Publications by authors named "Zhi-de Hu"
Background: Tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) diagnosis still faces many difficulties and challenges. Some studies have shown that pleural interleukin -27 (IL-27) had a diagnostic potential for TPE. However, their findings are not always consistent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent (CR-hvKP) strains present a significant global public health threat due to their high mortality rates. This study investigated the genomic characteristics of seven ST11-K1 CR-hvKP isolates harboring highly homologous KPC-2-encoding multidrug-resistance plasmids. The strains were isolated from a Chinese tertiary hospital between 2017 and 2020.
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- - The study evaluates the effectiveness of pleural fluid complement C1q for diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) specifically in elderly patients, as previous research primarily focused on younger individuals.
- - Researchers analyzed pleural fluid samples from patients with undiagnosed pleural effusions, finding that elderly TPE patients had higher C1q levels compared to those without TPE.
- - The results indicated that C1q has low diagnostic accuracy for TPE in older adults, with a sensitivity of 44% and specificity of 79% at a threshold of 100 mg/L.
Tumor markers determination in malignant pleural effusion: pearls and pitfalls.
Clin Chem Lab Med
August 2024
Article Synopsis
- Serum and pleural fluid tumor markers are important tools for diagnosing malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and understanding their role can improve patient management.
- The article discusses key factors, including when to evaluate these markers, which ones are most useful, and how to interpret their levels and ratios to improve diagnostic accuracy.
- It emphasizes the need for careful study designs and considerations to effectively use tumor markers in estimating cancer risks and making clinical decisions.
Background: Serum pro-gastrin releasing peptide (proGRP) is a well-recognized diagnostic marker for small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Pleural effusion is common in patients with advanced SCLC. The diagnostic accuracy of pleural proGRP for malignant pleural effusion (MPE) has not yet been established.
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- This study explores the use of apolipoprotein E (apoE) levels in diagnosing undetermined pleural effusion in patients.
- Researchers evaluated 152 patients by measuring pleural fluid apoE levels and assessing its diagnostic accuracy through ROC curves and decision curve analysis.
- The findings suggest that lower apoE levels are seen in heart failure patients, with apoE showing moderate diagnostic value, particularly declining in accuracy for older patients.
Background: Serum carbohydrate antigen 50 (CA50) is an auxiliary diagnostic marker for various solid tumors, but it remains unclear whether CA50 in pleural fluid can assist in the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of pleural fluid CA50 for MPE in pleural effusion patients with undetermined causes.
Methods: This study prospectively recruited pleural effusion patients with undetermined causes who visited the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University between September 2018 and July 2021.
Article Synopsis
- This study explores the potential of CXCR3 ligands, specifically CXCL9 and CXCL11, as biomarkers for diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE), highlighting their low cost and less invasive nature.
- Conducted in two Chinese centers, the double-blind study analyzed pleural fluid from patients with undiagnosed pleural effusion, measuring levels of CXCL9 and CXCL11 for diagnostic accuracy using ROC curves and decision curve analysis.
- Results showed that both CXCL9 and CXCL11 were significantly elevated in TPE patients, exhibiting high diagnostic accuracy, particularly in the Changshu Center, with their levels influenced by age and upregulated in response to BCG treatment in macrophages
Background: The diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) is challenging for pulmonologists. Adenosine deaminase (ADA), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin-27 (IL-27) have some limitations for diagnosing TPE. Soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) had a high diagnostic value for TPE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The prognosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is poor. A timely and accurate diagnosis is the prerequisite for managing MPE patients. Carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) is a diagnostic tool for MPE.
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- Lung cancer is the leading cause of malignant pleural effusion (MPE), and serum HE4 is a promising diagnostic marker.
- The study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of pleural fluid HE4 in patients with undiagnosed pleural effusion across two cohorts, using a double-blind, prospective design.
- Results showed that pleural fluid HE4 levels were significantly higher in MPE compared to benign effusions, with moderate sensitivity and high specificity, indicating its potential clinical utility in diagnosing MPE.
Diagnostic value of nucleic acid amplification tests for tuberculous pleural effusion.
Future Microbiol
September 2023
Article Synopsis
- - Diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) is difficult due to the limitations of traditional methods like pleural fluid staining, culture, and biopsy, which can be invasive and time-consuming.
- - Nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) offer a quicker and less invasive alternative for TPE diagnosis.
- - This review discusses the accuracy of various NAATs for TPE, highlighting findings from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on tests such as GeneXpert and loop-mediated isothermal amplification.
