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Alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) senescence‐induced changes of lung mesenchymal cells are key to starting the progress of pulmonary fibrosis. Follistatin‐like 1 (FSTL1) plays a central regulatory role in the complex process of senescence and pulmonary fibrosis by enhancing transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) signal pathway activity. Activation of Smad4 and Ras relies on SUMO‐specific peptidase 1 (SENP1)‐mediated deSUMOylation during TGF‐β signaling pathway activation. We hypothesized that SENP1‐mediated deSUMOylation may be a potential therapeutic target by modulating FSTL1‐regulated cellular senescence in pulmonary fibrosis. In verifying this hypothesis, we found that FSTL1 expression was upregulated in the lung tissues of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and that SENP1 was overexpressed in senescent AECs. TGF‐β1‐induced FSTL1 not only promoted AEC senescence but also upregulated SENP1 expression. Interfering with SENP1 expression inhibited FSTL1‐dependent promotion of AEC senescence and improved pulmonary fibrosis in mouse lungs. FSTL1 enhancement of TGF‐β1 signaling pathway activation was dependent on SENP1 in senescent AEC. Our work identifies a novel mechanism by which FSTL1 is involved in AEC senescence. Inhibition of SENP1 in epithelial cells alleviated pulmonary fibrosis by blocking FSTL1‐enhanced TGF signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To investigate the feasibility of using peripheral perfusion index (PPI) to monitor acute limb ischaemia (ALI) in newborns after catheterisations. Background: ALI is common complication of neonatal peripheral artery cannulation. It is important to address as soon as the early signs of ALI. PPI could aid in noninvasive evaluation of distal extremity perfusion in an effort to notify risk of potential ischaemic injury from catheterisations. Design: A nested case–control study. Methods: Clinical information of newborns who had been admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital and had received peripheral artery cannulation from January 2018 to January 2020 was prospectively collected. Transcutaneous blood oxygen saturation (TcSO2), PPI and delta‐PPI (ΔPPI1; the difference in PPI values of the two arms. ΔPPI2; difference in the PPI values before and after cannulation) were recorded. We used STROBE checklist as an EQUATOR in this study. Results: A total of 25 newborns with ALI were included in the study. These were then paired with 100 newborns without ALI. The PPI and TcSO2 of the cannulated limb were significantly lower in the ALI group than in the non‐ALI (NALI) group (p <.05). The area under the receiver‐operating characteristic curve was significant for ΔPPI1. The ΔPPI1 had a sensitivity and specificity of 92% and 87%, respectively, for diagnosing ALI. ΔPPI1 greater than 0.315 suggested that the infant was at risk of ALI. Conclusions: Monitoring the change in the PPI in newborns after catheterisations helped in the early assessment of ALI. Relevance to clinical practice: Drops in the PPI and TcSO2 of the cannulated limbs might, to some extent, reflect the possibility of ALI in newborns. ΔPPI1 (the difference in PPI values of the two arms) proved to be a simple, objective parameter to predict the presence of ALI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a severe extra-pulmonary tuberculosis with high fatality. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the impact of linezolid on TBM treatment outcomes., Methods: We searched multiple databases for studies published up to May 18, 2024 comparing the effects of linezolid on TBM. Meta-analysis was conducted using Review Manager 5.4., Results: Our findings indicated that linezolid may reduce treatment failure risk (RR = 0.42 (0.20, 0.89), p = 0.02) and improve temperature recovery (RR = 1.56 (1.21, 2.02), p < 0.001) in TBM patients., Conclusions: The analysis suggests a positive association between linezolid treatment and therapeutic improvements, with no significant adverse reactions reported., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Termedia & Banach.)

