Preclinical systolic dysfunction relating to ankle-brachial index among high-risk PAD population with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) shares common clinical risk factors, for example, endothelial dysfunction, with preserved ejection fraction (LVEF) heart failure (HFpEF). Whether PAD is associated with preclinical systolic dysfunction and higher HF risk among individuals presenting preserved LVEF remains uncertain. We retrospectively included outpatients with at least one known or established cardiovascular (CV) risk factor with LVEF ≥ 50%.

Risk of Heart Failure in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Receiving Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation and Undefined Duration of Antiplatelets.

It remains unknown as to whether the use of new-generation drug-eluting stent (NG-DES) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who receive an undefined duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) reduces the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF). In this population-based retrospective cohort study, we applied propensity score matching to select 6831 pairs of patients with STEMI who had similar baseline characteristics and received either NG-DES or bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2016. The risk of stent-associated HHF was evaluated, wherein death was considered a competing risk.

Procedural and One-Year Clinical Outcomes of Long 48 mm Xience Xpedition Everolimus-Eluting Stent in Complex Long Diffuse Coronary Artery Lesions.

Background And Objectives: Long 48 mm drug-eluting stents (DES) used to treat long coronary lesions decreases the number of stents needed and avoids stent overlapping. Disadvantages include difficulty in delivery and size discrepancy between proximal and distal stent landing zones. The present study analyzed the rate of procedural, immediate angiographic, and 1-year clinical outcomes of long diffuse coronary artery lesions treated with 48 mm everolimus-eluting stents (EES) and compared the clinical outcomes with multiple overlapping DES.

Risk of heart failure following drug-eluting stent implantation in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction.

Background And Aims: The association between implanted stent types and heart failure in patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) remains unknown. The current study aimed to investigate whether the implantation of a newer-generation drug-eluting stent (NG-DES) compared with that of a bare-metal stent (BMS) in patients with NSTEMI who receive an undefined duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) reduces the risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF).

Methods: In this nationwide, population-based retrospective cohort study, propensity score matching was used on the Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database to select 8,644 pairs of patients with NSTEMI and similar baseline characteristics receiving NG-DES or BMS implantation between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2016.

Effect of drug-eluting stents on 1-year risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

The use of a drug-eluting stent (DES) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention is conventional. However, the effect of DES on new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) after AMI still remains unclear.By using data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, a total of 17,741 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and 17,631 patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) treated with percutaneous coronary intervention were analyzed to investigate the risk of new-onset AF after index admission of AMI.

The relationship of renal function to segmental vascular stiffness, ankle-brachial index, and peripheral artery disease.

The authors consecutively assessed various arterial pulse-wave velocity (PWV) indices and ankle-brachial index (ABI) by an automatic device (VP2000, OMRON Health Care Co. Ltd., Kyota, Japan) in outpatients with ≥ 1 cardiovascular risk.

NEOADJUVANT TRANSCATHETER ARTERIAL CHEMOEMBOLIZATION FOR BILIARY TUMOR THROMBOSIS: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY.

Objectives: Curative hepatectomy and tumor thrombectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma with complicating biliary tumor thrombosis (HCC/BTT) is associated with high surgical morbidity and mortality. This retrospective study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of neoadjuvant transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in HCC/BTT patients scheduled for curative resection.

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with diagnosed HCC/BTT were hospitalized for neoadjuvant TACE and elective curative liver resection (group A; n=20) or curative liver resection alone (group B; n=10).

SmacN7 enhances the sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cells to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand or gemcitabine.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of SmacN7 on the biological characteristics of pancreatic cancer cell lines, and to assess the effect of SmacN7 on the sensitivity to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and gemcitabine. SmacN7 fusion polypeptide was synthesized and characterized using mass spectrometry. The morphology of apoptotic SW1990 cells and apoptotic rates were observed after 24 h of SmacN7 treatment, and the changes of cell growth inhibition rate were investigated following treatment with different concentrations of SmacN7.

Expression and significance of PTEN and miR-92 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the expression levels of the tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and the microRNA (miRNA) miR-92 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and paracancerous tissue. Immunohistochemistry [streptavidin-peroxidase (SP)] and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT‑PCR) were used to detect the expression of PTEN and miR-92 in 15 cases of HCC and the corresponding paracancerous tissues. The correlation between PTEN and miR-92 was analyzed.

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver in a child: A case report and review of the literature.

Over 200 cases of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) have been reported since 1978 when this disease was first described. In the present study, we describe a case of UESL in a 7-year-old female, whose initial symptoms included swelling in the upper abdomen and a palpable enormous irregular tumor. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination revealed a massive focal lesion in the right lobe of the liver.

Role of enolase-1 in response to hypoxia in breast cancer: exploring the mechanisms of action.

In the present study, we investigated the effect of reduced enolase-1 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)/MDA-MB-231 cells on the response to hypoxia and the possible mechanisms involved. Breast cancer cells transfected with enolase-1 siRNA were injected into mice to establish a tumor-bearing mouse model, and the correlation between enolase-1 expression and breast cancer angiogenesis, as well as its effect on the efficacy of radiation therapy were assessed. HUVECs were cultured in vitro, and transfected with enolase-1 siRNA.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the liver: A case report and review of the literature.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the liver is rare. It has a high malignancy rate and poor prognosis, and survival is typically no longer than one year. The pathogenesis of the disease is unclear, but is generally considered to be correlated with the long-term inflammation or metaplasia of biliary epithelial cells and congenital cyst of the liver.

Screening for mutation site on the type I neurofibromatosis gene in a family.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the sites and types of mutations associated with type I neurofibromatosis (NF1) in the NF1 gene in a family with NF1 patients.

Methods: The blood samples obtained from this family (four patients and one normal healthy individual) were analyzed by performing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing for mutation screening.

Results: We found synonymous mutations in exons 7, 38, 50, and 56 of the NF1 gene.