The way of intravenous drug abuse is to puncture the peripheral blood vessels and inject the drug directly into the blood. Therefore, this method has an impact on the peripheral artery and venous system of the users, and can cause a variety of peripheral vascular diseases, such as phlebitis, deep vein thrombosis, chronic venous insufficiency, phlebangioma, atherosclerosis, acute arterial ischemia, pseudoaneurysm, etc. However, due to the particularity of drug abusers, the vascular complications caused by intravenous drug abuse have not attracted enough attention. This paper reviewed the types and pathogenesis of peripheral vascular diseases caused by intravenous drug abuse, so as to improve the clinical understanding of peripheral vascular diseases caused by intravenous drug abuse, improve the prognosis of patients, reduce occupational exposure of medical staff, and play a certain role in social warning.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the safety and efficiency of SilverHawk plaque excision in treatment of sympto-matic infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease (IPAD).
MethodsThe clinical and follow-up data of 54 consecutive patients with IPAD underwent endovascular treatment from 2011 to 2013 in this hospital were analyzed retrospectively. There were 29 males and 25 females. The age was (65.8±4.5) years, the period was (25.1±3.3) months. All the patients were Fontaine gradeⅡb-Ⅳ. The patients were divided into plaque excision group (n=9) and angioplasty group (n=45) according to the treatment method. The rates of technical success, perioperative complications, limb salvage and reintervention were observed between two groups.
Results①There were no significant differences in the gender, age, complications, ankle brachial index (ABI), outflow tract score, lesion length, and other clinical data between the 2 groups (P > 0.05).②The technical success rate had no significant difference between the plaque excision group and the angioplasty group[100% (9/9) versus 86.7% (39/45), P=0.574]. Six cases were failed because the guide wire could not pass through the diseased segment in 4 cases and there were 2 cases of serious residual stenosis in the angioplasty group.③There was no significant difference in the incidence of vascular complications between the 2 groups[11.1% (1/9) versus 11.1% (5/45), P=1.000].④The follow-up results:One case was received the carotid endarterectomy on 4 months after operation because of severe carotid artery stenosis, the lower limbs had no new onset of symptoms in the plaque excision group. One patient due to myocardial infarction was death on 3 months after operation, 2 patients due to pulmonary infection and heart failure were death on 4 months and 5 months after operation respectively in the angioplasty group. The limb salvage rates and reintervention rates on 6 months and 12 months after operation had no significant differences between the 2 groups (P> 0.05). The ABI and ABI average improvement also had no significant significances between the 2 groups (P > 0.05).
ConclusionPlaque excision is a safe and acceptable method to treat symptomatic IPAD, and its efficacy is better than angioplasty.
ObjectiveTo study the characteristics of carotid atherosclerotic plaque and investigate the relationship between visfatin and plaque stabilization.
Methodsfifty-six patients with carotid stenosis were divided into symptomatic group (n=31) and asymptomatic group (n=25) based on the clinical manifestation and onset time.All plaque specimens were stained with HE and Masson trichrome staining and studied pathologically.The plaques were grouped into stable and unstable plaques based on thickness of the fibrous cap and the area of lipid-rich core in the plaques.The expression of visfatin was detected by immunohistochemistry staining.
Results①The proportion of unstable plaques were significantly higher in symptomatic group than in asymptomatic group (67.74% vs 36.00%, P < 0.05).②Compared with stable plaques, unstable plaques had thinner fibrous cap, larger lipid necrotic core, and higher proportion of hemorrhage: (49.87±8.75)μm vs (74.54±6.80)μm (P < 0.001), (65.63±12.97)% vs (31.81±5.13)% (P < 0.001), and 63.33% vs 30.77% (P < 0.05).③The integral optical density value of expressed visfatin in unstable plaques was significantly more than in stable plaques (84 165.47±9 183.12 vs 55 694.08±4 818.57, P < 0.001).
ConclusionsThe plaque destabilization is closely related to the clinical symptoms of atherosclerosis.The thickness of fibrous cap, area of lipid-rich core, and hemorrhage play an important role in the plaque stabilization.The visfatin is related to atherogenesis and plaque destabilization.