Objective: To analyze the esophageal dynamics in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and with refractory cough while undergoing esophageal high-resolution manometry (HRM)., Methods: A total of 32 patients with GERD and with refractory cough and 48 patients with GERD admitted to our hospital from February 2019 to July 2020 were assigned to the combined group and the GERD group, respectively, and 40 healthy volunteers were assigned to the healthy group. All the patients underwent HRM. The lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) parameters, the types of peristalsis of the esophageal body, the esophageal body motility, the i relaxation of LES and UES incidence rates, and the esophageal body motility disorders were compared among the three groups., Results: The combined group and the GERD group had lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) levels and lower 4-s integrated relaxation pressure (4 s IRP) levels, shorter lower esophageal sphincter lengths (LESL), and higher frequencies and longer durations of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation (TLESR) compared with the healthy group ( P < 0.05). The upper esophageal sphincter lengths (UESL) in the GERD group were longer than they were in the healthy group ( P < 0.05). Compared with the healthy group and the GERD group, the combined group had longer distal latencies (DL), break distances, and peristaltic breaks (PB), longer large and small peristaltic breaks, a greater number of ineffective swallows, lower upper esophageal sphincter pressure (UESP) levels, distal contraction integrals (DCI), contractile front velocities (CFV), and a higher incidence rate of esophageal body motility disorders ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Patients with GERD and with refractory cough often also have esophageal body motility disorders, longer PB, elevated UESP levels, and lower DCI. HRM can be used to objectively evaluate the esophageal dynamics and to differentiate among diseases., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) on the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by severe pneumonia after kidney transplantation., Methods: The clinical data of 17 patients who were diagnosed as ARDS caused by severe pneumonia after kidney transplantation and treated with NIV in Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January 1st, 2014 to June 1st, 2016 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. According to the result of NIV treatment, the patients were divided into NIV success group (n = 9) and NIV failure group (n = 8). The differences in gender, age, underlying diseases, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score, laboratory parameters on the day when ARDS was diagnosed, daily immunosuppressive dosage, NIV support condition and duration, arterial blood gas analysis and adverse reactions between the two groups were compared. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was plotted, and the predictive value of each parameters for NIV results was evaluated., Results: The two groups were similar in gender, age, and underlying diseases. The APACHE II score, serum levels of procalcitonin (PCT) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), serum creatinine (SCr), daily tacrolimus dose, and NIV support condition in NIV failure group were significantly higher than those in NIV success group [APACHE II score: 16.7±5.7 vs. 10.3±2.1, PCT (μg/L): 32.8 (1.2, 187.7) vs. 0.3 (0.1, 2.9), BNP (ng/L): 832.4 (263.7, 1 180.2) vs. 157.0 (33.9, 218.5), SCr (μmol/L): 284.8 (90.5, 474.2) vs. 186.6 (76.7, 206.3), daily tacrolimus dose (mg): 3.6 (3.1, 4.0) vs. 2.6 (2.0, 3.5), inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP, cmH 2 O, 1 cmH 2 O = 0.098 kPa): 14.8±4.1 vs. 9.0±1.1, expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP, cmH 2 O): 7.6±1.8 vs. 4.7±0.8, fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO 2 ): 0.75±0.25 vs. 0.43±0.06, all P < 0.05], and the oxygenation index (PaO 2 /FiO 2 ) after treatment was significantly lower than that of NIV success group [mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 107.4±65.2 vs. 268.7±98.8, P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in albumin (Alb), white blood cell count (WBC), daily mycophenolate mofetil dose, use of glucocorticold, NIV duration, pH value, arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO 2 ), or the incidence of sputum drainage disorder or pneumothorax between the two groups. ROC curve analysis showed that the predictive value of APACHEII score, serum PCT and BNP levels, tacrolimus daily dosage and PaO 2 /FiO 2 changes after NIV treatment for the efficacy of NIV was high, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.813, 0.778, 0.903, 0.778, 0.764, respectively; when the cut-off value of APACHE II score was 16.0, PCT was 4.1 μg/L, BNP was 180.5 ng/L, tacrolimus daily dosage was 2.5 mg, PaO 2 /FiO 2 increased 49.5 mmHg, the sensitivity was 87.5%, 75.2%, 87.5%, 87.5% and 75.0%, respectively, and the specificity was 77.8%, 66.7%, 88.9%, 74.4%, 88.9%, respectively. However, SCr was not sensitive to the NIV effect prediction., Conclusions: NIV in the treatment of ARDS caused by severe pneumonia after kidney transplantation has a certain value. The fewer tacrolimus daily dosage, the lower APACHE II score and levels of PCT and BNP, the more effective promotion of PaO 2 /FiO 2 after NIV treatment, and the better curative effect is suggested.