[Relationship between blood pressure variability and combined cardiovascular events in 5-10 years in hypertensive patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between blood pressure variability (BPV) and combined cardiovascular events in 5-10 years in patients with hypertension. METHODS: A total of 367 hypertensive patients treated in our hospital from January, 2000 to January, 2005 were analyzed, and their BPV was assessed in comparison with 145 normotensive individuals. The hypertensive patients were classified into high BPV group and low BPV group, and the general clinical data and biochemical profiles were compared. The relationship between BPV and combined cardiovascular events of the patients within 5-10 years were explored. RESULTS: Compared with the normotensive individuals, the hypertensive patients showed significantly increased standard deviation and coefficient of variation of 24-h systolic blood pressure (SBP), 24-h diastolic blood pressrue (DBP), daytime SBP, daytime DBP, night-time SBP and night-time DBP (P<0.01). The percentages of drinking, smoking, diabetes and coronary heart disease were significantly higher in patients with high BPV than those with lower BPV (P<0.01 or 0.05); uric acid, homocysteine, urinary protein/creatinine ratio and urinary microalbumin increased more significantly in patients with high BPV (P<0.01 or 0.05). In addition, the combined cardiovascular events in 5-10 years were significantly higher in the patients with higher BPV than those with lower BPV (P<0.01 or 0.05). Logistic multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that alcohol, diabetes, coronary heart disease, uric acid and homocysteine were independent risk factors for cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients (P<0.01 or 0.05). CONCLUSION: In hypertensive patients, BPV is closely correlated with the long-term combined cardiovascular events, and a high BPV is associated with a greater likeliness of combined cardiovascular events.

[The effect of rosuvastatin therapy on CCR2 expression in mononuclear cells and its upstream pathway].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of rosuvastatin therapy on C-C chemokine receptor(CCR2)expression in mononuclear cells in patients with carotid atherosclerosis and explore the possible upstream mechanism. METHODS: Twenty patients without previous statin treatment were enrolled. Rosuvastatin were given 5 to 20 mg/day for 3 months. At baseline and 12 weeks, lipid profile and plasma monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) levels were examined. The mRNA and protein expressions of CCR2 in the mononuclear cells were measured with RT-PCR and flow cytometry, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression of peroxidase proliferator-activated receptor(PPAR ß) were detected with RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: After 3-months rosuvastatin treatment, the patients' low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels decreased significantly (P<0.01). Compared with baseline, the mRNA and protein expressions of CCR2 in the mononuclear cells showed significantly decrease, as well as plasma MCP-1 levels (P<0.05). Both mRNA and protein expressions of PPAR ß in the mononuclear cells increased (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Rosuvastatin may attenuate MCP-1/CCR2 through PPARß upstream pathway.

[The pathology investigation of femoral artery atherosclerosis in the elder patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the pathology characteristic of femoral atherosclerosis through the comparision among femoral, carotid and coronary atherosclerosis. METHODS: 15 elder autopsy cases were selected. Serial sections of femoral artery, carotid artery and coronary artery of all the cases were taken. Part of the tissue sections were selected for immunohistochemistry staining. Three markers against alpha-smooth muscle actin, CD68, and bax were performed respectively. RESULTS: On the whole, both femoral and coronary atherosclerosis had a similar pathology characteristic in the lesion style and the distribution of smooth muscle cells and macrophages in the plaques. In comparing with the coronary atheroma, there were more smooth muscle cells and less macrophages in the femoral atherosclerotic plaques, expression of bax in macrophages stronger, and the expression of bax in smooth muscle cell was weaker. The pathology characteristic of femoral and carotid atherosclerosis was somewhat similar. CONCLUSIONS: The pathology characteristic of atherosclerotic lesion in femoral artery was principally consistent with that of the coronary atherosclerosis except some differences presented in certain indexes.