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A total of 60 patients with an acute attack of asthma were studied.On presentation,fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) and the serum concentrations of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured.And sputum culture was also performed.The patients were re-evaluated while returning to their clinical remission states.They were classified into 2 groups:patients with bacterial infection (group A) and those with nonbacterial infection (group B).The levels of FeNO were significantly higher in patients with acute exacerbation than those in remission.No difference existed between groups A and B ( P ＞ 0.05 ).The levels of PCT and CRP of group A with acute exacerbation were significantly higher than those of group B( all P ＜0.05).While in remission,the levels of PCT and CRP decreased significantly in group A ( P ＜ 0.05 ) ; But compared with exacerbation,the levels of PCT and CRP showed no change in group B (P ＞0.05).And no differences existed between two groups while in remission (P ＞ 0.05 ).An elevation of FeNO indicates the acute exacerbation of asthma.And the increased serum levels of PCT and CRP are associated with bacterial infection.
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This study explored the role of apoptosis of alveolar wall cells of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with pulmonary emphysema in the pathogenesis of emphysema. The subjects were divided into three groups: COPD patients with pulmonary emphysema (COPD group), asymptomatic smokers and non-smokers. Lung tissues were harvested and histologically assessed. TUNEL assay was employed to determine the apoptotic cells. The expression of PCNA, Bax and SP-C in the lung alveolar wall cells were immunohistochemically determined. SP-C immunofluorescence staining was used to identify type II alveolar cells in the TUNEL-positive cells. The mean linear interval (MLI), mean alveoli number (MAN) and mean alveoli area (MAA) in COPD group were significantly different as compared with those in asymptomatic smokers and non-smokers, respectively (P<0.01). The proliferation index (PI), apoptosis index (AI) and the percentage of Bax-positive cells in COPD group were significantly greater than those of asymptomatic smokers and non-smokers (P<0.01). However, the percentage of SP-C-positive cells was significantly lower in COPD group than in asymptomatic smokers and non-smokers (P<0.01). Most of the TUNEL-positive cells expressed SP-C. In COPD group, the apoptosis of alveolar wall cells, especially apoptosis of type-II cells, may take part in the pathogenesis of emphysema. Up-regulation of Bax expression may be responsible for the apoptosis of alveolar wall cells in the COPD patients with pulmonary emphysema.
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Objective To investigate the change of immunologic function of red blood cell (RBC) in patients with chronic gastritis. Methods The immunologic function of RBC in 88 cases of chronic gastritis was dynamically detected with yeast rosette method. Results The results showed that RBC-C3b receptor rosette (RBC-C3b-RR) rate and RBC immune adherence enhance factor (RFER) rate were significantly lower (P＜0.05) and RBC immune complex rosette (RBC-ICR) rate and RBC immune adherence inhibitor factor (RFIR) were significantly higher (P＜0.05) in the patients with atrophic gastritis than those in control group. In the patients with superficial gastritis, the difference had no distinct significance (P＞0.05). Conclusion The immunologic function of red blood cell (RBC)measurement plays an important role in differential diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of chronic gastritis.
