Publications by authors named "Rihao Xu"

Article Synopsis
  • Abnormal regulation of vascular smooth muscle cells is a key factor in aortic dissection (AD), and the study identifies a crucial regulator that is downregulated in patients.
  • Microarray analysis showed that the identified regulator negatively correlates with TGFβR1 levels and influences cell behaviors related to AD progression in human and mouse models.
  • The research suggests that targeting this regulator could provide new therapeutic strategies by modulating the contractile phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: To evaluate short- and medium-term outcomes following Liu's aortic root repair and valve preservation in patients with acute type A aortic dissection complicated by moderate-to-severe aortic regurgitation (AR).

Methods: From October 2011 to July 2018, a total of 324 consecutive patients underwent emergency surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. There were 122 patients (38%) with moderate-to-severe AR, of whom 82 (67%) underwent Liu's aortic root repair and valve preservation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Various surgical techniques have been proposed for treating aortic arch aneurysm (AAA); however, the optimal treatment has not been well defined. This study introduces a new aortic arch inclusion technique with frozen elephant trunk (FET) for AAA treatment.A retrospective analysis was performed among 22 patients for AAA surgical treatment between March 2010 and March 2019.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: This study aim to identify the core pathogenic genes and explore the potential molecular mechanisms of human coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methodology: Two gene profiles of epicardial adipose tissue from CAD patients including GSE 18612 and GSE 64554 were downloaded and integrated by software packages. All the coexpression of deferentially expressed genes (DEGs) were picked out and analyzed by DAVID online bioinformatic tools.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates mRNA expression in human thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) using mRNA microarray analysis and real-time PCR to identify critical genes involved in its pathogenesis.
  • The top hub genes found include CDK1, CDC20, and others linked to cell cycle regulation and specific signaling pathways, indicating their potential involvement in TAD progression.
  • CDK1, in particular, shows promise as both a diagnostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for TAD due to its increased expression in affected tissues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Cardiac cavernous hemangiomas are extremely rare and usually difficult to be diagnosed for being asymptomatic.

Case Presentation: An asymptomatic 56-year-old woman was hospitalized due to a heart mass found by chest computed tomography (CT) during her annual physical examination. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) disclosed a tumorous lesion, located in the left atrial roof and extended to the posterior wall of the aortic root and surrounding the left main coronary artery.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Reinforcing the dissected and fragile aortic root is critical in acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) surgery. This study introduces our new aortic root reinforcement technique and reports our early operative results and midterm follow-up results.A retrospective analysis study was performed on 235 patients (aged 53.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We present a patient diagnosed Stanford Type A aortic dissection, who was misdiagnosed as acute myocardial infarction for 5 days. In the surgery, the right coronary ostium was totally occluded, and the right coronary artery (RCA) was bluish from the trunk to branches. The true lumen couldn't be found when we opened the RCA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to determine if lower postoperative bleeding affects early outcomes in patients who had off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).
  • A retrospective analysis of 929 patients categorized into low-bleeding (659) and bleeding (270) groups showed that the low-bleeding group had significantly less chest tube drainage and shorter mechanical ventilation times.
  • The results indicated that low postoperative bleeding (less than 300 ml in 12 hours) helped maintain hemodynamic stability and reduced the need for blood transfusions, but did not significantly impact other early outcomes like infection rates or ICU stays.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) is a catastrophic disease worldwide, but the pathogenic genes and pathways are largely unclear. This study aims at integrating two gene expression profile datasets and verifying hub genes and pathways involved in TAD as well as exploring potential molecular mechanisms. We will combine our mRNAs expression profile (6 TAD tissues versus 6 non-TAD tissues) and GSE52093 downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To evaluate the changes of the mitral valve geometrics and the degrees of moderate mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic stenosis (AS).

