UNASSIGNED: Recurrence rate of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection after successful eradication have gained attention. This study was to assess the recurrence rate of H. pylori infection after successful eradication in the southern coastal provinces of China and to analyze its factors.
UNASSIGNED: 975 patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms who were diagnosed with H. pylori infection using the 13C or 14C-urea breath test (UBT) underwent eradication treatment between August 2021 and December 2022. After eight to twelve weeks, repeat UBT was performed. Besides, 824 patients with successful eradication underwent a repeat UBT by completing questionnaires after a year. The 1-year recurrence rate was calculated, and the differences were analyzed based on baseline data, sociological characteristics, and lifestyle.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 734 patients completed the 1-year follow-up, out of which 26 (3.5%) patients experienced a recurrence of H. pylori infection. Exposure to other individuals infected with H. pylori (χ2=12.852, P<0.001), poor hygiene conditions at dining out places (χ2=6.839, P=0.009), frequent dining out (χ2=24.315, P<0.001), smoking (χ2=7.510, P=0.006), consumption of non-purified water (χ2=16.437, P<0.001), consumption of pickled foods (χ2=5.682, P=0.017), irregular meal patterns (χ2=16.877, P<0.001) and age (χ2=9.195, P=0.010) were significant factors for H. pylori infection recurrence. Exposure to other individuals infected with H. pylori, poor hygiene conditions at dining out places, consumption of non-purified water, frequent dining out and irregular meal patterns were independent risk factors (P=0.022, 0.016, 0.002, <0.001, <0.001; 95% CI 0.146-0.861, 0.121-0.806, 1.715-10.845, 0.085-0.521, 2.291-14.556).
UNASSIGNED: The one-year recurrence rate of H. pylori infection post-eradication in the southern coastal provinces of China is 3.5%. Contacting with infected individuals, poor hygiene in dining places, consumption of non-purified water, frequent dining out, and irregular meal patterns were identified as significant independent factors influencing H. pylori recurrence.

UNASSIGNED: Patients with tricuspid bioprosthetic structural valve degeneration (SVD) often present with right ventricular enlargement and severe dysfunction, which cause a higher risk for redo cardiac surgery. In 2019, our center innovated using the J-valve system for valve-in-valve (ViV) implantation to treat tricuspid bioprosthetic SVD. The purpose of this study was to summarize the clinical effect after 1-year follow-up.
UNASSIGNED: From April 2019 to October 2019, two cases of tricuspid bioprosthetic dysfunction were treated with the J-valve system. Both patients were male, aged 46 and 67 years, respectively. The preoperative evaluation showed that the risk of conventional redo open heart surgery was high. The J-valve implantation was successful in both cases. One patient had slight valve displacement when the transporter was withdrawn during the operation, and a second J-valve was implanted in an ideal position. There was no death, no delayed valve displacement, and no readmission during the follow-up period of 12 months. In both cases, there was an absence of trace tricuspid regurgitation. After 6 months of anticoagulation with warfarin, the patients were converted to long-term aspirin treatment.
UNASSIGNED: The ViV technique with J-valve is feasible and effective in treating tricuspid bioprosthetic SVD in high-risk patients, avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass and conventional thoracotomy injury.

The novel coronavirus is still mutating, and the pandemic continues. Meanwhile, many COVID-19 survivors have residual postinfection clinical manifestations. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) have been shown to be effective in the early stages of COVID-19.
The aim of this study was to investigate long-term safety and efficacy of treatment in patients with severe COVID-19 patients who had received hUC-MSCs therapy.
Twenty-five discharged patients who had severe COVID-19 (including the standard treatment group and the standard treatment plus hUC-MSCs group) were enrolled in a 1-year follow-up. The assessment considered adverse effects (including effects on liver and kidney function, coagulation, ECG, tumor marker, and so on), pulmonary function, St George\'s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), postinfection sequelae and serum concentration of Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), malondialdehyde (MDA), H2S, carnitine, and N-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (N-6 LC-PUFAs).
Pulmonary ventilation function had significantly improved at the 1-year follow-up in both the hUC-MSCs group and the control group compared with the 3-month follow-up (P < 0.01). Fatigue (60% [15/25]) remained the most common symptom at the 1-year follow-up. The rate of fatigue relief was significantly reduced in the hUC-MSCs group (25% [2/8]) compared to the control group (76.5% [13/17]) (P = 0.028). The level of KL-6 was significantly lower in the hUC-MSCs group (2585.5 ± 186.5 U/ml) than in the control group (3120.7 ± 158.3 U/ml) (P < 0.001). Compared with the control group, the hUC-MSCs group had a lower level of MDA (9.27 ± 0.54 vs. 9.91 ± 0.72 nmol/ml, P = 0.036). No obvious adverse effects were observed in the hUC-MSCs treatment group at 1 year after discharge.
Intravenous transplantation of hUC-MSCs was a safe approach in the long term in the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. In addition, hUC-MSCs had a positive effect on postinfection sequelae in COVID-19 survivors.
Chinese Clinical Trial Registration; ChiCTR2000031494; Registered 02 April 2020-Retrospectively registered, http://www.medresman.org.

