SUMMARY Blood pressure was measured in the north and in the south of the People's Republic of China in 1002 men and 1006 women. The 24-hour urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and creatinine was measured, and the relationship between urinary cations and blood pressure was studied. Blood pressure and 24-hour sodium excretion were higher in northern China than in southern China. With some exceptions, a positive correlation was found between urinary sodium and blood pressure and a negative one between 24-hour urinary potassium excretion and blood pressure. Urinary calcium correlated negatively and urinary magnesium did not correlate significantly with blood pressure. The sodium/potassium ratio correlated positively with blood pressure, and the calcium/magnesium ratio, negatively. This study confirms the positive within-population relationship between sodium intake and blood pressure in Oriental populations. (Hypertension 9: 654-659, 1987) KEY WORDS • blood pressure • epidemiology • sodium • potassium • calcium magnesium * sodium/potassium ratio * calcium/magnesium ratio A LARGE amount of epidemiological evidence links sodium consumption to blood pressure . level and cerebrovascular mortality.1 " 4 The relationship between sodium and blood pressure, however, is undoubtedly complicated by significant interactions between different cations influencing blood pressure 5 and by conflicting evidence concerning the within-population relationship between sodium and blood pressure.6 ' 7 The purpose of this article is to report data on urinary cations in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and to examine their relationship to blood pressure.Subjects and Methods A sample of the Chinese population consisting of farmers and nonfarmers was obtained in northern China in the region of Beijing and in south China in the region of Fuchow (approximately 1200 km south of Beijing). In the north 1003 subjects (498 men and 505 women) and in the south 1005 subjects (504 men and 501 women) participated in the study. There were 196

α1-antitrypsin (AAT) is a protein released as part of the anti-inflammatory response. It regulates the activity of serine proteinases and has a crucial role in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The present study aimed to examine its role in patients with ACS. The plasma samples of 117 patients were collected at the Cardiology Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University (Baise, China). These included 46 cases of ACS (who met the diagnostic criteria for ACS and had ≥50% luminal stenosis of any coronary vessel), 35 cases of stable angina (SA; with ≥50% luminal stenosis of any coronary vessel but in a stable condition) and 36 normal healthy controls (subjects with no luminal stenosis in their coronary arteries). Plasma AAT protein concentrations were measured by ELISA and clinical data were collected. The plasma levels of AAT protein in patients with ACS were lower than those in controls and cases of SA (P<0.05), and the levels tended to decrease with the number of coronary artery lesions involved. There were no significant associations of the expression of plasma AAT protein and the number of diseased vessels in patients or the degree of stenosis. There was no correlation between the plasma protein levels of AAT and Gensini scores of patients with ACS. In conclusion, the plasma AAT protein levels in patients with ACS may contribute to the occurrence and development of coronary artery disease.

However, due to the possibility of further bleeding, FEIBA was administered FEIBA was administered every 12 h in doses of 100 U kg )1 for 3 days and then every 24 h for 4 days, but we decided not to operate. On day 4, the patientÕs condition improved. During the next few days, the amount of fluid in the left lung decreased. From day 16, rehabilitation was started and FEIBA was administered prophylactically for 2 weeks. The patient was discharged from hospital 6 weeks after the episode and FVIII inhibitor level was 28 UB mL )1 . Six months after the episode a CT scan showed marked improvement and 12 months after the episode a chest radiograph was normal (Fig. 7). To sum up cases of bleeding into the pleural cavity are rare in literature (1-5). Each of the three cases of haemothorax we describe above was treated in a different way. Replacement therapy was used for the first patient, thoracenthesis was carried out for case 2, while surgery was not performed for case 3 due to the presence of inhibitor. Results 12 months after discharge from hospital were similar in all three cases. We consider that early physiotherapy is essential and patients with coagulation abnormalities and haemothorax should be managed individually depending on their general condition, results of diagnostic tests and accessibility of clotting factor concentrates. Fig. 7. Chest radiograph was normal.

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