Objective To explore the preliminary evaluation of transesophageal echocardiography in percutaneous edge-to-edge repair of mitral regurgitation.Methods Ten consecutive patients were treated with percutaneous edge-to-edge repair of mitral regurgitation using the MitraClip system.All of them had moderate-severe (n =1) or severe (n =9) central MR and high operative risk.MitraClip implantation performed under echocardiographic and fluoroscopic guidance in general anaesthesia.Preoperative and postoperative immediate echocardiographic data were prospectively collected.Results All operations succeed with one MitraClip implanted to 5 patients and two MitraClips implanted to 5 patients.Postoperative immediate echocardiography observed MR reduction,6 cases to mild,2 cases to mild-to-moderate and 2 cases to moderate.No complications occurred in all patients,such as Clip off,pericardial effusion/tamponade,or mitral valve damage.Conclusions Echocardiography guarentees the success of MitraClip based transcatheter mitral valve repair operations with safety and effectiveness.

Objective To evaluate the effect of ischemic postconditioning on myocardial injury in the patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).Methods Thirty patients of both sexes,aged 21-59 yr,of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅱ or Ⅲ (New York Heart Association Ⅱ or Ⅲ),with left ventricular ejection fraction ≥ 40％,scheduled for elective cardiac valve replacement under CPB,were divided into 2 groups (n=15 each) using a random number table:control group (C group) and ischemic postconditioning group (P group).In group P,ischemic postconditioning was induced by 3 cycles of 30 s aortic unclamping followed by 30 s cross-clamping starting from 5 min before complete opening of the ascending aorta.After induction of anesthesia and before operation (T1),at 1 h after opening of the ascending aorta (T2),at the end of operation (T3),and at 12,24 and 48 h after opening of the ascending aorta (T4-6),blood samples were taken from the radial artery for determination of plasma concentrations of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP),ischemia-modified albumin (IMA),and cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnI).Myocardial specimens in the right auricle were obtained at T2,and the pathological changes were examined using an optical microscope.Results The concentrations of plasma cTnI at T2-6 and H-FABP and IMA at T2-5 were significantly higher than those at T1 in the two groups (P＜0.05).Compared with group C,the concentrations of plasma cTnI at T2-6,H-FABP at T2-4,and IMA at T2,3 were significantly decreased (P＜0.05),and the pathological changes of myocardial tissues were significantly reduced in group P.Conclusion Ischemic postconditioning can reduce myocardial injury in the patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement under CPB.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the pathogenesis of thromboembolism in patients with mitral stenosis in a pre-thrombotic state.

METHODSThe biochemical markers' levels in plasma for platelet activity [soluble P-selectin (GMP-140)], states of thrombin generation [antithrombin III (AT III) and protein C (PC)], fibrinolysis [D-dimer (DD), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and FDP] and von Willebrand factor (vWF) were determined from blood specimens obtained from the femoral veins and arteries and the right and left atria of 43 consecutive patients (20 with atrial fibrillation and 23 with sinus rhythm) with mitral stenosis (MS), undergoing percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty. The same parameters were compared with those of 15 control subjects, who had no detectable heart disease, but with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia undergoing radiofrequency catheter ablation of the left accessory pathway through a transseptal passage.

RESULTSBlood from the left atrium contained an excessive amount of platelet activity, thrombin generation and fibrinolysis compared with the blood from the right atrium, and the femoral veins and arteries. However blood from the right atrium was much lower in these activities when compared with those from the left atrium, and the femoral veins and arteries in both groups. Compared with those in the control subjects, GMP-140 in the left atrium was significantly higher (P < 0.05) and AT III was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in patients with MS. Compared with the patients with MS and spontaneous left atrial echocontrast (LASEC) /= 2 had significantly higher levels of GMP-140 in plasma (P < 0.05), and significantly lower levels of AT III (P < 0.05) and PC (P < 0.01) levels in the left atrium. However, there were no significant differences between patients with atrial fibrillation and those with sinus rhythm regarding amounts of plasma coagulation markers in the left atrium. Univariate regression analysis revealed that LASEC was negatively correlated with plasma levels of blood from the left atria in the patients with MS.

CONCLUSIONCoagulability is increased in the left atria of patients with MS and is positively correlated with LASEC.

