Ryanodine Receptor Glycation Favors Mitochondrial Damage in the Senescent Heart.

Background: Senescent cardiomyocytes exhibit a mismatch between energy demand and supply that facilitates their transition toward failing cells. Altered calcium transfer from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) to mitochondria has been causally linked to the pathophysiology of aging and heart failure.

Methods: Because advanced glycation-end products accumulate throughout life, we investigated whether intracellular glycation occurs in aged cardiomyocytes and its impact on SR and mitochondria.

F-FDG-PET/CT angiography in the diagnosis of infective endocarditis and cardiac device infection in adult patients with congenital heart disease and prosthetic material.

Objectives: Infective endocarditis (IE) and cardiac device infection (CDI) are a major complication in the growing number of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) reaching adulthood. We aimed to evaluate the added value of F-FDG-PET/CT angiography (PET/CTA) in the diagnosis of IE-CDI in adults with CHD and intravascular or intracardiac prosthetic material, in whom echocardiography (ECHO) and modified Duke Criteria (DC) have limitations because of the patients' complex anatomy.

Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a referral center with multidisciplinary IE and CHD Units.

Neurological damage after transcatheter aortic valve implantation compared with surgical aortic valve replacement in intermediate risk patients.

Background And Purpose: The risk of neurological damage following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) vs. surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in severe aortic stenosis patients deemed to be at intermediate surgical risk is unknown. In this target population, the degree of neurological damage was compared using brain diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and cognitive testing.

Ischemic postconditioning of the isolated human myocardium: Role of the applied protocol.

Background: Ischemic postconditioning (IPostC), has been proposed as a useful approach to reduce infarct size in all species, but its clinical utility remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate the role played by the protocol used on the efficacy of IPostC in protecting the diseased human myocardium.

Methods: Myocardial atrial samples from patients were subjected to a 90 min ischemia/120 min reoxygenation followed by different IPostC protocols to investigate the role of the time of ischemia (30, 60, 90 and 120 s) and the number of cycles (1, 2, 3 and 4) with 60 and 120 s of total ischemic time.

Impact of new-onset persistent left bundle branch block on late clinical outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation with a balloon-expandable valve.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of new-onset persistent left bundle branch block (NOP-LBBB) on late outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Background: The impact of NOP-LBBB after TAVI remains controversial.

Methods: A total of 668 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI with a balloon-expandable valve without pre-existing LBBB or permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) were included.

Predictive factors and long-term clinical consequences of persistent left bundle branch block following transcatheter aortic valve implantation with a balloon-expandable valve.

Objectives: This study evaluated the predictive factors and prognostic value of new-onset persistent left bundle branch block (LBBB) in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with a balloon-expandable valve.

Background: The predictors of persistent (vs. transient or absent) LBBB after TAVI with a balloon-expandable valve and its clinical consequences are unknown.

Relationship between myocardial perfusion-gated SPECT and the performance of coronary revascularization in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Purpose: Ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) is a disease with high morbidity and mortality. There are several published studies on the evolution and prognosis of patients with ICM. However, reports on the therapeutic management in clinical practice are scarce.

[Nocardia nova brain abscess].

Nocardia nova is an uncommon pathogen for human beings. We describe an immunocompetent patient who acquired multiple cerebral abscesses. A surgical drainage yielded a sulpha-trimethoprim susceptible N.

Prognosis of left-sided infective endocarditis in patients transferred to a tertiary-care hospital--prospective analysis of referral bias and influence of inadequate antimicrobial treatment.

The aims of this study were to compare the characteristics of adult patients with left-sided infective endocarditis (LSIE) diagnosed and treated in a tertiary-care hospital with those of patients referred from a second-level community hospital, and to establish the accuracy of diagnosis and adequacy of treatment in referred patients and the influence of this factor on outcome. A prospective observational cohort study was conducted at Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, a 1000-bed teaching hospital in Barcelona (Spain) and a referral centre for cardiac surgery. One hundred and fourteen of 337 (34%) episodes of LSIE treated in our hospital occurred in transferred patients.

Impact of contrast-enhanced echocardiography on the diagnostic algorithm of acute aortic dissection.

Aims: To determine the usefulness of contrast echocardiography in the diagnosis of aortic dissection (AD) and in the assessment of findings necessary for adequate patient management.

Methods And Results: Conventional and contrast-enhanced transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) were performed in 128 consecutive patients with clinically suspected acute AD. Results were validated independently against intraoperative findings in 45 patients and computed tomography information in 83.

[Analysis of the number of patients needed to treat by coronary revascularisation in relation to the presence of myocardial viability in gated SPECT images: a prospective cohort study from a nuclear cardiology unit].

Objective: To evaluate the number of patients needed to treat (NNT) to assess the magnitude of benefit of coronary revascularisation (CR) in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy (IC) in relation to the presence or absence of myocardial viability in myocardial perfusion gated-SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) images.

