BACKGROUNDEndogenous hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) plays an important role in hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of erythrocyte and serum H(2)S in patients with untreated essential hypertension.

METHODSWe recruited 62 patients (age 22 - 74 years) with untreated prehypertension or hypertension, and 64 normotensive subjects (age 18 - 64 years). We assessed the 3-mercaptopyruvate sulphurtransferase (MPST) protein expression in erythrocytes and measured the H(2)S production from erythrocytes and serum H(2)S levels, then analyzed the association of erythrocytic or serum H(2)S content and blood pressure or cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., age, body mass index (BMI) and dyslipidemia). A stepwise regression analysis was used to evaluate the possible relationship of erythrocytic H(2)S in hypertension.

RESULTSIn hypertensive patients, erythrocyte H(2)S production ((111.04 ± 29.20) nmol/min per 10(8) erythrocytes) was higher than that in controls ((78.85 ± 19.38) nmol/min per 10(8) erythrocytes), and serum H(2)S was also higher. The erythrocytic H(2)S production was associated with increased systolic blood pressure (sBP), diastolic blood pressure (dBP), age, BMI, level of C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as triglycerides (TG) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Serum H(2)S was not associated with age or CRP. Stepwise regression analysis showed that erythrocytic H(2)S production was correlated with sBP, TG, HDL-C, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum H(2)S was correlated with dBP and TG. Results of receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis suggested that erythrocytic H(2)S production was a more sensitive predictor of hypertension development than serum H(2)S.

CONCLUSIONErythrocytic or serum H(2)S production is sensitive predictor of hypertension.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Erythrocytes ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen Sulfide ; blood ; Hypertension ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Adult ; Dioxins ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; blood ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; drug effects ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood

OBJECTIVETo develop a method to obtain and identify human coronary artery endothelial cells obtained during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).

METHODSCoronary guide wires were used to obtain endothelial cells from coronary arteries in 28 patients undergoing PCI. The cells were eluted from the wire tips and then purified by magnetic beads coated with anti-CD146 antibody. von Willebrand factor (vWF) was used as an immunocytochemical marker for endothelial cells. The cellular viability was evaluated by observing cell membrane integrity and energy-dependent uptake of DiI-labeled acetylated low-density lipoprotein.

RESULTSAn average of 96 coronary artery endothelial cells with good viability per patient were obtained by one guide wire. vWF identification showed their endothelial morphology and immunoreactivity.

CONCLUSIONThe viable coronary endothelial cells could be obtained during routine percutaneous coronary interventions combined with magnetic beads isolation technique. These cells may be used for further cellular functional analyses (such as immunocytochemistry and molecular biology) and expand our understanding on mechanisms of coronary artery diseases.

Biopsy ; methods ; Coronary Vessels ; cytology ; pathology ; Endothelium, Vascular ; cytology ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) on inflammatory mediators in children with severe hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), and to investigate its clinical efficacy.

METHODSA total of 36 children with stage IV HFMD were enrolled and randomly divided into conventional treatment group and CVVH group (n=18 each). The children in the CVVH group were given CVVH for 48 hours in addition to the conventional treatment. The levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and lactic acid in peripheral venous blood, heart rate, blood pressure, and left ventricular ejection fraction were measured before treatment and after 24 and 48 hours of treatment.

RESULTSAfter 24 hours of treatment, the conventional treatment group had a significantly reduced serum IL-2 level (P<0.01), and the CVVH treatment group had significantly reduced serum levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α (P<0.05). After 48 hours of treatment, both groups had significantly reduced serum levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α (P<0.01), and the CVVH group had significantly lower levels of these inflammatory factors than the conventional treatment group (P<0.01). After 48 hours of treatment, heart rate, systolic pressure, and blood lactic acid level were significantly reduced, and left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly increased in both groups, and the CVVH group had significantly greater changes in these indices except systolic pressure than the conventional treatment group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSCVVH can effectively eliminate inflammatory factors, reduce heart rate and venous blood lactic acid, and improve heart function in children with severe HFMD.

