Objective To investigate the effect of early cerebrospinal fluid replacement on nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) level and clinical outcomes in patients with aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) after endovascular embolization.Methods Patients with aSAH received aneurysm embolization were enrolled.They were divided into a cerebrospinal fluid replacement group and a non-cerebrospinal fluid replacement group according to the treatment scheme.All patients were treated with cerebral aneurysm coil embolization within 3 days after admission.The cerebrospinal fluid replacement group performed lumbar puncture cerebrospinal fluid replacement within 24 h after coil embolization,once every other day,20-30 ml of cerebrospinal fluid was replaced each time and 3 mg dexamethasone was injected intrathecally.The NF-κB levels in cerebrospinal fluid were detected at day 1,7 and 14 after the coil embolization.The primary outcome measures were the clinical outcomes determined by the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and the Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) at 3 months after onset.Good outcome was defined as mRS score 0-2 or GOS ＞ 3.The secondary outcome measures included severe complications (hydrocephalus,cerebral vasospasm,cerebral infarction,and rebleeding) and death.Results A total of 81 patients with aSAH received aneurysm embolization were enrolled,including 42 in the cerebrospinal fluid replacement group and 39 in the non-cerebrospinal fluid replacement group.There was no significant differences in the baseline data between the cerebrospinal fluid replacement group and the non-cerebrospinal fluid replacement group (all P ＞0.05).The duration of neck stiffness in the cerebrospinal fluid replacement group was significantly shorter than that in the non-cerebrospinal fluid replacement group (11.3 ± 3.2 d vs.16.5 ± 3.5 d;t =6.985,P ＜ 0.001).The cerebrospinal fluid NF-κB levels were progressively reduced at day 1,7 and 14 after coil embolization in the cerebrospinal fluid rephcement group and non-cerebrospinal fluid rephcement group (all P ＜0.05),but the ccerebrospinal fluid levels of NF-κB in the cerebrospinal fluid replacement group at each time point were significantly lower than those in the non-cerebrospinal fluid replacement group (all P ＜ 0.01).The good outcome rates evaluated according to the mRS score (92.9％ vs.56.4％;x2 =14.446,P ＜ 0.001) and GOS score (97.6％ vs.76.9％;x2 =8.004,P=0.005) in the cerebrospinal fluid replacement group at 3 months were significantly higher than those in the non-cerebrospinal fluid replacement group,and the incidence of cerebral vasospasm was significantly lower than that in the non-cerebrospinal fluid replacement group (14.3％ vs.33.3％;x2 =4.086,P =0.043).Conelusiom Cerebrospinal fluid replacement therapy can reduce the incidence of cerebral vasospasm in patients with aSAH receiving aneurysm embolization and improve clinical outcomes.Its mechanism may be associated with the decrease of NF-κB level in cerebrospinal fluid.

Objective To report the clinical features and inwardly rectifying potassium channel 18 (KCNJ18) gene mutation in a group of patients with thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TTP).Methods Fiftyseven TTP cases (55 male and 2 female) were collected in our clinic from July 2002 to October 2011.The KCNJ18 gene was directly sequenced in 57 TTP patients and 50 health Chinese controls through the nested PCR.According to the results of gene screening,the clinical features of KCNJ18 patients and non-KCNJ18 patients were retrospectively summarized and analyzed.Results In 4 male patients with TPP,we found 3 novel heterogeneous mutations (p.Q126X,p.K360T,p.E388K) and 1 reported mutation (p.A200P) in the KCNJ18 gene.The age of onset was 19-25 years old,and the duration ranged from 2 to 8 hours.The 4 patients all presented severe muscle weakness.The attacks of muscle weakness preceded overt symptoms of hyperthyroidism in the 4 patients. Three patients showed recurrent weakness during the 13-28 months follow-up,while the episodic weakness never appeared when patients got euthyroid. Conclusions The mutations in the KCNJ18 gene are responsible for a part of Chinese patients with TPP.The patients with KCNJ18 mutations have a shorter disease course,severer manifestation,and higher prevalence of recurrence as compared with those TPP patients without KCNJ18 mutations.

