Cysteine oxidation as a regulatory mechanism of Arabidopsis plastidial NAD-dependent malate dehydrogenase.

Malate dehydrogenases (MDHs) catalyze a reversible NAD(P)-dependent-oxidoreductase reaction that plays an important role in central metabolism and redox homeostasis of plant cells. Recent studies suggest a moonlighting function of plastidial NAD-dependent MDH (plNAD-MDH; EC 1.1.

Predicting long-term outcomes of acute aortic dissection: a focus on gender.

Acute aortic disease ranks as the 19th leading cause of death with steadily increasing incidence. The prevalence of aneurysms varies depending on the localization along the aorta with a mortality of aortic rupture of around 80%. Traditionally, aortic disease affects men more frequently than women, however, with a varying gender ratio.

[Risk evaluation of type B aortic dissection: importance for treatment of acute aortic syndrome].

Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a modern term used to describe interrelated emergency aortic conditions with similar clinical characteristics and challenges including aortic dissection, intramural hematoma (IMH) and penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU). Population-based studies suggest that the incidence of aortic dissection ranges from 2.6 to 3.

Renal sympathetic denervation in patients with aortic dissection.

Background: We report on feasibility, safety, and mid-term outcomes of renal sympathetic denervation (RSD) in hypertensive patients after endovascular treatment for aortic dissection.

Methods: Six patients were subjected to RSD after receiving endovascular treatment for complicated aortic dissection. Between April 2011 and May 2012, RSD procedure was applied for persistent hypertension despite maximized antihypertensive drug therapy using the Symplicity® catheter system.

Endovascular repair of type B aortic dissection: long-term results of the randomized investigation of stent grafts in aortic dissection trial.

Background: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) represents a therapeutic concept for type B aortic dissection. Long-term outcomes and morphology after TEVAR for uncomplicated dissection are unknown.

Methods And Results: A total of 140 patients with stable type B aortic dissection previously randomized to optimal medical treatment and TEVAR (n=72) versus optimal medical treatment alone (n=68) were analyzed retrospectively for aorta-specific, all-cause outcomes, and disease progression using landmark statistical analysis of years 2 to 5 after index procedure.

Predictive factors for pacemaker requirement after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been established as a treatment option for inoperable patients with symptomatic aortic valve stenosis. However, patients suffer frequently from conduction disturbances after TAVI.

Methods: Baseline, procedural as well as surface and intracardiac ECG parameters were evaluated for patients treated with TAVI and a comparison between patients requiring pacemaker with those not suffering from relevant conduction disorders were done.

Morbidity and mortality of nonagenarians undergoing CoreValve implantation.

Background: Nonagenarians are mostly denied from different therapeutic strategies due to high comorbidity index and risk-benefit calculation. We present the results of nonagenarians with high comorbidity index not eligible for conventional aortic valve surgery undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with the CoreValve system.

Methods: Our retrospective analysis include baseline parameters, procedural characteristics, morbidity, mortality as well as twelve-lead surface ECG and echocardiographic parameters which were revealed preinterventionally, at hospital discharge and at 30-day follow-up.

Early and mid-term outcomes of percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip®: comparative analysis of different EuroSCORE strata.

Aims: Compare mid-term outcomes after MitraClip® implantation for severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients categorised in different logistic EuroSCORE (LES) groups.

Methods And Results: MitraClip was implanted in 85 patients (78 ± 6 years, 48 men [56.5%]) with severe symptomatic MR.

Percutaneous vs surgical repair of mitral valve regurgitation: single institution early and midterm outcomes.

Background: The objective of this study was to compare outcomes of surgical repair (SR) vs MitraClip (MC) implantation for severe mitral regurgitation (MR).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients treated within a single institution was performed. Patients had EuroSCORE [European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation] < 20%, left ventricular ejection fraction ≥45%, and grade 3+/4+ MR.

Residual mitral valve regurgitation after percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip® system is a risk factor for adverse one-year outcome.

Objectives: We undertook this study to investigate the mid-term clinical results after MitraClip® implantation and the impact of post-repair mitral valve (MV) function and anatomy on survival and outcome composite endpoint in high-risk patients.

Background: Percutaneous MV repair is a potential treatment option for high-risk patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR).

Methods: MitraClip® was implanted in patients with symptomatic MR rejected to conventional surgery.

Combined use of rapid pacing and adenosine facilitates catheter based correction of severe bileaflet prolapse with the MitraClip system.

The results of the Endovascular Valve Edge-to-Edge Repair Study (EVEREST) II trial have demonstrated that percutaneous mitral valve repair using the MitraClip in high-risk patients was associated favourable outcomes. However, commonly accepted contraindications for the standard MitraClip procedure include extensively prolapsed valves and flail leaflets. We report on the management of a patient not amenable to standard interventional procedure.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip system: perioperative and 1-year follow-up results using standard or multiple clipping strategy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes using standard clipping (SC) (one to two clips) or multiple clipping (MC) (more than two clips).

Background: MitraClip implantation using MC has been proposed to treat severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in high-risk patients.

Methods And Results: A tailored strategy was used implanting as many clips as required to eliminate MR.

Intra coronary freshly isolated bone marrow cells transplantation improve cardiac function in patients with ischemic heart disease.

