Free-breathing Sparse Sampling Cine MR Imaging with Iterative Reconstruction for the Assessment of Left Ventricular Function and Mass at 3.0 T.

Purpose To prospectively evaluate the accuracy of left ventricle (LV) analysis with a two-dimensional real-time cine true fast imaging with steady-state precession (trueFISP) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequence featuring sparse data sampling with iterative reconstruction (SSIR) performed with and without breath-hold (BH) commands at 3.0 T. Materials and Methods Ten control subjects (mean age, 35 years; range, 25-56 years) and 60 patients scheduled to undergo a routine cardiac examination that included LV analysis (mean age, 58 years; range, 20-86 years) underwent a fully sampled segmented multiple BH cine sequence (standard of reference) and a prototype undersampled SSIR sequence performed during a single BH and during free breathing (non-BH imaging).

Sex-related outcome of atrial fibrillation ablation: Insights from the German Ablation Registry.

Background: Stratification of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) according to mechanistic and prognostic criteria may optimize the effectiveness and safety of catheter ablation. In women, AF is associated with more severe symptoms and worse prognosis.

Objective: We sought to assess sex-related differences in catheter ablation procedures and outcome in a large cohort of patients with AF.

Rotigotine's effect on PLM-associated blood pressure elevations in restless legs syndrome: An RCT.

Objective: This double-blind, placebo-controlled, interventional trial was conducted to investigate the effects of rotigotine patch on periodic limb movement (PLM)-associated nocturnal systolic blood pressure (SBP) elevations.

Methods: Patients with moderate to severe restless legs syndrome (RLS) were randomized to rotigotine (optimal dose [1-3 mg/24 h]) or placebo. Continuous beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP) assessments were performed during polysomnography at baseline and at the end of 4-week maintenance.

AMP-activated protein kinase α1-sensitive activation of AP-1 in cardiomyocytes.

AMP-activated protein kinase (Ampk) regulates myocardial energy metabolism and plays a crucial role in the response to cell stress. In the failing heart, an isoform shift of the predominant Ampkα2 to the Ampkα1 was observed. The present study explored possible isoform specific effects of Ampkα1 in cardiomyocytes.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation for the Treatment of Heart Failure: The INOVATE-HF Trial.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is increasing in prevalence and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality despite advances in medical and device therapy. Autonomic imbalance, with excess sympathetic activation and decreased vagal tone, is an integral component of the pathophysiology of HF.

Objectives: The INOVATE-HF (Increase of Vagal Tone in Heart Failure) trial assessed the safety and efficacy of vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) among patients with HF and a reduced ejection fraction.

CCR5+T-bet+FoxP3+ Effector CD4 T Cells Drive Atherosclerosis.

Rationale: CD4 T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, but atherosclerosis-specific CD4 T cells have not been described. Moreover, the chemokine(s) that regulates T-cell trafficking to the atherosclerotic lesions is also unknown.

Objective: In Apoe(-/-) mice with mature atherosclerotic lesions (5 months of high fat diet), we find that most aortic T cells express CCR5 and interferon-γ with a unique combination of cell surface markers (CD4(+)CD25(-)CD44(hi)CD62L(lo)) and transcription factors (FoxP3(+)T-bet(+)).

Role of Survival Scores Before Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: The New CHRiSS Compared to the HeartMate II Score.

Risk stratification of patients are claimed to be useful before left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and different scoring systems are available. The aim of the study was to validate the Cardiac Health Risk Stratification System (CHRiSS), based on Bayesian network analysis, and the HeartMate II score in our patient population. We retrospectively calculated the CHRiSS using a web-based application and the HeartMate II score of 105 adult patients who underwent consecutive HVAD (HeartWare International, Inc.

Heart Failure After 5 Years on LVAD: Diagnosis and Treatment of Outflow Graft Obstruction.

HeartWare assist device outflow graft obstruction is an uncommon but severe complication, and it may be because of several reasons. We present a case of recurrence of heart failure in a young patient supported with left ventricular assist device and on the waiting list for heart transplantation. After a complex diagnostic workout, a stenosis of the graft anastomosis was found and successfully stented.

A meta-analysis of 120 246 individuals identifies 18 new loci for fibrinogen concentration.

Genome-wide association studies have previously identified 23 genetic loci associated with circulating fibrinogen concentration. These studies used HapMap imputation and did not examine the X-chromosome. 1000 Genomes imputation provides better coverage of uncommon variants, and includes indels.

Endothelial Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α Promotes Atherosclerosis and Monocyte Recruitment by Upregulating MicroRNA-19a.

Chemokines mediate monocyte adhesion to dysfunctional endothelial cells (ECs) and promote arterial inflammation during atherosclerosis. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is expressed in various cell types of atherosclerotic lesions and is associated with lesional inflammation. However, the impact of endothelial HIF-1α in atherosclerosis is unclear.

