Right Ventricular Postsystolic Strain Curve Morphology before and after Vasodilator Treatment in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

• RV function is an important prognostic factor in pulmonary arterial hypertension. • Several echocardiographic parameters are needed for a complete RV function assessment. • RV postsystolic strain patterns have a prognostic impact in IPAH.

Differentiation of athlete's heart and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy by the fractal dimension of left ventricular trabeculae.

Background: Differentiation between exercise induced adaptive myocardial hypertrophy (athlete's heart) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is currently based on echocardiographic and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) criteria, but these may be insufficient in patients with subtle phenotype expression. This study aimed to assess whether left ventricular (LV) fractal pattern could permit to differentiate athlete's heart from HCM.

Methods: We recruited retrospectively 61 elite marathon runners, 67 patients with HCM, and 33 healthy subjects.

Biophysical and Lipidomic Biomarkers of Cardiac Remodeling Post-Myocardial Infarction in Humans.

Few studies have analyzed the potential of biophysical parameters as markers of cardiac remodeling post-myocardial infarction (MI), particularly in human hearts. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) illustrates the overall changes in proteins, nucleic acids and lipids in a single signature. The aim of this work was to define the FTIR and lipidomic pattern for human left ventricular remodeling post-MI.

Plasma circular RNA hsa_circ_0001445 and coronary artery disease: Performance as a biomarker.

The role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) as biomarkers remains poorly characterized. Here, we investigated the performance of the circRNA hsa_circ_0001445 as a biomarker of coronary artery disease (CAD) in a real-world clinical practice setting. Plasma hsa_circ_0001445 was measured in a study population of 200 consecutive patients with suspected stable CAD who had undergone coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA).

Plasma microRNA Profiling Reveals Novel Biomarkers of Epicardial Adipose Tissue: A Multidetector Computed Tomography Study.

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) constitutes a novel parameter for cardiometabolic risk assessment and a target for therapy. Here, we evaluated for the first time the plasma microRNA (miRNA) profile as a source of biomarkers for epicardial fat volume (EFV). miRNAs were profiled in plasma samples from 180 patients whose EFV was quantified using multidetector computed tomography.

Circulating microRNAs in suspected stable coronary artery disease: A coronary computed tomography angiography study.

Objectives: To explore the diagnostic performance of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers in patients with suspected stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: Plasma samples were collected from 237 consecutive patients referred for coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Presence, extension and severity of coronary stenosis were evaluated using the indexes: presence of diameter stenosis ≥ 50%, segment involvement score (SIS), segment stenosis score (SSS) and 3-vessel plaque score.

Associations between epicardial adipose tissue, subclinical atherosclerosis and high-density lipoprotein composition in type 1 diabetes.

Background: The pathophysiology of cardiovascular complications in people with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) remains unclear. An increase in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and alterations in the composition of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are associated with coronary artery disease, but information on its relationship in T1DM is very limited. Our aim was to determine the association between EAT volume, subclinical atherosclerosis, and HDL composition in type 1 diabetes.

High-Sensitivity Troponin T and Soluble Form of AXL as Long-Term Prognostic Biomarkers after Heart Transplantation.

Antecedents: Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a frequent complication limiting the long-term (>1 year) survival after heart transplantation (HTx). CAV is initiated by endothelial dysfunction and can lead to severe cardiovascular (CV) complications. Since CAV is often clinically silent, biomarkers could help identifying HTx patients at risk of CAV and their severe complications.

Identification of new biophysical markers for pathological ventricular remodelling in tachycardia-induced dilated cardiomyopathy.

Our aim was to identify biophysical biomarkers of ventricular remodelling in tachycardia-induced dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Our study includes healthy controls (N = 7) and DCM pigs (N = 10). Molecular analysis showed global myocardial metabolic abnormalities, some of them related to myocardial hibernation in failing hearts, supporting the translationality of our model to study cardiac remodelling in dilated cardiomyopathy.

Translating the microRNA signature of microvesicles derived from human coronary artery smooth muscle cells in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and coronary artery disease.

