Ultrasensitive Detection of RNA with Single-Base Resolution by Coupling Electrochemical Sensing Strategy with Chimeric DNA Probe-Aided Ligase Chain Reaction

Accurate and sensitive detection of single-base mutations in RNAs is of great value in basic studies of life science and medical diagnostics. However, the current available RNA detection methods are challenged by heterogeneous clinical samples in which trace RNA mutants usually existed in a large pool of normal wild sequences. Thus, there is still great need for developing the highly sensitive and highly specific methods in detecting single-base mutations of RNAs in heterogeneous clinical samples. In the present study, a new chimeric DNA probe-aided ligase chain reaction-based electrochemical method (cmDNA-eLCR) was developed for RNA mutation detection through the BSA-based carrier platform and the horseradish peroxidase-hydrogen peroxide-tetramethylbenzidine (HRP-H₂O₂-TMB) system. The denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a fluorophore-labeled probe was ingeniously designed to demonstrate the advantage of cmDNA in ligation to normal DNA templated by RNA with the catalysis of T4 RNA ligase 2 as well as its higher selectivity than DNA ligase system. Finally, the proposed cmDNA-eLCR, compared with the traditional eLCR, showed excellent performance in discriminating single base-mismatched sequences, where the signal response for mismatched targets at a high concentration could overlap completely with that for the blank control. Besides, this cmDNA-eLCR assay had a wide linear range crossing six orders of magnitude from 1.0 × 10^-15 to1.0 × 10^-10 M with a limit of detection as low as 0.6 fM. Furthermore, this assay was applied to detect RNA in real sample with a satisfactory result, thereby demonstrating its great potential in diagnosis of RNA-related diseases.

A chromosome-scale genome assembly of a diploid alfalfa, the progenitor of autotetraploid alfalfa

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important and widely cultivated forage crops. It is commonly used as a vegetable and medicinal herb because of its excellent nutritional quality and significant economic value. Based on Illumina, Nanopore and Hi-C data, we assembled a chromosome-scale assembly of Medicago sativa spp. caerulea (voucher PI464715), the direct diploid progenitor of autotetraploid alfalfa. The assembled genome comprises 793.2 Mb of genomic sequence and 47,202 annotated protein-coding genes. The contig N50 length is 3.86 Mb. This genome is almost twofold larger and contains more annotated protein-coding genes than that of its close relative, Medicago truncatula (420 Mb and 44,623 genes). The more expanded gene families compared with those in M. truncatula and the expansion of repetitive elements rather than whole-genome duplication (i.e., the two species share the ancestral Papilionoideae whole-genome duplication event) may have contributed to the large genome size of M. sativa spp. caerulea. Comparative and evolutionary analyses revealed that M. sativa spp. caerulea diverged from M. truncatula ~5.2 million years ago, and the chromosomal fissions and fusions detected between the two genomes occurred during the divergence of the two species. In addition, we identified 489 resistance (R) genes and 82 and 85 candidate genes involved in the lignin and cellulose biosynthesis pathways, respectively. The near-complete and accurate diploid alfalfa reference genome obtained herein serves as an important complement to the recently assembled autotetraploid alfalfa genome and will provide valuable genomic resources for investigating the genomic architecture of autotetraploid alfalfa as well as for improving breeding strategies in alfalfa.

Carcinogenesis of Male Oral Submucous Fibrosis Alters Salivary Microbiomes

Most oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tumors arise from oral premalignant lesions. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF), usually occurring in male chewers of betel quid, is a premalignant stromal disease characterized by a high malignant transformation rate and high prevalence. Although a relationship between the inhabited microbiome and carcinogenesis has been proposed, no detailed information regarding the oral microbiome of patients with OSF exists; the changes of the salivary microbiome during cancer formation remain unclear. This study compared the salivary microbiomes of male patients with OSCC and a predisposing OSF background (OSCC-OSF group) and those with OSF only (OSF group). The results of high-throughput sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene indicated that OSF-related carcinogenesis and smoking status significantly contributed to phylogenetic composition variations in the salivary microbiome, leading to considerable reductions in species richness and phylogenetic diversity. The microbiome profile of OSF-related malignancy was associated with increased microbial stochastic fluctuation, which dominated the salivary microbiome assembly and caused species co-occurrence network collapse. Artificial intelligence selection algorithms consistently identified 5 key species in the OSCC-OSF group: Porphyromonas catoniae, Prevotella multisaccharivorax, Prevotella sp. HMT-300, Mitsuokella sp. HMT-131, and Treponema sp. HMT-927. Robust accuracy in predicting oral carcinogenesis was obtained with our exploratory and validation data sets. In functional analysis, the microbiome of the OSCC-OSF group had greater potential for S-adenosyl-l-methionine and norspermidine synthesis but lower potential for l-ornithine and pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide synthesis and formaldehyde metabolism. These findings indicated that the salivary microbiome plays important roles in modulating microbial metabolites during oral carcinogenesis. In conclusion, our results provided new insights into salivary microbiome alterations during the malignant transformation of OSF.

