Background Atrial fibrillation （AF） is associated with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. However, the association between inflammation （as indexed by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hs-CRP） and endoth...Background Atrial fibrillation （AF） is associated with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. However, the association between inflammation （as indexed by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hs-CRP） and endothelial function [as indexed by big endothelin-1 （ET-1）] in AF patients remains unclear. Methods We enrolled 128 patients with lone AF, among which 83 had paroxysmal AF, and 45 had persistent AF. Eighty-two age- and gender-matched controls of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia without AF history were evaluated. Plasma hs-CRP, big ET-1 levels and other clinical characteristics were compared among the groups. Results Patients with persistent AF had higher hs-CRP concentrations than those with paroxysmal AF （P 〈 0.05）, both groups had higher hs-CRP level than controls （P 〈 0.05）. Patients with persistent AF had higher big ET-1 level than those with paroxysmal AF, although the difference did not reach the statistical significance （P 〉 0.05）, and both groups had higher big ET-1 levels than controls （P 〈 0.05）. Multiple regression analyses revealed hs-CRP as an inde- pendent determinant of AF （P 〈 0.001）. Further adjusted for big ET-1, both big ET-1 and hs-CRP were independent predictors for AF （P 〈 0.001）, but the odds ratio for hs-CRP in predicting AF attenuated from 8.043 to 3.241. There was a positive relation between hs-CRP level and big ET-1 level in paroxysmal AF patients （r = 0.563, P 〈 0.05）, however, the relationship in persistent AF patients was poor （r = 0.094, P 〈 0.05）. Conclusions Both plasma hs-CRP and big ET-1 levels are elevated in lone AF patients, and are associated with AF. In paroxysmal lone AF patients, there were significant positive correlations between plasma hs-CRP level and big ET- 1 level.展开更多
AIM:To compare postcholecystectomy patients with Sphincter of Oddi(SO)dyskinesia and those with normal SO motility to determine the psychosocial distress,gender and objective clinical correlates of dyskinesia,and cont...AIM:To compare postcholecystectomy patients with Sphincter of Oddi(SO)dyskinesia and those with normal SO motility to determine the psychosocial distress,gender and objective clinical correlates of dyskinesia,and contrast these findings with comparisons between SO stenosis and normal SO motility.METHODS:Within a cohort of seventy-two consecutive postcholecystectomy patients with suspected SO dysfunction,manometric assessment identified subgroups with SO dyskinesia(n=33),SO stenosis(n=18)and normal SO motility(n=21).Each patient was categorized in terms of Milwaukee Type,sociodemographic status and the severity of stress-coping experiences.RESULTS:Logistic regression revealed that in combination certain psychological,sociodemographic and clinical variables significantly differentiated SO dyskinesia,but not SO stenosis,from normal SO function.Levels of psychosocial stress and of coping with this stress(i.e.anger suppressed more frequently and the use of significantly more psychological coping strategies)were highest among patients with SO dyskinesia,especially women.Higher levels of neuroticism(the tendency to stressproneness)further increased the likelihood of SO dyskinesia.CONCLUSION:A motility disturbance related to psychosocial distress may help to explain the finding of SO dyskinesia in some postcholecystectomy patients.展开更多
文摘Background Atrial fibrillation （AF） is associated with inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. However, the association between inflammation （as indexed by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hs-CRP） and endothelial function [as indexed by big endothelin-1 （ET-1）] in AF patients remains unclear. Methods We enrolled 128 patients with lone AF, among which 83 had paroxysmal AF, and 45 had persistent AF. Eighty-two age- and gender-matched controls of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia without AF history were evaluated. Plasma hs-CRP, big ET-1 levels and other clinical characteristics were compared among the groups. Results Patients with persistent AF had higher hs-CRP concentrations than those with paroxysmal AF （P 〈 0.05）, both groups had higher hs-CRP level than controls （P 〈 0.05）. Patients with persistent AF had higher big ET-1 level than those with paroxysmal AF, although the difference did not reach the statistical significance （P 〉 0.05）, and both groups had higher big ET-1 levels than controls （P 〈 0.05）. Multiple regression analyses revealed hs-CRP as an inde- pendent determinant of AF （P 〈 0.001）. Further adjusted for big ET-1, both big ET-1 and hs-CRP were independent predictors for AF （P 〈 0.001）, but the odds ratio for hs-CRP in predicting AF attenuated from 8.043 to 3.241. There was a positive relation between hs-CRP level and big ET-1 level in paroxysmal AF patients （r = 0.563, P 〈 0.05）, however, the relationship in persistent AF patients was poor （r = 0.094, P 〈 0.05）. Conclusions Both plasma hs-CRP and big ET-1 levels are elevated in lone AF patients, and are associated with AF. In paroxysmal lone AF patients, there were significant positive correlations between plasma hs-CRP level and big ET- 1 level.
文摘AIM:To compare postcholecystectomy patients with Sphincter of Oddi(SO)dyskinesia and those with normal SO motility to determine the psychosocial distress,gender and objective clinical correlates of dyskinesia,and contrast these findings with comparisons between SO stenosis and normal SO motility.METHODS:Within a cohort of seventy-two consecutive postcholecystectomy patients with suspected SO dysfunction,manometric assessment identified subgroups with SO dyskinesia(n=33),SO stenosis(n=18)and normal SO motility(n=21).Each patient was categorized in terms of Milwaukee Type,sociodemographic status and the severity of stress-coping experiences.RESULTS:Logistic regression revealed that in combination certain psychological,sociodemographic and clinical variables significantly differentiated SO dyskinesia,but not SO stenosis,from normal SO function.Levels of psychosocial stress and of coping with this stress(i.e.anger suppressed more frequently and the use of significantly more psychological coping strategies)were highest among patients with SO dyskinesia,especially women.Higher levels of neuroticism(the tendency to stressproneness)further increased the likelihood of SO dyskinesia.CONCLUSION:A motility disturbance related to psychosocial distress may help to explain the finding of SO dyskinesia in some postcholecystectomy patients.
