Atypical Hemorrhages Secondary to Dengue Infection and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Subcutaneous Thrombin Injection as a Salvage Technique for Refractory Femoral Artery Hemorrhage.

Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by the bites of female mosquitoes. Repeat infections with different viral serotypes are possible, with an increased risk of severe dengue. Dengue hemorrhagic fever is one of the most severe presentations of dengue, with thrombocytopenia, increased capillary permeability with resultant rash, and an increased risk of spontaneous bleeding.

Is non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging cost-effective for screening of hepatocellular carcinoma?

Introduction: Ultrasonography (US) is the current standard of care for imaging surveillance in patients at risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been explored as an alternative, given the higher sensitivity of MRI, although this comes at a higher cost. We performed a cost-effective analysis comparing US and dual-sequence non-contrast-enhanced MRI (NCEMRI) for HCC surveillance in the local setting.

Clinics in diagnostic imaging (197). Left ischiofemoral impingement syndrome.

A 48-year-old woman presented with progressive left hip pain over six months, along with left lower limb weakness for two weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging of the left hip showed narrowing of the left ischiofemoral space, oedema of the left quadratus femoris muscle and left sciatic nerve, and mild bone marrow oedema of the left ischial tuberosity. The diagnosis of left ischiofemoral impingement syndrome was made.

A meta-analysis of mitral valve repair versus replacement for ischemic mitral regurgitation.

Background: The development of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) portends a poor prognosis and is associated with adverse long-term outcomes. Although both mitral valve repair (MVr) and mitral valve replacement (MVR) have been performed in the surgical management of IMR, there remains uncertainty regarding the optimal approach. The aim of the present study was to meta-analyze these two procedures, with mortality as the primary endpoint.

Lack of the antioxidant glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx1) exacerbates retinopathy of prematurity in mice.

Purpose: Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPx1) is highly expressed during normal retinal maturation; however, its role in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is not fully understood. We postulated that GPx1 plays an important role in protecting the premature retina from oxidative injury in a mouse model of ROP.

Methods: ROP was induced in wild-type (WT) and GPx1 knockout (KO) mice by exposing neonatal mice to 75% oxygen from postnatal days 7 to 11, followed by 1 week of room air.

Neovascularization is attenuated with aldosterone synthase inhibition in rats with retinopathy.

Neovascularization is a hallmark feature of retinopathy of prematurity and diabetic retinopathy. Type 1 angiotensin receptor blockade reduces neovascularization in experimental retinopathy of prematurity, known as oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). We investigated in OIR whether inhibiting aldosterone with the aldosterone synthase inhibitor FAD286 reduced neovascularization as effectively as angiotensin receptor blockade (valsartan).

Candesartan attenuates diabetic retinal vascular pathology by restoring glyoxalase-I function.

Objective: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) are both implicated in the development of diabetic retinopathy. How these pathways interact to promote retinal vasculopathy is not fully understood. Glyoxalase-I (GLO-I) is an enzyme critical for the detoxification of AGEs and retinal vascular cell survival.

Dose-dependent systolic contribution of differentiated stem cells in post-infarct ventricular function.

Background: Differentiation of bone marrow stem cells toward cardiomyocytes has been widely reported in vitro. However, optimum cell types and mechanisms leading to functional improvement in cardiac cell therapy remain unresolved. There is limited evidence showing a dose-dependent effect of transplanted cells in contributing to functional recovery.

RILLKKMPSV influences the vasculature, neurons and glia, and (pro)renin receptor expression in the retina.

The (pro)renin receptor [(P)RR] is implicated in organ pathology. We examined the cellular location of the (P)RR and whether a putative (P)RR antagonist, RILLKKMPSV, corresponding to the handle region of the prorenin prosegment (handle region peptide [HRP]) influences angiogenesis, inflammation, and neuronal and glial function in rat retina. The (P)RR was localized to retinal vessels, endothelial cells, and pericytes, but most immunolabeling was in ganglion cells and glia.

Differential effect of myocardial matrix and integrins on cardiac differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Dysregulation of matrix synthesis during myocardial fibrosis in post-infarct ventricular remodeling contributes to ventricular dysfunction. Bone marrow stem cell transplantation prevents functional deterioration following myocardial infarction. However, effect of myocardial extracellular matrix (ECM) on stem cell differentiation is poorly understood.

Cell delivery and tracking in post-myocardial infarction cardiac stem cell therapy: an introduction for clinical researchers.

Stem cell-based therapy for patients with post-infarct heart failure is a relatively new and revolutionary concept in cardiology. Despite the encouraging results from pre-clinical studies, outcomes from most clinical trials remain moderately positive while the clinical benefits are largely attributed to transplanted cell-associated paracrine effects in stimulating angiogenesis and protecting endogenous cardiomyocytes. This scenario indicates that there may be a considerably protracted iterative process of conceptual and procedural refinement before true clinical benefits can be fully materialized.

Identification of a retinal aldosterone system and the protective effects of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonism on retinal vascular pathology.

Blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is being evaluated as a treatment for diabetic retinopathy; however, whether the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and aldosterone influence retinal vascular pathology is unknown. We examined the effect of MR antagonism on pathological angiogenesis in rats with oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). To determine the mechanisms by which the MR and aldosterone may influence retinal angiogenesis; inflammation and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) were evaluated in OIR and cultured bovine retinal endothelial cells (BRECs) and bovine retinal pericytes (BRPs).

Valsartan but not atenolol improves vascular pathology in diabetic Ren-2 rat retina.

Background: To determine whether angiotensin type 1 receptor blockade (AT1-RB) or antihypertensive therapy per se, attenuates acellular capillaries and proliferating endothelial cells in the retina of diabetic Ren-2 rats.

Methods: Eight-week-old hypertensive Ren-2 rats were made diabetic (streptozotocin, 55 mg/kg) or nondiabetic (0.1 mol/L citrate buffer) and studied for 20 weeks.