Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma in Chinese population: a clinicopathological and radiological analysis.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC) is a rare malignant neoplasm with remarkable resemblance to mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the salivary glands. It constitutes a unique set of patient population. In this study we briefly discussed the current state of knowledge of PMEC and described the clinical presentation and management of 27 PMEC cases. This study aimed to discuss the utility of surgical treatment in the patients with pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 27 cases with the diagnosis of PMEC, divided into low grade and high grade based on histopathological characteristics. The clinical symptoms, radiological manifestations, pathological characteristics, treatment strategy and prognosis were systemically analyzed. RESULTS: The tumor could occur in any lobe of the lungs. The treatment included surgical intervention and/or adjuvant therapies. While the sex-age distribution and initial staging was not different between low- and high- grade PMEC, the disease control rate (95%) and 5 year survival (95%) were much higher in low-grade PMEC than the high-grade cases (57.1% and 42.9%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The clinical, radiographical and pathological features of PMECs were systemically analyzed and summarized, and the utility of pathological grading system as the independent prognostic factor in addition to clinical staging was confirmed.

[Research on risk factors of depression symptoms in 1 327 patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the comorbidity rate of depression symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in Henan province and to ascertain the risk factors. METHODS: One thousand three hundred and twenty-seven patients with OSAHS determined by overnight polysomnogram (PSG) were enrolled in this study. After screening the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), the patients were divided into two groups: OSAHS (control group, n = 698) and OSAHS+depression (n = 629). The correlation was explored between the depression symptoms in patients with OSAHS and the sociodemographic variables and health status including smoking, drinking, marital status, apnea hyponea index (AHI), anoxicity, Family Burden Scale of Disease (FBS), Family APGAR Index (APGAR), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and so on. Furthermore, In-depth analyses were carried out between the depression symptoms in patients with OSAHS and the social and family factor items (FBS, APGAR and PSSS). RESULTS: The comorbidity rate of depression symptoms in patients with OSAHS in Henan province was 47.4%, and was correlated with the gender, marital status, FBS, APGAR, AHI, PSSS and anoxicity. Logistic regression analysis indicated that single marital status, APGAR, AHI, PSSS, hypoxemia and heart disease were all independent risk factors for depression in OSAHS patients. The total of the FBS score and three of its subfactors scores (family daily activities, family relationships and mental health of family members) were higher, and the total of the APGAR score and two of its subfactors scores (adaptabilith and affection) were lower in OSAHS with depression compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Besides, the total score for the PSSS AND Scores for its two subfactors (family support and social support) were all lower in OSAHS patients with depression than those of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with OSAHS, depression symptoms are common and are associated with marital status, AHI, anoxicity, concomitant diseases (hypertension, heart disease), concerns and supports from the family and society.

Antitumor activity of a polysaccharide from longan seed on lung cancer cell line A549 in vitro and in vivo.

In this study, a water-soluble longan seed polysaccharide (WLSP), with a molecular weight of 57 kDa, was isolated from longan seed. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis showed that WLSP was composed mainly of rhamnose (Rha), mannose (Man), arabinose (Ara), galactose (Gal), and glucose (Glc), with molar ratios of 2.4:1.5:2.3:5.6:6.5. The result in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that WLSP showed a dose-dependent antiproliferative effect on the proliferation of A549 human lung cancer cells, which is consistent with the amount of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from A549 cells. Prompted by this antiproliferative effect, we further examined its antiproliferative mechanism and in vivo anticancer effect. Our results showed that WLSP had the ability to cause cell cycle arrest in G1 phase, activation of caspases 3 and 9, and cleavage of poly[ADP (ribose)] polymerase (PARP) in A549 cells. The result of this in vivo study showed that WLSP could suppress the growth of xenograft A549 tumors and induce apoptosis. Taken together, these results indicate that WLSP exert an anticancer effect in vitro and in vivo and may be useful for the prevention of lung tumorigenesis.

