Objective To explore the possible anti-inflammatory mechanism of intensive insulin therapy （IIT） by studying the effect of IIT on the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, C-reactive protein （CRP） and APACHE Ⅱ score in biliary pyemia. Methods Twenty eight patients with biliary pyemia who were admitted by our department and given an operation within 24 h form Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2008 were randomly divided into two groups by using random number table numbers: one group treated with IIT （IIT group, n=14） and another group treated with routine insulin therapy （RIT group, n=14）. The inflammatory factors, such as TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP were detected dynamically and the APACHEⅡ score was calculated. ResultsThe level of CRP and APACHEⅡ score on day 5 and 7 and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 on day 3, 5 and 7 after operation in IIT group were significantly lower than those in RIT group （P＜0.05, P＜0.0１）. Compared with preoperative levels, the IL-6 and APACHEⅡ score in IIT group commenced to decrease on day 3 after operation （P＜0.05）, that was earlier than control group. Conclusion The treatment with IIT can suppress the composition of TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP, protect impaired hepatic cells, and reduce APACHEⅡ score, the degree of systemic inflammation and incidence of MODS.
Objective To investigate the changes of 8-isoprostane ( 8-isoPG) , leukotriene B4 ( LTB4 ) , TNF-α, IL-10 and hypersensitive C-reactive protein( Hs-CRP) in serum of patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome ( OSAHS) . Methods Forty OSAHS patients ( 20 cases underwent therapeutic Auto-CPAP or UPPP treatment for over three months) and 30 normal controls were included in the study. Serum 8-isoPG, LTB4, TNF-α and IL-10 were measured by ELISA. Hs-CRP was detected by automatic biochemistry analyzer. Results ①The serum levels of 8-isoPG, LTB4, TNF-α, Hs-CRP were significantly higher and IL-10 was considerably lower after sleep in 40 OSAHS patients [ ( 36. 59 ±14. 89) ng/L, ( 14. 75 ±6. 25) μg/L, ( 1022. 13 ±97. 57 ) ng/L, ( 2. 46 ±1. 58 ) mg/L, ( 4. 68 ±3. 42) ng/L, respectively ] than those in the normal controls [ ( 19. 91 ±7. 76 ) ng/L, ( 1. 43 ±0. 72) μg/L, ( 540. 00 ±78. 70) ng/L, ( 0. 30 ±0. 16) mg/L, ( 7. 41 ±4. 49) ng/L, respectively] ( P lt;0. 01) . ② Serum 8-isoPG, LTB4, TNF-α, and Hs-CRP levels elevated gradually following the severity of OSAHS while serum IL-10 level was decreased( P lt; 0. 05) . ③Serum 8-isoPG, LTB4, TNF-α, and Hs-CRP levels in OSAHS patients after sleep were correlated positively with AHI ( r =0. 863, 0. 746, 0. 868, 0. 842,all P lt; 0. 01) and negatively with LSpO2 ( r = - 0. 623, - 0. 524, - 0. 618, - 0. 562, all P lt; 0. 01) and MSpO2 ( r = - 0. 654, - 0. 573, - 0. 537, - 0. 589, all P lt;0. 01) . SerumIL-10 level in OSAHS patients was correlated negatively with AHI ( r = - 0. 722, P lt; 0. 01) and positively with LSpO2 ( r = 0. 564, P lt; 0. 01) and MSpO2 ( r = 0. 505, P lt; 0.01) . ④ After three months of auto continuous positive air pressure( Auto-CPAP) or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty( UPPP) treatment, serum 8-isoPG, LTB4, TNF-α, and Hs-CRP levels of the OSAHS patients after sleep were obviously decreased [ ( 23. 10 ±9. 54) ng/L, ( 4. 02 ±2. 15) μg/L, ( 810. 25 ±135. 85) ng/L, ( 0. 79 ±0. 60) mg/L, respectively] , and serum IL-10 level was obviously increased[ ( 6. 93 ±3. 91) ng/L] ( P lt; 0. 01) . ⑤ serum 8-isoPG and IL-10 had no statistics difference and serum LTB4, TNF-α, Hs-CRP levels were higher in OSAHS underwent therapy compared with the normal controls. Conclusions The results suggest that inflammation and oxidative stress are activated and antiflammatory cytokines are decreased in the OSAHS patients. The serum levels of 8-isoPG, LTB4 , TNF-α, Hs-CRP and IL-10 may prove to be useful in severity monitoring and intervention efficacy judgement in OSAHS patients.
