Diseases Commons^™

A Novel Selective Lipid Uptake Pathway Contributing To Ldl-Induced Macrophage Foam Cell Formation, Jason M. Meyer

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by cholesterol-rich plaques within the intima of medium and large arteries. Cholesterol deposition is thought to occur by infiltration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) into lesions followed by uptake into macrophages, generating lipid-loaded “foam cells.” Foam cells can also be generated in vitro by treatment of macrophages with LDL or oxidized LDL (oxLDL). The purpose of the current investigation was to determine the contribution of selective cholesteryl ester (CE) uptake versus whole-particle uptake during LDL-induced foam cell formation in cultured macrophages. Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) exhibited significant cholesterol accumulation when treated with LDL as indicated …

Arkansas Animal Science Department Report 2012, David L. Kreider

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

No abstract provided.

Neisseria Oralis Sp. Nov., Isolated From Healthy Gingival Plaque And Clinical Samples, William J. Wolfgang, Teresa V. Passaretti, Reashma Jose, Jocelyn Cole, An Coorevits, Andrea N. Carpenter, Sherly Jose, Anita Van Landschoot, Jacques Izard, Donna J. Kohlerschmidt, Peter Vandamme, Floyd E. Dewhirst, Mark A. Fisher, Kimberlee A. Musser

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A polyphasic analysis was undertaken of seven independent isolates of gram-negative cocci collected from pathological clinical samples from New York, Louisiana, Florida, and Illinois and healthy subgingival plaque from a patient in Virginia, USA. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity among these isolates was 99.7–100 %, and the closest species with a validly published name was Neisseria lactamica (96.9 % similarity to the type strain). DNA–DNA hybridization confirmed that these isolates are of the same species and are distinct from their nearest phylogenetic neighbor, N. lactamica. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the …

Mitochondrial Cardiomyopathy: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, And Management, Deborah E Meyers, Haseeb Ilias Basha, Mary Kay Koenig

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Mitochondrial disease is a heterogeneous group of multisystemic diseases that develop consequent to mutations in nuclear or mitochondrial DNA. The prevalence of inherited mitochondrial disease has been estimated to be greater than 1 in 5,000 births; however, the diagnosis and treatment of this disease are not taught in most adult-cardiology curricula. Because mitochondrial diseases often occur as a syndrome with resultant multiorgan dysfunction, they might not immediately appear to be specific to the cardiovascular system. Mitochondrial cardiomyopathy can be described as a myocardial condition characterized by abnormal heart-muscle structure, function, or both, secondary to genetic defects involving the mitochondrial respiratory …

Coronary Artery Diameter Related To Calcium Scores And Coronary Risk Factors As Measured With Multidetector Computed Tomography: A Substudy Of The Accuracy Trial, Yasmin S Hamirani, Khurram Nasir, Emil Avanes, Jigar Kadakia, Matthew J Budoff

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Arterial remodeling, an early change of atherosclerosis, can cause dilated arterial diameter. We measured coronary artery diameter with use of noncontrast 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), and studied its association with coronary artery calcium levels and traditional coronary risk factors.

We included 140 patients from the ACCURACY trial whose noncontrast MDCT images showed measurable coronary arteries. Using 3 measurements of left main coronary artery (LMCA) and right coronary artery (RCA) diameters within 3 mm of the ostium, we associated the results with traditional coronary risk factors and calcium scores.

The prevalence of LMCA and RCA calcium was 22% and 51%, …

Emerging Modifiable Risk Factors For Cardiovascular Disease In Women: Obesity, Physical Activity, And Sedentary Behavior, Ann Smith Barnes

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Can The Bicuspid Aortic Valve Be Spared? The Con Position, With Caveats And Nuances, Joseph E Bavaria, Caroline M Komlo, Tyler Rhode, Prashanth Vallabhajosyula

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Perventricular Device Closure Of Residual Muscular Ventricular Septal Defects After Repair Of Complex Congenital Heart Defects In Pediatric Patients, Da Zhu, Kaiyu Tao, Qi An, Shuhua Luo, Changping Gan, Ke Lin

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Residual muscular ventricular septal defects are surgical challenges, especially after the repair of complex congenital heart defects. We investigated perventricular device closure as a salvage technique in pediatric patients who had postoperative residual muscular ventricular septal defects.

