Objective To investigate the correlation between serum HCY (Homocysteine) and carotid artery stenosis,plaque stability in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease.Methods 154 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease in Tangdu Hospital were enrolled in the study from June to December 2016.The serum levels of HCY were detected.CT angiography (CTA) was uesd for patients with neck vascular scanning.According to the difference of serum HCY level,patients were divided into 80 cases of high HCY group (observation group) and 74 cases of normal HCY group (control group).The degree of carotid artery stenosis,number and stability of plaque were compared between the two groups and the correlation between serum HCY level and degree of carotid artery stenosis and plaque stability were analyzed.Results The total stenosis rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group,the moderate stenosis rate and severe stenosis rate in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group,with the statistically significant differences (x2 =5.594～ 22.506,all P＜0.05).The levels of serum HCY in mild,moderate and severe stenosis group were 13.16 ± 6.73,15.19± 5.93 and 26.13 ±11.18 μmol/L respectively.The levels of H CY in moderate stenosis group and severe stenosis group were significantly higher than that in mild stenosis group,and the levels of HCY in severe stenosis group was significantly higher than that in moderate stenosis group,with the statistically significant differences (t=2.684～ 5.270,all P＜0.01).The rate of carotid plaque in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group,and the differences statistically significant (x2 =25.053,P＜0.01).The rate of unstable plaque and mixed plaque in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group,and the rate of stable plaque was significantly lower than that in the control group (x2 =4.067～ 14.95,all P＜0.05).The levels of serum HCY in stable plaque group,mixed plaque group and unstable plaque group were 16.14±5.49,21.91 ± 6.32 and 26.74 ± 10.59 μmol/L respectively.The levels of HCY in mixed plaque group and unstable plaque group were significantly higher than that in stable plaque group,and the differences were statistically significant (t=4.370,4.628,all P＜0.01).The level of HCY in unstable plaque group was significantly higher than that in mixed plaque group,and the difference was statistically significant (t =2.249,P＜ 0.05).Conclusion Serum HCY levels were closely related to carotid artery stenosis and plaque stability.Hyperhomocysteinemia can increase the incidence and degree of carotid artery stenosis as well as the number of carotid plaques and unstable plaques.

Objective To observe the differences in the therapeutic efficacies of macrolides,minocycline,and tosufloxacin against macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae(MRMP).Methods A total of 188 children with M.pneumoniae pneumonia confirmed by culture and PCR were analyzed.Of these,150 patients had a strain with an MR gene and 134 had one with an A-to-G mutation at position 2063 of M.pneumoniae 23S rRNA domain V.Azithromycin(n=27),clarithromycin(n=23),tosufloxacin(n=62),or minocycline(n=38)was used for definitive treatment of patients with MR M.pneumoniae.Among the 188 patients,the other 38 patients with macrolide-sensitive Mycoplasma pneumonia (MSMP)were grouped into azithromycin(n =16)and clarithromycin groups(n =22)for observing whether there is differences with respect to efficacy under parallel treatment between patients with MRMP and MSMP. Results Defervescence within 48 h after the initiation of antibiotic therapy was observed in 41%of the patients in the azithromycin group,48% of those in the clarithromycin group,69% of those in the tosufloxacin group,and 87% of those in the minocycline group.The average number of days of fever after the administration of antibiotic treatment was lower in the minocycline and tosufloxacin groups than in the macrolide groups(azithromycin and clarithromycin groups).The decrease in the M.pneumoniae burden,as estimated by the number of DNA copies,after 48 to 96 h of treatment was more rapid in patients receiving minocycline(P=0.016)than in those receiving tosufloxacin(P=0.049),azithromycin(P=0.273),or clarithromycin(P=0.107).Conclusion We found that the clinical and bacteriological efficacies of macrolides against MR M.pneumoniae pneumonia was low.Our results indicated that minocycline rather than tosufloxacin can be considered the first-choice drug for the treatment of M.pneumoniae pneumonia in children aged >8 years.

A total of 192 patients with sepsis were tested by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for a preliminary diagnosis of whether or not there was sepsis associated encephalopathy (SAE) according to their test results.SAE was diagnosed or excluded after consultations and comprehensive analysis on the basis of clinical manifestations and auxiliary examination results.The scores of the patients in this group were (25.7 ± 3.3) points.The sensitivity of MoCA for screening SAE was 0.776 and its specificity 0.963.The rate of diagnostic coincidence between MoCA and comprehensive analysis for SAE was 0.880.The diagnostic concordance between two diagnostic methods of SAE was excellent (kappa value =0.753 ± 0.048,P =0.000).The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of MoCA for screening SAE was 0.929 ± 0.019 (P =0.000) ; the optimal cutoff value was 25.5 points; and its sensitivity was 0.779 and specificity 0.962.And negative correlations existed between score of MoCA and age,disease course and co-existing shock or multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (P ＜ 0.05).