Objective To review research advances in atherosclerosis of removal mechanisms of apoptotic cells.Method The literatures about the removal mechanisms of the apoptotic cells were reviewed．Results The removal factors of apoptotic cells， such as transglutaminase 2， milk fat globule-EGF-factor 8， complement system，c-Mer proto-oncogene tyrosine protein kinase，and Fas，might cause the lipid core of the atherosclerotic plaque if one of them was defective phagocytic clearance．Conclusion How to remove the surplus of the phagocytosis and study the common pathways of the downstream signal of its receptor were the future direction of development．
ObjectiveTo observe the frequency and severity of carotid atherosclerotic stenosis in senior chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients and explore the related risk factors in order to provide a theoretical basis for the effective prevention of cardiovascular comorbidity in COPD.
MethodsStable COPD out-patients followed up in Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital were prospectively enrolled between August 2012 and August 2015, who had carotid atherosclerosis confirmed by cervical vascular color ultrasonic inspection within 3 months. All the patients were divided into a carotid stenosis group and a non-carotid stenosis group. Demographic and laboratory data were extracted and compared between two groups. Pearson correlation and Logistic regression analysis were performed to analyze the risk factors related to carotid stenosis.
ResultsOf 380 consecutive senior patients with COPD and carotid atherosclerosis, 199 (52.37%) had carotid stenosis. Compared with those without carotid stenosis, the patients in the carotid stenosis group had significantly higher levels of hypersensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP), uric acid (UA), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and smoking index (P < 0.05). Lower levels of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%) and body mass index (BMI) were also observed in the carotid stenosis group (P < 0.05). Pearson correlation and logistic regression analysis showed that hs-CRP (OR 1.040, 95%CI 1.011-3.070), UA (OR 1.003, 95%CI 1.000-2.006), FEV1 (OR 0.899, 95%CI 0.200-5.722), smoking index (OR 1.002, 95%CI 1.001-2.904) and BMI (OR 0.955, 95%CI 0.312-4.866) were associated with carotid stenosis.
ConclusionsCarotid atherosclerotic stenosis is common in senior COPD patients. Higher levels of hs-CRP, UA and smoking index and lower levels of FEV1 and BMI may be independent risk factors for carotid stenosis in COPD.
ObjectiveTo investigate the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS) by detecting different expression genes between normal Wistar rats and rats with atherosclerosis through the technology of gene chip.
MethodsThe rats were treated with standard diet with saline injection (control group) or high-cholesterol diet with vitamin D3 injection and balloon injury (model group). Total cholesterol (TC) and triglyeride (TG) in serum were detected 90 days later to ensure the success of establishment of the atherosclerosis model. Abdominal aorta was isolated and stained with HE. Total RNA was isolated from the aorta for gene chip analysis to explore the differential gene expression.
ResultsCompared with the control group, the TC and TG level in the model group were highly advanced (P<0.05). AS model was confirmed by pathological observation. Gene chip detection showed that 511 genes were up-regulated and 1 219 ones were down-regulated which were interrelated with lipid metabolism, inflammatory reaction, oxidative stress and apoptosis as well.
ConclusionThe expression change with multiple gene in AS suggests that the nosogenesis of AS is adjusted and controlled complicatedly. Intensive study of some important genes will contribute to the prevention and improvement of prognosis of AS.
