Analysis of glucose levels and the risk for coronary heart disease in elderly patients in Guangzhou Haizhu district / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes and their association with the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in elderly residents in Haizhu District of Guangzhou.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Stratified random sampling was employed to select a total of 1800 resident aged 50 years or older in the region. The fasting fingertip blood glucose>5.6 mmol/L was used as the criterion for the initial screening. The data were collected from qualified subjects via scheduled questionnaire surveys, blood collection and testing, and physical examination. The subjects were divided into the 3 groups, namely normal blood glucose, prediabetes, and diabetes groups. The combination rates of the relevant risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipemia, obesity, and central obesity) were compared among the groups by Framingham Heart Study to predict the occurrence of CHD in 10 years.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The incidence was 11.00% for prediabetes and 7.56% for diabetes in the elderly residents in Haizhu District. The occurrence of hypertension, hyperlipemia, obesity, and central obesity was significant higher in the prediabetes and diabetes group than in the normal blood glucose group, and showed no significant differences between the former two groups. The 10-year risks for CHD were markedly higher in both the prediabetes and diabetes groups than in the normal blood glucose group, but similar between the former two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Elderly patients with prediabetes and diabetes have significantly increased 10-year risk for CHD in comparison with those with normal blood glucose, but the risk is similar between the former two groups, indicating a close association of IGR (impaired fasting glucose+ impaired fasting glucose) with CHD. Early control of blood glucose is essential to the prevention and control of CHD.</p>

Value of biochemical marker detection in risk stratification in patients with acute coronary syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the value of biochemical marker detection in risk stratification in hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 264 consecutive patients (180 male and 84 female patients) admitted for complaint of chest tightness or/and pain were evaluated for a decision of coronary angiography (CAG) within 24 h after admission. The patients were divided into two groups to receive emergency or elective CAG. The venous blood samples were taken from the patient immediately after admission for detection of amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), myeloperoxidase (MPO), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), intercellular adhesion molecule (sICAM-1), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin 27 (IL-27) and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) were detected.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>No significant differences in NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, MPO, sCD40L, and MMP-9 were found between emergency CAG group and elective CAG group (P<0.05). Logistic regression identified significant differences in NT-proBNP, hs-CRP, MPO, IL-27 and CK-MB between the two groups, and a predictive model for risk stratification of ACS was established using these biomarkers. The ROC curves of this predictive model showed an area under the curve of 98.1, suggesting a high predictive value of this model in assessment of the changes or progression of ACS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Combined detection of the biochemical markers can be helpful for risk stratification of the hospitalized patients with ACS early after admission.</p>

Peripheral dendritic cell subpopulation changes in patients with coronary artery disease / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the peripheral dendritic cell subpopulation changes in patients with or without coronary artery disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 60 patients with angiographic documented coronary artery disease (CAD) were recruited in this study, including 20 cases with acute myocardial infarction (AMI group), 20 cases with unstable angina(UA group) and 20 patients with stable angina (SA group). Eleven patients with chest pain and without coronary stenosis served as chest pain control (CPS group). Ten cases without heart diseases served as normal control (Normal control group). Numbers of peripheral myeloid dendritic cell (mDC) and plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) precursors were determined by FACS.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The proportions of mDC precursors were significantly lower in UA group and AMI group (4.7% +/- 2.6%, 5.0% +/- 2.7%) than that in SA, CPS and control groups (11.0% +/- 6.4%, 12.0% +/- 3.9%, 12.3% +/- 3.3%, respectively, all P < 0.001). pDC numbers were similar among groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Reduced circulating mDC subsets in patients with unstable angina and AMI might suggest enhanced mDC recruitment to vulnerable plaques in these patients.</p>

Changes of CD4+CD28- T cell and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell subsets in patients with coronary heart disease / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the changes of CD4(+)CD28(-) T cell and CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cell (Treg) subsets in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-eight patients with angiographically established CAD were recruited in this study, including 16 with unstable angina (UA group) and 12 with stable angina (SA group). Eleven patients with chest pain syndrome served as the control group. The proportions of peripheral CD4(+)CD28(-) T cells and CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg subsets were determined with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The proportions of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg were significantly lower in UA group (6.55-/+2.45%) than in SA (14.01-/+4.92%) and control groups (13.55-/+3.87%). The proportions of CD4(+)CD28(-) T cells were significantly higher in UA group (10.55-/+4.76%) than in SA (2.64-/+1.33%) and control (2.75-/+1.55%) groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Alterations of circulating T-lymphocyte subsets occur in patients with UA. The changes of Treg and CD4(+)CD28(-) T cells may lead to breakdown of peripheral autoimmune tolerance and play an important role in the development and progression of CHD.</p>

Effect of enalapril on diabetic rat myocardial ultrastructure / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the changes in the myocardial ultrastructure of diabetic rats and the effect of enalapril treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Male Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups, namely the control group, diabetic group and enalapril intervention group. Diabetes was induced with peritoneal injection of streptozotocin in the latter 2 groups, and in enalapril group, the rats were treated with enalapril at the daily oral dose of 2 mg/kg for 1, 3 and 5 months after streptozotocin injection. Histological analysis of the left ventricular tissue was performed with transmission electron microscope 1, 3, and 5 months after establishment of diabetes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Onset of myocardial damages was observed 1 month after the development of diabetes in the rats with gradual time-dependent exacerbation. Enalapril treatment could partially reverse the myocardial destruction in the diabetic rats.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Enalapril intervention may improve the ultrastructural pathology of the myocardium in diabetic rats, which is suggestive of the action mechanisms of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in myocardium preservation.</p>