Objective To investigate the clinical value of plasma copeptin in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods Ninety patients with AECOPD admitted between October 2013 and November 2015 were recruited as an AECOPD group, and 40 healthy subjects underwent physical examination simultaneously were recruited as a control group. According to patient history and severity, the AECOPD patients were divided into 3 groups: grade Ⅰ group (25 cases), grade Ⅱ group (45 cases) and grade Ⅲ group (20 cases). Plasma copeptin level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The changes of copeptin, the total counts of white blood cells (WBC), and C-reactive protein (CRP) of the AECOPD patients were compared before and after treatment. Then the correlations between plasma levels of copeptin and severity of AECOPD were evaluated. Results The plasma level of copeptin in the AECOPD group was higher than that in the control group [(16.4±5.2) pmol/L vs. (5.7±2.8) pmol/L, P<0.05), and gradually increased with the severity of AECOPD. For the AECOPD patients both before and after treatment, the copeptin concentrations were positive correlated with the plasma CRP concentrations and the total counts of WBC in blood (both P<0.05). Conclusions The plasma levels of copeptin gradually increase with the severity of AECOPD. The changes of plasma copeptin may be as an indicator for the severity of AECOPD.
Objective To evaluate the diagnosis value of radial probe endobronchial ultrasound guide sheath transbronchial lung biopsy (RP-EBUS-GS-TBLB) combination with rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) in peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). Methods One hundred and fifty-eight patients with PPLs identified by computed tomography in Nanjing Chest Hospital underwent RP-EBUS-GS-TBLB with or without ROSE randomly between February 2016 and August 2017. The sensitivity, the procedure time, the biopsy times, and the complications were evaluated in the two groups. Results The diagnostic yield was 85.7% (72/84) in ROSE group and 70.3% (52/74) in No-ROSE group. There was significant difference in diagnostic sensitivity between the two groups (P<0.05). The mean procedure time and number of biopsy in ROSE group were less than those in No-ROSE group (P<0.01). No severe procedure related complications such as pneumothorax and hemoptysis were observed. Conclusions ROSE can improve the diagnostic sensitivity, and shorten the procedure time. RP-EBUS-GS-TBLB combined with ROSE is a safe and effective technique for PPLs.