 24(96%)of 25 patients were alleviated and one patient had been discharged.It was concluded that children were susceptible to COVID-19 like adults,while the clinical presentations and outcomes were more favorable in children.However,children less than 3 years old accounted for majority cases and critical cases lied in this age group,which demanded extra attentions during home caring and hospitalization treatment.

Pioglitazone works with clomiphene to treat PCOS by regulating insulin signal transduction and oxidative inflammatory response

Objective: To study the regulating effect of pioglitazone combined with clomiphene treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) on the insulin signal transduction and oxidative inflammatory response. Methods: The patients who were diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome in Xishui County People's Hospital between March 2014 and October 2017 were chosen as the research subjects and randomly divided into two groups, experimental group received pioglitazone combined with clomiphene treatment, and control group received clomiphene treatment;the expression levels of insulin signal transduction molecules in peripheral blood as well as the contents of oxidative stress and inflammatory response indexes in serum were measured before treatment and 3 menstrual cycles after treatment. Results: At 3 menstrual cycles after treatment, peripheral blood IRS-1, IRS-2, ERK2, AKT2 and GLUT4 expression levels as well as serum SOD, TOS, TAS, Adropin and IL-10 contents of both groups of patients were significantly higher than those before treatment whereas serum RNS, ROS, MDA, PTX3, Apelin and TNF-α contents were significantly lower than those before treatment, and peripheral blood IRS-1, IRS-2, ERK2, AKT2 and GLUT4 expression levels as well as serum SOD, TOS, TAS, Adropin and IL-10 contents of experimental group after treatment were significantly higher than those of control group whereas serum RNS, ROS, MDA, PTX3, Apelin and TNF-α contents were significantly lower than those of control group. Conclusion: Pioglitazone can cooperate with clomiphene to treat PCOS by regulating insulin signal transduction and oxidative inflammatory response.

Effects of enteral nutrition via jejunostomy catheter on immune response and intestinal mucosal barrier function after radical operation for esophageal cancer

Objective: To study the effects of enteral nutrition via jejunostomy catheter on immune response and intestinal mucosal barrier function after radical operation for esophageal cancer. Methods: A total of 90 patients who were diagnosed with esophageal cancer and received radical operation in Xishui People's Hospital between February 2015 and May 2017 were selected and randomly divided into the EN group who accepted enteral nutrition via jejunostomy catheter and the PN group who received parenteral nutrition. 1 week and 2 weeks after surgery, the expression of immune cell transcription factors in peripheral blood as well as the contents of intestinal mucosal injury markers and inflammatory stress markers in serum were measured. Results: 1 week and 2 weeks after surgery, T-bet expression intensity in peripheral blood of EN group was greatly higher than that of PN group while GATA3, RORγt and Foxp3 expression intensity in peripheral blood as well as DAO, Galectin-1, Galectin-3, Claudin, NE, E, Cor, CRP and CER levels were greatly lower than those of PN group. Conclusion: Enteral nutrition via jejunostomy catheter can improve the immune response and intestinal mucosal barrier function after radical operation for esophageal cancer.

Effects of eEF1A1 expression on cancer cell load and proliferation activity in lung cancer lesions

Objective: To investigate the effects of eEF1A1 expression on cancer cell load and proliferation activity in lung cancer lesions. Methods: A total of 200 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received radical operation for lung cancer in our hospital were enrolled in lung cancer group, and 78 patients with pulmonary bullae who accepted emergency surgical treatment in our hospital during the same period were enrolled in pulmonary bullae group. Differences in eEF1A1 and proliferation gene expression in lesion tissue were compared between the two groups, and the contents of serum tumor markers and angiogenesis indexes were detected. Pearson test was used to evaluate the correlation of eEF1A1 expression with tumor markers, angiogenesis indexes and proliferation genes in the lesions of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Results: eEF1A1 expression in lesion tissue of lung cancer group was higher than that of pulmonary bullae group;serum CYFRA21-1, ProGRP, CEA, SCC Ag, HIF-1 and VEGF levels of lung cancer group were higher than those of pulmonary bullae group and positively correlated with the eEF1A1 expression;LRRC3B, TUSC3 and VPS33B mRNA expression in lesion tissue of lung cancer group were lower than those of pulmonary bullae group and negatively correlated with the eEF1A1 expression whereas MACC1 and RACK1 mRNA expression were higher than those of pulmonary bullae group and positively correlated with the eEF1A1 expression. Conclusion: eEF1A1 is highly expressed in non-small cell lung cancer tissues, and the specific expression can objectively reflect the tumor load and the proliferation activity of tumor cells.