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Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe and common complication in critically ill patients and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. At present, there is not a tool to predict the prognosis of critically ill patients with AKI and treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Methods A retrospective cohort study was to construct a prediction model for the 28-day mortality of patients with AKI and treated with CRRT. From January 2009 to September 2016, A total of 846 cases were included in our study. Results A total of five variables selected by multi-factor Cox regression analysis were used to constructed three predictive models and adopted bootstrapping for internal validation. Finally, we get five sets of models (three sets of construction models and two sets of internal verification models) with similar predictive value. The stepwise model, which including four variables (CCI score, Alb, Phosphate (24h) and SOFA score), was the simplest model, so we chose it as our final predictive model and constructed a nomogram based on it. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the stepwise model and the stepwise bootstrap model (BS stepwise) were respectively 0.78(0.75,0.82) and 0.78 (0.75,0.82). The AUC of the stepwise model and the BS stepwise in patients with sepsis were 0.77 (0.73,0.81) and 0.77 (0.73,0.81). The AUC of the stepwise model and the BS stepwise in patients without sepsis were 0.83 (0.78,0.89) and 0.83 (0.78,0.89). Conclusions We developed a four-marker-based prognostic tool that could effectively predict each individual's 28-day mortality for patients with AKI and treated with CRRT.

Background Cardiac arrest is still a global public health problem at present. The neurological outcome is the core indicator of the prognosis of cardiac arrest. However, there is no effective means or tools to predict the neurological outcome of patients with coma and survived 24 hours after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Hypothesis Therefore, we expect to construct a prediction model to predict the neurological outcome for patients with coma and survived 24 hours after successful CPR. Methods A retrospective cohort study was used to construct a prediction model of the neurological function for patients with coma and survived 24 hours after successful CPR. From January 2007 to December 2015, a total of 262 patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results The predictive model was developed using preselected variables by a systematic review of the literature. Finally, we get five sets of models (three sets of construction models and two sets of internal verification models) which with similar predictive value. The stepwise model, which including seven variables (age, noncardiac etiology, nonshockable rhythm, bystander CPR, total epinephrine dose, APTT, and SOFA score), was the simplest model, so we choose it as our final predictive model. The area under the ROC curve (AUC), specificity, and sensitivity of the stepwise model were respectively 0.82 (0.77, 0.87), 0.72and 0.82. The AUC, specificity, and sensitivity of the bootstrap stepwise (BS stepwise) model were respectively 0.82 (0.77, 0.87), 0.71, and 0.82. Conclusion This new and validated predictive model may provide individualized estimates of neurological function for patients with coma and survived 24 hours after successful CPR using readily obtained clinical risk factors. External validation studies are required further to demonstrate the model's accuracy in diverse patient populations.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) is the most common cause of organ failure in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and is associated with increased mortality. This study aimed at determining the efficacy of sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE-II) scoring systems in assessing the prognosis of critically ill patients with AKI undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). At present, APACHE-II score and SOFA score were also used to evaluate and predict the prognosis of critically ill patients with AKI. Methods The predictive value of SOFA and APACHE-II scores for 28- and 90-d mortality in patients with AKI undergoing CRRT were determined by multivariate analysis, sensitivity analysis, and curve-fitting analysis. Results A total of 836 cases were included in this study. Multivariate Cox logistic regression analysis showed that SOFA scores were associated with 28- and 90-d mortality in patients with AKI undergoing CRRT. The adjusted HR of SOFA for 28-d mortality were 1.18 (1.14, 1.21), 1.24 (1.18, 1.31), and 1.19 (1.13, 1.24) in the three models, respectively, and the adjusted HR of SOFA for 90-d mortality was 1.12 (1.09, 1.16), 1.15 (1.10, 1.19), and 1.15 (1.10, 1.19), respectively. The subgroup analysis showed that the SOFA score was associated with 28-d and 90-d mortality in patients with AKI undergoing CRRT. APACHE-II score was not associated with 28- and 90-d mortality patients with AKI undergoing CRRT. Curve fitting analysis showed that SOFA scores increased had a higher prediction accuracy for 28- and 90-d than APACHE-II. Conclusions The SOFA score showed a higher accuracy of mortality prediction in critically ill patients with AKI undergoing CRRT than the APACHE-II score.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces macrophage/monocyte activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines production by activating Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) signaling. Rab GTPase 21 (Rab21) is a member of the Rab GTPase subfamily. In the present study, we show that LPS induced TLR4 and Rab21 association and endosomal translocation in murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In BMDMs, shRNA-mediated stable knockdown of Rab21 inhibited LPS-induced expression and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α). Conversely, forced overexpression of Rab21 by an adenovirus construct potentiated LPS-induced IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production in BMDMs. Further studies show that LPS-induced TLR4 endosomal traffic and downstream c-Jun and NFκB (nuclear factor-kappa B) activation were significantly inhibited by Rab21 shRNA, but intensified with Rab21 overexpression in BMDMs. Finally, in the primary human PBMCs, siRNA-induced knockdown of Rab21 significantly inhibited LPS-induced IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α production. Taken together, we suggest that Rab21 regulates LPS-induced pro-inflammatory responses by promoting TLR4 endosomal traffic and downstream signaling activation.