Methods: A retrospective analysis study of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and postoperative transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed in 49 patients diagnosed with pure AS combined with moderate MR, who underwent AVR from January 2013 to December 2017. TEE was used to evaluate the direct geometric changes of the mechanical effects on mitral annulus after AVR.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were once deemed "junk" but are now recognized as important genetic regulators with various functions, including acting as RNA-binding proteins and microRNA sponges.
  • They are stable and conserved across different species and tissues, suggesting they could serve as promising molecular biomarkers for diseases, especially cancer.
  • Recent studies highlight their significant roles in cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure and myocardial infarction, prompting further investigation into their diagnostic and prognostic potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To summary the impact of off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) only on patients with moderate ischemic mitral regurgitation and survival.We retrospectively analyzed 109 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) complicated by moderate mitral regurgitation, from January, 2008 to December, 2014, in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at the No. 2 Hospital of Jilin University undergoing off pump CABG only.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aims to compare the early and medium outcomes of on-pump beating-heart (OPBH) coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and off-pump CABG (OPCABG) in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) between 30% and 40%.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of ischemic heart disease patients with LVEF between 30% and 40% who underwent surgical revascularization from January 2013 to December 2017. Patients were divided into OPBH group (n=44) and OPCABG group (n=68), according to the surgical method.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To evaluate if lower activated coagulation time (ACT) value after neutralization than preoperative ACT value was effective in reducing bleeding, operative times, and post-operative transfusions in patients underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Methods: Retrospective selection of 398 patients from January 2014 to May 2017. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to final ACT after neutralization: A - final ACT lower than preoperative ACT; and B - final ACT higher than or equal to preoperative ACT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the midterm and long-term clinical outcomes of aortic implantation of stent grafts under direct vision (hybrid surgical treatment).

Methods: From March 2009 to December 2014, 285 patients presented with type B aortic dissection. Of these, 35 complicated patients underwent hybrid surgical treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Our aims were to describe a new surgical technique for the treatment of type A aortic dissection (TAAD) and to report the operative outcomes of 154 patients.

Summary Background Data: Surgical treatment of TAAD is complicated and carries a high mortality risk. To lower this risk, we developed a simplified procedure in which a stent graft was implanted as frozen elephant trunk (FET), and the proximally trimmed vascular graft was sutured from the inside of the aortic arch using the inclusion technique under moderate hypothermic circulatory arrest and antegrade selective cerebral perfusion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Preoperative renal insufficiency is an independent predictor of mortality after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. However, there are few reports aimed to evaluate the impact of mild preoperative renal insufficiency on long-term follow-up outcomes after isolated CABG surgery. This study investigates the effect of mild preoperative renal insufficiency on long-term follow-up outcomes of patients after CABG.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Acute aortic dissection occurring during pregnancy poses great danger to both the mother and fetus. Cesareans are usually performed before or after the aortic repair depending on the conditions of the mother and fetus. Here we report our experience in treating a 32-week pregnant woman with a type B aortic dissection, whose baby had died before admission.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Primary benign tumors, like heart lipomas, are rare and often asymptomatic, making diagnosis challenging.
  • A 66-year-old woman underwent successful surgery for a large left atrial lipoma and coronary artery disease without using cardiopulmonary bypass, leading to a good recovery.
  • Imaging techniques like CT scans provide essential information for diagnosing these tumors, and surgery is the recommended treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Pulmonary valve infective endocarditis is a rare finding for endocarditis. Infective endocarditis caused by Gemella morbillorum remains a scanty occurrence.

Case Presentation: This is a case reported of a 28-year-old Chinese male with endocarditis caused by pulmonary valve infection of Gemella morbillorum associated with congenital ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect and double-chambered right ventricle.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The present study aimed to examine the effect of peroxiredocin 1 (Prx1) on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, invasion and migration abilities, and to examine the effect of Toll‑like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene silencing on VSMC proliferation, invasion and migration induced by the overexpression of Prx1. The expression of Prx1 in rats with vein graft intimal hyperplasia (IH) was detected using western blot analysis. In addition, VSMCs were retrovirally transfected to establish stable cell lines overexpressing Prx1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigated the role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in regulating intimal hyperplasia in rat vein grafts.
  • Researchers developed rat models and used TLR4 small interfering RNA (siRNA) to silence TLR4 in the grafts, measuring the effects on intimal thickness and inflammatory factors.
  • Results showed that silencing TLR4 led to a significant reduction in intimal thickness and inflammatory markers, suggesting TLR4 could be a potential target for treating vascular intimal hyperplasia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Primary cardiac sarcomas, especially those originating from the mitral valve, are rare and often misdiagnosed due to vague symptoms, leading to a poor prognosis.
  • Surgical removal is currently the most effective treatment for these tumors if they haven't spread.
  • A case involving a 38-year-old woman highlighted the unexpected discovery of a mitral valve sarcoma during a scheduled valve replacement, which was successfully removed, and no recurrence was observed after three months.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Oxidative stress, inducing cardiomyocyte apoptosis or myocardial ischemia, is the major denominator of many cardiac diseases. In this study, we intended to explore the regulatory function of microRNA-137 (miR-137) in oxidative stress-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Material And Methods: Cardiomyocytes were extracted from newborn C57BL/6 mice and cultured in vitro.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF