Transcatheter coil embolization for large pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae through an artificial tricuspid ball valve.

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistulae (PAFs) occur congenitally or are acquired. A PAF can cause hypoxemia, sudden death from rupture, abscess formation, and embolism. Treatment for PAF is transcatheter embolization or surgery.

Aortic Regurgitation Presenting with Recurrent Detachment of a Prosthetic Valve, as the First Presenting Symptom of Cardiovascular Behçet's Disease.

A 33-year-old man with severe aortic regurgitation underwent initial aortic valve replacement (AVR). During the 2 years after AVR, 3 reoperations for prosthetic valve detachment were required. During hospitalization, he had no typical clinical findings, with the exception of a persistent inflammatory reaction; a pseudo-aneurysm around the Bentall graft developed 27 days after the 4th operation.

Failing Left Ventricles Have an Enhanced Post-Stimulation Potentiation Despite Their Impaired Force Frequency Relationship.

The left ventricular contractile force (LV dP/dtmax) of patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction does not increase effectively with an increase in heart rate. In other words, their force-frequency relationship (FFR) is impaired. However, it is unknown whether a longer coupling interval subsequent to tachycardia causes a stronger contraction (poststimulation potentiation, PSP) in a rate-dependent manner.

Elevated Endomyocardial Biopsy Macrophage-Related Markers in Intractable Myocardial Diseases.

Tissue macrophages can be activated by endogenous danger signals released from cells that are stressed or injured, leading to infiltration of inflammatory macrophages and neutrophils. We postulated that macrophage-related markers might be closely associated with the existence of endogenous danger signals, reflecting ongoing tissue injury in the absence of foreign substances. This study was designed to assess the ability of macrophage-related markers in endomyocardial biopsies to predict ongoing cardiac injury in non-inflammatory myocardial diseases.

Liver congestion in heart failure contributes to inappropriately increased serum hepcidin despite anemia.

Hepcidin is a key regulator of mammalian iron metabolism and mainly produced by the liver. Hepcidin excess causes iron deficiency and anemia by inhibiting iron absorption from the intestine and iron release from macrophage stores. Anemia is frequently complicated with heart failure.

Electrical transport properties of small diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes aligned on ST-cut quartz substrates.

A method is introduced to isolate and measure the electrical transport properties of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) aligned on an ST-cut quartz, from room temperature down to 2 K. The diameter and chirality of the measured SWNTs are accurately defined from Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). A significant up-shift in the G-band of the resonance Raman spectra of the SWNTs is observed, which increases with increasing SWNTs diameter, and indicates a strong interaction with the quartz substrate.

Relative refractoriness of left ventricular contraction underlies human tachycardia-induced mechanical and electrical alternans.

Background: Mechanical alternans (MA) and electrical alternans (EA) are predictors of cardiac events. Experimental studies have suggested that refractoriness of calcium cycling underlies these cardiac alternans. However, refractoriness of left ventricular contraction has not been examined in patients with cardiac alternans.

A mutant mRNA expression in an endomyocardial biopsy sample obtained from a patient with a cardiac variant of Fabry disease caused by a novel acceptor splice site mutation in the invariant AG of intron 5 of the α-galactosidase A gene.

We herein describe the case of a 58-year-old man who presented with dilated-phase hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and required an implantable cardioverter defibrillator implant. Subsequently, the patient was diagnosed with Fabry disease (FD), which was suspected based on the results of an endomyocardial biopsy and diagnosed following demonstration of deficient α-galactosidase A (GLA) activity. Molecular studies showed a novel point mutation in the 3' splice site consensus sequence of intron 5 in the gene encoding GLA that created a new splicing site, resulting in the expression of mutant mRNA.

Effects of the tulobuterol patch on the treatment of acute asthma exacerbations in young children.

The tulobuterol patch (TP) is a beta(2)-adrenergic agonist with a favorable pharmacokinetic profile used for asthma management in Japan. Because it contains tulobuterol in a molecular, crystallized form that is gradually absorbed percutaneously, TP exerts a prolonged bronchodilator effect exceeding 24 hours. Although it is a well-established treatment for asthma and wheezing, few studies have investigated whether it can reduce or prevent the symptoms associated with upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in young children.

