Exploring the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the medical emergency calls and calls for cardiovascular diseases in Hangzhou, China.

AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on emergency and cardiovascular disease-related calls in Hangzhou, China. METHODS: We conducted a single-center retrospective study, collecting data on emergency calls to the Hangzhou Emergency Center (HEC) during the COVID-19 epidemic (January 20, 2020, to March 15, 2020). Data were compared with the same period in 2019. RESULTS: Compared to 2019, the number of emergency calls has dropped by 21.63%, ambulance calls by 29.02%, rescue calls by 22.57%, and cardiovascular disease-related emergency calls by 32.86%. The numbers of emergency, ambulance, and rescue calls in 2020 were significantly lower than in 2019. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 epidemic in Hangzhou, the numbers of emergency and cardiovascular disease-related calls have decreased significantly. These results point to a severe social problem that requires the attention of the medical community and the government.

[Role of the Th17/Treg functional imbalance on the development of atherosclerosis in apo E knockout mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of the helper T cells (Th) 17/Treg cell imbalance on the development of atherogenesis in apo E knockout mice. METHODS: Apo E(-/-) mice were examined at age of 6, 12, 24 and 48 weeks (n = 10 each). Age matched C57/B6 mice served as controls. The number of Th17, Treg and dendritic cell (DC) was detected by flow cytometry. The levels of interleukin(IL)-6, IL-17A and transforming growth factor(TGF)-ß1 were detected by ELISA. The suppression ability of Treg was evaluated by mixed lymphocyte reaction. RESULTS: With increasing ages, the frequencies of Th17 and Treg in CD4(+) T cells were increased (Th17 ratio from 1.00% to 3.14%; Treg ratio from 8.08% to 27.80%) and the level of IL-17A was up-regulated [from (87 ± 15) pg/ml to (191 ± 26) pg/ml], but the rate of Th17/Treg cell and the level of TGF-ß1 remained stable during atherogenesis in apo E knockout mice. Furthermore, the phenotype of splenic DC was matured and the blood level of IL-6 was up-regulated [from (43 ± 5) pg/ml to (104 ± 11) pg/ml] with aging in apo E(-/-) mice. Addition of IL-6 to T cells reversed the ability of Treg to suppress the proliferation of effective T cells. CONCLUSION: DC overactivation, subsequent increased secretion of IL-6, inhibition of Treg cell function and the Th17/Treg cell imbalance play key roles on the atherogenesis in apo E(-/-) mice.