From February 2009 through June 2011, 14 pediatric patients at our hospital had residual muscular ventricular septal defects after undergoing surgical repair of complex congenital heart defects. Ten patients met our criteria for perventricular device closure of the residual defects: significant left-to-right shunting (Qp/Qs >1.5) or substantial hemodynamic instability (a defect ≥2 mm in size). The patients' mean age was 20.4 ± 13.5 …

Two Cases Of Bezold-Jarisch Reflex Induced By Intra-Arterial Nitroglycerin In Critical Left Main Coronary Artery Stenosis, Sachin P Shah, Sergio Waxman

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The Bezold-Jarisch reflex, a well-described phenomenon, occurs upon the stimulation of intracardiac mechanoreceptors and is mediated by vagal afferent nerve fibers. Several factors can sensitize the cardiovascular system to develop this reflex, including acute myocardial ischemia, natriuretic peptides, and, rarely, nitroglycerin administration in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. The development of the Bezold-Jarisch reflex in the presence of severe coronary artery stenosis, specifically left main coronary artery stenosis, has not been described. We report 2 cases of patients who underwent elective coronary angiography and were given intra-arterial nitroglycerin during radial sheath insertion to reduce radial artery spasm. In both …

Feasibility Of Temporary Biventricular Pacing After Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting In Patients With Reduced Left Ventricular Function, Daniel Y Wang, Lauren A Kelly, Marc E Richmond, T Alexander Quinn, Bin Cheng, Michelle D Spotnitz, Santos E Cabreriza, Yoshifumi Naka, Allan S Stewart, Craig R Smith, Henry M Spotnitz

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

In selected patients undergoing cardiac surgery, our research group previously showed that optimized temporary biventricular pacing can increase cardiac output one hour after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass. Whether pacing is effective after beating-heart surgery is unknown. Accordingly, in this study we examined the feasibility of temporary biventricular pacing after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

The effects of optimized pacing on cardiac output were measured with an electromagnetic aortic flow probe at the conclusion of surgery in 5 patients with a preoperative mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 0.26 (range, 0.15–0.35). Atrioventricular (7) and interventricular (9) delay settings were optimized in …

A Dna Computer For Glioblastoma Multiforme Diagnosis And Drug Delivery, Sumaiya F. Hashmi

CMC Senior Theses

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a debilitating malignant brain tumor with expected patient survival of less than a year and limited responsiveness to most treatments, often requiring biopsy for diagnosis and invasive surgery for treatment. We propose a DNA computer system, consisting of input, computation, and output components, for diagnosis and treatment. The input component will detect the presence of three GBM biomarkers: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), caveolin-1α (CAV), and B2 receptors. The computation component will include indicator segments for each of these genes, and ensure that output is only released if all the biomarkers are present. The output component …

Relationship Of Global Dna Methylation With Cardiovascular Fitness And Body Composition, Mihaela A. Ciulei, Michael Jarrett, James Navalta

McNair Poster Presentations

Global DNA Methylation (GDM), an epigenomic modification has been linked to the development of Cardiovascular Disease and its risk factors. The research focus is to identify the relationship between cardiovascular fitness measurements and epigen­etic alterations specific to chronic disease states in adult subjects. Twenty-six adult human subjects were required to complete a physical activity and diet questionnaire. Each individual donated a small blood sample (600 μL) in order for us to analyze the Global DNA Methylation (GMD). Then, their body composition was evaluated by us­ing the Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA Scan) machinery. The Pearson’s “r” value was used to reveal …

Preoperative Statin Therapy In Cardiac Surgery Is More Effective In Patients Who Display Preoperative Activation Of The Inflammatory System, José Martínez-Comendador, José Rubio Alvarez, Juan Sierra, Elvis Teijeira, Belén Adrio

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

We sought to determine whether preoperative statin treatment is more effective in reducing, after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, systemic inflammatory response and myocardial damage markers in patients who have elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels than in patients who have normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels.

