OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of phenylethanolamine-N-methyl transferase (PNMT) G-390A genetic polymorphism with risk of essential hypertension (EH) in Changsha Han people. METHODS: A case-control association study was performed in 400 patients with essential hypertension (EH) and 388 normotensive subjects. PNMT G-390A was genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-FRLP). RESULTS: The genotype frequencies for the -390 GG, GA, and AA were 39.3%,50.0%, and 10.8%, respectively in EH patients, and were 43.6%,45.6%, and 10.8%, in normal subjects. No significant difference in either genotypic frequency (P=0.433) or allele frequency (P=0.378) of PNMT G-390A between EH patients and normals was observed. When by gender, there was significant difference in genotypic frequency (P<0.05) and allele frequency (P=0.046) of G-390A polymorphism between EH patients and normals in the male, but not in the female (P>0.05). CONCLUSION PNMT G-390A polymorphism is possibly associated with EH risk in male Chinese Han population in Changsha.
Adult ; Aged ; Base Sequence ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Humans ; Hypertension ; enzymology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phenylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Sex Factors

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for pulmonary complications in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and its safety. Methods: Patients with pulmonary complications after allo-HSCT underwent BAL. Microbiological smears, culture, PCR of CMV-DNA, EBV-DNA and TB-DNA, macro genomes new generation sequencing (mNGS) techniques were performed to detect pathogens in BAL fluid (BALF) . Results: A total of 73 allo-HSCT patients with 86 times of pulmonary complications enrolled this prospective study. They underwent 132 times of BAL procedures. The clinical diagnoses of 88.4% cases were made based on BALF analysis. Of them, 67 cases (77.9%) had infectious pulmonary complications, including 29 cases (33.7%) of fungal infection, 18 cases (20.9%) of mixed infection, 11 cases (12.8%) of viral infection and 9 cases (10.5%) of bacterial infection. The other 9 cases (10.5%) of non-infectious pulmonary complications included 8 cases (9.3%) of idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) and 1 case (1.2%) of pulmonary infiltration of lymphoma. The diagnoses of the remaining 10 cases (11.6%) were not determined. The platelet counts of 33 patients were less than 50×10⁹/L before BAL. None of them developed severe bleeding complications during or after BAL. Transient fever occurred in 10 patients after BAL. Blood cultures showed staphylococcal bacteremia in them and anti-infection therapies were effective. No life-threatening complications occurred in all of the patients during or after BAL. Conclusion BALF analysis was informative for the diagnosis of pulmonary complication and safe for patients with pulmonary complications after allo-HSCT.

Objective:To investigate the effects of different doses of vitamin D diet early in life on airway inflammation in different endotypes of asthma mice models.Methods:In the Animal House of Shanghai General Hospital of Nanjing Medical University in June 2022, the BALB/c mice with 14 d pregnant were selected, the offspring mice were divided into vitamin D sufficient group and vitamin D deficient group by random number table method with 12 each. The mice in the vitamin D sufficient group were given a feed with sufficient vitamin D content, while the mice in the vitamin D deficient group were given a feed without vitamin D. At the age of 8 weeks, the mice were sensitized and stimulated with ovalbumin to establish a T2 type asthma model, while the mice were sensitized and stimulated with ovalbumin combined with ozone exposure to establish a non-T2 type asthma model, with 6 mice in each model. The level of serum 25 hydroxy vitamin D 3 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The lung tissue was stained with HE to evaluate the inflammatory response score and calculate the eosinophils density and neutrophils density. In bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17A, the inflammatory cell count (total cell count, neutrophil count and eosinophil count) were detected. Results:The 25 hydroxy vitamin D 3 in T2 type asthma mice and non-T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D deficient group were significantly lower than that in vitamin D sufficient group: (8.12 ± 1.72) μg/L vs. (26.63 ± 2.54) μg/L and (6.86 ± 1.65) μg/L vs. (23.81 ± 3.09) μg/L, and there was statistical difference ( P<0.01). The inflammatory response score in non-T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D deficient group was significantly higher than that in non-T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D sufficient group: (2.58 ± 0.49) scores vs. (1.83 ± 0.21) scores, and there was statistical difference ( P<0.05), there was no statistical differences in inflammatory response score in T2 type asthma mice between two groups ( P>0.05). The neutrophils density and eosinophils density in T2 type asthma mice and non-T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D deficient group were significantly higher than those in vitamin D sufficient group, T2 type asthma mice: (20.30 ± 1.95) cells/100 μm vs. (12.58 ± 1.04) cells/100 μm and (5.25 ± 0.62) cells/100 μm vs. (3.15 ± 0.35) cells/100 μm; non-T2 type asthma mice: (53.48±5.19) cells/100 μm vs. (33.80 ± 2.74) cells/100 μm and (3.00 ± 0.29) cells/100 μm vs. (2.17 ± 0.21) cells/100 μm, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 or <0.05). The BALF total cell count in T2 type asthma mice and non-T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D deficient group was significantly higher than that in vitamin D sufficient group, the BALF eosinophil count in T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D deficient group was significantly higher than that in T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D sufficient group, the BALF neutrophil count in non-T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D deficient group was significantly higher than that in T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D sufficient group, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01); there was no statistical difference in BALF neutrophil count in T2 type asthma mice between two groups ( P>0.05); there was no statistical difference in BALF eosinophil count in non-T2 type asthma mice between two groups ( P>0.05). The BALF total cell count and neutrophil count in non-T2 type asthma mice of both groups were significantly higher than those in T2 type asthma mice, but the BALF eosinophil count in T2 type asthma mice was significantly higher non-T2 type asthma mice, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The BALF IL-4, IL-6 and IL-17A in T2 type asthma mice and non-T2 type asthma mice of vitamin D deficient group were significantly higher than those in vitamin D sufficient group, the BALF IL-10 was significantly lower than those in vitamin D sufficient group, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 or <0.05). In vitamin D deficient group, the BALF IL-4 in non-T2 type asthma mice was significantly lower than that in T2 type asthma mice, the BALF IL-6 and IL-17A were significantly higher than those in T2 type asthma mice, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05); in vitamin D sufficient group, the BALF IL-6 and IL-17A in non-T2 type asthma mice were significantly higher than those in T2 type asthma mice, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Vitamin D deficiency is involved in different mechanisms of airway inflammation in T2 type asthma and non-T2 type asthma, and this effect may be more obvious for non-T2 type asthma.

