A case of systemic amyloidosis beginning with purpura / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Primary systemic amyloidosis is a relatively rare disease, caused when abnormal extracellular deposition of fibrillary protein builds up in a variety of target organs, such as heart, kidneys, lungs liver, and so forth. The symptoms of the disease are usually vague, while many kinds of auxiliary or laboratory examinations especially pathologic biopsy can provide a clue for the diagnosis. Here we described a case who had purpura-like lesions in the initial stage, followed by progressive malfunctions in the kidneys, the heart, the lungs, as well as the liver. The final diagnosis was primary systemic amyloidosis determined by skin pathologic biopsy. And the disease led to a fatal outcome within three months after the diagnosis.

A rare case of tricuspid valve thrombus with acute pulmonary embolism / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

The development of thrombus on the tricuspid valve is very rare. This report describes a case of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) with a mass on the tricuspid valve in a normal heart, detected by bedside transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). After successful surgical management, the histopathological examination revealed the mass from the tricuspid valve to be mixed thrombus. The early use of bedside TTE can facilitate the prompt diagnosis and aggressive therapy when PE is suspected.

The effect of radial artery on coronary bypass surgery in patients aged 65 years and older / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of autologous radial artery (RA) on coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the elderly aged 65 years and older.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three hundreds and twenty-two patients aged 65 years and older underwent CABG with autologous RA from January 2000 to March 2007. Peri-operative complication and mortality were observed and follow-up was performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three hundreds and forty-four RA grafts including 300 cases of single and 22 cases of bilateral RA were collected. The total number of distal anastomosis was 974, with the mean of (3.0 +/- 0.4). The mean of RA distal anastomosis was (1.1 +/- 0.4). There were 321 single, 16 Y or T composite and 7 sequential grafts of RA constructed. The distal end of RA was anastomosed to right coronary artery system for 234 times, to obtuse marginal for 95 times, to diagonal or intermediate ramous artery for 22 times. The proximal end of RA was anastomosed to aorta for 328 times, to left internal mammary artery for 9 times and to saphenous vein for 7 times. Only 13 patients manifested transient paresthesia in the area of radial aspect of thumb and no other complication occurred in the forearm. During hospitalization, 7 patients died. No patient died after the follow-up of (46.5 +/- 6.7) months. Seventy-three patients were performed with coronary angiography postoperatively. It was showed by coronary angiography that all RA conduits were patent after the duration of (47.5 +/- 11.2) months after CABG.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Utilization of RA to CABG in the elderly is safe and effective.</p>

Effects of C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor-alpha on mRNA expression of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A in monocytes / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) is increased in acute coronary syndrome patients and related to prognosis. We investigated the effects of C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on PAPP-A mRNA expression in monocytes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Monocytes were isolated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation from blood of healthy volunteers. The PAPP-A expressions at mRNA level post CRP or rhTNF-alpha stimulation were measured by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>PAPP-A mRNA expression in peripheral blood monocytes increased 2 hours (0.2128 +/- 0.0136) and peaked 24 hours (0.6837 +/- 0.1360) after CRP (20 mg/L) stimulation compared with control group (0.1842 +/- 0.0101). PAPP-A mRNA expression increased rapidly, peaked 2 hours (1.2546 +/- 0.0866) and remained elevated up to 24 hours (0.8203 +/- 0.0413) after rhTNF-alpha (100 ng/ml) stimulation. The effects of CRP and TNF-alpha were dose-dependent. PAPP-A mRNA expression of monocytes were 0.2544 +/- 0.0611, 0.4177 +/- 0.1200, 0.5828 +/- 0.0152, 0.6837 +/- 0.1360 after stimulated with CRP (1, 5, 10, 20 mg/L), and 0.2424 +/- 0.1378, 0.3335 +/- 0.0196, 0.5742 +/- 0.0131, 0.6913 +/- 0.0219 and 0.8203 +/- 0.0413 after stimulated with rhTNF-alpha (5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 ng/ml). Actinomycin D, the DNA-directed RNA polymerase inhibitor, completely blocked CRP and TNF-alpha induced PAPP-A expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>PAPP-A mRNA expression could be stimulated by CRP and TNF-alpha in human peripheral blood monocytes which might be responsible for the increased serum PAPP-A level in patients with acute coronary syndromes.</p>