Adult ; Antithrombin III ; analysis ; Female ; Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products ; analysis ; Heart Atria ; chemistry ; Humans ; Male ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; complications ; P-Selectin ; blood ; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 ; blood ; Protein C ; analysis ; Regression Analysis ; Thromboembolism ; etiology ; Thrombophilia ; blood ; complications ; von Willebrand Factor ; analysis

Objective To compare endoscopic stenting with surgery for pyloric obstruction caused by unresectable gastric cancer.Methods Between June 2002 and June 2012,6 patients underwent endoscopic stenting and 70 did surgery for gastric outlet obstruction caused by gastric cancer.Results There were no significant difference in technical success rate and clinical success rate between the stenting and surgery groups (P ＞ 0.05).The stenting group had shorter time to oral intake,and shorter length of hospital stay [(2.5-± 3.1) d vs.(6.6 ± 3.5) d,t =-7.0,P ＜ 0.001].The incidence of early complications was significantly higher in the surgery group.However,the rates of late complications were significantly lower in the surgery group.Moreover,the surgery group was significantly associated with a longer patency duration [(295.8 d,95％ CI:260.7-330.8) vs.(168.2 d,95％ CI:134.7-201.7 d),P ＜0.001] and overall survival [(307.6 d,95％ CI:272.4-342.8 d) vs.(229.6 d,95％ CI:195.1-264.3 d),P =0.003].Conclusions Both endoscopic stenting and surgery are effective palliative therapy for gastric outlet obstruction caused by gastric cancer.Endoscopic stenting is associated with better shortterm outcomes.Surgery is preferable to ES in longer patency duration.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of transesophageal echocardiography to guide the implantation of 2 pieces of MitraClip during transcatheter mitral valve repair operation.

METHODSFrom October 2013 to June 2014, 6 transcatheter mitral valve repair operations were performed in our hospital for symptomatic patients with severe functional mitral regurgitation (MR), transesophageal echocardiography was applied to guide the implantation of 2 pieces of MitraClip. Clinical data are retrospectively analyzed to evaluate implantation timing and approach of the 2nd piece of MitraClip, as well as the immediate effect of the interventional therapy.

RESULTSAfter implantation of 1st piece of MitraClip, transesophageal echocardiography evidenced MR ≥ grade 2 with central regurgitation and immediate mitral average transvalvular pressure gradient < 3 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) in these 6 patients and 2nd piece of MitraClip was implanted in these patients. After implantation of 2nd piece of MitraClip, it is observed via transesophageal echocardiography that mitral regurgitations were reduced by ≥ 2 grades for all 6 patients. For 3 patients, MR was reduced to grade 1. For the other 3 patients, MR is reduced to grade 2. Among the 3 patients whose MR was reduced to grade 2, 2 operations were stopped because immediate mitral average transvalvular pressure gradient equaled to 3 mmHg, and the rest 1 operation was stopped because MR was too diverse and not able to select proper position to implant the next MitraClip. All 6 operations are completed successfully.There were no myocardial infarction, death or complications requiring mitral valve surgery after the MitraClip procedure. There were also no MitraClip detachment, thrombus embolism, mitral valve apparatus injuries, mitral stenosis, pericardial tamponade post procedure.

CONCLUSIONSTransesophageal echocardiography plays an important role to guide the implantation of 2 pieces of MitraClip in transcatheter mitral valve repair operation. Mitral average transvalvular pressure gradient and initial position of regurgitation after implantation of the previous MitraClip are critical determinants for decision making if the next piece of MitraClip can be implanted or not.

Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Humans ; Mitral Valve ; Mitral Valve Insufficiency ; surgery ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; surgery ; Prostheses and Implants ; Prosthesis Implantation ; methods ; Retrospective Studies

Alpha1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), also known as oral mucus protein (ORM), is an acute phase positive protein. AGPs have various biological activities, such as drug transport, immune regulation, maintenance of capillary barrier, regulation of lipid metabolism, etc. AGP mainly exists in liver cells, but it is also expressed in other tissue cells, such as adipose tissue, brain tissue, endothelial cells and immune cells. This article mainly reviews the application of AGP in pulmonary diseases, and the role,significance and related new developments in different systemic diseases.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype ; pathogenicity ; Influenza, Human ; diagnosis ; diet therapy ; Middle Aged