Cardiology ; trends ; China

The duties of a physician are:serve the people humanely and wholeheartedly;treat the sick and to save their lives;prevent diseases and care for the people's health.It is really a sacred,dignified and noble job.To become a good physician,he or she must be ethical,highly solicitous and sympathetic to a patient's health;must have moral integrity and be wholly responsible to a patient;must possess comprehensive updated medical knowledge and almost always be able to make a correct diagnosis and render appropriate treatment;must have a deep love for medical education to train and bring up young doctors;must be able to engage in scientific research to promote the advancement of medical knowledge;and must study life long to improve medical skills.

Thirty-one patients were investigated with radionudide ventri -culography for assessment of tlhe effects of Nifedipine ( NIF ) on the LV function^ NIF improves the pumping function of LV, markedly , after oral therapy, Mean LVEDV increased 15ml/mz, mean LVESV decreased 2.4ml/m2 and SV increased 17 ml/m2._ LVEF increased to 0. 56 ( P

AIM: To investigate the dynamic alteration of cardiac collagen metabolism in mice with acute,chronic myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM).METHODS: BALB/c mice infected with coxsackievirus B_3 were used to establish animal models of acute,chronic myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy,while uninfected animals were also prepared and served as controls.After verification of models by histopathological methods and echocardiography,serum concentration of aminoterminal propeptide of type Ⅲ procollagen(PIIINP),aminoterminal propeptide of type Ⅰ procollagen(PINP) and carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen(PICP) in each group of mice were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1(MMP1) and its tissue inhibitor(TIMP-1) were determined by Western blotting analysis.The MMP-1 activity was also detected.RESULTS: Marked myocardial fibrosis was observed in all groups of CVB_3-infected mice.Reparative fibrosis,promotion of synthesis and degradation of cardiac collagens were presented in heart tissue of acute myocarditis mice. Both reparative and reactive fibrosis,enhanced synthesis and lightened degradation of collagen were present in chronic myocarditis,while reactive fibrosis and excess collagen synthesis were confirmed in DCM.Expression and activity of(MMP-1) was progressively decreased.TIMP-1 showed unchanged.The ratio of MMP-1/TIMP-1 was progressively descended.CONCLUSION: Collagen metabolism was special in different phase of viral heart diseases,which may play different roles in the progression and prognosis of these kinds of disease.

AIM: To investigate the effect of advanced glycosylation end products on the expression of receptor for advanced glycosylation end products in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells. METHODS: Monocytes were purified (over 98%) using anti-CD14+ microbeads. After 8 d culture in RPMI-1640 medium containing rhGM-CSF (100 ?g/L) and rhIL-4 (50 ?g/L), immature MDCs were derived, then exposed to AGE-BSA (0 or 200 mg/L) for 24 h. Expression of RAGE was semi-quantified by RT-PCR and Western blotting. At the same time, supernatants were collected. IFN-? and IL-12 were analyzed by ELISA. RESULTS: mRNA and protein of RAGE incubated by 200 mg/L AGE-BSA was higher than that in control at 24 h. Treatment of DCs with AGE-BSA resulted in about two-fold increase in the expression of RAGE (P

Obiective To compare the sensitivity and specificity of strain imaging(SI)and restredistribution Tl-201(RR-201 TI)SPECT imaging in evaluating myocardial viability among patients with STelevation acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods Twenty-six AMI patients underwent echocardiography and RR-201 Tl-SPECT imaging a week(baseline)after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)therapy.At baseline,wall motion score(WMS)and systolic strain were assessed,SPECT scoring were performed on 16 segments of left ventricle(LV).WMS was repeated more than 3 months later to assess myocardial viability,which is deemed as reference.Results ①Two hundred and sixty segments in the"at risk"regions were followed up for(5±2)months,among which 201 were identified as viable and 59 were not,according to the WMS.②In comparison to the reference standard,the sensitivity and specificity of RR-201 Tl-SPECT to predict myocardial viability were 87%(175/201)and 58%(34/59)respectively.③The sensitivity and specificity of systolic strain(Set)to predict myocardial viability after AMl were 81% and 66% respectively at the optimal cut-off value of-60%.④Set was moderately concordant with SPECT scoring(Kappa=0.40)and the agreement between the two methods was 77%(199/260).Conclusions In ST-elevation AMI,SI and RR-201 Tl-SPECT appears equivalent in predicting segmental recovery after reperfusion,and SI could be a convenient and low-cost alternative for the non-invasive evaluation of myocardial viability.

