Objective : To investigate the changes of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in both the airways and the blood circulation in an animal model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the effects of theophylline on LTB4. Methods: Thirty-two male Wistar rats were divided into four groups by random number meter: Group A (normal controls), group B (COPD), group C (smoking+low dose theophylline), and group D (smoking+high dose theophylline ),with 8 rats in each group. Pulmonary functions of the rats were assessed, and pathological changes of airways were scored. Cell counts and cell differentiation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were also performed. Concentrations of IL-8 and LTB4 in BALF, plasma and lung tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Results: LTB4 concentrations in BALF of COPD rats increased significantly as compared with the normal controls, and positively correlated with the percentage of neutrophil and IL-8 in BALF (r=0.794,0.863 ; P=0.007,0.012), and negatively correlated with peak expiratory flow (PEF) (r=-0.718, P=0.028). Positive correlations were also found between levels of LTB4 in BALF and the scores of inflammatory cell infiltration of COPD rats (r=0.836, P=0.036). Treatment with theophylline decreased the percentage of neutrophil and the concentrations of LTB4 in BALF of the COPD rats, attenuated the pathological changes of small airways, such as airway occlusion, goblet-cell metaplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibrosis and smooth muscle proliferation. The effect was more significant on goblet-cell metaplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration in the high dose group. However theophylline had little effect on PEF. Conclusion: Our results suggest that LTB4 is involved in airway inflammation in COPD. Theophylline is effective in decreasing the levels of LTB4 in BALF of COPD rats, reducing the percentage of neutrophil, and attenuating pathological changes of small airways.

Objective To evaluate the value of thoracoscopy in the diagnosis ot pleural effussion. Methods 45 cases of pleural effussion were exeamined by thoracoscopy, biopsy took place in the abnormal pleurae under thoracoscopy. Results Positive rate was 91.1% (41/45) under thoracoscopy.The morphology of pleural mesothelioma, metastatic carcinoma and tuberculous pleurisy was different. No serious complication occurred in all cases. Conclusions Thoracoscopy is a safe and effective procedure in the diagnosis of pleural effussion.

Objective To study the pulmonary function changes in patients cured from severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS) Methods Pulmonary function tests were performed in 11 SARS patients one month after their discharge from hospital Results The subjects (3 males and 9 females) were aged from 21 to 62 years (31 0?10 0) The days after their discharge from hospital were 22 to 43 days (32 2?4 7) Pulmonary function showed:vital capacity(VC) (95 6?19 0)% predicted,forced vital capacity(FVC) (97 2?9 9)% predicted,forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV 1)(97 5?9 8)% predicted,FEV 1/FVC (85 9?5 6)%,total lung capacity(TLC) (102 4?10 4)% predicted,residual volume(RV)/TLC (32 6?5 0)%,RV (116 8?25 0)% predicted,and diffusing capacity of CO(DLCO) (73 6?10 9)% predicted Conclusion The patients cured from SARS demonstrated relatively normal ventilatory function but mild impaired diffusing capacity

Objective:To investigate the role of anaphylatoxin C 5 a in patients with asthma .Methods:A prospective study was performed between September 2006 and February 2007.A total of 33 patients with acute exacerbation of asthma and 13 healthy subjects were recruited into the study .The patients with acute exacerbation of asthma were also studied when they returned to the remission state .Levels of lung function, levels of C5a in induced sputum and cell differential count in induced sputum were determined . Results:The level of C5 a in induced sputum was significantly higher in patients with acute exacerbation of asthma [0.85(0.68-2.13) μg/L] than that in patients with stable asthma [0.45(0.26-0.88)μg/L, Z=-2.193, P=0.013];Sputum C5a levels in stable asthma patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls [0.14(0.06-0.45) μg/L, Z=-2.141, P=0.015].The level of C5a in patients with severe exacerbation [2.21(1.27 -9.0) μg/L] was significantly higher than those in patients with mild exacerbation [0.34(0.17-0.63) μg/L] and moderate exacerbation [0.85(0.55-1.67) μg/L,χ2 =12.330, P=0.001].The level of C5a in induced sputum was positively correlated with the number of total cells count (r=0.797, P=0.004), neutrophils (r=0.504, P=0.032) and macrophages ( r =0.424, P=0.036 ) in acute exacerbation of asthma .Conclusion: C5a levels in induced sputum could be identified as an important prognostic biomarker , which involved in asthma ’ s pathogenesis .

