CMR reveals myocardial damage from cardiotoxic oncologic therapies in breast cancer patients.

Background: Breast cancer is a common and increasingly treatable disease. However, survivors have a significantly elevated risk of cardiac events afterwards. This study aimed to characterise cardiac changes during cardiotoxic cancer therapy using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging.

Myocardial strain characteristics and outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Background: Objective of this study was to make an assessment of standard functional and defor-mation parameters (strain) in patients after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and the evaluation of their prognostic impact.

Methods: Patients undergoing TAVR received CMR on a 1.5 T whole-body scanner at 3 months after the procedure.

Longitudinal strain assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance correlates to hemodynamic findings in patients with severe aortic stenosis and predicts positive remodeling after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Aims: To assess left-ventricular strain parameters before and after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) by feature tracking cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (FT CMR) and to correlate the findings to hemodynamic state and left-ventricular remodeling.

Methods And Results: Patients with symptomatic AS underwent FT CMR before and after TAVR. Patients were carefully evaluated by a comprehensive work-up including CMR, echocardiography and left and right heart catheterization.

On the influence of respiratory motion in radial tissue phase mapping cardiac MRI.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of respiratory motion on radial tissue phase mapping (TPM) measurements, and to improve image quality and scan efficiency without compromising velocity fidelity by increasing the respiratory acceptance window with and without motion correction.

Materials And Methods: A radial golden angle TPM sequence was measured in 10 healthy volunteers in three short axis slices at 3T. Ungated ( CFREE), self-gated with a single acceptance window ( CREF), motion-corrected averaging using all ( CMCall), or selected ( CMC) data reconstructions were compared by means of various image quality measures and resulting velocities.

Non-contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography is equal to contrast-enhanced multislice computed tomography for correct aortic sizing before transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Correct sizing of the aortic annulus in aortic valve stenosis is crucial for successful transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) seems to be most promising imaging modality for this pre-interventional diagnostic work-up, but has the disadvantage of exposing mostly co-morbid patients to iodine and nephrotoxic contrast agents. To establish a useful sizing method for TAVI without the use of contrast media, we compared measurements of a non-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique with MSCT serving as the reference standard.

Improvement of regional and global left ventricular function in magnetic resonance imaging after recanalization of true coronary chronic total occlusions.

Background: Successful recanalization of true chronic total occlusion (CTO) has been linked to a decrease in cardiac mortality. We evaluated the effect of CTO recanalization on LVEF and regional wall motion using paired cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) studies.

Methods And Results: 43 patients underwent contrast enhanced cMRI prior to and 9 months after successful recanalization of a true CTO defined as thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow 0 and duration of occlusion of more than 3 months.

Impact of cell number and microvascular obstruction in patients with bone-marrow derived cell therapy: final results from the randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled intracoronary Stem Cell therapy in patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (SCAMI) trial.

Background: In patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the number of transplanted autologous bone-marrow cells (BMC) has been linked to improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Complete obstruction of myocardial microvasculature is indicated by microvascular obstruction (MO) in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). We analyzed whether the number of transplanted cells and presence of MO were associated with improved LVEF in the double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized intracoronary Stem Cell therapy in patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (SCAMI) trial.

Myocardial perfusion reserve assessed by T2-prepared steady-state free precession blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging in comparison to fractional flow reserve.

Background: Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has been shown to be able to detect myocardial perfusion differences. However, validation of BOLD CMR against fractional flow reserve (FFR) is lacking. The aim of our study was to analyze the potential diagnostic accuracy of BOLD CMR in comparison to invasively measured FFR, which served as gold standard for a hemodynamic significant coronary lesion.

C-peptide promotes lesion development in a mouse model of arteriosclerosis.

Patients with insulin resistance and early type 2 diabetes exhibit an increased propensity to develop a diffuse and extensive pattern of arteriosclerosis. Typically, these patients show elevated serum levels of the proinsulin cleavage product C-peptide and immunohistochemical data from our group revealed C-peptide deposition in early lesions of these individuals. Moreover, in vitro studies suggest that C-peptide could promote atherogenesis.

Direct inhibitory effects of Ganciclovir on ICAM-1 expression and proliferation in human coronary vascular cells (SI/MPL-ratio: >1).

Background: Treatment of the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection with ganciclovir has beneficial indirect effects on the complex interactions of HCMV with restenosis, atherosclerosis, and transplant vascular sclerosis. The current study reports on direct effects of ganciclovir on expression of ICAM-1 and cell proliferation, key events of coronary atherosclerosis/restenosis. A potential clinical relevance of the data will be evaluated with the help of SI/MPL-ratio's.

Prognostic significance of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging: Update 2010.

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has become an indispensible imaging technique for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cardiovascular diseases. Technical advances in the past have rendered CMR unique in the evaluation of cardiovascular anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology due to its unique ability to produce high resolution tomographic images of the human heart and vessels in any arbitrary orientation, with soft tissue contrast that is superior to competing imaging modalities without the use of ionizing radiation. CMR imaging is the gold standard for assessing left and right ventricular function and for detecting myocardial tissue abnormalities like edema, infarction, or scars.

Pulsed perfusion in a venous human organ culture model with a Windkessel function (pulsed perfusion venous HOC-model).

