Branch segment occlusion with acute myocardial infarction is a risk for left ventricular free wall rupture.

Background: Patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) whose culprit lesion lies in a branch of the 3 major coronary arteries have well-preserved cardiac function. A first MI with preserved cardiac function is a risk factor for left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR), so the aim of this study was to investigate the possible relationship between AMI with branch segment occlusion and LVFWR.

Methods And Results: The 439 patients with AMI were retrospectively studied.

Comparison of vascular response after sirolimus-eluting stent implantation between patients with unstable and stable angina pectoris: a serial optical coherence tomography study.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to compare lesion morphologies after sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation between patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and stable angina pectoris (SAP) with the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Background: The lesion morphologies before and after coronary stenting have been proposed as important predictors of clinical outcome. The high resolution of OCT provides detailed information of coronary vessel wall.

Myocardial salvage for ST-elevation myocardial infarction with terminal QRS distortion and restoration of brisk epicardial coronary flow.

Recently, it has been reported that large infarcts associated with terminal QRS distortion (QRSDIS) on the admission electrocardiograms of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) may be caused by a failure to achieve thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) grade 3 flow after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the relationship between QRSDIS and final infarct size when TIMI grade 3 flow could be achieved by primary PCI is still unclear. Sixty-two consecutive patients with first anterior STEMI and who achieved TIMI grade 3 flow by primary PCI were classified into two groups according to the presence (Group A, n = 18) or absence (Group B, n = 44) of QRSDIS.

The effect of endothelial progenitor cells on the development of collateral formation in patients with coronary artery disease.

Objective: Unlike arteriogenesis, little is known about the effects of vasculogenesis and its major effector cells, endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) on collateral formation. In this study, we investigated whether or not the number and function of EPCs were associated with the development of collateral formation in patients with single-vessel coronary artery disease of chronic total occlusion (CTO).

Methods And Results: The subjects were patients (n=35) undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) who had CTO in one major coronary artery.

Implication of plaque color classification for assessing plaque vulnerability: a coronary angioscopy and optical coherence tomography investigation.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between plaque color evaluated by coronary angioscopy and fibrous cap thickness estimated by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in vivo.

Background: Yellow color intensity of coronary plaque evaluated by coronary angioscopy might be associated with plaque vulnerability.

Methods: Seventy-seven coronary artery plaques in patients with acute coronary syndrome were observed by angioscopy and OCT.

Assessment of culprit lesion morphology in acute myocardial infarction: ability of optical coherence tomography compared with intravascular ultrasound and coronary angioscopy.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for assessment of the culprit lesion morphology in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in comparison with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and coronary angioscopy (CAS).

Background: Optical coherence tomography is a new intravascular imaging method with a high resolution of approximately 10 microm. This may allow us to assess the vulnerable plaques in detail in vivo.

Effects of plasma adiponectin levels on the number and function of endothelial progenitor cells in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: It is not known whether plasma adiponectin levels are associated with the number and function of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: Plasma levels of adiponectin were measured in 70 patients undergoing coronary angiography. The numbers of colony-forming units (CFUs) of EPCs and senescent EPCs, determined by acidic beta-galactosidase staining, were counted.

The effect of senescence of endothelial progenitor cells on in-stent restenosis in patients undergoing coronary stenting.

Objective: Restenosis after stent implantation is caused by endothelial cell damage and subsequent neointimal formation. The objective of this study is to elucidate the relevance of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in the development of in-stent restenosis in patients undergoing stent implantation.

Patients Or Materials: The subjects were 46 patients who underwent coronary stenting.

["Stunned myocardium" on echo cardiogram in myotonic dystrophy: a case report].

A 56-year-old woman with a 23 year-history of myotonic dystrophy was admitted to our hospital because of dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia. On admission, patient's ECG showed Ist degree of atrioventricular block and elongation of QRS (133 msec.).