Objective To evaluate the correlation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-Cadherin) in serum with the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and explore their clinical value in OSA. Methods A total of 90 patients with OSA admitted to the Sleep Monitoring Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from April 2023 to June 2024 were prospectively selected. Based on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the patients were divided into a mild group (5 - 15 times/hour, n=30), a moderate group (>15 - 30 times/hour, n=28), and a severe group (>30 times/hour, n=32). Thirty healthy individuals who underwent physical examinations during the same period were included as a control group. The levels of serum VEGF and soluble VE-Cadherin (sVE) in all subjects were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The differences in serum VEGF and sVE levels among the groups were compared, and the correlations between serum VEGF and sVE levels and sleep parameters were explored. The moderate and severe OSA patients were given 3 months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, and the changes in sleep parameters and serum VEGF and sVE levels before and after treatment were compared. Results The levels of serum VEGF and sVE in the OSA patients increased with the severity of the disease; the levels of serum VEGF and sVE in the moderate and severe OSA groups were significantly higher than those in the healthy control group and the mild OSA group (P<0.05). The levels of serum VEGF and sVE in the severe OSA group were significantly higher than those in the moderate OSA group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the expression levels of serum VEGF or sVE between the mild OSA group and the healthy control group (P>0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of serum VEGF in diagnosing OSA were 65.6% and 93.3%, respectively, with an area under curve (AUC) value of 0.845. The sensitivity and specificity of serum VE-Cadherin in diagnosing OSA were 64.4% and 96.7%, respectively, with an AUC value of 0.835. After 3 months of CPAP treatment, AHI, longest apnea time, serum VEGF and sVE levels in the moderate and severe OSA groups decreased significantly, mean arterial oxygen saturation and lowest arterial oxygen saturation increased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusions The levels of VEGF and VE-Cadherin in serum of OSA patients are significantly elevated and positively correlated with the severity of OSA. Monitoring the changes in the levels of VEGF and VE-Cadherin in serum of OSA patients is helpful for evaluating the therapeutic effect of CPAP.
ObjectiveTo study immunodepression effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC) on acute asthmatic airway inflammation by galectin-1 (gal-1) in vivo.MethodsEighty-five female BALB/c mice were equally randomized into normal control group, asthmatic group, BMSC treatment group, gal-1 treatment group and BMSC and gal-1 inhibitor group. Ovalbumin (OVA) was used to establish acute asthmatic model. Total cell number and differential cell analysis in each group in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined. Furthermore, hematoxylin-eosin and periodic-acid Schiff staining was used to compare airway inflammation among five groups. Measurement of cytokines, including interleukin (IL) -4, IL-5 and gal-1 in BALF and OVA specific IgE (OVA-IgE) in serum were evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, dendritic cell (DC) in lung tissue was sorted by immunomagnetic beads and its MAPK signal pathway was analyzed by western blotting among five groups.ResultsAccumulation of inflammation cells, particularly eosinophils around airway and in BALF was evident in asthmatic mouse model, meanwhile hyperplasia of Goblet cell was also obvious in asthmatic group. BMSC engraftment or gal-1 infusion significantly reduced airway inflammation and hyperplasia of Goblet cell and the number of inflammation cells in BALF, especially eosinophils attenuated dramatically. However, there was no effect on airway inflammation and hyperplasia of Goblet Cell by simultaneous infusion BMSC engraftment and gal-1 inhibitor. Compared to normal control group, the level of IL-4, IL-5 in BALF and OVA-IgE in serum was increased remarkably in asthmatic group, but the level of gal-1 reduced obviously. Moreover, infusion of BMSC or gal-1 could mitigate the level of IL-4, IL-5 in BALF and OVA-IgE in serum and increase the level of gal-1 in asthmatic mouse. However, infusion with both BMSC and gal-1 inhibitor exerted no effect on cytokine and OVA-IgE in asthmatic mouse. DC was sorted by immunomagnetic beads and western blotting was used to detect the expression of MAPK signal pathway among five groups. The expression of ERK phosphorylation in asthmatic group was much lower than that in normal control group. On the contrary, the expression of p38 phosphorylation was much higher than that in normal control group. BMSC engraftment or gal-1 infusion significantly activated the ERK pathway and inhibited the p38 MARP pathway on asthmatic mouse DC. Nevertheless, the expression of ERK phosphorylation and p38 phosphorylation for group with BMSC and gal-1 inhibitor infusion was between the level of asthmatic group and normal control group.ConclusionsBMSC infusion alleviates airway inflammation in asthmatic mouse, especially weakens eosinophils infiltration, and the underlying mechanism might be protective effect of gal-1 secreted by BMSC which plays a role in lung tissue DC and regulates the DC expression of MAPK signal pathway.
