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Sensitivity and specificity of the interferon-γ release test for active tuberculosis screening were evaluated. Due to the high-test cost of imported IGRAs, QFT-GIT and T-SPOT.TB, we applied a cheaper domestic TB-IGRA which was approved in China recently. We recruited 740 patients and performed tuberculosis interferon release test (IGRAs), detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis IgG antibody (TB-IgG) and tuberculin skin test (TST). The sensitivity of the three methods are 90.8, 40.0 and 75.45%, with specificity of 76.62, 74.47 and 72.27%. The area under the ROC curve according to the value of T-N detected by IGRAs was 0.878 (95% CI, 0.839-0.917), with the area under the curve for the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis and extrapulmonary tuberculosis being 0.839 and 0.841 respectively. The interferon-γ release test seems to be superior to TST and TB-IgG as a screening tool for the detection of active tuberculosis in China.

Effect and clinical value in general anesthesia and combined spinal-epidural anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing hip arthroplasty were compared. One hundred and six patients with hip arthroplasty in the Affiliated Nanhua Hospital, University of South China from May 2013 to July 2015 were selected as the research subjects, including 50 patients in the study group who received combined spinal-epidural anesthesia by ondansetron hydrochloride tablets combined with spinal-epidural puncture kit, and 56 patients in the control group who received general anesthesia by fast-induced endotracheal intubation. Retrospective analysis was performed in terms of anesthesia effect, complete block time, anesthesia onset time, hemodynamic parameters at different time points before and after the surgery, and adverse reactions after the surgery. The study group had a statistically shorter onset time and a statistically shorter complete block time than the control group (P0.05); the heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure in the study group 20 min after the start of the operation and 15 min before the end of the operation were significantly higher those in the control group (P

The present study aimed to explore the clinical role of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG). Seventy-four AACG patients who were admitted to our hospital from April 2017 to April 2019 were enrolled as a study group (SG). A further 70 healthy people undergoing physical examinations during the same period were enrolled as a control group (CG). HSP70 concentration was compared between the two groups, and the clinical value of this protein in AACG was analyzed. HSP70 concentration in SG was significantly lower than that in CG (P

Expression and clinical value of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MALAT1 and lncRNA ANRIL in glaucoma patients were investigated. Altogether 86 glaucoma patients who were diagnosed (study group) and 86 people who underwent physical examinations and were confirmed to be healthy (control group) in the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2016 to June 2018 were enrolled. Expression of the serum lncRNA MALAT1, lncRNA ANRIL, pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), homocysteine (Hcy), and inflammatory cytokines [interleukin-12 (IL-12), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)] was detected. The clinical significance of lncRNA MALAT1 and lncRNA ANRIL was analyzed. Compared with those in the control group, patients in the study group had significantly lower expression of serum lncRNA MALAT1 and lncRNA ANRIL (P0.05). Serum lncRNA MALAT1 and lncRNA ANRIL were positively correlated with PEDF and IL-12 (P0.05). lncRNA MALAT1 and lncRNA ANRIL are poorly expressed in the serum of glaucoma patients and related to the patients' conditions. Their combined detection has high diagnostic value for the disease. Therefore, they may be used as new molecular targets for the diagnosis and severity evaluation of glaucoma patients.

The objective of the present study was to assess the expression of CD105 and its association with overall survival in three subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), namely clear cell (cc)RCC, papillary (p)RCC and chromophobe (ch)RCC. Data regarding the transcriptome and copy number of genes in RCC tumor samples and survival were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that CD105 is overexpressed in ccRCC tumor tissue vs. normal renal tissue, and a higher CD105 copy number in ccRCC tissues was significantly associated with longer patient survival. The effect of the mRNA expression of CD105 in all three types of RCC and the copy number in pRCC and chRCC on patient survival was insignificant, but certain trends were observed. In addition, CD105 mRNA expression was associated with the metastasis and tumor stage, as well as pathological stage in ccRCC and pRCC. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that CD105 may, through translation initiation of associated genes, promote RCC progression. The results of the present study suggest that in RCC tumors, the association of CD105 with different stages is complex. To evaluate the role of CD105 in RCC, its function should be assessed in addition to its expression. The exact influence of CD105 mRNA expression and copy number in RCC tumors on patient survival and the underlying mechanisms require further elucidation.

