The management of women with mechanical heart valves during pregnancy remains difficult and controversial. The selection of prosthetic heart valve, management during pregnancy and delivery period, guidelines and anticoagulation strategy used in patients with a mechanical heart valve in China are summarized in this review.
Warfarin is one of the most frequently prescribed oral anticoagulant. Many researches have shown that the genotypes have been strongly associated with warfarin maintenance doses. Especially, it has been accepted in academia that cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 subunit (VKORC1) could affect the warfarin maintenance doses. There are also many other genotypes that were reported to be related to warfarin doses, but the results have been in controversial so far. The studies found that the dose formula which contained the genetic factors and clinical information could accurately predict the maintenance dose of warfarin, however, its usefulness is suspected due to the inconsistent results of clinical trials. Large-sample and multi-center studies are necessary to verify the specific effects of gene and non-gene factors to warfarin dose; at the same time, testing constructed models or building new models help to improve the explained percentages of individual differences.
Objective To investigate the expression of fibroblast activation protein( FAP) in mouse pulmonary fibrosis and the relationship between FAP and trarisforming growth factor β1 ( TGF-β1 ) .Methods The mouse model with pulmonary fibrosis was established by intratracheally instillation of bleomycin. The expressions of FAP, α-smooth muscle action( α-SMA) , and TGF-β1 in lung tissues were detected with immunohistochemical technique. Results There was no expression of FAP in the normal lung tissue. In the pulmonary fibrosis mice, FAP was found in the fibroblasts existed in bronchiolar adventitia or peribronchiolar ( and perivascular) connective tissue. In the fibroblast foci, the localizations of α-SMA, TGF-β1 , and FAP were similar, but the expression of FAP was more extensive than that of α-SMA and ber than that ofTGF-β1 . The degree of lung fibrosis was bly correlated with FAP, α-SMA, and TGF-β1 ( r = 0. 795,0. 766,0. 628; P lt; 0. 01) . A significantly positive correlation was also observed between TGF-β1 and FAP( r =0. 706, P lt; 0. 01) . Conclusions FAP is especially expressed in the fibroblast foci in pulmonaryfibrosis and bly correlated with the severity of pulmonary fibrosis. FAP and TGF-β1 possibly play a synergistic role in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis.
Objective To investigate the risk factors and the prevention and cure methods of ischemic stroke during low intensity anticoagulation therapy after mechanical heart valve replacement. Methods From March 2004 to July 2008，twentythree patients with ischemic stroke after mechanical heart valve replacement had been researched(ischemic stroke group). One hundred and twenty patients who had undergone mechanical heart valve replacement were randomly chosen in the same period as control group. Gender, age, the dose of warfarin , anticoagulation intensity(INR), INR review interval, left atrial diameter and heart rhythm were compared between the two groups, and the risk factors of ischemic stroke were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results (1) Patients in ischemic stroke group all discharged from hospital after treatment, and they were followed up for 1 month-3 years after discharged. All the patients’ neurological complications improved obviously, and no recurrent embolism and severe hemorrhage was found. (2) There was no statistical significance between two groups in gender, age and the dose of warfarin（Pgt;0.05）. (3) Nonconditional logistic regression analysis on influence factors showed that atrial fibrillation（P=0.000）, left atrial enlargement（P=0.002）, low anticoagulation intensity（P=0.012） and longtime INR review interval（P=0.047）were the risk factors of ischemic stroke during low intensity anticoagulation therapy after mechanical heart valve replacement. Conclusions (1)The prognosis of ischemic stroke during low intensity anticoagulation therapy after mechanical heart valve replacement is better than that of intracranial hemorrhage, and the occurrence of ischemic stroke is related to many risk factors. (2)The influences of risk factors should be minimized in order to avoid ischemic stroke. (3) Early low intensity anticoagulation therapy is safe and effective for patients with ischemic stroke after heart valve replacement.
