Inflammatory mediators in chronic heart failure in North India.

Introduction: Recent evidence shows that pro-inflammatory cytokines may be important in the assessment of severity and prognosis in congestive heart failure (CHF). In the present study, we examine the association of cytokines with causes, grade and prognosis of CHF patients.

Subjects And Methods: Of 127 patients with CHF, 11 were excluded and the remaining 116 patients with different aetiologies of CHF, and 250 age- and sex-matched control subjects, were evaluated in this case study.

A simple method preventing tangling of the guidewires during percutaneous coronary intervention for bifurcation lesions.

The aim was to examine the efficacy of the simple technique that reduces tangling of the guidewires by utilizing wet gauze during percutaneous coronary intervention with multiple guidewires. We defined "Critical tangle of the guidewires" as occurring when it became impossible to insert balloon catheters into the bifurcation lesion due to tangling of the guidewires without withdrawing and reinserting one of the guidewires. We compared the rate of the critical tangle of the guidewires between the group taking no special tangle precaution ("NP Group"), and the group taking the tangle precaution with the wet gauze ("Gauze Group").

Potential difficulty for accurate categorization of drug-eluting stent thrombosis without coronary angiography: unignorable involvement of the cases with new onset acute myocardial infarction occurred in target vessels.

Very late stent thrombosis (VLST) is a major unresolved problem of drug-eluting stent (DES) implants. However, its actual incidence with respect to the distribution of DES-target vessel and accuracy of adjudicating stent thrombosis according to the ARC definition has not been yet adequately evaluated. We studied 720 patients who had completed over 1 year from elective DES implantation.

Possible mechanism of preventive effects of coffee intake on the formation of arterial occlusive thrombosis.

Background: Prevalence and incidence of arterial occlusive thrombosis are influenced by life-style. Coffee consumption was shown with a lower incidence of myocardial infarction by Framingham Study. Yet, the mechanism is to be elucidated.

Atrial fibrillation induced by applying acetylcholine to subadventitial layer of pulmonary vein in normal canine heart.

Objectives: We determined whether acetylcholine (Ach) application to the pulmonary vein (PV) wall could induce AF and clarified its mechanisms, and determined whether circumferential PV radiofrequency ablation (CPVA) could prevent Ach-induced AF in canine hearts.

Methods: Thirty seven beagle dogs were used for the study. Ach was injected into the subadventitial layer of the left superior PV (LSPV), at different distance from the LSPV-left atrium junction (LSPV-LA-J) to locate AF initiation.

Intravascular ultrasound-guided percutaneous coronary interventions with minimum contrast volume for prevention of the radiocontrast-induced nephropathy: report of two cases.

Radiocontrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is one of the most serious complications of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). The prevention of PCI-related CIN for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients has not been established yet. The intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is commonly used as an imaging device during PCI.

Angiographic evaluation of right upper-limb arterial anomalies: implications for transradial coronary interventions.

Objectives: Upper-limb arterial anomalies are sometimes encountered during transradial coronary procedures. These anomalies may contribute to procedural failure or to vascular complications, and are a major reason why many operators tend to avoid transradial procedures. We investigated the frequency of right upperlimb arterial anomalies using antegrade arteriography in patients undergoing transbrachial coronary angiography or intervention, and discuss the potential impact of these anomalies on the transradial procedure.

Analysis of right radial artery for transradial catheterization by quantitative angiography--anatomical consideration of optimal radial puncture point.

Objectives: To determine the optimal radial puncture point, we analyzed the anatomy and luminal diameter of the right radial artery (RA) by quantitative angiography.

Background: Difficulty of radial puncture has impeded the establishment of the transradial approach as the standard procedure for cardiac catheterization.

Methods: Antegrade angiography was performed from the right brachial artery in 135 patients who underwent coronary angiography.

Important regulatory role of activated platelet-derived procoagulant activity in the propagation of thrombi formed under arterial blood flow conditions.

Background: The functional links between the activation of platelets and the coagulation system have not been clarified.

Methods And Results: Immobilized collagen fibrils were perfused with human blood containing fluoresceinated platelets in the presence of various concentrations of thrombin inhibitor. Coagulant activity around platelet thrombi was detected using a FITC-conjugated antibody against the fibrin monomer complex (F-405).