High sdLDL Cholesterol can be Used to Reclassify Individuals with Low Cardiovascular Risk for Early Intervention: Findings from the Chinese Multi-Provincial Cohort Study.

Aim: A high-risk strategy has been implemented for lipid-lowering therapy in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events are common among individuals with low cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to determine whether the small dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDLC) level can predict carotid atherosclerosis progression and identify high-risk individuals.

Platelets in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients with High Platelet Reactivity after Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Exhibit Upregulation of miR-204-5p.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) show individual differences in platelet reactivity (PR). Here, we aim to find differences in the platelet microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of high PR and low PR patients to serve as potential biomarkers. ADP-induced platelet aggregation (PAG) was used to determine PR.

Clinical Characteristics and Adverse Events in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients with a History of Peripheral Arterial Disease.

Background: In clinical observation, patients with acute coronary syndrome complicated with peripheral artery disease have poor prognosis, so the relationship between the diseases and clinical characteristics need to be further explored.

Objective: This study aims to investigate clinical characteristics and independent risk factors for in-hospital adverse events in acute coronary syndrome patients with a history of peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Methods: A total of 5,682 patients with acute coronary syndrome were included into this study.

[Effect of endoscopic sinus surgery on olfactory function in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps].

To evaluate the effect of surgery on olfactory function in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps（CRSwNP） by subjective and objective olfactory tests. This was a retrospective study. Forty patients with CRSwNP who underwent endoscopic sinus surgery（ESS） from 2015 to 2017 in Beijing Anzhen Hospital were enrolled.

Impact of depression on clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess whether depression in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) patients is associated with higher risk of adverse outcomes.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods: EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO were searched as data sources.

Targeted Sequencing Analysis of the Leptin Receptor Gene Identifies Variants Associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea in Chinese Han Population.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that is influenced by various environmental and genetic factors. The potential associations of leptin and leptin receptor (LEPR) polymorphisms with OSA have been studied in different populations; however, the results remain inconclusive. The aim of this study was to examine the association between LEPR gene polymorphisms and OSA risk.

Ligustrazine Protects Homocysteine-Induced Apoptosis in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells by Modulating Mitochondrial Dysfunction.

Ligustrazine is one of the alkaloid compounds isolated from the traditional Chinese herb, which shows protective effects on cardiovascular disorders. High homocysteine (Hcy) level can predict cardiovascular-related events including death. In this study, we used Hcy to stimulate the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and investigated the protective effect of ligustrazine on endothelial dysfunction by assessing the cell apoptosis, oxidative damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the potential molecular pathways.

An interspecies study of lipid profiles and atherosclerosis in familial hypercholesterolemia animal models with low-density lipoprotein receptor deficiency.

Small rodents, especially mice and rats, have been widely used in atherosclerosis studies even though humans exhibit completely different lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerotic characteristics. Until recently, various rodent models of human familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) have been created, including mice, rats, and golden Syrian hamsters. Although hamsters reportedly possess metabolic features similar to humans, there is no systematic characterization of the properties of circulating lipids and atherosclerotic lesions in these rodent models.

Safety and cost analysis of early discharge following percutaneous coronary intervention for acute coronary syndrome in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and cost of early discharge compared with ordinary discharge in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from 474 patients with DM who were discharged from hospital following PCI at a regional center between 2012 and 2015.

Results: A total of 192 patients (40.

Disordered gut microbiota and alterations in metabolic patterns are associated with atrial fibrillation.

Background: With the establishment of the heart-gut axis concept, accumulating studies suggest that the gut microbiome plays an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Yet, little evidence has been reported in characterizing the gut microbiota shift in atrial fibrillation.

Methods: We include the result of the global alterations that occur in the intestinal microbiota in a cohort of 50 patients with atrial fibrillation and 50 matched controls based on a strategy of metagenomic and metabolomic analyses.

The profibrotic effect of downregulated Na,K‑ATPase β1 subunit in alveolar epithelial cells during lung fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by progressive lung scarring and excessive extracellular matrix depositon. When stimulated, alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) are aberrantly activated, the expression of profibrotic molecules is enhanced, and lung fibrosis is promoted, but the mechanism for this is unclear. It has been reported that a downregulation of the Na,K‑ATPase β1 subunit in renal epithelial cells is involved in renal fibrosis development, but the role of this protein in lung fibrosis remains unknown.

Dysbiotic gut microbes may contribute to hypertension by limiting vitamin D production.

Background: Accumulating studies have suggested that gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis and vitamin D3 deficiency each play an important role during the progression of hypertension (HTN). However, few studies have characterized the underlying interaction between GM shift and vitamin D3 deficiency in HTN patients.

Hypothesis: This study aimed to evaluate the possible crosstalk between GM dysbiosis and vitamin D deficiency in the pathogenesis of HTN.

Intronic Polymorphisms in Gene of Second Heart Field as Risk Factors for Human Congenital Heart Disease in a Chinese Population.

Transcriptional factors and signaling factors in the second heart field (SHF) contribute to cardiac development. However, the associations of intronic gene variants in the SHF with congenital heart disease (CHD) remain ununderstood. Ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from our previous sequencing data were selected and then genotyped in 383 CHD patients and 384 healthy controls in a Chinese population.

IL-25 contributes to lung fibrosis by directly acting on alveolar epithelial cells and fibroblasts.

Our work focused on alveolar epithelial cells (AECs)-derived type-2 cytokine (interleukin [IL]-25) in the pathogenesis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We showed that IL-25 and IL-17BR (IL-25's receptor) is upregulated in lung tissues (especially in AECs and lung fibroblasts) of IPF patients and contributes to lung fibrosis by directly activating lung fibroblasts and modulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of AECs. We suggest that IL-25 may be one of the master switches hidden in the milieu of abnormal epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk.

Correlation of tissue eosinophil count and chemosensory functions in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps after endoscopic sinus surgery.

Purpose: To investigate the correlation of tissue eosinophil count and chemosensory functions in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including 40 patients with a history of ESS for CRSwNP recruited consecutively. Visual analog scale score and the Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score were recorded.

Identification of Candidate Genes and MicroRNAs for Acute Myocardial Infarction by Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis.

Background: Identification of potential molecular targets of acute myocardial infarction is crucial to our comprehensive understanding of the disease mechanism. However, studies of gene coexpression analysis via jointing multiple microarray data of acute myocardial infarction still remain restricted.

Methods: Microarray data of acute myocardial infarction (GSE48060, GSE66360, GSE97320, and GSE19339) were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database.

A Giant Right Coronary Artery Aneurysm Leading to Tricuspid Stenosis.

Giant coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) are rare coronary artery anomalies. The management of CAAs is still controversial because of the different possible pathophysiologies. In our case, tricuspid stenosis resulting from compression of the giant CAA was successfully relieved by CAA repair.

ANGPTL3 Mutations in Unrelated Chinese Han Patients with Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

Background And Objective: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a severe genetic hyperlipidemia characterized by increased levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), leading to premature atherosclerosis. Angiopoietin-like protein (ANGPTL3) is a hepatocyte-specific protein that can be used to lower LDL in FH. However, it was unknown whether ANGPTL3 variants are present in FH patients.

Effects of Rosuvastatin and Aspirin on Retinal Vascular Structures in Hypercholesterolemic Patients with Low-to-Moderate Risk of Coronary Artery Disease.

Introduction: Atherosclerosis erodes large elastic arteries and damages peripheral small vessels. Evaluating retinal vessel caliber enables exploration of the effect of improving microcirculation with statins.

Objective: We investigated whether rosuvastatin therapy improves retinal vasculature in hypercholesterolemic patients with a low-to-moderate risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).

The reduction of apnea-hypopnea duration ameliorates endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and systemic hypertension in a rat model of obstructive sleep apnea.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and apnea-hypopnea duration on endothelial, ventricular function, blood pressure, and inflammation in a rat model.

Methods: We established a novel rat model of OSA. Wistar rats were randomized to six groups according to 4-week different treatments: (1) OSA (apnea for 60 s in a 90-s window of breathing [60 s/90 s] with anesthesia), (2) OSA 30 s/90 s with anesthesia, (3) partial recovery (60 s/90 s for 2 weeks, followed by 15 s/90 s for 2 weeks with anesthesia), (4) complete recovery (60 s/90 s for 2 weeks with anesthesia, and then normal breathing for 2 weeks), (5) sham (normal breathing in the device with anesthesia), and (6) control group (normal breathing, normal cage, no anesthesia).

Association of Isoprostanes-Related Oxidative Stress with Vulnerability of Culprit Lesions in Diabetic Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Urinary excretion of 8-iso-prostaglandin F (8-iso-PGF), a reliable biomarker for enhanced oxidant stress in vivo, has been described in association with diabetes and coronary heart disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between urinary 8-iso-PGF levels and the characteristics of coronary culprit lesion in diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A total of 79 diabetic patients with ACS were included.

Sex Differences in In-Hospital Management and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background: Coronary heart disease is a leading cause of mortality among women. Systematic evaluation of the quality of care and outcomes in women hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), an acute manifestation of coronary heart disease, remains lacking in China.

Methods: The CCC-ACS project (Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-Acute Coronary Syndrome) is an ongoing nationwide registry of the American Heart Association and the Chinese Society of Cardiology.

Carvedilol prevents counterregulatory failure and impaired hypoglycaemia awareness in non-diabetic recurrently hypoglycaemic rats.

Aims/hypothesis: This study evaluates whether the non-selective β-blocker, carvedilol, can be used to prevent counterregulatory failure and the development of impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia (IAH) in recurrently hypoglycaemic rats.

Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were implanted with vascular catheters and intracranial guide cannulas targeting the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). These animals underwent either three bouts of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia or received three saline injections (control group) over 3 days.

Long-term outcome of cryoballoon ablation versus radiofrequency ablation for focal atrial tachycardias originating from the pulmonary veins.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the characteristics of focal atrial tachycardias (ATs) arising from the pulmonary veins (PVs), as well as the safety and long-term efficacy of cryoballoon (CB) versus radiofrequency (RF) ablation in this population.

Methods: Eighty-three patients with ATs arising from PVs from a consecutive series of 487 patients who underwent CB and RF ablation were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who had a prior history of atrial fibrillation (AF) were excluded.