Do bubbles matter amid PBC for trigeminal neuralgia?

BACKGROUND: As a simple and safe alternative intervention, percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) has been gradually adopted by a growing number of neurosurgeons to treat trigeminal neuralgia. A pear-shaped opacity observed fluoroscopically, which indicates full suffusion of Meckel's cave conducting sufficient pressure against Gasserian ganglion, is believed to be the key to its success. Sometimes, a bitten pear may appear due to bubbles in the balloon but is usually ignored. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the effects of the bubbles on postoperative outcomes. METHODS: Patient data were obtained from the consecutive cases undergoing PBCs in our department between 2019 and 2021. Among them, pain and numbness were used to assess the efficacy of PBC based on Barrow Neurology Institute (BNI) scoring system. It was defined as an effective outcome if the postoperative pain intensity grade was lower than II. And those with numbness grade > II were regarded as numb incidence. RESULTS: We eventually recruited 59 cases, including 42 in full pear and 17 in bitten pear groups with follow-up time up to 44 months. The early effective rates were 95.2% and 82.4%, respectively (p > 0.05), which turned to 88.1% and 52.9% during the last follow-up period (p < 0.01). This result indicated that the bitten pear gave rise to a significantly higher recurrence. In terms of numbness, there was no significant difference. CONCLUSION: Gas does not yield enough pressure as liquid, and cannot exert enough pressure to the semilunar ganglion. Therefore, air evacuation should not be ignored before injection.

Clinical significance of serum S100 calcium-binding protein A12 concentrations in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of serum S100 calcium-binding protein A12 (S100A12) concentrations in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). METHODS: This was a case-control study. We selected 120 patients with CAP treated in Xichang People's Hospital from January to June 2022 as the case group. Sixty healthy adults without a history of basic diseases were selected as the control group. The patients in the case group were divided into the low S100A12 and high S100A12 subgroups. Serum S100A12, C-reactive protein (CRP), and procalcitonin (PCT) concentrations, the leukocyte count, and other study parameters were compared. RESULTS: Serum S100A12, CRP, and PCT concentrations and the leukocyte count were higher in the case group than in the control group. The baseline confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age ≥ 65 score, baseline pneumonia severity index score, and 30-day mortality rate were higher in the high S100A12 subgroup than in the low S100A12 subgroup. Serum CRP and PCT concentrations and the leukocyte count were higher in the high S100A12 subgroup than in the low S100A12 subgroup. CONCLUSION: Patients with high serum S100A12 concentrations have more severe CAP, a more serious inflammatory reaction, and higher 30-day mortality.

[The effect or rosiglitazone on signal pathways of transforming growth factor-beta1 in human lung fibroblast].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of CTGF, CTGF mRNA, NF-kappaB and AP-1 induced by TGF-beta1 in human lung fibroblast (HLF-02), and study the effect and possible mechanism of rosiglitazone on signal pathways of TGF-beta1 in HLF-02. METHODS: The effects of TGF-beta1, curcumin, PDTC and rosiglitazone on the expression of CTGF, NF-kappaB and AP-1 were evaluated with Western blot. The expression of CTGF was also detected with immunohistochemistry assay. The level of CTGF mRNA was detected with RT-PCR. RESULTS: (1) The CTGF protein levels of HLF-02 cells were significantly up-regulated after incubated with 1 ng/mL TGF-beta1 for 15 min (P<0.01 vs Control). The CTGF mRNA was also up-regulated. The levels of CTGF protein and CTGF mRNA expression was up-regulated by TGF-beta1 in a time-dependent manner. (2) The expression of NF-kappaB and AP-1 increased after HLF-02 cells were incubated with 1 ng/mL TGF-beta1 for 30 min (P<0.01 vs Control). The CTGF protein levels were inhibited obviously after HLF-02 cells were incubated with PDTC or curcumin. (3) The expression of CTGF, NF-kappaB and AP-1 decreased after pre-incubation with different doses of rosiglitazone (P<0.01 vs TGF-beta1 group). The CTGF mRNA were also markedly inhibited (P<0.01 vs TGF-beta1 group). CONCLUSION: It is supposed that rosiglitazone inhibits CTGF expression induced by TGF-beta1 in HLF-02 cells by activating PPARgamma through NF-kappaB and AP-1 signal transduction pathways.