Removal of styrene in air stream by absorption combined with electrochemical oxidation

Aqueous solution absorptions are widely used as an effective way for the treatment of noxious gases discharged from various industrial processes. However, this technology may encounter problems in removing gaseous pollutants with low Henry constants, such as styrene from contaminated air. In this study, a novel electrochemical absorption reactor was devised to remove these air pollutants. The reactor consists of five pairs of stacked mesh electrodes. Each pair of mesh electrodes consists of a Ti/RuO₂ anode and a Ti cathode. The dimension of mesh electrode is 100 mm × 100 mm with 3 mm × 5 mm rhombic holes evenly distributed. The distance between two neighbouring electrodes is 25 mm. The simulated gas was introduced into the reactor from the bottom of the reactor by a gas distributor. The experimental result shows that styrene in the air was effectively removed by the electrochemical absorption reactor, and the removal increased with the increase of current density applied to the reactor. It was found that almost 100% styrene removal was achieved in 1% NaCl solution with 1 pH value and a current density of 0.04 A/cm² applied to the reactor. The major liquid phase products from styrene oxidation were confirmed to be 1-Phenyl-1, 2-ethanediol and benzaldehyde.

Search for η^{'} Bound Nuclei in the ^{12}C(γ,p) Reaction with Simultaneous Detection of Decay Products

We measured missing mass spectrum of the ^{12}C(γ,p) reaction for the first time in coincidence with potential decay products from η^{'} bound nuclei. We tagged an (η+p) pair associated with the η^{'}N→ηN process in a nucleus. After applying kinematical selections to reduce backgrounds, no signal events were observed in the bound-state region. An upper limit of the signal cross section in the opening angle cosθ_{lab}^{ηp}<-0.9 was obtained to be 2.2  nb/sr at the 90% confidence level. It is compared with theoretical cross sections, whose normalization ambiguity is suppressed by measuring a quasifree η^{'} production rate. Our results indicate a small branching fraction of the η^{'}N→ηN process and/or a shallow η^{'}-nucleus potential.

A novel ligase chain reaction-based electrochemical biosensing strategy for highly sensitive point mutation detection from human whole blood

Challenged by the detection of trace amounts of mutants and disturbance from endogenous substances in clinical samples, herein, we present a novel electrochemical biosensor based on ligase chain reaction (eLCR) via the thermostable ligase with high mutation recognizing ability. The lengthened double-stranded DNAs exponentially generated via LCR were uniformly distributed on a bovine serum albumin-modified gold electrode, in which the phosphate buffer was tactfully added to remove adsorbed uninterested-probes, and thereafter the amperometry current was collected for the specific binding of streptavidin-poly-HRP and subsequent catalysis in the 3, 3', 5, 5'-tetramethylbenzidine substrate that contained hydrogen peroxide. It found that, under optimized conditions, the proposed biosensor exhibited a high selectivity of mutant targets from the 10⁴-fold excess of co-existent wild targets within a detection limit of 0.5 fM. Impressively, without the involvement of pre-PCR, the homozygous mutants were specifically distinguished from the wild genotype of CYP2C19*2 allele in human whole blood samples. Therefore, the proposed eLCR, due to its advantages in simple primer design, operational ease and ease of miniaturization, has demonstrated its considerable potential for point-of-care testing in the diagnosis of point mutation-related diseases and personalized medicine.

[Clinical phenotypes of epilepsy associated with GABRA1 gene variants]

Objective: To summarize the clinical phenotypes of epilepsy in patients with GABRA1 gene variants. Methods: A total of 11 epileptic patients (4 boys and 7 girls) who were treated in the Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital from March 2016 to July 2019 and detected with GABRA1 gene heterozygous pathogenic variants by targeted next-generation sequencing were enrolled. The features of clinical manifestations, electroencephalogram (EEG), and neuroimaging were analyzed retrospectively. Results: A total of 11 epileptic patients carried GABRA1 gene pathogenic variants, of whom 10 were de novo variants and the other one was inherited from the patient's mother. Two patients had the same variants. Six variants were novel. Ages at seizure onset ranged from 3 to 14 months, and the median age was 8 months. The seizure was first observed within 1 year in 10 patients and beyond 1 year of age in 1 patient. Multiple seizure types were observed, including focal seizures in 10 patients, generalized tonic clonic seizures (GTCS) in 3 patients, myoclonic seizures in 3 patients, and epileptic spasm in 2 patients. There were 5 patients with multiple seizure types. Sensitivity to fever was observed in 9 patients, among whom 6 patients had a history of status epilepticus. Two patients had photoparoxysmal response. Five patients had abnormal EEG background, and 6 patients had abnormal discharges in EEG during interictal phase. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal in all patients. Developmental delay in various degrees was present in 9 patients. Among the 11 patients, Dravet syndrome was diagnosed in 5 patients, West syndrome in 2 patients, undiagnosed early-onset epileptic encephalopathy in 1 patient, and focal epilepsy in the other 3 patients. The ages at the last follow-up ranged from 8 months to 12 years. During follow-up, 8 patients were seizure-free for 6 months to 8 years, and 1 patient had discontinuation of medication. Conclusions: In epilepsy associated with GABRA1 gene variants, de novo pathogenic variants are more common than inherited. Most epilepsy caused by GABRA1 gene variants occurs in infancy. Most patients have multiple seizures and focal seizures are common. Most patients have a comparatively favorable prognosis, but they may still have varied degrees of developmental delay.

