Reference value of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity for the eastern Chinese population and potential influencing factors

The present study was conducted to obtain reference values for brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and to evaluate influencing factors of baPWV according to gender. Using automatic devices, baPWV was measured simultaneously in 2095 subjects. A total of 647 healthy subjects, none of whom presented atherosclerotic risk factors, were analyzed in the present study. Two different statistical methods were used to obtain reference values for baPWV according to subject gender and age. The association between baPWV value and gender, as well as other features, were analyzed. For male subjects, multiple stepwise analysis showed that age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), and plasma levels of triglycerides (TG) were independent predictors of baPWV. For female subjects, age, SBP, HR, and plasma levels of uric acid (UA) were independent predictors of baPWV. In male subjects, the upper limits of baPWV values were 1497.43/1425.00, 1518.67/1513.25, 1715.97/1726.50, 1925.20/1971.90, and 2310.18/2115.00 cm/s, obtained using two different statistical methods for the age ranges of 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and older, respectively. For females, the upper limits of baPWV values were 1426.70/1411.13, 1559.15/1498.95, 1733.50/1739.00, 1958.63/1973.78, and 2720.80/2577.00 cm/s for the age ranges of 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and older, respectively. Aging is the most important influencing factor for baPWV value and its effect is more prominent in females. The reference values of baPWV according to age and gender may be useful for the clinical diagnosis and preventive therapy of cardiovascular diseases.

Helicobacter pylori infection enhances atherosclerosis in high-cholesterol diet fed C57BL/6 mice / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the impacts of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection on atherosclerosis and plasma lipid levels in high-cholesterol diet fed C57BL/6 mice.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 12 each): fed with normal chow diet (A), infected with H. pylori (B), fed with high-cholesterol diet (C) and infected with H. pylori and fed with high-cholesterol diet (D). After 52 weeks, plasma levels of lipids were measured and aortic atherosclerosis was observed. The ureA, ureC, cagA and vacA DNA were also detected by PCR in the aortic arteries.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>(1) Prevalence of atherosclerosis was similar between group C and D (91.6% vs. 100%, P > 0.05) while there was no atherosclerosis in group A and B. H. pylori infected mice showed more obvious inflammation in gastric mucosa than mice without H. pylori infection. (2) The plasma levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol and LDL were higher and HDL was lower in group B, C and D than those in group A and in group D than in group C (all P < 0.05). (3) Roberts & Thompson scores and number of foam cells in plaques were significantly higher in group D compared with those in group C (all P < 0.05). (4) ureC DNA was detected in 5 out of 12 aortic arteries of mice in group D but not in group A, B and C.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results suggested that H. pylori infection might enhance the atherosclerotic lesion formation in this mouse model.</p>

Development of a nitric oxide inhaling equipment cooperated with the ventilator synchronously / 中国医疗器械杂志

A nitric oxide inhaling equipment cooperated with the ventilator synchronously, is introduced in this paper. This equipment monitors the inspiratory flow of the ventilator by a gas flow meter, and works out the flow value of NO on the therapeutic condition using the formula of gas dilution. Then its mass flow controller controls the flow of NO and delivers it to the respiratory circuit. At the same time, the concentrations of NO and NO2 are detected by the electrochemical NO/NO2 sensors before the therapeutic gas enters into the patient. The experimental result shows that this equipment can work with the ventilator in-phase periodically, the volume of E/(I+E) NO be saved, and the output of NO2 < or = 0.7 x 10(-6). Thus the equipment not only has realized the intellectual monitoring and gas-dispensing, but also has improved the precision of inhaled NO concentration with a better reliability and security during the therapy.

Establishment and application of fluorescent quantitative PCR method for detecting human herpes virus type 6 / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish fluorescent quantitative PCR method for detecting human herpes virus type 6 (HHV6).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the specific sequence of human herpes virus type 6 genes, the primers and the fluorescent probe (TaqMan) were designed and synthesized. The fragment generated from HHV 6 gene as template was cloned into the pMD18-T vector which was constructed from the pUC 18. And the positive recombinant plasmid was 1:10 diluted and used as standard quantitative template to make the standard curve for sample detection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The standard curve indicated the linear relationship between Ct (cycle threshold) and template concentration. The clinical samples from 135 cases were detected by this system, 16 cases among 135 were positive.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The fluorescent quantitative PCR method for the detection of human herpes virus type 6 is simple and accurate, and this method may be helpful to clinical diagnosis.</p>

Significance of detecting platelet associated antibody and platelet membrane glycoprotein for diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenia / 中国实验血液学杂志

The aim of this study was to explore application value of detecting platelet associated antibody and platelet membrane glycoprotein in the diagnosis and prognosis for immune thrombocytopenia. The platelet associated immunoglobulin (PAIg) and platelet membrane glycoprotein (CD41, CD61, GPIIb/IIIa) in 76 cases of immune thrombocytopenia and 30 healthy subjects were determined by FCM. The results showed that PAIg level in ITP patients included PAIgG (31.25 +/- 18.06)%, PAIgM (32.41 +/- 15.51)%, PAIgA (23.39 +/- 16.67)% which were remarkedly higher than in health control (10.48 +/- 5.05)%, (9.40 +/- 4.42)% and (7.23 +/- 3.61)% (P < 0.001). In patients with secondary immune thrombocytopenia (chronic aplastic anemia, SLE, Evans syndrome, liver cirrhosis hypersplenism, etc), PAIg level was higher than that in control group, while the platelet membrane glycoprotein in the blood of these patients was lower than that in control group. The level of PAIg decreased (P < 0.05) after treatment, but platelet membrane glycoprotein increased (P < 0.01). The result suggested that measurements for platelet membrane glycoprotein and platelet associated antibody by FCM were practical with high sensitivity, rapidity and simplicity used as a routine method in diagnosis and evaluation of the therapeutic effects in immune thrombocytopenia patients.