EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF URINE PO2 PERI-PROCEDURAL KINETICS AND CI-AKI PROGNOSTIC ABILITIES IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING PCI.

Novel contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) biomarkers are needed to detect earlier and with greater precision the pathophysiological changes in renal medulla associated with kidney damage. We prospectively assessed the kinetics of urine oxygen tension (PO2) in control healthy individuals, and its prognostic ability for CI-AKI in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We enrolled 202 consecutive patients (78% men, mean age 66±10 years) treated with elective or urgent PCI.

Coronary Artery Ectasia as an Autoimmune Disease Paradigm in a Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study.

Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as local or generalized aneurysmal dilatation of the coronary arteries. CAE likely represents an exaggerated form of excessive vascular wall remodeling in different clinical settings such as atherosclerosis, vasculitides, connective tissue disorders, hereditary collagen defects, bacterial infections, and congenital malformations. In the present case-control study, we investigated whether the incidental finding of CAE in patients who undergo coronary angiography is associated with presence of autoimmune reactivity.

Epidemiology and Management of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension in Greece. Real-World Data from the Hellenic Pulmonary Hypertension Registry (HOPE).

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare disease with poor prognosis if left untreated, characterized by pulmonary vascular bed obstruction due to unresolving thromboembolic material. The Hellenic pulmonary hypertension registry (HOPE) was launched in Greece in early 2015 and enrolls patients from all pulmonary hypertension subgroups in Greece. In total, 98 patients with CTEPH were enrolled from January 2015 until November 2019.

Comparison of novel LDL cholesterol equations in myocardial infarction patients: Clinical impact on risk re-classification and lipid treatment goals on secondary prevention.

Background And Aims: Numerous low-density lipoprotein (LDL) calculating equations for more accurate estimation have emerged. With the present study, we assessed the clinical impact of implementing novel equations in terms of risk reclassification and LDL treatment goals in myocardial infarction (MI) patients.

Methods: This was a post-hoc analysis of a prospective acute MI cohort study.

Application of 17 Contrast-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Risk Prediction Models.

Introduction: Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is a frequent complication of percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Various groups have developed and validated risk scores for CI-AKI. Although the majority of these risk scores achieve an adequate accuracy, their usability in clinical practice is limited and greatly debated.

Effect of Sacubitril/Valsartan on circulating catecholamine levels during a 6-month follow-up in heart failure patients. Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes?

We assessed the effect of Sacubitril/Valsartan on circulating catecholamine levels in patients with HF in an observational cohort study. We included 108 consecutive HF patients attending our HF Outpatients Clinic who were eligible to Sacubitril/Valsartan according to the PARADIGM-HF inclusion and exclusion criteria. We furthermore included 58 stable HF patients under optimal medical therapy as a control group.

Long-term impact of acute kidney injury on prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Little evidence exists regarding the long-term impact of acute kidney injury (AKI) during index hospitalisation for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We prospectively assessed the long-term prognostic significance of the occurrence of in-hospital AKI in a multicentre cohort of patients admitted with AMI.

Methods: Data were obtained from 518 AMI patients with a median follow-up of 5.

Novel echocardiographic prognostic markers for cardiac tamponade in patients with large malignant pericardial effusions: A paradigm shift from flow to tissue imaging.

Background: With this study, we sought to investigate the prognostic value of echocardiographic tissue imaging markers in predicting tamponade among patients with large malignant pericardial effusion compared to routinely used echocardiographic signs.

Methods: A total of 96 consecutive patients with large malignant pericardial effusion, not in clinical cardiac tamponade, underwent an echocardiographic examination and were prospectively assessed for 1 month. Clinically evident cardiac tamponade was considered as the study endpoint.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and TSP-1-derived heparin-binding peptides induce promyelocytic leukemia cell differentiation and apoptosis.

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a multifunctional adhesive glycoprotein that is synthesized by several cell types and modulates cell growth and differentiation. In this study, we showed that the amount of TSP-1 secreted by two human leukemia cell lines, HL-60 and NB4, increased markedly during differentiation of these cells by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) (10(-7) M), reaching about 100 ng/10(6) cells after 3 days. Addition of purified TSP-1 alone (10(-9)-5 x 10(-8) M) to HL-60 or NB4 cell cultures dose-dependently inhibited cell growth and differentiation.

Endothelial metalloprotease-disintegrin protein (ADAM) is implicated in angiogenesis in vitro.

