Objective To explore the clinical and inflammatory characteristics and risk factors of severe asthma to improve clinicians' awareness of the disease. Methods The general information of patients with asthma who visited the Department of Respiratory Medicine, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from May 2018 to May 2021, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of asthma, personal history, comorbidities, auxiliary examination, asthma control test (ACT) score were collected. A total of 127 patients were included, including 40 in the severe asthma group and 87 in the mild-to-moderate asthma group. Chi-square test, independent sample t test and logistic regression were used to analyze the clinical characteristics, inflammatory markers and risk factors of severe asthma. Results Compared with the patients with mild to moderate asthma, the patients with severe asthma were more older (51.0±12.0 years vs 40.7±12.8 years, P<0.05), had more smokers (32.5% vs. 14.9%, P<0.05), and more males (67.5% vs. 40.2%, P<0.05). The patients with severe asthma got poor FEV1%pred [(56.1±23.8)% vs. (93.2±18.0)%, P<0.05] and FEV1/FVC [(56.7±13.2)% vs. (75.8±9.0)%, P<0.05)], and more exacerbations in the previous year (2.7±3.1 vs. 0.1±0.4, P<0.05), lower ACT score (14.4±3.7 vs. 18.0±5.0, P<0.05), and higher blood and induced sputum eosinophil counts [(0.54±0.44)×109/L vs. (0.27±0.32)×109/L, P<0.05; (25.9±24.2)% vs. (9.8±17.5)%, P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in the proportion of neutrophils in the induced sputum or FeNO between the two groups (P>0.05). Analysis of related risk factors showed that smoking (OR=2.740, 95%CI 1.053 - 7.130), combined with allergic rhinitis (OR=14.388, 95%CI 1.486 - 139.296) and gastroesophageal reflux (OR=2.514, 95%CI 1.105 - 5.724) were risk factors for severe asthma. Conclusions Compared with patients with mild to moderate asthma, patients with severe asthma are characterized by poor lung function, more exacerbations, and a dominant eosinophil inflammatory phenotype, which is still poorly controlled even with higher level of treatment. Risk factors include smoking, allergic rhinitis, and gastroesophageal reflux, etc.
ObjectiveTo summarize the new biomarkers of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and their research progress, so as to provide new ideas for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of DVT. MethodThe literature about biomarkers of DVT in recent 5 years was reviewed and summarized. ResultsAccording to the results of literature review, a variety of common DVT biomarkers such as serum microrna, fibrin monomer, neutrophil capture net, and E-selectin were sorted out, but most of them had not been used in clinical DVT management. At present, the clinical diagnosis of DVT required the combination of positive D-dimer test and positive imaging examination, and there was no single biomarker for the diagnosis of DVT. ConclusionsBiomarkers are valuable in the diagnosis and treatment of DVT, but their sensitivity and specificity need to be optimized. Therefore, finding biomarkers with more diagnostic value is one of the future directions. At the same time, we also can consider fully combined with a variety of existing biomarkers, to improve the efficiency to the diagnosis of DVT.
ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress of mucinous breast cancer (MBC). MethodsLiteratures about the recent studies of MBC were reviewed. ResultsMBC was one of special subtype of infiltrating breast cancer. According to the mucus ingredient in the ratio of the mass, MBC was divided into pure mucinous breast cancer (PMBC) and mixed mucinous breast cancer (MMBC). Compared to infiltrating ductal cancer-not otherwise specified (IDC-NOS), MBC showed higher positive expression rates of estrogen receptor (ER) and progestrogen receptor (PR), with reduced lymph node metastasis rate and better prognosis. PMBC had lower lymph node metastasis rate and better outcome than MMBC. ConclusionsThere is significant difference about clinical and pathological characteristics between MBC and IDC-NOS. Researches are generally believed that MBC is an uncommon breast neoplasm which is associated with a good prognosis.
ObjectiveTo summarize the recent research progress of circRNA in gastric cancer, and to explore the clinical value of circRNA as new therapeutic target and diagnostic or prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer.MethodThe studies on circRNA and related literatures in gastric cancer were reviewed.ResultsAs a new member of the non-coding RNA family, circRNA played a key role in regulating the proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and therapeutic resistance of gastric cancer cells. At the same time, based on the stability and tissue-specific characteristics, circRNA possessed great potential as biomarker for early diagnosis or prognosis evaluation of gastric cancer.ConclusionscircRNA plays an important role in the initiation and progression of gastric cancer. As a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and a new therapeutic target for gastric cancer, circRNA has great potential for clinical transformation.
Objective To explore the correlations between nutritional markers and pressure injury (PI) in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted on elderly patients with COPD and PI who were admitted to the geriatric department of West China Hospital of Sichuan University or Dujiangyan People’s Hospital between January 2020 and December 2021. The blood biochemical indicators mainly including nutritional markers were collected, and their correlations with PI risk factor index Braden score and PI severity index PI stage were analyzed. Results A total of 293 patients with COPD and PI were included. Among the five Braden score groups, the differences in the levels of albumin and prealbumin were statistically significant (P<0.05), and the Braden score was positively correlated with albumin (rs=0.241, P<0.001), prealbumin (rs=0.179, P=0.002), and hemoglobin (rs=0.199, P=0.001). Among the six PI stage groups, the differences in the levels of albumin, globulin, red blood cell count, serum sodium, blood chloride and C-reactive protein were statistically significant (P<0.05), and the PI stage was negatively correlated with albumin (rs=−0.192, P=0.001), and positively correlated with serum sodium (rs=0.139, P<0.001), blood chloride (rs=0.184, P<0.001), and C-reactive protein (rs=0.177, P=0.020). Conclusion When PI risk assessment and severity assessment are performed on elderly COPD patients, it is necessary to pay more attention to nutritional markers and assess whether the patients are at risk of protein malnutrition, which will help to improve the accuracy of PI risk assessment and severity prediction, and effectively improve the efficacy of PI prevention and treatment.
