Relationship Between Lung Ultrasound B Line and NT-proBNP, E/e' for Evaluating Pulmonary Edema in Acute Heart Failure Patients / 中国循环杂志

Objectives: To analyze the relationship between lung ultrasound B line and NT-proBNP, E/e' in order to explore the accuracy of B lines for diagnosing pulmonary edema in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). Methods: A total of 124 AHF patients admitted in out hospital from 2016-02 to 2017-02 were enrolled. According to the number of B line, patients were divided into 3 groups: Mild pulmonary edema group, patients with B line<15, Moderate pulmonary edema group, 15≤B line<30 and Severe pulmonary edema group, B line≥30. Basic clinical condition and echocardiography parameters were compared among 3 groups; relationships between B line and NT-proBNP, E/e', EF, pulmonary artery pressure were analyzed respectively; the sensitivity and specificity for B-line diagnosing NT-proBNP≥5000 pg/ml and E/e'≥14 were evaluated by ROC curve analysis. Results: Compared with Mild and Moderate pulmonary edema groups, Severe pulmonary edema group had the severer NYHA grade, more wet rale, higher NT-proBNP level and more chest X-ray of pulmonary congestion, P<0.05. Compared with Mild pulmonary edema group, Moderate and Severe pulmonary edema groups had decreased LVEF, P<0.05; Severe pulmonary edema group showed increased diastolic function such as elevated E/A, pulmonary artery pressure and E/e',P<0.05.B line was positively related to NT-proBNP,E/e'and pulmonary artery pressure,negatively related to EF.B line had the best correlation to NT-proBNP (r=0.803, P<0.001), the next was E/e'(r=0.794, P<0.001) and the worst was pulmonary artery pressure (r=0.330, P<0.001). The cutoff values of B line for diagnosing NT-proBNP≥5000pg/ml and E/e'≥14 were both 30, the AUC of ROC=0.823 and 0.768 respectively. Conclusions: Lung ultrasound B line had good correlation to NT-proBNP and E/e', which could accurately assess the pulmonary edema in AHF patients.

Antiviral effects of the combination of glycyrrhizin and ribavirin against influenza A H1N1 virus infection in vivo / 药学学报

Ribavirin is a broad-spectrum antiviral agent and glycyrrhizin has activities of anti-inflammation, immunoregulation and anti-viral infections. To enhance antiviral efficacy and weaken side-effects of ribavirin, antiviral effects of the combination of glycyrrhizin and ribavirin were studied in the present study. Firstly, a mouse model of viral pneumonia was established by inoculation of influenza H1N1 virus. Protective effects of glycyrrhizin and ribavirin used alone or in combination against H1N1 virus infection in mice were evaluated based on the survival rate, lung index and virus titer in lungs of mice. Results showed that the combination of glycyrrhizin and ribavirin significantly inhibited the lung consolidation with a 36% inhibition ratio on the lung swell of infected mice. The combination of the two drugs exhibited synergetic effects on survival of infected mice. The combination of 50 mg · kg(-1) · d(-1) glycyrrhizin and 40 mg · kg(-1) · d(-1) ribavirin resulted a 100% protection for infected mice with a synergetic value of 36, which was significantly higher than the control group and each drug alone. This combination also resulted a significant drop of lung virus titer (P < 0.01), as well as inhibition on the production of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 (P < 0.01), TNF-α (P < 0.01) and IL-1β (P < 0.05) induced by virus infection compared to the control. The treatment of ribavirin plus glycyrrhizin was more effective in influenza A infection in mice than either compound used alone, which suggested a potential clinical value of the combination of the two agents.

Prognostic value of brain natriuretic peptide in people with viral myocarditis / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) on prognostic value in patients with viral myocarditis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 48 patients with viral myocarditis and 42 healthy people were enrolled and followed up for two years. The NYHA class and LVEF were recorded and the concentration of BNP were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentration of BNP were higher and EF were lower in patients with viral myocarditis (P < 0.01) than contrast people. Higher levels of plasma BNP were related to higher mortality.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Levels of brain natriuretic peptide measured in the plasma could be a useful biochemical marker for the myocarditis, and high concentration of BNP may correlate with poor prognosis in patients with myocarditis.</p>

A novel angiographic technique, StentBoost, in comparison with intravascular ultrasound to assess stent expansion / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>StentBoost (SB) is a novel angiographic technique which can enhance stent visualization and improve detection of inadequate stent expansion. Studies of SB that compare it with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), which is the current gold standard for detection of stent underexpansion, remain inadequate. This study aimed to test the correlation of IVUS and SB, and to evaluate the effect of SB guiding the stent postdilatation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From March 2009 to June 2010, 52 patients were analyzed using quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), IVUS, and SB. They included 37 patients (54 stents) with postdilatation and 15 patients (21 stents) without postdilatation. Correlations of stent diameter between the three modalities were determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The minimum diameter, maximum diameter and average diameter of postdilatation obtained by QCA, IVUS, SB were significantly larger than that of poststenting, and the ratio (maximum stent diameter (MaxLD)-minimum stent diameter (MinLD))/MaxLD of postdilatation was smaller. Correlations of MinLD were the highest between IVUS and SB (r = 0.979, P < 0.0001) when compared with QCA and SB (r = 0.973, P < 0.0001), and QCA and IVUS (r = 0.964, P < 0.0001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>SB has superior correlations for stent expansion measured by IVUS when compared with QCA. In addition, there is an important advantage for SB in guiding the stent postdilatation.</p>

Biology and Future Clinical Perspectives of Adipose-tissue Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells / 中国生物工程杂志

Adipose-tissue mesenchymal stem cells, is one kind of multipotent stem cells, can differentiate into adipogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic, myogenic cells and so on in vitro and in vivo. Human adipose tissue is plentiful, easily harvested in large quantity with little patient discomfort. Adipose-tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells may be an alternative stem cell source for mesenchymal tissue regeneration and engineering without ethical consideration of embryonic stem cells and severe pain resulted by bone marrow procurement. The research work on adipose-tissue mesenchymal stem cells and future clinical perspectives were reviewed.