Aims: To analyze the impact of atherogenic lipoproteins on the miRNA signature of microvesicles derived from human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (CASMC) and to translate these results to familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and coronary artery disease (CAD) patients.

Methods: Conditioned media was collected after exposure of CASMC to atherogenic lipoproteins. Plasma samples were collected from two independent populations of diagnosed FH patients and matched normocholesterolemic controls (Study population 1, N=50; Study population 2, N=24) and a population of patients with suspected CAD (Study population 3, N=50).

Cystatin-C and epicardial adipose tissue as noninvasive predictors of cardiovascular risk in acromegaly.

Background: Acromegaly (ACRO) is associated with elevated cardiovascular risk, although the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) is unclear. Increased epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) and elevated cystatin-C (Cys-C) levels are cardiovascular risk factors, also related to the progression of CAD in several populations.

Aims: To measure the severity and extent of CAD in patients with ACRO and to determine whether either EAT or Cys-C reflect higher cardiovascular risk in patients with ACRO than in healthy controls.

[High-sensitivity troponin T testing and coronary computed tomography angiography for rapid diagnosis of chest pain in the emergency department].

Objectives: To determine the probability of finding significant coronary lesions, the time to diagnosis, and the safety of a new diagnostic approach based on high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hsTnT) testing followed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in patients with chest pain of possible coronary origin. The method was compared with our hospital emergency department's standard practice.

Material And Methods: Unblinded randomized controlled trial in a tertiary level university hospital between February 2011 and April 2013.

Reliability of a new method for coronary artery calcium or metal subtraction by 320-row cardiac CT.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and diagnostic accuracy of subtraction CTA on patients with highly calcified coronary artery disease (CAD) or previous implanted stents, in comparison with invasive coronary angiography (ICA).

Materials And Methods: Twenty-three patients were recruited. All conventional and subtraction CTA exams were performed using a 320-row CT.

Chest CT examinations in patients presenting with acute chest pain: a pictorial review.

Acute chest pain (ACP) is one of the most common presenting symptoms at the emergency department. The differential diagnosis is vast. To exclude life-threatening causes, radiologists encounter an increasing amount of thoracic computed tomography (CT) examinations including CT angiography of the heart and great vessels.

Soluble TNFα-receptor 1 as a predictor of coronary calcifications in patients after long-term cure of Cushing's syndrome.

Purpose: Increased cardiovascular (CV) risk persists in Cushing's syndrome (CS), despite remission of hypercortisolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate prevalence of coronary artery disease in CS patients and its correlation with classical CV risk factors and inflammatory markers.

Methods: Cardiac multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) was performed in 41 patients (7 men, 31 of pituitary origin, 29 cured, mean age: 48.

Improvement of myocardial function and perfusion after successful percutaneous revascularization in patients with chronic total coronary occlusion.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) of a coronary artery can provide benefits in terms of myocardial function and survival but the procedure is complex and the success rate is relatively low. To assess these benefits, myocardial function, ischemia and viability should be clearly determined by means of a reliable diagnostic test. This study aimed to assess ventricular function and myocardial ischemia before and after PCI for CTO using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).

Coronary artery disease detected by multislice computed tomography in patients after long-term cure of Cushing's syndrome.

Objective: Increased cardiovascular risk persists in Cushing's syndrome (CS), despite remission of hypercortisolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of coronary artery disease in patients after long-term cure of CS.

Methods: Cardiac multidetector computed tomography was performed in 29 cured CS patients (5 men, 21 of pituitary origin, 50 ± 13 y, mean time of "cure" 11 ± 6 y), using 64-slice Toshiba Aquilion systems (Toshiba Medical Systems, Otawara, Japan).

Factors determining success in percutaneous revascularization of chronic total coronary occlusion: multidetector computed tomography analysis.

Introduction And Objectives: Percutaneous revascularization of chronic total coronary artery occlusion is a technical challenge and has a lower success rate than other angioplasty procedures. Identification of predictors of failure could lead to better selection of patients with the greatest possibility of success. In this study, we investigate the multidetector computed tomography features associated with failure of percutaneous treatment for chronic total coronary occlusion.