Administration of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) to pregnant women at risk of preterm delivery can significantly reduce the incidence of preterm-related complications, such as respiratory distress syndrome and necrotizing enterocolitis. However, ACS may have adverse effects on multiple systems including nervous system, cardiovascular system and carbohydrate metabolism in preterm infants. Whether ACS could influence neonatal development is still controversial. On this account, this review, focusing on short- and long-term effects of ACS therapy on nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine and other systems of infants born prematurely, will help clinical management and scientific research.

PURPOSE: Coronary flow reserve (CFR) in the non-infarcted myocardium is often impaired following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the clinical significance of CFR in the non-infarcted myocardium is not fully understood. The objective of the present study was to assess whether a relationship exists between CFR and left ventricular remodeling following AMI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 18 consecutive patients undergoing coronary intervention. Heart function was analyzed using real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography at one week and six months after coronary angioplasty. Ten subjects were enrolled as the control group and were examined using the same method at the same time to assess CFR. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels were routinely analyzed to estimate peak concentration. RESULTS: CFR was 1.55+/-0.11 in the infarcted zone and 2.05+/-0.31 in the remote zone (p<0.01) at one week following AMI. According to CFR values in the remote zone, all patients were divided into two groups: Group I (CFR <2.05) and Group II (CFR >2.05). The levels of cTnI were higher in Group I compared to Group II on admission (36.40 vs. 21.38, p<0.05). Furthermore, left ventricular end diastolic volume was higher in Group I compared to Group II at six months following coronary angioplasty. CONCLUSION: Microvascular dysfunction is commonly observed in the remote myocardium. The CFR value accurately predicts adverse ventricular remodeling following AMI.
Aged ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Circulation/physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/*physiopathology/radiography ; Myocardium/*pathology ; Ventricular Remodeling/*physiology

PURPOSE: Coronary flow reserve (CFR) in the non-infarcted myocardium is often impaired following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the clinical significance of CFR in the non-infarcted myocardium is not fully understood. The objective of the present study was to assess whether a relationship exists between CFR and left ventricular remodeling following AMI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 18 consecutive patients undergoing coronary intervention. Heart function was analyzed using real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography at one week and six months after coronary angioplasty. Ten subjects were enrolled as the control group and were examined using the same method at the same time to assess CFR. Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels were routinely analyzed to estimate peak concentration. RESULTS: CFR was 1.55+/-0.11 in the infarcted zone and 2.05+/-0.31 in the remote zone (p<0.01) at one week following AMI. According to CFR values in the remote zone, all patients were divided into two groups: Group I (CFR <2.05) and Group II (CFR >2.05). The levels of cTnI were higher in Group I compared to Group II on admission (36.40 vs. 21.38, p<0.05). Furthermore, left ventricular end diastolic volume was higher in Group I compared to Group II at six months following coronary angioplasty. CONCLUSION: Microvascular dysfunction is commonly observed in the remote myocardium. The CFR value accurately predicts adverse ventricular remodeling following AMI.
Aged ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Circulation/physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction/*physiopathology/radiography ; Myocardium/*pathology ; Ventricular Remodeling/*physiology

Objective:To investigate the role of serum hepatitis B virus RNA (HBV RNA) in predicting HBeAg serological conversion in children with chronic hepatitis B.Methods:175 children aged 1~17 years with chronic hepatitis B who received interferon α (IFNα) for 48 weeks were selected. Patients were divided into HBeAg seroconversion and non-conversion based on whether HBeAg seroconversion occurred at 48 weeks of treatment.T-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare between groups; chisquare test or Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the frequency between groups of classified variables; and Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between indicators. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify influencing factors associated with HBeAg serological conversion. The predictive effect of HBV RNA, HBV DNA, and HBsAg on HBeAg serological conversion was compared and analyzed by the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC).Results:The seroconversion rate of HBeAg at 48 weeks was 36.0% (63/175). The reduction in HBVRNA levels from baseline to the 12th, 24th, 36th, and 48th weeks of antiviral therapy was significantly greater in the HBeAg serological conversion group than that in the non-conversion group, and the difference was statistically significant between the two groups (P < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that age and a decline in HBV RNA levels at week 12 were independent predictors of HBeAg serological conversion. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of HBV RNA decline at week 12 was 0.677(95% CI∶0.549-0.806, P = 0.012), which was significantly better than the same period of AUROC of HBV DNA (0.657, 95% CI∶0.527-0.788, P = 0.025) and HBsAg (0.660, 95% CI∶0.526-0.795, P = 0.023) decline. HBV RNA levels decreased (>1.385 log10 copies/ml) at week 12, with a positive predictive value of 53.2%, a negative predictive value of 72.2%, a sensitivity of 77.4%, and a specificity of 57.9% for HBeAg seroconversion. Conclusion:HBV RNA level lowering during the 12th week of antiviral therapy can serve as an early predictor marker for HBeAg serological conversion in children with chronic hepatitis B.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between ultrasound derived ratio of femoral vein to femoral artery diameter and hemodynamics in patients with heart failure. Methods: This was a case-control study. A total of 61 patients with heart failure and 49 patients with non-heart failure hospitalized in the Department of Critical Care Medicine from September 2017 to September 2018 were included in this study. Doppler ultrasound was used to measure the femoral artery and vein diameter. After deep inhalation, the femoral vein diameter was measured again, and the ratio of femoral vein and artery diameter was calculated. The central venous pressure (CVP) and mean pulmonary wedge pressure (mPAWP) were also measured. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the ratio of femoral vein diameter to femoral artery diameter and CVP and mPAWP, and linear regression equation was established. Results: The overall CVP and mPAWP levels were significantly higher, and the femoral vein diameter after deep inhalation was bigger in heart failure patients than in non-heart failure patients(all P<0.001). The femoral vein diameter/femoral artery diameter ratio was positively correlated with CVP (r=0.76, P<0.001), and positively correlated with mPAWP (r=0.40, P<0.001) in heart failure group. The linear regression equation established by the femoral vein/femoral artery diameter ratio and CVP in the heart failure group showed that the inner diameter of the femoral vein/the inner diameter of the femoral artery ratio≥1.3 corresponded CVP≥15.518 cmH₂O(1 cmH₂O=0.098 kPa) in heart failure patients. Conclusions In patients with heart failure, the inner diameter of the femoral vein/femoral artery ratio is positively correlated with CVP and mPAWP. The ratio of inner diameter of the femoral vein/femoral artery can be used to assess the volumetric load of patients with heart failure and to guide the clinical treatment of heart failure patients.