RET c.1901G>A and Novel SLC12A3 Mutations in Familial Pheochromocytomas.

Familial PHEOs (pheochromocytomas) are inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, and inherited PHEOs can be one clinical phenotype of clinical syndromes, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A). In recent years, there has been a lot of controversy about the factors affecting the penetrance of PHEOs in MEN2A, of which the effects of RET (rearranged during transfection) proto-oncogene mutations are the primary concern. In this report, we performed genetic screening of patients in one family presenting with PHEOs and found they carried a RET c.

Dysfunction of mechanical heart valve prosthesis: experience with surgical management in 48 patients.

Background: Dysfunction of mechanical heart valve prostheses is an unusual but potentially lethal complication after mechanical prosthetic valve replacement. We seek to report our experience with mechanical valve dysfunction regarding etiology, surgical techniques and early outcomes.

Methods: Clinical data of 48 patients with mechanical valve dysfunction surgically treated between October 1996 and June 2011 were analyzed.

Effect of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 genotype on cardioprotection in patients with congenital heart disease.

Aims: About 40% of East Asians carry an aldehyde dehydrogenase-2*2 (ALDH2*2) allele, and the influence of the ALDH2*2 allele on human cardioprotection has not been studied. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of ALDH2*2 allele on cardioprotection of patients with congenital heart diseases after open-heart surgery.

Methods And Results: The right atrial appendage was harvested before performing cardiopulmonary bypass in cyanotic and acyanotic congenital heart disease groups (n = 20 per group).

Meta-analysis of the effects of statin therapy on endothelial function in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Background: Controversies exist among trials reporting the effects of statins on endothelial dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to determine whether statin therapy could improve endothelial dysfunction in patients with DM.

Methods: PubMed, Cochrane and Embase were searched for randomized controlled trials of statins.

Effects of low-level laser irradiation on mesenchymal stem cell proliferation: a microarray analysis.

Increased proliferation after low-level laser irradiation (LLLI) has been well demonstrated in many cell types including mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), but the exact molecular mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the change in mRNA expression in rat MSCs after LLLI and to reveal the associated molecular mechanisms. MSCs were exposed to a diode laser (635 nm) as the irradiated group.