Severe mitral regurgitation from Libman-Sacks endocarditis treated with MitraClip: a case report.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) valvulopathy can manifest as a spectrum of pathologies and treatment of severe valvular dysfunction thus far has been surgical. However, surgery in patients with SLE is frequently associated with high morbidity and mortality due to the presence of significant co-morbidities.

Case Summary: We report the case of a 41-year-old woman with SLE and anti-phospholipid syndrome with extensive co-morbidities including lupus nephritis, pancytopaenia, cerebrovascular accident, and severe airway obstruction from ipsilateral lung collapse and bronchiectasis.

Diagnosis of anomalous origin and course of coronary arteries using non-contrast cardiac CT scan and detection features.

Background: Anomalous origin and course of coronary arteries (AOCA) is a potential cause of sudden cardiac death. Coronary CT angiography (coronary CTA) enables detailed 3-dimensional visualization of AOCA. Data are limited about the diagnostic performance of noncontrast cardiac CT obtained during coronary calcium scan for detecting AOCA.

Mycolic acids as diagnostic markers for tuberculosis case detection in humans and drug efficacy in mice.

Mycolic acids are attractive diagnostic markers for tuberculosis (TB) infection because they are bacteria-derived, contain information about bacterial species, modulate host-pathogen interactions and are chemically inert. Here, we present a novel approach based on mass spectrometry. Quantification of specific precursor → fragment transitions of approximately 2000 individual mycolic acids (MAs) resulted in high analytical sensitivity and specificity.

Derivatization-independent cholesterol analysis in crude lipid extracts by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry: applications to a rabbit model for atherosclerosis.

Direct measurement of various sterols in crude lipid extracts in a single experiment from limited biological samples is challenging. Current mass spectrometry (MS) based approaches usually require chemical derivatization before subjecting to MS analysis. Here, we present a derivatization-independent method for analyzing various sterols, including cholesterol and its congeners, using liquid chromatography and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry.