Macrophages in Calcific Aortic Valve Disease: Paracrine and Juxtacrine Disease Drivers.

A significant role in the pathogenesis of CAVD is played by innate immunity cells, such as macrophages. In stenotic valves, macrophages have enhanced inflammatory activity, and the population's balance is shifted toward pro-inflammatory ones. Pro-inflammatory macrophages release cytokines, chemokines, and microRNA, which can directly affect the resident valvular cells and cause valve calcification.

[A comparative assessment of neurochemical and neurophysiological parameters of cardiac surgery patients who underwent different versions of multitasking cognitive training].

Objective: To compare biomarkers of neurovascular unit (NVU) - S100β, NSE, BDNF and indicators of the brain electrical activity in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) depending on the use of different versions of multi-tasking cognitive training (CT).

Material And Methods: The study included 89 people, of whom 47 completed the CTI (postural and three cognitive tasks (counting backwards, verbal fluency and the open-ended task «Unusual use of an ordinary object») and 42 patients, who underwent CTII (visuomotor reaction and the same cognitive tasks) in the early postoperative CABG period. The patients of both groups underwent complex testing of psychomotor, executive functions, attention, short-term memory and EEG study in the perioperative period of CABG.

Five-Year Comparison Results Between Clinically Severely Affected Tetralogy-of-Fallot Patients Initially Treated by Right Ventricular Outflow Stenting and Pink-Fallot Patients Undergoing Single-Step Correction.

The Purpose: Evaluation of the short-term and long-term results of a phased correction of the tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) with stenting of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) in comparison with a one-stage total correction (TC) of the defect.

Materials And Methods: Two groups of patients with classical ToF were formed. Group 1 (n = 25; median age = 72 days) was initially represented by children with ToF with a more severe clinical status (median weight = 3.

Clinical and Biological Markers of Frailty Syndrome in Patients Undergoing Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of prefrailty and frailty syndrome (FS) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), and the clinical and biological characteristics of frail patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Material And Methods: The study included 78 patients with CAD who were admitted to the clinic to undergo PCI. To detect prefrailty and FS in patients, we used a short physical performance test battery (10-12 points-no FS, 8-9 points-prefrailty, 7 or fewer points-FS).

Impact of diabetes on epicardial reperfusion and mortality in a contemporary STEMI population undergoing mechanical reperfusion: Insights from the ISACS STEMI COVID 19 registry.

Background And Aim: Diabetes has been shown in last decades to be associated with a significantly higher mortality among patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary PCI (PPCI). Therefore, the aim of current study was to evaluate the impact of diabetes on times delays, reperfusion and mortality in a contemporary STEMI population undergoing PPCI, including treatment during the COVID pandemic.

Methods And Results: The ISACS-STEMI COVID-19 is a large-scale retrospective multicenter registry involving PPCI centers from Europe, Latin America, South-East Asia and North-Africa, including patients treated from 1st of March until June 30, 2019 and 2020.

National Results of Revascularization for Acute Coronary Syndrome in 2023.

Aim    To analyze the results of myocardial revascularization in the Russian Federation (RF) for ACS in 2023 compared to previous years.Material and methods    The analysis included the number of cases of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS), myocardial revascularization in the above-listed ACS forms, the number of fatal outcomes depending on the ACS form and the revascularization method used. The data for this analysis were obtained from the 2023 Ministry of Health of Russia monitoring in the section of revascularization in ACS and were compared with the data for the past 8 years.

Relationship of Iron Deficiency, Anemia and Combination of Iron Deficiency With Anemia With Severity of Manifestations of Chronic Heart Failure. Additional Analysis of the Study "Prevalence of Iron Deficiency in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure in the Russian Federation (J-CHF-RF)".

Aim      To evaluate the role of iron deficiency (ID) identified by various criteria, anemia, and the combination of ID and anemia in determining the severity of the clinical course of chronic heart failure (CHF) in a retrospective analysis of data from 498 patients who participated in the ID-CHF-RF Russian multicenter program.Material and methods  ID was diagnosed by the following three criteria established by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the Russian Society of Cardiology (RSC): 1) ferritin concentration <100 μg/l or ferritin concentration 100-299 μg/l in combination with a decreased transferrin saturation (TS) <20%; 2) ID criteria that showed a high sensitivity and specificity when compared with bone marrow morphology (BMM): TS ≤19.8% or serum iron (SI) ≤13 μmol/l; and 3) a composite index including a ferritin concentration <100 μg/l in combination with TS <20% and SI ≤13 μmol/l.

