Objective To assess the clinical significance of three different noninvasive airway inflammatory indices in induced sputum and exhaled breath condensate ( EBC ) from persistent asthmatic patients.Methods Moderate and severe asthmatic patients were prescribed inhaled corticosteroids combined with long-acting β2 agonists for a month.The symptom scores and percentage of predicted value of forced expiratory volume in one second ( FEV1 ) ( FEV1% pred) were measured while the concentrations of H2O2,NO3-/NO2-,and cysteinyl-leukotriene E4(LTE4) in induced sputum and EBC were detected before and after therapy.Results A total of twenty-five subjects with moderate and severe asthma were enrolled.By combined therapy for one month the asthma aymptoms relieved and FEV1% pred improved significantly (P<0.01).The concentrations of H2O2,NO3-/NO2- arid LTE4in induced sputum and EBC declined significantly(P<0.01) although the concentrations were still higher than those at normal baseline.More marked reduction of H2O2 and NO3-/NO2- compared to LTE4was observed.It was revealed that the concentrations of H2O2 and NO3-/NO2- but not of LTE4in EBC were negatively correlated with FEV1% pred (P <0.01) and positively with symptom scores.Such correlations were also found in H2O2 in induced sputum with FEV1 % pred and symptom scores as well as NO3-/NO2- in induced sputum with FEV1 % pred.The improvement of FEV1 % pred after treatment was positively correlated with the reduction of H2O2 and NO3-/NO2- both in induced sputum and EBC.Correlation analysis also demonstrated three inflammatory indices were equivalent in induced sputum and EBC( correlation coefficient of H2O2,NO3-/NO2- and LTE4,0.759,0.826 and 0.653,respectively.P < 0.01 ).Conclusions (1) Combined therapy with inhaled corticosteroid plus long-acting β2 agonist significantly improves the clinical symptoms and lung function of patients with moderate and severe asthma companied with marked suppression of airway inflammation.(2) Both of EBC and induced sputum sampling are valuable noninvasive procedures for detecting asthma airway inflammation,however,EBC technique is superior in safety and reproducibility.(3) H2O2 and NO3-/NO2- seem to be more sensitive indices in diagnosis and monitoring asthma compared to LTE4.

Objective To explore the significance of the plasma procalcitonin (PCT) level for directing antibiotic therapy in elderly patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).Methods The 50 elderly patients with VAP were randomly separated into the regular therapy group and the PCT-directed therapy group. The regular therapy group was given regular antibiotic therapy, while the antibiotic therapy was decided according to the plasma level of PCT in the PCT-directed therapy group. The used time and utilization rate of antibiotics, as well as inflammatory indicators including white blood cells, neutrophils, C-reactive protein (CRP) and clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) were compared between the two groups. Results After treatment, there were no significant differences in white blood cells, neutrophils and CRP between the PCT-directed therapy group and regular therapy group [(8.9 ± 3.5 ) × 109/L vs. (9.4 ± 3.7) × 109/L, 0.62 ± 0.04 vs.0.60±0.04, (18.7±8.5) mg/Lvs. (21.6±6.0) mg/L, t=0.47, 1.84 and 1.37, allP＞0.05],but the CPIS was markedly lower in PCT-directed therapy group than in regular therapy group [(4.0± 1.4) scores vs. (4.7± 1.0) scores, t= 2. 18, P＜0.05]. The neutrophils, CRP and CPIS were significantly lower after treatment than before in the both groups. The concentration of PCT was decreased after treatment than before [(0.5 ± 0.9) mg/L vs. (1.7 ± 0.7) mg/L]. Meanwhile, the time using antibiotics was longer in regular treatment group than in PCT-directed therapy group [(8.72±1.32) d vs. (5.17±0.72) d, t=11.96, P＜0.01], the utilization rate of antibiotics was higher (95.2 % vs. 55.2 %, χ2 = 12.41, P＜0.01) in regular treatment group. Conclusions Using PCT levels for directing treatment in elderly patients with VAP can achieve better curative effect and reduce the use of antibiotics.

