Physiological determinants of residual cerebral arterial pulsatility on best medical treatment after TIA or minor stroke

Cerebral arterial pulsatility is strongly associated with cerebral small vessel disease and lacunar stroke yet its dependence on central versus local haemodynamic processes is unclear. In a population-based study of patients on best medical managment, 4–6 weeks after a TIA or non-disabling stroke, arterial stiffness and aortic systolic, diastolic and pulse pressures were measured (Sphygmocor). Middle cerebral artery peak and trough flow velocities and Gosling’s pulsatility index were measured by transcranial ultrasound. In 981 participants, aortic and cerebral pulsatility rose strongly with age in both sexes, but aortic diastolic pressure fell more with age in men whilst cerebral trough velocity fell more in women. There was no significant association between aortic systolic or diastolic blood pressure with cerebral peak or trough flow velocity but aortic pulse pressure explained 37% of the variance in cerebral arterial pulsatility, before adjustment, whilst 49% of the variance was explained by aortic pulse pressure, arterial stiffness, age, gender and cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, arterial stiffness partially mediated the relationship between aortic and cerebral pulsatility. Overall, absolute aortic pressures and cerebral blood flow velocity were poorly correlated but aortic and cerebral pulsatility were strongly related, suggesting a key role for transmission of aortic pulsatility to the brain.     

逐瘀止血汤加减治疗慢性子宫内膜炎气虚血瘀证的疗效观察

目的 评价逐瘀止血汤加减对慢性子宫内膜炎（CE）气虚血瘀证患者妊娠结局的影响及对免疫炎症因子的调节作用。方法 将144例患者随机按数字表法分为观察组和对照组各72例。观察组脱落、失访4例，剔除2例，完成66例；对照组脱落、失访3例，剔除5例，完成65例。两组均给予抗感染治疗14 d。对照组口服妇科千金片，6片/次，3次/d。观察组内服逐瘀止血汤加减，1剂/d。两组疗程均为3个月，并随访6个月。记录治疗前后月经经量、经期和周期变化情况；进行治疗前后宫腔镜和阴道彩色多普勒超声检查，评价子宫内膜形态、子宫内膜容受性（CP）［子宫内膜厚度、阻力指数（RI），搏动指数（PI）和血流指数（FI）］等，并进行子宫内膜病理检查；进行治疗前后气虚血瘀证评分；检测治疗前后月经血白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β），IL-6和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）水平和外周血测T淋巴亚群（CD3⁺，CD4⁺，CD8⁺）水平；随访记录妊娠情况和流产情况。进行安全性评价。结果 治疗后观察组经量、经期、周期和月经完全正常率均高于对照组（P<0.05）；观察组子宫内膜厚度和FI均高于对照组（P<0.01），RI和PI均低于对照组（P<0.01）；观察组月经血IL-1β，IL-6和TNF-α水平均低于对照组（P<0.01）；观察组CD3⁺，CD4⁺水平和CD4⁺/ CD8⁺均高于对照组（P<0.01），CD8⁺水平低于对照组（P<0.01）；在6个月随访期间，观察组妊娠率46.97%（31/66），高于对照组的27.69%（18/65）（χ²=5.197，P<0.05）；观察组子宫内膜形态疗效总有效率为96.97%（64/66），高于对照组的86.15%（56/65）（χ²=4.981，P<0.05）；观察组子宫内膜病理组织疗效总有效率为95.45%（63/66），高于对照组的84.62%（55/65）（χ²=4.304，P<0.05）；观察组综合临床疗效总有效率为93.94%（62/66），高于对照组的81.54%（55/65）（χ²=4.696，P<0.05）；两组治疗期间均未发现与中药相关不良反应。结论 逐瘀止血汤加减治疗CE气虚血瘀证患者，可调经月经、减轻临床症状，改善宫腔镜下内膜形态，调节全身和局部的免疫炎症反应，提高了CP，从而改善了妊娠结局，有着较好的综合疗效，且安全。     

Multidisciplinary intestinal rehabilitation in acute type II intestinal failure: Results from an intestinal rehabilitation team