Objective To study the changes of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL, an osteoclastogenesis-promoting factor) and osteoprotegerin (OPG, the decoy receptor for RANKL), oxidative stress and bone turnover markers in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), in order to understand the potential mechanisms underlying bone loss in OSAHS patients. Methods Ninety-eight male patients with OSAHS, confirmed by polysomnography (PSG) study, were enrolled. The patients were divided into mild-moderate groups and severe groups. Forty-two male subjects who were confirmed as not having OSAHS served as the controls. The subjects’ bone mineral density (BMD) and T-score were assessed in lumbar spine and femoral neck using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Blood samples were collected from all subjects for measurement of RANKL, OPG, the bone formation marker bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), the bone resorption marker tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRAP-5b), total antioxidant capacity (TAOC). Twenty-eight severe OSAHS patients accepted continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment voluntarily. After 6 months, PSG was conducted, and serum RANKL, OPG, TAOC, TRAP-5b, BAP was measured after six months treatment. Results The BMD, T-score of the femoral neck and the lumbar spine were significantly lower in OSAHS patients as compared to the control group. The level of BAP was significantly decreased in the OSAHS group as compared to the control group, and there was no significant difference in TRAP-5b level between two groups. As compared with the control group, levels of OPG, TAOC and the OPG/RANKL ratio decreased significantly. None of these parameters (BMD, T-score, RANKL, OPG, TRAP-5b, BAP) showed significant difference between patients with mild-moderate and severe OSAHS group. Correlation analysis showed that the apnea hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index were correlated with TAOC. BAP level was positively correlated with TAOC and lowest pulse oxygen saturation. The serum level of TAOC was lower in the OSAHS group after CPAP therapy, but the levels of RANKL, OPG, TRAP-5b, BAP were not different. As compared with the OSAHS group before CPAP therapy, the BMD of the femoral neck and the lumbar spine were not significant difference. Conclusions In patients with OSAHS, the oxidative stress response is enhanced, and imbalance of OPG/RANKL is shifted, which participates in the occurrence of osteoporosis. The oxidative stress injury of severe OSAHS patients was relieved after non-invasive ventilation treatment, but the effect of oxidative stress response on bone metabolism still needs further evaluation.
Unhealthy diet, habits and drug abuse cause a variety of liver diseases, including steatohepatitis, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, which seriously affect human health. The fabrication of highly simulated cell models in vitro is important in the treatment of liver diseases and drug development. This article summarized the common strategies for the construction of liver pathology models in vitro. It introduced four typical cell models in vitro related to liver disease and provided a reference for the study of liver disease models.
ObjectiveTo determine the predictive value of preoperative systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII) regarding the development of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) after abdominal surgery.MethodsThisretrospective study involved 433 patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Logistic regression risk model was used to evaluate the prognostic value of SII. We drew the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calculated the area under the ROC curve to compared the predictive ability of SII, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and monocyte-to- lymphocyte ratio (MLR).ResultsThe independent risk factors of PPCs were preoperative respiratory diseases, preoperative history of chronic liver disease, maintenance of intravenous or inhalation anesthesia, and intraoperative infusion of more colloid (P<0.05). However, SII, PLR, NLR, and MLR did not predict the occurrence of PPCs, and they also did not predict ≥3 grade of PPCs (AUC<0.60, P>0.05).ConclusionsPreoperative SII is not a prognostic biomarker of PPCs occurrence in patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Other biomarkers, such as PLR, NLR, and MLR, also have no predictive value for the PPCs in these patients.
The high incidence and mortality of acute kidney injury (AKI) have brought great challenges to global health. In recent years, China has made some achievements in the epidemiology, risk factors and treatment of AKI. However, further prevention and treatment are still facing difficulties. Based on current new ideas and research progress, this paper summarized and analyzed the management throughout the whole course of AKI, including AKI risk assessment, early prevention, early identification, treatment and follow-up. The aim is to make Chinese nephrologists realize the focus of AKI prevention and treatment, standardize the management of AKI, and explore the prevention and treatment strategy suitable for AKI in China.
ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress in the study of the diagnostic function of humoral circular RNAs in human diseases.MethodsThe research progress was summarized by reading relevant literatures on the diagnostic function of humoral circular RNAs in human disease at home and abroad.ResultsAs endogenous circular RNA molecules, circular RNAs were found to be related to a variety of diseases due to their stable structures, conserved sequences, diverse functions, and tissue cell specificity. Recent studies had found that circular RNAs could be secreted into body fluids, such as blood, saliva, urine, gastric juice, seminal plasma, and so on. They could also exist in body fluids stably. In addition, circular RNAs were found that was related to the diagnosis of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, nervous system diseases, autoimmune diseases, various carcinomas and metabolic diseases, and so on. As a consequence, circular RNAs might be important biomarkers for non-invasive detection of human diseases.ConclusionsRecent researches have found that circular RNA is related to the diagnosis of various diseases. Therefore, the in-depth study of the relationship between humoral circular RNAs and the diagnosis of diseases is conducive to the development of non-invasive diagnostic markers of clinical diseases, which is of great significance for the non-invasive diagnosis of diseases.