Plasma cholesterol lowering (PCL) slows and sometimes prevents progression of atherosclerosis and may even lead to regression. Little is known about how molecular processes in the atherosclerotic arterial wall respond to PCL and modify responses to atherosclerosis regression. We studied atherosclerosis regression and global gene expression responses to PCL (≥80%) and to atherosclerosis regression itself in early, mature, and advanced lesions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The stability of atherosclerotic plaques determines the risk for rupture, which may lead to thrombus formation and potentially severe clinical complications such as myocardial infarction and stroke. Although the rate of plaque formation may be important for plaque stability, this process is not well understood. We took advantage of the atmospheric (14)C-declination curve (a result of the atomic bomb tests in the 1950s and 1960s) to determine the average biological age of carotid plaques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnvironmental exposures filtered through the genetic make-up of each individual alter the transcriptional repertoire in organs central to metabolic homeostasis, thereby affecting arterial lipid accumulation, inflammation, and the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). The primary aim of the Stockholm Atherosclerosis Gene Expression (STAGE) study was to determine whether there are functionally associated genes (rather than individual genes) important for CAD development. To this end, two-way clustering was used on 278 transcriptional profiles of liver, skeletal muscle, and visceral fat (n = 66/tissue) and atherosclerotic and unaffected arterial wall (n = 40/tissue) isolated from CAD patients during coronary artery bypass surgery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To evaluate the long-term outcome of infrainguinal percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA).
Methods: Between 1991 and 1994, 77 patients (45 men; mean age 70 years, range 41-85) underwent infrainguinal PTA for occlusive disease. Patient records and angiographic examinations were reviewed to extract data to a patient register.
A group of 43 adult patients with acute leukaemia (AL) were randomized to receive a double-lumen totally implantable subcutaneous port system (PORT, n=19) or a double-lumen central venous catheter (CVC, n=24) before induction chemotherapy. Six patients were excluded due to protocol violation ( n=4, CVC) and technical difficulties ( n=2, PORT). A standardized catheter record form was used for recording of catheter function, local infection and bleeding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSurg Clin North Am
February 2002
The rich and diverse heritage of the management of vascular injuries in the 45 independent European countries prevents the authors from revealing a uniform picture of the European experience, but some trends are clearly emerging. In countries with a low incidence of penetrating trauma and increasing use of interventional vascular procedures, the proportion of iatrogenic vascular trauma exceeds 40% of all vascular injuries, whereas on other parts of the continent, armed conflicts are still a major cause of vascular trauma. National vascular registries, mostly in the Scandinavian countries, produce useful, nationwide data about vascular trauma and its management but suffer still from inadequate data collection.
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