目的：评价电子气管镜直视下置入镍钛合金支架治疗气道狭窄的疗效及安全性。方法：对我院3年来由各种原因引起的气管或支气管狭窄的21例患者行电子气管镜直视下经鼻置入国产镍钛合金支架术，观察置入支架前后症状、狭窄段气道直径变化、动脉血气变化情况及其并发症。结果：21例患者术后呼吸困难均明显改善，气道内径扩张及动脉血氧分压改善较术前均有统计学意义，未发生严重并发症。结论：电子气管镜直视下置入气道支架准确、迅速、安全，操作较方便，有助于延长患者的生存时间和提高生活质量，为进一步治疗创造条件。
Objective To investigate the feasibility of dendritic cells ( DCs ) as vector of immunotherapy through intratracheal injection. Methods The DCs obtained from the bone marrow of BALB/ c mice were cultured and isolated with CD11c-positive magnetic beads. Then DCs were overloaded with ovalbumin peptide 323-339 ( OVA 323-339) for 24 hours. The mice in the DC-OVA group were intratrachelly injected DCs overloaded with OVA 323-339 in dose of 2 ×106 cells per mouse. The mice in thenegative control group were intratracheally injected with DCs untreated by OVA 323-339. On the second day,all mice were challenged with 1% OVA in PBS lasting for five days. The asthma animal model established by classic method was used for the positive control. Pathologic changes in lung and cell numbers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid ( BALF) were assayed 24 hours after challenged. Results Just like the lung tissues from the mice asthma models, the lung tissues from the mice instilled with DCs overloaded with allergen OVA 323-339 showed extensive inflammatory cells infiltration, most of which were eosinophils, neutrophils and lymphocytes. The lung tissues in the DC group showed no obvious inflammation. There were more cells in BALF in the DC-OVA group than that in the DC group. OVA-specific IgE in serum from the DC-OVA group was not significantly different from that in the mice asthma models [ ( 48. 22 ±4. 76) U/mL vs. ( 52. 75 ±4. 03) U/mL, P gt;0. 05] . Conclusion DCs overloaded antigen has the ability of transferring of antigen effectively and may be used as vectors of immunotherapy.
Objective To evaluate the changes of right ventricular function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) before and after continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI). Methods Fifty patients with moderate and severe OSAHS were selected for CPAP treatment, and another 40 healthy volunteers were selected as a control group. 2D-STI and traditional echocardiography were conducted in the study group before treatment, after 3 months of continuous treatment and after 6 months of continuous treatment and in the control group. Results The differences between the control subjects and the OSAHS patients were statistically significant in right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RVGLS), right ventricular free lateral wall longitudinal strain (RVLLS), apical segment of the right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (Apical RV-SL), basal segment of the right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (Basal RV-SL), and media segment of the right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (Media RV-SL) (all P<0.05). RVGLS, RVLLS and Apical RV-SL were significantly improved after 3 months of CPAP treatment (all P<0.05). Basal RV-SL was significantly improved after 6 months of CPAP treatment (P<0.05). Conclusions The right ventricular function of patients with OSAHS is abnormal. CPAP treatment can improve the right ventricular function of OSAHS patients. 2D-STI can accurately assess the changes of right ventricular function.
慢性咳嗽在人群的发生率为3％~40％。导致慢性咳嗽的主要原因是上气道咳嗽综合征(UACS)、哮喘和胃食管反流病(GERD) 。也有学者将UACS简化为鼻炎，体现了以鼻腔和鼻窦炎性疾病为代表的上气道疾病对慢性咳嗽的病因学意义。诊疗非吸烟、未服用血管紧张素转化酶(ACE)抑制剂的慢性咳嗽患者，应首先考虑上述三大类疾病，可以单独或联合存在。由于临床症状可能仅表现为咳嗽，同时，病史中提示性的线索通常有限，都可能增加诊断的难度。