Objective To assess the relationship between Tei index and the clinical symptoms of cardiac dysfunction in aortic stenosis. Methods Ninety-two patients with aortic stenosis [53 males, 39 females; mean age (66?9) years] underwent echocardiographic examination. According to clinical symptoms, patients were classified into two groups: group A without symptom or with mild symptoms (NYHA Ⅰ/Ⅱ, 63 patients), group B with more severe symptoms (NYHA Ⅲ/Ⅳ, 29 patients).Results The common parameters of aortic stenosis severity(aortic valve area, maximal Doppler velocity and transaortic gradient) were not different between the two groups. Left ventricular(LV) mass and LV mass index were higher in group B than in group A [(311?83)g vs (277?70)g, P=~0.044 , and (181?45)g/m2 vs (156?39)g/m2, P=~0.008 , respectively]. The conventional systolic function parameter(ejection fraction) and diastolic function parameters(deceleration time, transmitral inflow velocity E/A ratio) were not significantly different in these two groups. On the contrary, Tei index was significantly higher in group B than in group A (~0.64 ?~0.26 vs ~0.40 ?~0.08 , P

The release of platelet activating factor (PAF) induced 14C-arachidonic acid (14C-AA) in the bovine cerebral microvascular endothdial cells (CMEC) and arterior cerebral artery smooth muscle cells (ACASMC) and the antagonism of SZ-1 are described. The results showed that 14C-AA incorporated into the cells rapidly and PAF 0.1-20?mol/L dose-dependently stimulated the AA release significantly. It indicated that the action of PAF on the cerebrovascular system was associated with the stimulation of AA release. SZ-1 0.2-20?nol/L dose-dependently inhibited the PAF induced AA release in CMBC and ACASMC, and PAF induced aggregation of washed rabbit platelets, but did not inhibited ADP or AA induced aggregation of platelet-rich plasma(PRP), and PAF production in CMEC, indicating the specific antagonism of SZ-1 on PAF receptor.

Objective To study the relationship between the expression of E-cadherin and the development, invasion and metastasis of esophageal carcinoma. Methods The expressions of E-cadherin in 58 cases with esophgeal carcinoma and 122 other cases with esophageal epithelial disease were examined by immunohistochemical technique. The relation between the expression of E-cadherin in esophageal carcinoma and the clinical pathological characteristics of esophageal carcinoma were analyzed. Results The expression rate of E-cadherin gene protein in esophageal squamous carcinoma and adenocarcinoma was 22.0%(11/50), 25.0%(2/8), respectively, compared with the normal group (100%, 20/20) and simple atypical hyperplastic group (92.9%, 26/28). The difference was significant (P

Objective To study the relation between Tiam1 gene(T lymphoma invasion/metastasis 1)and carcinomas of larynx metastasized to lymph node.Method Using reverse transcription polymerase chain (RT-PCR) mRNA overexpression of Tiam1 gene in 30 cases of carcinoma of larynx tissue,12 lymph nodes and 10 cases of normal larynx tissue was studied.Result The frequency of TIAM1 overexpression was 75% (6/8) in primary carcinomas of larynx with metastasis but only 18.7%(4/22) in those without metastasis(P=0.0072).Overexpression of TIAM1 in metastasized lymph nodes was observed in 100% (8/8) of lymph nodes with metastasis but in only 25%(1/4) of the lymph nodes without metastasis of carcinoma(P=0.0182).The frequency of TIAM1 overexpression was 33.3% (10/30) in primary carcinomas of larynx.Conclusion Our data suggest that the overexpression of the TIAM1 gene correlates with lymph node metastasis of carcinomas of larynx.

Objective To evaluate hepatitis B virus large surfsce protein(LHBs) in monitoring of antiviral treatment.Methods LHBs.HBV serum markers and HBV DNA loads in 46 patients with adefovir dipivoxil(ADV) therapy were monitored for the whole course(60 weeks).Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),time differentiate immunofluoresence assay and real.time polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)were performed to detect LHBs,HBV serum markers and HBV DNA loads,respectively.And correlation analysis was also performed.Results Both LHBs and HBV DNA declined during the ADV treatment.and the correlation coefficient was 0.97.but LHBs declined after HBV DNA.There were 20 patients with HBV DNA<5×102/mL at 60th week.in which 8 were LHBs negative;in 14 recurrent patients,the HBV DNA turned to negative and became positive again,3 with negative LHBs;while in 12 patients resistant to the ADV therapy.2 were LHBs negative.Conclusion Dynamic monitoring of LHBs is useful in the evaluation of antiviral treatment.

Objective To evaluate the geometry of mitral valve and annulus in patients with mitral regurgitation, and to quantify the mitral annular remodeling and motion in ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) with mitral valve assessment (MVA) software. Methods Seventeen patients were divided into two groups: IMR group (n=10) and non-IMR group (n=7), and other 11 patients without significant mitral regurgitation (＜2+) and mitral structure abnormality were regarded as control group. The imaging was analyzed offline with Siemens MVA software to measure the annular diameters, annular circumference, anterior and posterior annular length, annular area (MAA) and non-planar angel (NPA). The dynamic changes during the cardiac cycle were calculated. Results Compared with control group, the posterior annular length and NPA significantly increased in IMR group (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). During the systole, the posterior annular and annular circumference paradoxically prolonged in IMR group compared with control group (median Δ posterior annular length: -2.71 mm/m2 vs 0.52 mm/m2, P＜0.05). In all patients of non-IMR group, the geometric character of mitral valve lesions shown in 3-dimensional echocardiography was accordant with surgical findings. Conclusion Three-dimensional echocardiography combined with MVA software provides a useful tool for assessment the geometric character of mitral valve lesions and quantification of mitral annulus remodeling, which is helpful to understand the mechanism of MR and guide surgical treatment.

