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Epidemiological evidence suggests that patients with hypertension infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are at increased risk of acute lung injury. However, it is still not clear whether this increased risk is related to the usage of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers. We collected medical records of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients from the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China), and evaluated the potential impact of an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients with hypertension. A total of 30 hypertensive COVID-19 patients were enrolled, of which 17 were classified as non-ARB group and the remaining 13 as ARB group based on the antihypertensive therapies they received. Compared with the non-ARB group, patients in the ARB group had a lower proportion of severe cases and intensive care unit (ICU) admission as well as shortened length of hospital stay, and manifested favorable results in most of the laboratory testing. Viral loads in the ARB group were lower than those in the non-ARB group throughout the disease course. No significant difference in the time of seroconversion or antibody levels was observed between the two groups. The median levels of soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (sACE2) in serum and urine samples were similar in both groups, and there were no significant correlations between serum sACE2 and biomarkers of disease severity. Transcriptional analysis showed 125 differentially expressed genes which mainly were enriched in oxygen transport, bicarbonate transport, and blood coagulation. Our results suggest that ARB usage is not associated with aggravation of COVID-19. These findings support the maintenance of ARB treatment in hypertensive patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/blood , Antibodies, Viral/blood , Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Biomarkers , COVID-19/complications , China , Hypertension/drug therapy , Intensive Care Units , Length of Stay , Retrospective Studies , Transcriptome , Viral LoadABSTRACT
Objective:This study aimed to investigate the changes of ventricular repolarization index on ECG and its relationship between prognosis in patients with acute cerebral trauma.Methods:From January 2014 to January 2018, data of 289 consecutive patients with emergency traumatic brain injuries were prospectively collected and ultimately 219 cases were selected into the study group. Meanwhile, 220 healthy persons matched by age and sex served as the control group. ECG indexes such as P wave dispersion (Pd), corrected QT(QTc), Tp-e and Tp-e/QT were all measured and calculated in the 1st and 72th hour. The independent sample t test and paired t test were used to compare the changes of the above indexes on the 1st day and the control group, the 1st day and the 3rd day, respectively, and the association between ECG indexes and the illness severity or adverse events (MACE) of the trauma group during hospitalization. Results:QTc, Tpec and Tp-e/QT of the acute cerebral trauma group increased on the 3rd day compared with the control group and on the first day, the differences were statistically significant ( P all <0.05). Tp-ec and Tp-e/QT in patients with moderate to severe brain injury in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) were increased, and the differences were statistically significant (150.48±16.58 vs 130.14±11.86, P=0.006). 0.29±0.04 vs 0.23±0.03, P=0.030). Tpec and Tp-e/QT were significantly increased in acute brain truma patients with MACE during hospitalization compared with those without MACE (149.76±12.52 vs 128.84±12.47, P <0.001). 0.30±0.04 vs 0.21±0.03,<0.001). Conclusion:Tp-e and Tp-e/QT in patients with acute cerebral trauma are correlated to the severity of the disease, which could be used as short-term prognostic indicators under certain conditions.
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Objective To explore the molecular epidemiological characteristics of norovirus isolated from the patients with acute gastroenteritis in Zhejiang province during 2016.Methods The stool samples and clinical data of 1 308 patients with acute gastroenteritis were collected from January to December in 2016.The type Ⅰ and Ⅱ of norovirus in stool samples were detected by one-step double real-time RT-PCR.Some of the positive specimens were selected by stratified sampling and amplified by conventional RT-PCR,and the PCR products were sequenced for genotype identification and phylogenetic analysis.Results Among the samples studied the positive rate of norovirus was 10.55％ (138/1 308) in which 12 cases were GⅠ genotype,118 cases were G Ⅱ genotype and 8 cases were mixed infection of G Ⅰ/G Ⅱ genotypes.The positive rate of norovirus in different age groups decreased with the increased age of patients,and became the lowest in the patient group of more than or equal to 60 years old.There was no significant difference for the positive rates of norovirus in different genders.Norovirus infection was distributed throughout all the year with the peak value of positive rate (37.50％) in December.The sequence analysis demonstrated that G Ⅱ.4 and G Ⅱ.17 genotypes were the prevalent strains of G Ⅱ genotypes with proportions of 40.91％ (18/44) and 34.09％ (15/44),while GⅠ.6 genotype was the prevalent strain of GⅠ genotypes.Conclusion Norovirus should be the important pathogen causing acute gastroenteritis in Zhejiang province during 2016.G Ⅱ.4 and G Ⅱ.17 of norovirus may be the predominant epidemic genotypes.
