ROC curve-based evaluation of platelet parameters for predicting delayed renal graft function / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the value of evaluating 5 platelet parameters in predicting delayed graft function (DGF) in patients following kidney transplantation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrospectively analyzed the pre- and postoperative (within 2 months) data of 330 renal transplant recipients. The cases with DGF and those without were analyzed to assess the association between relationship between DGF following transplantation and the variations of blood platelet parameters including platelet count (PLT), large platelet ratio (P-LCR), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet volume distribution width (PDW) and platelet hematocrit (PCT).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The DGF and non-DGF cases were comparable for the platelet parameters before the operation. On postoperative day 7 when the diagnosis of DGF was made, PLT (P<0.05) and PCT (P<0.02) were significantly lower while MPV (P<0.01), PDW (P=0.036) and P-LCR (P=0.01) significantly higher in DGF group than in non-DGF group. The AUCs of P-LCR (0.611±0.047), PDW (0.603±0.048) and MPV (0.762±0.037) were significantly higher than the reference area (P<0.05) with cut-off values of 34.80%, 12.95fl and 11.55fl, respectively. MPV showed a high sensitivity, specificity and Youden index for predicting DFG; PDW and P-LCR had a high sensitivity but a low specificity for predicting DFG with a modest diagnostic value. PLT and PCT, with AUCs of were 0.37 and 0.38, respectively, did not have a predictive value for DGF.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Significant variations in platelet parameters occur in the event of DGF in renal transplant recipients, and monitoring the postoperative changes in MPV, PDW, and P-LCR can help in early diagnosis and treatment of DGF. MPV has a moderate value (0.7-0.9) in predicting DGF, and a MPV>11.55 fl suggests the risk of DGF.</p>

Pulmonary innervation, inflammation and carcinogenesis / 生理学报

Lung cancer is a major medical problem. Despite advances in molecular biology and pharmacology, the outcome of lung cancer treatment is unsatisfactory. Clinically, inflammation and cancer are closely associated, and, genetically, these two processes are regulated by the same gene loci. Inflammation promotes cancer formation. Increasing evidence shows that neuroimmune interaction involving inflammatory disease and the vagus nerves are crucial in the interaction. Airway sensory receptors are biosensors that detect the lung inflammatory process through various mediators and cytokines. This information is transmitted through vagal afferents to the brain and produces a host of responses that regulate the extent and intensity of inflammation. Tumor cells express receptors for neurotransmitters and provide a substrate for direct interaction with neurons. Thus, neural regulation of the immune response is targeted towards inflammation as well as tumors. The airway sensors can detect cancer-related cytokines, which provides a direct pathway to inform the brain of tumor growth. The knowledge of how these sensors may monitor tumor progression and provide neuroimmune interaction in the control of tumor development and metastasis will improve our treatment of lung cancer.