ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the association between the level of plasma proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin 9 (PCSK9) with incidence and severity of calcified aortic valve disease(CAVD).Methods:We prospectively recruited 120 CAVD patients with at least increased echo density and 40 control patients by transthoracic echocardiography.All patients were grouped by CT quantitative scoring system:aortic valve calcification (AVC)1,2,3 and 4.Calcium score of aortic valve were calculated.Total cholesterol (TC),low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),triglyceride (TG), carrying lipoprotein A1 (apo A1) and apolipoprotein B (apo B),lipoprotein (a) {LP (a)} and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were detected by biochemical analyzer.Plasma PCSK9 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The re-lationship between AVC and plasma PCSK9 level,blood lipid,Apo A1,Apo B and hsCRP was analyzed.Results:The data indicated that Apo,B Lp(a) and LDL-C levels in AVC2-4 level was significantly higher than that of AVC1(P<0.05),while TG,APO,A1 HDL-C and hsCRP were not different significantly in the four groups.The levels of TC in group AVC3 and AVC4 were significantly higher than those in group AVC1(P<0.05).At the same time,the patients of grade AVC2-4 have higher level of plasma PCSK9 than patients of group AVC1(P<0.05).Correlation analysis was performed and aortic valve calcium score were significantly correlated with TC (r=0.248,P=0.026),LDL-C (r=0.222,P=0.048),Lp(a) (r=0.276,P=0.013),Apo A1(r=0.245,P=0.012),Apo B(r=0.212, P=0.019) and PCSK9(r=0.309,P=0.005) in all study subjects.PCSK9 was positively correlated with TC,LDL,LP (a),Apo A1, Apo,and no correlation with hsCRP (B).Conclusion:The level of PCSK9 in CAVD patients was significantly higher than that in control group.And there is an association of PCSK9 levels with the presence of CAVD,however.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of different treatment options for the flat type of sudden hearing loss.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Prospective, multi-center clinical study was carried out using internationally used standardized clinical research method. Patients with the flat type of sudden hearing loss between 18 and 65 years old, within two weeks duration, and without any medical treatment were recruited. Treatment options were randomly selected according to the designed random table.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From August 2007 to October 2011, 402 patients with the flat type of sudden hearing loss who met the criteria (account for 39.26% of the total number of patients) from the 33 hospitals were collected; the total effective rate was 82.59%, and no significant difference was detected between different treatments, (χ(2) = 10.95, P = 0.28). In the 402 cases, 139 were cured (34.58%); 118 were markedly improved (29.35%); 75 were effective (18.66%); 70 were invalid (17.41%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The therapeutic efficacy of flat type of sudden hearing loss overall is good; the treatment of improving the inner ear blood rheology and/or reducing blood fibrinogen has clinical significance; the therapeutic efficacy of using glucocorticoid systemically is good as well; there is no obvious difference between combination and single medication.</p>