Objective To observe the effect of local mild hypothermia and Naloxone in the treatment of acute intracerebral hemorrhage. Methods Forty-five patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage were randomly divided into 4 groups:a control group(12 patients),a hypothermia group(11 patients),a Naloxone group(11 patients)and a hypothemrmia plus Naloxone group(11 patients).The patients in the control group were managed with conventional interventions including the administration of 6-aminocaproic acid within 24 hours and dehydrant when intracranial pressure was high.Those in the hypothermia and Naloxone groups were treated with local hypothermia at 33～34 ℃ for 3 days or intravenous transfusion of Naloxone at 4 mg/d in addition to the conventional intervention.Those in the combination group were treated with local hypothermia and intravenous Naloxone in addition to the conventional intervention.Immediately after admission and 2 weeks after treatment,head CT scans were conducted to observe the volume of cerebral hematoma and edema.The patients' neurological function was scored according to the European Stroke Standards(ESS)before and after treatment. Results There was no significant difference among the 4 groups in terms of the volume of hematoma and edema or in their ESS scores before treatment.After treatment,any differences among the 4 groups with regard to hematoma volume were not significant.The volume of edema in the hypothermia group was similar to that in the combination group and significantly lower than that in the Naloxone andcontrol groups.Hematoma volume in the Naloxone group was significantly lower than that in the control group.After treatment,the ESS scores were significantly higher in the combination group than that in hypothermia group,and scores in the hypothermia group were significantly higher than in the Naloxone group.ESS scores in the Naloxone group were significantly higher that in the control group. Conclusion Local mild hypothermia and Naloxone treatment can inhibit cerebral edema and enhance recovery of neurological function in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.Local mild hypothermia has advantages over Naloxone in inhibiting the development of cerebral edema and in promoting recovery of neurological function.Local mild hypothermia in combination with Naloxone further inhibits edema,and it can enhance neurological function to a greater extent.

Objective To evaluate the application of echocardiography in guiding percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty in children and to summarize the key echocardiographic planes used in the procedure Methods From February 2013 to September 201 5 38 isolated congenital pulmonary valve stenosis patients were recruited Case inclusion criteria age ≥3 years old purely congenital pulmonary valve stenosis and pulmonary transvalvular pressure gradient ≥40 mmHg Echocardiography was used to assess the severity of pulmonary valve disease and to measure pulmonary transvalvular pressure gradient before procedure Intraoperative transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography was used to monitor the whole process of percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty and to evaluate immediate postoperative efficacy of the procedure All patients were followed up by echocardiography after a month post-discharge Results Thrity eight cases were successfully treated by echocardiography-guided percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty The average age of children was 7 1 ±2 5 years mean body weight was 25 3 ±7 1 kg Before the procedure pulmonary transvalvular pressure gradient was 65 9 ± 8 9 mmHg pulmonary annular diameter was 14 6±1 1 mm Immediate postoperative pulmonary transvalvular pressure gradient was 1 5 5 ± 3 4 mmHg All children survived and had no significant complications After a month pulmonary transvalvular pressure was 16 1 ± 3 3 mmHg Conclusions Echocardiography plays an important role in percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty for children with congenital pulmonary valve stenosis As a non-x ray guided way it has advantages in preoperative screening of patients intraoperative real-time monitoring and postoperative assessment of efficacy The key sections of echocardiography for intraoperative monitoring are four-chamber and aortic short axis view.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the results and mid-term outcomes of 107 patients with corrected congenital transposition of great arteries(CCTGA)who underwent surgical treatment.Methods:A total of 107 CCTGA patients with surgical treatment from January 1996 to October 2005 in our hospital were studied.There were 72 male and 35 female,with the mean age of 11.5±8.4years and mean body weight of 31.6±4.7kg. Among the cohort,81 were levocardia,23 dextrocardia,and 3 medocardia.Initial surgical procedure included single ventricle repair in 14 cases,conventional biventricular repair in 75 and biventricular anatomical repair in 18 cases. 99(93%)patients were followed up with the mean time of 47.8 months.Results:The early operative mortality rate was 4.76% in different procedures.The death rate with single ventricle repair was 0%,conventional biventricular repair 4%,atrial-arterial double switch 0%,atrial-ventricular double switch 40%. The risk factors for operative mortality were lesions with double outlet left ventricle combined with pulmonary stenosis(P<0.01)and Rastelli procedure(P<0.05). 12 patients(12.6%)died during the follow up period,among them,10(83.3%)were in conventional repair group,2(16.7%)in single ventricle repair group,and no death in double switch group. The risk of death during the follow up period of time were conventional biventricular repair,Rastelli procedure and tricuspid regurgitation.Conclusion:Conventional biventricular repair had a disappointing outcome in both operation and in long-term of follow up time. Patients suitable for single ventricular repair had fair short-and mid-term outcomes. Atrial-arterial double switch procedure had good operation and long-term results.

