The relationship between HSP60 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential correlation between heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to atherosclerosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 160 atherosclerosis patients treated in our hospital from February 2017 to February 2019 were randomly enrolled as case group, and 200 healthy adults receiving physical examination were selected as control group at the same period. Venous blood was drawn from all subjects to extract deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). TaqMan probe technology was employed to genotype two loci rs2340690 and rs788016 of HSP60 gene in all 260 subjects. The correlations between HSP60 gene polymorphisms and the incidence rate and pathological grade of atherosclerosis were analyzed. RESULTS: There were three genotypes (AA, AG, and GG) in HSP60 rs2340690 and three (GG, AG, and AA) in HSP60 rs788016. No significant differences in the frequency of each genotype were found between the two groups (p>0.05). HSP60 rs2340690 and HSP60 rs788016 had no significant associations with the incidence rate of atherosclerosis in the dominant, recessive, and additive genetic models. In the case of pathological grade IV, the proportion of atherosclerosis patients carrying GG genotype of HSP60 rs2340690 was higher than those carrying AA genotype and AG genotype of HSP60 rs2340690 (p<0.05). The probability in atherosclerosis patients carrying rs788016 A was higher than those carrying rs2340690 G (p<0.05). When atherosclerosis patients carried both genotype G of HSP60 rs2340690 and genotype A of HSP60 rs788016, the odds ratio (OR) was 1.721 (p=0.049). CONCLUSIONS: The HSP60 gene polymorphisms are certainly correlated with the pathological grade and incidence rate of atherosclerosis.

Color Doppler sonography for ventral hernias in patients with acute abdomen: preliminary findings.

PURPOSE: We assessed the usefulness of color Doppler sonography (CDUS) in evaluating the vascular status of ventral hernias and distinguishing incarcerated from nonincarcerated ventral hernias. METHODS: In this prospective study, 10 patients who presented with acute abdomen and had ventral hernias underwent CDUS from August 1999 to May 2000. Patient age and sex and the clinical severity, mode of therapy, and outcome in these 10 patients were evaluated in relationship to the CDUS findings. RESULTS: Five patients had readily visible flow in the bowel within the hernial sac on CDUS. Two of these 5 had spontaneous reduction under conservative treatment, and 3 had asymptomatic ventral hernias with acute abdomen caused by spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Barely visible flow was visualized in the bowel by CDUS in 4 other patients. Three of these underwent emergency surgery because of peritoneal signs; 2 of them were found to have ischemic changes in the bowel. The fourth patient underwent a successful manual reduction. The remaining patient had absent flow in the bowel on CDUS and underwent emergency surgery, which revealed gangrenous changes in the bowel. CONCLUSIONS: The intensity of the Doppler signals on CDUS appears to be a promising predictor of bowel viability in cases of ventral hernia. Thus, CDUS should impact the determination of the treatment plan, including whether to provide conservative treatment or surgery.