Objective To explore the clinical significances of serum procalcitonin ( PCT) and Creactive protein( CRP) in diagnosis and severity assessment of sepsis. Methods A total of 72 patients with different severities of sepsis admitted to Wenzhou Second People’s Hospital from June 2005 to September 2007, including 22 cases of sepsis, 26 cases of severe sepsis, and 24 cases of sepsis shock. Meanwhile, twenty non-sepsis patients were enrolled as control group. The differences of serum PCT and CRP levels, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ ( APACHEⅡ) scores and sepsis related organ failure assessment ( SOFA) scores were compared in controls and the septic patients with different severities and different prognosis. Results The PCT levels of patients with sepsis, severe sepsis and sepsis shock were significantly higher than that in the non-sepsis group [ ( 1. 51 ±1. 57) , ( 5. 62 ±3. 78) and ( 13. 56 ±8. 16) vs ( 0. 12 ± 0. 33) μg/L, P lt;0. 05 or P lt; 0. 01, respectively] . The CRP level, APACHEⅡ and SOFA were also increased in septic patients compared to control and progressively elavated by the severities of sepsis patients ( P lt; 0. 05 or P lt; 0. 01) , however, CRP levels were not significant different ( P gt; 0. 05) . The PCT levels, APACHEⅡ and SOFA of the patients with good prognosis were lower than those with poor prognosis( all P lt; 0. 01) , but the CRP levels was not significant different( P gt;0. 05) . Conclusion The serumlevel of PCT is superior to serumlevel of CRP in severity classification and prognosis assessment.
Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of soluble triggering receptor expression on myeloid cells-1（sTREM-1） in sepsis patients.Methods Serum concentrations of sTREM-1，procalcitonin（PCT），tumor necrosis factor alpha（TNF-α） and interleukin-10（IL-10） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay，while high sensitivity C-reactive protein （hsCRP） level was detected by immunoturbidimetry in 68 patients with sepsis，40 patients with no-infective SIRS，and 20 normal individuals. The diagnostic and prognostic value of sTREM-1 and its comparison with PCT and hsCRP were analyzed. The sequential organ failure assessment （SOFA） score system was used to evaluate the severity of sepsis. The relationship between sTREM-1, PCT , hsCRP , SOFA score，TNF-α ,and IL-10 of the sepsis patients was analyzed，respectively. Results The differences in the serum concentrations of sTREM-1，PCT，hsCRP，IL-10 and IL-10/TNF-α ratio had statistical significance among three groups（Plt;0.05）. The differences in the serum concentration of TNF-α had no statistical significance among three groups （Pgt;0.05）. However，the serum levels of sTREM-1，PCT and hsCRP in the sepsis group were significantly higher than those in the SIRS group （Plt;0.05）. The receiver operating characteristic curve （ROC） analysis showed the area under the curve （AUC） for sTREM-1，PCT and hsCRP were 0.772 （95%CI 0.674-0.871），0.718 （95%CI 0.601-0.835） and 0.664 （95%CI 0.532-0.797），respectively. The serum levels of sTREM-1 and PCT in the non-survivors were significantly higher than the survivors in the sepsis group （Plt;0.01），but the differences in the serum concentration of hsCRP had no statistical significance between the non-survivors and the survivors in the sepsis group （Pgt;0.05）. There were significantly positive correlations between sTREM-1 and SOFA score，IL-10 or IL-10/TNF-α ratio（r value of 0.453，0.301，0.417，Plt;0.05），but no correlation between sTREM-1 and TNF-α（Pgt;0.05）. There was significantly positive correlation between PCT and SOFA score （r=0.436，Plt;0.05），while no relationship between hsCRP and SOFA score（Pgt;0.05）. Conclusions The serum level of sTREM-1 not only be valuable in the diagnosis of sepsis，but also may be used as a prognostic marker in sepsis，as it can reflect the severity of sepsis in certain degree. Furthermore，sTREM-1 or PCT may be superior to hsCRP in diagnosis，prognostic judgment and severity assessment of sepsis.
