The aim of the paper is to determine whether the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism is associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and inguinal hernia. A case-control study was conducted in 264 subjects: 65 patients with AAA, 91 patients with inguinal hernia, 19 patients with both AAA and ...

BackgroundRegular aerobic exercise prevents and reverses arterial stiffening, but the association between resistance training and arterial stiffness is unclear.AimThis study was performed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled clinical trials (RCTs) assessing the associations between resistance training and changes in arterial stiffness.MethodsMEDLINE and SPORTDiscus databases were ...

The aim was to determine plasma levels of sFlt-1 and sEng on the arterial and venous side of the uteroplacental circulation in preeclamptic patients and healthy controls. Preeclamptic patients had higher arterial concentrations than controls of sFlt-1 (17,450 vs 5055 pg/ml, p = 0.003) and sEng (68.7 vs 28.7 ng/ml, p = 0.003). In the preclampsia ...

Intramural hematoma (IMH) is a newly defined disease entity and the optimal management is still controversial as the disease shows varied clinical course. We present a case of type B IMH, initially presenting with paraplegia progressing to segmental aortic dissection (SAD) which the formed dissection displayed as a segmental distribution ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare systemic arterial inflammation in subjects with recent ischaemic stroke or TIA and controls with prior cerebrovascular disease. METHODS: Systemic arterial inflammation was prospectively measured by (18)F-fluorodeoxygluose positron emission tomography in 11 cases with recent ischaemic stroke or TIA, and 11 sex matched controls with prior cerebrovascular disease. ...

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effects of prostaglandin E(1) (PGE(1)) on residual pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) after corrective surgery for congenital heart disease. Methods: Thirty-one patients with postoperational PAH were randomly divided into control group (n = 15) and PGE(1) group (n = 16, 6 courses of intravenous PGE(1) plus ...

BACKGROUND: To assess the prevalence of increased (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in aneurysmal walls, adopting a case-control approach in a population of asymptomatic patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). METHODS: This study included 40 males (mean age: 74 years, range: 59-93 years), consecutive, white Caucasian patients, with asymptomatic infrarenal AAA. The ...

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) are often treated by pushable fibered or non-fibered microcoils, using an anchor or scaffold technique or with an Amplatzer plug through a guiding sheath. When performing percutaneous transcatheter microcoil embolization, there is a risk of coil migration, particularly with high-flow type PAVMs. The authors report on ...

Background: Increased artery intima-media thickness (IMT) was found in adults with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). No data are available in patients with non-classical (NC) CAH. Aims: To evaluate IMT in adolescents with classical and NC CAH and to compare the results with those recorded in a control population. Patients ...

Whilst the existence of a specific phenotype characterised as "Athlete's Heart" is generally acknowledged, the question of whether athletes exhibit characteristic vascular adaptations has not been specifically addressed. To do so in this symposium, studies which have assessed the size, wall thickness and function of elastic, large muscular and smaller ...

Aim: To explore a possible relationship between vasodilatation and delayed headache we examined the effect of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP38) on the middle meningeal artery (MMA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) using high resolution magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).Methods: In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study 14 healthy volunteers were scanned ...

Pulmonary drug and gene delivery to the lung represents a non-invasive avenue for local and systemic therapies. However, the respiratory tract provides substantial barriers that need to be overcome for successful pulmonary application. In this regard, micro- and nano-sized particles offer novel concepts for the development of optimized therapeutic tools ...

Incidental findings pose considerable management dilemmas for the treating physician and psychological burden for the respective patient. With an aging population, more patients will be diagnosed with asymptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis. Patients will have to be counseled with regard to treatment options according to their individual risk profile and ...

PURPOSE: Despite recent advances in surgical techniques and perioperative management, the mortality rate in patients with type-A aortic dissection remains high. The establishment of an animal model that exhibits the clinical features of acute aortic dissection would facilitate investigations of the pathogenesis of aortic dissection and the development of appropriate ...

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is associated with significant mortality due to lung hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. The role of embryonic pulmonary innervation on normal lung development and lung maldevelopment in CDH has not been defined. We hypothesize that developmental defects of intrapulmonary innervation, in particular autonomic innervation, occur in CDH. ...

OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether cervical carotid artery dissection (CCAD) is associated with anatomic characteristics of the styloid process of the temporal bone. METHODS:CT angiograms from 38 case patients with CCAD and 38 age- and sex-matched control subjects without dissection were studied. Styloid process length, angulation in the axial and rostral-caudal planes, ...

Reduction of target coronary artery motion is imperative for successful off-pump coronary artery bypass surgery. We hypothesized that landiolol, a novel ultra-short-acting selective β-1 blocker, would reduce such coronary artery motion. To test this hypothesis, the motion of the left anterior descending artery of the porcine heart (n = 8) was analyzed ...

