Objective To analyze the prognostic value of baseline serum free light chain (sFLC) in light-chain (AL) cardiac amyloidosis.Methods Twenty-seven patients with AL cardiac amyloidosis were retrospectively reviewed from January 2014 to January 2015.sFLC was measured by immuoturbidimetric assay.Baseline characteristics,echocardiographic parameters and electrocardiogram data were analyzed.According to the median baseline dFLC (involved sFLC minus uninvolved sFLC),patients were categorized into either the low dFLC(≤307mg/L) or the high dFLC group (＞307mg/L).Results More subjects in the high dFLC group with early/late diastolic mitral velocity ratio (E/A ratio) over 2 (71.4％ vs 30.8％,P =0.035),and subjects in this group had a shorter median survival time than those in the low dFLC group (3 months vs 17 months,P =0.004).A similar phenomenon for median survival time was observed when the subjects were redivided either by a new cut-off value of 180mg/L for dFLC (low dFLC group:17 months;high dFLC group:4 months,P =0.014) or a κ/λ ratio,in which subjects with κ type sFLC-ratio ≤ 19.6 and λ type sFLC-ratio ＞0.065 were in the low sFLC-ratio group (17 months) and those with κ type sFLC-ratio ＞ 19.6 and λ type sFLC-ratio ≤0.065 were in the high sFLC-ratio group (4 months,P=0.023).In multivariate analysis,dFLC and New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification of cardiac function were two risk factors associated with all-cause mortality in patients,among which the hazard ratio for higher dFLC was 4.28 (95％ CI 1.55-11.8,P =0.005).Conclusion The level of sFLC could be a marker for the prognosis of AL cardiac amyloidosis.

Comprehensive therapy is the leading method to improve the overall survival for patients with advanced gallbladder cancer, especially the study of new chemotherapy regimen are on demand.From 2010 to 2011, a phase Ⅲ study of new chemotherapy regimen in the treatment of advanced gallbladder carcinoma would be undertaken nationwide to assess the clinical outcome and safety, in 31 clinical centers led by the department of General Surgery of Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, and a total of 260 patients would be accrued for this study.Chemotherapy consists of 2 regimes, conventional regime(cisplatin, epirubicin, and 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin)and new regime(conventional regime plus somatostatin).At present, the study has been approved by Clinical Trial Registration Platform of National Institutes of Health in U.S.A., and more than 30 patients are rolling in the study.The clinical trial could provide the high-quality evidence of EBM(evdence based medicine)for the chemotherapy of advanced gallbladder caner, and it will be one of the important components in the large-scale clinical study of chemotherapy for the advanced gallbladder cancer in China and worldwide.

Amyloidosis ; Heart Diseases ; Humans

Objective To study correlation between MRI signal intensity of the lumbar intervertebral disc and collagen content in the nucleus pulposus.Methods Thirty-one cases with lumbar intervertebral disc herniation(male 21,female 10)received percutaneous lumbar disketetomy.Thirty-one specimens of nucleous pulposus were obtained from percutaneous lumbar disketctomy procedure and collagen content in them was measured with reformed hydroxyproline measurement method.The signal intensity(SI) of lumbar intervertebral disc and cerebrospinal fluid was measured in T_2 WI sagittal image and then ratio of disc SI to cerebrospinal fluid SI was calculated.The Pearson analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the collagen content and SI ratio and disc SI on T_2 WI.Results Collagen content and SI ratio were (231.0?63.5)mg/g and 0.19?0.07,respectively.There was negative correlation between them (r=-0.61,P

Objective In order to study the hemodynamics changes of the Budd Chiari syndrome vascular based on Computer Sim-ulation.Methods Three dimensional reconstruction model is established based on MRA medical images.Then take use of Ansys Fluent software to simulate hemodynamic parameters.Results Budd Chiari syndrome vascular model is established successfully. The hemodynamics changes on/above the vascular confluence of inferior vena cava with three main hepatic veins.Contract to the flow inlet of inferior vena cava,blood pressure becomes larger,the speed becomes slower and shear stress becomes smaller.Conclu-sion The inferior vena venous hemodynamics changes region is almost consistent with inferior vena venous predilection location. The study lays the groundwork for future study of Budd Chiari syndrome negotiations.

Objective To study the clinical,cardiopulmonary functional and hemodynamic profiles of systemic sclerosis patients with pulmonary hypertension (SSc-PAH) compared with those of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPAH).Methods Patients diagnosed with SSc-PAH or IPAH by right heart catheterization were consecutively enrolled into the study between 2011 and 2013 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH).Cases with pulmonary hypertension related to other diseases were excluded.Demographic data,laboratory parameters,6 minutes walk distance (6MWD),pulmonary function and hemodynamic variables at the time of diagnosis were collected and compared between the two groups.Results A total of 20 SSc-PAH patients including 19 females and one male with age of (43.1 ± 12.2) years,and 18IPAH patients including 16 females and 2 males with age of (38.4 ± 12.4) years were enrolled in this study.Subjects in both groups had similar mean pulmonary arterial pressure,cardiac index and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) when recruited.Compared with IPAH patients,SSc-PAH patients showed significantly decreased all parameters including forced vital capacity (FVC)％ [(77.1 ± 13.2)％ vs (88.6 ± 14.9)％,P =0.026],diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) ％ [(46.2 ±13.1) ％ vs (66.6± 13.3)％,P ＜0.001],DLCO/alveolar ventilation(VA) [(55.1 ± 14.3)％ vs (75.1 ± 11.5)％,P ＜0.001],and 6MWD [(365.6 ±85.1) m vs (454.3 ± 136.8) m,P =0.034].In subgroup analysis of SSc-PAH patients,elevated PVR (OR 2.122,95％ CI 1.093-4.119,P =0.026) and decreased DLCO％ (OR 0.916,95％ CI 0.842-0.996,P =0.040) were independently associated with reduced 6MWD.Conclusions Under the similar hemodynamic condition,SSc-PAH patients had more severe restrictive ventilation dysfunction and diffusion capacity dysfunction.Decreased 6MWD in SSc-PAHpatients was probably related to the impairment of pulmonary function.