Child, Preschool ; Cytokines ; blood ; Female ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; immunology ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Hemodynamics ; Hemofiltration ; Humans ; Infant ; Inflammation Mediators ; blood ; Male ; Ventricular Function, Left

Objective To investigate the presentationand significance of circulating autoantibodies to erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) in sera from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods One hundred and twenty-four consecutive patients with SLE, seven with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), 19 patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and 45 normal individuals were involved in this study. In all patients with SLE, the disease activity was evaluated using the European consensus Lupus Activity Measurement scale. Antibodies to EPOR were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All data were tested with Chi-squared or Student's t tests by SPSS software. Results A higher frequency of antibodies to EPOR were detected in SLE patients than healthy controls (20.2% vs 2.2%, P=0.004), however, they could not be detected in AIHA and IDA patients. Moreover, anti-EPOR antibodies were detected in 17 (33.3%) of 51 SLE patients with anemia, compared with that in 8 (11.0%, P=0.002) of 73 patients without anemia. Furthermore, patients with antibodies to EPOR had more severe anemia and often presented as microcytic anemia (P =0.005) than those without anti-EPOR antibodies. Finally, anti-EPOR antibodies seemed to be more likely to occur in patients with skin rash (P=0.014), low levels of C3 component of complement (P=0.01), positive anti-dsDNA antibodies (P=0.000) and higher disease activity scores (P= 0.024). Conclusion The higher incidence of antibodies to EPOR in SLE patients with anemia suggest that anti-EPOR antibodies might play a vital role in the development of anemia in SLE patients. Thus, detecting anti-EPOR antibodies in SLE patients with anemia may be helpful.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the variation of common allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis in recent 4 years in Tianjin First Center Hospital.

METHODSThe medical records of skin prick test on 3292 patients with allergic rhinitis between 2009 and 2012 were restrospectively analyzed. The changing trend of various allergens in 4 years and distribution differences were compared. The differences of the top 5 allergens in under age group, adult group and different gender group were further analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software.

RESULTSThe positive rate of dermatophagoides farinae was increasing year by year, from 45.1% in 2009 to 66.3% in 2012, and the positive rate of dermatophagoides pteronyssinus increased from 42.0% in 2009 to 58.6% in 2012, the difference was statistically significant (χ(2) value was 68.70, 41.55, all P < 0.01). The positive rate of dermatophagoides farinae and dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in adult group and male group showed significant upward trend year by year (χ(2) value was 75.85, 69.93, 274.25, 42.62, all P < 0.01), but not in adult group and female group. The positive rate of quinoa, mugwort and humulus scandens decreased year by year between 2009 and 2011(χ(2) value was 22.08, 11.64, 203.19, all P < 0.01), but increased again in 2012(χ(2) value was 21.55, 29.38, 12.40, all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThere is a tendency of change of allergens in patients with AR. This phenominon may be helpful for doctors to choose the type of skin prick liquid.

Allergens ; classification ; Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; epidemiology ; Rhinitis, Allergic, Perennial ; epidemiology ; Skin Tests

Objective To analyze the status of health literacy and its relationship with chronic diseases and self-reported health among residents in Qingdao, discuss the influence of health literacy on health status and provide the scientific basis for the development of health education strategies and measures. Methods The stratified multistage and probability proportionate to population size sampling(PPS sampling) method was adopted in this investigation. In 2017, a questionnaire survey was conducted among 16 700 permanent residents aged 15-69 from 10 districts in Qingdao. Results The overall level of health literacy status was 15.92%, the prevalence rate of chronic diseases was 19.31%, the self-reported health proportion of good, fair and poor were 81.68%, 12.12% and 1.71% among residents in Qingdao. Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for urban and rural areas, gender, age, education, income and occupation, health literacy was a protective factor for people with chronic diseases and self-evaluated health(OR=1.232，P=0.003;OR=1.159，P=0.033). Three aspects of health literacy were correlated with chronic diseases and self-reported health among people (all P<0.05). Conclusions Health literacy is positively correlated with the health status of residents. The improvement of health literacy is an important way to enhance the health status of residents.

OBJECTIVETo compare efficacy differences between fire filiform needle combined with mild moxibustion and gabapentin combined with sham acupuncture for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN).

