Genetic and environmental factors are important components of the development of atherosclerosis. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) have emerged as regulators of multiple pathophysiological pathways in ...the cardiovascular system. Here, we investigated potential associations between lncRNAs and atherosclerosis.
Tissue samples from atherosclerotic coronary artery plaques and non-atherosclerotic internal mammary artery were obtained from 20 patients during coronary artery bypass surgery. Expression levels of five lncRNAs known to be associated with coronary artery disease were measured using quantitative PCR.
Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B antisense RNA 1 (ANRIL) and myocardial infarction–associated transcript (MIAT) were more expressed in the atherosclerotic arteries compared to the non-atherosclerotic arteries. Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) was less expressed in the atherosclerotic plaques. Expression levels of potassium voltage-gated channel, KQT-like subfamily, member 1 opposite strand/antisense transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1) and hypoxia inducible factor 1A antisense RNA 2 (aHIF) were comparable between atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic arteries. In the atherosclerotic plaque, expression levels of MALAT1, MIAT, KCNQ1OT1 and aHIF were inversely correlated with age.
We report significant associations between lncRNAs and atherosclerosis. These findings support a role for lncRNAs in coronary artery disease development.
•To address the association of long-non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) with atherosclerosis.•Arteries with or without atherosclerotic plaque were obtained from the same patient.•Five lncRNAs associated with coronary artery disease were assessed.•Three lncRNAs were modulated in the atherosclerotic tissue.•Four lncRNAs were correlated with age, specifically in the atherosclerotic tissue.
Objective Beta-blockers are a heterogeneous class of agents that are used in the treatment of many cardiovascular diseases, especially hypertension and atherosclerosis, and that are commonly ...prescribed after cardiac surgery. In the present study, the aim is to investigate the vasorelaxant effects of some common beta-adrenoceptor blockers on the human radial artery in vitro, as well as their relaxation mechanisms. Methods Radial artery rings sourced from human patients were mounted in an organ bath and tested for changes in isometric tension in relaxation response to labetalol, nebivolol, and propranolol in the presence and absence of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (3 × 10−5 mol/L) and tetraethyl ammonium (3 × 10−4 mol/L). Results The labetalol (10−8 to 10−4 mol/L), nebivolol (10−8 to 10−4 mol/L), and propranolol (10−8 to 10−4 mol/L) induced concentration-dependent relaxations on the radial artery rings, which had been precontracted with phenylephrine (10−6 mol/L). The relaxation response induced by labetalol in the isolated radial artery rings was significantly higher when compared with the nebivolol and propranolol samples ( P < .05). NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester significantly reduced the relaxation of nebivolol ( P < .05), and tetraethyl ammonium significantly reduced the relaxation of labetalol, nebivolol, and propranolol ( P < .05). Conclusions We speculated that the relaxant effect of labetalol, nebivolol, and propranolol was due partly to the Ca2+ -activated K+ channels. In addition, the relaxation induced by nebivolol was largely related with nitric oxide release. Nebivolol, and partly propranolol, may provide significant therapeutic benefit, but labetalol can be a good alternative for coronary artery bypass grafting with radial artery use.
The location of embolism is associated with clinical findings and disease severity in cases of acute pulmonary embolism. The level of gamma-glutamyl transferase increases under oxidative ...stress-related conditions. In this study, we investigated whether gamma-glutamyl transferase levels could predict the location of pulmonary embolism.
Hospital-based cross-sectional study at Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey.
120 patients who were diagnosed with acute pulmonary embolism through computed tomography-assisted pulmonary angiography were evaluated. They were divided into two main groups (proximally and distally located), and subsequently into subgroups according to thrombus localization as follows: first group (thrombus in main pulmonary artery; n = 9); second group (thrombus in main pulmonary artery branches; n = 71); third group (thrombus in pulmonary artery segmental branches; n = 34); and fourth group (thrombus in pulmonary artery subsegmental branches; n = 8).
Gamma-glutamyl transferase levels on admission, heart rate, oxygen saturation, right ventricular dilatation/hypokinesia, pulmonary artery systolic pressure and cardiopulmonary resuscitation requirement showed prognostic significance in univariate analysis. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that gamma-glutamyl transferase level on admission (odds ratio, OR = 1.044; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.011-1.079; P = 0.009) and pulmonary artery systolic pressure (OR = 1.063; 95% CI: 1.005-1.124; P = 0.033) remained independently associated with proximally localized thrombus in pulmonary artery.
The findings revealed a significant association between increased existing embolism load in the pulmonary artery and increased serum gamma-glutamyl transferase levels.
Background: Atherosclerosis is a disease of the arterial wall with predilection to some sites on others. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of the non-coding RNAs regulating the target gene expression at ...post-transcriptional level. Different miRNAs were found at distinct stages of plaque development and expression of miRNAs' might play an important role in the local behaviour of atherosclerotic plaques.