Estimation of Values below the Limit of Detection of a Contemporary Sensitive Troponin I Assay Improves Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Background: The limit of detection (LoD) is the minimal amount of a substance that can be consistently detected. In the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) many patients present with troponin concentrations below the LoD of contemporary sensitive cardiac troponin I (cs-cTnI) assays. These censored values below the LoD influence the diagnostic performance of these assays compared to highly sensitive cTnI (hs-cTnI) assays.

Polarity Protein Scrib Facilitates Endothelial Inflammatory Signaling.

Objective: The polarity protein Scrib is highly expressed in endothelial cells and is required for planar cell polarity. Scrib also facilitates recycling of integrin α5 to the plasma membrane. Because integrin α5 signals the presence of the inflammatory matrix protein fibronectin, we hypothesized that Scrib contributes to endothelial inflammatory signaling.

Alterations of a Cellular Cholesterol Metabolism Network Are a Molecular Feature of Obesity-Related Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.

Obesity is linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to identify obesity-associated molecular features that may contribute to obesity-related diseases. Using circulating monocytes from 1,264 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants, we quantified the transcriptome and epigenome.

HIF-driven SF3B1 induces KHK-C to enforce fructolysis and heart disease.

Fructose is a major component of dietary sugar and its overconsumption exacerbates key pathological features of metabolic syndrome. The central fructose-metabolising enzyme is ketohexokinase (KHK), which exists in two isoforms: KHK-A and KHK-C, generated through mutually exclusive alternative splicing of KHK pre-mRNAs. KHK-C displays superior affinity for fructose compared with KHK-A and is produced primarily in the liver, thus restricting fructose metabolism almost exclusively to this organ.

Genetic variants primarily associated with type 2 diabetes are related to coronary artery disease risk.

Background: The mechanisms underlying the association between diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk are unclear. We aimed to assess this association by studying genetic variants that have been shown to associate with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). If the association between diabetes and CAD is causal, we expected to observe an association of these variants with CAD as well.

Snail Is a Direct Target of Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1α (HIF1α) in Hypoxia-induced Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition of Human Coronary Endothelial Cells.

Endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) was originally described in heart development where the endocardial endothelial cells that line the atrioventricular canal undergo an EndMT to form the endocardial mesenchymal cushion that later gives rise to the septum and mitral and tricuspid valves. In the postnatal heart specifically, endothelial cells that originate from the endocardium maintain increased susceptibility to undergo EndMT as remnants from their embryonic origin. Such EndMT involving adult coronary endothelial cells contributes to microvascular rarefaction and subsequent chronification of hypoxia in the injured heart, ultimately leading to cardiac fibrosis.

Dicer cleavage by calpain determines platelet microRNA levels and function in diabetes.

Rationale: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short noncoding RNA species generated by the processing of longer precursors by the ribonucleases Drosha and Dicer. Platelets contain large amounts of miRNA that are altered by disease, in particular diabetes mellitus.

Objective: This study determined why platelet miRNA levels are attenuated in diabetic individuals and how decreased levels of the platelet-enriched miRNA, miR-223, affect platelet function.

Optical imaging innovations for atherosclerosis research: multiphoton microscopy and optical nanoscopy.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide. Improving vascular prevention and therapy based on a refined mechanistic pervasion of atherosclerosis as the underlying pathology could limit the effect of vascular disease in aging societies. During the past decades, microscopy has contributed greatly to a better understanding of vascular physiology and pathology by allowing imaging of living specimen with subcellular resolution and high specificity.

Prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stenting: meta-analysis of randomized trials.

Aims: To investigate the benefits and the risks of a prolonged duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation.

Methods And Results: Electronic scientific databases were searched for randomized trials investigating the clinical impact of prolonged versus control DAPT duration in patients receiving a PCI with DES implantation. Primary outcomes were the incidence of stent thrombosis (ST), major bleeding and death.

Genetic variants associated with celiac disease and the risk for coronary artery disease.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that patients with celiac disease are at increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD). Genetic-epidemiological analyses identified many single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with celiac disease. If there is a causal relation between celiac disease and CAD, one might expect that risk alleles primarily associated with celiac disease also increase the risk of CAD.

MicroRNA-mediated mechanisms of the cellular stress response in atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is characterised by the accumulation of lipid-laden macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions and occurs preferentially at arterial branching points, which are prone to inflammation during hyperlipidaemic stress. The increased susceptibility at branching sites of arteries is attributable to poor adaptation of arterial endothelial cells to disturbed blood flow. In the past 5 years, several studies have provided mechanistic insights into the regulatory roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in inflammatory activation, proliferation, and regeneration of endothelial cells during this maladaptive process.