An Unusual Case of Paroxysmal Third-Degree Atrioventricular Block: Thinking Outside the Box.

During the assessment of a third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block in a patient with syncope, different etiologies should be considered and evaluated. Extrinsic vagal paroxysmal AV block, extrinsic idiopathic AV block and intrinsic paroxysmal AV block are among the types of third-degree AV block in the differential diagnoses. Extrinsic vagal paroxysmal third-degree atrioventricular block (EV-AVB) is linked to parasympathetic influence on cardiac conduction and can be observed in bladder distention and urinary retention.

Association between off-label use of drug-eluting stents and subsequent stent thrombosis: a case-control analysis.

Objectives: We sought to examine the association between off-label drug-eluting stent (DES) use and stent thrombosis (ST) in unselected patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: DES are frequently used in clinical and angiographic scenarios not initially tested and approved by the FDA (off-label use) resulting in lingering concerns about the higher risk of ST in these situations.

Methods: Out of 5,383 patients undergoing PCI at a single center between 2004 and 2006, 380 had death or myocardial infarction within 1 year.

Endothelial cell activation in patients with decompensated heart failure.

Background: Vascular endothelial functions, other than nitric oxide (NO)-mediated control of vasomotor tone, are poorly characterized in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Veins and arteries are exposed to the same circulating proinflammatory mediators in patients with CHF. The present study tested whether endothelial cell activation occurs in veins of patients with decompensated CHF and whether activation, if present, subsides with return to a clinically compensated state.

Biopsy coupled to quantitative immunofluorescence: a new method to study the human vascular endothelium.

Limited availability of endothelial tissue is a major constraint when investigating the cellular mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction in patients with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. We propose a novel approach that combines collection of 200-1,000 endothelial cells from a superficial forearm vein or the radial artery, with reliable measurements of protein expression by quantitative immunofluorescence analysis. This method was validated against immunoblot analysis in cultured endothelial cells.