Objective To explore the safety and efficacy of mobile APP in telemanagement for patients who received oral warfarin anticoagulant therapy after mechanical heart valve replacement. Methods A prospective cohort study was performed. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 80 patients who underwent mechanical heart valve replacement for more than half a year and received oral warfarin anticoagulant therapy in outpatient department were included in our hospital from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. These patients were divided into a telemanagement group (40 paitents, telemanagement using mobile APP) and a control group (40 patients, anticoagulant management in outpatient clinics) according to patients' wishes and local hospital international normalized ratio (INR) monitoring conditions. After 12-month follow-up, clinical effect of the two groups was compared. The INR, time in therapeutic range (TTR), fraction in therapeutic range (FTTR), anticoagulation-related complications and patient satisfaction were analyzed. Results During the follow-up period of anticoagulation, there was no significant difference in INR between the two groups (P=0.732). The average interval of INR monitoring in the telemanagement group was 3-65 (21.4 ± 12.5) days, while that in the control group was 7-93 (39.6 ± 14.7) days (P=0.012). TTR was 42.7% (6 027.6 d/14 116.0 d) in the control group and 67.9% (10 168.6 d/14 972.0 d) in the telemanagement group (P=0.018). And FTTR in the two groups was 45.6% (144/316) and 67.1% (432/644), respectively (P=0.015). No serious thromboembolism or hemorrhage events occurred in the 80 patients during the 12-month follow-up period. There was no significant difference in the incidence of anticoagulation-related complications, general bleeding and embolism between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion For patients with stable anticoagulation after cardiac mechanical valve replacement, it is safe and effective to telemanagement by mobile APP. Telemanagement can increase the frequency of anticoagulation monitoring without increasing anticoagulation risk, meanwhile, it also could obtain more convenient and rapid consultation, save time and economic costs,and improve the quality of life and patient satisfaction.
Objective To evaluate and summarize the relevant evidence on follow-up management of non-pregnant adult with pulmonary embolism, and provide a reference for optimizing the follow-up plan of non-pregnant adult with pulmonary embolism. Methods Clinical decision-making, guidelines, societies/associations websites related to follow-up of pulmonary embolism, and databases were searched for literature on follow-up management of non-pregnant adult with pulmonary embolism. The retrieval time limit was from databases establishment to December 2023. The included literature was evaluated for quality and summarized to form evidence. Results A total of 13 articles were included, including 3 clinical decision-making articles, 5 guidelines, 1 systematic review, and 4 expert consensus articles, forming 26 best pieces of evidence, involving 8 aspects of follow-up personnel and methods, follow-up time, physical assessment, activity guidance, contraception guidance, filter management, medication guidance, and lifestyle guidance. Conclusions The follow-up management of non-pregnant adult with pulmonary embolism is very important. When medical staff apply relevant follow-up management evidence, they should fully evaluate the patients’ willingness and medical environment, make full use of existing resources, optimize follow-up management strategies, reduce the occurrence of complications, and improve patient prognosis.
Objective To evaluate the effect of tissue engineered skin with isogeneic cells on repairing skin defects in inbred rat model so as to provide relevant evidences for the clinical application. Methods The skins of newborn inbred F344 rats were harvested and treated with Dispase trypsin to isolate the epidermal cells. The skins of adult Sprague Dawley rats were obtained and treated with hypertonic sodium-SDS-trypsin to prepare the acellular dermal matrix. The tissue engineered skin was reconstructed by submerging culturing and air-liquid interface culturing in vitro. The full-thickness skin defects of 1.5 cm × 1.5 cm in size were prepared along the dorsal both sides of 36 adult inbred F344 rats, and 72 defects were repaired with tissue engineered skin in experimental group (n=24), with allogeneic acellular dermal matrix in negative control group (n=24), and with autologous full-thickness skin in positive control group (n=24). Finally the gross observation, the survival rate, wound contraction rate, and histological observation were used to evaluate the effect. Results The wound healed by first intension at 4 weeks postoperatively in the experimental group; the grafts connected with the adjacent tissue tightly and had normal appearance. At 4 weeks after operation, the survival rate of the graft was 0 in the negative control group; the survival rates were 62.5% (15/24) in the experimental group and 91.7% (22/24) in the positive control group, showing significant difference between 2 groups (χ2=5.779, P=0.016). The wound contraction rates of the experimental group and positive control group were significantly lower than that of the negative control group (P lt; 0.05), but no significant difference was found between the experimental group and positive control group (P gt; 0.05). Histological observation showed that slight inflammation reaction appeared at 1 week postoperatively in the experimental group; the regeneration of the blood vessel and the proliferation of the fibroblasts in dermis and the gradual maturation of epidermis were observed at 2 weeks, and new collagen deposition and collagen remodeling in the dermis of the graft were found at 4 weeks postoperatively. Conclusion The tissue engineered skin is able to repair full-thickness skin defect of rats effectively, it has similar effect to the autologous full-thickness skin in preventing the wound contraction and promoting the wound healing, which provides experimental evidences for the clinical application.
