Yueping Li

Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis intrauterine infection using polymerase chain reaction on chorionic villi

Objective: To detect Chlamydia trachomatis intrauterine infection in the early pregnancy by using chorionic villi. Method: The C. trachomatis infection in pregnant women was investigated by cervical specimens and Clearview kits. DNA of chorionic villi was extracted and the gene of a major outer membrane protein of C. trachomatis was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: 120 cervical specimens of the pregnant women were analyzed and 10 cervical specimens were positive for C. trachomatis infection. In this study, the prevalence of C. trachomatis infection was approx. 8.3%. Fifty‐nine specimens of chorionic villi and three positive specimens of C. trachomatis infection were analyzed by PCR. The incidence of C. trachomatis intrauterine infection in the early pregnancy was 5.1%. Conclusion: The vertical transmission of C. trachomatis infection in the early pregnancy may be a pathway of intrauterine infection. Chorionic villus sampling in early pregnancy and the PCR method could be developed as a technique for prenatal diagnosis of C. trachomatis intrauterine infection.

IgG and IgM antibodies of Herpes Simplex Virus type-1 and type-2 in 233 maternal and neonatal sera

Some reports investigated specific antibody IgM of HSV in pregnant women and in the cord blood w x of their newborns 1,2 . In order to identify congenital infection of HSV, we used the ELISA technique to detect HSV specific antibodies IgG and IgM in pregnant women and their neonates. Consecutive women who were in labor at the participating hospital were eligible for participation in this study. The maternal serum and cord blood samples of newborns obtained at delivery were tested for specific antibodies IgG and IgM of HSV-1 and HSV-2. The ELISA method was used to detect specific antibodies IgG and IgM of HSV-1 and HSV-2, and the protocol of ELISA w x was modified according to references 1,2 . The results are shown in Table 1. Specific antibody IgG was detected in 66.7% and 69.1% of HSV-1 and HSV-2 of the samples, respectively.

High Clopidogrel Dose in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease Having Clopidogrel Resistance After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

We evaluated the impact of clopidogrel 150 mg/d in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) having clopidogrel resistance (CR) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); 1076 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) having CKD were enrolled. Maximal platelet aggregation (MPA) was assessed before, 24 hours, and 30 days after a 300-mg loading dose of clopidogrel prior to PCI. After PCI, 370 patients with CR were randomized to receive clopidogrel 75 mg/d (n = 184) or 150 mg/d (n = 186) for 30 days. Stent thrombosis (ST), major adverse cardiac events (MACEs), and bleeding were analyzed after 1 month. Patients in the 150 mg group had significant lower rates of ST and MACE. There was no significant difference in major or minor bleeding. Patients in the 150 mg group had lower MPA and greater inhibition of platelet aggregation. One-month administration of 150 mg/d of clopidogrel decreases the rate of ST and MACE without increasing bleeding in patients with CKD having CR after PCI.

Impact of invasive treatment strategy on health-related quality of life six months after non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome

Background Few studies have compared change in the health-related quality of life (HRQL) following treatment of non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) with either percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). This study is to compare changes in HRQL six months after hospital discharge between NSTE-ACS patients who underwent either PCI or CABG. Methods HRQL was assessed using the Seattle angina questionnaire at admission and six months after discharge in 1012 consecutive patients with NSTE-ACS. To assess associations of PCI and CABG with HRQL changes, logistic regression models were constructed treating changes in the score of each dimension of the Seattle angina questionnaire as dependent variables. Results Although both the PCI and CABG groups experienced angina relief and other improvements at 6-month follow-up (P < 0.001), the CABG relative to PCI group showed more significant improvements in angina frequency (P = 0.044) and quality of life (P = 0.028). In multivariable logistic analysis, CABG also was an independent predictor for both improvement of angina frequency (OR: 1.62, 95%CI: 1.09−4.63, P = 0.042) and quality of life (OR: 2.04, 95%CI: 1.26−6.92, P = 0.038) relative to PCI. Conclusions In patients with NSTE-ACS, both PCI and CABG provide great improvement in disease-specific health status at six months, with that of CABG being more prominent in terms of angina frequency and quality of life.