In order to assess the clinical value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of aortico-left ventricular tunnel (ALVT) the echocardiographic data and clinical manifestations of six patients with ALVT were analyzed in the present study. Based on the results, a comprehensive study was conducted regarding 147 cases from related documents. Six patients were confirmed with ALVT by surgery. The echocardiographic images of the patients revealed an abnormal communication beginning in the ascending aorta above the coronary arteries, bypassing the aortic valve, and ending in the left ventricle. The color Doppler flow imaging showed a high-speed to- and -fro flow with or without the involvement of the aortic valve. According to Hovaguimian type casting, there were two cases of type I, two cases of type III, one case of type IV, and one case of type II (postoperative recanalization). Of the 153 cases reported, the accuracy rate of the ultrasound diagnosis was 79.6%, the misdiagnosis rate was 17.1%, and the missed diagnostic rate was 3.3%. In conclusion, echocardiography is the preferred method for non-invasive preoperative diagnosis of the ALVT and can accurately describe the type and involvement of the cardiac structure.

Pneumonia is an infectious disease of the lung causing mortality. Mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) is an atypical bacterial pneumonia that damages several organs. Lung computed tomography (CT) has been utilized in its identification. The aim of the present study was to examine the value of computed tomography diagnosis for pediatric MP. The present study prospectively analyzed the clinical and imaging data of 1,280 cases of pediatric MP in the out- and inpatient departments from March, 2010 to March, 2014; analyzed the morphology and distribution of the pneumonic lesion in the lungs; and summarized the value of CT diagnosis for pediatric MP. In the included children, there were 688 cases of lesions in the unilateral lobe, 592 cases of lesions in the bilateral lobes, 1,101 cases of extensive patchy opacity, 496 cases of mottled opacity, 432 cases of increased lung marking, 256 cases of streak opacity, 192 cases of ground-glass opacity, 992 cases of thickened bronchial wall in the lesions, 128 cases of lymphadenopathy in the hilar lymph nodes and mediastinal lymph nodes, and the lung CT showed 32 cases of pulmonary cavity and 144 cases of pleural effusion. In conclusion, the CT signals of pediatric MP had several types with some children exhibiting complicated changes. The child's clinical manifestation and symptoms should thus be considered in the diagnosis to improve the diagnostic rate.

The clinical value of cardiac color ultrasound and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) combined with dynamic electrocardiogram in evaluating the treatment effect on acute pulmonary embolism (APE) was investigated. Ninety-eight patients with APE treated in Jinan Zhangqiu District Hospital of TCM from March 2016 to February 2017 were selected, and they were examined via the cardiac color ultrasound, cTnT and dynamic electrocardiogram to evaluate the clinical value in the treatment of pulmonary embolism. Electrocardiogram showed that there was no significant difference in the poor prognosis rate between right ventricular strain group and non-right ventricular strain group (P>0.05); the poor prognosis rate in cTnT positive group was significantly higher than that in cTnT negative group (P0.9, while that detected via dynamic electrocardiogram was

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical value of preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging for guiding the superselective clamping of renal arterial branches during a laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). A total of 42 patients with renal masses of

The present study evaluated the value of black-blood high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) for the visualization of intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) plaques. A total of 110 patients with cerebral artery or vertebrobasilar stenosis, vessel occlusion or a significantly weakened signal in black-blood magnetic resonance angiography (MRA; three-dimensional time-of-flight) were examined. Black-blood MRA was used to observe whether plaques were present in the abnormal vascular walls. Among the 110 patients with cerebral infarction, 16 cases presented with no significant abnormality of the lumen and walls, while plaques were observed in 94 cases. The plaques were categorized according to their signal characteristics, which resulted in the identification of four cases of type I and II plaques, 15 cases of type III, 26 cases of type IV and V, 23 cases of type VI, 11 cases of type VII, 14 cases of type VIII and one case of a mixed plaque. In summary, 3.0 T black-blood HRMRI was demonstrated to objectively exhibit characteristics of various types of ICAS plaques. Therefore, this imaging technique may be applied as a key method for the clinical non-invasive determination of ICAS plaques.

Our objective was to evaluate the clinical value of numerical simulation in diagnosing cerebral aneurysm based on the analysis of numerical simulation of hemodynamic model. The experimental method used was the numerical model of cerebral aneurysm hemodynamic, and the numerical value of blood flow at each point was analyzed. The results showed that, the wall shear stress (WSS) value on the top of CA1 was significantly lower than that of the top (P0.05); the unsteady index of shear (UIS) value at the points of 20 had distinctly changed, the wave range was 0.6–1.5; the unsteady index of pressure value of every point was significantly lower than UIS value, the wave range was 0.25–0.40. In conclusion, the application of cerebral aneurysm hemodynamic research can help doctors to diagnose cerebral aneurysm more precisely and to grasp the opportunity of treatment during the formulating of the treatment strategies.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of percutaneous one-channel double stent implantation on hilar biliary obstruction involving both hepatic ducts and its clinical value. A total of 8 patients with hilar biliary obstruction involving the left and right hepatic ducts were enrolled. A percutaneous unilateral approach was adopted. Two stents were implanted, one between the left and right hepatic ducts and the other between the hepatic ducts and the common bile duct for biliary drainage. Interventional therapies such as arterial chemoembolization were performed for antitumor treatment. All surgical procedures were successfully accomplished. At 2 weeks after stenting, total bilirubin decreased to 61.2±13.4 μmol/l (the preoperative value was 267.1±154.7 μmol/l). No severe complications or mortalities occurred. Single-channel double stent implantation should be the preferred method of treatment for patients with hilar biliary obstruction involving both hepatic ducts. Drainage and antitumor treatment should also be used when necessary.

This study aimed to investigate the correlations between the detection rate of mural coronary artery (MCA) by 128-slice CT and the MCA compression extent in systole with myocardial bridge (MB) length and thickness. A retrospective analysis was conducted for 580 patients receiving multislicespiral CT coronary angiography (MSCTCA). In addition, the MCA incidence rate and position were detected, and the MB length and thickness in the left anterior descending branch (LAD) and MCA compression extent in systole were measured to compare the differences between MB-MCA length and thickness among the mild, moderate and severe groups. A total of 140 cases of MB-MCA (24.14%) were involved in the study. Among them, 104 cases occurred in the middle segment of the LAD (74.3%), 16 cases (11.4%) occurred in the distal segment of the LAD, 8 cases (5.7%) occurred in the left circumflex-obtuse marginal branch (LCX-OM), 7 cases (5.0%) occurred in the first diagonal branch (1st D), 3 cases (2.1%) in the intermediate branch (M) and 2 cases (1.5%) occurred in the posterior descending branch of the right coronary artery (RCA-PD). The mean length of the MB in the LAD was 21.80±5.98 mm, the mean thickness was 2.15±0.74 mm and the mean compression extent was 38.5±19.6%. Among the different groups, there were no significant difference in MB length (P>0.05) but there were significant differences in MB thickness (P0.05). 128-slice CT coronary angiography (SCTCA) is able to accurately detect MB-MCA and evaluate the correlations of MCA compression extent in systole with MB length and thickness which provides a basis for its clinical use.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the value of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in the clinical diagnosis of pulmonary ground-glass nodule. In total, 54 patients with pulmonary GGN that were identified by PET-CT examination were selected and confirmed by pathology and clinical diagnosis in hospital between April 2014 and April 2015. The association between PET-CT findings and pathology, and the value of PET-CT were then evaluated. In the 54 patients, solitary pulmonary GGN with a nodule diameter of between 0.6 and 2.0 cm were detected. Amongst them, the PET-CT examination of 42 patients revealed hyper metabolic nodules, and were all mixed GGN type nodules with a diameter >1 cm. The PET-CT examination of the remaining 12 patients demonstrated no evidence of metabolic abnormalities and the nodules in these patients were pure or mixed GGN with a diameter

Previous studies have shown that B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is useful in differentiating cardiac from pulmonary causes of dyspnea in adults. To date, international guidelines have recommended measurements of circulating BNP as a biomarker for diagnostic and prognostic purposes, as well as therapeutic monitoring, in adults with cardiac diseases, particularly those suffering from acute and chronic heart failure (HF). The aim of the present study was to investigate the differential diagnostic and therapeutic analysis of BNP levels assayed in pediatric pneumonia accompanied by HF. The clinical data of 80 patients with pneumonia, aged 1-3 years, were analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: Simple pneumonia (46 cases) and pneumonia accompanied by HF (34 cases). All patients underwent two plasma BNP assays: The first one upon admission to the hospital and the second one prior to discharge. The plasma BNP levels of 20 healthy children were used as the negative control. Plasma BNP levels were measured using the Triage® BNP automated immunoassay systems and reagents. Statistical analysis showed that the plasma BNP levels of the patients upon admission were higher in the pneumonia accompanied by HF group compared with those in the simple pneumonia group (750±120 vs. 135±50 pg/ml; P

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) were developed for the treatment of benign lesions and early superficial esophageal cancers in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, esophageal strictures frequently develop in patients who undergo EMR/ESD. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the clinical value of preventive balloon dilatation (BD) for esophageal diseases following endoscopic therapy. A total of 30 patients who had received EMR or ESD were enrolled in the study. Preventive BD was carried out for 12 cases within 1 week following EMR/ESD. The remaining 18 cases were not subjected to preventive BD and were used as an historic control. The results revealed that no complications, including esophageal stenosis and dysphagia, were observed in the patients who received preventive BD. In the control group, seven cases experienced dysphagia, of which two were released without clinical treatment and the other five were released following two or three BD procedures. The results indicate that preventive BD is an effective treatment for patients with esophageal diseases following EMR and should be considered at an early stage when the mucosal injury exceeds two-thirds of the esophageal lumen.