Background And Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea.
Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).
Small molecule inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) antagonists, known as Smac mimetics (SMs), activate non-canonical NF-κB and sensitize cancer cells to TNF-induced cell death. SMs are currently in phase III clinical trials for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) after promising phase II trials. To explore the utility of SMs in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), we tested nine human OSCC cell lines and correlated SM sensitivity with both IAP mutation and expression levels.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFER-phagy is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism crucial for maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, significant gaps persist in our understanding of how ER-phagy and the ER network vary across cell subtypes, tissues, and organs. Furthermore, the pathophysiological relevance of ER-phagy remains poorly elucidated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: With an aging global population, there has been a growing interest in the subjective well-being (SWB) of older people. As a positive emotion, gratitude has been found to be significantly and positively associated with SWB. However, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between gratitude and SWB remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a deep-learning radiomics model using CT, T2, and DWI images for predicting pathological complete response (pCR) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT).
Materials And Methods: Patients with ESCC undergoing nCRT followed by surgery were retrospectively enrolled from three institutions and divided into training and testing cohorts. Both traditional and deep-learning radiomics features were extracted from pre-treatment CT, T2, and DWI.
Eur Heart J Imaging Methods Pract
July 2024
Aims: A new model of computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based algorithm for coronary CT angiography (CCTA)-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) (CT-FFR) analysis by expanding the coronary tree to smaller-diameter lumen (0.8 mm) using Newton-Krylov-Schwarz (NKS) method to solve the three-dimensional time-dependent incompressible Navier-Stokes equations has been developed; however, the diagnostic performance of this new method has not been sufficiently investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance of a novel CT-FFR technique by expanding the coronary tree in the CFD domain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMyocardial infarction (MI) is characterized by massive cardiomyocyte (CM) death and cardiac dysfunction, and effective therapies to achieve cardioprotection are greatly needed. Here, we report that flavin-containing monooxygenase 2 (FMO2) levels were markedly increased in CMs in both ex vivo and in vivo models of ischemic injury. Genetic deletion of FMO2 resulted in reduced CM survival and enhanced cardiac dysfunction, whereas CM-specific FMO2 overexpression conferred a protective effect in infarcted rat hearts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To explore lung transplant recipients' perceptions of well-being when they are facing uncertain health outcomes, including identifying the factors to enhance well-being.
Design: A qualitative descriptive study.
Methods: A purposive sample of 11 lung transplantation recipients who were hospitalised in the Department of Organ Transplantation of a tertiary university hospital was recruited in China.
Coordinated cytoskeleton-mitochondria organization during myogenesis is crucial for muscle development and function. Our understanding of the underlying regulatory mechanisms remains inadequate. Here, we identified a novel muscle-enriched protein, PRR33, which is upregulated during myogenesis and acts as a promyogenic factor.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGolgi protein 73 (GP73), a resident protein of the Golgi apparatus, is notably elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While its critical role in remodeling the tumor microenvironment (TME) is recognized, the intricate mechanisms are not fully understood. This study reveals that GP73 in HCC cells interacts with prolyl hydroxylase-2 (PHD-2) in a competitive manner, thereby impeding the hydroxylation of hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCognitive decline is inevitable with age, and due to the lack of well-established pharmacotherapies for neurodegenerative disorders, dietary supplements have become important alternatives to ameliorate brain deterioration. Hydrolyzed chicken meat extract (HCE) and its bioactive components were previously found to improve neuroinflammation and cognitive decline by regulating microglia polarization. However, the effects and mechanisms of these bioactives on neurons remain unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Angiographic assessment of coronary stenosis severity using quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) is often inconsistent with that based on fractional flow reserve (FFR) or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). We investigated the incidence of discrepancies between QCA and FFR or IVUS, and the outcomes of FFR- and IVUS-guided strategies in discordant coronary lesions.
Methods: This study was a post-hoc analysis of the FLAVOUR study.
Polymeric heart valves (PHVs) present a promising alternative for treating valvular heart diseases with satisfactory hydrodynamics and durability against structural degeneration. However, the cascaded coagulation, inflammatory responses, and calcification in the dynamic blood environment pose significant challenges to the surface design of current PHVs. In this study, we employed a surface-initiated polymerization method to modify polystyrene--isobutylene--styrene (SIBS) by creating three hydrogel coatings: poly(2-methacryloyloxy ethyl phosphorylcholine) (pMPC), poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) (pAMPS), and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Numerous studies have shown that Schistosoma japonicum infection correlates with an increased risk of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). However, data regarding the role of this infection in LIHC oncogenesis are scarce. This study aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis associated with Schistosoma japonicum infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Quantitative flow ratio derived from computed tomography angiography (CT-QFR) and invasive coronary angiography (Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio [μQFR]) are novel approaches enabling rapid computation of fractional flow reserve without the use of pressure guidewires and vasodilators. However, the feasibility and diagnostic performance of both CT-QFR and μQFR in evaluating complex coronary lesions remain unclear.
Methods: Between September 2014 and September 2021, 240 patients with 30% to 90% coronary diameter stenosis who underwent both coronary computed tomography angiography and invasive coronary angiography with fractional flow reserve within 60 days were retrospectively enrolled.
An active host adaptive response is characterized by the existence of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) /IFN-γ cytotoxic T cells and IFN-γ-induced PD-L1 tumor cells (TCs), which predicts high response rate to anti-PD-1/L1 therapy. Recently, CD161 and its ligand LLT1 (CLEC2D) have been identified as an emerging checkpoint for immunotherapy. Clarifying its heterogeneous clinical expression pattern and its immune landscape is a prerequisite for maximizing the response rate of CD161 blockade therapy in a specific population of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtherosclerosis (AS), a leading cause of cardio-cerebrovascular disease worldwide, is driven by the accumulation of lipid contents and chronic inflammation. Traditional strategies primarily focus on lipid reduction to control AS progression, leaving residual inflammatory risks for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). While anti-inflammatory therapies targeting innate immunity have reduced MACEs, many patients continue to face significant risks.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Amyloidosis caused by TTR mutations (ATTRv) is a rare inherited and autosomal dominant disease. More than 150 mutants of TTR have been reported, whereas some of them remain to be investigated.
Methods: A 52-year-old male presented with heart failure and clinically diagnosed ATTR cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) was recruited.
Background: Quantitative flow ratio (QFR) is a method for evaluating fractional flow reserve without the use of an invasive coronary pressure wire or pharmacological hyperemic agent.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic implications of QFR and plaque characteristics in patients who underwent intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided treatment for intermediate lesions.
Methods: Among the IVUS-guided strategy group in the FLAVOUR (Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular Ultrasound for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis) trial, vessels suitable for QFR analysis were included in this study.