Publications by authors named "Dennis Wolf"
Article Synopsis
- Modified balloons (MB) and rotational atherectomy (RA) are used to treat coronary plaques with calcium, but data on their safety during hospital stays is limited.
- A study analyzed over 32,000 patients in Germany from 2017 to 2020 comparing the outcomes of RA and MB, finding that RA patients were generally older and had more serious heart conditions.
- It was concluded that while both procedures had similar risks for major adverse events, RA was associated with higher rates of complications like bleeding and pericardial puncture, although patients at high-volume centers had shorter hospital stays and fewer acute cerebrovascular events.
Article Synopsis
- * This study examines how semaglutide (2.4 mg) affects cardiac structure and function compared to a placebo, utilizing echocardiography on 491 participants over 52 weeks to measure outcomes like left atrial (LA) volume and other heart parameters.
- * Results indicated that semaglutide significantly reduced LA remodeling and right ventricular enlargement over the year, suggesting potential benefits in cardiac function for patients with obesity-related HFpEF.
Article Synopsis
- Inflammation plays a key role in obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and semaglutide treatment improves symptoms and reduces inflammation as measured by C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in patients with this condition.
- The study aims to evaluate characteristics of patients with different inflammation levels, assess if semaglutide's effects on health outcomes vary with CRP levels, and explore the link between weight loss and changes in CRP.
- This secondary analysis uses data from two international trials to analyze changes in health status, body weight, and exercise performance, focusing on how these changes correlate with baseline inflammation levels.
Article Synopsis
- Viral myocarditis involves the immune response to virus invasion, but the role of the GPR15 receptor in heart disease remains unclear.
- Researchers found that mice lacking GPR15 had trouble eliminating coxsackievirus B3, which resulted in harmful heart changes and dysfunction.
- The study suggests that GPR15 is crucial for the timely recruitment of regulatory T cells, and its absence leads to a prolonged inflammatory response and worse cardiac outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (R-PCI) shows promise in treating coronary heart disease, ensuring a high success rate and low complication rates compared to traditional manual PCI (M-PCI).
- A study conducted at Freiburg University Heart Center included 70 R-PCI patients and found that while R-PCI had longer procedural times and used more contrast, it had no significant difference in radiation exposure and long-term outcomes compared to M-PCI.
- Overall, R-PCI is seen as a feasible and safe option, with similar health-related quality of life for patients one year post-procedure compared to those who underwent M-PCI.
Cross-species single-cell RNA sequencing reveals divergent phenotypes and activation states of adaptive immunity in human carotid and experimental murine atherosclerosis.
Hauke Horstmann Nathaly Anto Michel Xia Sheng Sophie Hansen Alexandra Lindau Wolfgang Kurt Oswald Dennis Wolf
Cardiovasc Res
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to understand the immune cell composition in human atherosclerotic plaques, which differs significantly from what is observed in mouse models, often used for research.
- Single-cell RNA sequencing was employed to reveal a diverse immune cell landscape in human plaques, primarily consisting of T-cells, highlighting activation and memory formation that aren't adequately represented in mice.
- The findings suggest that traditional mouse models may not effectively translate to human atherosclerosis, particularly regarding activated T-cell responses, posing questions about their relevance in studying adaptive immune cell behavior.
Article Synopsis
- - The study analyzed human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) from adipose tissue, bone marrow, and umbilical cord to compare their growth and functionality across multiple passages.
- - Results showed that umbilical cord-derived hMSCs (UCT-hMSCs) proliferated faster than adult sources (adipose and bone marrow), and bone marrow-hMSCs produced more vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
- - Despite differences in growth and functionality, all hMSC sources expressed similar markers for identification, suggesting a systematic method for selecting the best cell source based on clinical needs.
Article Synopsis
- Post-operative delirium (POD) affects 14-56% of older patients, prompting the need to identify those at risk, leading to this study focused on creating a machine learning model for POD prediction.
- The model was based on data from 878 patients aged 70 and above, using 15 key features such as comorbidities, cognitive assessments, and operational metrics to train logistic regression and support vector machine algorithms.
