ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between the red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and the severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in elderly patients.MethodsThe clinical data of 216 elderly patients with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis admitted from January 2015 to October of 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the elderly was evaluated by bronchiectasis severity index (BSI) score. Meanwhile, 50 elderly people receiving qualified medical examination were collected as a healthy control group in the same period. The distributions of BSI score, RDW, procalcitonin (PCT), neutrophil percentage (NEU%) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were described in the patients with different risk degree. The severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the elderly was evaluated by BSI. The patients were divided into three groups by BSI score: a low risk group, a middle risk group, and a high risk group. The indexes were described including the distribution of stratified BSI score, RDW, PCT, NEU%, CRP at different risk levels. The correlation of each index was analyzed by Spearman correlation. The threshold value of RDW was calculated by general linear regression, and the influencing factors of BSI score were analyzed by multivariate linear regression analysis.ResultsThe higher the risk stratification, the higher the BSI score, RDW, PCT, NEU% and CRP were. RDW was positively correlated with PCT, NEU% and CRP (r values were 0.425, 0.311, 0.177, respectively, P<0.05). BSI score was positively correlated with RDW, PCT, NEU%, and CRP (r values were 0.425, 0.394, 0.650, 0.578, respectively, P<0.05). RDW was positively correlated with PSI score (r=0.425, P<0.05). The thresholds of RDW were 11.45% and 14.03%. Multiple linear regression showed that RDW, PCT, NEU% and CRP were all influential factors of BSI score and explained 52.3% of the total mutation rate.ConclusionRDW is related to the severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the elderly, and can predict the severity of acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis in the elderly.
Cochlear implant (CI) is the only method for efficacious treatment of congenital severe deafness at present. However, for children with congenital severe deafness after CI, the mechanism of the structural and functional changes of their cerebral cortex is not clear. This study was based on the cross-modal reorganization of deaf patients. Event related potential (ERP) and source localization technique were used to visualize the change of cortical activity in children with congenital severe deafness during 1-year period (0, 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after CI). We aimed to investigate the association between hearing restoration and cross-modal reorganization in children with congenital severe deafness after CI. The results showed that the cross-modal reorganization exists in children with congenital severe deafness. During hearing restoration, the function of the cross-modal reorganization reversed to the normal state. The method and conclusions of this study may be of significance in guiding the training and evaluation of hearing rehabilitation after CI in patients.
This case was an elderly male patient with symptomatic aortic valve calcification and severe aortic valve stenosis. Before the operation, the heart valve team had fully evaluated the patient’s suitability for transcatheter aortic valve replacement and approach. This patient had severe stenosis and plaques in the iliac artery, femoral artery, descending aorta, so the carotid artery approach transcatheter aortic valve replacement was chosen. After the operation, the patient’s symptoms improved significantly. So far, the patient was generally in good condition, without chest tightness, shortness of breath and other symptoms in daily activities. The current clinical application of the transcarotid approach is relatively small, but it is believed that with the publication of more clinical research results, the application of the transcarotid approach in transcatheter aortic valve replacement will become more and more common.
Objective The immunogenicity of tissue engineered skins is still vague, though it has been appl ied cl inically for several years. To observe the evidence of immunologic rejection of tissue engineered skins transplanted to severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, which are implanted human splenic lymphocytes to construct human immunesystem. Methods Tissue engineered skins and acellular dermic matrix were constructed in vitro. Twenty SCID mice, aging4-6 weeks and weighing 16-17 g, were randomly divided into four groups equally (n=5). The tissue engineered skins, human foreskins from circumcision and acellular dermic matrix were transplanted to groups A, B, and C, respectively; group D was used as a control. After 2 weeks of transplanting, 3 × 107 human splenic lymphocytes were injected into every SCID mouse intraperitoneally. After 4 weeks, the morphology, histology, immunohistochemistry and human IgG immunofluorescence were used to observe immunologic rejection. Results Group A showed that transplanted tissue engineered skins had the bilayer structure of dermis and epidermis, which was similar to the normal human skin structure. Group B showed that the transplanted human foreskins still retained normal structure of human skin. Group C showed that acellular dermic matrix were located in situ and had no sign of degradation. After injecting human splenic lymphocytes into the SCID mice, no inflammatory cells infil itration were observed basically in groups A, C, and D; the inflammatory cells infil itration of group B were significantly higher than that of other 3 groups (P lt; 0.05). The results of anti human keratin 14 monoclonal antibody (mAb) staining and anti human type IV collagen mAb staining were positive in group A; no positive cells for CD3, CD4, and CD8 were observed in groups A, C, and D; and many positive cells for CD3, CD4, and CD8 were observed in group B. The results of IgG immunofluorescence staining was negative in group A, C, and D, and positive in the great vessel wells of group B. Conclusion The immunogenicity of tissue engineered skins is very weak, and tissue engineered skins would not be rejected by host immune system after transplantation.
Objective To compare the assisting function between a new paraaortic counterpulsation device (PACD) and the intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) in acute severe heart failure in sheep. Methods Eight healthy adult small fattailed sheep were chosen in our study. The selfmade PACD (with a stroke volume of 55 ml) was anastomosed to the descending aorta through a valveless graft, and an intraaortic balloon (with a stroke volume of 40 ml) was placed in the descending aorta for the purpose of counterpulsation assisting. Acute severe heart failure model was established by snaring coronary artery branches. The hemodynamic changes of both devices were recorded during, before and after the counterpulsation assisting. Results Eight heart failure sheep models were successfully set up. Cardiac output (CO), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and left ventricular end diastolic presssure (LVEDP) after the heart failure were significantly different compared with basic value (t=-8.466, 34.083, 25.767, -5.219, P=0.000). After IABP and PACD assisting, the mean aortic diastolic pressure (MADP) didn’t significantly or did increase (38.34±7.13 mm Hg vs. 38.42±6.81 mm Hg, P=0.418; 38.34±7.13 mm Hg vs.54.14±10.13 mm Hg, P=0.001), and the degree of increasing between the two methods showed a significant difference (P=0.010); LVEDP didn’t significantly decrease (7.43±2.54 mmHg vs. 7.32±2.14 mm Hg, P=0.498; 7.43±2.54 mm Hg vs. 6.53±1.91 mm Hg, P=0.821), and there was no significant difference between the two methods in the change (P=0.651); the coronary sinus flow (CSF) didn’t significantly or did increase (86.63±7.71 ml/min vs. 87.04±6.53 ml/min, P=0.981; 86.63±7.71 ml/min vs. 110.52±11.03 ml/min, P=0.000), and there was a significant difference in the change of CSF between the two methods (P=0.000). IABP didn’t significantly decrease the left carotid artery flow (LCAF) (131.07±21.26 ml/min vs. 128.36±20.38 ml/min, P=0.689), while PACD increased it (131.07±21.26 ml/min vs. 151.29±18.37 ml/min, P=0.008), and there was a significant difference in the change of pressure waveform between the two methods (P=0.002). The thrombus, thrombosis and ischemic necrosis were not found in the hematosac of PACD, artificial blood vessels, heart, lung, liver or kidney of the animal. No apparent abnormalities of the pathohistological sections were detected under optical microscope. Conclusion IABP has no assisting function for the heart of animal with severe heart failure. However, PACD can improve hemodynamic parameters like MADP, returned blood volume in the coronary artery and perfusion volume into the brain, which may become a promising implantable device for severe heart failure.