[Rational application of lens extraction for primary angle-closure glaucoma]

Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) is the most common type of glaucoma in China. In recent years, lens extraction has gradually become one of the main means of PACG treatment. However, there are still some problems in specific applications. In this article, we analyze the problems and misunderstandings in lens extraction for treatment of PACG in China at present, hoping to achieve reasonable application and better serve patients with glaucoma. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2020, 56: 9-12).

Relationship Between Pituitary Adenoma Consistency and Extent of Resection Based on Tumor/Cerebellar Peduncle T2-Weighted Imaging Intensity (TCTI) Ratio of the Point on Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Corresponding to the Residual Point on Postoperative MRI

Background

Controversies exist in imaging modalities for predicting adenoma consistency. In this study, we proposed a method of predicting consistency by magnetic resonance T2-sequence imaging based on adenoma to cerebellar peduncle signal (TCTI) ratio.

Material/Methods

Between January 2013 and May 2017, 191 consecutive patients with pituitary adenoma diagnosed at our institution were retrospectively studied. The consistency grade for each lesion was assigned. And the TCTI ratio based on preoperative and postoperative T2-weighted imaging was calculated.

Results

The median TCTI ratio was 1.55, 1.28, and 1.25 for soft, fibrous, and hard adenomas, respectively. The differences were significant for all groups (p<0.001). A cutoff value of 1.38 for soft adenomas was found to be 80.2% sensitive and 88.7% specific. The median ratio of the outermost layer of residual tumor was 1.25 (SD±0.408, 95% CI 1.27–1.42). It was less than that ratio of the upper, lower quarter, and middle region of adenoma, respectively, and the inter-group differences were all statistically significant with p≤0.001. The extent of resection for the soft group was significantly greater than that of the hard group (85.3% vs. 70.6%, p=0.011). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed that the consistency grade was the influencing factor of degree of resection. p=0.003.

Conclusions

The TCTI ratio showed a good correlation with pituitary adenoma consistency. We also determined the optimal ratio of the residual adenoma.

[Non-surgical treatment of acute pancreatitis with colonic fistula]

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of non-operative of colonic fistula following acute pancreatitis. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 354 patients with acute pancreatitis who were admitted to Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 2013 to December 2018. Age of the patients was (46±14) years (range: 14-85 years); 249 cases (70.3%) were males. There were 41 cases of acute edematous pancreatitis and 313 cases of acute necrotising pancreatitis. Two hundred and fifteen cases were diagnosed as moderate severe acute pancreatitis and 139 were diagnosed as severe acute pancreatitis. Among 313 cases of acute necrotising pancreatitis, 62 cases underwent non-surgical treatment, 251 cases underwent surgical treatment in which 218 of minimal access retroperitoneal pancreatic necrosectomy underwent percutaneous nephroliguectomy with peripancreatic necrotic tissue removal technique. Results: There were 15 cases of colon fistula following acute necrotising pancreatitis, and the incidence rate was 4.2%(15/354). There were 7 males and 8 females, with age of (39±8) years (range: 27 to 50 years). The median interval between acute pancreatitis onset and diagnosis of colonic fistula was 71 days(27-134) days. Two cases occurred at the hepatic flexure of the colon, 4 cases at transverse colon, and 9 cases at splenic flexure of colon. Of the 354 patients, 39 cases died and the mortality was 11.0%. Two patients underwent laparotomy, and one of them died. The remaining 13 patients underwent non-surgical treatment and were discharged. Conclusion: Acute pancreatitis with colonic fistula can be treated with non-surgical treatment and can achieve good prognosis.

Sepsis progression monitoring via human serum fibronectin detection based on sandwich-type electrochemical immunosensor

Sepsis has always been a severe clinical problem in critical care medicine due to its rather high mortality and poor prognosis. The current study reported for the first time a practical immunosensor for fibronectin (FN) detection in human serum by electrochemistry. A simple but robust sandwich-type strategy was employed without any complex design or material modifications, which exhibited a linear calibration plot over the 15.625-500 ng/mL concentration range and a detection limit of 15 ng/mL. The results showed that the proposed strategy displayed an excellent selectivity against other non-target substances in human serum, a higher accuracy and a better stability when compared with the traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in detecting the same or mixed serum from 21 healthy subjects. Furthermore, the proposed electrochemical immunosensor successfully monitored the level of serum FN at various time points in five septic patients during the treatment. These findings demonstrate that the proposed strategy is highly sensitive and accurate in monitoring sepsis progress and has significant clinical improvements over the ELISA methodology, signifying a great potential of a commercial kit.

P5471Baseline characteristics, healthcare resource use and clinical outcomes of stable post-myocardial infarction patients with diabetes: insights from the global prospective TIGRIS study

Background

There is a growing prevalence of diabetes worldwide in patients in the general population, including those with prior myocardial infarction (MI).

Purpose

To describe the characteristics, health status, resource utilization and clinical adverse events of stable post-MI patients with diabetes.

