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Objective:To explore the level of arterial stiffness and its influencing factors in prediabetic population.Methods:From June 2021 to June 2022, 207 prediabetes patients were prospectively and randomly recruited from the physical examination center and outpatient clinic of Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University to be the prediabetic group and 130 healthy volunteers at the same time with the same gender and age as the healthy controls. The carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), brachial-radial PWV, and femoral-ankle PWV were measured by an automatic ultrasonic arterial stiffness measurement technology. The common carotid artery wall intima-media thickness (IMT) and left heart function were routinely evaluated. A questionnaire was designed to investigate the subjects′ smoking, drinking, diet, staying up late, exercise and other living habits. Comparison between groups and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to analyze the relevant data.Results:The carotid-femoral PWV and common carotid artery wall IMT in prediabetic group were significantly higher than those in healthy controls [(7.10±2.00)m/s vs (6.26±1.14)m/s, (0.57±0.11)mm vs (0.51±0.08)mm; both P<0.001], but there were no significant differences in the brachial-radial PWV and femoral-ankle PWV between the two groups (both P>0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that prediabetes was an independent influencing factor in carotid-femoral PWV after adjusting for confounding factors ( P<0.001), in addition, age ( P<0.001), diastolic blood pressure ( P<0.001), staying up late ( P=0.011) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( P=0.022) were also the independent influencing factors of carotid-femoral PWV. Conclusions:Compared with healthy people, the stiffness of aorta is significantly increased in prediabetic people, but there is no significant change in the stiffness of peripheral arteries. Prediabetes, age, diastolic blood pressure, staying up late and low density lipoprotein cholesterol are independent influencing factors of carotid-femoral PWV.
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Objective:To investigate the accuracy and reproducibility of a new method, Automatic Measurement of Arterial Stiffness(AMAS) system, for arterial stiffness automatic measurement based on regional pulse wave velocity (PWV).Methods:A total of 30 hypertensive patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology in Tangdu Hospital, Air Force Military Medical University from September 1 to 30, 2019 were enrolled as hypertensive group, while 30 healthy participants at the same time were collected as healthy group. Carotid-femoral PWV (cfPWV) was measured in all subjects by two independent observers using the conventional manual method and the AMAS system. The measurements were compared and the agreement was analyzed.Results:There was no significant difference of cfPWV between AMAS system and the manual method, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.953 (95% CI=0.922-0.971). Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement [mean difference: -(0.08±0.40)m/s; limit of agreement: -0.87-0.71 m/s]. Time consumption for cfPWV measurement using the AMAS system was significantly less than that of conventional manual method, saving about 70% of the time. The cfPWV measured by AMAS showed good intra- and inter-observer reproducibility. Conclusions:AMAS system is accurate and reproducible in measuring arterial stiffness. It may provide a noninvasive, rapid, reliable approach for arterial stiffness evaluation in clinical settings.
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Objective:To investigate the application of ultrasound imaging in evaluating the curative effect of patients with nutcracker syndrome (NCS) treated with three-dimensional(3D) printing extravascular titanium stents.Methods:From December 2015 to December 2018, a total of 41 NCS patients enrolled in the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Air Force Military Medical University to receive 3D-printing extravascular titanium stents treatment were included in this study. Ultrasound and CT angiography (CTA) were performed before and 1 week after operation to evaluate the compression of left renal vein and related hemodynamic changes.Results:Before the operative, the ultrasound examination showed that the angle between the abdominal aorta and superior mesenteric artery was (21.29±4.53)°, which was significantly improved in 1 week after treatment [(47.42±7.45)°, P<0.001]. Left renal vein was significantly compressed before treatment, with the smallest inner diameter of (1.51±0.49)mm and its peak blood flow velocity was (143.92±50.40)cm/s. Postoperative ultrasound images showed the significant expansion of left renal vein and no high velocity blood flow was observed. Ultrasound examination also showed that the diameter of left renal vein at renal hilum, blood flow velocity at renal hilum and inner diameter of spermatic vein were significantly improved after treatment ( P<0.001). Similar to ultrasound results, CTA also found that the angle between abdominal aorta and superior mesenteric artery increased significantly after treatment[(17.59±4.56)° vs (52.27±9.01)°, P<0.001]. CTA also showed the left renal vein was compressed before treatment, with the smallest inner diameter of (2.09±0.86)mm, and it was significantly expanded after operation. The inner diameter of left renal vein at renal hilum was also significantly reduced after treatment ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Ultrasound imaging can effectively evaluate the LRV compression and related hemodynamic changes before and after 3D printed stent implantation treatment in NCS patients and provide a reliable method to evaluate its clinical efficacy for these patients.
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Objective To explore the relationship between atherosclerotic plaque stability and junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A) in atherosclerotic mice.Methods Twenty-six apolipoprotein E gene knockout(ApoE-/-) mice were divided into three groups.Group A (six mice) was control group,group B (ten mice) was disposed by ligation and high-fat diet and group C was disposed by high-fat diet with ten mice.The formation process of plaques were observed with high resolution ultrasound(22 MHz),and plaque markers were detected to evaluate palque stability for secondary grouping (group D was vulnerable plaque group and group E was stable plaque group).The plaque stability were evaluated by plaque vulnerability index and the expression of JAM-A were analyzed using immunohistochemical staining.The relationship between atherosclerotic plaque stability and JAM-A in atherosclerotic mice were estimated with statistical methods at last.Results There was no plaque in carotid artery of group A.On the contrary,obvious plaques were observed in carotid artery of group B and C.The total serum lipids level in group A was normal.But high-fat diet could obviously decrease the serum HDL-cholesterol level of group B and group C when compared with the controls(P ＜0.05).High-fat diet could increase the ratio of non-HDL-cholesterol (TC,TG,LDL).As shown with pathological staining,the content of extracellular lipids and foam cells in the plaque were significantly increased vs.control (P ＜ 0.05).On the contrary,the content of smooth muscle cells and collagen fibers were significantly increased vs.control(P ＜0.05).The plaque vulnerability index of group D was higher than that in group E(P ＜0.01).The expression of JAMA was increased in group D and E,and in group D was higher(P ＜0.01).While,few JAM-A expression in group A.There was significant correlation between plaque vulnerability index and JAM-A (P＜0.01).Conclusions High resolution uhrasound(22 MHz) can observe the formation of carotid plaque in ApoE-/-mice.There was a positive correlation between JAM-A expression and the vulnerability of plaque in carotid artery.JAM-A might be used for evaluation of plaque stability as a new indicator.