HIV transactivation: Stochastic modeling for studying the effects of BET inhibitors on the modulation of P-TEFb levels.

Latency is the major obstacle in eradicating HIV from infected patients. Recent studies have shown that BET protein inhibitors can successfully reverse this latency by inhibiting the binding of BET proteins with positive cellular cofactor P-TEFb. Thus, availability of P-TEFbs plays an important role in HIV transactivation.

Reversibility of Frailty After Bridge-to-Transplant Ventricular Assist Device Implantation or Heart Transplantation.

Background: We recently reported that frailty is independently predictive of increased mortality in patients with advanced heart failure referred for heart transplantation (HTx). The aim of this study was to assess the impact of frailty on short-term outcomes after bridge-to-transplant ventricular assist device (BTT-VAD) implantation and/or HTx and to determine if frailty is reversible after these procedures.

Methods: Between August 2013 and August 2016, 100 of 126 consecutive patients underwent frailty assessment using Fried's Frailty Phenotype before surgical intervention: 40 (21 nonfrail, 19 frail) BTT-VAD and 77 (60 nonfrail, 17 frail) HTx-including 17 of the 40 BTT-VAD supported patients.

Cognitive impairment improves the predictive validity of physical frailty for mortality in patients with advanced heart failure referred for heart transplantation.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify whether the addition of cognitive impairment, depression, or both, to the assessment of physical frailty provides better outcome prediction in patients with advanced heart failure referred for heart transplantation (HT).

Methods: Beginning in March 2013, all patients with advanced heart failure referred to our Transplant Unit have undergone a physical frailty assessment using the Fried frailty phenotype. Cognition was assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and depression with the Depression in Medical Illness questionnaire.

The Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of Frailty in Patients With Advanced Heart Failure Referred for Heart Transplantation.

Background: Frailty is a clinically recognized syndrome of decreased physiological reserve. The heightened state of vulnerability in these patients confers a greater risk of adverse outcomes after even minor stressors. Our aim was to assess the prevalence and prognostic significance of the frailty phenotype in patients referred for heart transplantation.