Influence of conduction disturbances on clinical outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction receiving thrombolysis (results from the ARGAMI-2 study)

Right bundle branch block and complete atrioventricular (AV) block are conduction disorders (CDs) that have been observed in 14% of patients admitted with ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction. CDs carry a poor prognosis, with a threefold increase in the mortality rate, mainly due to cardiogenic shock and recurrent fatal myocardial infarction at 1-year follow-up. According to multivariable analysis, CD was the second strongest predictor of death, after high Killip class. Compared with patients without CD, the 1-year outcome of patients with CD was identically worse, irrespective of whether CD appeared during admission, disappeared, or remained constant. Similar adverse outcomes were seen in patients with complete AV block and right bundle branch block.     

Functional magnetic resonance imaging monitoring of pathological changes in rodent livers during hyperoxia and hypercapnia

Liver diseases and regeneration are associated with hemodynamic changes denoting pathological alterations. Determining and monitoring physiological and pathological liver changes is essential for diagnostic and therapeutic objectives. Our aim was to determine the feasibility of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during hypercapnia and hyperoxia for monitoring liver pathology. Liver fMRI images were acquired in rodents following acute bleeding, partial hepatectomy, and fibrosis. Results were quantitated and confirmed by histology. Changes induced by hyperoxia and hypercapnia following hemorrhage significantly correlated with the percentage of blood loss, reflecting lower liver perfusion and diminished vessel responsiveness to gas saturation. Hepatectomy resulted in an early decline in signal intensity changes due to hyperoxia, suggesting a decrease in liver perfusion and blood content. Following hepatectomy, signal intensity changes due to hypercapnia increased, signifying a change in liver perfusion from a mainly portal to a more arterial source. Two weeks after induction of fibrosis, signal intensity changes due to hypercapnia became much lower and those due to hyperoxia were much higher than those in normal livers, reflecting the increased perfusion due to the inflammatory process as confirmed by histologic analysis. With fibrosis progression, signal intensity changes induced by hypercapnia and hyperoxia were gradually attenuated, indicating structural and functional alterations of the liver vasculature during fibrosis. CONCLUSION: In various liver pathologies, fMRI response to hypercapnia and hyperoxia is sensitive to changes in liver hemodynamic status involved in hepatic damage or recovery; thus, this technique may offer an additional noninvasive diagnostic tool for evaluation and follow-up of liver diseases by means of examining perfusion-related alterations.     

Dietary patterns and risk for Crohn's disease in children

BACKGROUND: Some dietary foods are considered protective (vegetables and fruits), whereas others (fatty foods) are thought to enhance the risk for Crohn's disease (CD). The evidence, however, is inconsistent. METHODS: We postulated that specific dietary patterns may influence the risk for CD. A case-control study was carried out. Newly diagnosed CD cases with population and/or hospital-based controls < or =20 years were selected from 3 tertiary hospitals across Canada. Pre-disease diet was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) administered within 1 month of diagnosis. Factor analyses and unconditional logistic regression (adjusted) was used to determine gender-specific dietary patterns and assess associated risks for CD. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated. RESULTS: A total of 149 cases and 251 controls were included. The mean age (range) of the cases was 13.3 (2.6-20 years). There were more boys (61.1%). Four dietary patterns each were observed among both boys and girls. Pattern 1 in girls, characterized by meats, fatty foods, and desserts, was positively associated with CD (OR 4.7, 95% CI 1.6-14.2). Pattern 2, common to both boys and girls, was characterized by vegetables, fruits, olive oil, fish, grains, and nuts and was inversely associated with CD in both genders (girls: OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.1-0.9; boys: OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1-0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that specific dietary patterns could be associated with higher or lower risks for CD in children. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.     

In vivo fragmentation of heparan sulfate by heparanase overexpression renders mice resistant to amyloid protein A amyloidosis

Amyloid diseases encompass >20 medical disorders that include amyloid protein A (AA) amyloidosis, Alzheimer's disease, and type 2 diabetes. A common feature of these conditions is the selective organ deposition of disease-specific fibrillar proteins, along with the sulfated glycosaminoglycan, heparan sulfate. We have generated transgenic mice that overexpress human heparanase and have tested their susceptibility to amyloid induction. Drastic shortening of heparan sulfate chains was observed in heparanase-overproducing organs, such as liver and kidney. These sites selectively escaped amyloid deposition on experimental induction of inflammation-associated AA amyloidosis, as verified by lack of material staining with Congo Red, as well as lack of associated polysaccharide, whereas the same tissues from control animals were heavily infiltrated with amyloid. By contrast, the spleens of transgenic mice that failed to significantly overexpress heparanase contained heparan sulfate chains similar in size to those of control spleen and remained susceptible to amyloid deposition. Our findings provide direct in vivo evidence that heparan sulfate is essential for the development of amyloid disease.     

双对吻挤压与经典挤压技术治疗冠状动脉分叉病变的前瞻性、随机、多中心研究

目的 比较双对吻挤压(DK crush)和经典挤压技术治疗冠状动脉分叉病变的临床效果.方法 311例真性分叉病变患者随机分入DK crush组(n=155)和经典挤压组(n=156),随访时间8个月.一级及二级终点分别为主要心脏不良事件(MACE,包括心肌梗死、心原性死亡和靶病变血运重建)和血管直径再狭窄及晚期丢失.结果 DK crush组糖尿病患者较多.经典挤压组及DKcrush组最终对吻扩张(FKBI)成功率分别为76%和100%(P＜0.001).DK crush术式的不足包括造影剂用量大(P=0.04)、球囊数量多(P＜0.01)、手术时间长(P＜0.001),但是对吻扩张不满意率显著减少(27.6%比6.3%,P＜0.01).临床随访率为100%,冠状动脉造影随访率为82%.经典挤压组累计再狭窄率为32.3%,而DK crush组为20.3%(P=0.01),经典挤压组分支血管再狭窄率高(24.4%比12.3%,P=0.01),而两组间主干血管再狭窄率差异无统计学意义.经典挤压组术后8个月时的累计MACE发生率为24.4%(FKBI失败组为35.9%,FKBI成功组为19.7%),显著高于DK crush组(11.4%,P=0.02).经典挤压组血栓栓塞率为3.2%(FKBI失败组为5.1%,FKBI成功组为1.7%),而DK crush组为1.3%(P＞0.05).经典挤压组术后8个月时无靶病变血运重建生存率为75.4%(FKBI失败组为71.2%,FKBI成功组为77.6%),而DK crush组为89.5%(P=0.002).结论 DK crush可能是治疗冠状动脉分叉病变的较佳术式.