External Support of Autologous Internal Jugular Vein Grafts with FRAME Mesh in a Porcine Carotid Artery Model.

Background: Autologous vein grafts are widely used for bypass procedures in cardiovascular surgery. However, these grafts are susceptible to failure due to vein graft disease. Our study aimed to evaluate the impact of the latest-generation FRAME external support on vein graft remodeling in a preclinical model.

Intrinsically explainable deep learning architecture for semantic segmentation of histological structures in heart tissue.

Background: Analysis of structures contained in tissue samples and the relevant contextual information is of utmost importance to histopathologists during diagnosis. Cardiac biopsies require in-depth analysis of the relationships between biological structures. Statistical measures are insufficient for determining a model's viability and applicability in the diagnostic process.

Digital pathology in cardiac transplant diagnostics: from biopsies to algorithms.

In the field of heart transplantation, the ability to accurately and promptly diagnose cardiac allograft rejection is crucial. This comprehensive review explores the transformative role of digital pathology and computational pathology, especially through machine learning, in this critical domain. These methodologies harness large datasets to extract subtle patterns and valuable information that extend beyond human perceptual capabilities, potentially enhancing diagnostic outcomes.

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin and Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Liver Cirrhosis: MZ or MS Genotype Carriage Decreases the Risk.

Heterozygotes for Z or S alleles of alpha-1-antrypsin (AAT) have low serum AAT levels. Our aim was to compare the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with liver cirrhosis carrying the MM, MZ and MS genotypes. The study groups consisted of 1119 patients with liver cirrhosis of various aetiologies, and 3240 healthy individuals served as population controls.

Local Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Gene Expression in Kidney Allografts Is Not Affected by Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone Inhibitors.

Background: Preclinical studies suggested that pharmacological inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) by ACE inhibitors (ACEis) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) may increase local angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) expression.

Methods: In this study, we evaluated the effect of ACEi or ARB treatment on expression of ACE2, ACE, and AGTR1 in 3-month protocol kidney allograft biopsies of stable patients using RT-qPCR (n = 48). Protein ACE2 expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry from paraffin sections.