Recently two metalloproteinase, disintegrin, cysteine proteins (MDCs), also called ADAMs were identified on endothelial cells. However the role of these ADAMs are not defined on these cells. In order to elucidate whether ADAMs associated with endothelial cells could be involved in angiogenesis, we have tested the effect of an inhibitor of ADAM (GL 129471) in models of angiogenesis in vitro.

Apigenin inhibits endothelial-cell proliferation in G(2)/M phase whereas it stimulates smooth-muscle cells by inhibiting P21 and P27 expression.

Apigenin is a plant flavonoid that is thought to play a role in the prevention of carcinogenesis. However, its mechanism of action has not yet been elucidated. Because of the importance of angiogenesis in tumor growth, we investigated the effect of apigenin on endothelial and smooth-muscle cells in an in vitro model.

Urokinase localization and activity in isolated eosinophils.

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator is implicated in cell invasion and migration. In this study, we provide evidence for the presence of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (3.5 +/- 1.

Modulation of endothelial cells fibrinolytic activity by platelets.

Interaction between endothelial cells (EC) and platelets in culture was shown to regulate the fibrinolytic system of the aortic EC. Untreated porcine EC from aorta exhibited almost no net fibrinolytic activity and zymographic assay have shown a single fibrin lysis band of 105 kDa corresponding to a tPA-PAI complex. Incubation of aortic EC with intact platelets stimulated a cell-associated fibrinolytic activity of the urokinase type as evidenced by a plasminogen-dependent fibrin independent amidolytic activity, and the appearance of a new 48 kDa lysis band on zymography.

[Secretion of plasminogen activators and their inhibitors in corneal fibroblasts. Modification of this secretion in Schnyder's lens corneal dystrophy].

In this study, we have shown that the secretion of plasminogen activators (PA) by corneal fibroblasts from Schnyder dystrophy is much lower than that secreted by normal corneal fibroblasts. This defective secretion of PA was noted both in the supernatant of cell culture and on the cell surface. This anomaly is found in cultured fibroblasts and therefore is not related to environment modification.

Production of proteases type plasminogen activator and their inhibitor in cornea.

Corneal epithelial cells secrete tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), urokinase type plasminogen activator (u-PA) and their inhibitor (PAI), whereas these cell types in other tissues are known to secrete only u-PA hitherto. Endothelial cells in the cornea produce mostly u-PA and only small amounts of t-PA and PAI which remain confined in the cellular compartment contrary to the situation in the vascular endothelial cells where they are liberated into the circulation in the order PAI greater than t-PA greater than U-PA. These unique features of activator/inhibitor secretion and production may play an important role in the remodeling of the corneal matrix.

High frequency of plasminogen activator secretion by malignant human lymphoid cell lines of T-cell type origin.

Diffuse defibrination is rarely observed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Clinical and immunologic data suggest that it is more likely to occur in T cell derived ALL. The current investigation involved the secretion of plasminogen activators (PA) of tissue type (t-PA) or urokinase type (U-PA) by testing supernatants of 21 permanent human leukemic cell lines originating from various hematopoietic lineages and one induced lymphoblastoid cell line.

Plasminogen activator in mammalian skeletal muscle: characteristics of effect of denervation on urokinase-like and tissue activator.

Analyses were made of the fibrinolytic, plasminogen-activating system in skeletal muscle to determine if a regulating influence of the nerve could be detected on these enzymes. Young male mice underwent right sciatic neurectomy. Extracts were prepared from denervated muscle at 2-17 d after axotomy and compared with controls.

Analogy between fibrinogen and casein. Effect of an undecapeptide isolated from kappa-casein on platelet function.

A large number of similarities have previously been noted between the blood and milk clotting phenomena [Jollès, P. (1975) Mol. Cell.

Interactions of platelets with standard heparin and low molecular weight fractions.

The availability of fibrinogen receptors on platelets after ADP stimulation, was investigated in order to analyze platelet hyperaggregability induced by heparin. Unfractionated heparin increased the binding of fibrinogen on ADP-treated platelets. The results varied according to both the donor platelets and the kind of heparin preparation used.

Fibrinogen binding on human platelets. Influence of different heparins and of pentosane polysulfate.

Unfractionated heparin increased the binding of fibrinogen on ADP-treated platelets. The results varied according to both, the platelets of the donor and the kind of heparin preparation used. Beef lung heparin was more active than porcine intestinal mucosa heparin (p less than 0.