[A retrospective cohort study of prognostic factors for death in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To investigate the prognostic implications of clinical, radiographic, and physiological variables in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Methods: The clinical, pulmonary physiological, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cell differentials and lung high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) at diagnosis in 126 patients with IPF were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate various parameters associated with hazard ratio (HR).

[Effect of corticosteroids upon the prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect of corticosteroids upon idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and the impact of corticosteroids upon survival time.

Methods: Clinical data of 94 corticosteroid treatment and 32 non-corticosteroid treatment IPF patients during 2000 - 2004 were retrospectively analyzed and their survival rates compared between two groups. The corticosteroid treatment patients were divided into 3 groups: improved, steady and worsened group according to the pulmonary function data.

[Cell profiles of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as prognostic indicators of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To determine whether clinical and physiologic variables and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cell profiles affect the survival of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Methods: There were 43 patients with clinically diagnosed IPF in the study. The Kaplan-Meier method and the Log-rank test were used to estimate the survival in the two groups and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to evaluate the Hazard Ratio in the IPF patients.

[Changes of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and the serum of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To detect the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the serum of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and to evaluate the significance of the changes in the pathogenesis of IPF.

Methods: Enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in the BALF and serum of 30 patients with IPF.

Results: The levels of MMP-9 in the BALF and serum of the patients showed no significant difference as compared with those of the control group.

[Cell apoptosis and the change of Fas/FasL gene in experimental pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To investigate the changes and significance of cell apoptosis and Fas/FasL gene in pulmonary fibrosis.

Methods: Forty mice were divided into two groups randomly, each group contained twenty mice. TUNEL, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization were used to detect the change of cell apoptosis, Fas/FasL mRNA and protein in mice with pulmonary fibrosis caused by bleomycin.

[Effect of Shenluotong on secretion of ECM and expression of TGF-beta1 in rats mesangial cells of rats].

Objective: To investigate the effect of Shenluotong on the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and extracellular matrix (ECM) in Ang II-induced MCs.

Method: Fibronectin (FN) and collagen type IV (Col IV) of extracellular matrix were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA were measured by semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

Result: A positive correlation between TGF-beta1 and ECM were found in the present study.

[Ventilatory control in familial obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the genetic abnormality of ventilatory control may play a role in the familial aggregation of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Methods: Ten severe patients with OSAHS, 16 first relatives of them and 14 obese subjects were studied and the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR), the hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR) and the results of PSG were analyzed. HVR and HCVR of OSAHS patients were re-examined in the first, second and third month of continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) treatment.

[Respiratory control in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome].

Objective: To evaluate the role of ventilatory control in obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Methods: Thirty-five patients with OSAHS were compared with 15 obese controls in pulmonary function, hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR), hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR) and polysomnography (PSG).

Results: (1) There were no differences in HVR and HCVR between patients with OSAHS and the control (t = 1.

[Change of prostaglandin E2 and interleukin-12, interleukin-13 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and the serum of the patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To detect the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-13 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and the serum of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and to investigate the significance of their change in the pathogenesis of IPF.

Methods: Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the levels of PGE2 and IL-12, IL-13 in the BALF and the serum of patients with IPF.

Results: In the BALF of patients with IPF, the levels of PGE2 (591 +/- 88) ng/L and IL-13 (38 +/- 5) ng/L were higher than that of the control group (P < 0.

[Evaluation of interleukin-13 in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To study the significance of interleukin-13 (IL-13) in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

Methods: The level of IL-13 was determined with ELISA in the serum and BALF of 17 patients with IPF and 8 subjects with non-interstitial lung diseases (non-smokers).

Results: The level of IL-13 in the BALF of the patients with IPF was significantly higher than that in non-interstitial lung disease group [(301 +/- 86) ng/L vs.