Impact of polyvascular disease severity on acute heart failure prognosis.

Polyvascular disease, is a prevalent comorbidity among patients with acute heart failure (AHF). Previous research has shown that polyvascular disease is a poor prognostic factor in patients with heart failure. However, data on the relationship between the extent of vascular disease involvement and outcomes in AHF patients are limited.

Ovariectomy and High Fat-Sugar-Salt Diet Induced Alzheimer's Disease/Vascular Dementia Features in Mice.

While the vast majority of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is non-familial, the animal models of AD that are commonly used for studying disease pathogenesis and development of therapy are mostly of a familial form. We aimed to generate a model reminiscent of the etiologies related to the common late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) sporadic disease that will recapitulate AD/dementia features. Naïve female mice underwent ovariectomy (OVX) to accelerate aging/menopause and were fed a high fat-sugar-salt diet to expose them to factors associated with increased risk of development of dementia/AD.

Influence of cytochrome genotype on the risk for tramadol associated adverse effects: a retrospective cohort study.

Tramadol is primarily metabolized by the highly polymorphic enzyme, leading to a large spectrum of adverse events and clinical response. Ample evidence pointed a reduced CYPD26 activity score in individuals harboring the genotype, nevertheless, there is scarce studies on the impact of *10/*10 genetic polymorphism on long-term tramadol's adverse effects. To test the correlation between *10/*10 expression and the risk for tramadol-associated adverse effects.

Effect of CYP2C19 Pharmacogenetic Testing on Predicting Citalopram and Escitalopram Tolerability and Efficacy: A Retrospective, Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background-Various antidepressant agents are metabolized by the CYP2C19 enzyme, including Citalopram and Escitalopram. Variation in CYP2C19 expression might give rise to different plasma concentrations of the active metabolites, potentially affecting both drugs' efficacy and tolerability. Aim-The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in the Escitalopram and Citalopram efficacy and tolerability between different CYP2C19 genotype-based metabolizing categories in outpatients suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD).

Associations of High-Sensitive Cardiac Troponin T in Healthy Newborns and Prolonged Second Stage of Labor, Neonatal and Maternal Factors: A Prospective Study.

Introduction: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) is not used routinely as a diagnostic biomarker in newborns. The high precision of hs-cTnT assays increases the ability to determine small differences in cTnT over time and to detect troponin T elevation; thus, we believe that hs-cTnT assays might improve clinical care. We explored the plausible association between hs-cTnT levels (ng/L) in healthy newborns and prolonged second stage of labor, neonatal, and maternal factors.

The Diagnostic Value of Human Neutrophilic Peptides 1-3 in Acute Pediatric Febrile Illness.

It is prudent to develop biomarkers that enhance the differentiation between viral and bacterial infection in order to support expeditious and judicious antimicrobial implementation in emergency department admissions. Human neutrophilic peptides 1-3 (HNP1-3) are the major neutrophilic peptides with potent antimicrobial activity. We tested the performance of the plasma HNP1-3 test in a prospective observational cohort of children admitted to the emergency department for fever.

Clinical Use of CathPCI Registry Risk Score and Its Validation to Predict Long-Term Mortality.

Risk models to estimate percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) mortality have limited value in complex high-risk patients. However, it was improved by a recently developed bedside model to predict in-hospital mortality using data from the American College of Cardiology CathPCI Registry that included 706,263 patients. The median risk-standardized in-hospital mortality rate was 1.

Human Neutrophil α-Defensins 1-3 Are Upregulated in the Microenvironment of Fibrotic Liver.

: Neutrophil infiltration is an established signature of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Steatohepatitis (NASH). The most abundant neutrophilic peptide, alpha-defensin, is considered a new evolving risk factor in the inflammatory milieu, intimately involved in lipid mobilization. Our objective is to assess for potential association between alpha-defensin immunostains and NAFLD severity.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection-Blocking Immunity Post Natural Infection: The Role of Vitamin D.

The extent of the protection against SARS-CoV-2 conferred by natural infection is unclear. Vitamin D may have a role in the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 infection and the evolving acquired immunity against it. We tested the correlation between baseline 25(OH) D content and both the reinfection rate and the anti-spike protein antibody titer following COVID-19 infection.

