Coronary Spasm: Ethnic and Sex Differences.

Coronary spasm (CS), which may occur at the epicardial (focal or diffuse spasm) and/or microvascular (microvascular spasm) level, is a well-established cause of myocardial ischaemia, in particular in patients with anginal chest pain despite unobstructed coronary arteries. The diagnosis of CS can be confirmed during coronary angiography by an additional provocation test with vasoactive substances such as acetylcholine. Due to partially inconsistent data from large clinical studies, especially between Asian and white CS patients, ethnic differences concerning the prevalence and angiographic patterns of CS seem to exist.

Prognostic association of plasma NT-proBNP levels in patients with microvascular angina -A report from the international cohort study by COVADIS.

Unlabelled: BackgroudThe aim of this study was to assess the prognostic association of plasma levels of -terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with clinical outcomes of patients with microvascular angina (MVA).

Methods: In this international prospective cohort study of MVA by the Coronary Vasomotor Disorders International Study (COVADIS) group, we examined the association between plasma NT-proBNP levels and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and hospitalization due to heart failure or unstable angina.

Results: We examined a total of 226 MVA patients (M/F 66/160, 61.

Bacteriophages of Shiga Toxin-Producing and Their Contribution to Pathogenicity.

Shiga toxins (Stx) of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) are generally encoded in the genome of lambdoid bacteriophages, which spend the most time of their life cycle integrated as prophages in specific sites of the bacterial chromosome. Upon spontaneous induction or induction by chemical or physical stimuli, the genes are co-transcribed together with the late phase genes of the prophages. After being assembled in the cytoplasm, and after host cell lysis, mature bacteriophage particles are released into the environment, together with Stx.

Genetics, Toxicity, and Distribution of Enterohemorrhagic Hemolysin.

The ability to produce enterohemolysin is regarded as a potential virulence factor for enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) and is frequently associated with severe human diseases such as hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The responsible toxin, which has also been termed EHEC-hemolysin (EHEC-Hly, syn. Ehx), belongs to the Repeats in Toxin (RTX)-family of pore-forming cytolysins and is characterized by the formation of incomplete turbid lysis zones on blood agar plates containing defibrinated sheep erythrocytes.

Regulation of nleA in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O84:H4 strain 4795/97.

Many Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains express a type III secretion system (TTSS) encoded by the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE). Using the TTSS, STEC is able to inject effector proteins directly into eukaryotic host cells, where they cause characteristic attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions. In addition to the LEE-encoded effectors, a number of non-LEE-encoded effectors, located on phage-associated elements, have been described.