ObjectiveTo investigate the pathogenesis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) by detecting the changes of serum interleukin-23 (IL-23) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels of the OSAHS patients before and after treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).MethodsFifty-eight patients with moderate to severe OSAHS diagnosed by polysomnography were recruited as an experimental group, 57 out-patient healthy subjects with matched age, sex and body mass index of the experimental group were enrolled as a control group. The serum concentrations of IL-23 and CRP in the experimental group were detected and compared before and after CPAP application for 3 months. The serum concentrations of IL-23 and CRP in the control group were also measured.ResultsThe serum levels of IL-23 and CRP in the OSAHS patients were significantly higher than those in the normal control subjects (P<0.05). The serum levels of IL-23 and CRP in the OSAHS patients after CPAP treatment were significantly lower than those before CPAP treatment (P<0.05). The serum concentrations of IL-23 and CRP were positively correlated with apnea hypopnea index (r=0.756, r=0.345, P<0.05, respectively), and negatively correlated with mean oxygen saturation (r=–0.715, r=–0.334, P<0.05, respectively).ConclusionsThe serum levels of IL-23 and CRP are positively correlated with the severity of OSAHS. After CPAP treatment, the levels of IL-23 and CRP decrease, which indicates that CPAP treatment may reduce the inflammatory reaction and correct anoxia of OSAHS patients.
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has revolutionized the management of aortic stenosis and become the gold standard for the treatment of symptomatic and severe aortic valve stenosis in elderly patients. With the improvement in design and materials, newer generation transcatheter aortic valve prostheses had overcome the limitations of early-generation devices that were susceptible to paravalvular leak, atrioventricular block and vascular complications, to a certain extent. This review provides an update on the latest advances in transcatheter aortic valve prostheses.