APOL1 polymorphisms are not influencing acute coronary syndrome risk in Czech males.

Background: The highest mortality and morbidity worldwide is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), which has in background both environmental and genetic risk factors. Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) variability influences the risk of ASCVD in Africans, but little is known about the APOL1 and ASCVD in other ethnic groups.

Methods: To investigate the role of APOL1 and ASCVD, we have genotyped four (rs13056427, rs136147, rs10854688 and rs9610473) APOL1 polymorphisms in a group of 1541 male patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and 1338 male controls.

T2DM/CKD genetic risk scores and the progression of diabetic kidney disease in T2DM subjects.

This study aimed at understanding the predictive potential of genetic risk scores (GRS) for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Major Cardiovascular Events (MCVE) and All-Cause Mortality (ACM) as secondary outcomes. We evaluated 30 T2DM and CKD GWAS-derived single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their association with clinical outcomes in a central European cohort (n = 400 patients). Our univariate Cox analysis revealed significant associations of age, duration of diabetes, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol and eGFR with progression of DKD (all P < 0.

Does PAD and microcirculation status impact the tissue availability of intravenously administered antibiotics in patients with infected diabetic foot? Results of the DFIATIM substudy.

Aims/hypothesis: The aim of this substudy (Eudra CT No:2019-001997-27)was to assess ATB availability in patients with infected diabetic foot ulcers(IDFUs)in the context of microcirculation and macrocirculation status.

Methods: For this substudy, we enrolled 23 patients with IDFU. Patients were treated with boluses of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid(AMC)(12patients) or ceftazidime(CTZ)(11patients).

Long-term Results of Duodeno-jejunal Bypass in the Treatment of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes.

Purpose: Obesity and its related severe comorbidities are increasing rapidly. The duodenal-jejunal bypass is an endoscopically implanted device (mimicking the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) developed to support weight reduction and improve type 2 diabetes control.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective data analysis of consecutive patients undergoing duodenal-jejunal bypass (EndoBarrier®, DJB) implantation between 2013 and 2017 was performed to evaluate safety as well as short- and long-term efficacy.

Cholesterol associated genetic risk score and acute coronary syndrome in Czech males.

Background: Despite a general decline in mean levels across populations, LDL-cholesterol levels remain a major risk factor for acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The APOB, LDL-R, CILP, and SORT-1 genes have been shown to contain variants that have significant effects on plasma cholesterol levels.

Methods And Results: We examined polymorphisms within these genes in 1191 controls and 929 patients with ACS.

Early vascular damage in retinal microcirculation in arterial hypertension: the Czech post-MONICA study.

Unlabelled: Retinal microcirculation reflects retinal perfusion abnormalities and retinal arterial structural changes at relatively early stages of various cardiovascular diseases. Wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR) may represent the earliest step in hypertension-mediated organ damage.Our objective was to compare functional and structural parameters of retinal microcirculation in a randomly selected urban population sample, in hypertensive and normotensive individuals.

Long-Term LDL-Apheresis Treatment and Dynamics of Circulating miRNAs in Patients with Severe Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Lipoprotein apheresis (LA) is a therapeutic option for patients with severe hypercholesterolemia who have persistently elevated LDL-C levels despite attempts at drug therapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), important posttranscriptional gene regulators, are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Our study aimed to monitor the dynamics of twenty preselected circulating miRNAs in patients under long-term apheresis treatment.

Longitudinal Trends in Severe Dyslipidemia in the Czech Population: The Czech MONICA and Czech Post-MONICA Study.

Severe hypercholesterolemia is associated with an increase in the risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The aim of this analysis was to assess longitudinal trends in severe dyslipidemia (defined as total cholesterol > 8 mmol/L or LDL-cholesterol > 5 mmol/L) in a representative population sample of the Czech Republic and to analyze the longitudinal trends in the basic characteristics of individuals with severe dyslipidemia. Seven independent cross-sectional surveys were organized in the Czech Republic to screen for major cardiovascular risk factors (from 1985 to 2015-2018).

Longitudinal trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the Czech population. Are there any sex differences?

Background: Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease which substantially increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite the broad availability of antihypertensive medication, control of hypertension is not satisfactory worldwide.

Objective: The study aim was to assess longitudinal trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in a representative population sample of the Czechia from 1985 to 2016/2017, focusing on sex differences.

Serum concentration of taurochenodeoxycholic acid predicts clinically significant portal hypertension.

Background & Aims: Severity of portal hypertension is usually quantified by measuring the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). However, due to its invasiveness, alternative markers are being sought. Bile acids (BA), being synthesized, metabolized, and transported by the liver, seem to have the potential to serve as endogenous markers.

Significant Differences in IBD Care and Education across Europe: Results of the Pan-European VIPER Survey.

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) care and education might differ around Europe. Therefore, we conducted this European Variation In IBD PracticE suRvey (VIPER) to investigate potential differences between countries.

Methods: This trainee-initiated survey, run through SurveyMonkey®, consisted of 47 questions inquiring basic demographics, IBD training, and clinical care.

Rapid Drop in Coronary Heart Disease Mortality in Czech Male Population-What Was Actually behind It?

The high mortality of coronary heart disease (CHD) among Czech men-one of the highest worldwide-began to decline in 1991 soon after the abolition of government subsidies to all foodstuffs rich in animal fat. As participants in the WHO MONICA Project, we were able to analyze the CHD risk factors just before and after this major economic change. We had previously documented that the originally subsidized prices decreased animal fat consumption and consequently non-HDL cholesterol concentrations in the population.

Posttransplant Complications and Genetic Loci Involved in Telomere Maintenance in Heart Transplant Patients.