Listeriamonocytogenes is a facultative intracellular bacterium that enters professional antigen presenting cells , presents passenger antigens to the major histocompatibility complex class I and II pathways ,then elicits CD+4 and CD+8 T-cell-mediated immune responses .It was demonstrated that attenuated Listeriamonocytogenes as a novel live vaccine vector in deliv-ering tumor antigens of cervical cancer and melanoma etc .,could induce strong protective immune response ,and shows effec-tive antitumor immunotherapeutics .This review discussed the characteristics of immune responses elicited by Listeria monocy-togenes ,and the progress of its antitumor immunotherapeutics as delivery vaccine vector .

Objective To investigate the clinical values of central venous pressure (CVP) versus stroke volume variation (SVV) in patients with severe sepsis after early goal-directed therapy (EGDT).Methods Totally 30 mechanically ventilated patients with severe sepsis who underwent goal-achieved EGDT were enrolled and randomly divided into CVP group (study group) and SVV group (control group) according to the data detected by pulse contour continuous cardiac output (PiCCO) analysis device.The differences in 28-day survival,3-day APACHE Ⅱ score,time of ICU stay,duration of mechanical ventilation,number that need CRRT,entral venous pressure (CVP),heart end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI),intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI),extravascular lung water index (EVLWI),cardiac index (CI),central venous oxygen saturation (ScvO2),lactate clearance rate and APACHE Ⅱ score were compared between the 2 groups.Results The death rate had no difference between the 2 groups(x2=0.240,P=0.624).Among survival patients in the CVP group,the time of ICU stay and duration of mechanical ventilation were shorter in study group than in control group(t=2.166,P=0.041;t=2.104,P=0.046),APACHE Ⅱ score at 3th day was decreased(t=2.20,P =0.038).The values of ITBVI,GEDVI,CI,lactate clearance rate were higher in study group than in control group (t=2.759,2.146,2.199,2.654,3.362,P=0.011,0.043,0.038,0.014,0.003).EVLWI and APACHE Ⅱ score were not different (P＞0.05) between the two groups.Conclusions SVV as a recovery target for fluid resuscitation can reach a better recovery results and improvement of prognosis than CVP goal-achieved EGDT.

Objective To investigate the prognostic value of stroke volume variation (SVV) in patients with severe sepsis after early goal-directed therapy (EGDT). Method Thirty-eight mechanically ventilated patients with severe sepsis underwent EGTD were divided into high SVV (≥10%) group and low SW (< 10%) group according to the data obtained from pulse contour continuous cardiac output (PiCCO) analysis device. The differ-enees in the rate of 28-day survival, length of ICU stay, duration of meehanical ventilation and eomplieation of in-fection between two groups of patients were compared. The rate of 28-day survival of patients was analyzed by using Kaplain-Meier survival analysis, and the relationship between SVV and mortality within 28 days was analyzed by using logistic regression model. Results In comparison with low SVV group, the rate of 28-day survival of high SVV group was signifieantly increased (87.5 % vs. 57.1%, P = 0.032), the length of ICU stay was significantly shortened (27.1±9.2) vs. (41.6±10.0) (P = 0. 004) and duration of mechanical ventilation was significantly more brief (20.4±7.3) vs. (28.5±8.3) (P = 0.038). The rate of cumulative survival of patients in high SVV group was higher than that in low SVV group. In addition, logistie analysis showed SW < 10% increased the risk of 28-day mortality (OR = 3.97; 95% CI 1.63 - 9.21, P = 0. 014). Conclusions The SVV can be served as a prognostic indicator in patients with severe sepsis after EGDT.

OBJECTIVETo explore the association of fish intake with the risk of renal cancer.

METHODSPubMed, Embase, CNKI and CA databases were searched for case-control studies or cohort studies examining the relationship between fish or fish products intake and renal cancer. Heterogeneity among the selected studies was assessed using I2 score, and the publication bias was assessed using funnel plots.

RESULTSSeventeen articles were included in the analysis with a heterogeneity across the studies (P=0.003, I(2)=52.3%). A random-effects model was used to generate the pooled risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), and no statistically significant association was found between the risk of renal cancer and fish intake (RR=0.90; 95% CI, 0.78-1.02). In subgroup analysis, no evidence was found that the study design, study region or publication date influenced the results; but in the gender subgroup analysis, fish intake we found to decrease the risk of renal cancer in men but not in women.

CONCLUSIONThe results of meta-analysis do not support an association between fish intake and a lowered risk of renal cancer.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; etiology ; Diet ; Female ; Fish Products ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; etiology ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors