Search

Objective: To evaluate the value of intradermal skin test (IDT) and serum sIgE detection in diagnosing Artemisia sensitivity in Chinese patients with autumnal hay fever., Methods: 1150 patients with autumnal rhinitis or asthma, 504 males and 646 females, aged 5 approximately 77, were evaluated by experienced physicians, then underwent IDT by using 20 kinds of aeroallergen extracts. The concentrations of Artemisia and Ragweed extracts employed in skin test were 1:1000 (W/V) and the concentrations of other aeroallergens were all 1:100 (W/V). Then all patients underwent detection of Artemisia sIgE. Diagnostic standards were established based on the results of IDT and sIgE results respectively. A reference standard was established according to the typical history, symptoms, and an wheal with a diameter >or= 5mm and a sIgE level >or= 0.35 kU(A)/L, an wheal with the diameter >or= 10 mm alone; or a sIgE level >or= 0.70 kUa/L alone., Results: When using the reference standard as criteria, using IDT had better sensitivity (96.2%), specificity (74.2%), positive predictive value (+PV, 93.5%), negative predictive value (-PV, 85.7%), and efficiency (91.6%) than using sIgE >or= 0.35 kUa/L alone as the criteria of IDT; sIgE detection had better sensitivity (97.6%), specificity (94.9%), +PV (98.7%), -PV (91.1%), and efficiency (97.0%) than using wheal diameter >or= 5 mm alone as the criteria of sIgE detection. The false positive rate of IDT and sIgE detection decreased from 35% and 22.7% to 25.6% and 5.1% respectively when using the wheal diameter >or= 10 mm or sIgE >or= 0.70 kUa/L as a positive criteria., Conclusion: IDT and sIgE detection are correlated with each other well in diagnosing Artemisia pollinosis, both of them have the possibility of being false positive, but IDT has higher false positive rate than sIgE detection. The false positive rates of IDT and sIgE detection can be decreased by increasing the positive criteria to higher grading reaction.

Objective: To investigate the natural course from rhinitis to asthma in the patients with autumnal pollinosis., Methods: 1096 patients with autumnal pollinosis, 488 males and 632 females, aged 38 +/- 14 (5 - 77), 511 with pure allergic rhinitis and 585 with allergic rhinitis complicated with asthma, underwent skin test of inhalant allergens, serum IgE specific to autumnal pollens, and questionnaire survey., Results: The age range of rhinitis induced by autumnal pollens was 2 - 75. The peak onset age of rhinitis was 15 - 44, and the peak onset age of asthma was 25 - 54. 33% of the rhinitis patients complicated with asthma (194/585) had their first attack of rhinitis and the first attack of asthma in the same year, 66% of them (386/585) had the first attack of asthma later than the first attack of rhinitis, and only 0.8% of them (5/585) had their first attack of asthma earlier than that of rhinitis. 37% of the patients with autumnal pollen allergic rhinitis (410/1096) developed asthma within 5 years, 47% (511/1096), within 9 years, 5% (58/1096) within 10 approximately 19 years, and 1.5% (16/1096) within 20 - 40 years., Conclusion: Almost half of the patients with autumnal pollen allergic rhinitis develop to seasonal allergic asthma within 9 years.

Objective: To clone a functionally unknown gene RNF122 and analyze its expression pattern and subcellular localization., Methods: PCR was used to clone the novel gene-RNF122 from the mixed human tissue cDNA library. Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify structure characteristics of the gene. Northern blot was used to analyze its expression in normal tissues; RT-PCR was employed for its expression in cell lines and tumor tissues. By co-focal microscope, we identified its subcellular localization with organelle markers., Results: A novel human gene-RNF122 was cloned, which was proved to have been expressed in several normal and tumor tissues and many cell lines, and localized in ER and Golgi apparatus., Conclusion: RNF122 is a novel gene which encodes a protein that has a classic RING domain. It is widely expressed in several tissues and cell lines. The encoded protein is localized in ER and Golgi apparatus, which indicates that it may play a role in the process of protein degradation.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma in the patients with autumnal pollinosis., Methods: 1120 patients with autumnal pollinosis, aged 5 - 75, excluding those with typical symptoms of seasonal rhinitis or asthma but with positive skin test and serum IgE specific to dustmite and fungi, underwent standardized clinical questionnaire survey, including the onset age, onset time, and symptoms as well as the severity of asthma, skin tests, and examination of serum IgE specific to autumnal pollens., Results: The average onset age of the allergic rhinitis patients induced by autumnal pollens was 27.9 years, significantly younger than that of the allergic asthma patients (32.6 years, P < 0.001). Out of the 1120 patients 1096 (97.9%) had allergic rhinitis, 602 (53.8%) had asthma, 507 (45.3%) had allergic rhinitis only, and 10 (0.9%) had allergic asthma only. Among the 1096 patients with allergic rhinitis 585 (53.4%) suffered from seasonal asthma. Among the 602 patients with asthma 585 (97.2%) suffered from seasonal rhinitis, and 183 of the 602 patients (30.8%) needed emergency treatment., Conclusion: Autumnal pollens are very important causes which induce asthma during autumnal season in northern China.

No-reflow phenomenon is frequently observed during percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome. It may jeopardize hemodynamic status or result in ischemic chest pain in these patients. Currently, there is no adequate solution for this problem. We report our experience with an acute coronary syndrome patient who developed no-reflow phenomenon associated with ST segment elevation and shock after percuteneous coronary balloon dilatation and stent deployment. Intracoronary administration of tirofiban immediately restored the coronary flow of the target vessel, and the disastrous condition reversed. Our experience suggests that intracoronary administration of tirofiban can be considered as an option in case of no-reflow phenomenon during percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background: Left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, commonly found in hemodialysis (HD) patients, is a major cause of intradialytic hypotension. Conventional Doppler interrogation of mitral flow velocities typically is load dependent. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) recently was proposed as a new and relatively load-independent approach to assess diastolic function. The aim of this study is to determine whether HD-related volume reduction affects mitral annular velocities in a large number of patients., Methods: One hundred twenty-eight uremic patients underwent Doppler echocardiography 1 hour before and after HD. Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography were used to analyze LV size, volume, mass, systolic function, and the inferior vena cava. Doppler signals were obtained from the mitral inflow and TDI of the mitral annulus to measure variations in hemodynamics and LV diastolic filling parameters., Results: After HD, LV size, volume, mass, stroke volume, and cardiac output were significantly decreased (all P < 0.001). Peak early (E) and late diastolic velocities (A) and E/A ratio decreased significantly after HD (all P < 0.001). Mitral annulus E' velocity and E'/A' ratio also changed significantly (both P < 0.001), whereas A' did not. Consequently, changes in E and A significantly differed with respect to the varying amount of ultrafiltration (both P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Our larger cohort study shows that the proposed technique of TDI is still volume dependent. Therefore, LV diastolic function in HD patients must be assessed carefully in a timely manner, even when the new Doppler application is used.

Aim: To explore the effects of high level human growth hormone(GH) on immune function., Methods: The eukarytic expression plasmid containing hGH gene was constructed and then was injected into musculi quadriceps femoris of mice. 5th, 15th and 25th day after injection, the murine sera were collected and the levels of hGH, IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha were detected by ELISA., Results: hGH cDNA was correctly cloned into pcDNA3. COS-1 cells transfected with the recombinant plasmid secreted high level of active hGH. The concentration of hGH in the sera of mice receiving the plasmid was obviously higher than that of control group. However, the concentrations of IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha had no significant variation in comparison with those of control group., Conclusion: High level GH has no marked effect on secretion of IL-2, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha.

Purpose: To present a patient with pneumoconiosis who developed a complex, life-threatening atrial tachyarrhythmia during anesthesia. Intravenous diltiazem was effective in controlling the ventricular rate and hemodynamics after failure of other antiarrhythmic drugs and direct current cardioversion., Clinical Features: A 79-yr-old man with pneumoconiosis complicated by cor pulmonale suffered from gout-related cellulitis of the left lower limb. Debridement of the left gangrenous big toe was carried out under general anesthesia. During anesthesia, a wide-QRS tachycardia occurred suddenly and a complex atrial tachyarrhythmia was later diagnosed. Hemodynamics deteriorated despite aggressive treatment with lidocaine, verapamil, direct current cardioversion, magnesium, digoxin and amiodarone. Correction of the underlying respiratory acidosis was not sufficient to control the rapid ventricular response. Eventually, iv diltiazem adequately controlled the rapid ventricular rate and quickly improved the deteriorating hemodynamics., Conclusion: Life-threatening complex atrial tachyarrhythmias may occur in patients with chronic lung diseases perioperatively. Intravenous diltiazem was effective in the management of complex atrial tachyarrhythmia in a patient with underlying cor pulmonale.

Background & Objective: There were abnormal changes of trace element in esophageal cancer patient's hair and serum in the high risk area. But it was still unknown that the relationship between p53 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) expression and the trace element content in varied esophageal mucosa. This study was designed to probe the relationship of trace element content and p53 mutation, PCNA expression in esophgeal mucosa., Methods: Esophageal biopsy specimen of 151 cases were divided into four groups (normal, esophagitis, dysplasia, and early carcinoma). The quantitative determination of trace element was performed was performed by using X-ray energy spectrometry and the detection of PCNA expression and p53 mutation was performed by using S-P immunohistochemistry method., Results: The contents of Zn, Se, Mo, were 1.74 +/- 0.32, 1.53 +/- 0.64, 0.58 +/- 0.21, 0.20 +/- 0.08; 0.15 +/- 0.06, 0.10 +/- 0.03, 0.04 +/- 0.02, 0; 4.73 +/- 1.31, 3.45 +/- 1.19, 3.51 +/- 1.32, 2.51 +/- 1.04; respectively in four groups. There was a significant difference in varied histological typies(P < 0.05). The contents of Cu/Zn, Ni were 0.57 +/- 0.17, 0.89 +/- 0.18, 2.45 +/- 0.48, 2.92 +/- 1.08; 0.45 +/- 0.05, 1.27 +/- 0.11, 2.46 +/- 0.24, 2.58 +/- 0.33; respectively, which increased gradually in pace with upgrade of esophageal lesions, with significant difference (P < 0.05). The postive rates of p53 and PCNA were 0, 46.15%, 100%; 31.19%, 84.62%, 100% respectively in normal esophageal epithelium, dysplasia, and early carcinoma, with significant difference (P < 0.01), and had significant correlation to trace element., Conclusion: The content variation of Zn, Se, Mo, Cu, Ni could be possessed of certain effect on p53 mutation and PCNA overexpression of esophageal epithelium in the high risk area.