Short-term growth hormone treatment and microcirculation: effects in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Endothelial dysfunction is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and contributes significantly to the high long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The short-term cardiovascular effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) in CKD patients (stages III-V) and healthy controls (n=15 each) were explored in a single-center, non-randomized pilot study. Subjects were investigated before, after a 7 day treatment with rhGH, and after a 7 day wash-out period.

Kytococcus schroeteri: a probably underdiagnosed pathogen involved in prosthetic valve endocarditis.

Kytoccoccus schroeteri is an emerging pathogen found mainly in association with prosthetic valve endocarditis. A striking aspect of this species is its resistance to penicillins, including isoxazolylpenicillins, making glycopeptide administration and valve replacement the treatment of choice. We present the case of a 38-year-old female diabetic patient with fever up to 39.

G-CSF in acute myocardial infarction - experimental and clinical findings.

Early data from clinical studies suggest that intracoronary injection of autologous progenitor cells may beneficially affect postinfarction remodeling and perfusion. Beyond intracoronary infusion of autologous bone marrow mononuclear CD34+ cells (MNCCD34+), mobilization of stem cells by G-CSF has recently attracted attention because of various advantages such as the noninvasive nature of MNCCD34+ mobilization by subcutaneous injections. It is the aim of the present work to give an overview about the current experimental and clinical findings of G-CSF treatment in acute myocardial infarction.

Effects of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor on mobilization of bone-marrow-derived stem cells after myocardial infarction in humans.

Recent experimental studies have shown that granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) enhanced cardiac function after infarction. The concept of direct cytokine or cell-mediated effects on postischemic myocardial function was tested in the setting of human myocardial infarction subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention. In the FIRSTLINE-AMI study 50 consecutive patients with first ST-elevation myocardial infarction were randomly assigned to receive either 10 microg/kg G-CSF for 6 days after percutaneous coronary intervention in addition to standard medication, or standard care alone.

Preservation from left ventricular remodeling by front-integrated revascularization and stem cell liberation in evolving acute myocardial infarction by use of granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (FIRSTLINE-AMI).

Background: Considering experimental evidence that stem cells enhance myocardial regeneration and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) mediates mobilization of CD34+ mononuclear blood stem cells (MNCCD34+), we tested the impact of G-CSF integrated into primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) management of acute myocardial infarction in man.

Methods And Results: Fifty consecutive patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were subjected to primary PCI stenting with abciximab and followed up for 6 months; 89+/-35 minutes after successful PCI, 25 patients were randomly assigned in this pilot study (PROBE design) to receive subcutaneous G-CSF at 10 microg/kg body weight for 6 days in addition to standard care, including aspirin, clopidogrel, an ACE inhibitor, beta-blocking agents, and statins. By use of CellQuest software on peripheral blood samples incubated with CD45 and CD34, mobilized MNCCD34+ were quantified on a daily basis.

Prevention of left ventricular remodeling with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor after acute myocardial infarction: final 1-year results of the Front-Integrated Revascularization and Stem Cell Liberation in Evolving Acute Myocardial Infarction by Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor (FIRSTLINE-AMI) Trial.

Background: Experimental and clinical evidence has recently shown that pluripotent stem cells can be mobilized by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and may enhance myocardial regeneration early after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) management of acute myocardial infarction. Sustained or long-term effects of mobilized CD34-positive mononuclear stem cells, however, are unknown.

Methods And Results: Thirty consecutive patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary PCI with stenting and abciximab were selected for the study 85+/-30 minutes after PCI; 15 patients were randomly assigned to receive subcutaneous G-CSF at 10 microg/kg body weight for 6 days in addition to standard care including aspirin, clopidogrel, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, beta-blocking agents, and statins.

Interventional closure with Amplatzer PFO occluder of patent foramen ovale in patients with paradoxical cerebral embolism.

Percutaneous transcatheter closure has been proposed as an alternative to surgical closure or long-term anticoagulation in patients with presumed paradoxical embolism and patent foramen ovale (PFO). We report our mid-term results of 55 consecutive symptomatic patients (mean age: 47 years, range: 20-79) who underwent percutaneous transcatheter closure of PFO after at least one event of cerebral ischemia; 16 (29%) patients had at least one transient ischemic attack and 39 (71%) patients at least one embolic stroke. Multiple embolic events had occurred in 6 (11%) patients.

[Percutaneous transplantation of autologous myoblasts in ischemic cardiomyopathy].