Objective To explore the association between Doppler echocardiography parameters and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) obtained by right heart catheterization (RHC) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH).Methods RHC and a simultaneous echocardiography were performed in 86 PH patients.The correlation between the echocardiographic parameters and PCWP was analyzed.Results The early diastolic velocity(E) of mitral valve blood flow was significantly correlated with PCWP ( γ =0.36,P ＜0.01 ).Tissue Doppler imaging measured the diastolic velocity of mitral annulus on the lateral(E'L)and the septal (E'S) wall.Then the average E'M was calculated.The ratio of E to E'L,E'S and E'M showed a strong correlation with PCWP ( γ =0.62,0.34 and 0.47 respectively,P ＜ 0.01 ).E/E'L ＜ 6 accurately predicted 100％ PCWP≤ 15 mm Hg (1 mm Hg =0.133 kPa),and E/E'L ＞ 15 could predict PCWP ＞ 15 nun Hg with specificity of 98.5％.Conclusion There are positive correlation between E/E' and PCWP obtained by RHC in PH patients.

objecfive To analyze ventricular myocardial function in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Methods Thirtv female SSc patients and fifteen age-and sex-comparable healthy subjects underwent standard echo and tissue Doppler imaging(TDI)examination.T-test and Pearson's analysis were used.Results Both left and right atrial and ventricular diameters,left ventricular eiection fraction and right ventricular fraction of area change were comparable between the two groups.Mitral and tricuspid inflow E/A ratio was almost the same in both groups,while systolic pulmoHary pressure was increased in SSc [(38±16)vs (23.9±4.8)mm Hg,P=0.008].TDI detected impaired right ventricular myocardial function in SSc:eartydiastolic peak velocity Em [(10.7±4.8)vs(15.0±2.1)cm/s,P=0.01],peak systolic strain[(-16.3±3.9)%vs (-20.9±2.0)%,P=0.001]and strain rate[(-1.4±0.4) vs(-2.4±0.5)/s,P<0.01] were reduced significantly.Left ventricular myocardial function was not impaired in SSc patients.Conclusion TDI iS a valuable noninvasive tool for early detecting of ventricular myocardial involvement caused by SSc.

Objective To compare the effect of radionuclide bone imaging and MRI in locating responsible vertebrae after osteoporotic vertebral compressive fractures (OVCF).Methods A retrospective analysis was made on 25 patients with OVCF treated by percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP)from May 2015 to December 2015.There were 4 males and 21 females,at age range of 63-87 years [(73.3 ±6.16)years].The fractured vertebrae included 2 T4,3 T5,2 T6,2 T7,5 T8,3 T9,3 T10,7 T11,9 T12,11 L1,10 L2,2 L3,5 L4 and 1 L5.Cervical imaging examinations (X-ray,bone mineral density,MRI,radionuclide bone imaging) were performed on admission.Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were estimated before operation and 1 d after operation.Results of MRI and radionuclide bone imaging were compared.Results A total of 64 vertebrae were included in our study.Thirty-six vertebrae were recognized as fresh OVCFs by MRI,and 40 by radionuclide bone imaging.Kappa-test indicated the results of the examination methods were statistically significant (P ＜0.05).Specificity (96.6％) and accuracy (98.4％) of MRI were higher than radionuclide bone imaging bone scan (82.8％,92.2％).Conclusions Radionuclide bone imaging has a high consistency with MRI in locating responsible vertebrae after OVCF,but MRI is associated with higher specificity and accuracy.In exceptional cases,radionuclide bone imaging can partly replace MRI as a way to locate OVCF.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of anti-endothelial cell antibody fAECA) in the sera of patients with connective tissue diseases(CTD)complicated with pulmonary arterial hyperten-sion (PAH)and to detect the specific antigens of AECA which may be related to clinical manifestations.Methods AECA was detected with Western blotting in 39 CTD patients with PAH.22 CTD patients without PAH and 30 healthy donors.Results The prevalence of AECA was 82%in CTD patients with PAH.73%in CTD patients without PAH and 20%in healthy donors.Anti-22 000 AECA was only detected in CTD patients with PAH(15%).Anti-75 000 AECA was more frequently detected in CTD patients with PAH than in thosewithout PAH(51%vs 23%.P＜0.05).In CTD patients complicated with PAH.anti-75 000 AECA was morefrequently detected in those with Raynaud's phenomenon or with positive anti-RNP antibody.Conclusion AECA can be more frequently detected in CTD patients with or without PAH.Furthermore,anti-22 000 and anti-75 000 AECA may play a special role in CTD patients with PAH.