Objective: Diagnostic efficacy of serum markers is low for heart failure patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (HF-pEF) as compared to heart failure patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.We sought to explore the diagnostic value of serum levels of soluble ST2 (sST2) combined with interleukin-33 (IL-33) for the diagnosis of HF-pEF in this study. Methods: A total of 376 patients with HF-pEF (HF group), 376 matched-control patients without heart failure who shared similar clinical characteristics (non-HF group) were included in the study.Another 500 healthy individuals were recruited for assessing the normal ranges of IL-33 and sST2.Serum levels of NT-proBNP were measured by chemi-luminescence assay, while IL-33 and sST2 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Serum levels of IL-33 and sST2 were not normally distributed in healthy population.Serum concentrations of IL-33 and sST2 were significantly higher in HF-pEF patients than in patients in non-HF group (median, IL-33: 0.437 μg/L vs. 0.127 μg/L, P<0.01; sST: 0.118 μg/L vs. 0.067 μg/L, P<0.01). The area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of sST2 for detecting HF-pEF was 0.763 (95%CI 0.729-0.795, P<0.01), with 71.01% sensitivity and 66.75% specificity, the AUC was 0.884 (95%CI 0.859-0.908, P<0.01), with 80.05% sensitivity and 81.91% specificity in patients with serum IL-33 higher than 0.117 μg/L (median level of serum IL-33 in healthy individuals, n=306). The AUC of NT-proBNP for detecting HF-pEF was 0.83, with 74.73% sensitivity and 84.57% specificity.The AUC of sST2 for detecting HF-pEF was significantly higher than NT-proBNP in population with high serum IL-33 (AUC: 0.88 vs. 0.83, P<0.01). Conclusion Serum sST2 could serve as a satisfactory biomarker for HF-pEF diagnosis, especially for patients with high serum IL-33 concentrations.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of supra-arch branches bypass on cerebral oxygen saturation and hemodynamics in patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection.Methods:From January to December 2018, consecutive 27 patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection were enrolled in the study. All patients received hybrid treatment, including supra-arch branches bypass(right axillary artery-left common carotid artery-left subclavian artery) and thoracic endovascular aortic repaire(TEVAR). All the operations were performed by the same surgical team. The left and right cerebral oxygen saturation were measured after anesthesia(T1), left carotid artery occlusion(T2) and after operation(T3); peak systolic velocity(PSV) and resistance index(RI) of left and right carotid arteries were measured before(t1) and after operation(t2).Results:The left cerebral oxygen saturation was 0.62 ±0.01, 0.54±0.01 and 0.62±0.01 at T1, T2 and T3, respectively. There was significant difference between T2 and T1 and T3( P=0.002, P=0.001), but there was no significant difference between T1 and T3. The PSV of left carotid artery at t1 and t2 were(0.91±0.11)m/s and(0.76±0.09)m/s respectively, with no significant difference( P= 0.191). The RI of left carotid artery at t1 and t2 were 0.83±0.06 and 0.93±0.13 respectively, with no significant difference( P= 0.575). Conclusion:If one side of carotid artery was blocked for a short time during supra-arch branches bypass, the cerebral oxygen saturation would be decreased temporarily, but the changes of cerebral oxygen metabolism could be completely restored after operation. However, the hemodynamics of carotid artery would not change significantly. In the hybrid treatment strategy for the patients with aortic dissection Stanford type B, blocking bilateral carotid arteries can be avoided. Making the right axillary artery-left common carotid artery-left subclavian artery shunt is a safe and effective choice.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment on postoperative pain in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease, and explored the relationship between the postoperative analgesic effect of acupuncture and the sensation of acupuncture experienced by the patients. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 97 patients who had undergone an operation by the same surgeon due to degenerative lumbar disease. These patients were divided into acupuncture group (n = 32), patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) group (n = 27), and oral analgesia group (n = 38) according to the different postoperative analgesic methods. During their hospitalization, patients completed daily evaluations of their pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and injection times of supplemental meperidine were recorded. Also, the Chinese version of the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (C-MASS) was used in the acupuncture group. RESULTS: Each of the three treatment groups showed significant reductions in postoperative pain, as shown by reduced VAS scores. The acupuncture group, however, had less rebound pain (P < 0.05) than the other two groups. Both the acupuncture and PCA groups experienced acute analgesic effects that were superior to those in the oral analgesia group. In addition, the higher the C-MASS index on the second day after surgery, the lower the VAS score on the fourth day after surgery. There was also a significant difference in the "dull pain" in the acupuncture sensation. CONCLUSION The results demonstrated that acupuncture was beneficial for postoperative pain and discomfort after simple surgery for degenerative spinal disease. It is worth noting that there was a disproportionate relevance between the patient's acupuncture sensation and the improvement of pain VAS score.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Analgesia/methods* ; Analgesics/therapeutic use* ; Consensus ; Humans ; Pain, Postoperative/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensation