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Objective:To evaluate the global and segmental myocardial work in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) by left ventricular pressure-strain loop (PSL) noninvasively.Methods:Eighteen patients with CA in Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from March 2018 to December 2020 were included as CA group, 20 healthy subjects were selected as control group. The global longitudinal strain (GLS) and mechanical dispersion (MD) of left ventricle were analyzed by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging. The left ventricular PSL was used to assess global work index (GWI), global constructive work (GCW), global waste work (GWW), and global work efficiency (GWE). The mean value of left ventricular basal, mid and apical myocardial work index (MWI), constructive work (CW), waste work (WW) and work efficiency (WE) were calculated and compared between the two groups.Results:①Compared with the control group, GLS was decreased and MD was increased in CA group (all P<0.05). ②GWI, GCW, GWW and GWE were decreased in CA group compared with the control group (all P<0.05). ③In CA group, the MWI, CW and WE of the basal, mid and apical segments were lower than those of control group (all P<0.05), WW of the basal and mid segments were lower than those of apical segment(all P<0.05). The impairment of MWI, WW and WE in basal and mid segment were more significant than those of apical segment (all P<0.05). ④GWI, GCW and GWE were positively correlated with GLS ( r=0.854, 0.816, 0.748; all P<0.001) and LVEF ( r=0.674, 0.634, 0.650; all P<0.01), and negatively correlated with MD ( r=-0.657, -0.672, -0.710, all P<0.01). GWI and GCW were negatively correlated with E/e′ ( r=-0.493, -0.539; all P<0.05). Conclusions:The global, basal, mid and apical left ventricular myocardial work indices are decreased in CA patients. MWI, CW and WE show an apical sparing pattern. Quantitative assessment of myocardial work by PSL may provide more valuable information for CA patients.
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Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a type of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma.Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) combined with high-dose methotrexate is the standard treatment.Although PCNSL patients are sensitive to radiation therapy,the duration of response is relatively short and it is likely to provoke delayed neurotoxicity,especially in the elderly patients.Reduced-dose WBRT and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) can lower the risk of neutotoxicity,whereas the clinical efficacy remains to be validated.For the elderly patients with PCNSL,application of WBRT in the first-line treatment should be cautiously considered.
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Aim To investigate the effect of genistein on apoptosis in triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and the underlying mechanisms.Methods MTT assay was used to detect the inhibition rate on breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells of genistein.Hoechst 33258 staining was applied to determine the effect of genistein on morphology of MDA-MB-231 cells.qRT-PCR was employed to detect the mRNA expression of EGFR in MDA-MB-231 cells.Western blot was utilized to determine the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, EGFR, Akt, and p-Akt.The expressions of Akt and p-Akt proteins in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were detected after treated with Akt activator insulin, genistein and in combination with insulin.Results Genistein inhibited the viability of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in a time-dependent manner.The results of Hoechst 33258 staining showed a typical apoptotic morphological changes of MDA-MB-231 cells after treatment of genistein for 36 h.qRT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression of EGFR in MDA-MB-231 cells decreased after treated with genistein for 36 h.The expression levels of Bcl-2, EGFR, Akt, p-Akt, ERK, p-ERK were significantly down-regulated(P<0.01) compared with control.While, the expression of Bax, caspase-3 was significantly up-regulated (P<0.01).It was observed that p-Akt was significantly activated after the treatment of Akt activator insulin (P<0.01), however, significantly down-regulated (P<0.01) when treated with genistein.Conclusion Genistein could inhibit the growth of triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells and induce apoptosis, which probably involves regulating EGFR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
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Objective To investigate the association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) by echocardiography.Methods One hundred and thirty-eight patients of AF in First Affiliated Hospital of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from March 2014 to June 2016 were divided into two groups,including paroxysmal AF group with 87 casesand persistent AF group with 51 cases,and 112 cases of sinus rhythm were chosen as control group.Epicardial adipose tissue was measured using echocardiography in all patients,and the conventional parameters were recorded.One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the thickness of EAT in patients with paroxysmal AF group,persistent AF group and sinus rhythm group,and LSD-t test was used in further comparison between two groups.Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of AF.The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) cure of EAT and left atrium diameter (LAD) were drawn to predict the incidence of AF.The correlation between EAT thickness and LAD was analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.Results The thickness of EAT in patients with persistent AF,paroxysmal AF and sinus rhythm group were (4.75± 1.83),(4.32 ± 1.76) and (1.38 ± 0.68) mm,respectively.Epicardial adipose tissue was significantly larger in paroxysmal AF and persistent AF patients compared with that of sinus rhythm group,and the differences were statistically significant (t=-9.541,11.439,both P ＜ 0.01).Logistic regression analysis indicated that EAT thickness and LAD were independent risk factors of atrial fibrillation (odds ratio:3.17,95％ confidence interval:1.31-7.68,P ＜ 0.01;odds ratio:2.65,95％ confidence interval 1.69-4.15,P ＜ 0.05).The area under the curve (AUC) of EAT and LAD to predict presence of AF were 0.784 and 0.865,and the best threshold value were 4.45 mm and 40.00 mm,respectively.Pearson correlation analysis showed that the EAT thickness and LAD had significantly positive correlation (r=0.512,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The increase of EAT thickness is significantly correlated with the incidence of AF and is independent to traditional risk factors.Therefore,the increase of EAT thickness has certain clinical value to predict AF.
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Objective To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of the isovolumic contraction peak velocity (IVCv) of right heart function in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) by echocardiography and Doppler tissue imaging. Methods In 41 patients with suspected diagnosis of PH, IVCv at the tricuspid annulus were measured by echocardiography and Doppler tissue imaging. The right heart systolic function parameters such as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), peak systolic velocity (PSv) and right ventricular fractional area change (RVFCA) were also measured. The pulmonary artery pressure was detected by right-heart catheterization (RHC). According to different levels of pulmonary arterial systolic pressure, patients were classiifed into four groups to compare and analyze if any signiifcance could be found, including without PH group, mild PH group, moderate PH group and severe PH group. The sensitivity and speciifcity for diagnosing right heart impairment were assessed by ROC curves. Last, correlation analysis was performed. Results IVCv was signiifcantly and positively correlated with the right heart systolic function parameters, such as TAPSE (r=0.557, P0.05). Using the lower limit of right ventricular systolic function parameter obtained by common echocardiographic assessment as standard (TAPSE<16 mm, PSv<10 cm/s and RVFAC<35%), the sensitivities of IVCv<6.5 cm/s for diagnosing right ventricular systolic function reduction were 91%, 96%and 87%and the speciifcities were 70%, 53%and 77%, respectively. Conclusions IVCv obtained by Doppler tissue imaging is a new objective parameter for diagnosing right ventricular systolic function reduction. It is worth further study and application in clinic.