Allosteric mechanism of MntR transcription factor from alkalophilic bacterium .

Bacterium is an industrially important alkalophilic bacteria. It is recognized as a producer of enzymes such as β-galactosidase, xylanase, amylase and protease which are able to function at higher pH values and thus can be used in textile, food, paper industry and more. This bacterium, as any other bacterium, requires a sensitive mechanism for regulation of homeostasis of manganese ions (Mn) in order to survive.

Interdisciplinary Rendez-Vous Approach in Endovascular Stroke Treatment: A New Concept to Accelerate Mechanical Thrombectomy in Primary Stroke Centers.

Purpose: Prompt endovascular treatment of patients with stroke due to intracranial Large Vessel Occlusion (LVO) is a major challenge in rural areas because neurointerventionalists are usually not available. As a result, treatment is delayed, and clinical outcomes are worse compared with patients primarily treated in comprehensive stroke centers (CSC). To address this problem, we present a concept in which interdisciplinary, on-site endovascular treatment is performed in a Primary Stroke Center (PSC) by a team of interventional neuroradiologists and cardiologists: the Rendez-Vous approach.

Coronary calcifications detected by computed tomography are not markers of cardiac allograft vasculopathy.

Background: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) still limits survival after heart transplantation. Currently available noninvasive tests are of inferior value to detect CAV, and thus invasive coronary angiography (ICA) is frequently performed. Cardiac dual-source computed tomography calcium scoring (DSCTCS) offers the possibility to detect coronary calcifications, which might serve as a noninvasive marker of CAV.

Safety, efficacy, and indications of beta-adrenergic receptor blockade to reduce heart rate prior to coronary CT angiography.

For selected indications, coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography is an established clinical technology for evaluation in patients suspected of having or known to have coronary artery disease. In coronary CT angiography, image quality is highly dependent on heart rate, with heart rate reduction to less than 60 beats per minute being important for both image quality and radiation dose reduction, especially when single-source CT scanners are used. β-Blockers are the first-line option for short-term reduction of heart rate prior to coronary CT angiography.

Pericardial adipose tissue determined by dual source CT is a risk factor for coronary atherosclerosis.

Objectives: Pericardial fat as a visceral fat depot may be involved in the pathogenesis of coronary atherosclerosis. To gain evidence for that concept we sought to investigate the relation of pericardial fat volumes to risk factors, serum adiponectin levels, inflammatory biomarkers, and the quantity and morphology of coronary atherosclerosis.

Methods And Results: Using Dual source CT angiography pericardial fat volume and coronary atherosclerosis were assessed simultaneously.

Predictive value of coronary calcifications for future cardiac events in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus: a prospective study in 716 patients over 8 years.

Background: To establish an efficient prophylaxis of coronary artery disease reliable risk stratification is crucial, especially in the high risk population of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus. This prospective study determined the predictive value of coronary calcifications for future cardiovascular events in asymptomatic patients with diabetes mellitus.

Methods: We included 716 patients suffering from diabetes mellitus (430 men, 286 women, age 55.

Detection of significant coronary artery stenosis with 64-slice computed tomography in heart transplant recipients: a comparative study with conventional coronary angiography.

Purpose: The present study evaluates clinical feasibility of cardiac multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) to detect significant stenosis of coronary vessels due to transplant vasculopathy (TVP) after heart transplantation (HTx).

Methods: Twenty-eight consecutive male HTx-recipients scheduled for their annual routine conventional coronary angiography (CCA) additionally underwent 64-slice MDCTA.

Results: Two patients were excluded from further MDCTA analysis.

Cardiovascular events during World Cup soccer.

Background: The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup, held in Germany from June 9 to July 9, 2006, provided an opportunity to examine the relation between emotional stress and the incidence of cardiovascular events.

Methods: Cardiovascular events occurring in patients in the greater Munich area were prospectively assessed by emergency physicians during the World Cup. We compared those events with events that occurred during the control period: May 1 to June 8 and July 10 to July 31, 2006, and May 1 to July 31 in 2003 and 2005.

Predictive value of coronary calcifications for future cardiac events in asymptomatic individuals.

Background: Reliable risk stratification is crucial for efficient prevention of coronary artery disease. The following prospective study determined the predictive value of coronary calcifications for future cardiovascular events.

Methods: We included 1726 asymptomatic individuals (1018 men, 708 women, age 57.

Characteristics of coronary plaques before angiographic progression determined by Multi-Slice CT.

The aim of the present study was to characterize coronary plaques by Multi-Slice Computed Tomography (Siemens sensation 16, Forcheim, Germany) before significant angiographic progression occurred and to compare them to non-progressing lesions. The MSCT-morphology of coronary plaques leading to a rapid angiographic disease progression is not yet studied. In a series of 68 patients who were scheduled for surveillance angiography 6 months later, MSCT-angiography was done shortly after the baseline catheterisation-procedure.

Diagnostic accuracy of dual-source computed tomography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) with reference to invasive coronary angiography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) on a per-patient as well as on a per-segment basis.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five patients with known or suspected CAD underwent both DSCT (Somatom Definition, Siemens Medical Solutions) and quantitative x-ray coronary angiography (QCA). Parameters of CT acquisition were gantry rotation time 0.

Combined functional and morphological imaging consisting of gated myocardial perfusion SPECT and 16-detector multislice spiral CT angiography in the noninvasive evaluation of coronary artery disease: first experiences.

Introduction: Appropriate diagnosis and therapy of coronary artery disease (CAD) frequently require information about both the functional and morphological status of the coronary artery tree. We hypothesized that the combination of multislice spiral CT (MDCT) angiography and myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPI) provides accurate allocation of perfusion defects (PD) to their determining coronary lesion.

Methods: Twenty patients (14 male, mean age 64+/-9.

[Prevention of coronary artery disease. Role of noninvasive imaging].

Atherosclerosis and its complications are currently the most deadly and disabling diseases in affluent countries. Many individuals, even those with severe atherosclerosis, are unaware of their risk, because they have no symptoms. In 30-50% of patients, an acute heart attack is the first indicator of atherosclerosis.

Diagnostic accuracy of dual-source multi-slice CT-coronary angiography in patients with an intermediate pretest likelihood for coronary artery disease.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to assess the clinical performance of a dual X-ray source multi-slice CT (MSCT) with high temporal resolution to assess the coronary status in patients with an intermediate pretest likelihood for significant coronary artery disease (CAD) without using negative chronotropic pretreatment.

Methods And Results: Dual-source CT (DSCT) angiography (Siemens Definition) was performed in 90 patients with an intermediate likelihood for CAD who were referred for invasive coronary angiography. DSCT generated data sets with diagnostic image quality in 88 of the overall 90 patients.

Low-dose tacrolimus/sirolimus and steroid withdrawal in heart recipients is highly efficacious.

Heart transplant recipients treated with long-term calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) experience significant nephrotoxicity and transplant vasculopathy. Signal proliferation inhibitors might prevent the development of transplant vasculopathy. In an open, prospective pilot study, 33 primary heart transplant recipients received tacrolimus (Tac) and sirolimus (rapamycin, Rapa) with steroids.

Optimization of contrast material administration for electrocardiogram-gated computed tomographic angiography of the chest.

Objective: Electrocardiogram-gated computed tomographic angiography is increasingly used in the differential diagnosis of acute chest pain. We studied the optimal timing of contrast material injection using a test bolus and a bolus-tracking technique.

Materials And Methods: Thirty patients were prospectively included in the study.

Combined use of 64-slice computed tomography angiography and gated myocardial perfusion SPECT for the detection of functionally relevant coronary artery stenoses. First results in a clinical setting concerning patients with stable angina.

Aim: In patients with stable angina pectoris both morphological and functional information about the coronary artery tree should be present before revascularization therapy is performed. High accuracy was shown for spiral computed tomography (MDCT) angiography acquired with a 64-slice CT scanner compared to invasive coronary angiography (ICA) in detecting "obstructive" coronary artery disease (CAD). Gated myocardial SPECT (MPI) is an established method for the noninvasive assessment of functional significance of coronary stenoses.

[Quantification of coronary artery stenoses: comparison of 64-slice and dual source CT angiography with cardiac catheterization].

Background: Until now stenoses of the coronary arteries have been evaluated visually with CT angiography. Therefore, the results were highly dependent on subjective factors inherent in the examiner. New software tools for semiquantitative analysis (CT-QCA, quantitative coronary assessment) might be adequate to improve the diagnostic accuracy und reproducibility.

[Dual-source CT in chest pain diagnosis].

Background: With the depiction of pulmonary arteries, coronary arteries, and the aorta, CT angiography of the chest offers a comprehensive diagnostic work-up of unclear chest pain. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of dual-source CT in this patient group.

Materials And Methods: A total of 47 patients suffering from unclear chest pain were examined with a Siemens Somatom Definition.

Comparison of progression of coronary calcium in postmenopausal women on versus not on estrogen/progestin therapy.

The prophylactic effect of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy on coronary atherosclerosis remains controversial. We, therefore, examined the influence of combined estrogen/progestin therapy on the progression of coronary calcium as a marker of coronary atherosclerosis. We determined the extent of coronary calcium in 277 women (age 57 +/- 6 years, time after menopause 3.

Visual and automatic grading of coronary artery stenoses with 64-slice CT angiography in reference to invasive angiography.

The aim of this study was to assess the performance of a software tool for quantitative coronary artery analysis of computed tomography coronary angiography (CT-QCA) in comparison with invasive coronary angiography with quantitative analysis (CAG-QCA) as standard of reference. Two radiologists reviewed the CT angiography data sets (Siemens Sensation 64) of 25 patients, grading coronary artery stenoses visually and with a software tool (Circulation, Siemens). Twenty-three data sets with sufficient image quality were included in the final analysis.

ECG-gated 64-MDCT angiography in the differential diagnosis of acute chest pain.

Objective: The most important differential diagnoses of acute chest pain include myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, and pulmonary embolism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of an ECG-gated 64-MDCT angiography protocol for simultaneous assessment of the pulmonary arteries, coronary arteries, and aorta within a single breath-hold.

Subjects And Methods: In 55 patients with acute chest pain, ECG-gated CT angiography was performed with a CT system in which 64 slices per gantry rotation were acquired.

Multislice computed tomography for determination of coronary artery disease in a symptomatic patient population.

Background: Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has started to replace Electron beam CT for quantitation of coronary artery calcium. However no study has evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of MSCT for prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) in a symptomatic patient population using the volume score.

Methods And Results: 1347 symptomatic subjects (male = 803, mean age = 62 years) with suspected CAD underwent MSCT studies 1 +/- 2 days before the coronary angiogram.

Assessment of coronary artery stent patency and restenosis using 64-slice computed tomography.

Rationale And Objectives: Restenosis remains a major limitation of coronary catheter-based stent placement. Therefore, a reliable noninvasive diagnostic method for the evaluation of stented coronary arteries would be highly desirable. Our aim was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution 64-slice computed tomography (64SCT) in a pilot study for the assessment of the lumen of coronary artery stents.

Sixty-four slice spiral CT angiography does not predict the functional relevance of coronary artery stenoses in patients with stable angina.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate spiral multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography using 64-slice technique in the detection of functionally relevant coronary artery stenoses (CAS).

Methods: Thirty-eight patients (62+/-11 years, 28 men) with stable angina (26 with suspected and 12 with known coronary artery disease) were investigated using 64-slice MDCT angiography and gated myocardial perfusion SPECT (gated SPECT); a subgroup of 30 patients had additional invasive coronary angiography (ICA). Stenoses with luminal narrowing of >or=50% were defined as "significant" in MDCT angiography and ICA.