Application of Drug-Coated Balloons in Complex High Risk and Indicated Percutaneous Coronary Interventions.

There is a growing trend of patients with significant comorbidities among those referred for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Consequently, the number of patients undergoing complex high risk indicated PCI (CHIP) is rising. CHIP patients frequently present with factors predisposing to extensive drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation, such as bifurcation and/or heavily calcified coronary lesions, which exposes them to the risks associated with an increased stent burden.

Impact of sex on myocardial perfusion following percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total coronary occlusions.

Objectives: We sought to investigate the impact of sex on myocardial perfusion changes following chronic total coronary occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as measured by [O]HO positron-emission tomography (PET) perfusion imaging.

Background: CTO PCI has been associated with an increase in myocardial perfusion, yet females are less likely to undergo revascularization. As such, data on the impact of sex on myocardial perfusion following CTO PCI is scarce.

Prediction of prognosis in patients with left ventricular dysfunction using three-dimensional strain echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: We evaluated three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) strain and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with delayed contrast enhancement (DCE) for the prediction of cardiac events in left ventricular (LV) dysfunction.

Methods: CMR and 3DSTE in 75 patients with ischaemic and 38 with non-ischaemic LV dysfunction were analysed and temporally correlated to cardiac events during 41 ± 9 months of follow-up.

Results: Cardiac events occurred in 44 patients, more in patients with ischaemic LV dysfunction.

Therapeutic Application of an Extract of Ameliorates the Development of Allergic Airway Disease.

Epidemiological and experimental studies have shown that exposure to the gastric bacterium , especially in early life, prevents the development of asthma. Recent mouse studies have shown that this protective effect does not require live bacteria and that treatment with an extract of in neonates prevents the development of airway inflammation and goblet cell metaplasia. In the current study, the effect of administration of an extract of was assessed in a therapeutic study design with application of the extract just prior to allergen challenge.

Spleen-derived IFN-γ induces generation of PD-L1-suppressive neutrophils during endotoxemia.

The immune inhibitory checkpoint molecule programmed death ligand (PD-L)-1 is increasingly recognized as an important player in the immune suppression observed in patients with sepsis, but its role has mainly been studied in monocytes. In an earlier study, we demonstrated that experimental human endotoxemia results in mobilization of a subset of PD-L1-expressing neutrophils displaying an IFN-γ-induced transcriptome profile. Herein, we identify the source of IFN-γ production during murine endotoxemia and its role in the generation of PD-L1-suppressive neutrophils.

Acute and chronic effects of treatment with mesenchymal stromal cells on LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation, emphysema and atherosclerosis development.

Background: COPD is a pulmonary disorder often accompanied by cardiovascular disease (CVD), and current treatment of this comorbidity is suboptimal. Systemic inflammation in COPD triggered by smoke and microbial exposure is suggested to link COPD and CVD. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) possess anti-inflammatory capacities and MSC treatment is considered an attractive treatment option for various chronic inflammatory diseases.

The effect of tiotropium in combination with olodaterol on house dust mite-induced allergic airway disease.

One of the major goals of asthma therapy is to maintain asthma control and prevent acute exacerbations. Long-acting bronchodilators are regularly used for the treatment of asthma patients and in clinical studies the anti-cholinergic tiotropium has recently been shown to reduce exacerbations in patients with asthma. So far it is unclear how tiotropium exerts this effect.

A short-term extremely low frequency electromagnetic field exposure increases circulating leukocyte numbers and affects HPA-axis signaling in mice.

There is still uncertainty whether extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF-EMF) can induce health effects like immunomodulation. Despite evidence obtained in vitro, an unambiguous association has not yet been established in vivo. Here, mice were exposed to ELF-EMF for 1, 4, and 24 h/day in a short-term (1 week) and long-term (15 weeks) set-up to investigate whole body effects on the level of stress regulation and immune response.

Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance for left ventricular chamber quantification and identification of myocardial transmural scar.

Background: We compared three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) and its strain to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with delayed contrast enhancement for left ventricular (LV) chamber quantification and transmurality of myocardial scar. Furthermore, we examined the ability of 3DSTE strain to differentiate between ischaemic and non-ischaemic LV dysfunction.

Methods: In 80 consecutive patients with ischaemic and 40 patients with non-ischaemic LV dysfunction, the correlations between LV volumes and ejection fraction were measured using 3DSTE and CMR.

Normal reference values of left ventricular strain using three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography: results from a multicentre study.

Aims: Three-dimensional (3D) speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) has been shown to be an accurate and reliable clinical tool for the evaluation of global and regional left ventricular (LV) function through strain analysis, but the absence of normal values has precluded its widespread use in clinical practice. The aim of this prospective multicentre study was to establish normal reference values of LV strain parameters using 3DSTE in a large healthy population.

Methods And Results: A total of 303 healthy subjects (156 males [51%], between 18 and 82 years of age, ejection fraction [EF] 61 ± 3%), stratified to provide approximately equal proportions of healthy subjects of 18-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, and >60 years of age, underwent 3DSTE.

Microorganism-induced suppression of allergic airway disease: novel therapies on the horizon?

Allergic airway disease is a major global health burden, and novel treatment options are urgently needed. Numerous epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that certain helminths and bacteria protect against respiratory allergies. These microorganisms are strong regulators of the immune system, and various potential regulatory mechanisms by which they protect against allergic airway inflammation have been proposed.

