Association of serum cardiac troponin I and severity of coronary stenosis in patients with varied renal functions: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent studies showed cardiac troponin I (cTnI) might be a non-invasive biomarker to estimate the severity of coronary stenosis. However, serum cTnI is also found associated with renal function. The study objective is to analyse the association of serum cTnI and severity of coronary stenosis in patients with varied renal functions. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. POPULATION: A total of 6487 subjects who underwent elective coronary angiography between January 2017 to June 2020 were involved in this study. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: Severity of coronary stenosis was divided into three degrees based on Gensini score, mild coronary stenosis, moderate coronary stenosis and severe coronary stenosis. RESULTS: By using ordinal logistic regression, serum cTnI was associated with severity of coronary stenosis (OR=1.14, p<0.05). By construction and comparison of two models for predicting severity of coronary stenosis, the addition of cTnI significantly improved the predictive ability of the model. Differences between areas under the curves were 0.03, 0.03, 0.03, 0.12 (all p<0.05). Net reclassification improvements were 0.08, 0.05, 0.05, 0.35, respectively, in varied renal functions. Compared with the participants with normal renal function and without hypertroponinaemia, groups of participants with hypertroponinaemia showed higher ORs. ORs were 3.52, 4.20, 4.45, 6.00, respectively, as renal function decreased (all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of patients with stable coronary artery disease and varied renal functions, cTnI was intensely associated with severity of coronary stenosis which based on Gensini score. The presentation of hypertroponinaemia in patients with impaired renal function always indicates a higher risk of severe coronary stenosis.

Correction: A simple and straightforward synthesis of phenyl isothiocyanates, symmetrical and unsymmetrical thioureas under ball milling.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/C3RA43252A.].

[Progress on classification and application of artificial hip joint materials].

The selection of the prosthetic material determine the success or failure of hip arthroplasty. Currently, the metals, ceramics, polymer composites and carbon materials are the main prosthetic materials of artificial hip joint. They have some progresses in biocompatibility, elastic modulus,mechanical properties, useful life, but they still can't reach the ideal standard of design. In this essay, we mainly review the characteristics and applications of the current artificial hip joint materials through its classification in order to provide a reference for choosing appropriate hip joint materials in clinic and increasing characteristic of materials. We consider the polymer composites has more advantages such as biocompatibility, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and price, even if it has shortages in abrasion resistance. As the researches of polymer composites are main focus on abrasion resistance, articular surface and strength,and its performances are increased fast, it has a wide prospect in future.

[Case-control study on isometric quadriceps femoris contraction exercises for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical effects of knee osteoarthritis with the treatment of the isometric quadriceps femoris contraction exercises, which aims at establishing the exercise prescription of knee osteoarthritis,and promoting its clinical application. METHODS: From January 2008 to September 2010, 120 patients with knee osteoarthritis were divided into two groups according to visiting sequence, including 39 males and 81 females, ranging in age from 40 to 85 years, with an average of 62.50 years, the disease course ranged from 1 month to 30 years. There were 60 patients in the therapeutic group, including 21 males and 39 females, ranging in age from 40 to 85 years, with an average of (62.27 +/- 8.99) years, the disease course ranged from 2 months to 30 years; and the patients were treated with intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate and isometric quadriceps femoris contraction exercises for treatment. There were 60 patients in the control group; including 18 males and 42 females, ranging in age from 41 to 80 years, with an average of (62.72 +/- 8.34) years, the disease course ranged from 1 month to 30 years; and the patients were treated with conventional intra-articular injection of sodium hyaluronate. The index such as the pains,functions and articular dropsy of the knees were observed and the clinical effects were compared respectively. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up, and the duration ranged from 1 to 3 years, with an average of 18 months. According to standard of JOA about evaluating the therapeutic effects of knee osteoarthritis: in the therapeutic group, 12 patients got an excellent result, 33 good, 14 poor and 1 bad; and in the control group, 7 patients got an excellent result, 14 good, 31 poor and 8 bad. The clinical results of therapeutic group was better than that of control group. There were 7 recurrent cases in the therapeutic group and 31 recurrent cases in the control group; the recurrence rate in therapeutic group was lower than that of control group. CONCLUSION: The isometric quadriceps femoris contraction exercises has obvious effect in alleviating the symptoms, improving joint function, strengthening the joint stability and slowing down joint degeneration process for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, which has a good effect in the long-term clinical effects.