Effects of nutritional supplementation combined with low-intensity exercise in malnourished patients with COPD.

Study Objectives: The first aim of this study was to investigate the effects of nutritional supplementation combined with low-intensity exercise on body components, exercise tolerance, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in malnourished patients with COPD. The second aim of this study was to examine the degree of systemic inflammation and the actual changes in levels of systemic CRP, TNFα, IL-6 and IL-8 actual changes after a combination of nutritional supplementation and low-intensity exercise in these patients.

Design: A prospective randomized trial.

Clustering trend of components of metabolic syndrome.

Hereby we report our observations derived from the study of a huge cross-sectional sample of the general population that metabolic risk factors (RFs) tend to cluster into metabolic syndrome (MS). The clustering trend was considered to be intensified with 4-5 RFs.

Cardiovascular risk factors are really linked in the metabolic syndrome: this phenomenon suggests clustering rather than coincidence.

Background: The accumulation of cardiovascular risk factors can be seen in a single person but it needs to be determined if this occurs more frequently than might be explained by mere coincidence.

Methods: This study involved 119,412 adults: 41,819 males and 77,593 females, who were 40 years of age or older and who underwent an annual health examination. From the clinical and biochemical data, the actual prevalence of a combination of 3 or more factors: abnormal body mass index (> or =25.

Bovine 5-oxo-L-prolinase: simple assay method, purification, cDNA cloning, and detection of mRNA in the coronary artery.

RS-7897 is a novel antianginal nitrate containing an L-2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTCA) and unlike other organic nitrates does not induce nitrate tolerance. OTCA is known to be converted to L-cysteine (L-Cys) by rat 5-oxo-prolinase (5-OPase) and was detected in the plasma of RS-7897-treated dogs. Nitrate tolerance is considered to develop mainly through sulfhydryl depletion.

Clear cell carcinoma arising in a cesarean section scar. Report of a case with fine needle aspiration cytology.

Background: Clear cell carcinoma arising in a cesarean section scar is an extremely rare disease. To the best of our knowledge, there is no published report on the aspiration cytology.

Case: A 56-year-old woman presented with a mass in a cesarean section scar.

Roles of FcgammaRIIB in nasal eosinophilia and IgE production in murine allergic rhinitis.

The low-affinity IgG Fc receptor, FcgammaRIIB, displays inhibitory potential in experimental models such as autoimmune diseases. However, whether this receptor is involved in the onset of allergic diseases remains unknown. This study examines the role of FcgammaRIIB in the initiation of allergic rhinitis in mice.

Descending aorta to carotid bypass for takayasu arteritis as a redo operation.

In Takayasu arteritis recurrent brain ischemia, due to bypass graft failure, is frequent. Redo bypass grafting from the ascending aorta may be at risk if a failing but patent graft that is critical for brain blood flow is present, because partial clamping the ascending aorta may disturb graft flow if the ascending aorta is short. We report such a patient who successfully underwent redo bypass grafting from the descending aorta.

Preparation and characterization of silica-pillared derivatives from kanemite.

The silica-pillared derivatives from kanemite (NaHSi(2)O(5).3H(2)O) were prepared by intercalation of dialkyldimethylammonium (DADMA) ion and pillaring with tetraethylorthosilicate. The formation of silica pillars between the silicate sheets was demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, (29)Si CP/MAS NMR, and TEM observation.

Involvement of adenosine A2 receptors in the changes of tissue factor-dependent coagulant activity induced by polymorphonuclear leukocytes in endothelial cells.

We have already reported that polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) could increase tissue factor-dependent coagulant activity (TF activity) in endothelial cells mediated by adhesion of PMNs to endothelial cells. In the present study, the role of adenosine receptors in the changes of TF activity and of adhesion between PMNs and endothelial cells was examined. The increases of the TF activity and adhesion were significantly reduced in a concentration-dependent manner by pretreatment of adenosine (0.

[Functional and urodynamic characteristics in patients with ileal neobladder].

We analyzed the functional and urodynamic characteristics in 19 patients with ileal neobladder by the Hautmann procedure. A questionnaire survey by mail was performed for functional information of neobladder. Seventeen of the 19 patients (89.