We aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of non-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) respiratory pathogens among patients with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in Shijiazhuang, China, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic (January 2021-–December 2022) and after the relaxation of COVID‐19 restrictive measures (January 2022-–December 2023). This retrospective study enrolled 6,633 ARIs patients who visited the Hebei General Hospital between 2021- and 2023. Nasopharyngeal swabs samples were collected for multiplex PCR detection of 13 common respiratory pathogens. Respiratory pathogens were detected in 31.58% of individuals diagnosed with ARIs, whileereas a co-infection with multiple pathogens was observed in 8.5% of the ARI patients. In the years 2021 and 2022, 326 (27.63%) and 283 (24.38%) respiratory pathogens were found to be positive, respectively, during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in 2023, subsequent to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, the positivity rate significantly rose to 34.62%, with 4,292 cases identified. The majority of positive cases over the last three3 years were concentrated in patients under 14 years old. The predominant pathogens identified were human rhinovirus (HRVs) (15.08%) in 2021, mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) (6.46%) in 2022, and influenza A virus (FluA) (11.35%) in 2023. Seasonal prevalence patterns of most pathogens were affected, except for parainfluenza virus (PIV). There was a simultaneous increase in the positive cases and positivity rates of FluA and adenovirus (ADV) Iin 2023, compared to 2021 and 2022. Additionally, the infection rates of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), MP, and coronavirus (CoV) in 2023 either exceeded or were comparable to those in 2021 and 2022. Conversely, the positivity rates of PIV, RVs, metapneumovirus (MPV), and influenza B virus (FluB) were lower in 2023 compared to 2021 or 2022. IMPORTANCE: The implementation of strict non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may lead to changes in the epidemiological features of respiratory pathogens, as well as the occurrence of immune debt, potentially causing a resurgence in respiratory pathogen activity following the easing of strict NPIs measures. There are limited reports on the epidemiological characteristics of respiratory pathogens among patients of all ages with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Our study investigated the epidemiology of 13 respiratory pathogens in Shijiazhuang, China, from January 2021 to December 2023. Thisese data isare crucial for the ongoing surveillance of epidemiological shifts in respiratory pathogens during and post the -COVID-19 pandemic, and serves as a scientific foundation for the prevention and management of ARIs.

Objective. The purpose of the meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between serum asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) level and microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus (DM) including diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic neuropathy (DN), and diabetic nephropathy. Methods. Studies were comprehensively identified by searching Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed databases up to August 30, 2018. The meta-analysis was carried out to compare the difference of serum ADMA concentrations of DR, DN, and diabetic nephropathy patients with healthy controls. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality were applied to assess the methodological quality. Chi-squared Q test and I² statistics were applied to evaluate statistical heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses were conducted and publication bias was assessed by Egger’s test. Result. Ten studies were finally entered in the meta-analysis. Statistically significant heterogeneity was observed across these studies (I2 = 77.0%, p < 0.001). Compared with DM without microvascular complications, circulating level of ADMA was significantly higher in DM with microvascular complications (all p < 0.05). Sensitivity analysis suggested that the results of this meta-analysis were shown to be stable. There was no significant publication bias (P=0.823). Conclusion. Elevated ADMA levels correlate with diabetic microangiopathies such as DR and diabetic nephropathy. ADMA may play an important role in the pathobiology of microvascular complications of diabetes.

Cost-effective molecular diagnostic techniques for bacterial pneumonia are limited. We designed primers for 13 bacteria, performed multiplex nucleic acid detection through fragment analysis to obtain pathogen identification results, and established a multiplex PCR–capillary electrophoresis (MPCE) method, which can simultaneously detect 13 pathogens associated with bacterial pneumonia. The sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of the MPCE assay were tested, and 420 clinical samples were used to assess the clinical detection ability of MPCE, with the culture method used as a reference. Samples with inconsistent results detected by the two methods were sent for Sanger sequencing. The minimum detection limit of MPCE for 13 bacteria was 6.0 × 10 ³ cfu/mL~2.0 × 10 ⁶ cfu/mL. No cross-reactivity was observed with other pathogens. The percentage of agreement for reproducibility analysis reached 100%. For the 420 sputum samples, when the culture method was used as the reference, the sensitivity of MPCE to 13 bacteria ranged from 80% to 100%. The specificity for 13 bacteria ranged from 67.1% to 100%. The percentage of agreement between the MPCE and the culture method ranged from 69.7% to 100%. There was no statistically significant difference ( P > 0.05) in the detection of Escherichia coli , Enterobacter cloacae complex , Staphylococcus aureus , methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes , Moraxella catarrhalis , or Legionella pneumophila between the MPCE and the culture method. Clinical samples with negative cultures but positive MPCE results were validated by Sanger sequencing, and the results were consistent with those of MPCE. The MPCE method has high sensitivity and specificity for bacterial pneumonia, enabling the simultaneous and rapid detection of multiple pathogens. It is cost-effective and has potential for clinical application. IMPORTANCE: This study successfully established a multiplex PCR–capillary electrophoresis detection system that can simultaneously detect 13 pathogens through a single detection method, significantly improving clinical efficiency. It is cost-effective and has potential for clinical application.

Rationale: Digital infection is a common disease in clinic, featured by pain and swelling of digits. As far as we know, no article has reported a case of digital infected byMorganella morganii.Patient concerns: A 58-year-old Chinese female complains about whitlow with pain and swelling for 2 weeks. She has a history of diabetes for 10 years. She received incision and drainage before coming to our hospital and preoperative X-ray of left ring finger presented no bone eroded.Diagnosis: She is diagnosed with infection of ring finger caused byM morganiiin our hospital.Interventions: We perform aggressive operative debridement and drainage firstly. Meanwhile, we provide tissue samples for diagnosis and the result indicatesM morganiiinfection. Then, she is treated with anti-infection therapy and regulation of diabetes. However, 1 week after first surgery, her condition deteriorate presenting bone erosion in distal phalanx of ring finger from X-ray. Considering severity of illness, we decide to perform digital amputation.Outcomes: At 3-month follow-up, the patient has a satisfactory result and X-ray shows no bone eroded.Lessons: Clinicians should considerM morganii, which is rare in hand infection, as a cause of digital infection. This case reminds us that some whitlow is dangerous, amputation should be considered if necessary.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), prompted the widespread implement