Reaching critically short telomeres induces cellular senescence and ultimately cell death. Cellular senescence contributes to the loss of tissue function. We aimed to determine the association between variants within genes involved in telomere length maintenance, posttransplant events, and aortic telomere length in heart transplant patients.

Genetic risk score is associated with T2DM and diabetes complications risks.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prototypical complex disease with polygenic architecture playing an important role in determining susceptibility to develop the disease (and its complications) in subjects exposed to modifiable lifestyle factors. A current challenge is to quantify the degree of the individual's genetic risk using genetic risk scores (GRS) capturing the results of genome-wide association studies while incorporating possible ethnicity- or population-specific differences.

Methods: This study included three groups of T2DM (T2DM-I, N = 1,032; T2DM-II, N = 353; and T2DM-III, N = 399) patients and 2,481 diabetes-free subjects.

Effects of a 12-Week Interventional Exercise Programme on Muscle Strength, Mobility and Fitness in Patients With Diabetic Foot in Remission: Results From BIONEDIAN Randomised Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Diabetic foot syndrome (DFS) is a serious late diabetic complication characterised by limited joint mobility and other biomechanical and muscle abnormalities.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of an interventional exercise programme on anthropometric parameters, muscle strength, mobility and fitness in patients with diabetic foot in remission.

Data Sources And Study Selection: Thirty-eight patients with type 2 diabetes and DFS without active lesions (mean age 65 ± 6.

Stimulation TcPO2 Testing Improves Diagnosis of Peripheral Arterial Disease in Patients With Diabetic Foot.

Background: All diagnostic procedures of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in diabetic foot (DF) are complicated due to diabetes mellitus and its late complications.The aim of our study is to enhance diagnosis of PAD using a novel transcutaneous oximetry (TcPO2) stimulation test.

Methods: The study comprised patients with mild-to-moderate PAD(WIfI-I 1 or 2) and baseline TcPO2 values of 30-50 mmHg.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Diabetic Foot Syndrome in Patients Early After Pancreas or Kidney/Pancreas Transplantation and its Association with Preventive Measures.

Diabetic foot (DF) can develop in diabetic patients after organ transplantation (Tx) due to several factors including peripheral arterial disease (PAD), diabetic neuropathy and inappropriate DF prevention. To assess the occurrence of DF and associated risk factors in transplant patients. Fifty-seven diabetic patients were enrolled as part of this prospective study.

Multiplex Protein Biomarker Profiling in Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in the , , , and genes and is characterized by high plasma levels of total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Our study aimed to analyze the influences of two different therapies on a wide spectrum of plasma protein biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases. Plasma from FH patients under hypolipidemic therapy ( = 18; men = 8, age 55.

Changes in phenotypic patterns of blood monocytes after kidney transplantation and during acute rejection.

Peripheral blood monocytes, which serve as precursors for tissue macrophages and dendritic cells (DC), play a key role in the immune response to kidney allograft, reparation processes and homeostasis regulation. In this prospective study, we used multicolor flow cytometry to monitor the phenotypic patterns of peripheral monocytes in subjects with uncomplicated outcomes and those with acute rejection. We found a reciprocal increase in the proportion of "classical monocytes" (CD14+CD16-) along with a decline in pro-inflammatory "intermediary" (CD14+CD16+) and "non-classical" (CD14lowCD16+) monocytes in subjects with normal outcomes.

The APOE4 allele is associated with a decreased risk of retinopathy in type 2 diabetics.

Background: Common polymorphisms within the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene are suggested to be associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the potential association with T2DM complications (nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy) remains unclear. We perform the case-control study to analyse the association between the APOE polymorphism and risk of T2DM and to analysed the potential relationship between the APOE and T2DM complications.

Methods And Results: APOE variants (rs429358 and rs7412) were genotyped by TaqMan assay in T2DM patients (N = 1274; N = 829 with complications including retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy status) and with PCR-RFLP in healthy nondiabetic controls (N = 2055).

The effect of long-term left ventricular assist device support on flow-sensitive plasma microRNA levels.

Background: Implantation of current generation left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) in the treatment of end-stage heart failure (HF), not only improves HF symptoms and end-organ perfusion, but also leads to cellular and molecular responses, presumably in response to the continuous flow generated by these devices. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in multiple biological processes, including the pathogenesis of HF. In our study, we examined the influence of long-term LVAD support on changes in flow-sensitive miRNAs in plasma.

The Effect of Artificial Pulsatility on the Peripheral Vasculature in Patients With Continuous-Flow Ventricular Assist Devices.

Background: Implantation of left-ventricular assist systems (LVASs) has become the standard of care for advanced heart failure (HF). The absence of pulsatility in previous devices contributes to vascular and endothelial dysfunction related to atherosclerotic or vascular complications. We hypothesized that the artificial pulsatility provided by the HeartMate 3 (HM3) (Abbott, Chicago, IL) LVAS would exert a favourable effect on the vasculature.

Portal hypertension is the main driver of liver stiffness in advanced liver cirrhosis.

Liver stiffness (LS) is a novel non-invasive parameter widely used in clinical hepatology. LS correlates with liver fibrosis stage in non-cirrhotic patients. In cirrhotic patients it also shows good correlation with Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG).

Short-term trajectories of exercise-induced plasma lipid changes in overweight females, with a focus on HDL-cholesterol.

Background: Increased levels of plasma lipoproteins are among some of the modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dietary changes and increased physical activity are the most powerful non-pharmacological interventions for achieving optimal plasma lipid levels.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of an intensive short-term lifestyle intervention on plasma lipid trajectories in overweight non-diabetic females.