Correlation between Baseline 25(OH) Vitamin D Levels and Both Humoral Immunity and Breakthrough Infection Post-COVID-19 Vaccination.

Objective: Vaccines against COVID-19 induce specific antibodies whose titer is perceived as a reliable correlate of protection. Vitamin D confers complex regulatory effects on the innate and adaptive immunity. In this study, we explored a plausible impact of baseline vitamin D content on achieved immunity following COVID-19 vaccination.

Association between tissue human neutrophil peptide 1-3 levels and cardiovascular phenotype: a prospective, longitudinal cohort study.

Objective: Inflammation is associated with atherogenesis. Although a higher neutrophil count is associated with the plaque burden, the role of neutrophil activation is unclear. Human neutrophil peptides 1-3 (HNP1-3) are a risk factor for atherogenesis in bench models and are elevated in human atheromas.

Divergent impacts of tocilizumab and colchicine in COVID-19-associated coagulopathy: the role of alpha-defensins.

Patients who are severely affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may develop a delayed onset 'cytokine storm', which includes an increase in interleukin-6 (IL-6). This may be followed by a pro-thrombotic state and increased D-dimers. It was anticipated that tocilizumab (TCZ), an anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody, would mitigate inflammation and coagulation in patients with COVID-19.

Alpha-defensins: risk factor for thrombosis in COVID-19 infection.

The inflammatory response to SARS/CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection may contribute to the risk of thromboembolic complications. α-Defensins, antimicrobial peptides released from activated neutrophils, are anti-fibrinolytic and prothrombotic in vitro and in mouse models. In this prospective study of 176 patients with COVID-19 infection, we found that plasma levels of α-defensins were elevated, tracked with disease progression/mortality or resolution and with plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and D-dimers.

Differentiation between myopericarditis and acute myocardial infarction on presentation in the emergency department using the admission C-reactive protein to troponin ratio.

Background: The treatment of myopericarditis is different than that of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, since their clinical presentation is frequently similar it may be difficult to distinguish between these entities despite a disparate underlying pathogenesis. Myopericarditis is primarily an inflammatory disease associated with high C-reactive protein (CRP) and relatively low elevated troponin concentrations, while AMI is characterized by the opposite.

Direct Admission of Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction to the Catheterization Laboratory Shortens Pain-to-Balloon and Door-to-Balloon Time Intervals but Only the Pain-to-Balloon Interval Impacts Short- and Long-Term Mortality.

Background Shortening the pain-to-balloon (P2B) and door-to-balloon (D2B) intervals in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) is essential in order to limit myocardial damage. We investigated whether direct admission of PPCI-treated patients with STEMI to the catheterization laboratory, bypassing the emergency department, expedites reperfusion and improves prognosis. Methods and Results Consecutive PPCI-treated patients with STEMI included in the ACSIS (Acute Coronary Syndrome in Israel Survey), a prospective nationwide multicenter registry, were divided into patients admitted directly or via the emergency department.

Opposing effects of HNP1 (α-defensin-1) on plasma cholesterol and atherogenesis.

Atherosclerosis, the predominant cause of death in well-resourced countries, may develop in the presence of plasma lipid levels within the normal range. Inflammation may contribute to lesion development in these individuals, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Transgenic mice expressing α-def-1 released from activated neutrophils develop larger lipid and macrophage-rich lesions in the proximal aortae notwithstanding hypocholesterolemia caused by accelerated clearance of α-def-1/low-density lipoprotein (LDL) complexes from the plasma.

Acute diagonal-induced ST-elevation myocardial infarction and electrocardiogram-guidance in the era of primary coronary intervention: New insights into an old tool.

Background: Previous studies, published before the advent of primary reperfusion, described the electrocardiographic features of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) caused by total diagonal artery occlusion, as demonstrated at pre-discharge coronary angiography. We aimed to assess the electrocardiographic and echocardiographic features in STEMI unequivocally attributed to a diagonal lesion in the era of primary coronary intervention.

Methods: The electrocardiograms and echocardiograms of patients sustaining STEMI caused by diagonal artery involvement were compared with those of patients with STEMI attributed to proximal or mid left anterior descending artery (LAD) lesions.