Paradoxical low-flow, low-gradient aortic stenosis despite preserved left ventricular ejection fraction: new insights from weights of operatively excised aortic valves.

Aims: We reported that patients with small aortic valve area (AVA) and low flow despite preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), i.e. 'paradoxical' low flow (PLF), have worse outcomes compared with patients with normal flow (NF), although they generally have a lower mean gradient (MG).

Inhibition of ectonucleotidase with ARL67156 prevents the development of calcific aortic valve disease in warfarin-treated rats.

Calcific aortic valve disease is the most common heart valve disorder. So far, there is no medical treatment for calcific aortic valve disease. The expression of ectonucleotidases, which metabolize nucleotides into phosphate products, may influence the calcification of the aortic valve.

Amyloid substance within stenotic aortic valves promotes mineralization.

Aims: Accumulation of apolipoproteins may play an important role in the pathobiology of calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD). We aimed to explore the hypothesis that apolipoprotein-derived amyloid could play a role in the development of CAVD.

Methods And Results: In 70 explanted CAVD valves and 15 control non-calcified aortic valves, we assessed the presence of amyloid by using Congo red staining.

ATP acts as a survival signal and prevents the mineralization of aortic valve.

Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a disorder related to progressive mineralization of valvular tissue that is a leading cause of heart disease. Thus far, there is no medical treatment to prevent the mineralization of aortic valves. It is generally thought that pathologic mineralization is linked to apoptosis of vascular cells.

Increased biglycan in aortic valve stenosis leads to the overexpression of phospholipid transfer protein via Toll-like receptor 2.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease, and it is suspected that atherosclerotic mechanisms are involved in the development of this disorder. Therefore, the retention of lipids within the aortic valve may play a role in the pathobiology of AS. In this study, a gene expression microarray experiment was conducted on human aortic valves with and without AS.

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein, angiotensin II and increased waist cirumference are associated with valve inflammation in prehypertensive patients with aortic stenosis.

Introduction: The progression of aortic stenosis (AS) has been shown to be faster in patients with the metabolic syndrome. We sought to determine the relationships between blood pressure, inflammation, oxidative stress and valvular inflammation in a population of normotensive and prehypertensive patients with AS.

Methods: In this study, 36 male patients (age: 61.