Objective To evaluate global and segmental right ventricular ( RV ) systolic functions in patients with excessive volume or pressure load using real‐time three‐dimensional echocardiography ( RT‐3DE) . Methods Forty‐five patients with RV volume overload ,45 patients with RV pressure overload and 45 healthy subjects were underwent RT‐3DE . RV global and segmental ( inflow ,body ,outflow ) end‐diastolic volume (EDV) ,end‐systolic volume (ESV) ,stroke volume (SV) and ejection fraction (EF) were analyzed with TomTec software . The correlations between EF with the three‐dimensional method and two‐dimensional parameters including right ventricle systolic pressure( RVSP) were discussed . Results Global EDV and ESV increased significantly in both patient groups compared with controls ( all P < 0 .05) ,but there was no difference between two patient groups ( P >0 .05) .Compensated increase of SV was found in sixty percent of patients with volume overload but none with pressure overload ( P < 0 .05) . Global EF decreased significantly in both of patient groups (all P <0 .05) ,which was more significant patients with pressure overload ( P < 0 .05 ) . Different patterns of the regional dysfunction were found among the different RV segments . No correlation was found between RVSP and global or segmental EF in patients with pressure overload . Conclusions RT‐3DE could be used to assess global and segmental RV systolic function in patients with pressure and volume overload .

Cardiology ; education ; standards ; Echocardiography ; Humans ; Inservice Training

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of situation of misdiagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) on distant metastasis. METHOD: The history of diagnosis and treatment of 85 newly diagnosed cases with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were studied by using itemized questionnaire purposely; 433 patients with different prognosis were analyzed retrospectively for the misdiagnoses and mistreatment, including surgical biopsy in the neck. RESULT: (1) The rate of misdiagnosis of 85 patients was 72.64%, and the percentage decreased as the level of the hospitals increased; the majority of the patients (77.36%) were diagnoses within 1 month after the first symptom had appeared; the number of diseases misdiagnosed was 20, most common of which were lymphnoditis, tuberculosis of lymph node and secretory tympanitis; (2) Our data showed that among 433 patients analysed retrospectively, 60 cases had undergone surgical biopsy in the neck, 75% of whom had never received nasopharyngeal biopsy; 43 cases had underwent nasopharyngeal biopsy after the pathological diagnosis as metastatic carcinoma of neck biopsy (71.67%) and the rest (20.0%) received radiotherapy directly or after negative nasopharyngeal biopsy for merely 1 to 4 times; of those 43 cases who were diagnosed as NPC by nasopharyngeal biopsy, 79.17% got positive results at first sampling. (3) Rate of misdiagnosis and mistreatment including surgical biopsy in the neck of patients who had been tumor-free for 5 years or above was significantly lower than that of those who experienced distant metastasis after or before treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Misdiagnosis and mistreatment including biopsy by surgery of neck is common even in high-grade hospitals; it is doctor that is responsible for this situation; the high occurrence rate of misdiagnosis and mistreatment, biopsy by neck surgery, especially the delayed treatment after the neck biopsy are the factors that contribute to distant metastasis of NPC.
Diagnostic Errors ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To evaluate the in vitro cross-neutralization of serum antibodies in human and mice immunized with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine against Delta and Beta variants. Methods:Human serum samples after a second and a third dose of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and mouse serum samples after a two-dose vaccination were collected. The neutralizing antibodies in the samples against SARS-CoV-2 strains of prototype, Delta and Beta variants were detected using micro-neutralization assay in biosafety level Ⅲ laboratory. The seroconversion rates and geometric mean titers (GMTs) of antibodies were calculated.Results:The seroconversion rates of antibodies in human serum samples against different SARS-CoV-2 strains were all above 95%. After two-dose vaccination, the GMTs of neutralizing antibodies against the prototype, Delta and Beta strains were 109, 41 and 15, respectively. The GMTs decreased by 2.7 folds and 7.3 folds for the Delta and Beta variants as compared with the prototype strain. After the booster vaccination, the GMTs of neutralizing antibodies against the prototype, Delta and Beta strains were 446, 190 and 86, respectively. The GMTs of neutralizing antibodies against Delta and Beta variants decreased by 2.3 folds and 5.2 folds as compared with that against the prototype strain. The seroconversion rates of antibodies against different SARS-CoV-2 strains in mouse serum samples were all 100%. The GMTs of neutralizing antibodies against the prototype, Delta and Beta strains were 2 037, 862 and 408, respectively. The GMTs decreased by 2.4 folds and 5.0 folds for the Delta and Beta variants.Conclusions:Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could induce a certain level of neutralizing antibodies against Delta and Beta variants in both human and mouse models. Moreover, a third dose of vaccine induced higher levels of neutralizing antibodies against Delta and Beta variants in human. This study provided valuable data for the clinical application and protective evaluation of the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.