Molecular Signatures of Human Chronic Atrial Fibrillation in Primary Mitral Regurgitation.

Objectives: Transcriptomics of atrial fibrillation (AFib) in the setting of chronic primary mitral regurgitation (MR) remains to be characterized. We aimed to compare the gene expression profiles of patients with degenerative MR in AFib and sinus rhythm (SR) for a clearer picture of AFib pathophysiology.

Methods: After transcriptomic analysis and bioinformatics ( = 59), differentially expressed genes were defined using 1.

Long-term follow-up of patients with Buerger's disease after autologous stem cell therapy.

Objective: We investigated the long-term results of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells (ABMMNCs) implantation in patients with Buerger's disease (BD).

Methods: Twenty-eight patients (25 males and 3 females) who had BD and critical unilateral limb ischemia were investigated between April 2003 and August 2005. The patients were administered multiple injections of CD34+ and CD45+ positive ABMMNCs into the gastrocnemius muscle, the intermetatarsal region, and the dorsum of the foot (n=26) or forearm (n=2) and saline injection into the contralateral limb.

Effects of Preoperative Tricuspid Valve Diameters on Early Postoperative Surgical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Tricuspid Valve Surgery.

Background: Many of the previous studies on tricuspid valve surgery were on the materials that were used and the advantages and disadvantages of them. In this study, effects of preoperative tricuspid valve diameter on early postoperative outcomes were investigated. Methods: A total of 43 patients who underwent tricuspid valve repair surgery with the ring between the years 2012-2014 were included in this study.

Clinical Results of Cardiac Surgery in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C and Their Role in Risk Models: A Case-Control Study.

Background: To evaluate the results of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) following cardiac surgery in the TurcoSCORE (TrS) database.

Methods: Sixty patients with HCV who underwent cardiac surgery between 2005 and 2016 in our clinic out of a total 8,018 patients from the TrS database were included in the study. The perioperative morbidity and mortality rates in these patients were compared with a matched cohort.

Thrombus resolution and right ventricular functional recovery using ultrasound-accelerated thrombolysis in acute massive and submassive pulmonary embolism.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) in the treatment of massive and submassive pulmonary embolism (PE).

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of consequtive patients with massive or submassive PE treated with low-dose UACDT using EKOS EkoSonic® system at single center from May 2014 until April 2015. Overall, thirty-eight patients (median age, 64.

Pharmacomechanical thrombectomy of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis.

Background: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-accelerated catheter-directed thrombolysis (UACDT) in the treatment of upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT).

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of consecutive patients with acute UEDVT with low-dose UACDT using the Ekosonic® Endovascular System (EKOS Corporation, Bothell, WA, USA) at a single center from September 2012 until October 2014. Overall, sixteen patients (11 males and 6 females, age range 18 to 70 years, mean age, 45.

Primary Left Cardiac Angiosarcoma with Mitral Valve Involvement Accompanying Coronary Artery Disease.

We report here on a 43-year-old female patient presenting with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, severe mitral regurgitation, and mild mitral stenosis secondary to encroachment of the related structures by a primary cardiac angiosarcoma. A coronary angiography revealed significant stenosis in the left main and left circumflex arteries and at exploration, the tumour was arising from posterior left atrial free wall, invading the posterior mitral leaflet, and extending into all of the pulmonary veins and pericardium. Therefore, no further intervention was performed, except for left internal mammarian artery to left anterior descending artery anastomosis and biopsy.

Activation of histone deacetylase-6 induces contractile dysfunction through derailment of α-tubulin proteostasis in experimental and human atrial fibrillation.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by structural remodeling, contractile dysfunction, and AF progression. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) influence acetylation of both histones and cytosolic proteins, thereby mediating epigenetic regulation and influencing cell proteostasis. Because the exact function of HDACs in AF is unknown, we investigated their role in experimental and clinical AF models.

Left ventricular myxoma producing cardiac failure.

Introduction: Seventy-five percent of primary cardiac tumors are benign, and most are myxomas. Seventy-five percent of myxomas originate from the left atrium, and 2.5% arise from the left ventricle.

Apoptotic vascular smooth muscle cell depletion via BCL2 family of proteins in human ascending aortic aneurysm and dissection.

Aims: This study investigates the expression patterns of BCL2 (B-cell CLL/lymphoma2) family of proteins and the extent of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis in thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), type-A aortic dissections (TAD), and nondilated ascending aortic samples.

Methods: Aortic wall specimens were obtained from patients undergoing surgical repair for TAA (n = 24), TAD (n = 20), and normal aortic tissues from organ donors (n = 6). The expression pattern of BCL2, BCL2L1 (BCL2-like1), BAK1 (BCL2-antagonist/killer1), and BAX (BCL2-associated X protein) proteins was investigated by immunohistochemistry.

The efficacies of modified mechanical post conditioning on myocardial protection for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with cardioplegic cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is associated with myocardial injury. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a modified mechanical post-conditioning (MMPOC) technique has a myocardial protective effect by enhancing early metabolic recovery of the heart following revascularization.