METHODSOne hundred cases of PHN were randomly divided into a needle group and a medicine group, 50 cases in each one. In the needle group, pricking method of fire filiform needle was given at the Ashi points, and then mild moxibustion was applied for 15 min. In the medicine group, the oral administration of gabapentin capsule and sham acupuncture at non-acupoints in the distal end of lesions were applied. The treatment was required for 21 days in both groups. The visual analogue score (VAS) was recorded before treatment and on the 1st day, 2nd day, 3rd day, 6th day, 9th day and 12th day of treatment. The most severity of pain within last 24 h, preset severity of pain, immediate analgesia effect and starting time of pain relief were observed, also the efficacy was assessed and improvement of symptoms was observed in the follow-up visit.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 94.0% (47/50) in the fire filiform needle group, which was superior to 86.0% (43/50) in the medicine group (P < 0.05). Compared with medicine group, the VAS of the most severity of pain within last 24 h was obviously reduced after the 2nd treatment in the fire filiform needle group while that of present severity of pain was relieved after the 1st treatment (both P < 0.05). The immediate analgesia effect in the fire filiform needle group was obviously superior to that in the medicine group in the first three times of treatment (all P < 0.05). The average time of pain relief was (3.91 +/- 0.82) days in the fire filiform needle group, which was significantly earlier to (6.53 +/- 1.13) days in the medicine group (P < 0.05). 26 cases were cured in the fire filiform needle group in the follow-up visit, which was superior to 2 cases in the medicine group (P < 0.05). The improvement of VAS, pain range and sleep quality in the needle group were also superior to those in the medicine group (all P < 0.05). The direct medical cost in the fire filiform needle group was (232.32 +/- 48.108) yuan, which was significantly lower than (466.00 +/- 41.09) yuan in the medicine group (P < 0.05). There was only one case of adverse effect in the medicine group during the treatment.

CONCLUSIONThe fire filiform needle combined with mild moxibustion could obviously relieve the pain in PHN patients, which has superior immediate analgesia effect and pain relieving time compared with gabapentin, which also has less adverse effects and cheap cost.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion ; Neuralgia, Postherpetic ; therapy ; Pain Measurement ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo obtain the coronary artery and coronary sinus (CS) and its tributaries imaging with multislice computed tomography (MSCT), measure the distance between coronary artery and CS and its tributaries and analyze their spatial relationships.

METHODSThe MSCT scans of 117 patients (67 men, 50 women, age 56 +/- 10 years) were obtained, 3D image reconstructed and the vessels courses evaluated. The concomitant distances and spatial relationships of the vessels were determined.

RESULTSRight coronary artery domination was found in 107 cases (91.4%), left coronary artery domination in 7 cases (6.0%), and co-domination in 3 cases (2.6%). Left circumflex artery (LCX) was concomitant with CS or the great cardiac vein (GCV) in 81 cases (69.2%), intersected with left posterior vein in 62 cases (53.0%) and with middle cardiac vein (MCV) in 5 cases (4.3%), respectively. The dominant coronary artery branched out into the posterior descending artery (PDA) and the left posterior artery (LPA) in 112 cases (95.7%). PDA was concomitant with MCV in 93 cases (79.5%) and intersected with MCV in 44 cases (37.6%). LPA was intersected with MCV in 106 cases (90.6%), and concomitant with CS in 50 cases (42.7%).

CONCLUSIONSMSCT is a reliable tool to visualize the relationship between coronary artery and CS and its tributaries. Owing to the multiple possibilities inherent to this technique, MSCT has broad potential for more clinical use.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Sinus ; anatomy & histology ; diagnostic imaging ; Coronary Vessels ; anatomy & histology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

This study was purposed to investigate the mechanism of thrombocytopenia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through detecting anti-megakaryocyte antibodies in SLE patients. The serum anti-megakaryocyte antibodies in 36 SLE cases with thrombocytopenia were detected by using indirect immunofluorescence, the detected results were compared with detected results of 30 SLE cases without thrombocytopenia and 30 healthy persons. The results showed that the positive incidences of anti-megakaryocyte antibody in serum of 36 SLE cases with thrombocytopenia, 30 SLE cases without thrombocytopenia and 30 healthy persons were 19.4% (7/36), 6.7% (2/30) and 3.3% (1/30) respectively. As compared with SLE patients without thrombocytopenia and healthy persons, SLE patients with thrombocytopenia had higher incidence of anti-megakaryocyte antibodies, moreover there was significant difference between SLE patients with thrombocytopenia and healthy persons (p < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between SLE patients with or without thrombocytopenia (p > 0.05). It is concluded that autoantibodies against megakaryocytes exist in SLE patients and may partially contribute to the incidence of thrombocytopenia in SLE patients. The detection of anti-megakaryocyte antibodies with a enough case number is needed to make a final conclusion on thrombocytopenia pathogenesis in SLE.
Adult ; Autoantibodies ; blood ; Female ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; blood ; immunology ; Male ; Megakaryocytes ; immunology ; Middle Aged