Clinical features and risk factors of recurrent acute pancreatitis / 中华胰腺病杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics and to analyze the risk factors of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP).Methods:The clinical data of 3 022 patients with AP from AP database of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University between January 2013 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. According to with or without AP relapse and RAP diagnostic criteria, the patients were divided into initial group ( n=2 187) and recurrent group ( n=835). General characteristics, clinical data, and prognostic indicators were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the risk factors of RAP. Results:The proportion of men, previous biliary disease, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and previous gallbladder or biliary surgery in recurrent group were significantly higher, while the mean age was significantly lower than that of the initial group. The main causes in the initial group successively were biliary disorders, hyperlipidemia and alcohol, while in the recurrent group were hyperlipidemia, biliary disorders and alcohol. The etiology of hyperlipidemia was significantly higher in the recurrent group than in initial group. The incidence of MAP and regional portal hypertension was significantly higher in the recurrent group, while the incidence of SAP and acute respiratory distress syndrome were significantly lower than those in the initial group, and all the differences were statistically significant(All P value <0.001). The results of the correlation analysis showed that there was no correlation between the severity of RAP and the number of recurrence, and the risk of SAP in RAP did not decrease with the increasing number of recurrence. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that previous biliary disorders ( OR=1.303, 95% CI 1.032-1.645, P=0.026), previous history of hyperlipidemia ( OR=2.631, 95% CI 1.580-4.379, P<0.001), and the etiology of hyperlipidemia ( OR=1.773, 95% CI 1.465-2.145, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for RAP. Conclusions:RAP may often occur in middle-aged men and hyperlipidemia is the main cause of RAP, previous history of hyperlipidemia and biliary disease are risk factors for RAP.

Predictive analysis of the number of hospitalized patients with acute pancreatitis based on time series model / 中华胰腺病杂志

Objective:To predict and analyze the number of acute pancreatitis (AP) inpatients based on time series model, and to explore the predictive efficiency of the model.Methods:Clinical data of AP inpatients in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from January 2014 to December 2019 were collected. R software was used to collect the time series of AP inpatients, and the trend and seasonal characteristics of AP inpatients from 2014 to 2018 were analyzed. Furthermore, the autoregressive moving average (ARIMA) model was established through stationarity test, model ordering and model testing steps, and the best selected model was used to predict the monthly number of inpatients in 2019 to verify its prediction efficiency.Results:A total of 3 939 AP patients were included in the study. The most common etiology for AP was cholestrogenic (48.2%), followed by hyperacylglyceremia (36.3%). The peak age of hospitalization was from 40 to 60 years old. Time series analysis showed that the number of AP inpatients increased year by year. The highest peak of the disease was from February to March, followed by September to November; and there was seasonal variation and the incidence was relatively small in summer. The established original training set sequence did not pass the stationarity test ( P=0.061), so the ARIMA model was established after it was transformed into a stationarity sequence by first-order difference. According to the criterion of minimum AIC value, ARIMA(2, 1, 1)(1, 1, 1) 12 was selected as the best model. The model was used to predict the number of AP inpatients in 2019, showing that it could better fit the trend of onset time and had good short-term prediction effect. The mean root error and absolute error were 6.8790 and 4.7783, respectively. Conclusions:The number of AP inpatients increases year by year with seasonal changes. ARIMA model is effective in predicting the number of AP inpatients and can be used for short-term prediction.

