Cold atmospheric plasma: a new tool for the treatment of superficial driveline infections.

Percutaneous driveline infections (DI) are leading factors for morbidity and mortality in ventricular assist device (VAD) patients. In recent years, cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has been safely and effectively used in clinical settings to treat topical infections. We describe the first use of CAP to treat a superficial DI.

Atrial fibrillation and rapid acute pacing regulate adipocyte/adipositas-related gene expression in the atria.

Purpose: Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been associated with increased volumes of epicardial fat and atrial adipocyte accumulation. Underlying mechanisms are not well understood. This study aims to identify rapid atrial pacing (RAP)/AF-dependent changes in atrial adipocyte/adipositas-related gene expression (AARE).

The Rho kinase inhibitor SAR407899 potently inhibits endothelin-1-induced constriction of renal resistance arteries.

Objectives: Increased renal vascular resistance contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension. The new Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor SAR407899 more potently lowers arterial pressure than the commercially available ROCK inhibitor Y27623. We tested whether ROCK inhibition more effectively reduced agonist-induced vasoconstriction in renal than in nonrenal resistance arteries and if SAR407899 more potently inhibits agonist-induced vasoconstriction than Y27632.

The diagnostic value of the anti-PF4/heparin immunoassay high-dose heparin confirmatory test in cardiac surgery patients.

There are limited and conflicting data on how a confirmatory step using high-dose heparin can improve diagnostic specificity of the antiplatelet factor 4/heparin enzyme immunoassay for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). We investigated sera from a recently published study on cardiac surgery patients and found that only half of the sera that were heparin-induced platelet activation assay positive could be inhibited (optical density <40%) by high-dose heparin (100 IU/mL) in the enzyme immunoassay. More importantly, only 2 of the 3 patients with definite HIT were confirmatory test positive.

Incidence and clinical relevance of anti-platelet factor 4/heparin antibodies before cardiac surgery.

Background: Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is caused by anti-platelet factor 4/heparin (PF4/H) immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies, which activate platelets. In some patients, anti-PF4/H antibodies are already detectable before cardiac surgery. Whether preoperative presence of antibodies confers adverse prognosis and which particular antibody classes (IgG, IgA, IgM) might be implicated are unknown.