Objective To evaluate the relation between cystatin C and the presence and severity of asymptomatic coronary artery disease in metabolic syndrome(MetS).Methods A total of 201 asymptomatic MetS patients with normal renal function were per-formed the coronary angiograph and the detection of serum Cystatin C level and other risk factors for atherosclerosis.Results Ser-um cystatin C level in the MetS patients with asymptomatic coronary artery disease were significantly higher than those in the pa-tients without coronary artery disease,moreover the more severe of the disease,the higher the cyctatin C,which was independently associated with other risk factors for atherosclerosis.Conclusion Serum cystatin C level can been used as the index for the presence and severity of asymptomatic coronary artery disease in Mets with normal kidney function.

Objective To investigate longitudinal systolic function of transplanted heart using two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging.Methods 56 consecutive patients with heart transplant were recruited,according to myocardial biopsy and 1 year's follow up,they were divided into non-rejection group (group A) and rejection group (group B).36 healthy controls (group C) were also randomly recruited.Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF),pulmonary arterial systolic pressure,tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE),tricuspid annular plane systolic velocity (TAS') and global longitudinal strain (GLS) were calculated via Qlab 9.0 analysis software offline.Results Compared with group C,LVEF was reduced in group B (P ＜0.01).Differences of GLS,TAPSE,and TA-S' among groups were all statistically significant (P ＜0.01),group B＜group A＜ group C.LVEF,TAPSE and TA-S' were correlated with GLS (r =-0.64,r =-0.69,r =-0.71 ; all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Left and right ventricles were a functional unity,the systolic function of which was impaired in patients with heart transplant.

Objective To investigate the value of real-time three-dimensional echocardiography 17 regional volume curves index in patients with heart transplantation. Methods Sixty patients with heart transplantation (no rejection), ten patients with heart transplantation (rejection), forty subjects with normal left ventricular(LV) function were examined by Philips iE33 with a X3-1 probe. Results Parameter index of 17 segment time to minimal systolic volume in patients with heat transplantation (rejection) were more than those in patients with heart transplantation (no rejection) and in subjects with normal LV function(all P <0.05). Parameter index of 17 segment time to minimal systolic volume were not significantly different in patients with heart transplantation (no rejection) compared with subjects with normal LV function. Parameter index of Tmsv16-SD (%), Tmsv12-SD (%) and Tmsv6-SD (%) show higher sensitivity and specificity for forecast rejection after heart transplantation. Conclusions Real-time three-dimensional 17 regional volume curves index can fast forecast early rejection after heart transplantation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Child ; Decompression, Surgical ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Optic Nerve Injuries ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Young Adult

AIM: To investigate the influences of bypass-activated complement and TNF-? on intercellular adhesion molecule 1(ICAM-1) expression in endothelial cells, and polymorphonuclear neutrophil-endothelial cell (PMN-EC) adhesion. METHODS: In vitro, zymosan-activated human serum(ZAHS) and/or TNF-? directly stimulated the HUVECS monolayers. PMN-EC adhesion percentage was measured, and modified whole-cell ELISA was used for measurement of ICAM-1. RESULTS: ZAHS alone resulted in no significant change in the degree of PMN adhesion and the level of ICAM-1. Activation of HUVECS with TNF-? followed by ZAHS stimulation resulted in greater increase in PMN-EC adhesion and ICAM-1 expression, as compared with the activation with TNF-? alone. CONCLUSION: Bypass-activated complement can promote ICAM-1 expression and neutrophil -endothelium adhesion induced by TNF-?, and so it is effective for promoting inflammation.

Objective:To study the effects and safety of metformin combined with vildagliptin on the glycemic control for patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods:60 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were treated from February 2015 to April 2016 were selected and divided into the control group and the observation group according to different treatment methods.The control group was treated with routine treatment.The observation group was treated with vildagliptin based on the control group.The blood glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin,two-hour postprandial blood glucose and serum as well as urinal amylase were measured before and after treatment,and the clinical curative effect of the two groups and the levels of interleukin-6,tumor necrosis factor and C-reactive protein were compared.Results:After treatment,the total effective rate of observation group was 90％,which was significantly higher than that of the control group(66.7％,P＜0.05).After treatment,the serum interleukin-6,tumor necrosis factor,C-reactive protein and fasting blood glucose,glycosylated hemoglobin and postprandial blood glucose levels were significantly lower than those of the control group[(7.63± 1.12)dvs(8.68± 1.30)d;(7.23± 0.95)d vs(7.89± 1.20)d;(11.14± 1.56)d vs(12.12± 1.89)d];[(12.12± 1.89)d vs(ll.20± 1.34)d;(6.89± 0.96)d vs(8.23± 1.10)d;(1.65± 0.23)d vs(3.65± 0.48)d] (P＜0.05).After treatment,the INS level of observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P＜0.05) and the GLP-1 level was significantly higher than that of the control group (P＜0.05).Conclusion:Metformin combined with vildagliptin could effectively control the blood glucose of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and enhance the safety.

