Objectives To investigate the clinical significance of plasma adrenomedullin (ADM) concentrations in patients with asthma.Methods The plasma ADM concentrations in 23 asthmatic patients with an acute attack and 18 asthmatic patients in remission stage were measured by radioimmunoassay.Linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlations between two variables.Twenty healthy subjects served as a normal control group.Results The plasma ADM concentrations in asthmatic patients with an acute attack [(28.73?7.12)ng/L]were significantly higher than those of stable asthmatic patients [(13.85?4.48)ng/L,P0.05).Conclusion The results suggest that ADM is involved in the pathophysiological process of acute asthma attack and may play an important role in the inflammation of asthmatic airways.

Objective To study the clinical significance of plasma adrenomedullin (ADM) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in the elderly patients with chronic cor pulmonale. Methods The levels of ADM and BNP in plasma of the elderly patients with chronic cor pulmonale (39 cases in the acute stage and 30 cases in remission stage) were detected by radioimmunoassay. Their correlations with PaO 2,ET-1 and the ratio of right ventricular pre-ejection period to the pulmonary flow acceleration time (RVPEP /AT), which reflected the degree of pulmonary hypertension, were investigated. 27 elderly healthy subjects served as a normal control group. Results The levels of ADM and BNP in the acute and remission stages of cor pulmonale groups were both significantly higher 〔(27.31?6.27)ng/L,(17.22?4.15)ng/L and (66.21?12.79)ng/L,(52.74?8.85)ng/L, respectively〕 than those in the normal control group〔(11.18?3.95)ng/L, (34.52?3.34)ng/L, respectively〕. The levels of ADM and BNP in the acute stage were both significantly higher than those in the remission stage (all P0.05). Conclusions The study suggests that ADM and BNP involve in the pathophysiological process of chronic cor pulmonale in the elderly patients and may play a compensatory role in the disease.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)-based standard treatment on obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance (IR) in the elderly.Methods 63 elderly type 2 diabetes patients diagnosed as OSAHS were randomly divided into control group (n =31) and CPAP group (n =32).Patients in control group were treated with conventional therapy including diet control,exercise and antidiabetic drugs,and patients in CPAP group were treated with CPAP treatment combined with conventional therapy.Fasting glucose (FBG),oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT),homeostasis model assessment of IR index (HOMA-IR),body mass index (BMI),apnea-hypopnea index (AHI),lowest oxygen saturation (L-SaO2) and the dosage of insulin application were observed after 7 days,1 month,3 months of the treatment.Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was determined before and after 3 months of the treatment.Results In CPAP group,levels of FBG and 2 h OGTT glucose,HOMA-IR,AHI,daily insulin dosage were significantly reduced and L-SaO2 was significantly increased after 7 days of the treatment; BMI was significantly reduced after 1 month of the treatment;HbA1c level was significantly reduced after 3 months of the treatment.In control group,L-SaO2 was significantly reduced along with the multiple time points; daily insulin dosage was significantly increased after 3 months of the treatment.There were no significant differences in all observed indicators between groups before treatment.There were significant differences in the observed indicators between groups after treatment except for BMI after 7 days of the treatment.Conclusions Compared with conventional therapy,CPAP-based standard treatment has more efficacy on increasing insulin sensitivity and improving insulin resistance in elderly patients with OSAHS and type 2 diabetes.

Castleman Disease ; Heart Neoplasms ; Humans ; Myxoma ; Retroperitoneal Space

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Budesonide/formoterol to control asthma under real-life conditions.Methods A muhi-center, open label, non-interventional study was conducted.Asthma control after 12 week therapy with Budesonide/formoterol was assessed by Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) and modified Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ5).Results A total of 360 asthma patients were recruited,including 228 adult patients and 132 child patients.After 12 weeks' therapy,all the patients' medium value of ACQ was decreased significantly from 2.03 (adults 2.20, children 1.74) at baseline to 0.60 (adults 0.78, children 0.29) (P < 0.0001), and the medium value of ACQ5 was also decreased significantly from 2.4 (adults 2.24, children 1.76) at baseline to 0.47 (adults 0.62, children 0.20) (P < 0.0001).Conclusion Budesonide/formoterol is effective in asthma treatment, by which most asthma patients obtain and maintain clineal control.