Bone marrow cell transplantation in Chagas' disease heart failure: report of the first human experience.

Background: Heart failure due to Chagas' disease (HFCD) is a progressive inflammatory cardiomyopathy that affects millions of individuals in Latin America. Studies using mice models of HFCD indicate that bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation (BMCT) may reduce inflammation, fibrosis, and improve myocardial function.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate, for the first time in humans, the safety and efficacy of BMCT to the myocardium of patients with HFCD.

Sedative and cardiovascular effects of midazolam and diazepam alone or combined with clonidine in patients undergoing hemodynamic studies for suspected coronary artery disease.

Background: Sedation during coronary angiography has been rarely studied, and it is important to know which drug is the best to sedate these patients.

Objective: To evaluate the quality of sedation and the effects of midazolam and diazepam alone or combined with clonidine on the heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) of patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Methods: This is a controlled, randomized, double-blind, prospective clinical study of 160 patients divided into five groups of 32 patients each, according to the drug used: group C (clonidine 0.

Sex-specific effect of the thermolabile C677T mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene on angiographically assessed coronary artery disease in Brazilians.

Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a key enzyme in the metabolism of homocysteine and presents a common mutation (C677T) that leads to a thermolabile enzyme, mild hyperhomocysteinemia, and increased CAD risk. The C677T MTHFR mutation was studied in 772 subjects (480 Caucasian Brazilians and 292 African Brazilians) who underwent coronary angiography at the hemodynamic center of the Santa Izabel Hospital in Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil.

Paraoxonase 1 gene polymorphisms in angiographically assessed coronary artery disease: evidence for gender interaction among Brazilians.

Background: Paraoxonases (PON) are members of an enzyme family involved in preventing low-density lipoprotein oxidation and therefore protecting against atherosclerotic plaque formation.

Methods: We studied the Met55Leu and Gln192Arg PON1 polymorphisms in 712 patients (437 Caucasian- and 275 African-Brazilians) who underwent coronary angiography.

Results: Among Caucasian-Brazilians, the homozygous 55LeuLeu frequency was higher among patients with significant coronary artery disease (CAD, obstructive lesions >/=50%) than among lesion-free controls (51% vs.

Clonidine in cineangiocardiography: sedative effects on blood pressure and heart rate.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of clonidine on heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) as well as its sedative effect on patients submitted to a cineangiocardiography.

Methods: A randomized, controlled, double blind, prospective clinical trial was conducted on 62 patients submitted to an elective cineangiocardiography. The patients were divided in two groups: the clonidine group, that were administered a 0.

[Early results of bone marrow cell transplantation to the myocardium of patients with heart failure due to Chagas disease].

Objective: To evaluate early effects of bone marrow cell transplantation to the myocardium of patients with heart failure (CHF) due to Chagas disease.

Methods: We studied 28 patients (mean age 52.2 +/- 9.

Smoking-dependent and haplotype-specific effects of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms on angiographically assessed coronary artery disease in Caucasian- and African-Brazilians.

The nitric oxide produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) plays a pivotal role in protecting the arterial wall from damages and atherosclerosis. The T-786C, the 27-bp repeat in intron 4, and the E298D eNOS gene polymorphisms were studied in 715 Brazilian patients (447 Caucasian- and 268 African-Brazilians) who underwent coronary angiography. The -786C frequency was increased in coronary artery disease (CAD) cases with significant lesions (> or =50% luminal obstruction) when compared with lesion-free controls; this difference was detected in smokers but not in nonsmokers, both in Caucasian- (p=0.

Bone marrow cell transplantation to the myocardium of a patient with heart failure due to Chagas' disease.

We report the first case of bone marrow cell transplantation to the myocardium of a patient with heart failure due to chagas' disease. The patient is a 52-year-old man with chronic heart failure, NYHA functional class III, despite the optimized clinical therapy. The procedure consisted of aspiration of 50 mL of bone marrow through puncture of the iliac crest, followed by filtration, separation of the mononuclear cells, resuspension, and intracoronary injection.