The Role of Oncostatin M and Its Receptor Complexes in Cardiomyocyte Protection, Regeneration, and Failure.

Oncostatin M (OSM), a member of the interleukin-6 family, functions as a major mediator of cardiomyocyte remodeling under pathological conditions. Its involvement in a variety of human cardiac diseases such as aortic stenosis, myocardial infarction, myocarditis, cardiac sarcoidosis, and various cardiomyopathies make the OSM receptor (OSMR) signaling cascades a promising therapeutic target. However, the development of pharmacological treatment strategies is highly challenging for many reasons.

Long-term results after mitral valve surgery using minimally invasive versus sternotomy approach: a propensity matched comparison of a large single-center series.

Background: Mitral valve (MV) surgery has traditionally been performed by conventional sternotomy (CS), but more recently minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has become another treatment option. The aim of this study is to compare short- and long-term results of MV surgery after CS and MIS.

Methods: This study was a retrospective propensity-matched analysis of MV operations between January 2005 and December 2015.

Myocardial Accumulations of Reg3A, Reg3γ and Oncostatin M Are Associated with the Formation of Granulomata in Patients with Cardiac Sarcoidosis.

Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a poorly understood disease and is characterized by the focal accumulation of immune cells, thus leading to the formation of granulomata (GL). To identify the developmental principles of fatal GL, fluorescence microscopy and Western blot analysis of CS and control patients is presented here. CS is visualized macroscopically by positron emission tomography (PET)/ computed tomography (CT).

Comparison of flexible, open with semi-rigid, closed annuloplasty-rings for mitral valve repair.

Background: Mitral regurgitation is a frequent valvular disease, with an increasing prevalence. We analysed the long-term outcomes of mitral valve repair procedures conducted over the last 10 years in our clinic using almost exclusively two different annuloplasty ring types.

Methods: A single-centre, retrospective analysis of mitral valve surgeries conducted between January 2005 and December 2015 for patients undergoing first-line mitral valve repair with either open (Cosgrove) or closed (CE Physio / Physio II) annuloplasty (OA or CA, respectively) rings.

Minimally invasive left atrial appendage (LAA) clip insertion after challenging LAA occluder implantation to minimize the risk of stroke.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, requiring lifelong anticoagulation or interventional, transseptal left atrial appendage (LAA) occluder implantation to minimize stroke risk. Incomplete LAA closure post implantation is a frequent observation. Incomplete LAA occlusion after transseptal occluder implantation necessitates anticoagulation in cases of persistent AF to minimze risk of embolism and/or apoplexy.

Pulmonary herniation after minimally invasive cardiac surgery: review and implications from a series of 20 cases.

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) via right lateral mini thoracotomy is the gold standard treatment approach for mitral and tricuspid valve disorders. Other selected procedures (e.g.

Long-term results of endoclamping in patients undergoing minimally invasive mitral valve surgery where external aortic clamping cannot be used - a propensity matched analysis.

Background: Minimally invasive mitral valve surgery is standard of care in many centres and it is commonly associated with the need for cardiopulmonary bypass. Conventional external aortic clamping (exoclamping) is not always feasible, so endoaortic clamping (endoclamping) has evolved as a viable alternative. The aim of this study is to compare endoclamping (Intraclude™, Edwards Lifesciences) with exoclamping (Chitwood) during minimally invasive mitral valve procedures.

The MEK/ERK Module Is Reprogrammed in Remodeling Adult Cardiomyocytes.

Fetal and hypertrophic remodeling are hallmarks of cardiac restructuring leading chronically to heart failure. Since the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK cascade (MAPK) is involved in the development of heart failure, we hypothesized, first, that fetal remodeling is different from hypertrophy and, second, that remodeling of the MAPK occurs. To test our hypothesis, we analyzed models of cultured adult rat cardiomyocytes as well as investigated myocytes in the failing human myocardium by western blot and confocal microscopy.

Radixin Relocalization and Nonmuscle -Actinin Expression Are Features of Remodeling Cardiomyocytes in Adult Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Pediatric patients show an impressive capacity of cardiac regeneration. In contrast, severely deteriorated adult hearts do usually not recover. Since cardiac remodeling-involving the expression of fetal genes-is regarded as an adaptation to stress, we compared hearts of adult patients suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) with remodeling of cultured neonatal (NRC) as well as adult (ARC) rat cardiomyocytes and the developing postnatal myocardium.

Long-term outcomes of concomitant tricuspid valve repair in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery.

Background: We aimed to find out how the concomitant performance of tricuspid valve repair (TVR) affects outcomes of patients undergoing mitral valve surgery (MVS).

