[Nonbacterial Thrombotic Endocarditis Caused by Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome:Report of a Case].

A 73-year-old woman with multiple episodes of cerebral infarction was diagnosed with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis( NBTE) and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed highly mobile tumors both in the mitral and the aortic valve, and the patient underwent aortic and mitral valve replacement. Pathologically, tumor of the mitral valve was a thrombus, and that of the aortic valve was a papillary fibroelastoma.

[Turner Syndrome Requiring Two Open Heart Surgeries:Report of a Case].

A 55-year-old woman was diagnosed with Turner syndrome following amenorrhea at age 20. Since then, hormone replacement therapy has been used in the obstetrics and gynecology department, but follow-up for cardiovascular disease has not been performed. At age 44, she was taken to our hospital for the first time because of acute aortic dissection and rupture, and urgently underwent total arch replacement.

Efficacy of Two-Dimensional Perfusion Angiography for Evaluations after Infrapopliteal Bypass Surgery for Critical Limb Ischemia.

Two-dimensional perfusion angiography (2DPA) is utilized in hybrid operating rooms. 2DPA produces color map images and functional parameters to provide more robust visual and quantitative evaluations than conventional angiography. Its efficacy was suggested in five patients following bypass surgery; unexpected results were obtained in one patient, leading to a decision to perform surgical re-anastomosis.

Preservation of the infected thoracic aortic endograft with thoracoscopic drainage and continuous irrigation.

The gold standard for aortic endograft infection includes the excision of infected endograft, debridement, and reconstruction. However, these methods are not always the best option for patients with poor clinical status. We assessed the suitability of alternative methods for managing aortic endograft infection.

Uremic Toxins Affect the Imbalance of Redox State and Overexpression of Prolyl Hydroxylase 2 in Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Involved in Wound Healing.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) results in a delay in wound healing because of its complications such as uremia, anemia, and fluid overload. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered to be a candidate for wound healing because of the ability to recruit many types of cells. However, it is still unclear whether the CKD-adipose tissue-derived MSCs (CKD-AT-MSCs) have the same function in wound healing as healthy donor-derived normal AT-MSCs (nAT-MSCs).

Postoperative Dysphagia in Debranching Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair with Retroesophageal Carotid-Carotid Bypass.

A carotid-carotid bypass is commonly used in debranching thoracic endovascular aortic repair. When the bypass graft is placed in the retroesophageal position, the esophagus may be compressed by the graft from behind. Therefore, dysphagia may occur postoperatively as a serious complication.

Microvesicles derived from Alde-Low EPCs support the wound healing capacity of AT-MSCs.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are defined as multipotent cells that can give rise to various kinds of differentiated mesenchymal cells, and are thus considered to be useful for clinical therapy. However, the big hurdles of MSC therapy are the inability of MSCs to reach the appropriate tissues or sites with high efficiency and engraftment after transplantation. In this study, we investigated how adipose tissue-derived MSCs (AT-MSCs) improve their homing ability after intravenous injection.

Microvesicles enhance the mobility of human diabetic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro and improve wound healing in vivo.

Microvesicles (MVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells showed the ability to alter the cell phenotype and function. We previously demonstrated that type 2 diabetic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (dAT-MSCs) increase in cell aggregation and adhesion in vitro and impair wound healing in vivo. However, the characterization and function of MVs derived from human non-diabetic AT-MSCs (nAT-MSCs) remain unknown.

Endoleak detection after endovascular aneurysm repair using unenhanced MRI with flow suppression technique: Feasibility study in comparison with contrast-enhanced CT.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of unenhanced motion-sensitized-driven equilibrium (MSDE)-prepared balanced turbo field echo (BTFE) sequences for detecting endoleaks after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods: Forty-six patients treated with EVAR for aortic and/or iliac arterial aneurysms underwent contrast-enhanced CT and MSDE-prepared BTFE sequences with and without flow suppression. Two independent observers reviewed these sequences and their subtraction images and assigned confidence levels for detecting endoleaks.

Increased Expression of EGR-1 in Diabetic Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduces Their Wound Healing Capacity.

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which leads to diabetic complications, has been increasing worldwide. The possible applications of T2DM-derived stem cells in cell therapy are limited because their characteristics are still not fully understood. In this study, we characterized adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) from diabetic patients (dAT-MSCs) and found that insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) was highly phosphorylated at serine 636/639 in dAT-MSCs.

Left Ventricular Perforation during Catheter Ablation in a Patient with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura.

Preoperative gamma-globulin therapy was recently performed to prevent bleeding complications in a patient with concomitant idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura undergoing cardiac surgery. Here we report the case of a 75-year-old male patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, chronic aortic dissection, and funnel chest in whom a left ventricular perforation sustained during catheter ablation was repaired during emergent surgery. Despite preoperative gamma-globulin therapy not being performed, bleeding complications were prevented because platelets were preserved by avoidance of cardiopulmonary bypass use.

Serum-free isolation and culture system to enhance the proliferation and bone regeneration of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Cell therapy using human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is an attractive approach for many refractory diseases. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) are considered as a favorable tool due to its abundance in the body, easy proliferation, and high cytokine production potency. In order to avoid the risks associated with the use of fetal bovine serum (FBS) in culture that includes batch variations and contamination with pathogens, development of serum-free culture system has been initiated.

A new technique of in vivo synchrotron radiation coronary microangiography in the rat.

Background: Previously, in our laboratory, synchrotron radiation coronary microangiography (SRCA) using Langendorff-perfused rat hearts could visualize a coronary artery of 50 µm in diameter. However, in vivo rat SRCA poses the problem of compromised temporal resolution due to the rapid heart rate of rats.

Purpose: To establish a simple method of in vivo rat SRCA with bradycardia induced by intravenous injection of adenosine triphosphate disodium hydrate (ATP).

The role of CCL5 in the ability of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells to support repair of ischemic regions.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent and possess high proliferative activity, and thus are thought to be a reliable cell source for cell therapies. Here, we isolated MSC from adult tissues--bone marrow (BM-MSC), dental tissue (DT-MSC), and adipose tissue (AT-MSC)--to compare how autotransplantation of these MSC effectively supports the repair of bone fracture and ischemic tissue. An analysis by in vitro differentiation assays showed no significant difference among these MSC.

Cardiac sympathetic activity assessed by heart rate variability indicates myocardial ischemia on cold exposure in diabetes.

Measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive technique that can be used to investigate functioning of the autonomic nervous system, especially the balance between sympathetic and vagal activities. It is reported that dilatation of coronary microcirculation by augmentation of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) caused by cold exposure was impaired in diabetes. The question of whether or not SNA in HRV could respond to coronary ischemia was evaluated by cold exposure in diabetic rats.

Prospective intraindividual comparison of unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging vs contrast-enhanced computed tomography for the planning of endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Objective: This study clarified whether unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an alternative to contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for aortoiliac arterial measurement before endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR).

Methods: The institutional review board approved this prospective study. Twenty patients being considered for EVAR underwent MRI using a steady-state free-precession sequence in a 1.

Surgical repair for rupture of a chronic traumatic thoracic aneurysm 14 years after injury: report of a case.

Traumatic thoracic aortic injury is a lethal condition. Because its mortality rate is extremely high in the acute phase, these patients rarely survive long enough for a chronic aneurysm to develop. We herein report a case of surgical repair for a ruptured chronic traumatic thoracic aneurysm.

Surgical removal of infected pacemaker leads without cardiopulmonary bypass after failed extraction using the Excimer Laser Sheath Extraction System.

With the growing number of cardiac pacemakers and internal cardioverter defibrillator implantations, problems with endocardial lead infection have been increasing. The newly developed Excimer Laser Sheath Lead Extraction System has been recognized as being highly useful for removing chronic infected leads. However, serious bleeding complications are a concern when this system is used.

Reducing the dose of contrast medium in angiography by use of a highly sensitive receiver and synchrotron radiation system.

Objective: Contrast medium causes side effects such as contrast-induced nephropathy, and the dose of contrast medium is a risk factor in their occurrence. To reduce doses of contrast medium, we developed an angiographic system with high definition and high sensitivity and reviewed its effectiveness. The system entails synchrotron radiation, which is characterized by high photon density and straightness of beam that together result in high resolution, and a high-gain avalanche rushing amorphous photoconductor receiver, which is 100 times more sensitive than conventional charge-coupled device cameras.

Identification of human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells involved in re-endothelialization.

Human placenta is an attractive source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) for regenerative medicine. The cell surface markers expressed on MSC have been proposed as useful tools for the isolation of MSC from other cell populations. However, the correlation between the expression of MSC markers and the ability to support tissue regeneration in vivo has not been well examined.

Sex difference in peripheral arterial response to cold exposure.

Background: In Japan, there is a symptom commonly referred to as "Hie-sho", which is a feeling of coldness or chill in a particular part of the body, and it can sometimes be unendurable. This phenomenon is known to occur more frequently in women. The present study used synchrotron radiation micro-angiography (SRMA) to examine the hypothesis that this feeling is derived from a sex difference in the vascular response to coldness.

The minimum coronary artery diameter in which coronary spasm can be identified by synchrotron radiation coronary angiography.

Background: Coronary vasospasm is defined as a temporary, intense narrowing of the coronary conduit artery. It brings about ischemic chest pain and becomes one of the causes of myocardial infarction. Coronary spasms are divided into two categories.

Cigarette-smoke-induced vasoconstriction of peripheral arteries: evaluation by synchrotron radiation microangiography.

Background: Although cigarette smoking is thought to constrict peripheral vessels, details have not been clarified because of the limitation of spatial resolution in conventional X-ray angiography systems. Synchrotron radiation microangiography can identify small arteries down to 50 microm in diameter.

Method And Results: Male Wistar rats (n=9) were made to smoke a cigarette using the modified Griffith snout exposure system.

Stress/Rest (99m)Tc-MIBI SPECT and 123I-BMIPP scintigraphy for indication of surgery with coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula.

A 45-year old man was admitted to our hospital with chest pain occurring suddenly upon exercise and disappearing with rest within several minutes. A continuous murmur was heard at the upper sternum border. Conventional electrocardiography showed no evidence of myocardial ischemia.

Ultrastructural observation of Helicobacter pylori in glucose-supplemented culture media.

Helicobacter pylori in the human gut can be divided morphologically into spiral and coccoid forms. The spiral form is known to change into the coccoid form in culture in vitro. The ultrastructural changes and culturability of H.