Background: Acute renal injury (AKI) is the most common cause of organ failure in multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and is associated with higher mortality, especially for patients requiring continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). At present, no effective approaches are in place to predict the prognosis of patients with AKI undergoing CRRT. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was carried to determine whether sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score may be a more valuable prognostic indicator than acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE-II) score in patients with AKI undergoing CRRT. The multivariate analysis, sensitivity analysis, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were performed to determine the predictive value of SOFA and APACHE-II scores on 28- and 90-day mortality. Results: From January 2009 to September 2016, a total of 1128 cases were included. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that both APACHE-II and SOFA scores were associated with 28- and 90-day mortality of patients with AKI undergoing CRRT. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for SOFA and APACHE-II scores associated with 28-day mortality were 1.38 (1.27, 1.51) and 1.04 (1.01, 1.07), respectively, and the adjusted ORs for SOFA and APACHE-II scores associated with 90-day mortality were 1.40 (1.28, 1.52) and 1.04 (1.01, 1.07), respectively. decision curve analysis and receiver operating characteristics analyses showed that SOFA had a higher prediction accuracy than APACHE-II for 28- and 90-day mortality. The AUCs of SOFA and APACHE-II for 28-day mortality were 0.70 (0.67, 0.73) and 0.62 (0.58, 0.65), and for 90-day mortality, the AUCs were 0.71 (0.68, 0.78) and 0.62 (0.58, 0.65), respectively. Conclusion: SOFA score revealed higher accuracy than APACHE-II score in predicting the prognosis of critically ill patients with AKI undergoing CRRT.

This research aimed to explore the effect of augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) in acute pancreatitis (AP) of mice and the underlying mechanism. Caerulein were given to mice to get AP models. AP mice were given saline, ALR plasmids or negative control plasmids. Then, pancreas tissues were fixed and stained for histological examination. The levels of serum amylase, serum lipase, MPO, HMGB1, TNF-α, IL-1β as well as MCP-1 were detected by ELISA assay. The mRNA levels of TLR4, p65, IκBα, iNOS, COX-2 and GAPDH were examined by RT-qPCR. The protein levels of HMGB1, TLR4, MD2, MyD88, IκBα and GAPDH were detected by western blotting. ALR decreased serum amylase as well as lipase levels and alleviated the histopathological alterations of the pancreas in AP mice. ALR decreased the MPO activity of pancreas in AP Mice. ALR decreased the HMGB1/TLR4 signaling pathway in AP Mice. ALR decreased pancreas IL-1β and MCP-1 in AP mice, and also decreased plasma TNF-α and IL-1β in AP mice. ALR attenuated the cerulein-caused increase in p65 mRNA and protein levels, but had no effects on mRNA and protein levels of IκBα. The AP mice significantly promoted the mRNA levels of iNOS and COX-2 that was inhibited by ALR. HNE formation was also increased in AP mice, but it was decreased by ALR. ALR alleviates acute pancreatitis by inhibiting HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. It is promising to alleviate the syndromes of patients with acute via targeting ALR.

