Baricitinib treatment for hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 on invasive mechanical ventilation: a propensity score-matched and retrospective analysis.

Introduction: Baricitinib is a selective inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK)1 and JAK2, which is associated with clinical improvement in non-severe COVID-19 patients. But in severe COVID-19 patients, the effectiveness of baricitinib is still controversial.

Methods: A propensity score-matched and retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of baricitinib in severe COVID-19 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV).

Airway epithelial cGAS inhibits LPS-induced acute lung injury through CREB signaling.

Increased levels of cytosolic DNA in lung tissues play an important role in acute lung injury. However, the detailed mechanisms involved remain elusive. Here, we found that cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS, a cytosolic DNA sensor) expression was increased in airway epithelium in response to increased cytosolic DNA.

Mechanisms regarding cardiac toxicity triggered by up-regulation of miR-144 in larval zebrafish upon exposure to triclosan.

Although triclosan (TCS) is ubiquitously detected in environmental media and organisms, little information is available on its cardiotoxicity and underlying mechanisms. Herein, acute TCS exposure (0.69-1.

Triclosan targets miR-144 abnormal expression to induce neurodevelopmental toxicity mediated by activating PKC/MAPK signaling pathway.

Although the previous research confirmed that triclosan (TCS) induced an estrogen effect by acting on a novel G-protein coupled estrogen-membrane receptor (GPER), the underlying mechanisms by which downstream pathways induce neurotoxicity remain unclear after TCS activation of GPER. By employing a series of techniques (Illumina miRNA-seq, RT-qPCR, and artificial intervention of miRNA expression), we screened out four important miRNAs, whose target genes were directly/indirectly involved in neurodevelopment and neurobehavior. Especially, the miR-144 up-regulation caused vascular malformation and severely affected hair-cell development and lateral-line-neuromast formation, thereby causing abnormal motor behavior.

Correlation of Clinical Symptoms and Sputum Inflammatory Markers with Air Pollutants in Stable COPD Patients in Beijing Area.

Short-term exposure to major air pollutants can increase the risk of acute exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. However, evidence on the mechanism of acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) caused by air pollutants is still limited. A total of 78 patients with stable COPD and 58 healthy controls were recruited in Peking University Third Hospital in China from December 2014 to January 2015.

Disruption of histidine and energy homeostasis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a systemic condition that is too complex to be assessed by lung function alone. Metabolomics has the potential to help understand the mechanistic underpinnings that contribute to COPD pathogenesis. Since blood metabolomics may be affected by sex and body mass index (BMI), the aim of this study was to determine the metabolomic variability in male smokers with and without COPD who have a narrow BMI range.

Ciprofibrate attenuates airway remodeling in cigarette smoke-exposed rats.

Airway remodeling is a key pathological lesion in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and it leads to poorly reversible airway obstruction. Current pharmacological interventions are ineffective at controlling airway remodeling. To address this issue, we queried the Connectivity Map (cMap) database to screen for drug candidates that had the potential to dilate the bronchus and inhibit airway smooth muscle (ASM) proliferation.

Serum amino acid concentrations and clinical outcomes in smokers: SPIROMICS metabolomics study.

Metabolomics is an emerging science that can inform pathogenic mechanisms behind clinical phenotypes in COPD. We aimed to understand disturbances in the serum metabolome associated with respiratory outcomes in ever-smokers from the SPIROMICS cohort. We measured 27 serum metabolites, mostly amino acids, by H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in 157 white ever-smokers with and without COPD.

Symptom-related sputum microbiota in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The role of airway microbiota in COPD is highly debated. Symptomology assessment is vital for the management of clinically stable COPD patients; however, the link between symp toms and the airway microbiome is currently unknown.

Purpose: The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship among stable COPD patients.

Characterization of throat microbial flora in smokers with or without COPD.

The study aimed to determine the relationship between throat microbiome and COPD. Sixty-five Chinese males (n=20, smokers without COPD; n=45 smokers with COPD) were included. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling indicated differences of microbiome between COPD and controls, but no difference was observed between COPD patients with differing degrees of lung function or disease severity.

Identification of thyroxine-binding globulin as a candidate plasma marker of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Biomarkers for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are limited. The aim of this study was to explore new plasma biomarkers in patients with COPD. Thyroxine-binding globulin (THBG) was initially identified by proteomics in a discovery panel and subsequently verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in another verification panel with a 1-year follow-up.

Effect of Dermabrasion and ReCell on Large Superficial Facial Scars Caused by Burn, Trauma and Acnes.

Objective To explore the effects of dermabrasion combined with ReCell on large superficial facial scars caused by burn, trauma and acnes.Methods Nineteen patients with large superficial facial scars were treated by the same surgeon with dermabrasion combined with ReCell. According to the etiology, patients were classified into post-burning group (n=5), post-traumatic group (n=7) and post-acne group (n=7).

Fetuin-B (FETUB): a Plasma Biomarker Candidate Related to the Severity of Lung Function in COPD.

Biomarkers for the progression of lung function in COPD are currently scarce. Plasma fetuin-B (FETUB) was identified by iTRAQ-based proteomics and was verified by ELISA in another group. Information regarding acute exacerbation (AE) was collected in a one-year follow-up programme.

A Successfully Treated Metastatic Choriocarcinoma Coexistent With Pregnancy: A Case Report of a 4-Year Follow-Up.

Gestational choriocarcinoma ended with a successful parturition is extremely rare, especially in cases where multiple metastases occurred.A 29-year-old Chinese primigravida was admitted with vaginal bleeding at 32 gestational week, and diagnosed with gestational choriocarcinoma with vaginal, pulmonary, and cerebral metastasis after pathological, and imaging examination. At 33 gestational week, a healthy infant was delivered by cesarean section.

Efficacy of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in preventing community-acquired pneumonia among immunocompetent adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Background: Data on the efficacy of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV-23) in preventing adult community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among the target population of individuals aged over 65 years and high-risk individuals aged 19-64 years are conflicting. As the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recently demonstrated PPV-23 is likely beneficial to immunocompromised adults by the Grading, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, we conducted meta-analysis to examine its efficacy in an immunocompetent population.

Methods: We searched the PUBMED, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases for randomized trials.

Comparison of clinical efficacy and complications between Q-switched alexandrite laser and Q-switched Nd:YAG laser on nevus of Ota: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Although the application of Q-switched lasers on nevus of Ota (OTA) is well demonstrated, debates about clinical option between Q-switched alexandrite laser (QSA) and Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (QSNY) still remain. This systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the overall successful rate of OTA pigment clearance and complication rate of QSA and QSNY and evaluated which laser could produce a better result. English articles evaluating pigment clearance and complications of QSA and/or QSNY on OTA were screened through predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria and analyzed.

A successful pregnancy and parturition in a patient with anuria undergoing maintenance hemodialysis for 6 years: a case report of a 3-year-follow-up.

Background: Pregnancies in hemodialysis patients are uncommon and difficult to study. Although the chance of a successful pregnancy and parturition in hemodialysis women has increased over the years, it still remains extremely low with a high maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity rate.

Case Presentation: We reported a case of successful pregnancy and parturition in a 22-year-old Chinese female in uremic stage of chronic renal failure and undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (three sessions a week) for 6 years.