Background: To explore the significance of SAA in evaluating the severity and prognosis of COVID-19. Methods: A total of 132 patients with confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted to a designated COVID-19 hospital in Wuhan, China from January 18, 2020 to February 26, 2020 were collected. The dynamic changes of blood SAA, CRP, PCT, WBC, Lymphocyte (L), PLT, CT imaging, and disease progression were studied. All patients completed at least twice laboratory data collection and clinical condition assessment at three time points indicated for this study; The length of hospital stay was longer than 14 days prior to February 26, 2020. Results: COVID-19 patients had significantly increased SAA and CRP levels, while L count decreased, and PCT, WBC, and PLT were in the normal range. As disease progressed from mild to critically severe, SAA and CRP gradually increased, while L decreased, and PLT, WBC, and PCT had no significant changes; ROC curve analysis suggests that SAA/L, CRP, SAA, and L count are valuable in evaluating the severity of COVID-19 and distinguishing critically ill patients from mild ones; Patients with SAA consistently trending down during the course of disease have better prognosis, compared with the patients with SAA continuously rising; The initial SAA level is positively correlated with the dynamic changes of the serial CT scans. Patient with higher initial SAA level are more likely to have poor CT imaging. Conclusions: SAA and L are sensitive indicators in evaluating the severity and prognosis of COVID-19. Monitoring dynamic changes of SAA, combined with CT imaging could be valuable in diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

ObjectivesInterstitial lung disease (ILD) is an extramuscular manifestation that results in increased morbidity and mortality from polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM). The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate risk factors associated with the development of ILD in PM/DM.MethodsObservational studies were identified from searching PubMed, Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained for the relationships between risk factors and ILD in PM/DM using either fixed- or random-effects models, whichever were appropriate. Heterogeneity tests, sensitivity analyses, and publication bias assessments were also performed.ResultsTwenty-three studies were selected for a meta-analysis that included 834 patients and 1245 control subjects. Risk factors that may have increased the risk of developing ILD in PM/DM patients included older age at diagnosis (SMD, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.18–0.52; P < 0.0001), arthritis/arthralgia (OR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.99–5.04; P < 0.00001), fever (OR, 2.31; 95% CI, 1.42–3.76; P = 0.0007), presence of anti-Jo-1 antibodies (OR, 3.34; 95% CI, 2.16–5.16; P < 0.00001), elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR; SMD, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32–0.64; P < 0.00001), presence of anti-MDA5 antibodies (OR, 18.26; 95% CI, 9.66–34.51; P < 0.00001), and elevated C-reactive protein level (CRP; OR, 3.50; 95% CI, 1.48–8.28; P = 0.004). Meanwhile, malignancy (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.18–0.72; P = 0.004) reduced the risk of developing ILD in PM/DM patients.ConclusionOur meta-analysis results suggest that the association between PM/DM and ILD may be due to such risk factors as older age at diagnosis, arthritis/arthralgia, fever, presence of anti-Jo-1 antibodies, elevated ESR, presence of anti-MDA5 antibodies, and elevated CRP level, while malignancy was associated with a reduced risk of developing ILD. Thus, these variables may be used to guide screening processes for ILD in patients with PM/DM.

Our results demonstrate that MG132-induced inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in cancer cachexia decreased the activity of NF-κB and the degradation of IκBα, and reduced the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in serum and gastrocnemius tissue, accompanied by downregulation of MuRF1 and MAFbx. These data suggest that MG132 is a potential therapeutic and preventive agent for cancer cachexia.

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