Prosthetic valve infective endocarditis due to Burkholderia pseudomallei: A case report and review of the literature.

Endocarditis is a very rare complication of Burkholderia pseudomallei infection and prosthetic valve endocarditis rarer still. We present, to our knowledge, the first confirmed Australian case of prosthetic valve endocarditis in a patient with melioidosis. Blood cultures were persistently positive for B.

Non-invasive assessment of the cardiac effects of Chironex fleckeri and Carukia barnesi venoms in mice, using pulse wave doppler.

Both Chironex fleckeri venom (CFV) and Carukia barnesi venoms (CBV) are known to cause significant cardiac morbidity and mortality. Many animal studies have demonstrated cardiac dysfunction with these venoms. This study specifically examines the systolic and diastolic cardiac functions using non-invasive pulse wave doppler.

Osteoprotegerin and Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients with Aortic Stenosis.

Left ventricular myocardial fibrosis in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) confers worse prognosis. Plasma osteoprotegerin (OPG), a cytokine from the TNF receptor family, correlates with the degree of valve calcification in AS, reflecting the activity of the tissue RANKL/RANK/OPG (receptor activator of nuclear factor κΒ ligand/RANK/osteoprotegerin) axis, and is associated with poorer outcomes in AS. Its association with myocardial fibrosis is unknown.

Lipoprotein(a) in patients with aortic stenosis: Insights from cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Background: Aortic stenosis is the most common age-related valvular pathology. Patients with aortic stenosis and myocardial fibrosis have worse outcome but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Lipoprotein(a) is associated with adverse cardiovascular risk and is elevated in patients with aortic stenosis.

Effects of myocardial ischaemia on left ventricular untwist and filling pressure.

Objective: To link ischaemia, left ventricular (LV) untwisting and changes in filling pressure during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE).

Design: Cross-sectional study at rest and at peak dobutamine stress.

Setting: Academic medical centre.