Background: The effectiveness of human saphenous vein grafting is limited by hyperplasia of the vessel wall. The current paper reports on a pulsed perfused venous human organ culture model (pp-venous HOC-model) with a Windkessel function.

Material/methods: Saphenous vein grafts from 21 patients undergoing coronary bypass grafting were cultured either in venous or arterial hemodynamic conditions.

Myocardial scar extent evaluated by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in ICD patients: relationship to spontaneous VT during long-term follow-up.

Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy have an increased risk for ventricular arrhythmia, since myocardial infarction can be the substrate for re-entrant arrhythmias. Contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has proven to reliably quantify myocardial infarction. Aim of our study was to evaluate correlations between functional and contrast-enhanced CMR findings and spontaneous ventricular tachy-arrhythmias in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy who underwent implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy.

Prevalence of myocardial scar in patients with cryptogenic cerebral ischemic events and patent foramen ovale.

Objectives: This study sought to evaluate the prevalence of subclinical myocardial infarctions with cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) after cryptogenic cerebral ischemic events.

Background: A thrombotic mass passing a PFO may embolize in cerebral but also in coronary arteries, resulting in both cerebral and myocardial ischemic events. CMRI with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) analysis is the most sensitive imaging technique to detect small myocardial infarctions.

Valproic acid inhibits proliferation of human coronary vascular cells (SI/MPL-ratio: 0.5): a novel candidate for systemic and local therapy of postinterventional restenosis.

Objectives: The branched-chain fatty acid, valproic acid (VPA), is the most commonly used anti-epileptic drug for treating generalized epilepsy. Recently antiproliferative effects of VPA have been described in human cancer cells, and phase I trials for the treatment of solid tumors have been initiated. In cardiologic patients, increased cell proliferation and migration from the media into the subendothelial space are the key events causing restenosis after coronary angioplasty and stenting.

Glucagon-like peptide-1(1-37) inhibits chemokine-induced migration of human CD4-positive lymphocytes.

The present study examined the effect of GLP-1(1-37) on chemokine-induced CD4-positive lymphocyte migration as an early and critical step in atherogenesis. Pretreatment with GLP-1(1-37) reduced the SDF-induced migration of isolated human CD4-positive lymphocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. Similar effects were seen when RANTES was used as a chemokine.

Rapid effect of single-dose rosiglitazone treatment on endothelial function in healthy men with normal glucose tolerance: data from a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study.

Antidiabetic thiazolidinediones (TZDs) improve endothelial function in patients with or without type 2 diabetes. The present randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study examined the time course of a single dose of rosiglitazone on flow-mediated endothelium-dependent vasodilation (FMD), metabolic parameters, and its effect on inflammatory markers in non-diabetic men. Forty non-obese, healthy men with normal glucose tolerance were randomised to a single dose of rosiglitazone (8 mg) or placebo, and FMD was assessed at baseline as well as after 6 h and 24 h.

LXR activation inhibits chemokine-induced CD4-positive lymphocyte migration.

Migration of CD4-positive lymphocytes into the vessel wall is a critical step in atherogenesis. Recent data suggest that CD4-positive lymphocytes express the nuclear transcription factors Liver-X-Receptor (LXR) alpha and beta with an effect of LXR activators on TH1-cytokine release from these cells. However, the role of LXR in lymphocyte migration remains currently unexplored.

Interferon beta-1b therapy in chronic viral dilated cardiomyopathy--is there a role for specific therapy?

Background: Myocardial biopsy can be used for the detection of viral genome in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Pilot studies have previously reported beneficial effects on clinical outcome and safety of an antiviral therapy using interferon beta-1b in chronic viral DCM.

Methods And Results: Myocardial biopsies were taken from patients with DCM.

Characterization of MRI contrast agent-loaded polymeric nanocapsules as versatile vehicle for targeted imaging.

Various contrast agents (Magnevist, Gadovist and Multihance) loaded into polymeric nanocapsules were synthesized by the inverse miniemulsion technique. The relaxivity of the resultant contrast agents was assessed at 1.5 T magnetic field strength.

Results of intracoronary stem cell therapy after acute myocardial infarction.

To assess the effect of autologous bone-marrow cell (BMC) therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction in a rigorous double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Patients with reperfusion >6 hours after symptom onset were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to receive intracoronary BMC or placebo therapy 5 to 7 days after symptom onset. The patients were stratified according to age, acute myocardial infarction localization, and left ventricular (LV) function.

Quantification of calcifications in endarterectomy samples by means of high-resolution ultra-short echo time imaging.

Objective: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven its value for noninvasive assessment and classification of atherosclerotic lesions. MRI provides excellent access to soft tissue information, but its capability for assessing calcified segments of the lesion remains limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the ultra-short echo time (UTE) sequence for accurate quantification of the plaque volumes and qualitative assessment of the calcium density.

Combined assessment of myocardial perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention or bypass grafts: a multicenter study of an integrated cardiovascular magnetic resonance protocol.

Objectives: We sought to assess the accuracy of an integrated cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) protocol for the diagnosis of relevant coronary artery or bypass graft stenosis in patients with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) or with previously performed percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or coronary bypass graft surgery (CABG).

Background: CMR is suitable for diagnosing inducible myocardial ischemia in patients with suspected CAD and has been proven to be a helpful diagnostic tool for decision of further treatment. However, little is known about its diagnostic accuracy in patients with known CAD who previously were treated by PCI or CABG.