Early cardiac injury in patients with obstructive sleep apnea / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the early cardiac injury caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) before the development of cardiovascular symptoms of OSA.@*METHODS@#Ninety-two patients without any known cardiovascular disorders who underwent polysomnography (PSG) were enrolled in the study. Subjects were divided into mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups by their apnea hypopnea index (AHI), and 25 healthy individuals were identified as controls. After PSG examination, fasting blood samples for the evaluation of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (h-FABP) were collected in the morning, and left ventricular(LV) functions were assessed by using echocardiographic methods. Thirty moderate and severe OSA patients were treated with continuous positive airway pressure respectively (CPAP).@*RESULTS@#The levels of h-FABP and NT-proBNP were obviously higher in all OSA groups than those in the control group (<0.01), and were positively correlated with AHI (<0.01). The Em/Am values of all OSA groups and E/A values of the moderate and severe OSA groups were significantly reduced (<0.01). The difference in Em/Am values among the groups was statistically significant (<0.01). Compared with those before treatment, h-FABP and NT-BNP levels in serum of OSA patients after CPAP treatment were significantly reduced (<0.01), and Em/Am and E/A values were significantly increased (<0.01).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and early myocardial microtrauma are major manifestations of early heart damage in patients with OSA. CPAP therapy could significantly improve early cardiac damage in OSA patients.

Correlation between expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and angiogenesis in esophageal carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study expression of MMP-2 in relation to microvessel density (MVD) in esophageal carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-eight specimens of esophageal carcinoma (Ec) and 17 specimens of grade II + III epithelial dysplasia (Dy) close to the tumor and 12 specimens of normal tissue (Nt) along the incisional margin were examined by S-P immunohistochemical staining with anti-MMP-2 monoclonal antibody. An anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody was used to show MVD.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MMP-2 expression in Ec was remarkably higher than that in Dy, which was higher than that in Nt. MMP-2 expression in Ec and Dy was significantly correlated with MVD in the tumor and nearby tissue. MMP-2 expression and MVD in Ec significantly associated with lymph node metastasis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Expression of MMP-2 plays an important role in angiogenesis and lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer.</p>