Objective To explore the effect of leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast on physicochemical property of sputum and airway mucus hypersecretion in patients with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis. Methods Eighty-four inpatients with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis were randomly divided into a control group and an experiment group, with 42 cases in each group. The control group received conventional therapy and the experiment group took orally montelukast 10 mg before sleep every day based on conventional therapy for two weeks. At admission and 15 days after admission, the amount in 24 hours, dry/wet weight ratio and viscosity of sputum were observed while the levels of neutrophil elastase (NE) and mucin MUC5ac in sputum were determined by ELISA. The pulmonary ventilation function, airway resistance and blood gas analysis were also measured. Results The sputum amount in 24 hours, dry/wet weight ratio and viscosity of sputum, NE and MUC5ac of sputum, pulmonary ventilation function, blood gas analysis and airway resistance were declined or improved remarkably after treatment compared with before treatment in two groups (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the sputum amount in 24 hours [(5.62±1.83) g vs. (7.53±2.32) g], NE [(3.85±0.97) μg/ml vs. (4.54±1.03) μg/ml], MUC5ac [(0.65±0.21) μg/ml vs. (0.82± 0.29) μg/ml] and the airway resistance [(119.16±11.76)% vs. (128.37±12.08)%] were declined remarkably in the experiment group compare with the control group after treatment (all P<0.05). The viscosity of sputum between the two groups after treatment showed no significant difference. Conclusion In patients with acute exacerbation of bronchiectasis, montelukast can reduce amount of sputum and airway resistance, reduce expression of mucin MUC5ac through down-regulation of NE, thus inhibit airway mucus hypersecretion.
ObjectiveTo investigate the value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) by detecting the relationship between NLR and other well-known inflammatory biomarkers.MethodsRetrospective study of 610 AECOPD cases was performed. In order to analyze the influence of NLR level on disease condition, treatment plan and prognosis, the clinical data with acute exacerbation were collected and the value of NLR in AECOPD were analyzed.ResultsThe level of NLR was higher in the group with pneumonia than that in the non-pneumonia group (P<0.05), and the more severe the pulmonary inflammation, the higher the NLR level (P<0.05). The level of NLR was higher in the group with heart failure and the group treated with ventilator and glucocorticoid (P<0.05). The NLR level was higher in the group of hospital stay over 14 days than the group of hospital stay less than 14 days (P<0.05). The NLR value of the death group was higher than that of the survival group (P<0.05). With the increase of NLR value, the mortality rate in hospital increased gradually. Compared with C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, NLR had the highest odds ratio by binary regression analysis. Cutoff value of NLR was 5.92 by analysis of receiver-operating characteristic curve with a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 51%, and the area under the curve in predicting in-hospital death was 0.727 (OR=4.112, 95% confidence interval 0.609 - 0.849, P=0.02).ConclusionsNLR can be used as an inflammatory marker to evaluate the severity of AECOPD and to predict the prognosis.
ObjectiveTo explore the relevance of an increase in neutrophil count and early neurological deterioration (END) after intravenous thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on the patients who received thrombolysis treatment of alteplase within 4.5 hours after onset between January 2017 and November 2018. Based on the existence of END, the patients were divided into the END group and the non-END group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to analyze the relevances between END and the indexes such as neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) after thrombolysis. Paired sample t test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare the changes of neutrophil and lymphocyte before and after thrombolysis.ResultsA total of 187 patients were included, including 48 in the END group and 139 in the non-END group. Before thrombolysis, the differences of total protein (t=2.130, P=0.035) and albumin (t=2.777, P=0.007) between the two groups were statistically significant, but the differences in other clinical indexes between the two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). After thrombolysis, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, NLR, fibrinase degradation product, baseline and change of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score, proportion of cardiogenic embolism, degree of responsible vascular stenosis and anterior circulation cortical infarction site were all higher in the END group than those in the non-END group (P<0.05). The total protein, albumin, lymphocyte count and prealbumin in the END group were lower than those in the non-END group (P<0.05). Neutrophil in the END group increased significantly (Z=?2.314, P=0.021) after thrombolysis. Neutrophil count [odds ratio=1.288, 95% confidence interval (1.069, 1.552)] was one of the independent influencing factors of venous thrombolysis END, and the specificity was the highest (the sensitivity was 62.5%, and the specificity was 71.9%).ConclusionsAfter thrombolysis, elevated neutrophil count has some relevance to END. Dynamic monitoring on neutrophil count after intravenous thrombolysis treatment can predict the occurrence of END.