Objective To find out the recent progress in research of cl inical appl ication of fascia lata allograft. Methods The domestic and international articles were reviewed to summarize the princi pal properties, processing techniques, and various uses of fascia lata allograft. Results Histologically fascia lata is composed of parallel and compact bundles of collagen fibers with few cells and immunologically it is low-antigenic. After varied tissue processing and storage techniques, fascia lata, as the scaffold only with the extracellular matrix, has been used in cl inical practice and achieved good results, such as ophthalmology, urology, and orthopaedics. Conclusion Because of these unique properites in repairing defects and reconstructing functions, fascia lata allograft, as a natural biomaterial, is promising to be used in more aspects withthe development of the biomedical techniques.
Objective To research the effect of porcine acellular dermal matrix in the reconstruction of abdominal wall defects in rabbits, and to investigate the appl ication feasibil ity of xeno-transplantation of acellular dermal matrix. Methods The porcine acellular dermal matrix was prepared from a health white pig. Twenty-six Japanese white rabbits (weighing 2.2-2.3 kg, female or male) were randomly assigned to 2 groups: the control group (n=6) and the experimental group (n=20). In the control group, the full-thickness abdominal wall defect of 5.0 cm × 0.5 cm was made, and the defect wassutured directly; in the experimental group, the full-thickness abdominal wall defect of 5.0 cm × 2.5 cm was made, and the defect was repaired with porcine acellular dermal matrix patch at the same size as the defect. At 5 weeks after surgery, the incidence of hernia and the intra-abdominal adhesions were observed and the wound breaking strength was compared between the patchfascia interface and the fascia-fascia interface. The graft vascularization was evaluated through histological analysis at 6 months after surgery in the experimental group. Results No hernia occurred in all rabbits of 2 groups. At 5 weeks after surgery, heal ing was observed between patch and the muscularfascia; the vascularization was seen in the porcine acellular dermal matrix patch. There was no significant difference in the adhesion grade (Z= —0.798, P=0.425) between the experimental group (grade 2 in 1 rabbit, grade 1 in 5, and grade 0 in 12) and the control group (grade 1 in 1 and grade 0 in 5). No significant difference was found (t= —0.410, P=0.683) in the breaking strength between the patch-fascia interface in the experimental group [(13.0 ± 5.5) N] and the fascia-fascia interface in control group [(13.6 ± 4.0) N]. In the experimental group, the small vessels and the infiltration of inflammatory cells were observed in the porcine acellular dermal matrix patch after 5 weeks through histological observations. The junctions of the patch-fascia interface healed with fibrous connective tissue. At 6 months after surgery, the inflammation was subsided and the collagen fiber of the patch was reconstructed. Conclusion The porcine acellular dermal matrix patchhas good results in repairing full-thickness abdominal wall defect. The patch-fascia interface has siml iar breaking strength to the fascia-fascia interface. The collagen fibers of the patch are reconstructed.
Objective To systematically evaluate the value of CXC chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9) in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Methods Literature on the diagnosis of tuberculosis by plasma CXCL9 were collected by searching PubMed, EBSCO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang databases form establishment to September 2022, and then literature screening, data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two researchers. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 15 softwares. Results According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles were selected, including 1586 participants from 5 countries and regions. Meta-analysis results showed that the positive rate of CXCL9 was higher in active tuberculosis patients than that in healthy people and latent tuberculosis patients [active tuberculosis patients vs. healthy people: odds ratio (OR)=21.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) (6.52, 72.16), P<0.00001; active tuberculosis patients vs. latent tuberculosis patients: OR=10.12, 95%CI (3.83, 26.76), P<0.00001]. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma CXCL9 in distinguishing active tuberculosis patients from healthy people were 0.84 [95%CI (0.77, 0.90)] and 0.82 [95%CI (0.63, 0.92)], respectively; the sensitivity and specificity of plasma CXCL9 in distinguishing active tuberculosis patients from latent tuberculosis patients were 0.77 [95%CI (0.56, 0.90)] and 0.72 [95%CI (0.40, 0.91)], respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the infection status of human immunodeficiency virus had some impact on heterogeneity, while other factors had limited impact on heterogeneity. Egger test showed that there was no publication bias (active tuberculosis patients vs. healthy people: P=0.976; active tuberculosis patients vs. latent tuberculosis patients: P=0.606). Conclusion CXCL9 has a high diagnostic value for tuberculosis patients and may be used as a new biomarker to diagnose tuberculosis.