Prognostic Impact of Fasting Plasma Glucose on Mortality and Re-Hospitalization in Patients with Acute Heart Failure.

Background: The impact of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) on survival outcomes in patients with acute heart failure (HF) is unclear, and the relationship between intensity of glycemic control of FPG in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and HF prognosis remains uncertain. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the prognostic impact of FPG in patients with acute HF.

Methods: A total of 624 patients hospitalized with acute HF from October 2000 to April 2014 were enrolled in this study.

A Low-Normal Free Triiodothyronine Level Is Associated with Adverse Prognosis in Euthyroid Patients with Heart Failure Receiving Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy.

Thyroid dysfunction is prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) and hypothyroidism is related to the adverse prognosis of HF subjects receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We aim to investigate whether low-normal free triiodothyronine (fT3) level is related to CRT response and the prognosis of euthyroid patients with HF after CRT implantation.One hundred and thirteen euthyroid patients who received CRT therapy without previous thyroid disease and any treatment affecting thyroid hormones were enrolled.

Effect of Metabolic Syndrome on Risk Stratification for Left Atrial or Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus Formation in Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a risk factor for stroke and thromboembolism event. Left atrial or LA appendage (LA/LAA) thrombus is a surrogate of potential stroke. The relationship between MS and atrial thrombus remains unclear.

Role of Circulating Fibrocytes in Cardiac Fibrosis.

Objective: It is revealed that circulating fibrocytes are elevated in patients/animals with cardiac fibrosis, and this review aims to provide an introduction to circulating fibrocytes and their role in cardiac fibrosis.

Data Sources: This review is based on the data from 1994 to present obtained from PubMed. The search terms were "circulating fibrocytes " and "cardiac fibrosis ".

Interleukin 18 and extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer cross-regulation: implications in acute myocardial infarction.

Circulating interleukin-18 (IL-18) is thought to promote atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications such as plaque rupture. Atherosclerosis is also characterized by smooth muscle cell migration, a consequence of extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation regulated by metalloproteinases (MMPs). Because extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) has been shown to promote plaque instability by inducing ECM degradation and MMP synthesis, we investigated whether a cross-regulatory interaction exists between IL-18 and EMMPRIN in human monocytes.

Downregulation of HDAC1 is involved in the cardiomyocyte differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells in a myocardial microenvironment.

Under myocardial microenvironment, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can transdifferentiate into cardiomyocytes (CMs). However, the role of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in this directed differentiation process remains unclear. The current study is to determine the acetylation regulatory mechanisms that may be involved in the directed CM differentiation from MSCs.

Knockdown of the HDAC1 promotes the directed differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes.

Failure of the directed differentiation of the transplanted stem cells into cardiomyocytes is still a major challenge of cardiac regeneration therapy. Our recent study has demonstrated that the expression of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) is decreased in bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) during their differentiation into cardiomyocytes. However, the potential roles of HDAC1 in cardiac cell differentiation of BMSCs, as well as the mechanisms involved are still unclear.