[Effects of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation on patients with arrhythmia complicated by sleep apnea syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in treatment of patients with arrhythmia complicated by sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). METHODS: One hundred and thirty-five arrhythmia patients with polysomnography diagnosed SAS were randomly divided into NPPV group (69 cases) and control group (66 cases), the NPPV group was treated with standard medications and NPPV, and the control group was treated with standard medications. SAS related parameters were compared between the groups after 3 months therapy. RESULTS: (1) Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) score, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and arousal index were significantly lower (8.25 ± 5.41 vs.4.08 ± 3.43, 39.95 ± 7.32 vs. 4.71 ± 1.80 and 39.69 ± 4.40 vs. 15.20 ± 2.05, P < 0.01) while not rapid eye movement (NREM) III and rapid eye movement stage of sleep time and lowest pulse oxygen saturation (LSaO2) were significantly higher in NPPV group than in control group [(4.53 ± 2.10)% vs. (16.78 ± 2.59)%,(8.37 ± 1.380)% vs. (15.25 ± 1.41)%, (77.15 ± 6.72)% vs. (93.35 ± 2.03)%, P < 0.01] after 3 months therapy. (2) Incidence of Sinus bradycardia, sinus tachycardia, sinus arrest, atrial premature beats, ventricular premature beats, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, II-III degree atrioventricular block, ST-T segment changes were reduced from 57.4%, 44.4%, 7.4%, 20.4%, 13.0%, 36.5%, 12.0%, 8.3%, 37.0%, 53.7% to 4.6%, 1.9%,0.0%, 3.7%, 2.8%, 7.0%, 0.9%, 0.0%, 1.9%, 4.6% (all P < 0.05) and the total number of arrhythmias happened at night were significantly lower (all P < 0.05) while the heart rate variability (HRV) were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in NPPV group than in control group; AHI was positively while LSaO2 was negatively correlated with the total night arrhythmia number (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation is an effective therapy strategy for treating patients with arrhythmia complicated by sleep apnea syndrome.

[A clinical study on the relationship between endogenous carbon monoxide and hypoxic pulmonary hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To study the plasma level of endogenous carbon monoxide (CO) in patients with chronic cor pulmonale (CCP) and its relationship with endothelin-1 (ET-1) and hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH). METHODS: There were examinations on the plasma levels of endogenous CO and ET-1 in 33 patients with CCP, and their correlation with PaO(2) and the ratio of right ventricular pre-ejection period to the pulmonary flow acceleration time (RVPEP/AT), an indicator of pulmonary hypertension. Thirty healthy subjects served as normal controls. RESULTS: The levels of endogenous CO, ET-1 and the ET-1/CO ratio in acute exacerbation and remission in the CCP group [CO: (1.34 +/- 0.18) mg/L, (1.07 +/- 0.14) mg/L; ET-1: (82 +/- 15) ng/L, (57 +/- 10) ng/L; ET-1/CO: 61 +/- 6, 53 +/- 5] were higher than those in the normal control group [CO: (0.55 +/- 0.12) mg/L, P < 0.001; ET-1: (27 +/- 9) ng/L, P < 0.001; ET-1/CO: 48 +/- 7, P < 0.05]. The levels of plasma endogenous CO, ET-1, and the ET-1/CO ratio in acute exacerbation were higher than those in the remission stage (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P < 0.05). The level of endogenous CO was negatively correlated with PaO(2) (r = -0.733, P < 0.01; r = -0.672, P < 0.01) and positively correlated with RVPEP/AT (r = 0.620, P < 0.01; r = 0.557, P < 0.01). The ET-1/CO ratio was positively correlated with RVPEP/AT (r = 0.501, P < 0.01; r = 0.485, P < 0.05) in patients with acute exacerbation or in remission. CONCLUSION: The increased level of plasma endogenous CO in patients with CCP suggests the involvement of CO in the pathophysiologic process of HPH. An imbalance between ET-1 and CO may be involved in the development of HPH.