Background And Purpose: Cell transplantation is emerging as a novel approach for the treatment of end-stage cardiac disease. In contrast to most human studies using intramyocardial injection of myoblasts during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or left ventricular assist device implantation, the authors investigated both safety and feasibility of transcatheter transplantation of autologous skeletal myoblast as a standalone procedure in six patients with ischemic heart failure, and compared them to six control patients matched for demographic and clinical characteristics.

Methods And Results: Skeletal myoblast transplantation by catheter-based injection was technically successful in all six patients with no complications; 19+/-10 injections were performed/patient corresponding to 210 x 10(6)+/-150 x 10(6) cells/patient.

Stent-grafts in patients with marfan syndrome.

Purpose: To explore the safety and feasibility of stent-graft placement in the dissected descending thoracic aorta of patients with Marfan syndrome.

Methods: Six consecutive patients (4 men; mean age 33+/-15 years, range 24-61) with Marfan syndrome were offered endovascular repair for dissection after previous aortic root repair in 5 and solitary type B dissection in 1.

Results: Transluminal placement of customized Talent stent-grafts was technically successful in all patients, with no 30-day or 1-year intervention-related mortality.

Intentional occlusion of the left subclavian artery during stent-graft implantation in the thoracic aorta: risk and relevance.

Purpose: To examine the clinical consequences and/or potential need for postinterventional transposition after stent-graft occlusion of the left subclavian artery (LSA).

Methods: The records of 171 consecutive patients (128 men; mean age 60.2+/-13.

Transcatheter transplantation of autologous skeletal myoblasts in postinfarction patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction.

Purpose: To report a case-controlled safety and feasibility study of transcatheter transplantation of autologous skeletal myoblasts as a stand-alone procedure in patients with ischemic heart failure.

Methods: Six men (mean age 66.2+/-7.

Gender-related differences in acute aortic dissection.

Background: Few data exist on gender-related differences in clinical presentation, diagnostic findings, management, and outcomes in acute aortic dissection (AAD).

Methods And Results: Accordingly, we evaluated 1078 patients enrolled in the International Registry of Acute Aortic Dissection (IRAD) to assess differences in clinical features, management, and in-hospital outcomes between men and women. Of the patients enrolled in IRAD (32.

Effect of St John's wort dose and preparations on the pharmacokinetics of digoxin.

Background And Objective: St John's wort preparations vary in composition, main constituents, formulation, and daily dose administered. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possible pharmacokinetic interaction of marketed St John's wort formulations and doses with digoxin.

Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study was performed in 96 healthy volunteers in 3 study parts.

Progressive Staphylococcus lugdunensis endocarditis despite antibiotic treatment.

A 68-year old man with fever chills and a diastolic murmur was diagnosed with aortic-valve endocarditis caused by coagulase-negative Staphylococcus lugdunensis. The clinical condition initially improved with antibiotic therapy. On day seven, transoesophageal echocardiography revealed large abscesses extending from the aortic root to the left ventricular wall.

Percutaneous endovascular repair of aneurysm after previous coarctation surgery.

Background: Formation of aortic aneurysm late after surgical repair of coarctation carries a significant risk of rupture and lethal outcome, and repeat surgery is associated with a 14% in-hospital mortality rate and morbidity from paraplegia, injury to the central nervous system, or from bleeding. The potential of nonsurgical endovascular repair by the use of stent-grafts in lieu of repeat surgery for postcoarctation aneurysm is unknown.

Methods And Results: The concept of postsurgical endovascular stent-graft placement was evaluated with respect to feasibility and safety in 6 consecutive patients with late aneurysm formation after coarctation repair.

Emergency stent-graft placement in thoracic aortic dissection and evolving rupture.

Background: Even with rapid diagnosis and effective medical treatment mortality in type B aortic dissection with evidence of extraaortic leakage of blood remains high. Considering a mortality rate of 29% to 50% associated with emergency surgical repair, the concept of endovascular stent-graft placement may become a life-saving option in impending or evolving rupture by endovascular sealing of the entry tear and subsequent abortion of leakage.

Methods: The concept was tested by comparing short-term and 1-year outcomes of 11 patients after emergency endovascular stent-graft placement with historic-matched control patients subjected to conventional therapy.

Autologous bone-marrow stem-cell transplantation for myocardial regeneration.

Implantation of bone-marrow stem cells in the heart might be a new method to restore tissue viability after myocardial infarction. We injected up to 1.5x10(6) autologous AC133+ bone-marrow cells into the infarct border zone in six patients who had had a myocardial infarction and undergone coronary artery bypass grafting.