Methods: A prospective, randomized trial was conducted at a single-center university hospital performing adult cardiac surgery.

Correlation between the functional impairment of bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells and the extend of coronary artery disease.

Background: Bone marrow-derived circulating progenitor cells (BM-CPCs) in patients with coronary heart disease are impaired with respect to number and functional activity. However, the relation between the functional activity of BM-CPCs and the number of diseased coronary arteries is yet not known. We analyzed the influence of the number of diseased coronary arteries on the functional activity of BM-CPCs in peripheral blood (PB) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Stem cell mediated cardiovascular repair.

Recent increase in the interest in stem and progenitor cells may be attributed to their behavioural characteristics. A consensus has been reached that embryonic or adult stem cells have therapeutic potential. As cardiovascular health issues are still the major culprits in many developed countries, stem and progenitor cell driven approaches may give the clinicians a new arsenal to tackle many significant health issues.

Effects of preoperative short term use of atorvastatin on endothelial progenitor cells after coronary surgery: a randomized, controlled trial.

Objectives: We investigated the effects of short-term use of atorvastatin on CD34+/VEGF-R2+/CD133+/CD45- endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) count after on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).

Methods: Between Feb-2010 and May-2010, we randomly assigned, in a placebo-controlled, double-blind study, 60 consecutive patients who underwent isolated, first-time CABG to receive either 14-day atorvastatin (40 mg/day) or placebo preoperatively. Urgent CABG and recent myocardial infarction were excluded.

Thrombotic gene polymorphisms and postoperative outcome after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Background: Emerging perioperative genomics may influence the direction of risk assessment and surgical strategies in cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) affect the clinical presentation and predispose to increased risk for postoperative adverse events in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG).

Methods: A total of 220 patients undergoing first-time CABG between January 2005 and May 2008 were screened for factor V gene G1691A (FVL), prothrombin/factor II G20210A (PT G20210A), angiotensin I-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE-ins/del) polymorphisms by PCR and Real Time PCR.

Validation of the EuroSCORE risk models in Turkish adult cardiac surgical population.

Objective: The aim of this study was to validate additive and logistic European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) models on Turkish adult cardiac surgical population.

Methods: TurkoSCORE project involves a reliable web-based database to build up Turkish risk stratification models. Current patient population consisted of 9443 adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery between 2005 and 2010.

[Clinical outcome and factors affecting surgical decision for repair versus replacement in patients with mitral regurgitation].

Objective: We aimed to identify characteristics differentiating patients undergoing mitral valve replacement versus valve repair for mitral regurgitation (MR) and to investigate retrospectively mid-term clinical and functional outcomes.

Methods: From January, 2004 to January, 2009 146 patients underwent mitral valve surgery (62 male / 84 female; age: 55.9+/-13.

Vacuum-assisted closure and bilateral pectoralis muscle flaps for different stages of mediastinitis after cardiac surgery.

Purpose: To assess the results of bilateral pectoralis major muscle flaps (BPMMF) and vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) at different stages of postcardiac surgery mediastinitis.

Methods: Of 65 patients with a deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) after cardiac surgery, 33 with a stable sternum were treated with VAC (59.3 +/- 11.

Five-year follow-up after transepicardial implantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells to ungraftable coronary territories for patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Objective: Cell therapy for patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy (IC) is still an open issue. We aimed to assess the long-term safety and therapeutic potency of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell (ABMMNC) implantation into ungraftable coronary artery (UCA) territories in patients with IC.

Methods: Bone marrow was aspirated from the iliac crest, and transepicardial ABMMNC implantation (n=25, 24 men, aged 57+/-7 years) as an adjunct to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was performed into an area of reversible ischaemia within the territory of UCA (1.

Timing of induction of cardiomyocyte differentiation for in vitro cultured mesenchymal stem cells: a perspective for emergencies.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the capacity to differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, adipocytes, myocytes, and cardiomyocytes. Several established methods are presently available for in vitro isolation of MSCs from bone marrow. However, the duration necessary to culture them can be a major handicap to cell-based therapies needed for such urgent cardiovascular conditions as acute myocardial infarction and acute hindlimb ischemia.

Failing heart; remodel, replace or repair?

In the era of proton-antiproton collisions, stem cell field has emerged as the newly recognized protons of regenerative medicine. Great interest and enthusiasm were depending on their behavioral difference such as self-renewal, clonogenicity and differentiation into functional progeny that may become vehicles for regenerative medicine. Although progress has evolved dramatically strategies using stem-cell-driven cardiac regeneration involve extremely complex and dynamic molecular mechanisms.

Biotechnology and stem cell research: a glance into the future.

The present review addresses the issues related to innovative contributions in biotechnology and their potential role in stem cell research at present and in the future. We can expect that future developments and applications in biotechnological sciences and industry will effect the direction of emerging cellular therapies. The use of these advances may offer a unique opportunity to investigate the mechanisms related to the journey from embryonic cells or bone-marrow derived stem/progenitor cells to cardiomyocytes or endothelial cells and the molecular regulators of cell differentiation.