- The linear support vector machine model showed promising performance with an ROC area under the curve of 0.82 in training and 0.81 in testing, indicating its potential for clinical use in preventing POD.
Article Synopsis
- The STEP-HFpEF and STEP-HFpEF DM trials investigated the effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide on individuals with obesity-related heart failure, showing improvements in symptoms, physical limitations, body weight, and exercise function.
- A pooled analysis was conducted to assess the effects of semaglutide across various outcomes and determine consistency among different patient subgroups, utilizing data from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.
- Participants were assigned to receive either semaglutide or a placebo for 52 weeks, with primary endpoints focusing on changes in heart failure-related symptoms and body weight, and secondary endpoints assessing physical activity and inflammation markers.
Article Synopsis
- Obesity and type 2 diabetes are common in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, leading to significant symptoms, and there's a lack of approved treatments targeting this condition.
- A study assigned 616 patients with heart failure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes to receive either once-weekly semaglutide or a placebo for one year, measuring improvements in symptoms and weight.
- Results showed that those on semaglutide had significantly better improvements in symptom scores (KCCQ-CSS) and lost more body weight compared to the placebo group, along with other beneficial outcomes in physical activity and inflammation markers.
Background: In transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), complications may force the need for a surgical bailout, but knowledge is rare about outcomes in Germany.
Methods: Using national health records, we investigated all TAVR in German hospitals between 2007 and 2020, focusing on 2018-2020. We extracted data on those interventions with need for a surgical bailout.
Article Synopsis
- Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is linked to increased risks for leukemia and cardiovascular diseases due to the presence of mutated myeloid cells; however, their specific behavior in cardiovascular tissues is not fully understood.
- The study involved patients undergoing cardiovascular surgeries, where researchers analyzed blood and tissue samples to identify CHIP mutation carriers and assess the characteristics of myeloid and lymphoid cells using advanced genetic techniques.
- Results showed that although CHIP-mutated myeloid cells did not accumulate more in cardiovascular tissues compared to non-mutated cells, they exhibited a more proinflammatory and disease-prone gene profile.
Article Synopsis
- Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) from air pollution leads to respiratory and cardiovascular issues by activating the NLRP3 inflammasome, which triggers inflammation and release of IL-1β, a key inflammatory cytokine.
- The activation of the inflammasome is dependent on the amount and type of PM, with Residual Oil Fly Ash (ROFA) being particularly effective in inducing IL-1β release, while other PM types were less effective.
- The study reveals that mechanisms like lysosomal rupture and mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to IL-1β release, highlighting the complex interplay of cellular damage and immune response to specific air pollutants like ROFA.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzed the effects of semaglutide on patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) who also have obesity, categorizing them based on their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).
- Results showed that semaglutide significantly improved key health measures, including symptoms, physical limitations, and body weight, consistently across different LVEF levels over 52 weeks.
- Additionally, semaglutide was well-tolerated by patients regardless of their LVEF, indicating its potential as an effective treatment for this specific patient group.
Article Synopsis
- - The study analyzed data from 46,243 patients who underwent balloon-expandable (BE) and self-expanding (SE) transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) to evaluate outcomes and in-hospital mortality differences.
- - While patients in the SE group were older and had higher risk scores, both BE and SE groups had similar in-hospital mortality rates of around 2.37% and 2.35%, respectively.
- - The SE group showed a lower risk of major bleeding but a higher risk for complications like stroke and permanent pacemaker implantation, with no significant mortality differences among analyzed subgroups.
Article Synopsis
- Cholesteatoma is a rare middle ear condition, categorized as acquired or congenital, that can lead to severe health issues like hearing loss and infections.
- This study examines a unique case of female identical twins who both developed congenital cholesteatomas, emphasizing their treatment and the underlying causes.
- After 15 years of follow-up post-surgery, the twins showed no signs of disease recurrence, marking a positive long-term outcome for this rare condition.
Article Synopsis
- The STEP-HFpEF trial found that semaglutide significantly improved symptoms, physical limitations, exercise function, and reduced body weight in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) who also have obesity.