Efficacy and Safety of Tirofiban in High‐Risk Patients With Non‐ST‐Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndromes

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of tirofiban in high risk patients with non‐ST‐segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (NSTE‐ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Elevated levels of very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol independently associated with in-stent restenosis in diabetic patients after drug-eluting stent implantation

Background: High rate of in-stent restenosis (ISR) remained an unsolved clinical problem in clinical practice, especially among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Diabetic patients often had hypertriglyceridemia with elevated levels of very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C). Increasing evidence suggested that VLDL-C was known as a significant risk factor for atherosclerosis and had been recommended as a treatment target by current dyslipidemia guidelines. However, the role of VLDL-C in the occurrence and development of ISR in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with DM had not been studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the elevated levels of VLDL-C and the risk of ISR in CAD patients with DM. Methods: A total of 1390 diabetic patients, who underwent coronary drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation at Beijing Anzhen Hospital and followed up by angiography within 6–24 months, were consecutively enrolled. Patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics, including age, gender, CAD risk factors, family history, life style, medical history, and coronary angiographic information, were collected carefully at baseline percutaneous coronary intervention and follow-up angiography. Multivariate Coxs proportional hazards regression modeling using the step-wise method (entry, 0.05; removal, 0.05) was used to determine the independent risk associated with ISR in diabetic patients. Results: Finally, 1206 of patients were included in this study. ISR occurred in 132/1206 diabetic patients (10.9%) by follow-up angiography. Patients with ISR had elevated median serum VLDL-C levels compared with those without ISR (0.65 mmol/L vs. 0.52 mmol/L, P = 0.030). The multivariate regression analysis showed that VLDL-C was significantly associated with the risk of ISR in diabetic CAD patients (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.29, P = 0.017). The HR for the risk of ISR associated with VLDL-C level ≥0.52 mmol/L was 3.01 (95% CI: 1.24–7.34, P = 0.015). Conclusion: The elevated level of serum VLDL-C was a significant and independent risk factor for ISR in diabetic CAD patients after coronary DES implantation.

Insulin Resistance Increases the Risk of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients Undergoing Elective Coronary Intervention

We assessed the influence of insulin resistance (IR) on the development of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients (n = 719) undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients were divided into diabetes mellitus (DM = 242), nondiabetic IR (IR = 120), and nondiabetic insulin sensitivity (IS = 357) groups according to medical history and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index. Serum creatinine (SCr) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were measured before and 72 hours after PCI. There were no differences in SCr and eGFR among the groups before PCI; SCr increased and eGFR decreased significantly in the DM and IR groups post-PCI (P < .001). The incidence of CIN in the IR group was as high as in the DM group and were both significantly higher than in the IS group (6.7% vs 8.7% vs 2.2%, P < .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed DM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.08-1.510, P < .001), HOMA-IR (OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.23-1.58, P < 0.001), and eGFR (OR = 0.88, 95%CI = 0.84-0.92, P < .001) were independent risk factors in predicting CIN. Screening IR patients and taking appropriate prophylactic strategy before PCI may reduce the incidence of CIN.

Protective Role of Statins in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Aged ≥75 Years With Low LDL-C Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

The effect of statins in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) at advanced age with lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains unknown. We evaluated the effect of statins in 220 Chinese patients with ACS aged ≥75 years with low LDL-C undergoing PCI. Biomarkers were measured before and 6 hours after PCI, and patients were followed up for 1 year. Biomarkers in the statin group at 6 hours post-PCI were lower than controls (creatine kinase-myocardial band 14.2 ± 5.78 vs 47.3 ± 16.4 IU/L, P = .03; cardiac troponin I 0.36 ± 0.12 vs 1.33 ± 0.47 ng/mL, P = .01; and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein 7.6 ± 4.3 vs 13.6 ± 4.5 mg/L, P = .001, respectively). Significant differences were found in major adverse cardiac events at 1 year (P = .02-.01), while target lesion revascularization alone was less at 3 months between the 2 groups (P = .03). This study demonstrates that elderly patients with ACS having low LDL-C benefit from statins regardless of type, dosage, and duration of statin administration prior to PCI.

Thoracoscopic Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion for Stroke Prevention Compared with Long-Term Warfarin Therapy in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

Thoracoscopic left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion is an alternative treatment for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. Prospective study comparing thoracoscopic LAA occlusion and warfarin therapy is still lacking. The goal of this prospective cohort study was to assess the safety and efficacy of thoracoscopic LAA occlusion for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation compared with long-term warfarin therapy. Four hundred and ninety-two nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients were enrolled. Two hundred and fifty-seven patients were treated with thoracoscopic LAA occlusion and 235 with long-term warfarin therapy. At 24 months, the rate of the first efficacy endpoint (composite of stroke, systemic embolism, and death) was 0.018 in the surgical group versus 0.043 in the warfarin group (p = 0.033). The rate of the second efficacy endpoint (stroke and systemic embolism excluding the first 7 days after procedure) was 0.010 versus 0.034 (p = 0.019). The rate of the first safety endpoint of bleeding was 0.016 versus 0.044 (p = 0.022). In conclusion, this study showed that thoracoscopic LAA occlusion was superior to warfarin for stroke prevention. The surgical group also had significantly lower bleeding risk. The incidence of surgical complications was low, and all occurred in hospital without causing serious outcomes.