Objective To investigate the value of real-time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography(RT-3DTEE) in mitral valve repair. Methods RT-3DTEE was performed in six patients[5 male,1 female,mean age (45.7±12.6)years] with mitral valve prolapse by using Philips IE33 with X7-2t probe.Preoperative RT-3DTEE studies were compared with surgical findings in patients undergoing surgical repair. Results RT-3DTEE could display dynamic morphology of mitral valve,the location of prolapse,and spatial relation tO the surrounding tissues.It could provide surgical views of the valves and the valvular apparatus.RT-3DTEE results were consistant with surgical findings.Conclusions RT-3DTEE is a unique new modality for rapid and accurate evaluation of mitral prolapse and mittal repair.

Background The 5-year cardiac mortality rate has been reported to be more than 50% in patients with left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis. The purpose of this study was to visualize the LMCA using intravascular ultrasound in patients who undergo interventions of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). This was done in order to see the incidence and severity of plaque formation in the LMCA in patients with severe lAD stenosis, and to address if scanning LMCA is able to rule out lAD significant stenosis or vice versa. Methods A total of 293 patients with intervention of the LAD stenosis were examined with intravascular ultrasound(IVUS). The images of 278 patients were suitable for analysis. Results Fifty-three (19%) were found to have angiographic lumen reduction in the LMCA ranging from 11% to 35% (19 ± 8%). Sixty-one patients were found to have native calcification in the LMCA. Atherosclerotic plaques in LMCA were detected in 211/278 (76%) patients, of which 164/211 (78%) were eccentric, and 51/211 (24%) had calcium deposit. The cross-sectional plaque area ranged from 1.5 mm2 to 21 mm2 (8.4 ± 4.7 mm2 ). Area of stenosis was 34 ± 14 % (8-66 % ) and diameter of stenosis was 21 ± 8% ( 7-42% ). A weak relationship concerning severity of stenosis between LAD stenosis and LMCA stenosis was found in the 59 patients with pre-interventional IVUS examinations ( r = 0.47, P ＜ 0.05 ). Condusions LMCA is frequently involved with atherosclerotic lesions in patients with severe LAD stenosis. A weak relationship does exist concerning the severity of stenosis between lAD and LMCA. However, IVUS for LMCA lesion is not able to rule out LAD stenosis.

Background and objective Pre-operative assessment of mitral valve(MV)anatomy is essential to surgical design in patientsundergoing MV repair.Although 2-dimensional(2D)echocardiography provides precise information regarding MV anatomy,RT-3DTEE could increase the understanding of MV apparatus and individual scallop identification.We aimed to investigate the value of RT-3DTEE in MV repair. Methods RT-3DTEE was performed in six patients with mitral valve prolapse(MVP) by using Philips IE33with X7-2t probe.Preoperative RT-3DTEE studies were compared with surgical findings in patients undergoing surgical mitral valverepair,and quantitative evaluation was performed by QLab 6.0 software before and after surgicalmitralvalve repair.Results RT-3DTEE could display dynamic morphology of MV,the location of prolapse,and spatial relation to the surrounding tissue.It couldprovide surgical views of the valves and the valvular apparatus.These resuIts were consistent with surgical findings.The quantitativeevahuation before and after surgical MV repair indicated that anterolateral to posteromedial diameter of annalus.anterior to posteriordiameter of annulus,perimeter of annullus.,and area of annalus in projectionplane were significantlv smaller after operation comparedwith those before operation(P＜0.05).The length of posterior leaflet,,the area of anterior and posterior leaflet,the maximal prolapseheight,the volume of leaflet prolapse and the length of coaptation in projection planewere significantly reduced after operation(P＜0.05).Conclusion RT-3DTEE is a unique new medality for rapid and accurate evaluation of mitral valve prolapse and miwal valverepair.