Volume 9, Issue 3

2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by the infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). It is characterized by substantial respiratory symptoms and complicated with widespread other organ injuries. Cardiovascular impairment is one of the notable extrapulmonary manifestations, in terms of the deterioration of pre-existing cardiovascular diseases and newly onset acute events. We hereby review the high-quality reports about cardiovascular involvement in COVID-19 and summarize the main clinical characteristics of cardiac relevance for the all the first line clinical physicians. Additionally, the possible underlying mechanisms and the rationale for the application of specific medications, such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors and hydroxychloroquine are also discussed.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a major cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease worldwide. Currently, clinical interventions for IgAN are limited, and many patients seek out alternative therapies such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In the last several years, TCM has accumulated ample application experiences and achieved favorable clinical effects. This article summarizes high-quality research from basic science to clinical applications aimed to provide more evidence-based medicine proof for the clinical treatment of IgAN. In summary, qi and yin deficiency accounted for the largest proportion in IgAN patients, and the treatment of IgAN should be based on supplementing qi and nourishing yin. Further, for patients with severe IgAN, the treatment combination of Chinese and Western medicines is better than pure Chinese medicine or hormone therapy. In addition, the pharmacological mechanism of Chinese herbal medicines is mostly based on restoring the immune function, relieving the inflammation damage, and inhibiting proliferation of the glomerular mesangial cells.

Acute necrotizing pancreatitis occurs in 10%–20% of patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) which is one of the most important acute abdominal diseases that require hospital admission. Pancreatic necrosis is also associated with high mortality and morbidity. In the past 20 years, the treatment of pancreatic necrosis has shifted from open necrosectomy to minimally invasive techniques, such as endoscopic interventions. With the development of endoscopic techniques, the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic interventions have improved, but there exist several unresolved problems. Currently, there is no unified standard approach for endoscopic treatment of pancreatic necrosis that takes into account local expertise, anatomical features of necrosis, patients’ preferences, and comorbidity profile. We reviewed the current status of endoscopic therapy for acute necrotizing pancreatitis, focusing on the new endoscopic drainage technique and necrosectomy protocol.

Background and Objectives The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains to be the biggest public threat all over the world. Because of the rapid deterioration in some patients, markers that could predict poor clinical outcomes are urgently required. This study was to evaluate the predictive values of cardiac injury parameters, including cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, on mortality in COVID-19 patients. Methods COVID-19 patients in Zhongfaxincheng branch of Tongji Hospital (Wuhan, China) from February 8–28, 2020, were enrolled in this study. We followed up the patients for 30 days after admission. Results A total of 134 patients were included in the study. Multivariate Cox regression showed that 1) patients with elevated cTnI levels had a higher risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] 7.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.56–21.00) than patients with normal cTnI levels; 2) patients with elevated NT-proBNP levels had a higher risk of death (HR 27.88, 95% CI 3.55–218.78) than patients with normal NT-proBNP levels; 3) patients with both elevated cTnI and NT-proBNP levels had a significantly higher risk of death (HR 53.87, 95% CI 6.31–459.91, P < 0.001) compared to patients without elevated cTnI or NT-proBNP levels; 4) the progressions of cTnI and NT-proBNP levels were also correlated with death (HR 12.70, 95% CI 3.94–40.88, P < 0.001 and HR 51.09, 95% CI 5.82–448.26, P < 0.001). Conclusions In COVID-19 patients, cTnI and NT-proBNP levels could be monitored to identify patients at a high risk of death in their later course of disease.

Background Acute bronchiolitis is the most frequent cause of respiratory distress in pediatric emergency medicine. The risk of respiratory failure is frequently over evaluated, and results in systematic vascular access. Methods We conducted a prospective observational study in children under 18 months of age hospitalized for bronchiolitis. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether catheter insertion was useful for management. We monitored the number of catheters inserted in the emergency department and their subsequent use for rapid sequence intubation, adrenaline administration, or antimicrobial therapy. We recorded the number of secondary pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Results We followed 162 patients and compared two populations, children with (population A, n = 35) and without (population B, n = 127) catheter insertion. There were no significant differences in age, oxygen saturation, heart rate, c-reactive protein, neutrophil count and the number of times nebulization was conducted at admission. Population A compared to B had a significantly higher temperature (38.1 ± 0.9 vs . 37.6 ± 0.7°C, P = 0.004) and respiratory rate (64 ±13 vs . 59 ±17, P = 0.033). Twelve patients were secondarily transferred to pediatric ICU, 3 from population A and 9 from B (NS). In a multivariate analysis, no significant relationship was found between ICU admission, venous access placement and potential confounding factors (pneumonia, age < 6 months, age < 3 months, food intake < 60%, temperature > 38° C, heart rate > 180 bpm, respiratory rate > 60/min, SpO 2 < 95%, Spo 2 < 90%, oxygen therapy, positive respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] sampling). Except for antimicrobial therapy ( n = 32), catheters inserted in the emergency department were used in 5 patients for intravenous rehydration and in one patient in pediatric ICU for rapid sequence intubation. Conclusions There were no life-threatening events that required immediate venous access for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Medical treatment could be administered orally or via nasogastric tube in most cases. Peripheral catheterization was useless in immediate emergency management and only one child required a differed rapid sequence intubation.