- The analysis highlighted that greater reductions in body weight led to better improvements in clinical outcomes like the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire-Clinical Summary Score (KCCQ-CSS) and the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD).
- Overall, the study suggests that weight loss through semaglutide is an effective treatment strategy for patients with the obesity phenotype of HFpEF, benefiting all obesity classes examined.
Article Synopsis
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is more common in individuals with obesity and currently lacks approved treatments targeting this specific condition.
- A study involving 529 obese patients with HFpEF tested the weekly administration of semaglutide against a placebo over a 52-week period, measuring changes in symptoms, body weight, and physical activity.
- Results showed that semaglutide significantly improved symptoms (KCCQ-CSS score increase of 16.6 vs. 8.7 for placebo), reduced body weight (-13.3% vs. -2.6%), and enhanced walking distance (21.5 m vs. 1.2 m), with additional benefits noted in inflammation levels. *
Article Synopsis
- Serotonin deficiency due to lack of the serotonin transporter (SERT) is linked to metabolic changes and increased inflammation in mice, particularly when fed a high-fat diet.
- Research involved comparing SERT-deficient mice with wild-type mice over 19 weeks to assess body weight, insulin resistance, and inflammation levels in adipose tissue.
- Results indicated that SERT-deficient mice exhibited greater insulin resistance, liver issues, and higher levels of inflammatory markers in their adipose tissue compared to the wild-type, suggesting a connection between SERT deficiency and heightened inflammation in response to a high-fat diet.
Article Synopsis
- The NLRP3-inflammasome is a protein complex that promotes inflammation in response to danger signals, with recent research showing that ADP activates this inflammasome in mice through the P2Y receptor.
- Blocking this pathway helped reduce inflammation in mouse models of colitis, but its effects in humans had not been studied.
- In this study, researchers confirmed the activation of the NLRP3-inflammasome by ADP in mouse macrophages, but found no similar activation in human cells, suggesting the mouse signaling pathway does not apply to humans.
Article Synopsis
- Geriatric co-management enhances care for older adults but faces challenges due to limited resources, which the SURGE-Ahead project aims to address through digital solutions and AI support.
- The project will develop a user-friendly digital application that provides evidence-based recommendations and AI-driven continuity of care suggestions, following a structured research framework.
- Data will be collected from multiple surgical departments to train AI, evaluate user needs, and improve the application, with usability testing to ensure it meets the needs of medical professionals in real-world settings.
Article Synopsis
- Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is not commonly used for pure aortic regurgitation, but ongoing advancements require evaluation of its effectiveness compared to surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR).
- An analysis of 4,861 procedures from 2018 to 2020 in Germany found that TAVR patients were generally older with more pre-existing conditions, but TAVR, particularly transfemoral, had lower mortality rates and better outcomes than SAVR.
- TAVR not only resulted in significantly shorter hospital stays but also showed reduced complications like stroke and major bleeding compared to SAVR, making it a promising alternative for select patients.
Article Synopsis
- VA-ECMO is used for patients with severe heart failure, but it can cause inflammation and blood clotting issues, potentially worsening their condition.
- This study analyzed serum samples from VA-ECMO patients and healthy controls to identify and quantify proteins using advanced mass spectrometry techniques.
- A total of 351 unique proteins were found, with significant differences in protein levels between patients and controls, as well as between days 1 and 3 of treatment, highlighting key proteins linked to coagulation and inflammation.
Article Synopsis
- Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease driven by monocytes and macrophages, but there's limited understanding of how these cells' gene expression changes over time and space during the disease progression.
- The study used apolipoprotein E-deficient mice on a high cholesterol diet to investigate gene expression in aortic macrophages, peritoneal macrophages, and circulating monocytes at different stages of atherosclerosis, utilizing RNA sequencing techniques.
- Findings revealed that there was surprisingly low overlap in gene regulation among the three cell types, highlighting that aortic macrophages were most active during the initial stages of atheroma formation, and identified the gene Gpnmb as a key factor correlated with disease progression.