OBJECTIVETo analyze clinical features and genetic mutations in a Chinese family affected with autosomal dominant caveolinopathies.

METHODSClinical data of the proband and her family members were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples with a standard procedure. Next generation sequencing was carried out for the proband, and direct sequencing was employed to detect potential mutation of the CAV gene.

RESULTSThe proband presented with slowly progressing distal muscle weakness and atrophy, especially distal upper limbs and muscular soreness during early childhood, with her CK level moderately elevated and EMG showing myogenic and neurogenic injuries. Her sisters presented mild symptoms with hand muscle atrophy and fasciculation after exercise. A heterozygous missense mutation c.80G>A (p.Arg27Gln), which was reported as being pathogenic, was identified in the CAV3 gene in the proband and her sisters.

CONCLUSIONA heterozygous c.80G>A (p.Arg27Gln) mutation in the CAV3 gene probably underlies the autosomal dominant caveolinopathies in this Chinese family.

PURPOSE: We investigated the role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) on the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of colorectal cancer cells and determined the potential mechanism involved in the metastatic process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of target proteins. We used transwell assay to evaluate the migration of cancer cells under specific conditions. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we examined the expressions of cytokines and EMT-related markers in mRNA level. Animal assay was performed for analysis in vivo and hematoxylin and eosin was used to visualize the effect of TAMs on tumor metastasis. We also used immunohistochemistry and Western blotting to detect the expression of target proteins. RESULTS: Here, we observed enrichment of TAMs in colorectal tumor tissues, resulting in high metastasis in clinical therapy. Moreover, those TAMs could facilitate the EMT progression of colorectal cancer cells, which is induced by the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) derived from TAMs, leading to the invasion and migration of cancer cells. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that TAMs contributed the EMT progression through a TGF-β/Smad2,3-4/Snail signaling pathway, and disrupting this pathway with TGF-β receptor inhibitor could suppress metastasis, readjusting our focus to the connection of TAMs and cancer metastasis.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Colorectal Neoplasms* ; Cytokines ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Flow Cytometry ; Hematoxylin ; Immunohistochemistry ; Macrophages* ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger

Objective:To evaluate the medium-term clinical and hemodynamic outcomes of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) using a domestic Venus-P self-expanding valve in the treatment of severe pulmonary regurgitation after Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).Methods:Retrospective study.From December 2017 to December 2020, 13 TOF patients with (17.8±4.7) years old and (50.2±12.3) kg underwent PPVI using the Venus-P self-expanding valve in the Department of Children′s Heart Center, Zhengzhou University People′s Hospital were recruited.The mean valve size was (31.9±3.1) mm.All patients received the transannular patch surgery and developed severe pulmonary regurgitation.After PPVI, 13 patients were followed up for at least 12 months.The operation-related complications, improvement of valve and heart function and the durability and reintervention of the Venus-P self-expanding valve were analyzed.The right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (RVEDVi) before and after operation was compared by the paired t-test, and the New York Heart Association (NYHA) class was compared by the paired Wilcoxon signed rank sum test. Results:PPVI was successfully performed in all 13 patients without death.At 6 months post-PPVI, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings showed that RVEDVi was significantly reduced[(145.7±9.6) mL/m 2vs.(100.2±12.2) mL/m 2, P<0.05], and the NYHA class was significantly improved ( P<0.05). One patient presented moderate pulmonary valve regurgitation at 12 months postoperatively.No vegetation was found on echocardiography, and blood culture was negative in this case.Six patients did not have postoperative pulmonary valve regurgitation, and the remaining presented mild or less pulmonary regurgitation.One patient had sudden ventricular tachycardia on the 6 th day postoperatively, which was converted to sinus rhythm after synchronous electrocardiography.Only one case underwent appendectomy 7 months after operation due to acute appendicitis, and the remaining did not require valve-related reintervention after implantation.During the follow-up for (22.8±8.0) months, no patients had perivalve leakage, stent migration and rupture.Complications like embolization and coronary artery compression were not reported. Conclusions:PPVI using the Venus-P self-expanding valve is safe and effective in patients with severe pulmonary valve regurgitation after TOF surgery, showing an acceptable medium-term follow-up outcome.Studies with a large sample size and long follow-up period are still needed to validate our findings.

