[The relation between cochlear distortion products and frequency tuning characteristics revealed by laser interferometery].

Objective:To explore the relation between distortion products and frequency tuning charateristics in cochlear basilar membrane.Method:Time variances curves of distortion products and frequency tuning curves of basilar membrane response were measured by laser interferometery in situ guinea pig cochlea.Result:Response sensitivity and tuning sharpness of basilar membrane response decreased with distortion product amplitude and become most low and flat when distortion products disappeared.Conclusion:Distortion products in cochlea are related with hearing sensitivity and frequency tuning. They are indicator whether function of cochlear hearing sensitivity enhancing and frequency tuning sharpening is still at work.

Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution decreases mortality and morbidity in high-risk patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with complex congenital heart disease: an 11-year experience from a single institution.

Cardioplegic reperfusion during a long term ischemic period interrupts cardiac surgery and also increases cellular edema due to repeated solution administration. We reviewed the clinical experiences on myocardial protection of a single perfusion with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) for high-risk patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with complex congenital heart disease. This retrospective study included 101 high-risk patients undergoing arterial switch operation between March 2001 and July 2012. We divided the cohort into two groups: HTK group, myocardial protection was carried out with one single perfusion with HTK solution; and St group, myocardial protection with conventional St. Thomas' crystalloid cardioplegic solution. The duration of cardiopulmonary bypass did not differ between the two groups. The mortality, morbidity, ICU stay, post-operative hospitalization time, and number of transfusions in HTK group were lower than those in St group (P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that HTK is a statistically significant independent predictor of decreased early mortality and morbidity (P<0.05). In conclusion, HTK solution seems to be an effective and safe alternative to St. Thomas' solution for cardioplegic reperfusion in high-risk patients with complex congenital heart disease.

Histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution decreases mortality and morbidity in high-risk patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with complex congenital heart disease: an 11-year experience from a single institution

Cardioplegic reperfusion during a long term ischemic period interrupts cardiac surgery and also increases cellular edema due to repeated solution administration. We reviewed the clinical experiences on myocardial protection of a single perfusion with histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) for high-risk patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with complex congenital heart disease. This retrospective study included 101 high-risk patients undergoing arterial switch operation between March 2001 and July 2012. We divided the cohort into two groups: HTK group, myocardial protection was carried out with one single perfusion with HTK solution; and St group, myocardial protection with conventional St. Thomas' crystalloid cardioplegic solution. The duration of cardiopulmonary bypass did not differ between the two groups. The mortality, morbidity, ICU stay, post-operative hospitalization time, and number of transfusions in HTK group were lower than those in St group (P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that HTK is a statistically significant independent predictor of decreased early mortality and morbidity (P<0.05). In conclusion, HTK solution seems to be an effective and safe alternative to St. Thomas' solution for cardioplegic reperfusion in high-risk patients with complex congenital heart disease.

Effect of inhaled interleukin-5 on airway hyperreactivity and eosinophilia in asthmatics.

In order to investigate the role of interleukin-5 (IL-5) in airway hyperreactivity and eosinophilia, we observed the effect of inhaled recombinant human IL-5 on airway responsiveness to methacholine and cell populations in induced sputum in eight patients with allergic bronchial asthma using a placebo-controlled study design. Our results demonstrated that the inhalation of IL-5 did not alter lung function in allergic asthmatics. In the control experiments receiving either vehicle or 0.4 ng of endotoxin, methacholine PC20 values did not change nor did the numbers of eosinophils or eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) sputum values change from baseline. In contrast, after IL-5 inhalation, methacholine PC20 fell from baseline (0.90 +/- 166 mg/ml) to 0.32 +/- 1.63 mg/ml (p < 0.01) at 24 h, and to 0.55 +/- 1.49 mg/ml (p < 0.05) at 48 h. Accompanying this increased airway sensitivity was a significant eosinophilia and elevated concentrations of ECP in induced sputum. Our data provided direct evidence that IL-5 increases airway responsiveness and infiltration of activated eosinophils into the airway in patients with allergic bronchial asthma. It also could be concluded that the observed airway hyperreactivity and eosinophilia were not endotoxin related.

[Polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of tuberculous pleural effusion].

Polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect DNA of mycobacterium tuberculosis in 62 patients with pleural effusion, and result of PCR was compared with those of conventional procedures. It was found that in 34 tuberculous pleural effusion, the positive rates of pleural effusion acid-fast staining, culture and PCR was 5.9%, 8.8% and 52.9%, respectively. The sensitivity of PCR was much higher than those of acid-fast staining and culture (all P < 0.01). The results of acid-fast staining and culture in 28 non-tuberculous effusion were negative, there were, however, 4 PCR positive results within this group (14.3%). Our results suggested that for the diagnosis of mycobacterium tuberculosis PCR is a rapid, sensitive and specific procedure. Some factors that affected the results of PCR were discussed.