Objective: To investigate the role of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 in the pathogenesis of asthma.Methods:IL-10 internal standards was constructed by restriction digest.The expression levels of IL-10 mRNA were determined in peripheral blood and induced sputum of 23 asthmatic patients by(RT-PCR) with this competitive internal standards. Results:There was no IL-10 mRNA expression in most of the asthmatics.IL-10 mRNA was detected in some catabatic patients.But IL-10 mRNA was readily detected in 29 normal subjects. Conclusion:Airway inflammation of asthma was related to the expression of IL-10 gene.Asthmatic patients may have difficulty in IL-10 synthesis with transcript.

Objective In order to improve diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism(PTE),the clinical features of pulmonary embolism between older and younger patients were compared.Methods Totally 105 patients(57 older and 48 younger)with diagnosed PTE were assessed retrospectively.Results There were more risk factors in the elderly as compared with younger group.Phlebitis was the major risk factor in both groups.Other risk factors,such as COPD,immobilization,malignancy and cardiac disease,were more frequent in the elderly;whereas in younger patients,intravenous drug injection and genetic factors were more frequent.Chest pain and hemoptysis were less frequent in older patients whereas syncope occurred more often in the older group."Triplicate symptoms" (including dyspnea,chest pain and hemoptysis)occurred more often in the younger group.Massive PTE occurred more often in the older patients.Severe complications were more frequent in cTnT-positive patients.Conclusion There are more risk factors in the elderly.The clinical presentation of PTE is often atypical in elderly patients,and prone to develop massive PTE.cTnT(Cardiac troponin T)is an independent predictor of prognostic implications in patients with confirmed PTE.

Objective:To explore the role of matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12) in airway macrophages and pulmonary neu-rogenic substance P ( SP ) in the pathogenesis of asthma by analyzing their relationship in different categories of asthmatic patients.Methods:Twenty patients of asthma remission phase ( remission asthma group ) , twenty ones of mild acute exacerbation asthma (mild asthma group) and twenty healthy adults (normal control group) were included,respectively.After lung function was measured,the numbers of macrophage in induced sputum were counted.The expression levels of MMP12 mRNA and protein in sputum macrophages were detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.The concentration of sputum SP was assayed by enzyme immunometric assay.Results: ( 1 ) Compared with the subjects in normal control group, forced expiratory volume in 1 second%predicted ( FEV1 ) and forced expiratory flow rates at 50% of the forced vital capacity % predicted ( FEF50 ) were much lower and the numbers of sputum macrophages were much higher in the patients in different asthmatic groups.Compared with the patients in remission asthma group,FEV1 and FEF50 were much lower in the ones in mild asthma group.(2) MMP12 expressions in the macrophages and the concentrations of SP in sputum were significantly increased in the patients in different asthmatic groups compared with those in normal control group;Furthermore,MMP12 and SP in mild asthma group were much higher than in remission asthma.(3) In all patients from different asthmatic groups,mRNA expressions of MMP12 in the macrophages were positively correlated with the levels of sputum SP or the numbers of sputum macrophages,whereas negative correlations between mRNA expressions of MMP 12 and FEV 1 or FEF50 were observed.Conclusion: The regulatory imbalance of macrophages′MMP12 and pulmonary neurogic SP may participate in the pathogenesis of asthma and become the potential targets for asthma therapy.

AIM: To explore the pathological features of airway inflammation in patients with eosinophilic bronchitis(EB) and compared to those with cough variant asthma(CVA).METHODS: Flexible fibre optic bronchoscopy was performed in 11 patients with EB,10 with CVA,14 with bronchial asthma and 10 normal controls.The mean thickness of the basement membrane was measured by light microscopy.Using immunohistochemical and special staining,the localization and density of inflammatory cells(eosinophils,mast cells,T lymphocytes) were detected in bronchial submucosa in EB and CVA patients.RESULTS: The mean thickness of the basement membrane was significantly increased in the subjects with EB [2.92 ?m(2.10-6.50 ?m)],CVA [5.64 ?m(3.23-8.48 ?m)] and bronchial asthma [9.08 ?m(6.61-11.99 ?m)] rather than that in the normal controls [2.08 ?m(1.62-3.40 ?m)].There were also significant differences among the three groups.The number of mast cells and eosinophils in the bronchial submucosal from subjects with EB [75 cells/mm~2(35-112 cells/mm~2),7 cells/mm~2(0-31(cells/mm~2))] was substantially decreased than those in subjects with CVA [148 cells/mm~2(34-200 cells/mm~2),114 cells/mm~2((1-768 cells/mm~2));P