PLXND1/SEMA3E Promotes Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition Partly via the PI3K/AKT-Signaling Pathway and Induces Heterogenity in Colorectal Cancer

Annals of Surgical Oncology - Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Metastasis is enhanced through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process primarily induced...     

Disruption of blood flow in the outflow graft is a valuable marker for detecting suction events in patients with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices

Journal of Echocardiography -     

Optimal cannula positioning of HeartMate 3 left ventricular assist device

Cannula position in HeartMate II and HeartWare left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) is associated with clinical outcome. This study aimed to investigate the clinical implication of the device positioning in HeartMate 3 LVAD cohort. Consecutive patients who underwent HeartMate 3 LVAD implantation were followed for one year from index discharge. At index discharge, chest X-ray parameters were measured: (a) cannula coronal angle, (b) height of pump bottom, (c) cannula sagittal angle, and (d) cannula lumen area. The association of each measurement of cannula position with one-year clinical outcomes was investigated. Sixty-four HeartMate 3 LVAD patients (58 years old, 64% male) were enrolled. In the multivariable Cox regression model, the cannula coronal angle was a significant predictor of death or heart failure readmission (hazard ratio 1.27 [1.01-1.60], P = .045). Patients with a cannula coronal angle ≤28° had lower central venous pressure (P = .030), lower pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (P = .027), and smaller left ventricular size (P = .019) compared to those with the angle >28°. Right ventricular size and parameters of right ventricular function were also better in the narrow angle group, as was one-year cumulative incidence of death or heart failure readmission (10% vs. 50%, P = .008). Narrow cannula coronal angle in patients with HeartMate 3 LVADs was associated with improved cardiac unloading and lower incidence of death or heart failure readmission. Larger studies to confirm the implication of optimal device positioning are warranted.     

Comparison of visual field defect progression in secondary Glaucoma due to anterior uveitis caused by three types of herpes viruses

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - To clarify the prevalence of secondary glaucoma (SG) and its speed of progression in patients with herpes simplex virus...     

Interatrial shunt flow profiles in newborn infants: a colour flow and pulsed Doppler echocardiographic study.

Interatrial shunt flow profiles in 36 normal term infants were examined serially by colour flow and pulsed Doppler echocardiographic techniques from within an hour of birth to four or five days after birth. Shunt flow across the foramen ovale was detected in 33 normal infants (92%) within an hour of birth (mean 40 minutes). The occurrence of interatrial shunting decreased with age, but a shunt signal was still detected in 17 infants (47%) on the fourth or fifth day of life, by then the ductus arteriosus had already closed in all the normal infants. The direction of interatrial shunt flow was predominantly left-to-right, but in 64% there was a coexistent small right-to-left shunt in diastole within an hour of birth; by four to five days it was found in 19%. In the six patients with persistent fetal circulation the direction of the interatrial shunt flow was predominantly right-to-left with biphasic peaks in diastole and systole at the early stage of the disease, and the period of right-to-left shunt flow during each cardiac cycle was significantly longer than that in normal infants examined within 1 hour of birth. In all patients the ductus closed before the foramen ovale. At the time of ductal closure in all patients with persistent fetal circulation right-to-left shunt flow was seen during diastole and its period was still prolonged. These findings suggest that interatrial shunting, predominantly left-to-right, is common in normal newborn infants. Evaluation of the characteristics of the interatrial shunt by Doppler echocardiography may be useful for predicting the progress of or improvement in neonates with persistent fetal circulation.     

Application of real-time RT-PCR to quantifying gene expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases in human abdominal aortic aneurysm

BACKGROUND: The relative expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), key regulators in remodeling of extracellular matrix, are considered to play a pivotal role in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). However, few data exist regarding quantitative assessment of their expression in clinical settings. METHODS: In 22 patients with AAA who underwent graft replacement, tissue samples of the AAA and non-dilated aorta were obtained. Using a real-time RT-PCR method that enabled quantitative measurement of mRNA levels in small tissue samples, we determined gene expression levels of MMPs and TIMPs relative to that of glutaraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase in each sample. RESULTS: The expression levels of the MMP-1 and -3 genes were significantly augmented in AAA compared with non-dilated regions (4.48 +/- 2.01 versus 0.26 +/- 0.12, P < 0.01 and 1.89 +/- 1.00 versus 5.01 +/- 0.97, P < 0.05, respectively). Although genes for TIMP-1, -2 and -3 tended to be upregulated in AAA, relative expression levels of MMP-1 to TIMP-1, MMP-1 to TIMP-2, MMP-1 to TIMP-3, and MMP-3 to TIMP-2 were still higher in AAA than in non-dilated regions (1.12 +/- 0.63 versus 0.10 +/- 0.03, 4.13 +/- 1.12 versus 0.43 +/- 0.11, 1.61 +/- 0.59 versus 0.14 +/- 0.03, and 7.81 +/- 1.60 versus 2.56 +/- 0.76, respectively, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that the present real-time RT-PCR method is reliable for the determination of mRNA levels in small samples of vascular tissue and that disproportional expression of both MMP-1 and MMP-3 relative to TIMPs relates pathologically to the evolution of AAA.     

Transthoracic ultrasonic visualisation of coronary aneurysm, stenosis, and occlusion in Kawasaki disease

OBJECTIVE—To determine the sensitivity and specificity of our transthoracic echocardiographic technique using high frequency (7.5 MHz) transducers for identification of the presence and type of coronary artery disease in patients with Kawasaki disease.
DESIGN—The results of the prospective echocardiographic study in each of seven segments of the four major coronary arteries were compared with the selective coronary angiograms.
SETTING—Kitasato University Hospital.
SUBJECTS—60 patients with Kawasaki disease, ranging in age from 8.0 months to 22 years (median, 6.0 years).
RESULTS—Adequate echocardiographic images were obtained in 397 (95%) of 420 coronary segments. Coronary angiography showed the presence of coronary aneurysms in 87 segments and stenosis or occlusion in 28. The overall sensitivity and specificity of cross sectional echocardiography for correctly identifying coronary aneurysms were 95% and 99%, respectively; for correctly identifying coronary stenosis or occlusion the values were 85% and 98% for the right coronary artery, and 80% and 97% for the left anterior descending coronary artery. Agreement on the presence or absence of coronary aneurysms and obstructive lesions on echocardiograms between the two observers was 1.0 and 0.98, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS—Echocardiography may provide a non-invasive means of identifying the presence and type of coronary artery disease in patients with Kawasaki disease.


Keywords: Kawasaki disease; coronary artery aneurysm; coronary artery stenosis; echocardiography