Restricted T-Cell Repertoire in the Epicardial Adipose Tissue of Non-ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients.

Aims: Human epicardial adipose tissue, a dynamic source of multiple bioactive factors, holds a close functional and anatomic relationship with the epicardial coronary arteries and communicates with the coronary artery wall through paracrine and vasocrine secretions. We explored the hypothesis that T-cell recruitment into epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) in patients with non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) could be part of a specific antigen-driven response implicated in acute coronary syndrome onset and progression.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 32 NSTEMI patients and 34 chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and 12 mitral valve disease (MVD) patients undergoing surgery.

Factors Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Infection Risk among Healthcare Workers of an Italian University Hospital.

We report the results of a study on the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in about 6000 workers of the University Hospital of Modena, Northern Italy, in the period March 2020-January 2021, and the relations with some individual and occupational factors. Overall, in healthcare workers (HCW) the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 during the period was 13.8%.

Systematic bilateral internal mammary artery grafting: lessons learned from the CATHolic University EXtensive BIMA Grafting Study.

Objectives: Despite claims of feasibility, to date no study has examined the effect of systematic bilateral internal mammary artery (BIMA) use in a large cohort of real-world unselected patients. The CATHolic University EXtensive BIMA Grafting Study (CATHEXIS) registry was designed to assess the feasibility and safety of systematic BIMA grafting.

Methods: The CATHEXIS was a single-centre, prospective, observational, propensity-matched study.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis: predictors of early outcome of surgical therapy. A multicentric study.

Objectives: Prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) is an uncommon yet dreadful complication in patients with prosthetic valves that requires a distinct analysis from native valve endocarditis. The present study aims to investigate independent risk factors for early surgical outcomes in patients with PVE.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 8 Italian Cardiac Surgery Units from January 2000 to December 2013 by enrolling all PVE patients undergoing surgical treatment.

Epicardial adipose tissue microbial colonization and inflammasome activation in acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has a close functional and anatomic relationship with epicardial coronary arteries. Accumulating evidence suggests that host microbiome alterations may play a role in several inflammatory/immune disorders, triggering a robust proinflammatory response also involving interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and the NALP3 inflammasome. In the current study, we explore the hypothesis that in patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS), EAT contains potentially pro-atherosclerotic bacteria that might elicit inflammasome activation.