Causal relationship between immune cells and pulmonary arterial hypertension: Mendelian randomization analysis.

Immunity and inflammation in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has gained more attention. This research aimed to investigate the potential causal connections between 731 immunophenotypes and the likelihood of developing PAH. We obtained immunocyte data and PAH from openly accessible database and used Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate the causal association between each immunophenotype and PAH.

Efficacy and safety of macitentan for pulmonary hypertension: A meta-analysis.

Introduction: Our purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect and safety of macitentan in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Methods: We retrieved the safety and efficacy of macitentan treatment for PH using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE databases and clinicaltrials.gov.

Single inhaler triple therapy (FF/UMEC/VI) versus FF/VI and UMEC/VI in patients with COPD: subgroup analysis of the China cohort in the IMPACT trial.

Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is becoming a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in China. In the IMPACT trial, fluticasone furoate[FF]/umeclidinium[UMEC]/vilanterol[VI] single-inhaler triple therapy demonstrated lower rates of moderate/severe exacerbations than dual therapy with FF/VI or UMEC/VI in patients with symptomatic COPD and a history of exacerbations. This analysis investigates the China cohort and its consistency with the overall ITT population.

Clinical characteristics of 140 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has been widely spread. We aim to investigate the clinical characteristic and allergy status of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: Electronic medical records including demographics, clinical manifestation, comorbidities, laboratory data, and radiological materials of 140 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with confirmed result of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection, were extracted and analyzed.

[Effects of PM2.5 exposure on Klebsiella pneumoniae clearance in the lungs of rats].

Objective: To investigate the effects of PM2.5 exposure on susceptibility to Klebsiella infection and bacterial clearance, and to discuss its possible mechanisms.

Methods: Eighty-six healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: a control group, a Klebsiella pneumoniae infection group(infection group), a PM2.

[Altered expressions of alkane monooxygenase and hypoxia inducible factor-1α expression in lung tissue of rat hypoxic pulmonary hypertension].

Objective: To explore the altered expressions of alkane monooxygenase (AlkB) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in a rat model of hypoxic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Methods: Twenty Wistar rats were divided randomly into normal control and hypoxia groups after 1-week adaptive feeding. Hypoxia group was raised in a homemade organic glass tank with a 24-h continuous supply of air and nitrogen atmospheric mixed gas.

[Meta-analysis of risk factors for all-cause mortality of pulmonary thromboembolism].

Objective: To evaluate the causes of death and risk factors of pulmonary thromboembolism.

Methods: Pubmed, English Medical Current Contents, Chinese Conference Data and Chinese Biomedical Database were searched from January 1995 up to May 2011. And the references of these studies were also examined.

[Inhibitory effects of celecoxib combined with capecitabine on H22 hepatoma mice and its mechanism].

Objective: To evaluate the inhibitory effect and its mechanism of celecoxib combined with capecitabine on the growth of implanted H22 hepatoma in mice.

Methods: Tumor model was established by hypodermical injection of H22 cells in BALB/c nude mice. Forty mice were equally randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, celecoxib group (receiving 100 mg/kg celecoxib), capecitabine group (receiving 755 mg/kg capecitabine), and combined treatment group (receiving 100 mg/kg of celecoxib and 755 mg/kg of capecitabine).

[Association of genetic polymorphisms of angiotensin converting enzyme and matrix metallo proteinase-1 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To investigate the correlation between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and matrix metallo proteinase (MMP)-1 gene polymorphisms and the risk of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a Han Chinese population from Hebei Province.

Methods: Eighty-four IPF patients and 100 controls were enrolled from the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) were used to detect ACE gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and MMP-1 polymorphism respectively.

[Meta-analysis of risk factors for recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism].

Objective: To evaluate the risk factors of recurrent pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) through Meta-analysis.

Methods: Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, PubMed and Foreign Medical Journal Full-Text Service were searched for the paper relating to the risk factors of recurrent PTE from January 1995 to May 2011. And the references of these studies were also examined.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 promotes the proliferation and inhibits the apoptosis of pulmonary fibroblasts by Ca(2+) signaling.

Aim: Our previous investigation demonstrated that plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) siRNA ameliorated bleomycin (BLM)-induced rat lung fibrosis. The present study was undertaken to explore the effect and the mechanism of PAI-1 siRNA and plasmid pcDNA on the proliferation and apoptosis of cultured fibroblasts from BLM-induced fibrotic lung tissues.

Materials And Methods: The fibroblasts from BLM-induced fibrotic lung tissue were isolated and transfected using PAI-1 siRNA and plasmid pcDNA-PAI-1.

siRNA against plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 ameliorates bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in rats.

Aim: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is involved in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. The present study was undertaken to examine the effects on pulmonary fibrosis of silencing PAI-1 expression with small interfering RNA (siRNA) and to assess the possible underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were subjected to intratracheal injection of bleomycin (BLM, 5 mg/kg, 0.

[Association between genetic polymorphism of erythrocyte CR1 and the susceptibility of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis].

Objective: To explore the association between the erythrocyte CR1 genomic density polymorphism, A3650G site polymorphism and the susceptibility of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); and to investigate the correlation between the HindIII density polymorphism of CR1 gene and the quantitative levels of E-CR1 in IPF patients.

Methods: Blood samples from IPF patients (n = 64) and ethnically matched healthy controls (n = 54) were taken from a population-based case-control association study. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was performed to identify the genotype of the HindIII restriction fragment length polymorphism of CR1 gene and SNP A3650G in two groups.

Influence of auricular plaster therapy on sleeping structure in OSAS patients.

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of auricular plaster therapy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and the influence on sleeping structure.

Methods: 45 OSAS patients were randomly divided into a treatment group of 30 cases and a control group of 15 cases for comparison of the changes in parameters of respiration and sleep at night.

Results: The auricular plaster therapy significantly improved the hypoventilation index, respiratory disturbance index and other respiratory parameters as well as the sleeping parameters such as the time and rate of sleep at stage I and II, and the waking time and rate.

[The change and significance of the cardiopulmonary exercise test parameters in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the change of exercise cardiopulmonary function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Methods: Thirty OSAHS patients and 18 normal healthy adults (control group) were studied by cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). The results including maximal oxygen uptake percent predicted (Vo(2)max% predicted), oxygen uptake to work rate (Vo(2)/WR), oxygen pulse percent predicted (Vo(2)/HRmax% predicted), anaerobic threshold to maximal oxygen uptake (AT/Vo(2)max), breathing reserve (V(E)max/MVV) and ventilatory equivalents for carbon dioxide (V(E)/V(CO2)) were compared between two groups.

[Intervention effect of tongfei mixture on nocturnal hypoxia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: To study the effect of tongfei mixture (TFM, a Chinese recipe mainly consisted of angelica and rehmannia root) on nocturnal hypoxia in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods: Sixty patients with COPD of remission phase were randomly divided into 3 groups, 20 in each group. Group A was the control group; Group B, the group simply treated with oxygen; Group C, treated with oxygen and TFM.

[Clinical observation on effect of auricular acupoint pressing in treating sleep apnea syndrome].

Objective: To study the clinical effect and mechanism of auricular acupoint pressing (AAP) in treating sleep apnea syndrome (SAS).

Methods: Forty-five patients with SAS were randomly divided in to the AAP group (30 patients) and the control group (15 patients) to observe the changes of clinical symptoms, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), apnea index (AI), hypopnea index (HI) and minimum blood oxygen saturation (mSaO2) in night before and after treatment by multiple channel polysomnography (PSG).

Results: Clinical symptoms were significantly alleviated in the AAP group after treatment, with improvement in various parameters monitored by PSG (P < 0.