Effect and elimination methods of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia on the chemiluminescent detection of HBsAg / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective Investigate the effect of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia on the detection of HBsAg by chemiluminescence and its elimination methods.Methods Case control study.The HBsAg in human serum was detected in 200 cases of hyperbilirubinemia neonates who were hospitalized in Beijing Children's Hospital,Capital Medical University from July 2015 to May 2016 and whose serum total bilirubin level exceeded 200 μmol/L.The positive serum was further detected by 16 200×g high-spoed centrifugation or blue light irradiation for 8 hours,and the results of re-assay of HBsAg were recorded.The retest positive serum wastested for HBV DNA load and checked the results of their mother's examination in HBV.136 adult serum samples with total bilirubin levels exceeding 200 μmol/L in the Peking University First Hospital,were taken as reference to compare the influence of hyperbilirubinemia between adults and newborns on the determination of HBsAg.Results The median level of serum total bilirubin in neonates was 259.0 μ mol/L (226.5,312.5);median level of indirect bilirubin 244.1 μmol / L(212.5,295.8).Median level of serum total bilirubin in adults 356.4 μmol/L(295.9,435.1);median level ofindirect bilirubin 137.1 μmol/L (107.8,172.7).The HBsAg test was negative in adults,11 cases (5.5％) were positive in newborns,their" HBV DNA load was less than＜100 IU/ml.Among them,9 have inoculated hepatitis B vaccine and 2 were unknown.10 of 11 mothers of infants were healthy and 1 was positive for HBsAg,HBeAb,HBcAb.2 of the 11 positive specimens turned negative of HBsAg after high-speed centrifugation.In addition to high speed centrifugation,4 cases turned negative after blue light irradiation.5 cases remained positive after high speed centrifugation and blue light irradiation.Conclusions Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia,which is different from that of adults,is mainly caused by indirectly bilirubin increased,which is one of the main reasons for false positive detection of HBsAg by chemiluminescence in neonates.High-speed centrifugation and blue light irradiation can eliminate the influence of serum indirect bilirubin on the detection of HBsAg to the greatest extent.

Application of whole genome sequencing technology and bioinformatics analysis in antimicrobial resistance researches / 生物工程学报

The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance has become a serious global issue. Bacterial characteristics, such as antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence-associated genes, plasmid types, and phylogenetic relationship among different strains, are the keys to unravel the occurrence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. However, the accuracy and efficiency of the traditional techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction and pulsed field gel electrophoresis is insufficient to underlying the mystery of antimicrobial resistance. Recently, the whole genome sequencing and high-throughput bioinformatics analysis have been successfully used in antimicrobial resistance studies, helping scientists to obtain the nature of antimicrobial resistance bacteria quickly, and more precisely to paint the evolutionary relationship among different strains. Therefore, in this study, we aim to systematically introduce the recent development of whole genome sequencing analysis, including different methods and corresponding characteristics of library preparation, platform sequencing, data analysis, and the latest application of the technology in the antimicrobial resistance research. We hope that this review can provide more comprehensive knowledge about whole genome sequencing and bioinformatic analysis for antimicrobial resistance research.

Preliminary study on the safety of liver transplantation recipients with Rh blood group mismatching / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective@#To explore the safety of liver transplantation recipients with Rh blood group mismatchming.@*Methods@#From May 2005 to December 2018, 1 546 cases of liver transplantation in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Among these cases, 5 cases of Rh blood group mismatched were Rh(-) recipients receiving Rh(+ ) donor liver. For each Rh blood group mismatched liver transplantation, 5 patients received the same Rh blood group liver allograft were matched according to a certain principle and were defined as Rh-mismatch group and Rh-match group respectively. The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and creatinine(SCr)were compared between two groups at Days 7 & 14 post-operation. Serum total bilirubin(TB), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT)were compared between two groups at Month 1, 6 & 12 post-operation. Hemoglobin (Hb)were compared between two groups Month 1, 3 & 6 post-operation. The rates of infection, vascular complications and acute rejection was also compared. Indirect antiglobulin test (IAT)was used for detecting the production of anti-RhD antibody in patients in Rh-mismatch group at Month 1, 6 & 12 post-operation.@*Results@#At the mentioned time, no significant inter-group difference existed in serum ALT, AST, SCr, TB, GGT and blood Hb levels(all P>0.05); Also, no significant difference existed in the incidence of infection, vascular complications or acute rejection(all P>0.05). In Rhmismatch group, 4 recipients received Rh(+ )RBC transfusion during perioperative period and no hemolytic anemia occurred after operation. Rh(D) antibody was negative at all timepoints.@*Conclusions@#Taking into account the rarity of Rh-negative blood group in Chinese, it is safe and feasible to carry out Rh blood group mismatched liver transplantation when donor or recipient with the same Rh blood group is not available.