Background: Autologous bone marrow cell transplantation (BMCs-Tx) is a promising novel option for treatment of cardiovascular disease. In this study we analyzed whether intracoronary autologous freshly isolated BMCs-Tx have beneficial effects on cardiac function in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Results: In this prospective nonrandomized study we treated 12 patients with IHD by freshly isolated BMCs-Tx by use of point of care system and compared them with a representative 12 control group without cell therapy.

In-hospital outcome of patients with severe mitral valve regurgitation classified as inoperable and treated with the MitraClip® device.

Background: To evaluate the short-term outcome of patients predominantly at high risk treated with the MitraClip® device for severe mitral valve regurgitation (MR) using one or more clips.

Methods: We prospectively analyzed patients with highly symptomatic MR classified as inoperable (logistic EuroSCORE 24.16 ± 13.

Surface and intracardiac ECG for discriminating conduction disorders after CoreValve implantation.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been developed to minimize operative morbidity and mortality in high-risk symptomatic patients unfit for open surgery. With the proximity of the aortic valve annulus to the conduction system there is, however, an unknown risk of conduction disturbances necessitating monitoring and often cardiac pacing.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 50 consecutive patients from January 2007 to 2008 in our prospective evaluation of conduction disturbances measured by surface and intracardiac ECG recordings.

Ventricular tachycardia and sudden death after primary PCI-reperfusion therapy: impact on primary prevention of sudden cardiac death.

Background: Current approaches to coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute myocardial infarction (MI) may not be well represented in most primary prevention trials of sudden cardiac death (SCD).

Methods: The contemporary and ongoing registry of the Rostock infarction network (Drip & Ship) represents a well-defined cohort of patients subjected to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for ST-elevation infarction (STEMI) and served as the database for both candidates for an ICD for primary prevention of SCD and for sudden death (SCD) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) during follow-up.

Results: A total of 855 consecutive patients were treated with PCI for STEMI or NSTEMI in the region of Rostock (Germany) between 2001 and 2004.

Relation between the frequency of CD34⁺ bone marrow derived circulating progenitor cells and the number of diseased coronary arteries in patients with myocardial ischemia and diabetes.

Background: Bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in patients with coronary heart disease are impaired with respect to number and mobilization. However, it is unknown whether the mobilization of BM-CPCs depends on the number of diseased coronary arteries. Therefore, in our study, we analysed the correlation between the diseased coronary arteries and the frequency of CD34/45+ BM-CPCs in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Very late coronary aneurysm formation with subsequent stent thrombosis secondary to drug-eluting stent.

Drug-eluting stents have changed the practice in interventional cardiology. With the widespread use of these stents important safety concerns regarding stent thrombosis and formation of coronary artery aneurysm have been expressed. While the majority of attention was focused on stent thrombosis, the formation of coronary aneurysm was only described in anecdotal reports.

TEVAR: the solution to all aortic problems?

Chronic as well as acute diseases of the thoracic aorta are attracting increasing attention, both in the light of an ageing Western and Oriental population and with the proliferation of modern diagnostic imaging modalities. While classic surgical strategies still dominate the treatment of pathology of the ascending aorta and the proximal arch region, new endovascular concepts are emerging and are likely to evolve as primary treatment strategies for descending and abdominal aortic pathology. Additionally, aortic arch pathologies are becoming the target of hybrid approaches combining surgical head-vessel debranching and interventional stent-graft implantation in an attempt to improve outcome by avoiding the high risk of open arch repair or complete replacement.

Impaired mobilization of CD133(+) bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells with an increased number of diseased coronary arteries in ischemic heart disease patients with diabetes.

Background: The influence of the number of diseased coronary arteries on the mobilization of CD133/45(+) bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) was analyzed.

Methods And Results: Mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs by flow cytometry was measured in 120 patients with coronary 1 vessel (IHD1, n=40), coronary 2 vessel (IHD2, n=40), and coronary 3 vessel disease (IHD3, n=40), and in a control group (n=40). The mobilization of CD133/45(+) BM-CPCs was significantly reduced in patients with IHD compared to the control group (P<0.

Enhanced mobilization of the bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells by intracoronary freshly isolated bone marrow cells transplantation in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Autologous bone marrow cell transplantation (BMCs-Tx) is a promising novel option for treatment of cardiovascular disease. We analysed in a randomized controlled study the influence of the intracoronary autologous freshly isolated BMCs-Tx on the mobilization of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Sixty-two patients with AMI were randomized to either freshly isolated BMCs-Tx or to a control group without cell therapy.

Second- and third-generation drug-eluting coronary stents: progress and safety.

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have revolutionized the treatment of coronary artery disease by reducing the rate of in-stent restenosis from 20-40% with bare-metal stent (BMS) to 6-8% with DES. However, with widespread use of DES, safety concerns have risen due to the observation of late stent thrombosis. With this in mind and better understanding of mechanism and pathophysiology of stent thrombosis, the technological platform, especially innovative anti-restenotic agents, polymeric coatings, and stent platforms, improved with newer DES.

Improvement of cardiac function by intracoronary freshly isolated bone marrow cells transplantation in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: We analyzed in the present study the influence of intracoronary autologous freshly isolated bone marrow cells transplantation (BMCs-Tx) on cardiac function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods And Results: The 32 patients with AMI were enrolled in this prospective nonrandomized study to either freshly isolated BMC-Tx or to a control group without cell therapy. Global left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and the size of infarct area were determined by left ventriculography.