Anti-adhesive Properties of Epoxy-Treated Xenopericardium Modified with Polyvinyl Alcohol: Study of Leukocyte Adhesion in the Pulsatile Flow Model.

Unlabelled: is to assess protective capabilities of the polymer coating made of polyvinyl alcohol to prevent leukocyte adhesion to epoxy-treated bovine pericardium, which is used in production of bioprosthetic heart valves.

Materials And Methods: Fragments of unmodified (control) and modified with polyvinyl alcohol epoxy-treated bovine pericardium were incubated in the dedicated chambers connected to a pulsatile flow system (Ibidi GmbH, Germany). During 48 h incubation was conducted in whole donor plasma containing 310 of mononuclear fraction cells.

Proteomic Profiling of Endothelial Cell Secretomes After Exposure to Calciprotein Particles Reveals Downregulation of Basement Membrane Assembly and Increased Release of Soluble CD59.

Calciprotein particles (CPPs) are essential circulating scavengers of excessive Ca and PO ions, representing a vehicle that removes them from the human body and precludes extraskeletal calcification. Having been internalised by endothelial cells (ECs), CPPs induce their dysfunction, which is accompanied by a remarkable molecular reconfiguration, although little is known about this process's extracellular signatures. Here, we applied ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to perform a secretome-wide profiling of the cell culture supernatant from primary human coronary artery ECs (HCAECs) and internal thoracic artery ECs (HITAECs) treated with primary CPPs (CPP-P), secondary CPPs (CPP-S), magnesiprotein particles (MPPs), or Ca/Mg-free Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS) for 24 h.

The role of lipase maturation factor 1 in hypertriglyceridaemia and atherosclerosis: An update.

Lipase maturation factor 1 is an endoplasmic reticulum-resident transmembrane protein, which acts as a critical chaperone necessary for the folding, dimerisation, and secretion of lipases. In this review, we summarise data about the recently revealed role of lipase maturation factor 1 in endoplasmic reticulum redox homeostasis, its novel interaction partners among oxidoreductases and lectin chaperones, and the identification of fibronectin and the low-density lipoprotein receptor as novel non-lipase client proteins of lipase maturation factor 1. Additionally, the role of lipase maturation factor 1-derived circular RNA in atherosclerosis progression via the miR-125a-3p/vascular endothelial growth factor A\Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 axis is discussed.

Impact of Intraoperative Blood Transfusion on Cerebral Injury in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Congenital Septal Heart Defect Surgery.

The components of donor blood themselves have the potential to initiate a systemic inflammatory response and exacerbate neuroinflammation, resulting in subsequent cerebral injury. The aim of this study was to establish the role of transfusion in the development of cerebral injury during the correction of congenital heart defects in children. A total of 78 patients aged from 1 to 78 months, with body weights ranging from 3.

Non-immunogenic recombinant staphylokinase versus alteplase for patients with massive pulmonary embolism: a randomized open-label, multicenter, parallel-group, non-inferiority trial, FORPE.

Background: Non-immunogenic staphylokinase is a modified recombinant staphylokinase with low immunogenicity, high thrombolytic activity, and fibrin selectivity.

Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of a single intravenous bolus of non-immunogenic staphylokinase compared with those of alteplase in patients with massive pulmonary embolism and hemodynamic instability.

Methods: A randomized, open-label, multicenter, parallel-group, non-inferiority trial, the FORPE (FORtelyzin Pulmionary Embolism), was conducted in Russia.

Impact of hypertension on mortality in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty: insights from the international multicenter ISACS-STEMI registry.

Background: Hypertension is the most prevalent cardiovascular risk factor, with several detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. Contrasting results have been reported so far on its prognostic role in patients admitted for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Therefore, we investigated the impact of hypertension on short-term mortality in a large multicenter contemporary registry of STEMI patients, including patients treated during COVID-19 pandemic.

Citrullination Accompanies the Development of Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques.

Background: Citrullination represents a post-translational modification primarily mediated by peptidylarginine deiminase (PADI) 2 and 4 and resulting in the conversion of positively charged peptidylarginine to neutrally charged peptidylcitrulline. Molecular consequences of citrullination include the generation of neoepitopes which provoke the production of autoantibodies implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases. As citrullination initiates, promotes, and is enhanced by aseptic inflammation which plays a pivotal role in atherosclerosis, we proposed that citrullination might accompany the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease.

Sphingomyelins of Local Fat Depots and Blood Serum as Promising Biomarkers of Cardiovascular Diseases.

Unlabelled: Assessment of the blood lipid spectrum does not always properly reflect local dysfunctional changes in the adipose tissue and prevents identification of all patients at high risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Monitoring of changes in sphingomyelin levels allows to assess and anticipate the development and/or severity of these diseases, as well as to make sphingomyelins new therapeutic targets. was to evaluate the sphingomyelin spectrum of local fat depots and blood serum in connection with clinical and instrumental indicators in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and patients with degenerative acquired valvular heart disease (AVHD).

Individually Perceived Parameters of Residential Infrastructure and Their Relationship with Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

In modern medicine, studies devoted to the assessment of the parameters of residential infrastructure and the population's attitude towards them have become quite large-scale. The aim of the study was to establish associations between individually perceived parameters of residential infrastructure and the main modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, obesity, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism disorders) in one of the subjects of the Russian Federation. : The epidemiological study "Study of the influence of social factors on chronic non-communicable diseases" started in 2015 and ended in 2023.

The role of metabolic disorders in the development of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is the leading cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis is initiated by endothelial activation, followed by a cascade of events (accumulation of lipids, fibrous elements, and calcification) triggering vasoconstriction and activation of inflammatory pathways. This review focuses on the various stages in the development of atherosclerosis, ranging from endothelial dysfunction to plaque rupture.

The role of NETosis in enhancing of atherosclerosis.

Activated neutrophils release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), complex structures composed of extracellular genetic material and proteins sourced from the nucleus, granules, and cytoplasm in response to pathogenic inflammatory conditions. These NETs play a crucial role in the host's innate immune defense against invasive infections. Notably, in conditions like atherosclerosis, these extracellular formations can also be elicited by inflammatory stimuli such as lipids, prothrombotic factors, platelet aggregation, or proinflammatory cytokines.

Assessing the built environment through photographs and its association with obesity in 21 countries: the PURE Study.

Background: The built environment can influence human health, but the available evidence is modest and almost entirely from urban communities in high-income countries. Here we aimed to analyse built environment characteristics and their associations with obesity in urban and rural communities in 21 countries at different development levels participating in the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study.

Methods: Photographs were acquired with a standardised approach.

Electrospun bioresorbable polymer membranes for coronary artery stents.

Percutaneous coronary intervention, a common treatment for atherosclerotic coronary artery lesions, occasionally results in perforations associated with increased mortality rates. Stents coated with a bioresorbable polymer membrane may offer an effective solution for sealing coronary artery perforations. Additionally, such coatings could be effective in mitigating neointimal hyperplasia within the vascular lumen and correcting symptomatic aneurysms.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Atorvastatin on Primary Human Endothelial Cells Incubated under Genotoxic Load.

The level of cytokine expression was measured in human coronary artery (HCAEC) and internal thoracic artery (HITAEC) endothelial cells exposed to 500 ng/ml alkylating mutagen mitomycin C (MMC) and 5 μM atorvastatin. It was found that treatment of MMC-exposed HCAEC with atorvastatin decreased secretion of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), IL-8, and IL8 gene expression, but increased the expression of SERPINE1 gene encoding the PAI-1 protein. In atorvastatin-treated HITAEC, the concentration of MIF protein and the expression of the IL8 and SERPINE1 genes were reduced.

Inflammatory Response Genes' Polymorphism Associated with Risk of Rheumatic Heart Disease.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) caused by group A streptococcus infection is one of the most important reasons of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Aberrant host immune response modulated by polymorphisms in inflammatory response genes plays an important role in RHD pathogenesis. This study aimed to determine risk-associated polymorphic variants in inflammatory response genes in Caucasian RHD patients.

Frailty as an Independent Predictor of Adverse Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Direct Myocardial Revascularization.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and anamnestic characteristics of frail patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and to evaluate the role of frailty in the development of complications and adverse outcomes in the perioperative period and early survival period after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).

Material And Methods: The study included 387 patients admitted to the clinic for a scheduled primary CABG. A seven-item questionnaire, "PRISMA-7", was used to identify frail elderly patients before the procedure.

ML-driven segmentation of microvascular features during histological examination of tissue-engineered vascular grafts.

Introduction: The development of next-generation tissue-engineered medical devices such as tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs) is a leading trend in translational medicine. Microscopic examination is an indispensable part of animal experimentation, and histopathological analysis of regenerated tissue is crucial for assessing the outcomes of implanted medical devices. However, the objective quantification of regenerated tissues can be challenging due to their unusual and complex architecture.