Objective: To determine the value of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) on predicting the long-term outcome of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) . Methods: NT-proBNP was measured in 831 consecutive patients with HCM at Fuwai Hospital from October 2009 to December 2013 and patients were followed up clinically for (53.3±15.4) months. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to NT-proBNP values: NT-proBNP<860 pmol/L (n=276) , 860 pmol/L≤NT-proBNP≤1 905 pmol/L (n=278) , NT-proBNP>1 905 pmol/L (n=277) . The related baseline data, laboratory examination and echocardiographic results were compared among groups. The primary endpoints of this study were all-cause mortality and cardiac transplantation. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratio (HR) . Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate the survival status of patients among the 3 groups. Results: During a median follow-up of (53.3±15.4) months, all-cause mortality or cardiac transplantation occurred in 37 patients (4.5%) , event rate was 1.4% (4/276) , 4.0% (11/278) and 7.9% (22/277) in patients with NT-proBNP<860 pmol/L, 860 pmol/L≤NT-proBNP≤1 905 pmol/L and NT-proBNP>1 905 pmol/L, respectively. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified that age (HR 1.066, 95%CI 1.027-1.107) and NT-proBNP (HR 1.026, 95% CI 1.010-1.042) were independent predictors of all-cause mortality or cardiac transplantation. Among the 3 groups, the survival rate of the NT-proBNP<860 pmol/L group was the highest,and that of the NT-proBNP>1 905 pmol/L group was the lowest (P<0.01) . Conclusions The level of NT-proBNP provides clinically relevant information for long-term adverse events risk stratification in patients with HCM.

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to address the relationship between the volume of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) with cardiovascular risk factors and coronary artery calcification(CAC) in the community residents. Methods: Individuals were recruited from the Jidong Community (Tangshan City, Northern China) which mainly comprised employees of the Jidong Co. Ltd. and their family members. From July 2013 to August 2014, 2 647 participants aged ≥40 years were included in this study. The volume of EAT and coronary artery calcification score (CAC score) were determined by a 64-slice CT. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was measured by a trained sonographer using a high-resolution B-mode topographic ultrasound system. Venous blood samples were analyzed by automated analyzers in the central laboratory. A validated questionnaire specifically designed for this study was used to collect demographic data from all participants by trained doctors. Characteristics of study cohort were compared according to quartiles of EAT volume (n=660, 663, 662, 662, repectively). Results: (1) The mean age of participants was (55.31±7.76) years and 49.94% (n=1 322) were men. The median EAT volume (interquartile) was 129.42 (95.66, 176.51)cm³. (2) Age, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference, systolic blood pressure, LDL-C, triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose were significantly higher, while HDL-C level was significantly lower in participants with higher EAT volume than participants with lower EAT volume (all P<0.05). Carotid intima-media thicken (CIMT) and higher CAC score were also significantly higher in participants with higher volume of EAT. Furthermore, percentage of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia increased in proportion with increasing EAT volume (P<0.05). (3) In the linear regression, significant positive relations were found for age (β=0.019 3, 95%CI 0.017-0.021, P<0.001), waist circumference (β=0.012 7, 95%CI 0.009-0.016, P<0.001), BMI (β=0.022 4, 95%CI 0.013-0.032, P<0.001), LDL-C (β=0.048 4, 95%CI 0.021-0.076, P<0.001), and HDL-C (β=-0.098 1, 95%CI-0.164--0.032, P<0.001) was inversely related to the EAT volume. (4) Logistic regression analysis indicated that EAT volume was an independent risk factor for CAC score>0 (OR=1.233, 95%CI 1.205-1.262, P<0.001) . Conclusions Our findings indicate that EAT volume is strongly correlated to cardiovascular risk factors and coronary calcification and is an independent risk factor of increased coronary calcification in community residents.