Firefighters are known to have an elevated rate of sudden cardiac death compared to the general population. It is unclear whether this finding is related to underlying cardiovascular risk factors or whether firefighting inherently carries additional risk. Our objective was to determine whether Los Angeles county firefighters have higher coronary ...

Objectives: The purpose of the present study is to investigate the expression of inflammation factor endothelial-leukocyte adhesion molecule (E-selectin, CD62E) in cerebral aneurysm walls and its relationship with aneurysm rupture. Methods: Cerebral aneurysm tissue samples were collected at the time of surgical clipping of nine patients with history of subarachnoid ...

BACKGROUND:: The optimal method of vascular control and resuscitation in patients with life-threatening, extrathoracic torso hemorrhage remains debated. Guidelines recommend emergency department thoracotomy (EDT) with aortic clamping, although transabdominal aortic clamping followed by vascular control and direct vascular control (DVC) without aortic clamping are alternatives. The objective of this study ...

We sought to evaluate whether ejection dynamics, particularly acceleration time (AT) and the ratio of AT to ejection time (ET), can differentiate prosthetic aortic valve (PAV) stenosis from controls and prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM). Diagnosing PAV stenosis, especially in mechanical valves, may be challenging and has significant clinical implications. Doppler echocardiography ...

Although n-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) has been used as an effective liquid embolization material, its indication for pseudoaneurysms has seemingly been limited because of the technical difficulties of using NBCA, such as reflux to the parent artery and causing significant infarction. Thus, considerable skill in using NBCA or a device to control ...

PURPOSE: Massive pulmonary embolism (PE) causes hemodynamic compromise and is associated with a high rate of mortality. We sought to create a model of massive PE and to determine whether occlusion of the right main bronchus could mitigate the physiological effects of massive PE in this model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ...

Leukoaraiosis refers to an age-related, abnormal appearance of the brain white matter on neuroimaging. The association between leukoaraiosis and cerebrovascular disease suggests that ischemia may be an important contributing factor; however, the pathogenesis of the condition remains controversial. We hypothesized that physical abnormalities of blood vessels might be culpable and ...

Disruption of retinoic acid signaling causes a variety of pharyngeal arch artery and great vessel defects, as well as malformations in many other tissues, including those derived from the pharyngeal endoderm. Previous studies implied that arch artery defects in the context of defective RA signaling occur secondary to pharyngeal pouch ...

INTRODUCTION: Carotid artery stiffness, an important determinant of arterial baroreflex sensitivity, varies considerably in healthy individuals, the source of which variability is not known. Tonic relaxant influence of the endothelium on vascular smooth muscle, reducing stiffness of the vessel wall, has been established in muscular conduit arteries. It is not ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), indices of large artery stiffness and measures of endothelium function may be used as markers of early atherosclerosis in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The aim of the present study was to compare the indices of large artery structure and function as well as ...

Detailed evaluation of coronary function early in diabetes mellitus (DM)-associated coronary artery disease (CAD) development is difficult in patients. Therefore, we investigated coronary conduit and small arterial function in a pre-atherosclerotic DM porcine model with type 2 characteristics. Streptozotocin-induced DM pigs on a saturated fat/cholesterol (SFC) diet (SFC+DM) were compared ...

INTRODUCTION: In the presence of coronary artery obstruction, complex cardiovascular reflexes may lead to changes in heart rate and even to the precipitation of malignant arrhythmias. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has traditionally been considered to be "balanced" between continuously interacting sympathetic and parasympathetic outflows. The purpose of this study ...

Mitochondrial diseases (MDs) are a clinically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by impairment of the respiratory chain function with altered oxidative phosphorylation. We tested the hypothesis that the function of vascular endothelium is affected by increased oxidative stress in MDs. Twelve patients with MDs and pair-matched controls were studied. Endothelial ...

Background: Surgery for thoracic and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms can be complicated by a significant incidence of neurogenic deficits due to spinal cord ischemia. In this study, we investigated whether ischemic preconditioning (IPC) improves neurologic outcome in a rabbit model.Methods: Forty rabbits underwent infrarenal aortic occlusion. The IPC group (n = ...

Fish oils, rich in long-chain n-3 PUFA, are known to reduce various risk factors for CVD. However, conclusive evidence regarding the benefits of n-3 on arterial stiffness, a risk factor for CVD, has not yet been established. Consequently, we conducted the first study aimed to quantify the effects of n-3 ...

: The final event leading to myocardial infarction is adhesion and activation of platelets after rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque, ending in thrombotic occlusion of the coronary artery. Imaging of imminent vessel occlusion may improve patient care. The feasibility of molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detection of coronary ...