Background and Objectives Angiotensin-converting enzyme-related carboxypeptidase, SARS-Coronavirus HR2 Domain, and COVID-19 main protease are essential for the cellular entry and replication of coronavirus in the host. This study investigated the putative inhibitory action of peptides form medicinal mushrooms, namely Pseudoplectania nigrella , Russula paludosa , and Clitocybe sinopica , towards selected proteins through computational studies. Materials and Methods The respective physicochemical properties of selected peptides were predicted using ProtParam tool, while the binding modes and binding free energy of selected peptides toward proteins were computed through HawkDock server. The structural flexibility and stability of docked protein–peptide complexes were assessed through iMODS server. Results The peptides showed an optimum binding afinity with the molecular targets; plectasin from P. nigrella showed the highest binding free energy compared to peptides from R. paludosa and C. sinopica . Besides, molecular dynamic simulations showed all fungal-based peptides could influence the flexibility and stability of selected proteins. Conclusion The study revealed fungal-based peptides could be explored as functional modulators of essential proteins that are involved in the cellular entry of coronavirus.

Objectives To estimate the lifetime treatment costs of patients with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection-related diseases in China and to provide cost estimates for the economic evaluation of HPV intervention strategies. Methods We extracted real-world hospital data from 2012 to 2019 and screened for subjects who met the criteria of clinical diagnosis of HPV-related diseases to obtain country-specific inputs into a Markov decision model. The model simulated lifetime treatment costs for HPV from the perspective of a national payer. A 5% discount rate was applied. Costs were converted and inflated to 2020 US dollars (USD) Results Using 2021 as the base year, the lifetime costs per patient for carcinoma in situ, local metastasis, and distant metastasis cervical cancer are $24,208 (95%CI: 18,793–30,897), $19,562 (95%CI: 14,456–25,567), and $17,599 (95%CI: 10,604–25,807), respectively. For carcinoma in situ, local metastasis, and distant metastasis vaginal cancer, the lifetime costs are $17,593 (95%CI: 14,962–23,596), $17,120 (95%CI: 13,215–22,417), and $22,411 (95%CI: 12,172–22,249), respectively. The base-case lifetime cost per patient for different stages of vulvar cancer/penile cancer/anal cancer/oral cancer/oropharyngeal cancer/laryngeal cancer falls within $17,120–$58,236. Conclusions Using real-world data, we calculated lifetime treatment costs of HPV-related cancer in China and found that the lifetime cost for patients exceeded $17,000 for various stages of disease. The national burden of HPV-related disease could be significantly reduced by eliminating HPV infection.

Background and Objectives The highly variable clinical course of interstitial lung disease (ILD) makes it difficult to predict patient prognosis. Serum surfactant protein-A (SP-A) and Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) are known prognostic biomarkers. However, the clinical or pathophysiological differences in patients with these biomarkers have not been well evaluated. We investigated the clinical and pathophysiological differences through the comparison of SP-A and KL-6 levels before and after treatment. Methods This study included retrospective data from 91 patients who were treated for ILD between August 2015 and September 2019. Serum SP-A and KL-6 levels were measured before and after treatment. The patients were followed up for 3 months. Results Changes in the serum biomarkers (Delta SP-A and Delta KL-6) were found to be significantly correlated (rs = 0.523, P < 0.001); Delta SP-A and Delta KL-6 were inversely correlated with changes in pulmonary function (% predicted values of diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide [DLCO], forced vital capacity [FVC], and forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]). Patients were divided into four groups based on their Delta SP-A and Delta KL-6 levels in a cluster analysis (G1, G2, G3, and G4). Both SP-A and KL-6 were elevated in the G1 group, with all the patients enrolled classified as progressive or unchanged, and 86.4% of patients showed improved disease activity in the G4 group, where both SP-A and KL-6 levels were reduced. In the G2 group, only SP-A levels decreased post-treatment, indicating an improvement in respiratory function; the patients were not at the end stage of the disease. Only the SP-A levels increased in the G3 group with immunosuppressive treatment. Conclusions Reduced serum SP-A and/or KL-6 levels are associated with improved lung function in patients with ILD. Some patients only showed a decrease in SP-A levels could prognosis an improvement in respiratory function. When only SP-A is increased, it may imply that the patients are at an early stage of disease progression. As a result, for proper disease monitoring, measuring both markers is important.