ObjectiveTo determine whether there is an imbalance of KLF2/RelA in peripheral blood neutrophils in patients with bronchial asthma, and explore the relationship between KLF2/RelA imbalance and neutrophil apoptosis.MethodsFrom April 2011 to April 2012, a total of 39 patients with acute attack of asthma in Hunan People's Hospital and Third People's Hospital of Changsha were enrolled, with 13 cases in mild asthma group, 17 cases in moderate asthma group, and 9 cases in severe asthma group. Fifteen healthy subjects were recruited as control group. Peripheral blood were collected from all subjects followed by separation of neutrophils. The apoptosis of neutrophils were measured by flow cytometry. The expression of KLF2 and RelA were detected by Western blot. The relationship between the ratio of KLF2/RelA and neutrophil apoptosis rate was analyzed by Pearson correlation test.ResultsNeutrophil apoptosis rates in the mild, moderate and severe asthma groups [(4.45±0.76)%, (2.10±0.25)%, (1.81±0.67)%, repectively] were lower than that in the healthy control group [(5.36±0.57)%, all P<0.01]. The apoptosis rates of neutrophils in the moderate and severe asthma groups were lower than that in the mild asthma group (bothP<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the moderate asthma group and the severe asthma group (P>0.05). The ratios of neutrophil KLF2/RelA in the mild, moderate and severe asthma groups were lower than that in the normal control group (0.667±0.351, 0.384±0.203, 0.536±0.293vs. 4.038±2.011, all P<0.01). There was no significant difference between the groups of mild, moderate and severe asthma (P>0.05). The neutrophil apoptosis rate was positively correlated with the percentage of neutrophil KLF2/RelA (r=0.592 0, P<0.000 1).ConclusionThere is an imbalance of KLF2/RelA in peripheral blood neutrophils in patients with bronchial asthma, and the imbalance of KLF2/RelA may be the mechanism of apoptosis of peripheral blood neutrophils.
Objective To investigate the clinical value of peripheral serum cell-free DNA/neutrophil extracellular traps (cf-DNA/NETs) level in diagnosis and severity assessment of sepsis patients. Methods Forty patients with sepsis and 40 patients with non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (nf-SIRS) were enrolled in this study. The cf-DNA/NETs level in serum of all subjects were measured. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic ability of the cf-DNA/NETs, white blood cell count (WBC), procalcitonin (PCT) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The sepsis patients were stratified into a survival group and a death group according to the prognosis. Sequential organ failure (SOFA) score were recorded in the sepsis patients, and the correlations between SOFA and cf-DNA/NETs, PCT, WBC, IL-6 were analyzed. Results Compared with the nf-SIRS group, cf-DNA/NETs and PCT levels were significantly higher in the sepsis group (both P<0.05). WBC and IL-6 showed no significant differences between the two groups (bothP>0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of cf-DNA/NETs was 0.884 for diagnosis of sepsis, and it was higher than the AUC of PCT (0.803). The cf-DNA/NETs showed better sensitivity (81.2% and 79.2%) and specificity (81.0% and 82.4%) than PCT. cf-DNA/NETs and PCT were significantly higher in the death group than those in the survival group. Bivariate collection analysis revealed positive correlations between SOFA score and the two biomarkers of cf-DNA/NETs and PCT (r1=0.573, r2=0.518; both P<0.01). Conclusions cf-DNA/NETs and PCT have certain value in early diagnosis of sepsis, and cf-DNA/NETs shows better diagnostic value in distinguishing sepsis from nf-SIRS than PCT. cf-DNA/NETs can be used as a routine monitoring index to help assess disease severity in sepsis.
Objective To explore the correlation and diagnostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in peripheral blood of patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods One hundred patients with acute exacerbation of COPD who were hospitalized in the hospital between January 2019 and October 2020 were selected as exacerbation group, and another 100 patients with stable COPD who received treatment during the same time period were enrolled as stable group. The general data of patients were collected, and blood samples were collected to detect hemoglobin (Hb), platelet count (PLT), white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil count, lymphocyte count and RDW, and the NLR was calculated. The correlation between the detection indicators was analyzed and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the detection significance of related indicators. Results There were no statistical differences in the levels of Hb and PLT between the exacerbation group and the stable group (P>0.05). The levels of WBC, NLR, RDW and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the exacerbation group were significantly higher than those in the stable group (all P<0.05). NLR in the patients with acute exacerbation of COPD was positively correlated with serological indicators of WBC and hs-CRP (all P<0.05). ROC curve showed that the sensitivity and specificity of NLR in the diagnosis of acute exacerbation of COPD were 92.0% and 68.0% respectively, those of RDW were 91.0% and 58.0% respectively, those of hs-CRP were 77.0% and 71.0% respectively, and those of NLR+RDW were 90.0% and 73.0% respectively. NLR had the highest diagnostic specificity, RDW had the highest diagnostic sensitivity, and NLR+RDW had the best diagnostic efficiency. Conclusions Serological indicators of WBC, hs-CRP, NLR and RDW in patients with acute exacerbation of COPD will be abnormally increased, and NLR has a positive correlation with WBC and hs-CRP. NLR and RDW have high specificity and high sensitivity respectively in the diagnosis of patients with exacerbation of COPD, and their detection can strengthen the diagnosis and mastery of disease in patients.
Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), histones, and granule enzymes, exhibit a “double-edged sword” effect in retinal neovascularization (RNV) diseases. The formation of NETs involves classical lytic and non-lytic pathways, as well as peptidylarginine deiminase 4 (PAD4)-dependent and reactive oxygen species-dependent molecular mechanisms. Across different types of RNV, the roles of NETs vary markedly. In diabetic retinopathy, NETs accelerate disease progression by amplifying inflammatory responses, disrupting the blood-retinal barrier, and increasing vascular permeability. During specific stages of retinopathy of prematurity, NETs participate in the clearance of senescent vessels and promote beneficial vascular remodeling. In retinal vein occlusion, their pro-coagulant and pro-inflammatory properties may exacerbate thrombosis and ischemia. The functions of NETs are dynamically regulated by disease stage, microenvironmental factors, and interactions with immune cells. Therefore, therapeutic strategies aimed at clearing NETs (e.g., deoxyribonuclease I) or inhibiting NET formation (e.g., PAD4 inhibitors) may serve as complementary approaches to current anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies, although further studies are needed to elucidate optimal intervention timing, safety, and combination treatment strategies for clinical translation.
ObjectivesTo assess the predictive value of neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio (NLR) in the diagnosis of children complicated appendicitis.MethodsThe clinical data of patients with acute appendicitis treated in Department of Pediatric Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University from January 2014 to June 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Based on the pathology results, patients were divided into two groups: simple appendicitis and complicated appendicitis. The differences of age, gender, disease time, fever, highest temperature, emesis, right lower abdominal pain, blood indicators, and ultrasound results between the two groups were analyzed. Useful parameters to aid in the diagnosis of children complicated appendicitis were screened through single-factor and multiple-factor analysis. The predictive value of the parameters was evaluated by ROC analysis, sensitivity and specificity.ResultsA total of 235 patients was evaluated and divided into simple appendicitis group (179 patients) and complicated appendicitis group (56 patients). Logistic regression analysis revealed that NLR was the independent risk factor for diagnosis of children complicated appendicitis. When NLR>11.74, the Youden index for predictive complicated appendicitis was the biggest, reaching 0.325, and the sensitivity and specificity were 47.8% and 84.7%, respectively (OR=3.121, 95%CI 2.036 to 4.783).ConclusionsThe preoperative NLR is a certain indicator for predicting children complicated appendicitis, and can be used as reference to whether or not receive an operation.
Although the recent studies have concerned the pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies of acute kidney injury (AKI), the mortality of AKI is still terribly high, and it is still one of the most important death factors in the intensive care unit. There is no doubt that early verdict of AKI, is good for a more aggressive treatment and can promise an improved prognosis for AKI patients. Serum creatinine level, serving as the gold standard for diagnosis of kidney injury, cannot meet current clinical work in its sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of early AKI. Over the past decades, researchers worked to find and verify novel AKI biomarkers, including neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin, interleukin-18, kidney injury molecule-1 and cystatin-C, which were proved to be the potential reliable predictor of AKI development and prognosis, and were of great importance to the early diagnosis and clinical monitoring of AKI. This paper reviews the main studies on these novel prognostic predictors of AKI over the decades and evaluates their roles and limitations in early diagnosis and clinical prognosis prediction.
ObjectiveBased on the rat in situ perfusion system, to explore the effect of up-regulating Chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) expression on bone marrow neutrophils in modulating its ECC-related rapid release. MethodsTwelve SD rats were randomly divided into fucoidan perfusion group (F, n=6) and control group (C, n=6) after in situ perfusion system establishment. Rats in F group received perfusion of fucoidan solution (total volume 6 ml, 1 h) and C group received buffer only. Femurs from two groups were dissected after one-hour perfusion and bone marrow tissues were collected. The neutrophil CXCR4 expression in two groups were compared using flowcytometry. Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into fucoidan perfusion group (F', n=6), fucoidan and AMD-3100 perfusion group (F+AMD3100, n=6) and control group (C', n=6) after in situ perfusion system establishment. Rats received desired interventions before stimulation from ECC plasma. After that, 40-min perfusions of buffer were added and total counts of neutrophil in perfusates were compared. ResultsThe percentages of CXCR4 (+) cell and CXCR4 expression fluorescence in F group were 4.71%±0.21% and 161.3±7.8 respectively while the values were 1.11%±0.11% and 58.4±6.5 respectively in C group. Values in F group were both significantly higher than those in C group (P<0.05). The total counts of neutrophil in perfusates from F' group, F+AMD3100 and C' group were 261 393.7±12 470.6, 872 635.2±10 430.6 and 818 675.2±10 708.8, respectively. Statistically differences were observed between each other (P<0.05). ConclusionBone marrow neutrophil CXCR4 expression of SD rat could be effectively up-regulated by perfusion of fucoidan within the in situ perfusion system. ECC-plasma-stimulated bone marrow neutrophil release in rat could be inhibited by fucoidan induced up-regulation of neutrophil CXCR4 expression, and this inhibition effect could be canceled by AMD-3100 intervention.