Objective To compare the screening effects between Wells and revised Geneva scores on suspected acute pulmonary thromboembolism (APTE),and to explore a optimum screening method for APTE in the emergency department of China.Methods The study was carried out by using random,crossed,prospective methods to compare the screening effects between Wells and revised Geneva scores for 167 suspected APTE patients in the emergency department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University.Results The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of Wells and revised Geneva scores for screening APTE in the emergency department were (0.917 ± 0.022 ) and (0.927 ± 0.020),respectively ( P ＜ 0.05 ).The diagnostic concordance between the two score systems for predicting APTE was poor (Kappa value =0.276 ). In addition, the difference between their hierarchical discrimination for the possibility of APTE was statistically significant ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Compared with revised Geneva score,fewer patients were diagnosed with low clinical probability of APTE and more patients were diagnosed with intermediate or high clinical probability of APTE through Wells score.The patients with low chnical probability of APTE were excluded from pulmonary embolism in Wells or revised Geneva score.At intermediate clinical probability,the accuracy rate of Wells score for predicting APTE (9.64％) was lower than that (32.84％ ) of revised Geneva ( P ＜ 0.05 ).At high clinical probability,there was no significant difference between their accuracy rate [ (67.24％ vs.86.21％),P＞0.05]. Conclusions Revised Geneva score is more suitable than Wells score in screening suspected APTE patients in the emergency department in our country.

Objective To evaluated intra-articular injection of TNF-α inhibitors into the sacroiliac joint as an effective and viable alternative. Methods Sixteen patients with documented ankylosing spondylitis (AS), without steroids or disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were performed CT-guided intra-articular injections of etanercept (TNF-α antagonist) at week 0, 4 and 8 (25 mg per dose). Similarly, 20 patients with AS in the control group received systemic etanercept therapy at a dose of 50 mg per week for 8 weeks. All patients were followed up clinically and evaluated periodically. Pathological features of sacroiliitis were observed with light microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Expression of cytokines in joint biopsy samples was estimated by RT-PCR. Image changes of sacroiliitis were observed by SPECT/CT and MRI. Ttest, t'tesr and χ2 Fisher's test were selected. Results All the 16 patients who received intra-articular etanercept, the mean value of radiological nuclide decrease of the SIJ ROI (region of interest) in the SPECT improved significantly after 8 weeks treatment [(1.38±0.16 vs 1.45±0.14) P<0.05] . Bone marrow edema and fat deposition in MRI were relieved significantly after 8 weeks (P<0.05). In 8 patients the expression of TNF-α and TGF-β mRNA in joint tissue decreased significantly after 8 weeks [(0.89±0.06, 0.84±0.05) vs (l.08± 0.19, 1.13±0.33) (P<0.05)]. The occurrence of gynonitis, enthesitis, chondritis, subehondral bony plate destruction, bone marrow inflammation and inflammatory cell index also decreased significantly (P<0.05). Participants given intra-articular injection showed significant clinical improvement after 8 weeks and 12 weeks treatment(P<0.01 ) in BASDAI score [(32±13) mm]. Conclusion This study has shown that intra-articular injection of etanercept in SIJ can improve joint function and quality of life. It has a satisfactory safety profile and is cost effective. This mode of treatment is most beneficial in local arthropathy of recent onset and in those patients who do not tolerate systemic etanercept therapy.

Objective To examine the cognitive function in healthy first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with bipolar Ⅰ disorder.Methods Cognitive function were studied in one hundred twenty healthy FDRs of patients with bipolar Ⅰ disorder and one hundred normal controls using digital symbol, digital span, visual reproduction, trail making test A (TMT-A) and trail making test B (TMT-B).Results Compared with normal controls, FDRs showed impairment in all indexes of the tests, including digital symbol, digital span (forward, reversed and forward + reversed), visual reproduction, TMT-A and TMT-B (t=-3.44、-4.23、-4.32、-4.98、-2.59、4.32、3.78, respectively, Ps≤0.01).By analysis of covariance (covariant: age and years of education), FDRs were still impaired in these indexes (P<0.05).Compared with sex-matched normal controls, male FDRs showed impairment in all indexes of the tests, but female FDRs only showed impairment in digital span (reversed, forward + reversed), TMT-A and TMT-B (P<0.05).Conclusions Attention, memory and executive function are impaired in healthy first-degree relatives of patients with bipolar Ⅰ disorder.