Methods

The long-Term rIsk, clinical manaGement and healthcare Resource utilization of stable coronary artery dISease (TIGRIS) prospective observational study (NCT01866904) obtained data from 8985 stable patients 1–3 years post-MI from 369 centres in 25 countries, who provided diabetes status (no, yes, insulin-treated) and follow-up. Diabetes status, other patient characteristics, medications, medical history and healthcare resource utilization were recorded at enrolment. Health status was assessed at enrolment, 1 and 2 years by EQ-5D-3L and converted to an EQ-5D score. Deaths, cardiovascular (CV) events, bleeding events and related hospitalizations were recorded during 2 years of follow-up.

Results

Diabetes mellitus (DM) was prevalent at enrolment in 2966 (33%) patients of whom 872 (29%) were insulin-treated. Compared to patients without DM, those with DM had a higher mean body mass index (28.2 vs 26.6kg/m2) and heart rate (71 vs 67bpm), were more likely to have had ≥2 prior MIs (12% vs 10%), chronic kidney disease (10% vs 6%), peripheral artery disease (10% vs 5%), heart failure (15% vs 10%), anaemia (4% vs 2%), angina (12% vs 9%), stroke (6% vs 4%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (9% vs 7%). Patients with DM reported more problems for each domain of the EQ-5D (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression), which resulted in a lower mean EQ-5D utility score at enrolment (0.83±0.22 for no-diabetes vs 0.86±0.19 for diabetes). Moreover, they also had higher CV hospitalization rates in the 6 months prior to enrolment (6.4% vs 5%). All these measures were more marked in insulin-dependent diabetics. The incidences of all-cause death, CV death and the composite of CV death, MI and stroke were all significantly higher in patients with DM, especially those on insulin (see Figure). For CV death, MI and stroke the 2-year risk ratios, compared to patients without DM, were 2.64 (P<0.001) and 1.48 (P<0.001) respectively for those with insulin-treated DM and non-insulin treated.

Figure 1

Conclusions

Within a global population of stable post-MI patients, those with DM (especially those on insulin) have poorer health status and EQ-5D utility score, higher hospitalization rates and worse clinical outcomes compared with those without DM. Thus, in cardiac clinics worldwide, patients with DM require particularly close attention.

Acknowledgement/Funding

The study was funded by AstraZeneca

[Microbiology analysis of periprothetic joint infection post total hip and knee arthroplasty of 9 centers in Beijing between 2014 and 2016]

Objective: To investigate the microbiological test, antibiotic sensitivity and surgical treatment of periprosthetic joint infection(PJI) cases in post total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted on 318 patients who underwent THA or TKA in 9 clinical centers in Beijing from January 2014 to December 2016.The data of microbiology, antibiotic sensitivity and surgical treatment were collected.The average age of patients was (62.3±13.1) years old (range: 21-86 years old), including 145 males and 173 females.The body mass index was (25.6±3.8) kg/m (2) (range: 15.6-38.1 kg/m(2)). Results: In total, 318 patients had microorganisms detected by periprosthetic tissue culture or synovial fluid culture, 209 cases (65.7%) had Gram-positive bacteria, 29 cases (9.1%) had Gram-negative bacteria, 10 cases (3.1%) had fungi, 3 cases (0.9%) had non-tuberculous mycobacteria, 72 cases (22.6%) were negative, 69 cases (21.7%) had methicillin-resistant bacteria. The antibiotic sensitivity results showed that the overall resistance rate of penicillin, cefuroxime, amoxicillin+clavulanic acid was 79.9%, 69.9%, and 68.1%, respectively; meropenem, vancomycin, and linezolid resistance rate was 0. For the treatment methods of hip and knee PJI, two-stage revision surgery acounted for 72.9% (108/148) and 64.1% (109/170), respectively. One-stage revision surgery accounted for 21.6% (32/148) and 7.6% (13/170), and open debridement surgery accounted for 4.7%(7/148) and 26.4% (45/170). Conclusions: Gram-positive bacteria was still the main pathogen of PJI.The methicillin-resistant bacteria and rare bacteria should be payed attention to. The Majority of hip and knee PJI cases were treated by two-stage revision surgery.

[Preoperative imaging and electrophysiological evaluation of cochlear implantation in children with cochlear nerve dysplasia]

Objective:The aim of this study is to investigate the use of CT, magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）, functional magnetic resonance （fMRI） and electrical evoked auditory brainstem response in children with cochlear nerve deficiency （CND） before cochlear implantation （CI） （electrically evoked auditory brain stem response, EABR） evaluated auditory pathway, auditory cortex function, and cochlear nerve function. Method:Of 6 children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral internal auditory meatus stenosis was diagnosed by CT as in 4 cases and unilateral internal auditory meatus stenosis in 1 case. In 3 cases, oblique sagittal MRI reconstruction of the internal auditory meatus showed only facial nerve and vestibular nerve existence. 6 cases were diagnosed as CND by imaging, among which underwent fMRI and EABR in 3 cases, respectively. All the children received unilateral CI and were followed up for at least 1 year after hearing and speech rehabilitation. Result:fMRI was examed in 3 cases with CND. It showed that the right auditory cortex was activated in 1 case after sound given to the left ear but no activation was found in the left cortex when sound given to the right ear. 1 case showed activation in bilateral transverse temporal gyrus while sound was given to the left, right and both ears at 2000Hz. Another case had no activation in both auditory cortex. EABR detection elicited V wave in 2 of 3 cases. 6 children received audiological and speech evaluation 1 month, 6 and 12 months after CI. Among them, the hearing level was improved within 6 months after surgery in 4 cases, and the threshold of sound field was （48.15±6.60） dB HL, MAIS and CAP scores were improved. However, SIR score improvement is limited in 3 cases. The hearing level was improved in 1 case, but speech rehabilitation was poor mainly due to the older age. Conclusion:Preoperative comprehensive application of imaging and electrophysiological evaluation of children with CND can more accurately assess the integrity of the auditory pathway and understand the function of the cochlear nerve. It has important reference significance for whether or not to perform surgery. There was a significant difference in auditory speech rehabilitation after CND in children with CND.