Background: The in vitro stability assessment is essential for investigating the diagnostic accuracy of pleural biomarkers. This study aimed to investigate the long-term stability of pleural fluid carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) at -80°C to -70°C. In addition, we analyzed the effects of frozen storage on the diagnostic accuracy of CEA for malignant pleural effusion (MPE).
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- The study investigates the Cancer ratio (CR), a diagnostic marker for malignant pleural effusion (MPE), focusing on how age might affect its accuracy.
- Two cohorts were analyzed, showing that CR's diagnostic ability tends to decrease as patients age, with specific accuracy rates (AUCs) reported as 0.60 and 0.63.
- The findings suggest that while CR is a potential diagnostic tool for MPE, its effectiveness is limited in older patients, indicating the need for careful consideration in clinical applications.
Background: Over the past few years, research into the pathogenesis of colon cancer has progressed rapidly, and cuproptosis is an emerging mode of cellular apoptosis. Exploring the relationship between colon cancer and cuproptosis benefits in identifying novel biomarkers and even improving the outcome of the disease.
Aim: To look at the prognostic relationship between colon cancer and the genes associated with cuproptosis and the immune system in patients.
Article Synopsis
- Pleural fluid carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a key marker for diagnosing malignant pleural effusion (MPE), and recent studies explored the diagnostic potential of the PF to serum CEA ratio and delta CEA (PF minus serum CEA).
- A study involving two cohorts (BUFF and SIMPLE) found that MPE patients exhibited significantly higher levels of PF CEA, serum CEA, CEA ratio, and delta CEA, but statistical differences in diagnostic accuracy between the markers were not significant.
- The conclusion indicated that the CEA ratio and delta CEA do not enhance the diagnosis of MPE beyond PF CEA alone, thus recommending against their use in clinical settings.
The screening performance of urine flow cytometry parameters (e.g., white blood cell and bacteria) for urinary tract infection (UTI) has been widely recognized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a well-recognized diagnostic marker for heart failure (HF) in patients with dyspnea or pleural effusion (PE). The effects of age on the diagnostic accuracy of NT-proBNP in dyspneic patients are widely known; however, whether its diagnostic accuracy is affected by age in patients with PE remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the influence of age on the diagnostic accuracy of serum NT-proBNP for HF in patients with PE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) affects the outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC cells released exosomes to suppress the antitumor activity of TAMs. MiR-146a is a critical regulator in TAM polarization.
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- * Key components like theabrownin and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) contribute to its antitumor effects by promoting cell death and inhibiting cancer cell growth.
- * While evidence suggests green tea can prevent and possibly treat lung cancer, more clinical trials are needed to confirm these therapeutic effects.
Diagnostic value of soluble biomarkers for parapneumonic pleural effusion.
Crit Rev Clin Lab Sci
May 2023
Article Synopsis
- Parapneumonic pleural effusion (PPE) is a frequent issue in pneumonia patients, making prompt and precise diagnosis essential for effective treatment.
- Biomarkers in blood and pleural fluid offer easy, quick, objective, and cost-effective options for diagnosing and managing PPE.
- Despite many biomarkers being identified, none currently provide sufficient reliability for diagnosing PPE, indicating a need for future research to discover and validate more effective markers.
Article Synopsis
- This study evaluated the effectiveness of the pleural fluid LDH/ADA ratio in diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) compared to ADA alone.
- Two patient cohorts were analyzed to measure diagnostic accuracy using ROC curves, showing that while both tests had moderate accuracy, the LDH/ADA ratio performed slightly worse than ADA in some cases.
- The findings indicate that the LDH/ADA ratio does not offer any additional diagnostic value beyond what ADA provides, suggesting it should not be used for TPE diagnosis.
Identifying the cause of pleural effusion is challenging for pulmonologists. Imaging, biopsy, microbiology and biochemical analyses are routinely used for diagnosing pleural effusion. Among these diagnostic tools, biochemical analyses are promising because they have the advantages of low cost, minimal invasiveness, observer independence and short turn-around time.
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- Carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP) is a dangerous bacterium that causes severe infections in both healthcare and community settings, posing significant public health risks.
- The evolution of CR-hvKP involves complex mechanisms, including the transfer of plasmids that carry genes for both hypervirulence and carbapenem resistance.
- This review discusses these evolutionary processes and highlights the current prevalence of CR-hvKP in the population.