Circulating type IV collagen 7S concentrations are associated with left atrial remodeling indices in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Objective: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation. We assessed whether liver fibrosis markers are associated with atrial remodeling indicators in patients with atrial fibrillation in whom fatty liver disease has not been identified.

Methods: In this prospective, observational study, 174 patients with atrial fibrillation without chronic liver disease who underwent catheter ablation were enrolled.

Monitoring the roles of prothrombin activation fragment 1 and 2 (F1 + 2) in patients with atrial fibrillation receiving rivaroxaban and apixaban.

Factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors are recommended for use in fixed doses without laboratory monitoring. However, prior studies reported the importance of establishing biomarkers representing anticoagulation intensity related to bleeding or thrombotic events. To test the hypothesis that prothrombin activation fragment 1 and 2 (F1 + 2), a non-specific marker of thrombin generation, could be altered during FXa inhibitor treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation.

A case of cardiac resynchronization therapy in a patient with coronary sinus ostial atresia and persistent left superior vena cava.

Unlabelled: Coronary sinus ostial atresia is rare and usually not clinically relevant, but it should be noted in cases of cardiac resynchronization therapy. A rare case of successful left ventricular lead implantation for cardiac resynchronization therapy via the left superior vena cava in a patient with coronary sinus ostial atresia is reported. The persistent left superior vena cava associated with these cases tends to be smaller than usual in its diameter and difficult to identify, since the direction of venous drainage is reversed.

Circulating Glutamate and Taurine Levels Are Associated with the Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, but its proarrhythmic mechanism remains to be elucidated. Glutamate (Glu) and taurine (Tau) are present in the myocardium at substantially higher concentrations than in the plasma, suggesting their active role in myocardium. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the metabolism of Glu and Tau is altered in association with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in patients with AF.

Nutri-pharmacogenomics of warfarin anticoagulation therapy: VKORC1 genotype-dependent influence of dietary vitamin K intake.

Warfarin is the most widely prescribed oral anticoagulant, but large interindividual variations exist in the dose required to achieve comparable therapeutic effects. Several clinical and genetic variables have been identified that influence warfarin dosing. However, interactions between genotype and nutrition remain uncertain in terms of dietary vitamin K intake.

Role of a novel conduction pattern around the coronary sinus in cavotricuspid isthmus dependent right atrial flutter.

Objectives: We tested our hypothesis that, in atrial flutter (AFL) dependent on the cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI), lower loop reentry is the common pathway route at the coronary sinus posterior site, and thus, dual loop reentry is a common circular pattern.

Methods And Results: We studied 25 patients with CTI-dependent AFL, 16 with chronic counterclockwise atrial flutter (CCW-AFL) and 9 with clockwise atrial flutter (CW-AFL) and determined the precise reentry circuitry, especially for conduction patterns around the coronary sinus orifice, using electroanatomical mapping. We measured post pacing interval and tachycardia cycle length during entrainment from sites within the flutter circuit.

Differential activation of protein kinase C between ischemic and pharmacological preconditioning in the rabbit heart.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the differential activation of protein kinase C between ischemic (IPC) and pharmacological preconditioning (PPC) in the rabbit heart. Control, IPC, diazoxide (Diaz), and chelerythrine (Chel)+IPC groups underwent prolonged coronary artery occlusion (CAO) for 30 minutes followed by 180 minutes' reperfusion (protocol I). In protocol II, sham, IPC-only, Diaz-only, and Chel+IPC-only groups did not undergo prolonged CAO.