Adult ; Ear Neoplasms ; Eustachian Tube ; Humans ; Male ; Neurilemmoma

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between ulcerative colitis (UC) and lung injuries by assessing their clinical manifestations and characteristics.

METHODSFrom July 2009 to April 2012, 91 UC patients presenting to Longhua Hospital who met the established inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this retrospective study. According to the scores of disease activity index, the patients were divided into the mild, moderate, and severe groups. Meanwhile, the records of pulmonary symptoms, chest X-ray image, and pulmonary function were reviewed.

RESULTSSixty-eight (74.7%) patients had at least 1 pulmonary symptom, such as cough (38.5%), shortness of breath (27.5%), and expectoration (17.6%). And 77 (84.6%) had at least 1 ventilation abnormality. Vital capacity value was significantly lower in the severe group than that in the mild group (91.82%±10.38% vs. 98.92%±12.12%, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSLung injury is a common extraintestinal complication of UC. According to the theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine that the lung and large intestine are related, both the lungs and large intestine should be treated simultaneously.

Adult ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; complications ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Injury ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vital Capacity

Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endometriosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; pathology ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Spinal Canal ; pathology ; surgery ; Spinal Diseases ; pathology ; surgery

Objective To study the expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin(TSLP) and the activation of DCs in OVA-induced murine asthma model, and investigate the effects and underlying mecha-nisms of TSLP on lung inflammation. Methods Thirty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into control group, OVA group and TSLP neutralizing antibody treated group. The asthma model was evaluated by airway responsiveness and histological analysis of lung tissues ; The levels of TSLP mRNA in lungs were determined by quantitative real-time PCR; The expression of TSLP in lungs were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot; The expression of CD40, CD80, CD86 in BALF was detected by FACS. Results Both the histological analysis of lung tissues and the airway responsiveness were all consistent with the characteris-tic of murine asthma model. The expression of TSLP and TSLP mRNA in the OVA group was significantly in-creased compared with blank group. The expression of CD40, CD80, CD86 in BALF from OVA group was increased significantly compared with the control group. Furthermore, treating mice with TSLP neutralizing antibody reduced the expression of CD40, CD80, CD86 on dendritic cells, and IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 in the OVA group. Conclusion Our study indicate that TSLP was highly expressed in the bronchial epithelia of murine asthma model, via upregulation of CD40, CD80, CD86, induce DCs to active CD4~+ T cells and pro-duce type 2 responses, so that aggravating the lung inflammation of asthma. Blocking TSLP is capable of in-hibiting the production of Th2 cytokines, thus presents a promising strategy for the treatment of asthma.

Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cadherins ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Merkel Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; metabolism ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism

We have reported that hypoxia increases the activation of 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO), which converts arachidonic acid (AA) into 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) in small pulmonary arteries (PAs). Through inhibition of Kv channels, 15-HETE causes more robust concentration-dependent contraction of PA rings from the hypoxic compared to the normoxic controls. However, the subtypes of Kv channels inhibited by 15-HETE are incompletely understood. The aim of the present study was to identify the contribution of Kv3.4 channel in the process of pulmonary vasoconstriction induced by 15-HETE using the tension studies of PA rings from rat with Kv3.4 channel blocker in tissue bath; to explore the role of vascular endothelium in15-HETE-induced pulmonary vasoconstriction through denuded endothelia of PA rings; and to define the downregulation of 15-HETE on the expression of Kv3.4 channel in cultured pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) with RT-PCR and Western blot. In the present study, healthy Wistar rats were divided randomly into two groups: Group A with normal oxygen supply and group B with hypoxia. Six days later, the rats were killed. Pulmonary artery rings were prepared for organ bath experiments. Firstly, different concentrations of 15-HETE (10~1 000 nmol/L) were added to the Krebs solution. The isometric tension was recorded using a four-channel force-displacement transducer. Then Kv3.4 channel blocker, 100 nmol/L BDS-I, was added, followed by adding 1 mumol/L 15-HETE, and the isometric tension was recorded. Furthermore, RT-PCR and Western blot were employed to identify the influence of 15-HETE on the expression of Kv3.4 channel in cultured rat PASMCs.The results showed the PA tension was significantly increased both in groups A and B by 15-HETE in a concentration-dependent manner (P<0.05), especially in group B (P<0.05 compared to control); denuded endothelia enhanced 15-HETE concentration-related constrictions in rat PA rings; Kv3.4 channel blocker, BDS-I, significantly decreased the PA ring constriction induced by 15-HETE (P<0.05); the expressions of Kv3.4 mRNA and protein in rat PASMCs were significantly downregulated by 15-HETE (P<0.05). Based on all the information above, we conclude that Kv3.4 channel is involved in vasoconstriction induced by 15-HETE in rat PAs.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; physiopathology ; Hypoxia ; physiopathology ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; pathology ; Pulmonary Artery ; cytology ; physiopathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Shaw Potassium Channels ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Vasoconstriction ; drug effects