Objective To determine the effectiveness of statins in reducing C-reactive protein in patients with cerebral infarction and the potency of C-reactive protein as an indicator for preventing cerebrovascular events. Methods We searched PubMed, EMbase, Central Register of Controlled Trials, CBMdisc and CNKI from the date of establishment through August 2008. Bibliographies of the retrieved articles were also checked. Data was extracted and evaluated by two reviewers independently with a designed extraction form. The RevMan 5.0 software was used to carry out meta-analysis. Results Twenty-three randomized trials involving 1946 patients were included. The results of meta-analyses showed the following: statins reduced C-reactive protein compared to the control group (WMD= –5.79, 95%CI –7.32 to –4.26); statins were associated with a reduction of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) (WMD= –0.21, 95%CI –0.25 to –0.17); atorvastatin greatly reduced C-reactive protein than the simvastatin control group (WMD= –1.78, 95%CI –3.92 to 0.36); statins were associated with a slight improvement in neurological deficit (OR= 2.22, 95%CI 0.94 to 5.21). Conclusion The evidence currently available shows that statins can reduce C-reactive protein and carotid IMT in the patients with cerebral infarction compared to the control group. However, it is not clear whether statins reducing C-reactive protein is correlated to the improvement of neurological deficit and prognosis. Similar trials in future should focus on the relationship between the change of C-reactive protein and clinical outcomes.
Objective To explore the value of fecal calprotectin （FCP） in the activity evaluation for ulcerative colitis （UC）. Methods Sixty three patients with UC （UC group） and 30 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms but without abnormal results of colonoscopy （control group）， who were treated in The Forth Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between Sep. 2007 to Dec. 2009 were enrolled to examine the FCP， C-creative protein （CRP）， and erythrocyte sedimentation rate （ESR）. Then comparison between UC group and control group was performed. Results Levels of FCP and CRP in active gradeⅠ，Ⅱ， and Ⅲ group were all significantly higher than those of control group and inactive UC group （P＜0.05）， with the increase of active grade of UC， the level of FCP gradually increased （P＜0.05）. The levels of CRP in active grade Ⅱ and Ⅲ group were all significantly higher than those of gradeⅠgroup （P＜0.05）， but didn’t differed between active grade Ⅱ and Ⅲ group （P＞0.05）. There were no significant difference among 5 groups on ESR （P＞0.05）. Levels of FCP （rs=0.807， P＜0.01）， CRP（rs=0.651， P＜0.01）， and ESR （rs=0.371， P＜0.05） in active grade group were significantly related to histological grade under colonoscopy. Conclusion FCP examination is simple， inexpensive， repeatable， and noninvasive， and FCP can be used as an marker of activity evaluation in UC.
Objective To determine the influence and significance of combinative assessment of 64 multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) with serum amyloid A protein (SAA) or C-reactive protein (CRP) on the selection of operative procedures of rectal cancer under the multi-disciplinary team. Methods Prospectively enrolled patients diagnosed definitely as rectal cancer at West China Hospital of Sichuan University from February to August 2009 were randomly assigned into two groups. In one group named MSCT+SAA group, both 64 MSCT and SAA combinative assessment were made for the preoperative evaluation. In another group named MSCT+CRP group, both MSCT and CRP combinative assessment were made for preoperative evaluation. Furthermore, the preoperative staging and predicted operation procedures were compared with postoperative pathologic staging and practical operation procedures, respectively, and the relationship between the choice of operation procedures and clinicopathologic factors was analyzed. Results All 165 patients were randomly assigned into MSCT+SAA group (n=83) and MSCT+CRP group (n=82). The baseline characteristics of two groups were statistically similar (Pgt;0.05). For MSCT+SAA group, the accuracies of preoperative staging T, N, M and TNM were 74.7%， 68.7%, 100% and 66.3%, respectively. For MSCT+CRP group, the accuracies of preoperative staging T, N, M and TNM were 72.0%, 86.6%, 100% and 81.7%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in the accuracies of N staging and TNM staging between two groups (P＜0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference of the accuracy of prediction to operative procedures between two groups (90.4% vs. 95.1%, Pgt;0.05). The pathological T staging (P＜0.001), N staging (P＜0.001), TNM staging (P＜0.001), preoperative serum level of SAA (P=0.010), serum level of CRP (P=0.042), and distance of tumor to the dentate line (P=0.011) were associated with the operative procedures. Conclusion Combinative assessment of MSCT+CRP could improve the accuracy of preoperative staging and operative procedures prediction, which may be superior to MSCT+SAA.
