Overexpression of microRNA-136-3p Alleviates Myocardial Injury in Coronary Artery Disease via the Rho A/ROCK Signaling Pathway.

Objective: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a cardiovascular disease that poses a fatal threat to human health, and the identification of potential biomarkers may help to delineate its pathophysiological mechanisms. Accumulating evidence has implicated microRNAs (miRNAs) in the pathogenesis and development of cardiovascular diseases. The present study aims to identify the expression of miRNA-136-3p (miR-136-3p) in CAD and further investigate its functional relevance in myocardial injury both in vitro and in vivo.

The 9p21 locus is associated with coronary artery disease and cardiovascular events in the presence (but not in the absence) of coronary calcification.

Variants at the 9p21 locus have been associated with coronary artery disease (CAD); coronary artery calcification (CAC) is related to CAD and other cardiovascular events. To determine the association of the 9p21 locus with CAD in the presence and absence of CAC, 4 groups were enrolled in a case-control study, including 527 CAD patients without CAC, 692 CAD patients with CAC, 585 individuals with simple CAC but no CAD, and 725 healthy controls. The rs1333049 representing the locus was associated with CAD in the presence of CAC (odds ratio = 1.

Radiation and contrast agent doses reductions by using 80-kV tube voltage in coronary computed tomographic angiography: a comparative study.

Objective: To investigate the effects of 80-kilovoltage (kV) tube voltage coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) with a reduced amount of contrast agent on qualitative and quantitative image quality parameters and on radiation dose in patients with a body mass index (BMI) <23.0 kg/m(2).

Methods: One hundred and twenty consecutive patients with a BMI <23.

[Relation between uric acid and coronary artery calcification:a community-based cross-sectional survey among Beijing natural population].

Objective: To investigate the influence of uric acid on coronary artery calcification in the natural population in Beijing.

Methods: From April to July 2012, 903 subjects from the natural population(aged 37-76 years for men, aged 42-76 years for women)in Xishan community, Beijing, were selected to accept a survey on the risk factors of cardiovascular. Blood tests and CT coronary artery calcium scans were carried out.

Diagnosis of congenital aortic arch anomalies in chinese children by multi-detector computed tomography angiography.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) angiography for the diagnosis of congenital aortic arch anomalies and present the radiological images of congenital aortic arch anomalies in Chinese children. MDCT angiography and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) were applied for the diagnosis of congenital aortic arch anomalies in 362 Chinese children between May 2006 and December 2011 (age ranges from 5 days to 12 years; mean age, 3.3 years).

Common genetic variants of MGP are associated with calcification on the arterial wall but not with calcification present in the atherosclerotic plaques.

Background: Two endophenotypes of arterial calcification, calcification on arterial wall and calcification in atherosclerotic plaques, are associated with different types of cardiovascular events. Mgp-deficient mice showed matrix Gla protein (MGP) is strongly associated with calcification on arterial wall without atherosclerotic plaques, and MGP variants were not significantly associated with myocardial infarction. MGP may play different roles in the 2 endophenotypes.

Comparison of diagnostic accuracy and radiation dose between prospective triggering and retrospective gated coronary angiography by dual-source computed tomography.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy and radiation dose of dual-source computed tomographic (DSCT) coronary angiography for assessment of coronary artery disease using prospective electrocardiographic triggering and retrospective electrocardiographically (ECG) gated spiral scans. One hundred sixteen patients who had undergone dual-source computed tomography and conventional coronary angiography were enrolled in this study. Fifty-four patients were scanned using retrospective ECG-gated protocols (group 1) and 62 patients using prospective ECG-triggered protocols (group 2).

[Clinical features of patients with pulmonary artery hypertension associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia].

Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations of patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT).

Methods: This retrospective analysis summarized the clinical features of 6 patients with PAH associated with HHT hospitalized at department of cardiology in Cardiovascular Institute and Fuwai Hospital between January 2006 and May 2009.

Results: The mean age of the 6 patients (3 male) was 34 years (8 - 67 years).

