Plasma Globotriaosylsphingosine and α-Galactosidase A Activity as a Combined Screening Biomarker for Fabry Disease in a Large Japanese Cohort.

Fabry disease is an X-linked disorder of α-galactosidase A (GLA) deficiency. Our previous interim analysis (1 July 2014 to 31 December 2015) revealed plasma globotriaosylsphingosine as a promising primary screening biomarker for Fabry disease probands. Herein, we report the final results, including patients enrolled from 1 January to 31 December 2016 for evaluating the potential of plasma globotriaosylsphingosine and GLA activity as a combined screening marker.

Coronary flow velocity pattern assessed noninvasively by transthoracic color Doppler echocardiography serves as a predictor of adverse cardiac events and left ventricular remodeling in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Quantitative assessment of microvascular injury is possible in patients with reperfused anterior myocardial infarction by invasive method. Coronary flow velocity patterns can also be assessed by transthoracic color Doppler echocardiography (TTCDE).

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the coronary flow velocity pattern assessed by TTCDE serves as a predictor of adverse cardiac events and left ventricular remodeling.

Transthoracic Doppler echocardiographic assessment of coronary flow velocity pattern in patient with acute myocardial infarction implies progression of myocardial damage.

Background: Coronary flow velocity (CFV) pattern with a rapid deceleration time of diastolic flow velocity and small average systolic peak velocity immediately after reperfusion implies poor wall-motion recovery in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Microvascular injury has been demonstrated to progress after coronary reperfusion. The purpose of this study was to assess whether CFV 1 day after reperfusion (day 1) may reflect accurately the degree of myocardial damage.

Left atrial volume and the risk of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is a common complication of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, often leading to acute or progressive heart failure and cerebral infarction. We assessed the echocardiographic data of 141 consecutive patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, with and without PAF. In all, 31 patients (22%) had a history of PAF with spontaneous conversion to in sinus rhythm.

Long-term prognosis of patients with type B aortic intramural hematoma.

Background: The long-term clinical course of patients with type B aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) and predictors for progression remains unknown. The difference of aortic pathology may have a different impact on clinical course compared with classic aortic dissection (AD). The purpose of this study was to investigate long-term clinical course and predictors of progression in patients with type B IMH.

Prognosis of retrograde dissection from the descending to the ascending aorta.

Background: Natural history of aortic dissection (AD) with intimal tear in the descending or abdominal aorta and retrograde extension into the ascending aorta (retrograde AD) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to elucidate medium-term prognosis of patients with retrograde AD.

Methods And Results: Study population consisted of 109 patients with acute type A AD.

Noninvasive assessment of flow velocity and flow velocity reserve in the right gastroepiploic artery graft by transcutaneous Doppler echocardiography: comparison with an invasive technique.

Background: The measurement of flow velocity (FV) in coronary artery bypass grafts using a Doppler guidewire has provided useful clinical and physiologic information. The recently developed transcutaneous Doppler echocardiography is a noninvasive technique to measure FV and FV reserve (FVR) in the right gastroepiploic artery (GEA) graft. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether transcutaneous Doppler echocardiography accurately measures FV and FVR in the right GEA graft in a clinical setting.

Pioglitazone reduces neointimal tissue proliferation after coronary stent implantation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an intravascular ultrasound scanning study.

Background: It has been reported that pioglitazone reduces neointimal hyperplasia after balloon-induced vascular injury in an experimental model.

Methods: To determine whether pioglitazone reduces neointimal tissue proliferation after coronary stent implantation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, we studied 44 stented lesions in 44 patients with diabetes mellitus who underwent successful coronary stent implantation. Study patients were randomized into 2 groups: the pioglitazone group (23 patients with 23 lesions) and the control group (21 patients with 21 lesions).

In vitro characteristics of liposomes and double liposomes prepared using a novel glass beads method.

A novel preparative method for liposomes and double liposomes (DL) using glass beads was superior to a glass-filter method developed previously. Lipid dissolved in chloroform was poured into a kjeldahl flask with glass beads (BZ-04, 0.350-0.

Potentiality of double liposomes containing salmon calcitonin as an oral dosage form.

The hypocalcemic effects of salmon calcitonin (SCT) after oral administration in rats by means of SCT-loading double liposomes (DL) which consist of liposomes containing small liposomes were investigated. SCT-loading DL consisted of four types of the inner liposomes such as neutral liposomes (NL) and cationic charged liposomes (CL) prepared using Coatsome, and neutral (VET) and cationic charged (c-VET) liposomes prepared using a mechanochemical method and sizing to 100 nm by the extrusion procedure were prepared. DL could be prepared by a combination of mechanochemical and glass-beads methods at a high efficiency.

[Assessment of the clinical feasibility of OptiGo for hand-held echocardiography].

Objectives: Hand-held ultrasound devices are becoming available for clinical examination, but the accuracy and precision of such devices are unclear. This study compared the accuracy of a hand-held echo device to a standard echo system.

Methods: Twenty-two patients were examined with the OptiGo (Phillips Medial Systems) hand-held ultrasound system with a 2.

Coronary flow velocity pattern immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention as a predictor of complications and in-hospital survival after acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Recently, it was reported that the degree of microvascular injury and left ventricular functional recovery during the chronic period can be predicted after treatment of the infarct-related artery based on the coronary flow velocity (CFV) pattern assessed using a Doppler guidewire. The aim of this prospective study was to examine whether the CFV pattern may predict complications and in-hospital survival after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods And Results: The study population consisted of 169 consecutive patients with a first anterior AMI successfully treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Effects of microvascular dysfunction on myocardial fractional flow reserve after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Fractional flow reserve (FFR) has emerged as a lesion-specific index of the functional severity of coronary stenosis in patients with chronic coronary artery disease. As the coronary blood flow in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with microvascular damage is restricted, the pressure drop across the stenosis during hyperemia may be smaller than expected. However, the effects of microvascular dysfunction on FFR in AMI patients remain undetermined.