Objective To observe the treatment effect and relapse prevention of cardioversion of atrial fibrillation with Wenxin granules and amiodarone. Methods Sixty patients of chronic atrial fibrillation were divided randomly into treatment of Wenxin granules and amiodarone group (group A) and treatment of simple amiodarone gorup(group B),Thirty cases in each group. All cases were treated with amiodarone by intravenous drip along with oral amiodarone. Thirty cases in group A were treated with Wenxin granules (9 grams,per day) additionally for 4 weeks. Results Patients in group A resumed normal sinus rhythm significantly higher than that in group B. The increasing relapse tendency of atrial fibrillation was higher in group B within 6 months. Conclusion Drug combination with Wenxin granules and amiodarone has better effect than simple amiodarone in the relapse prevention of cardioversion of atrial fibrillation.

Objective: To investigate the combined examination of plasma levels of troponin T (TnT) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) for predicting the risk of peri-operative cardiovascular events in elder coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with non-cardiac surgery. Methods: A total of 200 patients from (60-82) years of age with elective non-cardiac surgery were enrolled. The patients were divided into 2 groups: CAD group,n=118 and Non-CAD group,n=82. Plasma levels of TnT and NT-proBNP were examined at 1 day before and 2 days after the operation respectively. The cardiovascular events were recorded in both groups and the best cut-off values for TnT and NT-proBNP in risk prediction were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results:①CAD group had the higher levels of post-operative TnT and NT-proBNP than pre-operative; both TnT and NT-proBNP levels were higher in CAD group than those in Non-CAD group at the same time points, allP<0.05.②The total cardiovascular events in CAD group was higher than those in non-CAD group (χ2=5.85,P=0.016) and the individual event was similar between 2 groups.③In CAD group, the best cut-off value for pre-operative TnT in predicting peri-operative cardiovascular events was 18.5 ng/L with the sensitivity at 72% and speciifcity at 69.6%; for NT-proBNP was 98.0 pg/ml with the sensitivity at 90.8% and speciifcity at 74.6%.④The patients with the higher level of pre-operative TnT had the increased risk of total cardiovascular events than those with normal TnT (χ2=4.56,P=0.043), and the same as NT-proBNP (χ2=4.08, P=0.036). Likewise, the patients with higher levels of both pre-operative TnT and NT-proBNP had the increased risk of total cardiovascular events than those with normal TnT and NT-proBNP (χ2=13.32,P=0.000). Conclusion:Either plasma levels of TnT or NT-proBNP could be used as the biomarker for predicting the risk of peri-operative cardiovascular events in elder CAD patients with non-cardiac surgery, the combined examination would have the better predictive value.

Objective To investigate the effect of cystatin C (Cys C) on adventitia in rabbit abdominal aorta restenosis after angioplasty and its mechanism.Methods 48 New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into injury group (receiving balloon dilation of abdominal aorta),the treatment group (taking Cys C monoclonal antibody therapy) and the control group (receiving femoral artery puncture and catheter sheath without balloon dilation and intervention of Cys C monoclonal antibody injection),and each group had 16 rabbits.Peripheral vein blood was drawn to measure the serum level of cystatin C before and 8 h,1 day,1 week,3 weeks,6 weeks after the operation in all rabbits.After 6 weeks of operation,the abdominal aorta were taken and stained with HE.Vascular morphometry analysis and adventitial cell count were conducted.Smooth muscle actin (SM-actin) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expressions in the adventitia were observed by immunohistochemical staining.The number of PCNA positive cell in the adventitia was counted and the PCNA proliferation index was calculated.The vascular remodeling index,vascular external elastic lamina area (EELA),internal elastic lamina area (IEIA) were used to evaluate the vascular remodeling and the residual stenosis and vascular cavity area was used to measure the vascular stenosis.Results Plasma Cys C level began to rise at 8h after operation and reached the peak at 1 week after operation,and continuously increased for 5 weeks in injury group,and reached to respectively at 3 weeks and 6 weeks after operation.The Cys C levels were significantly higher in injury group than in the treatment and control groups at different time points (all P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in Cys C levels at different time points between the treatment group and the control group.The injury group showed that the number of PCNA positive cells was higher in injury group than in treatment and control groups,both P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the vascular luminal area,EELA and IELA were significantly increased (all P＜0.05).After treated with the monoclonal antibody Cys C intervention,the treatment group showed that lumen area,vascular EELA,IELA was significantly decreased (P＜0.05),and the vascular remodeling index and residual stenosis rate were decreased as compared with the injury group (0.871 vs.0.784,33.1％ vs.19.7 ％,both P＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that Cystatin C level was positively correlated with the vascular lumen area,neointimal area,internal elastic lamina area,external elastic lamina area and the number of PCNA positive cells (r=0.812,0.797,0.876,0.932 and 0.822 respectively,all P＜0.01).Conclusions Plasma Cys C level is increased in rabbit after abdominal aorta balloon injury and has a positive correlation with the severity of arterial stenosis.High Cys C level can induce adventitial fibroblast activation,proliferation,phenotype transformation and migration,and accelerate the processes of atherosclerosis and stenosis.Cys C level is the independent risk factor for abdominal aortic stenosis.

OBJECTIVETo determine whether the level of serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was increased in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).

METHODSThis study consisted of 265 patients with CHF and 75 healthy people. Serum cTnT was measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay using an Elecsys 1010 automatic analyzer.

RESULTScTnT concentration was 0.181 +/- 0.536 ng/mL in CHF patients and 0.003 +/- 0.001 ng/mL in controls (P < 0.001). Patients were categorized according to the levels of heart function and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). In the first group consisting of 105 patients with LVEF 35%, cTnT was 0.07 +/- 0.0 5 ng/mL (P < 0.01). In patients with NYHA class I, II, III and IV, cTnT values were 0.062 +/- 0.022 ng/mL, 0.113 +/- 0.121 mg/mL, 0.191 +/- 0.231 mg/ml and 0.384 +/- 0.211 mg/mL, respectively (class I vs class II P > 0.05, class II vs class III P < 0.01, class III vs class IV P < 0.01). A negative correlation was observed between serum cTnT concentration and LVEF in 265 patients with CHF (r = -0.493, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThis study shows that the level of serum cTnT is increased in patients with CHF and that the increased level indicates the severity of CHF.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Stroke Volume ; Troponin T ; blood ; Ventricular Function, Left