BackgroundType II (acute) intestinal failure (IF) is usually caused by complications of abdominal surgery resulting in enteric fistulas or proximal stomas and requires parenteral nutrition (PN) for several months. This study aimed to evaluate clinical management and outcome of type II IF patients in a single center.MethodsMedical records of patients referred to the Intestinal Rehabilitation Team (IRT) at Samsung Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) were retrospectively analyzed.ResultsFrom 2014 to 2019, 34 patients with IF were referred. 28 patients were type II IF and were included in the analysis. There were 17 males and 11 females. Mean age of patients was 56.7 years. Pathophysiology of IF were high-output stoma in 16 cases, extensive bowel resection (with bowel in continuity) in 7 cases, and enterocutaneous fistula in 5 cases. The catastrophic events necessitating abdominal surgery in the patients were adhesive ileus in 9 cases, superior mesenteric artery thrombosis in 8 cases, internal herniation of bowel in 5 cases, traumatic bowel injury in 3 cases, and ischemic enteritis in 3 cases. Following medical and surgical rehabilitation, 10 patients (35.7%) were weaned off PN and overall mortality was 28.5%. Deaths were related to progression of underlying malignancies in 4 cases, liver failure in 3 cases, and sepsis in 1 case. Thirteen patients underwent surgery to restore bowel continuity. Six postoperative complications occurred in 4 patients (30.7%) and there were no postoperative mortalities.ConclusionStandardized care including restorative surgery resulted in successful outcomes in type II IF patients in this cohort.     

功能性心肌血流指数评价缺血性冠心病可行性分析

目的:运用功能性心肌血流指数(MBFI)评价缺血性冠心病(ICAD)可行性分析。方法:回顾性分析冠心病疑似患者行冠状动脉CT血管成像(CCTA)检查,同期接受有创冠状动脉造影(ICA)及导管法心肌血流储备分数(FFR)检查共81例患者,其中男性43例,女性38例,年龄(59.27±9.09)岁;计算MBFI;以FFR≤0.80为金标准,分别以四格表诊断试验确定MBFI与ICA的最佳切点值来判断ICAD;评价MBFI、ICA的ROC曲线特征及诊断准确度。结果:81例患者,CCTA扫描平均剂量为(3.06±1.22)mSv。MBFI、ICA最佳切点值分别为0.074、70%,25例患者FFR≤0.80。MBFI、ICA两者ROC曲线下面积分别为0.825、0.699(Z=2.024,P=0.0429),其敏感度、特异度、阳性预测值、阴性预测值分别为88.00%、80.35%、66.67%、93.75%和76.00%、51.79%、41.30%、82.86%,诊断准确度分别为82.72%、59.26%(χ2=10.753,P<0.01)。33例患者(40.74%,33/81)ICA狭窄程度为65%或70%,其中27例患者(81.82%,27/33)心肌不缺血,运用MBFI值大于0.074可明确23例患者心肌并不缺血(69.70%,23/33)。结论:MBFI属于功能性指标,可用于排查缺血性冠心病。     

Toll-like receptor 2 expression on monocytes and microvascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic debilitating illness, and atherosclerotic changes are inevitable and usually neglected during the follow-up of diabetic patients. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is under trial in many studies to hold responsibility for atherosclerosis process progression as they suggest a malfunction of these receptors expressed on monocytes in diabetic patients. This study aimed to assess the association between the TLR2 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Egyptian diabetic patients and to investigate its relationship with some diabetic complications.MethodsThis study included a 60 diabetic patients group 1 (diabetic complicated), group 2 (diabetic non-complicated) and 30 age-matched normal healthy blood donors.ResultsToll-like receptors (TLRs) expression was significantly associated with T2DM. In this study, the mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) of TLR2 was 596.9 ± 84.78 in group 1, 326.23 ± 62.98 in group 2 while in group 3 it was 208.47 ± 156.73. There was a significant correlation between MFI of TLR2 and random blood sugar (RBS) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (p < 0.05).ConclusionTLR2 was overexpressed in diabetic patients with microvascular complications compared to diabetic non-complicated patients and normal healthy controls.     

Circulating CCL20: A potential biomarker for active vitiligo together with the number of Th1/17 cells

Background

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disease with varying pathological features. Activation of the CCL20-CCR6 axis plays an important role in chronic inflammatory diseases. However, whether CCL20-CCR6 and Th1/17 cells are indicative of active vitiligo is unclear.