Objective: We aimed to investigate and compare mirR-221/222 expression levels in tissues and in circulation in patients with and without overt atherosclerosis.
Methods: RNA was isolated from 40 tissues as 20 tissue samples from coronary artery atherosclerotic plaques (CAAP) and internal mammary arteries (IMA), obtained from same individual) and 80 blood (44 patients with atherosclerosis and 36 healthy subjects) samples. MiR-221/222 expression levels were measured using real time PCR.
Results: Expression levels of miR-221 was significantly increased in CAAP compared with completely atherosclerosis-free IMA tissues with a 8.94 times fold-change (p = 0.015). The miR-221 expression in tissue samples was significantly different in patients with hypercholesterolemia (p = 0.010), hypertension (p = 0.018) and family history of CAD (p = 0.033) versus not. Expression of miR-222 was not statistically significant between the two tissue samples overall.
Conclusions: MiR-221 may be a potential biomarker for local atherosclerotic behavior
Cardiovascular diseases are the most important cause of mortality worldwide, particularly atherosclerosis. Recently, lncRNAs affecting atherosclerotic progression have been reported in vascular ...smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and monocytes, suggesting that lncRNAs play an important role in atherosclerosis.
In recent clinical studies, nowadays, it was determined that internal mammary bypass grafts are closest to ideal grafts in coronary artery bypass surgery. In this study, we used tissue samples taken from atherosclerotic coronary arteries and the internal mammary artery (IMA) during coronary artery bypass surgery. Using RT-PCR, we investigated the role of two lncRNAs, FENDRR and LincRNA-p21, by comparing their expression levels in coronary artery plaques and normal mammary arteries of 20 atherosclerotic patients.
We found that the FENDRR and LincRNA-p21 expressions decreased by approximately 2 and 7 fold in coronary artery plaques, respectively, compared with those in IMA, which is known to have no plaque development.
This study was the first to use mammary artery tissues of the same patients as a control and to study FENDRR expression. Our data may provide helpful insights regarding the association of lncRNAs and atherosclerosis.
Endovascular stent graft implantation is a favorable method for complex aortic coarctation accompanied by patent ductus arteriosus. Herein, an 18-year-old woman with complex aortic coarctation and ...patent ductus arteriosus was successfully treated by endovascular thoracic stent graft via retroperitoneal approach. The reason for retroperitoneal iliac approach was small sized common femoral arteries which were not suitable for stent graft passage. This case is the first aortic coarctation plus patent ductus arteriosus case described in the literature which is treated by endovascular thoracic stent graft via retroperitoneal approach.
Radial artery (RA) vasospasm remains a potential cause of early graft failure after coronary artery bypass graft surgery, despite pretreatment with α-adrenergic or calcium channel blockers. Our aim ...was to investigate the mechanism of the vasorelaxant effects of Rho-kinase inhibitors (Y-27632 and fasudil) on the human RA. Segments were obtained from 30 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft and were divided into 3-4 mm vascular rings. The rings were stimulated with 10
−5
mol/L phenylephrine (PE) by using the isolated tissue bath technique and were relaxed with 10
−6
mol/L acetylcholine. Relaxation responses were recorded for Y-27632 (10
−9
-10
−4
mol/L), fasudil (10
−9
-10
−4
mol/L), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (10
−9
-10
−5
mol/L). Y-27632 and fasudil relaxation responses were repeated in either N
G
-nitro-
l
-arginine (
l
-NNA), which is a specific endothelial nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, or 1H-1,2,4oxadiazolo4,3-aquinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), which is a guanylate cyclase inhibitor. SNP relaxation responses were repeated in 10
−8
mol/L Y-27632 and 10
−8
mol/L fasudil. Y-27632 and fasudil caused concentration-dependent vasorelaxation in RA rings precontracted with PE, and maximal relaxation (100%) was recorded at the highest concentration used (10
−4
mol/L). The vasorelaxant effects of Y-27632 and fasudil were significantly reduced in the presence of
l
-NNA and ODQ, and the pD
2
values of Y-27632 and fasudil were not changed. The vasorelaxant effects of SNP were significantly increased in the presence of Y-27632 and fasudil, and the pD
2
values of SNP were not changed. These findings indicate that Y-27632 and fasudil caused concentration-dependent vasorelaxation in the RA rings. Because this effect was decreased in a dose-dependent manner by
l
-NNA and ODQ, the relaxant effects of Y-27632 and fasudil could be due to stimulation by nitric oxide that is being released. Rho-kinase inhibitors may have an important role in preventing vasospasm in arterial grafts used for coronary artery surgery.