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BACKGROUND: Promoting immunological function of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can control development of COPD.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of bufei yishen granule on pulmonary ventilation function and immunological function of COPD patients and compare with placebo.DESIGN: A randomized grouping comparison and placebo controlled study.SETTING: Respiration Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Traditional Chinese Medical.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 62 COPD patients selected from Department of Respiration of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1999 to October 2004,were randomly divided into two groups :Observation group and control group with 31 in each group.METHODS: Patients in observation group were treated with bufei yishen granule consisting of ginseng, mongolian milkvetch root, largehead atractylodes rhizome, divaricate saposhnikovia root, dwarf lilyturf tuber, Chinese magnoliavine fruit, malytea scurfpea fruit, medicinal evodia fruit, Chinese cster pillar fungus, Chinese eaglewood wood, scorpion, almond, thunberg fritillary bulb, szechwan lovge rhizome, etc., produced by Pharmaceutic Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Each granule of 1 g contained an equivalent of 5.78 g raw drugs. Three times a day with 10 g for each; and patients in control group were treated with placebo consisting of hawthorn fruit and malt. The dosage and medication were the same as those in observation group. Both therapies were respectively administered in a treatment course of two months. Before and after the therapy course,the followed indexes were measured.① Assay of immunological function: The levels of IgG, IgA and IgM from blood serum were detected with simple agar diffusion.② Assay of Ag level in nucleolus organizer region (Ag-NORs): The ratios non-histone staining acidity non-histone vs core area (IS%) was calculated by staining the activating lymphocytes of the blood by silver staining technique with microscope image analysis technique. ③ Assay of pulmonary function: The pulmonary function was measured by Sensor Medics Ros System in all of the people with the levels of forced expiratory volume in first second (FEV1.0), mean maximu expiratory flow (MMEF), peak expiratory flow (PEF), once after and before treatment. The examination was repeated three times in order to obtain the peak number. The difference of the three examinations was within ±5%.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Comparison of T lympholeukocyte subpopulation and pulmonary ventilation function in the patients before and after 1 course.RFSULTS: Data of totally 62 patients was entered the final analysis without any loss.① Comparison of pulmonary ventilation function of patients in the two groups before and after 1 course: FEV1.0, MMEF, PEF,and ratio of FEV1.0 and forced vital capacity (FEV1%) in observation group were significant higher than those before treatment (t=2.12-3.41,P ＜ 0.05-0.01), thoseindexes in observation group were higher than those in control group (t=2.54-3.17, P ＜ 0.05-0.01). ② Changes of T lymphocyte subgroups of patients in the two groups before and after 1 course:The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ in observation group after 1 course were high.er than those before treatment (t=2.71-13.20, P ＜ 0.01), but the level of CD8+ was decreased as compared with that before treatment (t =8.63, P ＜ 0.01). The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ in observation group were higher than those in control group (t=2.85-11.84, P ＜ 0.01), but the level of CD8+ was decreased as compared with that in control group (t =5.83, P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: The bufei yishen granule can obviously improve the pulmonary ventilation function and immunological function of COPD patients,and its intervention is superior to that of placebo.
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Objective Study changes and clinical significance of collagen and cytokine during COPD episode and remission in order to guide clinical treatment. Methods From Mar.2002 to Nov.2004,the COPD patients of episode and remission period were compared with the healthy elderly people.The collagen and cytokine of the serum from the COPD patients and healthy elderly people were detected by applying ABC-ELISA and radio-immunity means. Results The level of serum C_Ⅰ、C_Ⅲ、C_Ⅳ increased obviously in the COPD patients during COPD episode and remission episode compared with that in the healthy elderly people( P
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Objective To investigate the effect of Ambroxol on NF?B activation of macrophage in the induced sputum in patients with stable COPD.Methods Induced sputum was taken from 47 stable COPD patients,who were divided into two groups randomly.Macrophages were collected,and NF-?B activation and IL-8 of induced sputum were determined by immunohistochemistry;SOD and MDA were determined synchronously.Results NF-?B activation in macrophage and IL-8 in the treated group were significantly decreased in patients of stable group than those in the controls.Conclusion Ambroxol can decrease NF-?B activation in macrophage in stable COPD patients.
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Objective To discuss the role of IL-8 and NF-?B in the airway inflammation of COPD in stable stage.Methods From Mar.2003 to Sep.2005,select 26 COPD patients in stable stage,determine the concentration of IL-8 in the serum of induced sputum,separate the macropolycyte and determine the degree of active expression of NF-?B,the concentration of SOD,MDA and IL-8 in peripheral blood.Lung function(the percent of FEV_1/FEV_1 prospectived value,FEV_1/FVC)of all patients were investigated.Results The concentration of IL-8 in the serum of induced sputum of COPD patients was higher than the normal group obviously(P