Objective To explore the relationship between ulcerative colitis (UC) and lung injuries by assessing their clinical manifestations and characteristics.
Methods From July 2009 to April 2012, 91 UC patients presenting to Longhua Hospital who met the established inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this retrospective study. According to the scores of disease activity index, the patients were divided into the mild, moderate, and severe groups. Meanwhile, the records of pulmonary symptoms, chest X-ray image, and pulmonary function were reviewed.
Results Sixty-eight (74.7%) patients had at least 1 pulmonary symptom, such as cough (38.5%), shortness of breath (27.5%), and expectoration (17.6%). And 77 (84.6%) had at least 1 ventilation abnormality. Vital capacity value was significantly lower in the severe group than that in the mild group (91.82%±10.38%vs. 98.92%±12.12%, P<0.05).
Conclusions Lung injury is a common extraintestinal complication of UC. According to the theory in Traditional Chinese Medicine that the lung and large intestine are related, both the lungs and large intestine should be treated simultaneously.

Acute Kidney Injury ; etiology ; Adult ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; HELLP Syndrome ; pathology ; Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome ; complications ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans ; Plasma Exchange ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Purpura, Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic ; pathology ; Young Adult

The clinically applied value of myocardial perfusion and systolic function in patients with coronary artery disease after coronary artery bypass surgery using real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography (RT-MCE) combined with two-dimensional strain echocardiography was assessed. Twenty patients underwent intravenous RT-MCE by intravenous injections of SonoVue before and after coronary artery bypass surgery. Two-dimensional images were recorded from the left ventricular four-chamber view, two-chamber view and the apical view before, and two weeks and three months after coronary artery bypass surgery, and the peak systolic longitudinal strain was measured. The results showed that myocardial perfusion was significantly increased after coronary artery bypass surgery in about 71.6% segments. In the group that myocardial perfusion was improved, the peak systolic longitudinal strain three months after bypass surgery was significantly higher than that before operation [(-15.78+/-5.91)% vs (-10.45+/-8.31)%, P<0.05]. However, the parameters did not change in the group without myocardial perfusion improvement [(-10.33+/-6.53)% vs (-9.41+/-6.09)%, P>0.05]. It was concluded that whether or not the improvement of myocardial perfusion can mirror the recovery trend of regional systolic function, two-dimensional strain echocardiography can observe dynamic change of regional systolic function. The combination of myocardial perfusion with two-dimensional strain echocardiography can more accurately assess the curative effectiveness of coronary artery bypass surgery.

Objective To investigate the value of myocardial contrast echocardiography(MCE)combined with high-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography(DSE)in the early diagnosis of coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods The dobutamine stress MCE and SonoVue contrast infusion were performed before an elective percutaneous coronary intervention in 38 patients with suspected CAD.The total and regional perfusion were scored as normal or abnormal and attributed to the three main epicardial coronary arteries using a 16-segment left ventricular model.Results An intermediate stress level was obtained in 22(58%)patients,and 9(24%)patients were obtained with peak stress.Twenty seven of 38 patients were diagnosed as CAD by quantitative coronary angiography.A perfusion defect was detected in 89% of the patients at peak stress,compared to 37% at baseline,there was significant difference(χ2=15.565,P<0.01).ConclusionsThe MCE combined with DSE can increase the sensitivity of myocardial ischemia detection.As a new non-invasive method,MCE combined with DSE could be used in the early diagnosis of CAD.