BACKGROUNDThe Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) presented a new ABCD group classification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We aimed to examine the association of spirometric classification and the new GOLD classification with exacerbations, and to compare symptoms in different ways.

METHODSWe investigated 848 patients with stable COPD from 24 hospitals. The annual frequencies of acute exacerbation and hospitalization were compared between the old and new classification. The symptom level was assessed using COPD assessment test (CAT) and modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) questionnaire.

RESULTSA total of 848 patients were included in this study. According to spirometric classification, there were 32 patients of grade I (3.8%), 315 of grade II (37.1%), 366 of grade III (43.2%), and 135 of grade IV (15.9%). According to GOLD 2011 classification, there were 59 patients of group A (7.0%), 172 of group B (20.3%), 55 of group C (6.5%), and 562 of group D (66.3%). In spirometric classification, the annual frequencies of acute exacerbation and associated hospitalization were respectively 1 (0-3) and 0 (0-2) for grade I; 1 (0-5) and 0 (0-2) for grade II; 2 (0-6) and 1 (0-3) for grade III, and 3 (0-6) and 2 (0-3) for grade IV. In GOLD 2011, respectively 0 (0-3) and 0 (0-1) (group A), 1 (0-4) and 0 (0-3) (group B), 1 (0-5) and 0 (0-3) (group C), and 3 (0-6) and 1 (0-3) (group D). There were no significant difference between group B and C (Z = -1.347, P = 0.178; Z = -0.772, P = 0.440, respectively). The coincidence rate using mMRC = 1 and CAT = 10 as cutoff points was 86.6% (734/848, k = 0.706), compared with 77.9% (661/848, k = 0.60) using mMRC = 2 and CAT = 10.

CONCLUSIONSLung function test may be a better predictor of acute exacerbation and associated hospitalization of COPD. It is more appropriate to use mMRC = 1 as cutoff point for assessing COPD symptoms.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; diagnosis ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Severity of Illness Index

Objective: To explore the role of D-dimer level in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive disease (AECOPD) in predicting the re-admission of patients. Methods: One hundred and twenty chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in the Shanghai General Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University form January 2016 to December 2018 were divided into AECOPD group (62 cases) and stable COPD group (58 cases).The level of serum D-dimer was analyzed and Pearson correlation analysis was performed with the patient′s blood gas analysis and COPD assessment test (CAT) score. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of serum D-dimer level for readmission. Results: Serum D-dimer level was significantly higher in AECOPD group than that in stable group: (1.24 ± 0.56) mg/L vs. (0.39 ± 0.22) mg/L, and there was statistical difference (P<0.01). Serum D-dimer level was negatively correlated with PaO₂ in COPD patients (r = 0.712, P = 0.000), but positively correlated with PaCO₂ (r = 0.683, P = 0.000) and CAT score (r = 0.652, P = 0.000). The area under the ROC curve of D-dimer level to re-admission of COPD patients within one year was 0.848. The cutoff value was 1.015 mg/L. Conclusions The level of D-dimer in COPD patients is of great value in predicting the re-admission of patients, which can be used as an independent indicator of disease progression.