[A retrospective clinical study of chronic high altitude disease complicated by acute exacerbation in high altitude environment].

OBJECTIVE: To study chronic high altitude disease (CHAD) with concurrent acute high altitude disease (AHAD) in regions of high altitude. METHODS: 18,090 inpatients from Feb. 1956 to Dec. 1995 conforming to a screening standard were observed in a hospital located at altitude 3658 m. 1,028 inpatients suffering from CHAD when hospitalized were collected as a study group. 17,020 inpatients suffering from non-HAD when first hospitalized served as a control group. The morbidity rate of AHAD in these two groups in a follow-up period of 1 - 20 years was analyzed. RESULTS: (1) AHAD morbidity rate was increasing with prolongation of observation time in the control group, but it was not so in the study group. Annual and accumulative morbidity of AHAD in the study group was obviously higher than that in the control group (P < 0.005, OR = 5.03, RR = 4.33). (2) The morbidity rates of three types of AHAD aside from high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) of high altitude hypertension (HAH) group and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) of high altitude heart disease (HAHD) group was obviously higher in the study group than in the control (P < 0.05 - 0.005). AHAD morbidity rate in HAHD group and Monge's disease was 23.5% and 22.0% (OR = 7.33 - 6.71, RR = 5.86 - 5.47). (3) AHAD morbidity rate in HAHD group and Monge's disease group was obviously higher than that in the control, constituting mainly a high morbidity of mild acute high altitude disease. CONCLUSION: The risk of AHAD increases about 5-fold in CHAD patients than in the multitude of high altitude acclimatization, being most evident in HAHD and Monge's disease.

[The change of immunoglobulin in patients with eyeball perforation at high altitude].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the change of tear immune function on eyeballs with perforating injury at high altitude. METHODS: In 51 patients (53 eyes) with eyeball perforating injury at high altitude (sea level 3658 m), by using single agar immune diffusion test, IgG, IgA, IgM, C(3) and C(4) values of tears were separately measured before and after clinical cure. RESULTS: The Ig values of tears increased universally. The IgA value increased especially in the 7th day. The IgG and IgM value in the serum increased in the 3rd day after injury (P < 0.05), and the IgG, IgA and IgM of tears increased especially on the 7th day (P < 0.01). The C(3) and C(4) value of tears did not change significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The change of Ig value is a useful detective means to evaluate the treatment effect.