UNASSIGNED: COVID-19 is characterized by endothelial dysfunction and is presumed to have long-term cardiovascular sequelae. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to explore the serum levels of endothelial biomarkers in patients who recovered from COVID-19 one year after hospital discharge.
UNASSIGNED: In this clinical follow-up study, 345 COVID-19 survivors from Huanggang, Hubei, and 119 age and gender-matched medical staff as healthy controls were enrolled. A standardized symptom questionnaire was performed, while electrocardiogram and Doppler ultrasound of lower extremities, routine blood tests, biochemical and immunological tests, serum soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1), intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1), P-selectin, and fractalkine were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA).
UNASSIGNED: At one year after discharge, 39% of recovers possessed post-COVID syndromes, while a few had abnormal electrocardiogram manifestations, and no deep vein thrombosis was detected in all screened survivors. There were no significant differences in circulatory inflammatory markers (leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6), alanine aminotransferase, estimated glomerular filtration rate, glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol and D-dimer observed among healthy controls with previously mild or severe infected. Furthermore, serum levels of VCAM-1, ICAM-1, P-selectin, and fractalkine do not significantly differ between survivors and healthy controls.
UNASSIGNED: SARS-CoV-2 infection may not impose a higher risk of developing long-term cardiovascular events, even for those recovering from severe illness.

BACKGROUND: Prior to the approval of the Sapien valve in 2020, there were no commercially available short-frame valves for transapical mitral valve-in-valve (MVIV) implantation. In January 2019, we first attempted the reverse mounted J-valve for transapical MVIV implantation with good clinical results. The present study aimed to explore the safety and effectiveness of transapical MVIV implantation with the J-valve reversely mounted on the delivery system.
METHODS: Patients who underwent transapical MVIV implantation using the J-valve were analyzed from January 2019 to December 2020 with a 1-year follow-up. Before the procedure, computed tomography (CT) angiography data were analyzed to determine the inner diameter, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT), and coaxial angel. An oversize rate of 5-10% was used to select the J-valve depending on the scanned inner diameter of the original mitral bioprosthesis. During the procedure, the three U-shape graspers were one-to-one buckled with the three tissue valve struts with the assist of echo and fluoroscopy. The implant depth into the left atrium was a 0-20% part of the J-valve, and the valve was then released under rapid pacing. Post-balloon dilatation was used when needed.
RESULTS: Nineteen patients (mean age 70.05±11.19 years), with a mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons score of 8.01%±4.20%, were included. By transesophageal echocardiography, we found that the mean transvalvular gradient was 6.21±2.63 mmHg. The mean follow-up time was 20.31±7.23 months, and the survival rate was 94.74% at the last follow-up. The transvalvular gradient decreased from 15.06±3.00 mmHg at basal to 7.13±2.28 mmHg at the 1-year follow-up (P<0.001). The left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF) increased from 60.31%±7.30% to 59.94%±7.72% at the 1-year follow-up (P=0.863). Thirteen (81.25%) patients had no or trace paravalvular leak (PVL), two (12.50%) patients had minor PVL, one (6.25%) patient had moderate PVL, and there were no cases of major regurgitation at the 1-year transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) examination results.
CONCLUSIONS: The J-valve reversely mounted on the delivery system can be used for transapical MVIV implantation with less operative morbidity and favourable outcomes.

There is growing evidence that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 can affect the CNS. However, data on white matter and cognitive sequelae at the 1-year follow-up are lacking. Therefore, we explored these characteristics in this study. We investigated 22 recovered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and 21 matched healthy controls. Diffusion tensor imaging, diffusion kurtosis imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging were performed to identify white matter changes, and the subscales of the Wechsler Intelligence scale were used to assess cognitive function. Correlations between diffusion metrics, cognitive function and other clinical characteristics were then examined. We also conducted subgroup analysis based on patient admission to the intensive care unit. The corona radiata, corpus callosum and superior longitudinal fasciculus had a lower volume fraction of intracellular water in the recovered COVID-19 group than in the healthy control group. Patients who had been admitted to the intensive care unit had lower fractional anisotropy in the body of the corpus callosum than those who had not. Compared with the healthy controls, the recovered COVID-19 patients demonstrated no significant decline in cognitive function. White matter tended to present with fewer abnormalities for shorter hospital stays and longer follow-up times. Lower axonal density was detected in clinically recovered COVID-19 patients after 1 year. Patients who had been admitted to the intensive care unit had slightly more white matter abnormalities. No significant decline in cognitive function was found in recovered COVID-19 patients. The duration of hospital stay may be a predictor for white matter changes at the 1-year follow-up.

The objective of this paper was the analysis of the 1-year outcome of teeth treated with apical surgery and a recently introduced bioceramic root repair material (BCRRM) for root-end filling. Patients were consecutively enrolled from 2015 to 2017. Apical surgery included the modern technique, i.e. the use of a surgical microscope, ultrasonic preparation of a root-end cavity, and retrofilling with BCRRM. The cohort comprised 150 patients with 174 treated teeth. Patients were recalled one year after surgery for a clinical and radiographic re-examination. Three experienced observers evaluated the periapical radiographs with regard to periapical healing utilizing the healing criteria established by Rud et al. (1972) and Molven et al. (1987). Based on the clinical findings and the radiographic assessment, healing was judged as successful, uncertain, or failed. Study parameters included gender, age, type of treated tooth, and type of BCRRM (regular vs. fast set putty). At the 1-year follow-up, 170 teeth could be reexamined (drop-out rate 2.3%). Healing outcome was categorized as successful in 94.1%, uncertain in 4.1%, and failed in 1.8%. No significant differences were observed when comparing the success rates among the different subcategories of study parameters. The lowest success rate was noted in mandibular premolars (86.7%) but without reaching statistical significance. In conclusion, BCRRM appears to be a biocompatible root-end filling material showing excellent 1-year results. The success rate was similar to recently reported success rates for BCRRM in apical surgery.