Laboratory diagnosis and research progress of Lyme disease / 中华检验医学杂志

Lyme disease is a natural zoonotic disease transmitted by the bite of tick. The clinical manifestations of Lyme disease are complex and varied, and it is easy to be misdiagnosed. Based on the review of the background knowledge of Lyme disease, this paper reviews the current situation of its diagnosis and the research progress of detection.

Laboratory diagnosis and research progress of Lyme disease / 中华检验医学杂志

Lyme disease is a natural zoonotic disease transmitted by the bite of tick. The clinical manifestations of Lyme disease are complex and varied, and it is easy to be misdiagnosed. Based on the review of the background knowledge of Lyme disease, this paper reviews the current situation of its diagnosis and the research progress of detection.

Preliminary study on the safety of liver transplantation recipients with Rh blood group mismatching / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective To explore the safety of liver transplantation recipients with Rh blood group mismatchming .Methods From May 2005 to December 2018 ,1546 cases of liver transplantation in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed . Among these cases ,5 cases of Rh blood group mismatched were Rh(-) recipients receiving Rh(+ ) donor liver .For each Rh blood group mismatched liver transplantation ,5 patients received the same Rh blood group liver allograft were matched according to a certain principle and were defined as Rh-mismatch group and Rh-match group respectively .The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT ) ,aspartate aminotransferase (AST ) and creatinine(SCr)were compared between two groups at Days 7 & 14 post-operation .Serum total bilirubin(TB) ,gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT)were compared between two groups at Month 1 , 6 & 12 post-operation .Hemoglobin (Hb)were compared between two groups Month 1 ,3 & 6 post-operation . The rates of infection ,vascular complications and acute rejection was also compared . Indirect antiglobulin test (IAT)was used for detecting the production of anti-RhD antibody in patients in Rh-mismatch group at Month 1 ,6 & 12 post-operation .Results At the mentioned time ,no significant inter-group difference existed in serum ALT ,AST ,SCr ,TB ,GGT and blood Hb levels (all P>0 .05);Also ,no significant difference existed in the incidence of infection ,vascular complications or acute rejection(all P> 0 .05) .In Rhmismatch group ,4 recipients received Rh (+ )RBC transfusion during perioperative period and no hemolytic anemia occurred after operation .Rh(D) antibody was negative at all timepoints .Conclusions Taking into account the rarity of Rh-negative blood group in Chinese ,it is safe and feasible to carry out Rh blood group mismatched liver transplantation when donor or recipient with the same Rh blood group is not available .

Antibiotic resistance in environment of animal farms / 生物工程学报

World Health Organization has recognized antibiotic resistance is one of the serious threats to public health and food-safety in the 21st century. Recently, the antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) has been widely considered as a new pollutant. Now, many studies suggested that animal farm is one of the major reservoirs of ARGs. Antibiotic resistance bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes enter the environment along with animal excrement, accelerating the spread of ARGs in the environment. In the livestock and poultry breeding environment, ARGs and antibiotic resistant bacteria could be transmitted to humans through the food chain, water or air, posing a great threat to public health. This review highlights the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistant genes in livestock-breeding environment, the retention and spread of ARGs and the method used to study the antibiotic resistance, which will provide certain support for risk assessment of antimicrobial resistance in food animal breeding environment.

Therapeutic effect of cannabidiol on methionine-choline deficient diet-induced nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in rats and its mechanism / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To observe whether treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) affect nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) induced by methionine choline-deficient diet (MCD) in rats and investigate the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods Sixty-three adult male SD rats were randomly divided in to three groups as follows: Control group (rats fed with normal diet), MCD group (rats fed with MCD and MCD+CBD group [rats fed with MCD and treated with cannabidiol, 2mg/(kg.d), i.p.]. Ten weeks later, steatohepatitis and fibrosis were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin and Masson staining, respectively. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured by using an automatic biochemical analyzer and hepatic levels of cholesterol and triacylglycerol were determined with kits. Autophagic flux in livers was evaluated by Western blotting. Results Treatment with cannabidiol reduced ratio of liver/body weightratio (4.2%±0.6% versus 3.1%±0.6%, P<0.05), histological scores (4.7±1.1 versus 2.2±0.5, P<0.05) and fibrosis (1.4%±0.4% versus 0.8%±0.3%, P<0.05) in rat livers, lowered levels of ALT (214.5±54.1U/L versus 92.1±36.0U/L, P<0.05) and AST (175.9±55.2U/L versus 70.8±24.9U/L, P<0.05) in serum, attenuated hepatic fat accumulation (cholesterol, 182.4±42.7mmol/mg protein versus 101.0±33.8mmol/mg protein, P<0.05; triglyceride, 71.4±12.5mmol/mg protein versus 38.7±11.1mmol/mg protein, P<0.05), and down-regulated mRNA expression of Col1A1 (2.9±0.4 versus 1.6±0.3, P<0.05) in livers of rats fed with MCD. Furthermore, cannabidiol led to the LC3 turnover (LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-I, 37.1±10.8 versus 71.2±17.1, P<0.05) and p62 decrease (202.4±40.9 versus 125.8±32.7, P<0.05) in the livers of MCD-fed rats. Conclusion Treatment with cannabidiol could relieve MCD-induced NASH in rats, at least in part, by autophagic flux promotion.