[A single-center experience of venous thromboembolism after adult lung transplantation]

Objective: To investigate the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in lung transplant (LT) recipients. Methods: The clinical data on 124 consecutive patients who underwent lung transplant at Lung Transplantation Center of China-Japan Friendship Hospital from March 2017 to September 2018 were retrospectively collected. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was ascertained by vascular ultrasound. Pulmonary embolism (PE) was diagnosed by either chest computed tomography pulmonary angiogram or ventilation/perfusion scan. The risk factors in those patients with postoperative VTE were studied. Results: A total of 124 lung transplant recipients including 78 single lung transplant recipients (62.9%) and 46 bilateral lung transplant recipients(37.1%) were enrolled. Preoperative and postoperative prophylactic anticoagulant was used in 52 patients(52/124, 41.9%) and 69 patients(69/124, 55.6%) respectively. Thirty-two patients developed postoperative VTE among 124 consecutive patients. The overall incidence rate of VTE among 124 LT recipients was 25.8%. The median time to VTE episode following lung transplant was 22.5 days (range 4-295 days). The percentage of DVT in VTE was 93.8%(30/32), involving 1-8 (2.83±1.86) veins. And 60.0% of DVT was from lower extremities and 56.7% located in upper extremities (P>0.05). Four patients (4/32,12.5%) had PE episodes, and half of them suffered from only PE without DVT. The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in 32 patients with VTE was 90.6% (29/32), which was significantly higher than that without VTE (64/92,69.6%, P=0.033). However, there was no difference in the use of peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) between two groups (96.9% vs 81.5%, P=0.067). Resolution of VTE was successfully accomplished by anticoagulant therapy with long-term use of low molecular weight heparin in 30 patients (93.7%) and followed by oral warfarin in 2 patients (6.3%). Three months follow-up data after anticoagulant therapy showed that total and partial vascular recanalization rate was 65.6%(21/32) and 34.4%(11/32), respectively. Despite anticoagulation-related bleeding complications in three patients, no serious consequences occurred. Conclusions: VTE was frequent in LT recipients. It was speculated that ECMO utilization may be a major risk factor for high incidence of VTE in LT recipients. Aggressive VTE screening/treatment protocols were suggested to be implemented in LT recipients.

[Pathogenic gene variants and clinical phenotype features of 26 children with progressive myoclonic epilepsy]

Objective: To identify the pathogenic gene variants and clinical phenotype features of 26 children with progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 26 PME children (11 boys and 15 girls) sent to neurological outpatient clinics and admitted to wards of the Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital were enrolled prospectively from January 2014 to October 2018. The pathogenic gene variants of PME children and their parents were identified by Sanger sequencing, next generation sequencing panels of epilepsy or trio-based whole exome sequencing and so on. The genotypes and phenotypes of the PME children were anaylzed. Results: The clinical features of 26 children include myoclonus, multiple types of seizures and progressive neurological regression. Their onset ages ranged from 3 months to 15 years. Several pathogenic gene variants were identified in the 15 patients, including TPP1 gene variantions in 3 patients; NEU1, GBA, TBC1D24 and KCNC1 gene variantions in 2 patients respectively; CLN6, MFSD8, ASAH1 and ATN1 gene variantions in 1 patient respectively. Several variants of uncertain significance were identified in 4 patients, including GOSR2 gene compound heterozygous variants in 2 patients, KCTD7 gene compound heterozygous variants in 1 patient, and compound heterozygous variants of an unreported TARS gene in 1 patient. No pathogenic gene variant was identified in 7 patients. In 15 children with the identified pathogenic gene variants, 5 patients were diagnosed with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL), 2 patients with sialidosis, 2 patients with neuronopathic Gaucher disease, 1 patient with dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA), and 1 patient with spinal muscular atrophy-progressive myoclonic epilepsy (SMA-PME). Conclusions: PME include a group of diseases with genetic heterogeneity. Identification of the pathogenic gene variants of PME could help to predict the prognosis and guide the genetic counseling.