Objective To investigate whether the left ventricular delayed contraction site determined by tissue Doppler imaging might be an optimal left ventricular lead position for improved outcomes of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Methods Thirty-three patients subjected to CRT were selected, and all were performed conventional ultrasound cardiography and tissue Doppler examinations before operation. The left ventricular delayed contraction site was determined according to the interval between the onset of QRS and the peak systolic velocity. Retrograde coronary venography was performed during operation, and the left ventricular lead site was selected according to the left ventricular delayed contraction site determined by tissue Doppler examination before operation. The coronary sinus lead site was determined under the guidance of X ray of dorsaventral, lateral, right anterior oblique and left anterior oblique positions. Patients were divided into group A(n=20, the left ventricular lead site was in line with the delayed contraction site) and group B (n=13, the left ventricular lead site was not in line with the delayed contraction site). Results There was no significant difference in age, NYHA grading, left ventricular end-systolic volume(LVESV), left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF), pulmonary arterial systolic pressure, QRS width and Ts-SD between the two groups before operation(P> 0.05). Six months after CRT, there was no significant difference in NYHA grading, LVESV and mitral regurgitation(MR) grading between the two groups(P>0.05), while the increase in LVEF and decrease in LVESV of group A were more significant than those of group B (P<0.01). Conclusion In patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, CRT significantly improves left ventricular performance, and the more favourable outcomes are achieved in those pace at the delayed contraction site. Tissue Doppler imaging may help to guide the implant of left ventricular lead.

Objective To investigate the features of white matter impairment and its relationship with cognition in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).Methods Eighty-three cases of aMCI and 85 normal aging volunteers were scanned with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) using MR system.All subjects completed the neuropsychological battery.We analyzed the differences between two groups using tract-based spatial statistics and the association between regions in difference and cognition using correlation analysis.Results There were significant differences between aMCI and normal control in the neuropsychological battery including the Mini-Mental State Examination(26.2 ± 2.6 vs 28.3 ± 1.3,F =43.224,P =0.000),Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-2 (131.4 ± 6.9 vs 138.0 ± 3.5,F =62.308,P =0.000),Auditory Verbal Learning Test-delayed recall(2.4 ± 1.6 vs 7.5 ± 2.0,F =324.018,P =0.000),Boston Naming Test(8.7 ± 1.4 vs 9.2 ± 1.0,F =6.821,P =0.010),Rey-Osterrich Complex Figure Test (12.1 ± 7.3 vs 18.5 ± 6.1,F =40.674,P =0.000),Symbol Digit Modulation Test (30.0 ± 10.1 vs 38.6 ± 9.8,F =30.786,P =0.000),Trail-Making Test Part B ((256.8 ± 124.5) s vs (178.1 ± 59.0) s,F =27.601,P =0.000).Significantly higher diffusivity indexes and radial diffusivity were also found in aMCI subjects compared to healthy elders in the parahippocampal,superior longitudinal fasciculus,inferior longitudinal fasciculus,superior fronto-occipital fasciculus,inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus,unciform fasciculus,corticospinal tract,corpus callosum,cingulum,corona radiate.We also found that axial diffusivity was significantly increased in the parahippocampal,superior longitudinal fasciculus,inferior longitudinal fasciculus,superior fronto-occipital fasciculus,inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus,unciform fasciculus,corticospinal tract and corpus callosum,whereas fractional anisotropy changes were not observed in aMCI.Diffusivity indexes values in bilateral frontal lobe (left r =0.67 ; right r =0.70),left cingulum (r =0.63),parietal white matter (r =0.69) and radial diffusivity values in left parietal (r =0.68) were significantly related to Trail Making Test A among aMCI (all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions In aMCI patients,there was a wide range of white matter damage,with no brain region-specific.Executive function deficit was related to the white matter impairment in bilateral frontal lobe,left cingulate and parietal lobe.The specificity and sensitivity of four DTI parameters fordetecting white matter lesions are variant.Trial registration Clinical Research Center of Jiangsu Province (BL2013025)

Objective To investigate the correlation between virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) and the pathological grading of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.Methods 64 chronic hepatitis B patients (the chronic hepatitis group) and 40 healthy volunteers (the controlled group) were collected.The patients in the chronic hepatitis group were underwent liver biopsy.According to the hepatic fibrosis degree,the patients in the test group were classified into stage 0,1,2,3 and 4.The liver shear wave velocities (SWV) of all the participant were measured by VTQ.The cut-off values were determined by an analysis of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results The mean SWV was (1.04± 0.13)m/s in the controlled group.The SWV in stages 0,1,2,3,and 4 were (1.17 ± 0.08)m/s,(1.33 ± 0.32)m/s,(1.53 ±0.32) m/s,(2.09 ± 0.54) m/s,(2.18 ± 0.70) m/s,respectively.There was a significantly difference in SWV between the controlled group and the chronic hepatitis group (F =34.97,P =0.00).The SWV were significantly different not only between stages 0-2,and 3,but also between 0-2 and 4 (F =8.87,P =0.00).A positive correlation was observed between the liver fibrosis and the SWV in the chronic hepatitis group (r =0.67,P =0.00).When a cut off value was set at 1.43 m/s,area under ROC curve was 0.875.The sensitivity and specificity were 100 ％ and 62.5 ％.Conclusions SWV has a better correlation with liver fibrosis.VTQ can make an accurate assessment for stage 3 and stage 4 of the chronic hepatitis B.Therefore,VTQ can be used as a noninvasive and reliable diagnostic indicator for chronic hepatitis B.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of ultrasound speckle tracking imaging(STI)in assessing left ventricular(LV)systolic and twist function in patients with heart transplantation.Methods Nine patients with heart transplantation and 10 subjects with normal LV function were examined by GE Vivid 7 with a M3S probe.Eighteen regional peak systolic strain and displacement in longitudinal,radial,circumferential,and 18 regional degree of rotation were measured respectively.Results The segmental regional peak systolic strain and displacement were less than those in subjects with normal LV function(P ＜0.05),but segmental regional degree of rotation was more than that in subjeets with normal LV function (P＜0.05).Conclusions STI may provide a noninvasive,simple and quick tool for evaluation of left ventricular systolic and twist function in patients with heart transplantation.