Reduced radiation dose and volume of contrast medium in heart rate-based, one-stop computed tomography angiography of coronary, carotid and cerebrovascular arteries.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography angiography (CTA) is a reliable, non-invasive screening method for diagnosing panvascular disease. By using low contrast agent volume, CTA imaging enables one-stop multi-organ scanning, thereby minimizing the potential risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with impaired renal function. PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of one-stop CTA following a heart rate (HR)-based protocol using a low volume of contrast medium (CM) for examination of the coronary, carotid and cerebrovascular arteries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing coronary carotid, and cerebrovascular CTA after a single injection of CM were recruited and randomly divided into two groups. Group A (n = 30) underwent CTA following a traditional protocol. The timing of the scans in Group B (n = 30) was determined according to the patient's HR. RESULTS: The CT values for the thoracic aorta (432.2 ± 104.28 HU), anterior cerebral artery (303.96 ± 99.29 HU), and right coronary artery (366.70 ± 85.10 HU) in Group A did not differ significantly from those in Group B (445.80 ± 106.13, 293.73 ± 75.25 and 344.13 ± 111.04 HU, respectively). The qualities of most of the scanned images for both groups were scored as 3 or 4 (on a five-point scale). The radiation dose and the volume of CM were significantly higher in Group A (303.05 ± 110.95 mGy) (100 mL) than in Group B (239.46 ± 101.12 mGy) (50 mL). CONCLUSION: The radiation dose and volume of CM were significantly reduced in CTA following the HR-based protocol. The personalized administration of CM also simplified the scanning process.

Comparative analysis of epidemiology, etiology, and outcomes between elderly and young and middle-aged acute pancreatitis patients: a retrospective, single-center study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the etiology and epidemiology of the patients with first-attack acute pancreatitis of two-age groups. METHODS: This is a retrospective comparative study of 2965 patients aged 18 years and older with first-attack acute pancreatitis between 2013 and 2018 in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University. Patients divided into the elderly group (age > or = 60 years) and the young and middle-aged group (age <60 years). The etiology tendency and clinical characteristics were analyzed. RESULTS: In the elderly group, the proportions of women to men was higher compared with the young and middle-aged group (1.48 vs. 0.69, P < 0.001). The primary etiology of acute pancreatitis in two groups were biliary tract diseases. The main etiology of the young and middle-aged group among men was alcohol and among women was biliary disease. Comparing with the young and middle-aged group, the elderly patients had a higher proportion of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the proportions of system inflammatory reaction syndrome, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and shock were also higher in the elderly group (P < 0.001). Mortality in the elderly group and the young and middle-aged group was 1.69 and 0.72%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Biliary tract diseases were the predominant etiological factor in two groups. The two groups had different etiological proportions according to gender, complications, comorbidities, and outcomes. Furthermore, elderly patients are more likely to with complications, comorbidities, and highly mortality rate. We should pay more attention to realize the characteristics of acute pancreatitis at different ages.

A 5-Year Retrospective Cohort Study: Epidemiology, Etiology, Severity, and Outcomes of Acute Pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology, etiology, severity, and outcomes of acute pancreatitis (AP) in the southern Sichuan region of China. METHODS: All patients with first-attack AP between 2013 and 2018 in the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University were retrospectively identified. The etiology tendency was analyzed, and the relationship was defined with sex, aging, severity, length of stay, and mortality. RESULTS: Three thousand twenty-eight patients were enrolled for analysis. Acute biliary pancreatitis had the highest incidence rate; the second and third most common causes were hypertriglyceridemic (14.4%) and alcoholic (14.2%), followed by idiopathic (13.6%), mixed etiology (12.9%), and miscellaneous (2.31%). Patients with alcoholic AP were more likely to be middle-aged males, whereas patients with acute biliary pancreatitis were more likely to be elderly females (P < 0.05). The overall mortality in the hospital was 1%, and there was no difference in each etiological groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Biliary disease was the predominant etiology of AP in southern Sichuan of China, and hypertriglyceridemia ranked second. The proportion of hypertriglyceridemic AP and mixed etiology AP gradually increased, whereas idiopathic AP decreased. There were different etiology proportion of AP according age, sex, and severity.

Preparation of low-molecular-weight chondroitin sulfates by complex enzyme hydrolysis and their antioxidant activities.

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) has attracted widespread attention because of its numerous pharmacological activities. Low-molecular-weight chondroitin sulfates (LMWCSs) derived from the degradation of CS are reported to have better biological properties than whole CS. In this study, to obtain LMWCSs with high antioxidant activity, we depolymerized CS using complex enzymes, namely, chondroitinase ABC I (ChSase ABC I) and ChSase ABC II. The conditions of the complex enzyme hydrolysis (CEH) were optimized, and the structures and antioxidant activities of CS and LMWCSs were investigated. The results showed that the CEH conditions enhanced the antioxidant activities of the products as compared to CS. The basic structures of the LMWCSs and sulfate groups were well preserved after hydrolysis. Therefore, CEH provides an efficient and safe strategy to obtain LMWCSs, which can be used in antioxidant drugs, healthy foods, and cosmetics.