[An analysis of the results of video head impulse test in benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood]

Objective:This study was to analyze the results of video head impulse test (vHIT) of benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood (BPVC) in order to determine the potential value of vHIT in the diagnosis and treatment for BPVC and to discuss its possible pathogenesis of BPVC. Method:Thirty-six children with BPVC were enrolled. No hearing loss and skull abnormality were found in these children as assessed by pure tone audiometry, acoustic impedance, CT or MRI scan. The vHIT was carried out, and main outcome measures were the gain of vestibulo-ocular reflex, gain asymmetry, and refixation saccades. Eleven healthy children were selected as normal control who came to our hospital for doing a routine checkup and have no history of dizziness. The differences of vHIT results between these two groups were analyzed. Result:①The vHIT results in control group were normal. In all BPVC subjects, abnormalities were detected in 9 patients (25.0%),including vHIT gains decline in 3 patients, abnormal symmetry in 4 patients, and abnormal isolated overt saccades in 2 patients.②The average saccadic gain in different canals of BPVC group was 1.03±0.14, 1.01±0.15, 1.13±0.31, 1.18±0.36, 1.21±0.33, 1.14±0.30 in left horizontal, right horizontal, left anterior, right posterior, right anterior, left posterior canal, respectively; while in normal group, it was 1.14±0.15, 1.18±0.09, 1.16±0.30, 1.18±0.40, 1.34±0.26, 1.30±0.20, respectively. Significant statistical difference was found only in horizontal canals between these two groups (P<0.05). ③Asymmetry of the three pairs of conjugated semicircular canals was 0.04±0.07 (horizontal canal), 0.06±0.04 (left anterior and right posterior canal), 0.06±0.04 (right anterior and left posterior canal) in BPVC group, respectively; while in control group, it was 0.02±0.02, 0.04±0.03, 0.04±0.04,respectively. There was no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion:A certain proportion of abnormal peripheral vestibule function in children with BPVC was found. vHIT is a "child friendly," relatively easytouse, and simple tool to evaluate each of the 6 semicircular canals, which may offer some potential clinical information for assessing the vestibule dysfunction for BPVC.

[Incidence and influencing factors of venous thromboembolism after lung transplantation]

Objective: To analyze the incidence and influencing factors of venous thromboembolism (VTE) after lung transplantation. Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 375 lung transplant patients from January 2015 to December 2017 in Wuxi People's Hospital. Every patient was classified into the VTE group or the non-VTE group according to whether the patient had VTE or not. Basic information like age, type of surgical procedure etc. was compared between two groups. The prevention and treatment of VTE between two groups were also compared. Furthermore, multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influence of related factors on the occurrence of postoperative VTE. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was diagnosed with vascular ultrasonography, and pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) was diagnosed with CT pulmonary angiogram, nuclear ventilation/perfusion scanning, or pulmonary angiography. Results: This study included 316 lung transplant patients. VTE occurred in 19 patients (6.0%) during perioperative and follow-up period. The age of the VTE group was significantly higher than that of the non-VTE group (63.4±11.9 vs 54.3±13.0, P=0.003). The proportion of single lung transplantation in the VTE group was significantly higher than that in the non-VTE group (78.9% vs 48.5%, P=0.010). The incidence of VTE in patients without prevention was significantly higher than that in patients with prevention (15.0% vs 1.9%, P<0.001). Single lung transplantation (OR=4.425, P=0.018), duration in intensive care unit (ICU) (OR=1.396, P=0.001) and age (OR=1.080, P=0.005) were independent risk factors for VTE after lung transplantation. Conclusions: The incidence of VTE after lung transplantation is high. Single lung transplantation, prolonged duration of ICU stay and advanced age increase the risk of VTE after lung transplantation.

[Transmastoidslotted labyrinthotomy approach cochlear implantation with customized electrode for patients with common cavity deformity]

Objective: To discuss the benefit of using transmastoid slotted labyrinthotomy approach (TSLA) and customized electrode for common cavity deformity (CCD) patients, and to evaluate the audiological outcomes. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the intraoperative monitoring data and postoperative auditory outcomes of 10 CCD cases who received cochlear implantation in Beijing Tongren Hospital,Capital Medical University from April 2016 to December 2017, was conducted using TSLA and customized electrod as a test group.At the same time, 10 cases of age and gender matched children with severe or severe sensorineural hearing loss and normal inner ear structures were recorded as a control group. Four questionnaires were collected from the two groupspre-operative, 6 months and 1 year after start-up. The Wilcoxon signed rank sum test was used to compare the scores of different time points. Rank sum test of two independent samples was used to compare the scores between different groups. Results: None of the patients exhibited CSF leakage or facial paralysis after operation. The average impedance of 8 CCD children in the experimental group was below 5 kΩ. The total extraction rate of auditory neural response telemetry (ART) of all stimulating electrodes was 55% (33/60), and the amplitude of the electricity induced complex action potential (ECAP) of electrodes at different positions ranged from 50.69 to 170.3 μV.The average surgical time of the TSLA group was 46.4 min, shorter than the traditional approach.There was significant difference between the scores of pre-operative, 6 months and 1 year after start-up for the TSLA group(categories of auditory performance,CAP: 2.0 (2.0,3.0) vs. 4.0 (3.8,4.0) , Z=-3.109, P=0.002; speech intelligibility rating,SIR: 2.0 (2.0,2.3) vs. 3.0 (2.8,4.0) , Z=-2.952, P=0.003; meaningful use of speech scale,MUSS: 4.0 (3.3,6.0) vs. 9.0 (6.0,11.8) , Z=-3.421, P=0.001; meaningful auditory integration scale, MAIS or infant-toddler and meaningful auditory integration scale, IT-MAIS: 5.5 (3.8,9.0) vs. 15.5 (10.8,18.5) , Z=-3.522, P=0.000 for the latter two).In addition, The scores of the TSLA group were significantly worse than the control group at 6 months and 1 year after start-up.The high-resolution CT scan showed good adhesion of the electrodes without displacementone week and one year after surgery. Conclusions: For CCD patients, TSLA and customized electrode is recommended due to lower surgical difficulty and post-operative risk, shortened surgical time; Intraoperative ART monitoring can be used to determine the integrity of the auditory pathway. Children with common cavity deformity have a longer period of auditory rehabilitation, and the individual differences in speech rehabilitation are significantly different, which is significantly worse than those with normal structure.

