Urokinase plasminogen activator protects cardiac myocytes from oxidative damage and apoptosis via hOGG1 induction.

The role of uPA in tissue remodeling and cell migration is already well established. In addition, uPA was reported to stabilize p53, a key cell cycle control, DNA repair and apoptosis initiation protein. We aimed to determine the role of uPA-uPAR signaling towards cell survival or apoptosis in human adult cardiac myocytes (HACM).

Myocardial late gadolinium enhancement is associated with clinical presentation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy carriers.

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disease that occurs in males leading to immobility and death in early adulthood. Female carriers of DMD are generally asymptomatic, yet frequently develop dilated cardiomyopathy. This study aims to detect early cardiac manifestation in DMD using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and to evaluate its association with clinical symptoms.

T1 Mapping by CMR Imaging: From Histological Validation to Clinical Implication.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the diagnostic and prognostic impact of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T1 mapping and validate it against left ventricular biopsies.

Background: Extracellular volume (ECV) expansion is a key feature of heart failure. CMR T1 mapping has been developed as a noninvasive technique to estimate ECV; however, the diagnostic and prognostic impacts of this technique have not been well established.

The right heart in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: insights from cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and invasive haemodynamics.

Aims: Recent data indicate that right ventricular systolic dysfunction (RVSD) by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is a strong predictor of outcome in heart failure. However, the prognostic significance of RVSD by CMR in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is unknown.

Methods And Results: We prospectively enrolled 171 HFpEF patients who underwent CMR in addition to invasive and non-invasive testing.

Pulmonary artery to aorta ratio for the detection of pulmonary hypertension: cardiovascular magnetic resonance and invasive hemodynamics in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Background: Previous work indicates that dilatation of the pulmonary artery (PA) itself or in relation to the ascending aorta (PA:Ao ratio) predicts pulmonary hypertension (PH). Whether these results also apply for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is unknown. In the present study we evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic power of PA diameter and PA:Ao ratio on top of right ventricular (RV) size, function, and septomarginal trabeculation (SMT) thickness by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in HFpEF.