Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography-Derived Fractional Flow Reserve in Patients with Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Artery from the Left Coronary Sinus

Cardiac magnetic resonance for assessment of cardiac structure and function after renal transplantation in patients with end-stage renal disease / 医学研究生学报

Objective Few clinical studies have been reported on the reversibility of uremic cardiomyopathy (UC) after renal transplantation. This article aimed to investigate the cardiac structure and function of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing renal transplantation using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). Methods This study included 38 ESRD patients undergoing renal transplantation in the National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases, General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command, from September 2015 to February 2017. All the patients received initial CMR examination at 1－2 days before renal transplantation and during the postoperative follow-up. At the median follow-up time of 3.5 (3.4-3.7), 7.0 (3.7-9.5) and 8.4 (7.1-12.7) months, we recorded the CMR parameters, including the left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), end-systolic volume (LVESV), end-diastolic mass (LVEDM), end-systolic mass (LVESM), ejection fraction (LVEF), and native myocardial T1 relaxation time, and compared the parameters obtained before and after surgery. Results Twenty-five of the patients completed the postoperative follow-up, who averaged 27.5 years of age, with no history of diabetes mellitus or ischemic heart disease, and treated by dialysis for 1.7 (1.5-2.2) years. At 7.0 months after renal transplantation, as compared with the baseline, the patients showed significant decreases in the LVEDV ([96.7 ± 22.8] vs [83.4 ± 17.4] mL/m², P < 0.05), LVESV ([44.3 ± 14.8] vs [33.0 ± 10.9] mL/m², P < 0.05) and LVEDM ([67.1 ± 24.2] vs [59.0 ± 17.0] mL/m², P < 0.05), but an increase in the LVEF ([54.1 ± 10.6] % vs [60.9 ± 9.6] %, P < 0.01). The LVEDV and LVESV were also remarkably lower at 3.5 and 8.4 months than the baseline (P < 0.001), and so were the left ventricular at basal, mid, apical and global native T1 relaxation times at 3.5, 7.0 and 8.4 months (P < 0.05). Conclusion For young ESRD patients with no history of diabetes mellitus or ischemic heart disease and on short-term dialysis, left ventricular dilatation, systolic dysfunction and diffuse myocardial fibrosis are reversible after renal transplantation. Native T1 relaxation time can be used as a sensitive indicator to evaluate the degree of diffuse myocardial fibrosis in ESRD patients.

Reporting items of agreement evaluation using Bland-Altman Method:RiBAM / 医学研究生学报

With the promotion and application in medicine and sanitary fields,the reporting quality of Bland-Altman agreement evaluation is worrying.This study aimed at developing a set of reporting standards for Bland-Altman agreement evaluation as the guidance for proper application to improve the reporting quality.A research group was launched to work on reporting standards for Bland-Altman agreement evaluation,and all the requirements for personnel on various levels were made clear.Early in the study,we carried out articles reviews,regular meetings,expert consultations,literary evaluation,item integration and extraction.Then,we invited a multi-disciplinary panel of experts to improve overall design,evaluate reporting items and form the first draft by brainstorming method.Multiple rounds of expert consultations were also conducted with reference to Delphi method to integrate expert advice and form the basic framework of reporting items.Finally,through the thorough analysis and demonstration,we proposed the reporting items for the agreement evaluation of Bland-Altman method (RiBAM) as the recommended report.A list of recommended items called RiBAM was formed,which consisted of 17 first-level items and 23 secondary-level items.RiBAM is more comprehensive and systematic as an important reference for improving the quality of reports by avoiding the omission of reporting contents and achieving the clarity,integrity and transparency of the report.RiBAM recommended items can be a guide for authors in reporting Bland-Altman agreement evaluation as well as a basic reference for journal editors,peer reviewers and readers.

MedDRA and its applications in statistical analysis of adverse events / 药学学报

Safety assessment in clinical trials is dependent on an in-depth analysis of the adverse events to a great extent. However, there are difficulties in summary classification, data management and statistical analysis of the adverse events because of the different expressions on the same adverse events caused by regional, linguistic, ethnic, cultural and other differences. In order to ensure the normative expressions, it's necessary to standardize the terms in recording the adverse events. MedDRA (medical dictionary for regulatory activities) has been widely recommended and applied in the world as a powerful support for the adverse events reporting in clinical trials. In this paper, the development history, applicable scope, hierarchy structure, encoding term selection and standardized query strategies of the MedDRA is introduced. Furthermore, the practical process of adverse events encoding with MedDRA is proposed. Finally, the framework of statistical analysis about adverse events is discussed.