Probing into clinical anatomy teaching of abdominal surgery by organ procurement and back-table operation / 中华医学教育探索杂志

The understanding of anatomical structures and their adjacent relationship is the founda-tion and key to the development of surgical skills and clinical thinking. In clinical teaching for residents and graduate students , we took the advantage of donor operations in organ transplantation and showed abdominal anal operations anatomical features and relationships through different view angles and compre-hensive ways. This new teaching approach was designed in accordance with processes of organ donation, procurement and back-table operation. The main contents included anatomy of abdominal wall layers, rela-tionships among abdominal organs, locations and courses of important structure, as well as medical human-istic education. In the context of organ donation becoming more and more popular and standardized after the cardiac death of Chinese citizens, this teaching approach is worth exploring.

Research progress of stem cell-derived exosomes / 中国医师杂志

Exosomes are generated by endosomal pathway when the multivesicular bodies fuse with the plasma membrane.Exosomes modulate gene regulatory network by transforming biological proteins,mRNA or miRNA to receptor cells.The research progress of stem cell-derived exosomes in the application of tissue repair and regeneration is reviewed in this paper.

Two tests to detect anti-double stranded DNA antibodies in the diagnostic value of systemic lupus erythematosus / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective To investigate the concurrent application value of indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods A retrospective study.All patients who took anti-double stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibody test from June 1 2011 to September 30 2011 in our department were recruited in this study.The patients' anti-dsDNA antibody results and clinical diagnosis were collected and analyzed retrospectively.The consistence,sensitivity and specificity of IIF and ELISA tests were calculated and the consistence was compared by Kappa test.Results The positive rates of detecting anti-dsDNA antibodies by ELISA and IIF tests were 16.3％ and 13.1％ respectively.The consistency between these two tests was 90.8％,and showed good correlation by Kappa test (Kappa =0.641,P ＜ 0.05 ).Of 9.2％ of inconsistent results between IIF andi ELISA,most cases ( 6.2％ ) were ELISA positive and IIF negative.Taking the clinical diagnosis of lupus as a golden standard,the accuracy of IIF and ELISA was 84.8％ and 84.4％ respectively and the difference was no significant (x2 =0.25,P ＞ 0.05 ).The sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing lupus by IIF were 46.1％ and 99.2％,and 51.3％ and 96.7％ by ELISA.Conclusions Our results suggested that anti-dsDNA antibodies in samples should be detected by both ELISA and IIF tests simultaneously.If ELISA was used first and the positive samples were further tested by IIF,at least 3％ of ELISA negative and IIF positive samples would be misdiagnosed as anti-dsDNA antibodies negative.IIF negative and ELISA positive samples should be further analyzed the affinity of anti-dsDNA antibodies in order to help the diagnosis and evaluation of SLE.