Objective To measure the level of circulating endothelial progenitor cells ( EPCs) in peripheral blood of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( AECOPD) , and to explore the relationship between EPCs and severity markers of the disease and cardiovascular adverse outcome predictors.Methods Forty patients with COPD were recruited, including 27 at acute exacerbation phase and 13 with stable COPD from December 2010 to December 2011. Sixteen healthy nonsmokers were included as controls. Circulating EPCs were isolated by Ficoll density-gradient centrifugation and purified by Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting system. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein ( hsCRP) was estimated by using a latex immunoturbidimetric assay kit, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 ( MMP-9) was measured by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) . Arterial blood gas analysis and echocardiograph were performed in the AECOPD patients. The correlations between circulating EPCs, lung function, and cardiovascular markers were investigated. Results Circulating EPCs were significantly lower in AECOPD and stable COPD patients compared with the healthy controls [ ( 5.1 ±2.6) ×103 /mL and ( 6.0 ±3.2) ×103 /mL vs. ( 9.0 ±4.3) × 103 /mL, Plt;0. 05] . EPCs had a weak correlation with hsCRP ( P = 0. 033) , but not with MMP-9. In the AECOPD patients, EPC counts were significantly inversely correlated with PASP ( pulmonary artery systolic pressure) and NT-proBNP ( amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide) levels, and positively with left ventricular ejection fraction. No correlations were found between EPCs and lung function, blood gas, hospital stays or smoking index. Conclusions Circulating EPCs were significantly lower in AECOPD patients compared with healthy controls, in which systemic inflammation might be involved. Decreased EPCs were correlated with cardiac dysfunction in patients with AECOPD, which may account for the increased cardiovascular risk in this population.
Objective To investigate the values of pneumonia severity index ( PSI) , CURB-65,plasma procalcitonin ( PCT) , C-reactive protein ( CRP) measurements for evaluation the severity of healthcare-associated pneumonia ( HCAP) .Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted on 92 hospitalized patients with HCAP admitted between June 2010 and December 2011. They were divided into different groups according to different severity assessment criteria. The variance and correlation of PCT,CRP,WBC and percent of neutrophil ( Neu% ) levels were compared among different groups. ROC curvewas established to analyze PSI, CURB-65, PCT and CRP levels for predicting the motality of HCAP patients.Results In the severe HCAP group, PSI and CURB-65 scoring and serum PCT, CRP, WBC, Neu% levels were significantly higher than those in the non-severe HCAP group( P lt; 0. 05) . In the high-risk HCAP group, PCT, CRP, WBC and Neu% levels were significantly higher than those in the low-risk HCAP group according to the PSI and CURB-65 scoring criteria( P lt;0. 05) .WBC and Neu% levels were also significantly higher than those in the moderate-risk group. PSI and CURB-65 scoring were positively correlated with PCT and CRP levels. PSI scoring gt;120 points or CURB-65 scoring gt;2 points on admission were predictors of mortality. Conclusions PSI and CURB-65 scoring are correlated with severity of HCAP. Combining serum PCT and CRP levels can improve the predictive accuracy of the severity of HCAP.
ObjectiveThis study aims to examine the possible association between C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and post-stroke seizures. MethodsPatients with a first-ever ischemic stroke and no history of epilepsy before stroke who admitted to Western China Hospital were consecutively enrolled in our study. CRP levels were assessed within one week of stroke onset. After a mean follow-up period of 2.5 years, a follow-up assessment was performed to identify post-stroke epilepsy. Logistic regression and Cox regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between CRP levels and post-stroke early-onset seizures or post-stroke epilepsy. ResultsAmong the 1, 116 patients included in our study, 36 (3.2%) patients had post-stroke early-onset seizures and 65 (5.8%) patients had post-stroke epilepsy. Elevated CRP levels were associated with a higher risk of post-stroke early-onset seizures (51.4±49.2 vs 15.9±12.9, P=0.023). This correlation was persisted even after adjusting for potential confounders[OR=1.008, 95%CI (1.003, 1.018); P=0.003]. No association was observed between CRP levels and post-stroke epilepsy. ConclusionsElevated CRP levels may be associated with higher risk of post-stroke seizures. However, because of the observational nature of the study, more studies are needed to confirm the results.