The study involved a prospective cohort of 164 patients who underwent coronary and valvular surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. There were 2 study groups: group A (n = 60), patients with elevated preoperative interleukin-6 levels; and group B (n = 104), patients with normal preoperative interleukin-6 levels. Each group was subdivided according to whether patients were (group 1) …

Components Of The Complete Blood Count As Risk Predictors For Coronary Heart Disease: In-Depth Review And Update, Mohammad Madjid, Omid Fatemi

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, and several inflammatory biomarkers, such as C-reactive protein, have been used to predict the risk of coronary heart disease. High white blood cell count is a strong and independent predictor of coronary risk in patients of both sexes, with and without coronary heart disease. A high number of white blood cells and their subtypes (for example, neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, and eosinophils) are associated with the presence of coronary heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and stroke. The coronary heart disease risk ratios associated with a high white blood cell count are comparable to those of other …

Surgical Pulmonary Embolectomy: The Resurrection Of An Almost Discarded Operation, Samuel Z Goldhaber

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Inverted Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy And The Fundamental Diagnostic Role Of Echocardiography, Arantza Manzanal, Lara Ruiz, Jose Madrazo, Majesh Makan, Julio Perez

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is characterized by the development of transient focal wall-motion abnormalities that involve the apical and midventricular segments, in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. A variant, inverted takotsubo cardiomyopathy, was described in 2010. We report 3 cases in which each patient's transthoracic echocardiogram revealed the characteristic basal and midventricular segmental akinesis of this variant. This pattern is not associated with coronary artery distribution, and it therefore can be differentiated from coronary artery disease with the use of echocardiography, by evaluating the distribution and temporal changes of akinetic areas.

Osteosarcoma Tumor Thrombus: A Case Report With A Review Of The Literature, Pournima Navalkele, Sarah M Jones, Jason K Jones, Jorge D Salazar, Patrick C Toy, Rathi V Iyer, Betty Herrington

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Tumor thrombus arising from osteosarcoma is rare. We report the case of a 20-year-old man with proximal humerus osteosarcoma, accompanied by an extensive intravascular tumor thrombus extending into the heart. Our review of the literature found 14 previous reports on osteosarcoma with tumor thrombus. The combination of positron emission tomography and computed tomography is very useful in differentiating tumor thrombus from vascular thrombus, thereby avoiding unnecessary anticoagulation therapy. This same imaging combination can also be used to evaluate the response to treatment. Surgical resection of the tumor thrombus is highly recommended. The effect of tumor thrombus on survival is still …

Predicting Early Death After Cardiovascular Surgery By Using The Texas Heart Institute Risk Scoring Technique (Thirst), Saurabh Sanon, Vei-Vei Lee, Macarthur A Elayda, Sreedevi Gondi, James J Livesay, George J Reul, James M Wilson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Preoperative risk-prediction models are an important tool in contemporary surgical practice. We developed a risk-scoring technique for predicting in-hospital death for cardiovascular surgery patients. From our institutional database, we obtained data on 21,120 patients admitted from 1995 through 2007. The outcome of interest was early death (in-hospital or within 30 days of surgery). To identify mortality predictors, multivariate logistic regression was performed on data from 14,030 patients from 1995 through 2002 and risk scores were computed to stratify patients (low-, medium-, and high-risk). A recalibrated model was then created from the original risk scores and validated on data from 7,090 …

Endovascular Treatment Of Acute Type B Dissection Complicating Aortic Coarctation, Seyed Ebrahim Kassaian, Kyomars Abbasi, Mehdi Mousavi, Mohammad Sahebjam

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Surgical treatment poses a high risk to patients with concomitant aortic coarctation and dissection, and an interventional approach could be an alternative. We describe the case of a 52-year-old man with a long history of untreated hypertension and aortic coarctation who emergently presented at our institution with an acute Stanford type B dissection. The patient's elevated serum creatinine level, perfusion deficit in the right lower limb, and hypertension did not respond to medical therapy, and he did not consent to surgery. By endovascular means, we used a self-expandable stent-graft to cover the entry point of the dissection; then, we deployed …

Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death In Athletes: In Search Of Evidence-Based, Cost-Effective Screening, Paolo Angelini, Mladen I Vidovich, Christine E Lawless, Macarthur A Elayda, J Alberto Lopez, Dwayne Wolf, James T Willerson

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Sudden cardiac death in athletes is a recurrent phenomenon at sporting events and during training. Recent studies have associated sudden cardiac death with such cardiovascular conditions as coronary artery anomalies, cardiomyopathies, and electrocardiographic abnormalities, most of which are screenable with modern imaging techniques. We recently inaugurated the Center for Coronary Artery Anomalies at the Texas Heart Institute, which is dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac death in the young and investigating coronary artery anomalies. There, we are conducting 2 cross-sectional studies intended to firmly establish and quantify, in a large group of individuals from a general population, risk factors for sudden …

Preventing Deep Wound Infection After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: A Review, Charles S Bryan, William M Yarbrough

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The consequences of deep wound infections before, during, and after coronary artery bypass grafting have prompted research to clarify risk factors and explore preventive measures to keep infection rates at an irreducible minimum. An analysis of 42 studies in which investigators used multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus and obesity are by far the chief preoperative risk factors. A 4-point preoperative scoring system based on a patient's body mass index and the presence or absence of diabetes is one practical way to determine the risk of mediastinitis, and other risk-estimate methods are being refined. Intraoperative risk factors include …

Some Thoughts About The Historic Events That Led To The First Clinical Implantation Of A Total Artificial Heart, Denton A Cooley

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Stab Wound Of The Heart With Unusual Sequelae, Peter I Praeger, Jonathan Praeger, Ahmed M Abdel-Razek, Elie M Elmann

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

A 31-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department with a stab wound to the heart. She was initially stable but rapidly developed hypotension. While the operating room and staff were in preparation, she underwent pericardiocentesis. She was then rushed to the operating room by the general surgical trauma team, who performed a bilateral anterior thoracotomy to control the bleeding. In the recovery room, the patient was still hypotensive, so cardiothoracic surgery was consulted.

An echocardiogram revealed severe hypokinesis of both ventricles. The cardiothoracic surgeons returned her to the operating room and discovered that the anterior pericardium had been completely …

Early Hemodynamic And Biochemical Changes In Overloaded Swine Ventricleearly Hemodynamic And Biochemical Changes In Overloaded Swine Ventricle, Sandro Gelsomino, Fabiana Lucà, Chiara Nediani, Sandra Zecchi Orlandini, Daniele Bani, Antonio S Rubino, Attilio Renzulli, Roberto Lorusso, Andrea Consolo, Antonino Lo Cascio, Jos Maessen, Gian Franco Gensini

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The present study was undertaken to investigate, in an animal model, the relationship between sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA2a) activity, phospholamban phosphorylation, acylphosphatase activity, and hemodynamic changes that occur in the early phase of pressure overload. In 54 study-group pigs, weighing 40±5 kg each, an aortic stenosis was created with a band of umbilical tape tied around the aorta; 18 sham-operated pigs formed our control group. Eight animals (6 study and 2 control) were randomly assigned to each experimental time (0.5, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 168 hr). All indices of left ventricular function declined significantly, with a …

The Pathobiology Of Acute Coronary Syndromes: Clinical Implications And Central Role Of The Mitochondria, L Maximilian Buja

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Ongoing investigation has provided new insights into the pathobiology of myocardial ischemic injury. These include an improved understanding of the roles of the major modes of cell injury and death, including oncosis, apoptosis, and unregulated autophagy, as well as the central role of the mitochondria in the progression of myocardial ischemic injury, reperfusion injury, and myocardial conditioning. This understanding is providing insights for developing new pathophysiologic, pharmacologic, and cell-based therapies, alone or in combination with percutaneous coronary interventions, for better preservation of myocardium and reduction of morbidity and mortality rates from ischemic heart disease.

