A case of primary aldosteronism with excessive secretion of renin that was unmasked by kidney transplantation.

A 42-year-old man showed marked hypokalemia after kidney transplantation. He was diagnosed with hypertension and suffered from acute myocardial infarction at 33 and 38 years of age. At 40 years of age, hemodialysis was introduced.

Verification of the effect of acquisition time for SwiftScan on quantitative bone single-photon emission computed tomography using an anthropomorphic phantom.

Background: SwiftScan single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a recently released scanning technique with data acquired when the detector is stationary and when it moves from one view to the next. The influence of scan time for using SwiftScan on quantitative bone SPECT remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the effect of the scan time for SwiftScan SPECT on the image quality and quantification of bone SPECT compared to step and shoot mode (SSM) using Tc-filled anthropomorphic phantom (SIM bone phantom).

MRI diffusion-weighted imaging detects a fresh portal vein thrombus as a high intensity lesion in a patient with a liver transplant: A case report.

Portal vein thrombosis is one of the most serious complications after liver transplantation. It is important to determine the age of the thrombus for management of portal vein thrombosis. We present a case report of histologically confirmed heterogenous fresh portal vein thrombus which was depicted heterogenous high signal intensity on magnetic resonance diffusion weighted imaging.

High Signal Intensity on Diffusion-Weighted Images Reflects Acute Phase of Deep Vein Thrombus.

The effects of antithrombotic therapy on deep vein thrombosis (DVT) can be affected by thrombus age, which cannot be reliably determined by noninvasive imaging modalities. We investigated whether magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can localize and determine the age of venous thrombus in patients with DVT, animal models, and human blood in vitro. Signal intensity (SI) on DWI and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of thrombi were assessed in eight patients with DVT using a 1.

Therapeutic response of immunoglobulin 4-related aortitis and pancreatitis demonstrated by diffusion-weighted MRI.

Immunoglobulin (IgG) 4-related disease is a systemic inflammatory disease, and it affects vascular system as aortitis, periaortitis, or aneurysm. However, due to a lack of serum biomarker on aortic damage and the multiorgan involvement, it is difficult to assess aortic inflammatory activity of IgG4-related disease. We described a case of IgG4-related pancreatitis and aortitis, which was visualized with magnetic resonance merged image of diffusion weighted and T weighted images.

Coronary high-signal-intensity plaques on T-weighted magnetic resonance imaging reflect intraplaque hemorrhage.

Coronary high-signal-intensity plaques (HIPs) detected by T-weighted magnetic resonance imaging are associated with future cardiovascular events. This study aimed to identify pathological findings reflecting HIPs in coronary arteries obtained from autopsy cases. Formalin-fixed hearts were imaged with noncontrast T-weighted imaging with a 1.

Multiple Liver Abscesses with a Skin Pustule due to Chromobacterium violaceum.

A 69-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaints of fever and fatigue. We initially treated the patient for a tick-borne disease after noticing a pustule on her leg; however, abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed multiple low-density areas in the liver and Chromobacterium violaceum was isolated from a blood culture. We diagnosed her with multiple liver abscesses secondary to Chromobacterium violaceum bacteremia.

Impact of age-dependent adventitia inflammation on structural alteration of abdominal aorta in hyperlipidemic mice.

Background: The adventitia is suggested to contribute to vascular remodeling; however, the site-selective inflammatory responses in association with the development of atherosclerosis remain to be elucidated.

Methods And Results: Wild-type or apolipoprotein E knockout male C57BL/6J background mice were fed standard chow for 16, 32, and 52 weeks, and the morphology of the aortic arch, descending aorta, and abdominal aorta was compared. Atheromatous plaque formation progressed with age, particularly in the aortic arch and abdominal aorta but not in the descending aorta.

Association between adiponectin production in coronary circulation and future cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease.

Adiponectin has antiatherosclerotic properties and is also produced in the local coronary circulation. We previously reported that significantly less adiponectin was produced in the coronary circulation of patients with than without coronary artery disease (CAD). The goal of this study was to determine whether adiponectin production in the coronary circulation could predict future cardiovascular events in patients with CAD.

Different distribution of pentraxin 3 and C-reactive protein in coronary atherosclerotic plaques.

Aim: To understand the differences between histopathological characteristics related to PTX3 (pentraxin 3) and CRP (C-reactive protein) in coronary atherosclerotic plaques.

Methods And Results: To assess the localization of PTX3 and CRP in coronary plaque, immunohistochemistry was performed using 157 coronary artery specimens from 45 autopsied cases. Overall, immunoreactivity to CRP was more intense than that to PTX3 in lipid rich plaque; however, PTX3 was notably abundant in areas of intraplaque hemorrhage, in which CRP was quite sparse.

Inhibition of development of abdominal aortic aneurysm by glycolysis restriction.

Objective: The mechanisms underlying abdominal aortic aneurysm development remain unknown. We hypothesized that acceleration of glucose metabolism with the upregulation of glucose transporters is associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm development.

Methods And Results: Enhanced accumulation of the modified glucose analogue 18 fluoro-deoxyglucose by positron emission tomography imaging in the human abdominal aortic aneurysm was associated with protein expressions of glucose transporters-1 and -3, assessed by Western blot.

Sarcoidosis manifesting as cardiac sarcoidosis and massive splenomegaly.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. We report an unusual case of sarcoidosis in a woman presenting with cardiac sarcoidosis and massive splenomegaly with a familial history of cardiac sarcoidosis. Cardiac sarcoidosis was diagnosed based on electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, 18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) and skin histological findings.

Clinical features and outcomes of eosinophilic myocarditis patients treated with prednisolone at a single institution over a 27-year period.

Background: Eosinophilic myocarditis is a rare clinical entity characterized by eosinophilia and myocardial inflammation with infiltrating eosinophils. The prognosis of patients with eosinophilic myocarditis is difficult to determine due the disease's rarity and varied causes; consequently, standard treatment has not been established.

Objective: To elucidate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of eosinophilic myocarditis, we retrospectively studied 7 patients fulfilling the criteria of the Japanese Circulation Society for eosinophilic myocarditis from among 64 patients admitted to our institution with eosinophilia over a 27-year period.

Associations of plasma pentraxin 3 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 concentrations with cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Both pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) are mediators of inflammation. They also appear to play critical roles in vascular endothelial dysfunction but their associations with cardiorenal syndrome remain largely unknown. The objective of this study was to examine their associations with cardiorenal syndrome.

Repeated sirolimus-eluting stent implantation to treat sirolimus-eluting stent and bare-metal stent restenosis.

Background: In-stent restenosis (ISR) remains a persistent, unresolved issue even in the era of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using drug-eluting stents. The present study compares the clinical and angiographic outcomes of using sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) for re-intervention against ISR that was originally treated with sirolimus-eluting or bare-metal (BMS) stents.

Methods And Results: This prospective single-center registry investigated 179 ISR lesions in 158 consecutive patients (53 lesions in 49, and 126 in 109 patients originally treated with SES and BMS, respectively), who had undergone re-intervention with SES.

Stromal cell biology--a way to understand the evolution of cardiovascular diseases.

Stromal cells, composed of fibroblasts, microvascular endothelial cells, immune cells and inflammatory cells, are critical determinants of the mechanical properties and function of the heart and vasculature, and the mechanisms whereby these types of cells are activated are important to understand the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Emerging studies have suggested that the activation of autocrine and paracrine signaling pathways by stromal cell-derived growth factors, cytokines and bioactive molecules contributes to disease progression. Disruption of the stromal network will result in alterations in the geometry and function in these organs.

Plasma Pentraxin 3, but not high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, is a useful inflammatory biomarker for predicting cognitive impairment in elderly hypertensive patients.

Background: Due to the increasing longevity of human populations worldwide, there is need of a useful biomarker for the early detection of cognitive impairment in elderly persons. Both high blood pressure (BP) and inflammatory processes have been reported to be involved in cognitive impairment via cerebrovascular atherosclerosis or neuronal cell damage.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 210 ambulatory elderly hypertensive patients without clinically evident dementia (mean age: 74 years; 44% men), we measured 24-hour BP, circulatory pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, and cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]).