PURPOSE: To in vivo investigate the histological response after single and double cryoplasty therapy in a rabbit iliac artery model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 40 New Zealand White rabbits underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of the iliac artery using either PolarCath balloon or a conventional angioplasty balloon of equal diameter. ...

BACKGROUND: We studied the occurrence of intraoperative tidal alveolar recruitment/derecruitment, exhaled nitric oxide (eNO), and lung dysfunction in patients with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). METHODS: We performed a prospective observational physiological study at a university hospital. Respiratory mechanics, shunt, and eNO ...

Women with a history of pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia or Intrauterine growth restriction and low infant birth weight looks at a higher risk for subsequent ischemic heart disease. Objective: To determine the relationship between pregnancy complications and maternal coronary artery disease in the future. Material and method: We performed a ...

OBJECTIVE: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is characterized by widening of the aorta. Once the aneurysm exceeds 5.5 cm, there is a 10% risk of death due to rupture. AAA is also associated with mortality due to other cardiovascular disease. Our aim was to investigate clot structure in AAA and its ...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Internal carotid artery (ICA) elongation (coiling and kinking) has been suggested as a risk factor for carotid dissection. Since vasomotion is known to be impaired in spontaneous cervical vessel dissection, we investigated whether endothelial-dependent vasodilation in subjects with carotid coiling and kinking is compromised. METHODS: We undertook ...

Background- Coronary artery vein graft failure, resulting from thrombosis, intimal thickening, and atherosclerosis, is a significant clinical problem, with approximately 50% of vein grafts failing within 10 years. Intimal thickening is caused by migration of vascular smooth muscle cells from the media to the intima, where they proliferate. Interventions using ...

BACKGROUND: The feasibility of carotid artery intima-media thickness (C-IMT), an established cardiovascular disease marker, as a cardiac risk marker in mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) patients was explored. OBJECTIVES: To determine if C-IMT is abnormal in MPS versus unaffected controls, and if C-IMT correlates with coronary artery diameter in MPS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: ...

To the Editor: For decades, inoperable critical aortic stenosis has been considered untreatable. The randomized, controlled trial conducted by the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) investigators (Oct. 21, 2010, issue and June 9, 2011, issue),(1),(2) in which transcatheter aortic-valve implantation is compared with medical therapy, has generated excitement, and ...

Late outgrowth endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) derived from the peripheral blood of patients with significant coronary artery disease were sodded into the lumens of small diameter expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts. Grafts (1mm inner diameter) were denucleated and sodded either with native EPCs or with EPCs transfected with an adenoviral ...

BACKGROUND: Intimal hyperplasia is a major obstacle to patency after vein grafting. Several clinical trials revealed that pioglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ ligand, exerts beneficial actions on cardiovascular complications. We investigated whether pioglitazone modulates intimal hyperplasia in experimental rabbit autologous vein grafts. METHODS: Male Japanese White rabbits were randomly divided ...

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neointimal hyperplasia, and a role for angiotensin II in the migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells in restenotic lesions has been proposed. The aim of this study was to determine the anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of ramiprilat-coated stents ...

Pelvic arteries embolization (PAE) can be described as an obstetric procedure effective in emergencies, to use especially in managing uncontrollable acute uterine hemorrhage, if resistant to medical therapy. This procedure leads to immediate control of hemorrhages and restores cardiovascular status, especially in critical patients. PAE can be used as an ...

One of the most important factors responsible for the calcific failure of bioprosthetic heart valves is glutaraldehyde crosslinking. Ethanol (EtOH) incubation after glutaraldehyde crosslinking has previously been reported to confer anticalcification efficacy for bioprostheses. The present studies investigated the anticalcification efficacy in vivo of the novel crosslinking agent, triglycidyl amine ...

While it has been clearly demonstrated that venous thromboembolism is associated with an increased risk of subsequent overt cancer and arterial cardiovascular events in comparison to control populations, whether this association also applies to patients with isolated (i.e., without concomitant involvement of the deep vein system) superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) ...

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a serious disease characterized by elevated pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and increased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). Among its subtypes, PAH associated with connective tissue disease (CPAH) has the worse prognosis, because of resistance to conventional vasodilator therapy. We hypothesized that intensive immunosuppressive therapy (IIT) ...

Objectives: Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is characterized by an abnormal dilatation of the coronary arteries. Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a measure of heterogeneity in the size of red blood cell. In this study, we aimed to investigate RDW levels in patients with CAE. Methods: The study population included ...

INTRODUCTION: Varicose vein disease is one of the most common morbidities in developed countries. Recent studies have shown that oxidative stress is increased in varicose veins (VV) and venous insufficiency. However, the exact mechanisms of oxidative stress in VV remain unknown. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to measure superoxide anion production and ...