Electrochemistry of nanoparticles.

Metal nanoparticles (NPs) find widespread application as a result of their unique physical and chemical properties. NPs have generated considerable interest in catalysis and electrocatalysis, where they provide a high surface area to mass ratio and can be tailored to promote particular reaction pathways. The activity of NPs can be analyzed especially well using electrochemistry, which probes interfacial chemistry directly.

Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography for the preclinical diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The aim is to detect early changes in myocardial mechanics in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutation carriers, three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) was used for screening of family members in the HCM population. Eighty subjects were divided as: HCM mutation carriers (n = 23), manifest HCM patients (n = 28), and normal controls (n = 29). They prospectively underwent 3DSTE for left atrial (LA) and left ventricle (LV) strain analysis.

IFN-γ-stimulated neutrophils suppress lymphocyte proliferation through expression of PD-L1.

During systemic inflammation different neutrophil subsets are mobilized to the peripheral blood. These neutrophil subsets can be distinguished from normal circulating neutrophils (CD16(bright)/CD62L(bright)), based on either an immature CD16(dim)/CD62L(bright) or a CD16(bright)/CD62L(dim) phenotype. Interestingly, the latter neutrophil subset is known to suppress lymphocyte proliferation ex vivo, but how neutrophils become suppressive is unknown.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide inhibits influenza virus infection of human macrophages and the consequent induction of CD8+ T cell immunity.

It is well established that infection with influenza A virus (IAV) facilitates secondary bacterial disease. However, there is a growing body of evidence that the microbial context in which IAV infection occurs can affect both innate and adaptive responses to the virus. To date, these studies have been restricted to murine models of disease and the relevance of these findings in primary human cells remains to be elucidated.

Modulation of granulocyte kinetics by GM-CSF/IFN-γ in a human LPS rechallenge model.

Inflammation in response to infection or trauma can lead to CARS, which is characterized by leukocyte dysfunction. In this study, we used a human model system for CARS to study the effect of GM-CSF and IFN-γ treatment on this immunoparalyzed state. Healthy human volunteers were treated with GM-CSF (4 μg/kg), IFN-γ (100 μg), or placebo in between two challenges with Escherichia coli LPS/endotoxin (2 ng/kg).

Influence of hydrazine-induced aggregation on the electrochemical detection of platinum nanoparticles.

To study the catalytic activity of single nanoparticles (NPs) electrochemically, we investigated the applicability of a novel method for nanoparticle detection as a means to immobilize individual NPs. This method consists of analyzing the current steps that can be measured at an ultramicroelectrode (UME) when a colloid of NPs is injected into an electrolyte containing an electroactive species, that is turned over at the NP but not the UME surface. We have measured these current steps for the hydrazine oxidation at Pt NPs landing on a lithographically fabricated Au UME, showing a mean step size comparable to theory and prior measurements.

Prediction of long-term outcome of cardiac resynchronization therapy by acute pressure-volume loop measurements.

Aims: Invasive assessment of acute haemodynamic response to biventricular pacing has been proposed as a tool to determine individual response and to optimize the effects of CRT. However, the long-term results of this approach have been poorly studied. The present study relates acute haemodynamic effects of CRT to long-term outcome.

Comparison of three-dimensional echocardiographic software packages for assessment of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony and prediction of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Aims: We directly compared TomTec and QLAB software packages for the three-dimensional echocardiographic (3DE) assessment of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony including their ability to predict response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with ischaemic and non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Methods And Results: A total of 140 heart failure patients with the LVEF ≤35% and 60 healthy volunteers underwent 3DE. A subgroup of 60 patients underwent CRT and were evaluated before and 6-12 months after implantation.

Landing and catalytic characterization of individual nanoparticles on electrode surfaces.

We demonstrate a novel and versatile pipet-based approach to study the landing of individual nanoparticles (NPs) on various electrode materials without any need for encapsulation or fabrication of complex substrate electrode structures, providing great flexibility with respect to electrode materials. Because of the small electrode area defined by the pipet dimensions, the background current is low, allowing for the detection of minute current signals with good time resolution. This approach was used to characterize the potential-dependent activity of Au NPs and to measure the catalytic activity of a single NP on a TEM grid, combining electrochemical and physical characterization at the single NP level for the first time.

Cellobiose hydrolysis and decomposition by electrochemical generation of acid and hydroxyl radicals.

This paper addresses the hydrolysis of cellobiose to glucose and its further decomposition with electrochemically generated acid (H(+)) on a platinum electrode, and with electrochemically generated hydroxyl radicals (OH(·)) on boron-doped diamond (BDD). The results are compared with the hydrolysis promoted by conventional acid (H(2)SO(4)) and OH(·) (from Fenton's reaction) and supported by product analysis by using online HPLC (for soluble products) and online electrochemical mass spectrometry (for CO(2)). Cellobiose hydrolysis follows a first-order reaction, which obeys Arrhenius' law over the temperature range from 25-80 °C with different activation energies for the acid- and radical-promoted reaction, that is, approximately 118±8 and 55±1 kJ mol(-1), respectively.

Transcriptome kinetics of circulating neutrophils during human experimental endotoxemia.

Polymorphonuclear cells (neutrophils) play an important role in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome and the development of sepsis. These cells are essential for the defense against microorganisms, but may also cause tissue damage. Therefore, neutrophil numbers and activity are considered to be tightly regulated.