[Correlation between uterine scar condition and uterine rupture for pregnancy women after previous cesarean section]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the previous cesarean scar thickness, previous cesarean scar defect and the occurrence of uterine rupture for pregnancy women after previous cesarean section and to predict the occurrence of uterine rupture in the third trimester for pregnancy women after previous cesarean section by analyzing the lower uterine segment (LUS) situation or quantitatively measure LUS myometrium thickness. Methods: A total of 154 pregnant women who have a prior cesarean from January 2015 to March 2016 were selected, all of them regularly did the prenatal examination in the pregnancy period and finally gave birth in hospital. By the transvaginal sonograph, the LUS myometrium thickness (transverse and longitudinal thickness) and the size of the previous cesarean scar defect were measured in the first trimester, the LUS myometrium thickness (longitudinal thickness) and qualitatively analysis LUS condition were measured in the third trimester. They were divided into two groups according to the pregnancy outcome: uterine rupture group (found in the cesarean operation or during the pregnancy) and without uterine rupture group (including the vaginal delivery women and those without uterine rupture in the cesarean operation period). The sensitivity and specificity of LUS myometrium thickness in the first trimester and the qualitative analysis LUS situation, the quantitative measurement of LUS myometrium thickness in the third trimester were compared in the prediction of occurrence of uterine rupture (dehiscence or complete rupture). Results: The group without uterine rupture included 134 women (6 vaginal delivery and 128 cesarean delivery), and the group with uterine rupture included 20 women (all of them cesarean delivery). The LUS myometrium thickness in the third trimester in the group without uterine rupture was (1.6±0.5) mm, and was (1.1±0.7) mm in the uterine rupture group (P= 0.004). There were no significant difference between two groups in the mean value of age, height, weight, the interdelivery interval, the LUS myometrium thickness (transverse and longitudinal thickness) in the first trimester. Qualitative analysis of LUS condition had higher specificity (99%), higher positive predictive value (92%), higher negative predictive value (94%) and slightly lower sensitivity (60%) than quantitative measure of LUS myometrium thickness in predicting uterine rupture. Conclusions: Measurement of the LUS myometrium thickness in the first trimester is helpful for predicting the occurrence of uterine rupture, so it is not necessary to terminate the pregnancy because of the thin LUS or the little prior cesarean scar defect in the first trimester. However it should be paid close attention to the LUS situation during the whole gestation. Qualitatively analyzing LUS situation is more meaningful than quantitatively measuring LUS myometrium thickness in predicting the uterine rupture in the third trimester.

[The effect of trabeculectomy combined with prophylactic sclerotomy as a treatment of late stage juvenile open angle glaucoma and primary congenital glaucoma patients: a primary observational study]

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of trabeculectomy combined with a new prophylactic sclerotomy in late stage juvenile open angle glaucoma (JOAG) and primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) patients at high risks of intraoperative and postoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage (SCH). Method: A retrospective case series study. Thirty-three eyes of 28 JOAG patients and 15 eyes of 12 PCG patients with high risk factors for severe choroidal effusion or SCH were enrolled from November 2006 to April 2012 at Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University. The standard trabeculectomy accompanied by prophylactic sclerotomy was performed (video attached). Ophthalmic examinations were performed before and after the surgery. Surgical outcome was assessed in terms of intraocular pressure (IOP), best-corrected visual acuity, optic nerve head cup disc ratio, visual field, and complications. All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. Complete success was defined as an IOP ≥6 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) but ≤18 mmHg without medication. Qualified success was defined as an IOP ≥6 mmHg but ≤18 mmHg with local application of medications. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were drawn for the success rate calculation. Results: The mean age of all 40 patients was (13.2±9.4) years old. And among them, 22 patients were male and 18 patients were female. The mean follow-up time was (31.8±15.9) months. At the postoperative 3(rd) year, the complete success rate was 75.8%, and the qualified success rate was 90.0%. In our case series, one eye had expulsive SCH intraoperatively and two eyes had delayed SCH postoperatively. All of them were successfully saved without further surgery and with no significant damage to visual function. Conclusion: Trabeculectomy combined with prophylactic sclerotomy is a promising technique developed to control IOP in late stage JOAG and PCG patients, which provides a potential intervention to reduce severe consequences of massive choroidal effusion or SCH. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 347-354).