No matter in or outside hospital, the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is very low. The sign of successful CPR is the recovery of spontaneous circulation. The premise of the recovery of spontaneous circulation is the recovery and maintenance of sinus rhythm, but there is still no related research.We aim to study the factors for the recovery and maintenance time of sinus rhythm in patients with CPR.A single-center retrospective case-control study.Ethical review was obtained (ethical approval number: 20180031).The second affiliated hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Shaanxi, China.From January 2011 to December 2016, totally 344 cases met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, sinus rhythm recovered group (SR group) (n = 130 cases), sinus rhythm unrecovered group (SUR group) (n = 214 cases).The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that red blood cell counts (OR = 1.30, 95% CI:1.04-1.63, P = .02), rescue time (OR = 0.95, 95% CI:0.94-0.97, P

Rationale: Pregnancy is a complicated physiological process. Physiological leukocytosis often takes place and it is primarily related to the increased circulation of neutrophils, especially during the last trimester of pregnancy. Noncongenital agranulocytosis during pregnancy is rare and reported only occasionally, while in most of the cases, the agranulocytosis has already occurred prior to pregnancy or induced by identified factors such as antibiotics, antithyroid agents, or cytotoxic agents. Gestation-induced agranulocytosis has not been reported, so we present a case of gestation-induced agranulocytosis in this article. Patients concern: In this case, we present a Chinese woman (aged 25) in her 38th week of the first gestation who had the complication of agranulocytosis. No abnormality was detected in regular examinations before pregnancy and in the first trimester. Since the last trimester of pregnancy, the patient began to suffer from agranulocytosis and intermittent fever, the maximum being temperature 38.8°C. At admission, the neutrophil granulocytes were 0.17 × 109 L−1 and the bone marrow biopsy showed that agranulocytosis was detected, but the levels of red blood cell and megalokaryocyte were normal. In addition, antinuclear antibodies were detected at a dilution of 1:40, but anti-dsDNA, antiphospholipid antibody, and neutrophil granulocyte antibody were negative. Diagnoses: The patient was empirically treated as having pneumonia. Interventions: We tried to use granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, γ-globulin, glucocorticoids, antibiotics, and antifungi agents to treat the patient, but her symptoms were not alleviated until the patient had a cesarean section. Outcomes: After 24 hours of cesarean section, the temperature and neutrophil granulocyte returned to normal. After a year of follow-up, we found that the patient and the baby were healthy. Lessons: Agranulocytosis during pregnancy seems to be associated with immunosuppression induced by immunoregulations and termination of pregnancy may be effective for refractory pregnancy complicated with agranulocytosis, but further studies are needed to confirm this.

Preoxygenation can rapidly improve oxygenation and enhance the security of endotracheal intubation, so it is very essential before endotracheal intubation. The conventional preoxygenation method self-inflating bag (SIB) is not very effective in case of emergency. So our study aims to find a more effective method of preoxygenation in a critical situation. We retrospectively analyzed data of 105 patients in this study. A total of 49 patients with preoxygenation with invasive ventilator in volume control mode (VCM) and 56 patients with preoxygenation with SIB were included. No significant differences were detected in the baseline data of the 2 groups (P > 0.05). Time of preoxygenation (95%) was 174 (168–180) seconds in group VCM and 205 (199–212) seconds in group SIB (P 0.05). Cox regression showed that SaO2 at 5 minutes after intubation was the major risk factor for the survival rate. Invasive ventilator with volume control mode can shorten the time of preoxygenation and improve the quality of preoxygenation in patients with emergency intubation and may be a better method of preoxygenation in a critical situation.

To observe the effects of peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) on the function of the vital organs in rats with pancreatitis.Acute pancreatitis (AP) was induced in 30 male SD rats by ductal injection of 4% sodium taurocholate at 1.0 ml/kg. The rats received subsequent intravenously injection of 0.3 mg/kg of PPARgamma ligand (rosiglitazone, n=10), PPARgamma antagonist (GW9662, n=10) followed 10 min later by rosiglitazone administration at 0.3 mg/kg, or left untreated (AP model group, n=10). Another 10 male SD rats receiving no particular treatment served as the control group. The rats were sacrificed 6 h after the operation, and blood samples were collected for measurement of the biochemical indices of the vital organs. The histological changes of the pancreas and portal vein blood endotoxin content were examined.The rats in AP group and GW9662 group showed significantly higher level of the biochemical indices for the vital organs, pathological scores of the pancreas and portal vein blood endotoxin content were significantly higher in the control group and roglitazone-treated groups (P0.05).PPARgamma ligand roglitazone can significantly ameliorate multiple organ injuries and effectively protect the functions of the organs in rats with experimental pancreatitis.