Method: We studied 198 consecutive patients with IC using rest gated-SPECT with technetium-based agents. The cardiac mortality was analysed in four groups: viable with CR (n = 50), viable with medical treatment (MT) (n = 90), non-viable with CR (n = 18), and non-viable with medical treatment (n = 40).

Contemporary epidemiology and prognosis of health care-associated infective endocarditis.

Background: The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of health care-associated infective endocarditis (HAIE) and to establish the risk factors for mortality.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study. HAIE was defined according to the following conditions: (1) symptom onset >48 h after hospitalization or within 6 months after hospital discharge; or (2) ambulatory manipulations causing endocarditis.

Rationale, design, and methods for the early surgery in infective endocarditis study (ENDOVAL 1): a multicenter, prospective, randomized trial comparing the state-of-the-art therapeutic strategy versus early surgery strategy in infective endocarditis.

Background: The prognosis of infective endocarditis is poor and has remained steady over the last 4 decades. Several nonrandomized studies suggest that early surgery could improve prognosis.

Methods: ENDOVAL 1 is a multicenter, prospective, randomized study designed to compare the state-of-the-art therapeutic strategy (advised by the international societies in their guidelines) with the early-surgery strategy in high-risk patients with infective endocarditis.

[Predictors of improved left ventricular systolic function after surgical revascularization in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy].

Introduction And Objectives: Although it is known that the presence of myocardial viability predicts an increase in ejection fraction after revascularization in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy, little is known about other predictive factors. The aim of this study was to identify variables that can predict an increase in ejection fraction after coronary revascularization surgery in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy and a viable myocardium.

Methods: The study included 30 patients (mean age 61.

Subxyphoid approach for closed-chest atrial fibrillation surgery: the one hand operation.

Although the classical Cox maze operation has been shown to be effective for curing atrial fibrillation, it is not popular due to its complexity and associated morbidity. This has led to the development of alternative methods for the creation of the Cox maze pattern. These methods are based on the creation of lines of tissue necrosis on the atrial tissue.

Enoxaparin as bridging anticoagulant treatment in cardiac surgery.

Objective: To assess enoxaparin as bridging anticoagulant treatment in cardiac surgery.

Methods: Prospective registry of those patients who underwent cardiac surgery in our centre between December 2003 and June 2004 and required long-term anticoagulation. Subcutaneous enoxaparin was used as bridging anticoagulant treatment according to a pre-established protocol.

Sonographic findings in ischemic colitis in 58 patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the sonographic findings of 58 patients with proven ischemic colitis and to evaluate whether any of the findings are related to the presence or development of transmural necrosis.

Materials And Methods: We reviewed the histories of patients diagnosed with ischemic colitis over a period of 5.5 years.

[Cardiac surgery in elderly patients].

Objective: The morbimortality of elderly patients, (age 70 years or older), who underwent surgery for valvular and coronary artery disease in the last 17 years was analyzed.

Patients And Method: A total of 1,305 patients (654 valvular, 531 coronary and 120 combined) operated from January 1985 to December 2000 were retrospectively studied. Mean age was 73.

[Coronary endarterectomy].

The technique of coronary endarterectomy, in coronary artery surgery, has been controversial and alternatively indicated or contraindicated by different authors. In this paper coronary endarterectomy is reviewed, including its definition, history and development of different techniques. Early and late results of the main papers in the literature are commented on as well as our results.

The Spanish Monostrut Study Group: a ten-year experience with 8,599 implants.

Background: The Monostrut valve is a pyrolytic carbon, tilting-disc prosthesis with no welds. After the first implantation in Spain in May 1983, the Spanish Monostrut Study Group was established to evaluate prospectively the performance of the valve using uniform protocols.

Methods: During a 10-year period, 8,599 Monostrut valves were implanted in 7,317 patients in 22 centers.

[Primary cardiac hemangioma. A case report and review of the literature].

A 26-years-old woman, without symptoms, was diagnosed of cardiac tumor by means of two-dimensional echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging and angiocardiography. The tumor was removed underwent open-heart operation and cardiopulmonary bypass. Histologic study was suggestive of a capillary hemangioma.

Glomerular pathology in surviving pigs experimentally infected with African swine fever virus.

Twelve miniature pigs were inoculated with an attenuated African swine fever virus to study glomerular involvement in surviving pigs. In acute phase, kidneys were severely affected and displayed a glomerular capillary thrombosis with fibrin deposition in vascular lumen, detected by immunofluorescence. Fibrin-positive deposits were progressively cleared between one to three months after infection in surviving pigs.

In vitro toxicity of lomefloxacin in rabbit corneal epithelial cell cultures.

Lomefloxacin (NY-198) is a chemotherapic agent from the new 4-quinolone group, acting on DNA gyrase system. Lomefloxacin (LFLX), as some other new 4-quinolone compounds are antimicrobials of potential use for ophthalmic application. A first approach on the oculotoxicity of LFLX is the main purpose of this study.