Carotid Stent Restenosis and Thrombosis in Rabbits: The Effect of Antiplatelet Agents.

Background: The purpose of the study was the comparative assessment of ticagrelor and clopidogrel effects on carotid post-balloon injury (PBI) and on post carotid artery stenting (CAS) rate of in-stent restenosis (ISR) and in-stent thrombosis in atherosclerotic rabbits.

Methods: Forty-eight New Zealand white rabbits on high-fat diet were randomized into 4 groups: A1: PBI and clopidogrel (30 mg/kg/d), A2: PBI and ticagrelor (21 mg/kg twice daily), B1: PBI, CAS, and clopidogrel (30 mg/kg/d), B2: PBI, CAS, and ticagrelor (21 mg/kg twice daily). All rabbits received orally aspirin (10 mg/kg/d) and interventions were performed in their right carotid arteries (RCAs).

Protein Z (PZ) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plasma levels in patients with previously untreated Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

Purpose: The role of Protein Z (PZ) in conditions, such as thrombosis, inflammation or cancer, is under investigation. Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is an acute phase reactant that promotes thrombosis and tumorigenesis. Subject of this work was to study PZ and PAI-1 in patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), a malignancy with inflammatory background and relatively low incidence of thrombosis.

Use of a Lucas-Kanade-Based Template Tracking Algorithm to Examine In Vivo Tendon Excursion during Voluntary Contraction Using Ultrasonography.

Ultrasound imaging can be used to study tendon movement during muscle contraction to estimate the tendon force-length relationship in vivo. Traditionally, such tendon displacement measurements are made manually (time consuming and subjective). Here we evaluated a Lucas-Kanade-based tracking algorithm with an optic flow extension that accounts for tendon movement characteristics between consecutive frames of an ultrasound image sequence.

Endothelial Protein C Receptor Gene Variants and Risk of Thrombosis.

Endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) is a candidate mediator in the pathogenesis of thrombosis, as several data in the literature indicate that polymorphisms such as EPCR 4678G/C and 4600A/G are associated with either protective effect or increased risk of thrombosis, respectively. We investigated the prevalence of these polymorphisms in patients with thrombotic disorders as well as their impact on the risk of thrombosis, the age of first thrombotic episode, and recurrence. The prevalence of the rare EPCR alleles 4600G and 4678C was comparable in patients and controls.