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Objective To investigate the current status about the application of alteplase (rt-PA) for intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients,and clarify the relevant factors affecting patients'compliance of intravenous thrombolysis.Methods The acute ischemic stroke patients admitted in Department of Emergency,from January 2014 to December 2015 were recruited for study prospectively.After the patients with contraindications of thrombolysis were excluded,the eligible patients were divided into two groups,intravenous thrombolysis group (ITG) and non-intravenous thrombolysis group (NTG).Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine the optimal cutoff point and the crucial NIHSS score of patients for decision on thrombolysis therapy.Results There were 230 patients with acute ischemic stroke occurred in the period of two years.Of 189 eligible patients,33 refused the intravenous thrombolysis treatment (NTG) whereas 156 willing to take the intravenous thrombolysis treatment (ITG).The intravenous thrombolysis rate of eligible ischemic stroke patients reached to Henan Provincial People's Hospital within the time window (4.5 hours) was 67.8％ without contraindications.The results of the single-factor analysis for the patients of the two groups displayed that the differences in factors including age,baseline NIHSS score,limb weakness,hemiplegic paralysis,dysphasia,as well as dizziness were significant between two groups (t =2.578,P =0.047;U =157.221,P =0.000;x2 =26.702,P =0.000;x2=9.069,P =0.003;x2 =7.381,P =0.007;x2 =28.636,P =0.000).The ROC analysis demonstrated the relationship between the baseline NIHSS score and the patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis.When NIHSS score ＜ 7,patients tended to refuse the treatment with intravenous thrombolysis (sensitivity 0.87,specificity 0.82).Among the patients receiving intravenous thrombolysis,the significant differences in intracranial hemorrhage rate,hospitalization mortality rate and 3-month mortality rate were not found between the patients with baseline NIHSS score≥7 and score ＜7 (1.9％ vs.3.9％,P =0.662;1.9％ vs.7.8％,P =0.168 and 3.8％ vs.11.7％,P =0.142,respectively).However a higher rate of favorable prognosis (3-month modified Rankin Scale score ≤ 1) was observed in thrombolysis patients (75.5％ vs.41.7％,P =0.000).Conclusions Factors such as age,baseline NIHSS score,limb weakness,hemiplegic paralysis,dysphasia,as well as dizziness are supposed to be associated with patients' compliance of intravenous thrombolysis.
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To investigate the reperfusion time in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction [STEMI] in Henan Province, China, and discuss the strategies for shortening that period. The reperfusion times of 1556 STEMI cases in 30 hospitals in Henan Province were analyzed from January 2008 to August 2012, including 736 cases from provincial hospitals, 462 cases from municipal hospitals and 358 cases from country hospitals. The following data: Time period 1 [from symptom onset to first medical contact], Time period 2 [from first medical contact to diagnosis], Time period 3 [from the diagnosis to providing consent], Time period 4 [from the time of providing consent to the beginning of treatment] and Time period 5 [from the beginning of treatment to the patency] were recorded and analyzed. In patients receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention, the door-to-balloon time of provincial hospitals and municipal hospitals was 172 +/- 13 minutes and 251 +/- 14 minutes, respectively. The hospitals at both levels had a delay comparison of 90 minutes largely caused by the delay in the time for obtaining consent. In patients receiving thrombolysis treatment, the door-to-needle times of provincial hospitals, municipal hospitals and country hospitals were 86 +/- 7, 91 +/- 7 and 123 +/- 11 minutes, respectively. The hospitals at all levels had delays lasting more than 30 minutes, which was mainly attributed to the delay in the time for providing consent. Compared with the time required by the guidelines, the reperfusion time of patients with STEMI in China is evidently delayed. In terms of China's national conditions, the door-to-balloon time is too general. Therefore, we suggest refining this time as the first medical contact-diagnosis time, consent provision time, therapy preparation time and the start of therapy balloon time. Compared to the time required by the guidelines, the reperfusion time of patients with STEMI in China was obviously greater. In terms of China's national conditions, the door to balloon time is not applicable. So it is suggested to refine it as the first medical contact-diagnosis time, providing consent time, therapy prepare time and the start of therapy - balloon time
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Myocardial Reperfusion , Hospitals , Percutaneous Coronary InterventionABSTRACT
Object To select the endophytic fungi which produce vincristine by isolating fungi from the leaves of Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. Methods The endophytic fungi were isolated from the leaves of C. roseus and the zymotic extracts were analyzed by TLC and HPLC. Results An endophytic fungus which is Mycelia sterilia 97CY_3 can produce vincristine. The content of vincristine in the fungus was determined as 0.205 ?g/L by HPLC. Conclusion Some endophytic fungi isolated from C. roseus can produce the anticancer substance vincristine which is the same as that of host plant producing.