Introduction: In this study we used N-butyl-2 cyanoacrylate (NBCA), including dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), via the endovenous route, for mechanochemical ablation in the treatment of superficial venous ...insufficiency, in an attempt to establish whether an early systemic inflammatory response and an allergic reaction occurred in the patients. Methods: A total of 102 patients were treated with endovenous medical ablation in two centres between October 2015 and February 2016. This study was a two-centre, retrospective, non-randomised investigational study. Ablation treatment with endovenous NBCA was used in patients with C3 to C4b grade superficial venous insufficiency, according to the CEAP (clinical, aetiology, anatomy and pathophysiology) clinical classification, with sapheno-femoral junctional insufficiency and a reflux of 0.5 seconds and longer on duplex ultrasonography. Pre-operative whole blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) level and blood chemistry were studied in all patients on admission to the clinic, and repeated in the second hour post-intervention. Results: All patients were treated successfully. Pre-operative white blood cell count (WBC) was 6.82 ± 1.67 × 109 cells/μl, and post intervention it was 6.57 ± 1.49 × 109 cells/μl; the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.68). The neutrophil count before the intervention was 4.09 ± 1.33 × 109 cells/μl, while afterwards, it was 4.09 ± 1.33 × 109 cells/μl, with no statistically significant difference (p = 0.833). Pre-intervention eosinophil count was 0.64 ± 1.51 × 109 cells/μl, while it was 0.76 ± 1.65 × 109 cells/μl after the intervention, and the difference was statistically significant. Pre-intervention ESR and CRP values were 18.92 ± 9.77 mm/h and 1.71 ± 1.54 mg/dl, respectively. Postoperative ESR and CRP values were 19.78 ± 15.90 mm/h and 1.73 ± 1.59 mg/dl, respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant. When the parameters were analysed by gender, the differences between pre- and postoperative WBC and eosinophil count, ESR and CRP in women were not statistically significant. On the other hand, although the change in WBC count and CRP value were not statistically significant in males, the differences in eosinophil count and ESR were statistically significant. Conclusion: Cyanoacrylate has been used in the endovenous medical ablation of varicose veins and superficial venous insufficiency over the last few years without the use of thermal energy and tumescent anaesthesia, which represents the greatest advantage of this method. In addition, since it causes no systemic allergic or acute inflammatory reaction, it appears to be safe to use.
Introduction: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a multifactorial disease with genetic and acquired risk factors playing in concert in its pathogenesis. ApoE gene polymorphisms seem to have some impact ...among patients with cardiovascular disease; however, association between DVT and ApoE gene polymorphism has not been evaluated.
Materials and Methods: We aimed to search the relative frequencies ApoE alleles among patients with DVT and healthy participants. We enrolled 59 consecutive patients with DVT and 59 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
Results: In the DVT group, E3/E4 gene polymorphism was detected in 20 patients (33.9%), in the control group E3/E4 polymorphism was detected in six patients (10.2%; P = .002). In the multivariable regression analysis, E3/E4 was independently associated with 1.31-fold increased risk of DVT (odds ratio OR 1.31; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.30-10.48).
Conclusion: It seems there is a relationship between ApoE3/E4 gene polymorphism and DVT in the Turkish population. However, this pilot study should be supported with large-scale studies.
The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic is a global health emergency that is straining health care resources. Identifying patients likely to experience severe illness would allow more ...targeted use of resources. This study aimed to investigate the association between the thymus index (TI) on thorax computed tomography (CT) and prognosis in patients with COVID-19.
A multicenter, cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted between March 17 and June 30, 2020, in patients with confirmed COVID-19. The patients' clinical history and laboratory data were collected after receiving a signed consent form. Four experienced radiologists who were blinded to each other and patient data performed image evaluation. The appearance of the thymus was assessed in each patient using 2 published systems, including the TI and thymic morphology. Exclusion criteria were lack of initial diagnostic thoracic CT, previous sternotomy, pregnancy, and inappropriate images for thymic evaluation. A total of 2588 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and 1231 of these with appropriate thoracic CT imaging were included. Multivariable analysis was performed to predict the risk of severe disease and mortality.
The median age was 45 (interquartile range, 33-58) years; 52.2% were male. Two hundred forty-nine (20.2%) patients had severe disease, and 60 (4.9%) patients died. Thymus index was significantly associated with mortality and severe disease (odds ratios, 0.289 95% confidence interval, 0.141-0.588; P = 0.001; and 0.266 95% confidence interval, 0.075-0.932; P = 0.038), respectively. Perithymic lymphadenopathy on CT imaging had a significantly strong association with grades of TI in patients with severe disease and death ( V = 0.413 P = 0.017; and V = 0.261 P = 0.002, respectively). A morphologically assessable thymus increased the probability of survival by 17-fold and the absence of severe disease by 12-fold.
Assessment of the thymus in patients with COVID-19 may provide useful prognostic data for both disease severity and mortality.
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