Technological refinement for reconstruction of liver outflow vein of right liver lobe graft in adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation without middle hepatic vein / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective To investigate some improvements in the surgical techniques of adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation( A-A LDLT) without the middle hepatic vein(MHV) for hepat-ic vein reconstruction. Methods The retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 11 recipi-ents who underwent the operation in A-A LDLT including the hepatic vein reconstructed in right liver lobe without MHV from June 2007 to January 2008. The key techniques included reconstructing out-flow of graft on shaping the tips of vena cava and right hepatic veins, cadaveric vein allografts stored in 4℃ UW solution within 7d being used for significant-sized hepatic vein reconstruction such as tributa-ries of the middle hepatic vein from V5, V8 and right inferior hepatic vein. Results 10 cases success-fully underwent reconstruction of outflow of graft on shaping the tips of vena cava and right hepatic veins and the outflow reconstruction ratio of V5, V8 and right inferior hepatic vein was 81. 8% (9/11), 7 one-vein reconstruction, 1 two-vein reconstruction and 1 three-vein reconstruction. 1 recipient died of renal failure and pulmonary infection 14 days after operation without venous outflow obstruc-tion. Doppler ultrasonography showed no thrombosis and the blood flowed smoothly in the right he-patic vein of other 8 recipients during the 9th to 15th mouth of follow-up. The cumulative patency rates of these 8 survivals for interposition vein grafts were 100% (11/11), 72. 7 %(8/11), 54. 5%(6/11) and 36. 5%(4/11) in 1, 3, 6 and 9 mouths, respectively. The regeneration of paramedian sectors was equivalent. Conclusion Shaping the tips of vena cava and right hepatic veins and using cadaveric vein allografts in adult-to-adult right lobe living donor liver transplantation for hepatic vein reconstruc-tion are both safe,simple and effective methods.This approach can be recommended.

Experience in liver retransplantation in 28 cases / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective To summarize the clinical experience in liver retransplantation. Methods The clinical data of 24 patients receiving liver retransplantation 28 times in this hospital were retrospectively analyzed and discussed with relevant literature. Results Among the 880 consecutive liver transplantations, 28(3.18%) had liver retransplantation. The causes of liver retransplantation were biliary complications ( 16 cases, 57. 1%), carcinoma recurrece (6 cases, 21. 4%), hepatic artery thrombosis (4 cases, 14. 3%), chronic rejection (1 case, 3. 6%), primary nonfunction (1 case, 3.6%). Thirteen patients among the 24 were discharged healthy and were followed up for 51days to 67months. Eleven patients died. Three of them died of hemorrhagic shock, 2 of septic shock, 2 of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence, 2 of cardiovascular system complication, 1of nervous system complication, and 1 of hepatic artery thrombosis. Conclusion Liver retransplantation can effectively save patients with graft failure. Proper indication, optimal operating time, improvement of operative skills,and appropriate treatment during the perioperative period are very important for promoting the rate of successful liver retransplantation.

Preventive effects of vitamin K2 on tumor recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after radical resection / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective To study the preventive effects of vitamin K2 on tumor recurrence in patients with hepatocellalar carcinoma (HCC) after radical resection. Methods The clinical data of 50 patients with HCC who received radical resection from March 2006 to March 2007 in No. 181 Hospital of PLA were analyzed retrospec-tively. All the patients were divided into 2 groups according to the random number table. Twenty-six patients in vitamin K2 group were administered with menatetrenone (45 mg per day), and the rest 24 pateints were in the control group. The accumulative and tumor-free survival rates, differences between the 2 groups, multivariate factors for prognosis were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier curve, Log-rank test and Cox regression model, respectively. Results During a period of 36 month follow-up, 10 patients died and 28 had tunor recurrence. The 1-, 2-, 3-year accumulative survival rates were 96%, 92% and 83% in vitamin K2 group, and 96%, 82% and 63% in control group (χ2 = 3.61, P > 0.05). The 1-, 2-, 3-year tumor-free survival rates were 92%, 60% and 38% in vitamin K2 group, and 75%, 42% and 12% in control group, with significant difference between the 2 groups (χ2 =5.61, P <0.05). Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that without taking menate-trenone, the preoperative level of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) ≥800 μg/L and vascular invasion were the indepen-dent risk factors for tumor recurrence. Conclusions Vitamin K2 has a suppressive effect on tumor recurrence of HCC, while patients with AFP≥800 μg/L before operation or with vascular invasion have poor prognosis.

