Early percutaneous intervention improves survival in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock.

Background: The safety and effectiveness of emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) complicated by cardiogenic shock (CS) are currently unknown.

Aim: To compare the outcome of elderly patients with AMI complicated by CS who were treated with primary PCI or thrombolysis.

Methods: Between 2001 and 2006 at Xijing Hospital we evaluated the outcome of 94 patients ł75 years old with AMI complicated by CS, of whom 33 underwent emergency PCI (PCI group), whereas the other 61 received initially conventional medication (CM group).

Alpha-linolenic acid attenuates high glucose-induced apoptosis in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells via PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway.

Objective: High glucose-induced apoptosis in vascular endothelial cells contributes to the acceleration of atherosclerosis associated with diabetes. We hypothesized that alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) might attenuate high glucose-induced apoptosis in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).

Methods: HUVECs were cultured at 5.

The opposite-direction modulation of CD4+CD25+ Tregs and T helper 1 cells in acute coronary syndromes.

Different subsets of T lymphocytes have different functions in atherosclerosis advancement. T helper 1 cells and T regulatory 1 cells have been demonstrated to play opposite roles in rupture of atherosclerotic lesion. However, the role of novel subset of T regulatory cells, known as CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells, remains largely unknown in coronary artery disease (CAD).