Predictive value of inflammation-based Glasgow prognostic score for the prognosis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To analyze prognostic ability of inflammation-based Glasgow prognostic score (GPS) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods    We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 289 patients with STEMI admitted to the Department of Emergency in West China Hospital from April 2015 to January 2016. All study subjects were divided into three groups: a group of GPS 0 (190 patients including 150 males and 40 females aged 62.63±12.98 years), a group of GPS 1 (78 patients including 58 males and 20 females aged 66.57±15.25 years), and a group of GPS 2 (21 patients including 16 males and 5 females aged 70.95±9.58 years). Cox regression analysis was conducted to analyze the independent risk factors of predicting long-term mortality of patients with STEMI. Results    There was a statistical difference in long-term mortality (9.5% vs. 23.1% vs. 61.9%, P<0.001) and in-hospital mortality (3.7% vs. 7.7% vs. 23.8%, P<0.001) among the three groups. The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores and Gensini scores increased in patients with higher GPS scores, and the differences were statistically different (P<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that the GPS was independently associated with STEMI long-term all-cause mortality (1 vs. 0, HR: 2.212, P=0.037; 2 vs. 0, HR: 8.286, P<0.001). Conclusion    GPS score is helpful in predicting the long-term and in-hospital prognosis of STEMI patients, and thus may guide clinical precise intervention by early risk stratification.

Research progress of epigenetic regulation of vascular diseases / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression independent of DNA nucleotide sequence itself, and the main mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modifications, noncoding RNAs, and so on. Vascular disease is a chronic disease regulated by the interaction between environmental and genetic factors. In recent years, more and more studies have confirmed that epigenetic regulation plays an important role in the occurrence and development of vascular diseases. This article reviews recent advances in epigenetics in vascular disease.

A novel stem cell therapy for hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure

The aim of this study was to propose a stem cell therapy for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) based on plasma exchange (PE) for peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) collection and examine its safety and efficacy. Sixty patients (n=20 in each group) were randomized to PE (PE alone), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (PE after G-CSF treatment), and PBSC transplantation (PBSCT) (G-CSF, PE, PBSC collection and hepatic artery injection) groups. Patients were followed-up for 24 weeks. Liver function and adverse events were recorded. Survival analysis was performed. PBSCT improved blood ammonia levels at 1 week (P<0.05). The level of total bilirubin, international normalized ratio, and creatinine showed significant differences in the 4th week of treatment (P<0.05). The survival rates of the PE, G-CSF, and PBSCT groups were 50, 65, and 85% at 90 days (P=0.034). There was a significant difference in 90-day survival between the PE and PBSCT groups (P=0.021). The preliminary results suggested that PBSCT was safe, with a possibility of improved 90-day survival in patients with HBV-ACLF.

Effectiveness of establishment of chest pain center and optimized process in the diagnostic and treatment progress and short-term prognostic value of acute non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction patients / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To investigate the effectiveness of establishment of chest pain center and optimized process in the diagnostic and treatment progress and short-term prognostic value of acute non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients. Methods    This was a retrospective study. We included NSTEMI patients admitted in the Emergency Department in our hospital, 41 patients admitted before the establishment of the chest pain center (April 2015) were included as group A (30 males and 11 females at age of 64.7±11.8 years), 42 patients after the establishment of the chest pain center (April 2016) as group B (31 males and 11 females at age of 64.6±11.8 years), and 38 patients after the establishment of the chest pain center (April 2017) as group C (30 males and 8 females at age of 62.6±10.0 years). The clinical outcomes of the three groups were compared. Results     The time from admission to electrocardiogram was 20.0 (17.0, 25.5) min in the group A, 4.0 (2.8, 5.0) min in the group B, and 3.0 (2.0, 4.0) min in the group C (P<0.001). The first doctor's non-electrocardiogram advice time was 13.0 (10.0, 18.0) min, 9.5 (6.8, 15.3) min, and 9.0 (7.0, 12.0) min (P=0.001) in the three groups, respectively. The diagnostic confirmed time was 139.4±48.5 min, 71.1±51.5 min, 63.9±41.9 min   (P<0.001). The proportion of patients receiving emergency dual anti-platelet load dose treatment was 53.1%, 70.0%, 100.0% (P=0.001), respectively. The time of receiving emergency dual anti-platelet load dose treatment was 208.0 (72.0, 529.0) min, 259.0 (91.0, 340.0) min, and 125.0 (86.0, 170.0) min (P=0.044) in the three groups, respectively. Emergency percutaneous coronary artery intervention (PCI) start time was 60.9 (42.1, 95.8) hours, 61.3 (43.3, 92.2) hours, 30.5 (2.8, 44.1) hours (P<0.001) in the three groups, respectively. Among them, the moderate risk patients’ PCI starting time was 63.0 (48.1, 94.2) hours, 62.3 (42.1, 116.2) hours, and 40.1 (17.2, 60.4) hours (P>0.05), respectively. The high risk patients’ PCI starting time was 47.9 (23.7, 102.4) hours, 55.2 (44.0, 89.6) hours, 23.2 (1.7, 41.8) hours in the three groups, respectively (P<0.001). The hospitalization time of the patients was 7.0 (5.4, 9.4) days, 5.9 (4.9, 8.7) days, 4.7 (3.1, 6.2) days in the three groups (P<0.001), respectively. The hospitalization time of the moderate risk patients was 6.9 (4.9, 8.8) days, 6.4 (4.9, 8.0) days, 4.8 (3.2, 6.5) days in the three groups (P>0.05), respectively. The hospitalization time of the high risk patients was 7.1 (5.5, 9.9) days, 5.9 (4.6, 9.8) days, and 4.4 (3.0, 6.1) days, respectively (P<0.001). The fatality rate of inpatients was 4.9%, 0.0%, and 0.0%, respectively (P>0.05). The correlation coefficient of hospitalization time, diagnosis confirmed time and PCI starting time was 0.219 and 0.456 (P<0.05), respectively. Conclusion    The establishment and optimized process of chest pain center can accelerate the time of early diagnosis of NSTEMI, which is helpful to obtain stratified and graded standardized treatment for patients according to their conditions, to accelerate the specific treatment process of high risk NSTEMI patients, and shorten the hospitalization time.

The research advance of fibroblast growth factor 21 in anti-atherosclerosis / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a multi-effect endocrine factor, mainly secreted in liver and adipose tissue, with the properties of lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-atherosclerosis. Recent studies found that FGF21 can induce protective effect in cardiovascular disease, and plasma FGF21 levels in patients with disease cardiovascular are elevated. These studies have suggested the use of FGF21 as a biomarker for subclinical atherosclerosis and its potential role in the treatment of established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. This article will review the recent advances in the anti-atherosclerosis effect of FGF21.