Hepatitis B virus infection and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Epidemiological studies have provided overwhelming evidence for a causal role of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the pathogenesis of HBV infection and carcinogenesis of HBV-associated HCC are still elusive. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the mechanisms involved in HBV-related liver carcinogenesis. The role of HBV in tumor formation appears to be complex, and may involve both direct and indirect mechanisms. Integration of HBV DNA into the host genome occurs at early steps of clonal tumor expansion, and it has been shown to enhance the host chromosomal instability, leading to large inverted duplications, deletions and chromosomal translocations. It has been shown that the rate of chromosomal alterations is increased significantly in HBV-related tumors. Prolonged expression of the viral regulatory HBV x protein may contribute to regulating cellular transcription, protein degradation, proliferation, and apoptotic signaling pathways, and it plays a critical role in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

[Comparison of clinical effects of various external fixation for the treatment of humeral supracondylar fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical effects and the incidence rates of cubitus varus in displaced humeral supracondylar fractures treated with different kinds of external fixation. METHODS: Among 226 children with displaced humeral supracondylar fractures, 134 patients were male and 92 patients were female, ranging in age from 5 to 12 years, with an average of 8.58 years. After manipulative reduction, the patients were treated with three kinds of external fixation: the 88 patients (51 males and 37 females, ranging in age from 5.1 to 12 years) in Group A were treated with double external fixations of small splint and moulding splint; 74 patients (44 males and 30 females, ranging in age from 5 to 11.8 years) in Group B were treated with small splint; and 64 patients (39 males and 25 females, ranging in age from 5.5 to 12 years) in Group C were treated with plaster slab. The indexes such as healing time of fractures, the functions of elbow joint and cubitus varus were observed. The clinical effects and the incidence rates of cubitus varus in three groups were compared. RESULTS: All the patients were followed-up, and the duration of follow-up ranged from 6 months to 4 years, with an average of 25 months. According to the standard for efficacy evaluation, in Group A, 59 patients got an excellent result, 23 good, 6 bad, the excellent and good rate was 93.18%; in Group B, above data were 37, 29, 8, 89.19% respectively; while in Group C, the data were 20, 31, 13 and 79.69% respectively. The incidence rates of cubitus varus of three groups were 6.82%, 17.57% and 32.81% respectively. The result of statistical analysis demonstrated that there were significant differences of the clinical effects and the incidence rates of cubitus varus in three groups (P<0.05). Comparison of the clinical effects: Group A was better than Group B and Group C, Group B was better than Group C. The incidence rates of cubitus varus: Group A was lower than Group B and Group C, Group B was lower than Group C. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effects of double external fixation is the best among three groups. The double external fixation had follow advantages: external fixation, high stability, strong anti-rotation ability, and joint function quick recovery, the incidence rates of cubitus varus lower and good clinical effects. So double external fixation method should be the first choose for the treatment of humeral supracondylar fractures.

[Relationship between alcohol consumption and risk factors for cardiovascular disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. METHODS: Two hundreds and twenty six subjects were enrolled in the study and grouped to non-drinkers, mild drinkers, moderate drinkers and heavy drinkers. Serum GGT, hs-CRP, %CDT, HCY, lipoprotein were measured in all groups. RESULT: There were significantly higher GGT levels with heavy drinkers than those with other groups (P <0.05), and GGT levels were increased with increasing alcohol intake; and there were significantly higher %CDT levels with heavy drinkers compared with those with no-drinkers; there was significant higher hs-CRP levels with heavy drinkers compared with those with mild and moderate drinkers (P<0.05); but in moderate drinkers there was significantly lower hs-CRP levels than non drinkers (P<0.05). Compared with non-drinkers, there were significantly lower LDL-C and TG levels with mild and moderate drinkers. There were no significant differences in CHOL, HDL-C, HCY, WBC, MCV levels among all groups. Heavy drinkers had higher smoking rate and higher prevalence of hypertension (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: Heavy alcohol consumption results in increasing GGT,%CDT and hs-CRP and may increase cardiovascular disease risk along with other risk factors.Mild to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower hs-CRP concentration,which may protect the cardiovascular system through anti-inflammatory mechanism.

[Relation between mutant p53 and multidrug resistance in gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between mutant p53 and multidrug resistance in gastric cancer. METHODS: Mutant p53 (mp53) and mp53+sv40Tag were transferred to gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901. The MDR-1 mRNA was examined using RT-PCR, and the difference in chemotherapeutic sensitivity of SGC-7901 cells with mutant p53 was compared with those with mp53+sv40Tag and controls by MTT method. RESULTS: SGC-7901 cells with mutant p53 showed higher MDR-1 mRNA than that of other two groups. SGC-7901 cells with mutant p53 showed higher chemotherapeutic sensitivity to 5-Fu than that with mp53+sv40Tag and control (P<0.05), but no difference between those with mp53+sv40Tag and control (P>0.05). SGC-7901 cells with mutant p53 and those with mp53+sv40Tag showed higher chemotherapeutic sensitivity to ADM than control (P<0.05), but no difference between those with mp53 and with mp53+sv40Tag (P>0.05). There was no difference in chemotherapeutic sensitivity of SGC-7901 cells with mutant p53 compared with those with mp53+sv40Tag and control to CDDP (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Mutante p53 genes relates to multidrug resistance of gastric cancer.