Methods: Single-centre, retrospective analysis of 1357 patients who underwent MVS between January 2005 and December 2015, including 1165 patients with isolated MVS and 192 patients with MVS plus TVR. We used propensity scores to match patients for baseline characteristics other than valve related parameters and arrived at a matched sample of 182 patients per group.

Macrophages represent the major pool of IL-7Rα expressing cells in patients with myocarditis.

Myocarditis is characterized by infiltration and activation of cytokine as well as chemokine receptors frequently producing heart failure. Causes are often infections triggering inflammatory and immune responses but these initial lines of defense might be finally disastrous. To identify mediators we screened various receptors by confocal microscopy and identified cardiac interleukin-7 (IL-7) receptor-α (IL-7Rα) expressing cells in patients with myocarditis.

Mitral valve repair for posterior leaflet prolapse: Long-term comparison of loop implantation vs resection.

Background: Resection (triangular or quadrangular) is considered the gold standard for the treatment of posterior leaflet prolapse and loop implantation a more recent alternative. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of triangular or quadrangular resection vs loop implantation.

Methods: Single-centre, retrospective analysis of mitral valve (MV) surgeries conducted from January 2005 to December 2015.

Long-term outcome after mitral valve replacement using biological versus mechanical valves.

Background: This study compared long-term outcomes of biological and mechanical mitral valve replacement (MVR) in patients requiring replacement of the mitral valve where repair was not feasible.

Methods: A single-centre registry of patients receiving MVR between 2005 and 2015 was established. Thirty-day mortality and long-term outcomes were analysed and compared.

Explantation and reimplantation of a breast implant to facilitate minimally invasive mitral valve surgery and cryoablation of atrial fibrillation.

Clinicians can feel confident about performing mitral repair/replacement in patients who have previously undergone mammoplasty. It may also have applications in performing atrial septal defect closure, Maze procedures for atrial fibrillation, and tricuspid valve surgery in patients with breast implants.

Atresia of the inferior vena cava in a patient undergoing mitral and tricuspid valve surgery.

We report on a 61-year-old man with a previously unknown interruption of the inferior vena cava who was scheduled to undergo minimally invasive mitral and tricuspid valve surgery. We aimed to establish a cardiopulmonary bypass using femorofemoral cannulation under transoesophageal echocardiography. In spite of multiple attempts, the positioning of the venous wire in the right atrium was not accomplished.

Combined mitral valve repair and heart transplantation.

In times of donor organ shortage, organs with extended allocation criteria, for example, valve pathologies, have to be taken into consideration for transplantation. The donor pool can be extended to hearts with mitral valve insufficiency. Mitral valve repair can rapidly be performed in the donor heart on the back table with excellent results.

The MEK1 inhibitors UO126 and PD98059 block PDGF-AB induced phosphorylation of threonine 292 in porcine smooth muscle cells.

PDGF-AB and FGF-2 (GFs) induce smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation which is indispensible for arteriogenesis. While there is common agreement that GFs stimulate SMC proliferation through phosphorylation (P-) of MEK1/2 at Ser218/222, we previously demonstrated that the MEK inhibitors PD98059 and UO126 did not inhibit P-Ser218/222 as originally proposed but caused strong hyperphosphorylation. Here, we demonstrate that GFs increased phosphorylation of MEK1 at Thr292 while UO126 and PD98059 blocked this phosphorylation.

Increased levels of interleukin-33 in gingival crevicular fluids of patients with chronic periodontitis.

The purpose of this clinical study is to comparatively investigate the interleukin-33 (IL-33) levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), saliva and plasma of patients with periodontal disease as well as periodontally healthy subjects and the association between these levels and clinical parameters. GCF, saliva and plasma samples were collected from systemically healthy, non-smoker chronic periodontitis patients (CP group, n = 20), gingivitis patients (G group, n = 20) and periodontally healthy control groups (H group, n = 20). Full-mouth clinical periodontal parameters were also recorded.

Implication of C-type natriuretic peptide-3 signaling in glycosaminoglycan synthesis and chondrocyte hypertrophy during TGF-β1 induced chondrogenic differentiation of chicken bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

This study investigated the involvement of CNP-3, chick homologue for human C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), in TGF-β1 induced chondrogenic differentiation of chicken bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Chondrogenic differentiation of MSCs in pellet cultures was induced by TGF-β1. Chondrogenic differentiation and glycosaminoglycan synthesis were analyzed on the basis of basic histology, collagen type II expression, and Alcian blue staining.