Cardiovascular Disease In Late Survivors Of Tetralogy Of Fallot: A Tertiary Care Center Experience, Elisa Bradley, Jeff Parker, Eric Novak, Philip Ludbrook, Joseph Billadello, Ari Cedars

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Patients with tetralogy of Fallot can survive to late adulthood; however, there are few data on cardiovascular outcomes in this population. We conducted a single-center retrospective analysis of cardiovascular outcomes and risk factors in 208 patients with tetralogy of Fallot to better evaluate the burden of cardiovascular disease in this group. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence of relevant cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes, including a composite analysis of cardiovascular disease. Rates and mean values from the American Heart Association 2011 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update were used as population estimates for comparison.

In tetralogy of Fallot …

The Diagnosis Of Exclusion: An Ongoing Uncertainty, Herbert L Fred

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

No abstract provided.

Cor Triatriatum Sinister In A 43-Year-Old Man With Syncope, Janet L Eichholz, Samer S Hodroge, Jerry J Crook, John W Mack, Dale C Wortham

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Cor triatriatum sinister, a congenital cardiac anomaly involving a fibromuscular membrane that partitions the left atrium into 2 chambers, has been reported in only 0.1% to 0.4% of patients with congenital heart disease. The posterosuperior chamber receives blood from the pulmonary veins, and the anteroinferior chamber contains the left atrial appendage and mitral valve orifice. Most patients are diagnosed with the condition in infancy or childhood; adult cases are rare. We describe a case of cor triatriatum sinister in a 43-year-old man whose only presenting symptom was recurrent syncope. He underwent corrective resection of the membrane and was asymptomatic thereafter. …

Low Serum Triglyceride Levels As Predictors Of Cardiac Death In Heart Failure Patients, Guliz Kozdag, Gokhan Ertas, Ender Emre, Yasar Akay, Umut Celikyurt, Tayfun Sahin, Gozde Gorur, Kurtulus Karauzum, Irem Yilmaz, Dilek Ural, Mira Sarsekeyeva

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

Understanding the influence of sex differences on predictors of cardiac mortality rates in chronic heart failure might enable us to lengthen lifetimes and to improve lives. This study describes the influence of sex on cardiovascular mortality rates among chronic heart failure patients.

From January 2003 through December 2009, we evaluated 637 consecutive patients (409 men and 228 women) with chronic heart failure, who ranged in age from 18 through 94 years (mean age, 64 ± 13 yr) and ranged in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class from II through IV. The mean follow-up period was 38 ± 15 months, …

Induction Of Early Biomarkers In A Thrombus-Induced Sheep Model Of Ischemic Heart Failure, Aluganti N Chandrakala, Pawel Kwiatkowski, Chittoor B Sai-Sudhakar, Benjamin Sun, Angela Phillips, Sampath Parthasarathy

The Texas Heart Institute Journal

The levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) are known to be increased in the sera of subjects with heart failure. Existing models do not account for the biomass of thrombus that occurs in patients undergoing myocardial infarction. In this study, we compared the expressions of sheep-derived genes for BNP, MCP-1, and atrial natriuretic peptide in a new large-animal model of thrombus-induced heart failure. Thrombus of autologous platelets was injected directly into the left circumflex coronary arteries of sheep. Cardiac ischemic injury was evaluated by troponin I levels, and heart failure progression was monitored with the …