2-[18F]F-p-aminobenzoic acid specifically detects infective endocarditis in positron emission tomography.

Background: To the present day infective endocarditis (IE) represents a life-threatening disease with high mortality rate especially when caused by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), the most common causative pathogen in this disease. Diagnosis of IE is based on clinical manifestations, pathogen detection by blood cultures and echocardiographic or other imaging findings.

Combined Computed Coronary Tomography Angiography and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Planning Computed Tomography Reliably Detects Relevant Coronary Artery Disease Pre-TAVI.

Before surgical or transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), coronary status evaluation is required. The role of combined computed coronary tomography angiography (cCTA) and TAVI planning CT in this context is not yet well elucidated. This study assessed whether relevant proximal coronary disease requiring coronary revascularization can be safely detected by combined cCTA and TAVI planning CT, including CT-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) calculation in patients with severe aortic stenosis.

Cusp-overlap view reduces conduction disturbances and permanent pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement even with balloon-expandable and mechanically-expandable heart valves.

Background: Conduction disturbances demanding permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) remain a common complication after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Optimization of the implantation depth (ID) by introducing the cusp-overlap projection (COP) technique led to a reduced rate of PPI when self-expanding valves were used.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine if using the novel COP view is applicable for all types of TAVR prosthesis and results in a higher ID and reduced incidence of new conduction disturbances and PPI.

Drug-coated balloon: an effective alternative to stent strategy in small-vessel coronary artery disease-a meta-analysis.

Background: Small-vessel coronary artery disease (CAD) is frequently observed in coronary angiography and linked to a higher risk of lesion failure and restenosis. Currently, treatment of small vessels is not standardized while having drug-eluting stents (DES) or drug-coated balloons (DCBs) as possible strategies. We aimed to conduct a meta-analytic approach to assess the effectiveness of treatment strategies and outcomes for small-vessel CAD.

Do Inpatients Receive Risk-Based Prophylactic Treatment for Thrombotic Events?

Background: Current guidelines recommend risk-based use of prophylaxis for preventing medical inpatients from venous thromboembolism (VTE). Little is known about the current prescription practice, and even less whether differences between subspecialists like cardiologists, usually treating patients with thrombotic or thromboembolic diseases, and gastroenterologists, treating more patients with gastrointestinal bleeding complications, exist.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients on cardiology and gastroenterology wards of our university hospital.

IL-33 expression in response to SARS-CoV-2 correlates with seropositivity in COVID-19 convalescent individuals.

Our understanding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is still developing. We perform an observational study to investigate seroprevalence and immune responses in subjects professionally exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and their family members (155 individuals; ages 5-79 years). Seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2 Spike glycoprotein aligns with PCR results that confirm the previous infection.

Multimodal imaging of bacterial-host interface in mice and piglets with endocarditis.

Acute bacterial endocarditis is a rapid, difficult to manage, and frequently lethal disease. Potent antibiotics often cannot efficiently kill that colonizes the heart's valves. relies on virulence factors to evade therapeutics and the host's immune response, usurping the host's clotting system by activating circulating prothrombin with staphylocoagulase and von Willebrand factor-binding protein.

Nanoparticle-encapsulated siRNAs for gene silencing in the haematopoietic stem-cell niche.

Bone-marrow endothelial cells in the haematopoietic stem-cell niche form a network of blood vessels that regulates blood-cell traffic as well as the maintenance and function of haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Here, we report the design and in vivo performance of systemically injected lipid-polymer nanoparticles encapsulating small interfering RNA (siRNA), for the silencing of genes in bone-marrow endothelial cells. In mice, nanoparticles encapsulating siRNA sequences targeting the proteins stromal-derived factor 1 (Sdf1) or monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (Mcp1) enhanced (when silencing Sdf1) or inhibited (when silencing Mcp1) the release of stem and progenitor cells and of leukocytes from the bone marrow.