Objective To evaluate the optimal time of the use of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation on the patients with acute exacerbation of COPD(AECOPD).Methods 131 patients were divided at random conventional therapy group(control group)and conventional therapy plus NIPPV group,the patients of NIPPV group were again divided into PaCO2≥9.31 kPa,7.98～

Objective: To determine the role of cross-talk between calcineurin-dependent signal transduction pathway and protein kinase C (PKC), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein kinase A (PKA) in airway remodeling in asthma. Methods: Male guinea pigs were sensitized with intraperitoneal injections of ovabumin (OVA), then treated with cyclosporin A (CsA,5 mg/kg), an inhibitor of calcineurin, then inhaled OVA for 2 weeks 14 days later. Activities of calcineurin, PKC, MAPK, and PKA were was analyzed by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. In primary cultures of rat airway smooth muscle cells (ASMC), activities of calcineurin, PKC, MAPK, and cross-talk induced by urotensin Ⅱ (UⅡ), a recently identified strong mitogen, were measured. Results: (1) The activities of calcineurin, MAPK and PKC increased by 19% (P0.05). (4) CsA 10 -6 mol/L inhibited UⅡ-stimulated PKC activity by 14% (P0.05). Conclusion:The signal transduction pathways between calcineurin and other protein kinases such as PKC, MAPK and PKA have cross-talk in airway remodeling in asthma.

Objective:To investigate the changes and clinical implications of serum procalcitonin in exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods:We have evaluated PCT measurement in 45 patients with an exacerbation of COPD(group A) and 25 patients with stable COPD(group B),quantitative sputum culture was performed,too.PPMs were only regarded as significant if they reached a growth of ≥10~7cfu/mL,indicating the presence of bacterial infection.Results:In patients with an exacerbation,15 patients,sputum yielded a high(≥10~7cfu/mL) bacterial load(group A_1),30 patients,sputum yielded a low(0.05).Using a cut-off point of 0.155?g/L for PCT,the sensitivities and specificities for bacterial infection in patients with an exacerbation of COPD were 93.3% and 60% respectively.Conclusion: Serum procalcitonin measurements in patients of an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease play a role in the diagnosis of bacterial infection.

Objective:To investigate the role of endogenous hydrogen sulfide(H2S)in patients with asthma.Methods:Levels of serum H2S,lung function and cell differential count in induced sputum were studied in 44 patients with acute exacerbation of asthma,33 patients with stable asthma and 12 health subjects.Of the 33 patients with stable asthma,3 failed to achieve induced sputum.Results:The serum H2S level was(75.2?13.0)?mol/L in controls(12 cases),(55.8?13.6)?mol/L in patients with stable asthma(33 cases),(57.8?6.3)?mol/L in patients with mild of acute exacerbation asthma(9 cases),(40.8?5.1)?mol/L in that with moderate of acute exacerbation asthma(13 cases),and(31.3?2.9)?mol/L in that with severe of acute exacerbation asthma(22 cases,F=44.592,P

Objective:To study the role of interleukin 9 in the airway inflammation from patients with COPD. Methods: Induced sputum was obtained from 30 COPD patients with stable disease(group A) ,31 asthmatics patients with stable disease(group B) and 15 healthy individuals(group C). IL 9,IL 5 and IL 8 in sputum supernatants were measured by sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and IL 9 positive expression and quantitative analysis were conducted by Streptavidin peroxidase method and image analysis technology. Results:The levels of IL 9 in group A and B were all significantly higher than those in groups C. IL 9 positive expression mainly located in the cytoplasm of macrophages. The positive rates of IL 9 in group A and B were all significantly higher than that of group C(? 2=20.821, 19.908, P

Objective To analyze the antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical samples.Methods Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus were collected in the microorganism lab from 2004 to 2008,and the antimicrobial susceptibility test was conducted by disk diffusion technique(K-B method).Results A total of 1521 Staphylococcus aureus were collected in 5 years,of which 890 were MRSA(58.5%).Of all the SAU strains,255 were isolated from emergency room(16.8%),201 from surgery wards(13.2%)and 171 from surgical intensive care unit(SICU)(11.2%).Of all the MASA strains,199 were collected from emergency room(22.4%),148 from SICU(16.6%)and 131 from RICU(14.7%).Most of the MRSA strains(725,81.5%)were isolated from sputum,and the others from wound secretions(62,14.7%),blood(27,3.0%),throat(17,1.9%)and urine(16,1.8%),etc.MASA was resistant to most antibiotocs,but quite sensitive to SMZ.No strains resisted to vancomycin or teicoplanin were found in this study.MASA from all the departments showed a feature of highly resisting to variety antibiotics.Conclusion SAU,especially MASA were increasing in the past 5 years in our hospital.MASA was resistant to 90% of the ? lactan,macrolides and quinolones.No strains resistant to vancomycin or teicoplanin were found yet.It is of great value to monitoring the antimicrobial resistance of SAU and MRSA during the clinical practice.