Acute Bilateral Tuberculous Pneumonia in a Patient with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is a common infection associated with immunocompromised state. It usually presents with fibrosis or fibrocavitary lesions in the lung. We report a case of bilateral tuberculous pneumonia of acute presentation in a young lady who was being treated for systemic lupus erythematosus.

Use of the Sideguard (Cappella) stent in bifurcation lesions: a real-world experience.

Aims: The Sideguard® stent (Cappella Medical Devices Ltd, Galway, Ireland), is a novel nitinol self-expanding dedicated bifurcation stent that flares proximally at the ostium of the side branch (SB) into a trumpet shape thereby achieving full ostial coverage. The aim of this study is to report the utility and limitations of this stent in patients undergoing treatment to bifurcation coronary lesions in a real-world setting.

Methods And Results: We prospectively identified 20 successive patients admitted over a 6-month period in whom there was significant SB disease and who were suitable for a bifurcation procedure.

Routine early coronary angioplasty versus ischaemia-guided angioplasty after thrombolysis in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis.

Aims: Prompt coronary reperfusion following acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is pivotal to survival. Primary angioplasty is the gold standard in restoring reperfusion, but thrombolysis needs consideration when optimal call to balloon time is not feasible. Following lysis and with evolving pharmacoinvasive therapies, the advantage of routine, early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) over standard ischaemia-guided PCI remains debatable.

Attenuation of adenosine-induced myocardial perfusion heterogeneity by atenolol and other cardioselective beta-adrenoceptor blockers: a crossover myocardial perfusion imaging study.

Unlabelled: Little is known about the effect of chronic beta-blockade on adenosine actions. We sought to investigate the effect of oral beta-blockers on the presence, extent, and severity of myocardial perfusion abnormality induced by adenosine in patients with coronary artery disease.

Methods: In this crossover study, 45 male patients with coronary artery disease on beta-blocker therapy with atenolol, bisoprolol, or metoprolol underwent adenosine myocardial perfusion imaging both on and off beta-blockade in a random order on separate days.

Use of the sheathless guide catheter during routine transradial percutaneous coronary intervention: a feasibility study.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using a 6.5 Fr sheathless guide catheter as a default system in transradial (TRA) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: TRA PCI has been shown to reduce mortality rates through a reduction in access site related bleeding complications compared with procedures performed though a femoral approach.

The use of intra-coronary optical coherence tomography for the assessment of sirolimus-eluting stent fracture.

Drug-eluting stents (DES) have made a tremendous impact on the practice of percutaneous coronary intervention. Recently however, long-term DES failures have become a focal point, particularly with restenosis and thrombosis. An uncommon, yet important cause of DES failure is stent fracture.

Dietary patterns and risk for Crohn's disease in children.

Background: Some dietary foods are considered protective (vegetables and fruits), whereas others (fatty foods) are thought to enhance the risk for Crohn's disease (CD). The evidence, however, is inconsistent.

Methods: We postulated that specific dietary patterns may influence the risk for CD.

Association between genetic variants in the IL-23R gene and early-onset Crohn's disease: results from a case-control and family-based study among Canadian children.

Background And Objectives: Interleukin (IL)-23 is a key regulator of inflammation and influences the activities of T-helper 17 (Th-17) lymphocytes. Recent reports indicate that variants in the gene coding for its receptor (IL-23R) are strongly associated with Crohn's disease (CD). We investigated whether DNA variants in the IL-23R gene determine susceptibility for CD in Canadian children.

Imbalances in dietary consumption of fatty acids, vegetables, and fruits are associated with risk for Crohn's disease in children.

Background And Objectives: The role of dietary factors in the etiology of Crohn's disease (CD) is inconsistent largely due to difficulties in acquiring valid information on consumption habits. We examined the impact of diet on new onset CD in children using a validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ).

Methodology: A case-control study was carried out.

Autocrine and paracrine actions of natriuretic peptides in the heart.

The natriuretic peptides, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), are a family of polypeptide mediators exerting numerous actions in cardiovascular homeostasis. ANP and BNP are cardiac derived, being secreted and up-regulated in myocardium in response to many pathophysiological stimuli. CNP is an endothelium-derived mediator.

B-type natriuretic peptide limits infarct size in rat isolated hearts via KATP channel opening.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been reported to be released from the myocardium during ischemia. We hypothesized that BNP mediates cardioprotection during ischemia-reperfusion and examined whether exogenous BNP limits myocardial infarction and the potential role of ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel opening. Langendorff-perfused rat hearts underwent 35 min of left coronary artery occlusion and 120 min of reperfusion.