Aspirin plus clopidogrel therapy increases early venous graft patency after coronary artery bypass surgery a single-center, randomized, controlled trial.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the effect of aspirin plus clopidogrel versus aspirin alone on saphenous vein graft occlusion at 3 months after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Background: Prevalence of graft occlusion is high after CABG. Aggressive antiplatelet therapy is expected to improve early post-operative graft patency.

Surgery for acute type A dissection using total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation: experience with 107 patients.

Objective: In patients with acute type A dissection, it is controversial whether to use a more aggressive strategy with extended aortic replacement to improve long-term outcome or to use a conventional strategy with limited ascending aortic or hemiarch replacement to circumvent a life-threatening situation.

Methods: Between April 2003 and June 2007, 107 patients (17 women, 90 men; mean age, 45 +/- 11 years; range, 17-78 years) with acute type A dissection underwent total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass and selective cerebral perfusion. Computed tomography was performed to evaluate the residual false lumen in the descending aorta during follow-up.

Is total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation justified for patients with chronic Stanford type A aortic dissection?

Objective: Surgical treatment of chronic Stanford type A aortic dissection using total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation is controversial owing to the visceral arteries and intercostal arteries originating from the false lumen.

Methods: Eighty-nine patients (mean age, 45.67 +/- 10.

The value of multidetector-row CT angiography for pre-operative planning of breast reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric arterial perforator flaps.

The deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap has recently become the first option for breast reconstruction. However, the anatomy of the deep inferior epigastric artery varies greatly from one individual to another and even from one hemiabdomen to the other. An optimal pre-operative evaluation method that adequately maps the underlying vasculature has been lacking.

Comparison of lung scintigraphy with multi-slice spiral computed tomography in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic efficacy of lung perfusion scans combined with ventilation (V/Q) scans and/or chest radiography (CR) with contrast-enhanced multislice spiral CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE).

Materials And Methods: Eighty-two consecutive patients with suspected PE underwent CTPA, lung perfusion scan, and CR. Of them, 28 patients underwent V/Q scans.

What is the best contrast injection protocol for 64-row multi-detector cardiac computed tomography?

Objective: To determine the optimal contrast injection protocol for 64-MDCT coronary angiography.

Materials And Methods: One hundred and fifty consecutive patients scheduled to undergo retrospectively electrocardiographically gated 64-MDCT. Each 30 patients were assigned to use a different contrast protocol: group 1: uniphasic protocol (contrast injection without saline flush); group 2: biphasic protocol (contrast injection with saline flush); group 3A, 3B and 3C: triphasic protocol (contrast media+different saline diluted contrast media+saline flush).

Surgery for acute type A dissection with the tear in the descending aorta using a stented elephant trunk procedure.

Background: Surgical management of acute type A dissection with the tear in the descending aorta is challenging because of the technical difficulty in managing proximal and distal aortic lesions through a median sternotomy or lateral thoracotomy using a single-stage procedure.

Methods: Thirty-three patients with acute type A dissection with the tear in the descending aorta underwent total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation through a median sternotomy from April 2003 to June 2007. Preoperative complications included acute cardiac tamponade (n = 1), acute left heart failure (n = 1), acute myocardial infarction (n = 1), cerebral ischemia (n = 1), acute renal failure (n = 2), chronic renal dysfunction (n = 2), and acute mesenteric ischemia (n = 1) and lower extremity ischemia (n = 3).

Surgery for marfan patients with acute type a dissection using a stented elephant trunk procedure.

Background: The purpose of the study was to assess the efficacy of total arch replacement combined with stented elephant trunk implantation for Marfan patients with acute Stanford type A aortic dissection involving the aortic arch.

Methods: Between January 2004 and April 2006, 13 consecutive Marfan patients (4 female, 9 male) with acute type A aortic dissection involving the aortic arch underwent total arch replacement combined with implantation of a stented elephant trunk. Aortic dissection extending to the iliac artery was seen in 10 patients, and to the abdominal aorta in 3 patients.