Impact of Smoking on MicroRNAs in Significant Coronary Artery Disease.

Background: Given the importance of coronary artery disease (CAD) and the range of cardiovascular disease phenotypes in smokers, as well as the potential genetic and epigenetic factors, we were motivated to explore the impact of smoking on some selected microRNAs associated with significant CAD.

Methods: A total of 60 individuals were selected in four groups including non-smoker without significant CAD (S-A-), non-smokers with significant CAD (S-A+), smokers without significant CAD (S+A-) and smokers with significant CAD (S+A+). Micro-RNA expression was investigated using real-time PCR.

Attitude and Belief of Healthcare Professionals Towards Effective Obesity Care and Perception of Barriers; An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Obesity is a serious chronic disease that adversely affects health and quality of life. However, a significant percentage of people do not participate in or adhere to weight loss programs. Therefore, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to identify critical barriers to effective obesity management and to examine health practitioners' attitudes and behaviors towards effective obesity treatment.

The Persian version of the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8): can we trust it?

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common serious health problem. Medication adherence is a crucial determinant of therapeutic success in patients with diabetes mellitus. This study aims to examine the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) psychometric properties among diabetic patients.

Primary and metastatic primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the heart: A systematic review.

Objective: Primary and metastatic primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the pericardium are uncommon. Two cases are presented and discussed.

Methods: The cases of a 17- and 38-year-old male patients with neuroectodermal tumors of the pericardium are presented.

A rare manifestation of extrapulmonary tuberculosis: left ventricular cardiac tuberculoma in an HIV infected male "case report".

Cardiac tuberculosis (TB) is rare and most commonly manifests itself as tuberculous pericarditis. Involvement of other parts of the heart is unusual and descriptions in the literature are confined to case reports regarding mainly pericardial TB and very few cases of cardiac tuberculoma. Tuberculomas are space occupying lesions most commonly found in the brain of immunocompromised individuals.

The relationship between global longitudinal strain and pulmonary function tests in patients with scleroderma and normal ejection fraction and pulmonary artery pressure: a case-control study.

This study examined the relationship between global longitudinal strain (GLS) and pulmonary function tests (PFT) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SS) and normal ejection fraction (EF) and pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and healthy controls. Sixty patients in two groups underwent extensive screening, including echocardiography, physical examination, the modified Rodnan Skin Score, and pulmonary function tests. Pulmonary interstitial disease was diagnosed by the pulmonary function test and by CT scan in case of indication.

Suppurative Thrombophlebitis of the Inferior Vena Cava Resolved with Intravenous Antibiotic Therapy: A Case Report.

Inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombosis is a rare medical condition. Suppurative thrombophlebitis of the IVC is even a more uncommon subtype of IVC thrombosis and is mostly associated with IVC filters or venous catheters. We describe a 66-year-old man with persistent fever and history of pyonephrosis secondary to transurethral lithotripsy 1 month before recent admission.

Ruptured mitral valve aneurysm: A devastating complication of aortic valve endocarditis.

Mitral valve aneurysm is a rare clinical entity that is mostly resulted from infective endocarditis, in particular, aortic valve endocarditis. Once mitral valve aneurysm ruptures and severe mitral regurgitation and hemodynamic instability develop, prompt surgery should be considered. Here we report a patient with ruptured mitral valve aneurysm associated with native aortic valve endocarditis that was improved after a successful mitral and aortic valve replacement surgery associated with antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks.

Metastatic pulmonary artery sarcoma presented with tamponade: a case report.

Pulmonary artery sarcoma is a rare tumor with varying presentations including pericardial effusion and pulmonary metastasis. Single-nucleotide polymorphism array is a novel method that can be used to define tumor genome and be used as a guidance to choose the proper treatment regimen.

Leiomyosarcoma of Inferior Vena Cava and Right Atrium with Ascites and Jaundice: A Case Report.

Leiomyosarcoma is one of the soft tissue sarcomas that could originate from different parts of body and are mostly presented as retropritoneal mass. Leiomyosarcomas of vascular origin are particularly rare tumors occurring mainly in inferior vena cava (IVC). Here, we report the case of a 35-year-old male patient who presented with ascites and jaundice.

Right ventricular myxoma originating from a papillary muscle: a case report.

Very few cases of ventricular myxoma originate from a papillary muscle. Patients with a cardiac myxoma and a history of colorectal carcinoma are also rare. Here, we present a case of an extremely large right ventricular myxoma that originated from the posteromedial papillary muscle in a patient with a history of colorectal carcinoma.

Giant congenital left ventricular diverticulum associated with infective endocarditis: A diagnosis made by tissue Doppler echocardiography.

Left ventricular (LV) diverticulum is a relatively rare condition, and it is important to differentiate it from pseudoaneurysm. The increasing use of noninvasive imaging modalities can help to demonstrate different types of ventricular outpouching structures. We report a case of congenital LV diverticulum that is much larger than the usual size and is diagnosed with tissue Doppler echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Pulmonary Mucormycosis in a Patient with Chronic Rejection of Kidney Transplant: A Case Report.

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare but fatal condition that frequently occurs in immunocompromised patients. Correct diagnosis and rapid start of preferred antifungal treatment need clinical suspicion. Patient's symptoms may be confluent with other conditions such as bacterial and other fungal infections.

Dissecting intramural hematoma of esophagus after thrombolytic therapy: a case report.

Esophageal hematoma is a relatively rare event. We report a case of severe chest pain associated with myocardial infarction and recurrent chest pain after administration of a thrombolytic agent. The chest pain was different from the presenting symptom and accompanied by 2 episodes of hematemesis.

A 34 year old man with purple discoloration and paresthesia.

Secondary systemic vasculitis and nonbacterial endocarditis are rare events. We report a case presented with different manifestations of underlying malignancy such as systemic vasculitis, non bacterial endocarditis and DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulopathy). Efforts to find the source of malignancy was unsuccessful and due to patient's unwillingness for further evaluation, finally under the diagnosis of metastatic disease of unknown primary, patient is receiving cyclic chemotherapy.

Unilateral pulmonary artery agenesis in an adult patient with cough and hemoptysis: a case report.

Unilateral pulmonary artery agenesis (UPAA) is an uncommon congenital anomaly and most patients present in neonatal period with respiratory symptoms. Left-sided pulmonary artery agenesis is less frequent than right-sided and is sometimes associated with cardiac anomalies. We report a patient with a history of repaired ventricular septal defect, who presented with cough and hemoptysis and the diagnosis of UPAA was made.