[Efficacy and safety of Entecavir monotherapy switched from Lamivudine combined Adefovir Dipivoxil for chronic hepatitis B virus-related compensated liver cirrhosis]

Objective: To observe the efficacy and safety of de novo combination of Lamivudine(LAM) and Adefovir Dipivoxil (ADV) therapy counter to Entecavir (ETV) monotherapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)- related compensated liver cirrhosis. Methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis B-related compensated cirrhosis who were initially treated with LAM and ADV for more than 1 year were randomly assigned to two groups, one half replaced with ETV monotherapy, and the other half continued LAM and ADV co-therapy. Liver biochemistry, renal biochemistry, estimated glomerular filtration rate, alpha-fetoprotein, HBV serology markers and serum HBV DNA were measured every 3 months. Urine β2-microglobulin was measured every 6 months And retinol binding protein, followed up for 3 years. The mean values of the two groups were compared with t-test, and the rate of comparison was analyzed by x2 test. Results: A total of 580 cases were collected, 290 cases were replaced with ETV monotherapy, the other 290 patients continued to LAM and ADV combination therapy. In the ETV group, the rates of HBV DNA negative conversion at 1 year, 2 years and 3 years were 77.6%, 84.5% and 94.5% respectively, while the HBV DNA negative conversion rates at 1, 2 and 3 years in the LAM and ADV combination groups were 69.3%, 73.4% and 80.3% respectively. Among them, the negative rates of HBV DNA in the second year and the third year were P < 0.05, the difference was statistically significant. The 3-year cumulative gene-resistant rate in the ETV group was 1.4%, while the combined treatment was as high as 8.6%, and the difference was statistically significant in the two groups. The estimated value of serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate in ETV group was followed by 3 years, and the baseline level was maintained, in the same group, the serum creatinine was higher than baseline, and the estimated value of glomerular filtration rate decreased. The results showed that there were 6.2%, 12.1%, 22.1% and 0, 0.3%, 1%, respectively, in 1, 2 and 3 years for the group of consecutive treatment and the replacement of ETV Group. The estimated glomerular filtration rate decreased by more than 30% compared with the baseline. The difference was statistically significant; the proportion of serum creatinine in the 1 year, 2 years and 3 years of the combined treatment group was 1.7%, 4.5% and 6.6%, compared with the baseline rise of > 50 μmol/l, and the ETV group was replaced in the 1 year, The values of 2 and 3 years were 0,0,0.7%, of which the 2nd and 3rd years were statistically significant; the proportion of microalbuminuria and retinol-binding protein in patients with combined treatment group was also significantly higher than that of Β2-m ETV Group. Conclusion: The initial combination of LAM and ADV therapy is inferior in terms of ETV monotherapy. Single therapy with ETV increase the rate of viral response, reduce the incidence of drug resistance, and also reduce the incidence of renal impairment in patients with chronic hepatitis B -related compensated liver cirrhosis.

[Sivelestat alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice through inhibiting activation of Kupffer cells]

Objective: To investigate the role of neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat, in preventing and treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and its underling mechanisms. Methods: A total of forty 4-week-old male C57BL/6J ApoE-/-mice were equally divided into the following four groups: standard chow (SC)+isotonic saline; SC+sivelestat; high-fat, high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet+isotonic saline; and HFHC+sivelestat. These mice were treated with above methods for 12 weeks. Blood and liver tissue samples were collected to measure biochemical parameters, hepatic steatosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score (inflammation) were evaluated by oil red O staining and HE staining, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of hepatic inflammatory cytokines, CD68, and F4/80 were determined by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Comparison of means between the four groups was made by one-way analysis of variance, and comparison between any two groups was made by the LSD or SNK method (for data with homogeneity of variance) or the Tamhane or Dunnett method (for data with heterogeneity of variance). Results: Mice fed with an HFHC diet for 12 weeks developed typical pathological features of NASH compared with those fed with SC. Compared with mice fed with HFHC diet without sivelestat, those treated with HFHC and sivelestat exhibited the following features: (1) significantly reduced fast blood glucose, blood cholesterol, and hepatic biochemical parameters, as well as increased insulin sensitivity; (2) significantly reduced NAFLD activity score (5.71±1.11 vs 3.16±1.16, P < 0.05); (3) reduced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor -α; (4) significantly reduced mRNA levels of CD68 and F4/80; and (5) reduced expression of CD68 in the liver. Conclusion: Sivelestat alleviates the hepatic steatosis and inflammation of NASH in mice by inhibiting the activation of Kupffer cells.

Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Biosensor Developed by Probe Lengthening for Detection of Genomic DNA in Human Serum

As an alternative to most of the reported nucleic acid amplification-based electrochemical DNA biosensors used for detection of trace levels of genomic DNA, we herein present a novel detection concept. The proposed system involves the conversion of two short double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs), labeled with a thiol-tag or biotin-tag, into a single integrated dsDNA containing thiol and biotin at both terminals in the presence of target DNA through ligase chain reaction (LCR) and followed by the immobilization of these integrated dsDNAs on a bovine serum albumin (BSA)-modified gold electrode surface. Owing to rapid depletion of the two short dsDNAs via LCR, the integrated dsDNAs were generated in an exponential manner so that this sensoring approach offered a limit of detection of 25 yoctomoles (15 copies in 50 μL sample volumes), a high discrimination of single-base mismatch and a wide linear concentration range (across 6 orders of magnitude) for target DNA. Significantly, the proposed sensor, which has simplicity in operation and ease of miniaturization, detected the target of interest in total nucleic acid extracts derived from clinical serum samples with excellent results, thereby demonstrating its considerable diagnostic potential in fields ranging from virus detection to the diagnosis of genetic diseases.