Objective To evaluate the relationship between COPD and atherosclerosis, and analyze the risk factors of atherosclerosis among COPD patients. Methods A total of 40 COPD patients and 43 normal subjects were enrolled in the study. Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques were detected in both groups. Blood samples were collected to measure the concentration of high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) , fibrinogen (Fbg) , total cholesterol (TC) , triglyceride (TG) , high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) , low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) , while smoking index was recorded. Multiple regression analysis was performed to evaluate the correlative factors of IMT among COPD patients. According to whether luminal stenosis appeared, the COPD patients were allocated into group A ( without luminal stenosis) and group B ( with luminal stenosis) . Age, gender, hs-CRP, Fbg, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, and smoking index of the two groups were compared respectively. Results Hs-CRP, Fbg, thickness of IMT, plaques detection rate, and smoking index in the COPD group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( Plt;0.05) . TC, HDL-C, LDL-C in the COPD group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( Plt;0. 05) .Multiple regression analysis of IMT correlative factors among COPD patients showed that age, hs-CRP, Fbg, TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, and smoking index were in linear relationship with IMT thickening. Age, hs-CRP, TC, and smoking index were positively correlated with IMT ( Plt;0.05) . Hs-CRP and smoking index in the group A were lower than those in the group B ( Plt;0. 05) .While TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C in the group A were higher than those in the group B ( Plt;0.05) . Conclusions Age, smoking index, hs-CRP, and TC are risk factors for thickening of carotid artery IMT in COPD patients. Furthermore, smoking index, hs-CRP, TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C are related to the severity of IMT thickening. The ultrasound detection of carotid artery IMT can be a valuble tool to screen atherosclerosis in patients with COPD.
ObjectiveTo systematically review the interventional effects of Simiao Yong'an decoction on atherosclerosis animal models.MethodsDatabase including CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched to collect animal experiments on atherosclerosis model intervention by Simiao Yong’an decoction from inception to October 2020. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and used the SYRCLE animal experiment bias risk assessment tool to evaluate risk bias of included studies, and then used RevMan 5.4.1 software for meta-analysis.ResultsA total of 14 animal experiments were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that compared with the blank model group, the Simiao Yong’an decoction group could reduce the aortic plaque area (SMD=?2.04, 95%CI ?3.35 to ?0.74), the ratio of aortic plaque to lumen area (SMD=?1.72, 95%CI ?2.48 to ?0.97), total cholesterol level (SMD=?0.97, 95 %CI ?1.72 to ?0.22), triglyceride level (SMD=?1.21, 95%CI ?1.82 to ?0.60), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (SMD=?1.82, 95%CI ?3.12 to ?1.53), tumor necrosis factor-α level (SMD=?3.36, 95%CI ?4.21 to ?2.52), monocyte chemotactic factor-1 level (SMD=?2.98, 95%CI ?4.60 to ?1.35) and C-reactive protein level (SMD=?0.60, 95%CI ?1.08 to ?0.11); however, in the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (SMD=0.66, 95%CI ?0.10 to 1.42) and the level of interleukin 1 (SMD=?1.41, 95%CI ?4.11 to 1.30), the differences were not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe existing evidence shows that the intervention of Simiao Yong’an decoction in the atherosclerosis model can reduce the aortic plaque area and the ratio of the aortic plaque to the lumen area, reduce total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and reduce tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemotactic factor-1, and C-reactive protein levels. Due to limited quality of included studies, more high quality studies are required to verify the above conclusions.
ObjectiveTo explore the relationship between plasma homocysteine level and intracranial artery atherosclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction.
MethodsA total of 120 patients with cerebral infarction diagnosed between January and December 2013 were selected.Plasma homocysteine level was analyzed and intracranial artery was detected by DSA.
ResultsIntracranial artery atherosclerosis can be found in most of patients with cerebral infarction.Moreover,Plasma Hcy level of patients with large cerebral artery atherosclerosis was much higher than others (P<0.05).The much higher Plasma Hcy level,the severe intracranial artery atherosclerosis were found in internal carotid artery and cerebral middle artery (P<0.05).
ConclusionIntracranial artery atherosclerosis is common in patients with cerebral infarction.Occurrence of intracranial artery atherosclerosis is positively correlated with plasma homocysteine level.Plasma homocysteine level may be a risk factor of intracranial artery atherosclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction.
Telomeres play an important role in maintaining genomic stability and cell life. Accumulating studies show that telomeres are closely related to human aging, cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. There are a series of researches about telomeres and atherosclerosis across the world, including studies on the relationship between atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and telomere length, and on telomere-targeted treatments for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Telomeres may be a risk predictor or a new therapeutic target for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. This article reviews the relationship between telomeres and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, introduces the research progress of telomere length and cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and the possible mechanisms of their association, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for exploring new therapeutic targets for atherosclerosis.
