Objective To investigate the predictive value of preprocedural cystatin C level for contrast-in-duced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) and poor long-term outcome after cardiac catheterization. Methods One thou-sand one hundred and fifty-four patients underwent cardiac catheterization were enrolled in Guangdong general hos-pital. The level of serum cystatin C was determined at 24 hours pre-operation. A 2-year follow up was performed for each patient. Preprocedural cystatin C level was compared between patients with or without CI-AKI. The cystatin C quartiles were compared between patients with incidence of CI-AKI and patients with adverse in-hospital outcomes. Analyses of the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were performed to evaluate the predictive value and cutoff level of cystatin C level for CI-AKI. The log-rank test and Cox regression analyses were also performed to in-vestigate the correlation between cystatin C level and poor long-term outcomes. Results CI-AKI occurred in 42 patients (3.6%). The cystatin C level was significantly higher in the CI-AKI group than that in the non-CI-AKI gu-oup (1.76 ± 1.05 vs 1.20 ± 0.50 mg/L, P=0.001). Patients with higher cystatin C level also had higher risk of CI-AKI and adverse in-hospital outcomes. ROC and Youden index showed that 1.3 mg/L cystatin C of was a fair dis-criminator for CI-AKI, but not significantly different from the Mehran CI-AKI score (AUC, 0.75 vs 0.76, P =0.874). After adjusting for other known CI-AKI risk factors, cystatin C level over 1.3 mg/L remained significantly associated with CI-AKI. During the long-term follow-up , the patients with cystatin C level over 1.3 mg/L were at a higher risk of all-cause mortality and MACEs (P < 0.001). Concusions A preprocedural cystatin C level over 1.3 mg/L was a good predictor of CI-AKI and poor long-term outcomes after cardiac catheterization.

Objective To evaluate the prognostic values of common definition compared to traditional definition of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with normal serum creatinine (SCr). Methods Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angiology or intervention with normal baseline SCr were enrolled prospectively. Those who were diagnosed as CIN according to common definition were divided into two groups based on the peak increase from baseline in the SCr concentration within 48 ~ 72 hours after the procedure: ≥ 44.2 μmol/L (CIN44.2 group, in common with traditional definition), ≥25% of baseline to < 44.2 μmol/L (CIN25%-44.2 group, interval between the two definitions). Hospital stay and long-term outcomes were compared among CIN44.2, CIN25%-44.2, and non-CIN groups. Results Of all 3,044 patients enrolled, 302 (9.9%) patients developed CIN according to common definition including CIN44.2 occurred in 56 (1.8%) patients and CIN25%-44.2 in 246 (8.1%) patients. Patients in CIN44.2 group indicated significant longer hospital stay and long-term outcomes compared with non-CIN group (P < 0.05). However, patients in CIN25%-44.2 group had similar in-hospital mortality and long-term cumulative risk of major clinical adverse events (MACE) and death with non-CIN group (all, P = 1.00). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses also demonstrated that CIN25%-44.2 did not associate with long-term MACE (HR 1.16, P = 0.645) and death (HR 0.98, P = 0.964) after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Conclusions For patients with normal baseline SCr, common definition based on traditional definition of CIN is unreasonable and overestimates the incidence of CIN, whose extension of traditional denifition proves no significant clinical value.

Objective To explore the feasibility and efficiency of the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases after transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(TLIF)and posterolateral fusion(PLF)procedures in which unilateral pedicle screw fixation was used.Methods From December 2006 to August 2008,78 cases with the lumbar degenerative diseases who received lumbar posterolateral fusion were analyzed.There were 48 cases of which underwent TLIF and PLF procedures with unilateral pedicle screw fixation(unilateral group),including 25 males and 23 females with an average of 47.6 years;and 30 cases of which underwent TLIF and PLF procedures with bilateral pedicle screw fixation(bilateral group),including 21 males and 9 females with an average of 50.5 years.The clinical effects between the two groups were evaluated with Oswestry disability index and visual analogue score(VAS)index.The operation time,blood loss,fusion rates and intervertebral collapse rates were also compared.Results Oswestry disability index,low back pain VAS index and skelalgia VAS index in both groups showed statistical significance between preoperation and 3 months,or 3 months and 1 year postoperatively.There was no difference in score improvement between the two groups.There were difference in operation time,blood loss and cost of hospitalization between unilateral and bilateral group.The former was lower.There was no difference in postoperative length of stay between the two groups.The fusion rate of unilateral group and bilateral group were 91.7%(44/48)and 93.3%(28/30),respectively.Conclusion Auto graft combined with unilateral pedicle screw fixation provids better spinal instant stability.TLIF and PLF with unilateral pedicle screw fixation was a satisfactory method in treating degenerative disease of lumbar vertebrae.

Objective To observe the gastric changes in adult male Sprague-Dawly (SD) rats irradiated by the single large dose electron beam,providing animal experimental evidence for intraoperative radiotherapy for gastric cancer.Methods Thirty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into the control and experimental groups.The stomach of the rats in the experimental group were subject to single 6 MeV 20 Gy irridiation by using the patent technology of Accurate Irradiation Experiment Table for Small Animal Radiation.The general conditions,gastric injury and body weight change were observed at different days following irradiation.Results The most severe gastric damage of rats was observed on the 14th d after irradiation.The gastric injury was gradually repaired accompanied with glandular atrophy at 28 d postirradiation,and the gastric injury was manifested as cellulose fibrinous repair on the 56th d after irradiation.Within 1 week post-irradiation,weight loss was noted in the experimental group,which significantly differed from the rats in the control group (P＜0.05).During the 2nd week,the body weight was increased in the experimental group,significantly lower compared with the rats in the control group (P＜ 0.05).The body weight of rats did not significantly differ between two groups at 6 weeks after irradiation (P＞ 0.05).Conclusions The most severe gastric injury is observed at 2 weeks after the single-dose 6 MeV electron beam 20 Gy irradiation,whereas no gastric perforation occurs.The gastric injury can be restored to normal status within 8 weeks following irradiation.