Observation on cold-stored rat Hver flushed with self-designed multi-organ preservation solution / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective To study the effect of serf-designed multi-organ preservation solution(SMO)on cold-stored rat liver.Methods The rat livers were preserved with SMO solution(group A,n=15),UW solution(group B,n=15)and HC-A solution(group C,n=15),respectively.The livers were transplanted orthotopically after 6-,12-,24-hour preservation.The changes of liver function at hour 12 after transplantation were detected and conditions of the survived rats at day 14 after transplantation were observed.Results There was no morphological change of the livers in group A within 24 houm.The total bilimbin,alaninetransaminase,and hyaluronic acid increased in group A and B as the preservation time increased,but the levels of the 3 indexes of group A were significant lower than those in group C(F=49.027,70.280,34.349,71.532,446.544,303.408,P＜0.05).No rat djed in group A 14 days after liver transplantation.Conclusions SMO and UW solution have similar effect on protecting the liver.and the protective effect of the 2 solutioas was better than that of HC-A solution.

Liver transplantation for cholangiocarcinoma in 6 patients / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic effects of liver transplantation (LT) for cholangiocarcinoma(CC)and analyze the prognostic factors.Methods From December 2001 to December 2006,234 patients receiving LT for hepatic carcinoma in our institute were enrolled as a basis of comparative study for 6 CC patients undergoing LT during the same period.Results These 6 patients were followed-up from 1 to 56 months.Five patients died and one recurred.The 0.5-,1-and 2-year patient cumulative survival rates were 4/6,3/6 and 1/6,respectively.The 0.5-,1-and 2-year tumor-free survival rates were 3/6,2/6 and 1/6,respectively.The average patient or tumor-free survival time were both(14±4) months.Conclusion The prognosis of cholangioearcinoma patients after LT iS poor.

Levels of antibody against Legionella pneumophila serotype 1 to 14 in serums of 1212 patients / 临床检验杂志

Objective This study was designed to investigate positive rate of serum antibody and the distribution of serotypes of Legionella pneumophila in the patients of author's hospital for recent 5 years.Methods All the inspecting results of antibodies in the 1212 serums by indirect immunofluorescence from Jan 1, 2003 to Oct 31, 2007 were reviewed. The clinical information of patients was collected.Results 163 serums were positive (13.5%). Serotype 4 had the highest positive rate of 12.0% followed by serotype 12 (8.5%), 5 (7.8%), 14 (6.1%), 10 (5.9%). Three simultaneously positive serotypes were dominant (21.0%), and 4 or 5 simultaneously positive serotypes were common. In all departments, the highest positive rate (23.3%) was in respiratory ward, in which serotype 4 and 12 were the most (19.0% and 17.2%, respectively).Conclusions Serotype 4 was the most common type of Legionella pneumophila in serotype 1-14. Cross reaction could exist between Legionella pneumophila and other pathogenic microorganism or in different serotypes.

Plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels in elderly patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction / 老年心脏病学杂志（英文版）

To investigate plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-BNP) levels and to assess their clinical significance in elderly patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction. Methods Plasma NT-BNP level were measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay in 34 symptomatic patients (Group 1), 34 asymptomatic patients (Group 2) with isolated diastolic dysfunction, and in 16elderly healthy subjects (control group, Group 3), serving controls. Colored Doppler echocardiography was performed to evaluate the patients' cardiac structures and functions. Results The plasma NT-BNP level in Group 1 was significantly higher than those in Group 2 and Group 3 and increased with the severity of heart failure. There was no significant difference of plasma NT-BNP levels between Group 2 and Group 3 (p＞0.05). A NT-BNP value of 102.75 pg/mL showed a sensitivity of 88.2%, a specificity of 87.5%, and an accuracy of 88.1% for diagnosing diastolic dysfunction. Patients with restrictive filling pattern on echocardiography had higher NTBNP levels than those of impaired relaxation pattern (1961.2±304.9 versus 460. 1±92.7pg/mL, p＜0.001). Conclusion The elevation of plasma NT-BNP level in elderly patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction correlates with the severity of their diastolic abnormalities.The level of plasma NT-BNP has an important clinical value in the diagnosis of elderly patients with isolated diastolic dysfunction.