scholarly journals Coronary Shear Stress after Implantation of Bioresorbable Scaffolds – a Modern Interdisciplinary Concept at the Border between Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Imaging

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18
Author(s):  
Dan Păsăroiu ◽  
Zsolt Parajkó ◽  
Ionuţ Ferenţ ◽  
Diana Opincariu ◽  
Annabell Benedek

Abstract Bioresorbable scaffolds/stents offer new and exciting perspectives in the treatment of patients with acute coronary syndromes, especially after the recent development of invasive imaging techniques, such as optical coherence tomography, which allow complete assessment of vascu-lar segments. A particular advantage of bioresorbable scaffolds is that once the biosorption of the scaffold is complete, the vascular segment regains its normal physiological functions, thus eliminating the risk of late complications. New studies show the importance of shear stress in the progression of vascular atherosclerosis or in accelerating endothelial turnover. Based on the current knowledge in this field, a future standardized determination of shear stress may help in the long-term follow-up of patients that have suffered or are at risk of developing an acute coronary syndrome.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco G Del Buono ◽  
Rocco A Montone ◽  
Giulia Iannaccone ◽  
Riccardo Rinaldi ◽  
Giulia La Vecchia ◽  
...  

Over the last decades, inflammation proved to play a pivotal role in atherosclerotic plaque formation, progression and destabilization. Several studies showed that the patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome are at increased risk of adverse cardiovascular events at both short- and long-term follow-up. Results from different clinical trials highlighted that a residual inflammatory risk exist and targeting inflammation is a successful strategy in selected cases associated to an increased inflammatory burden. Recently, the optimization of intracoronary and multimodality imaging allowed to also assess the entity of local inflammation, thus encouraging the individuation of plaque characteristics that portend a higher risk of future cardiovascular events. In this short review, we aim to highlight the role of systemic and local inflammation in acute coronary syndromes, to provide a summarized overview of the possible medical strategies applicable in selected cases and to underline the diagnostic and prognostic potential of multimodality imaging.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1057
Author(s):  
Daniela Maria Tanase ◽  
Evelina Maria Gosav ◽  
Anca Ouatu ◽  
Minerva Codruta Badescu ◽  
Nicoleta Dima ◽  
...  

Regardless of the newly diagnostic and therapeutic advances, coronary artery disease (CAD) and more explicitly, ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Thus, early and prompt diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction is pivotal in STEMI patients for a better prognosis and outcome. In recent years, microRNAs (miRNAs) gained attention as potential biomarkers in myocardial infarction (MI) and acute coronary syndromes (ACS), as they have key roles in heart development, various cardiac processes, and act as indicators of cardiac damage. In this review, we describe the current available knowledge about cardiac miRNAs and their functions, and focus mainly on their potential use as novel circulating diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in STEMI.


Author(s):  
Aya Hallak ◽  
Malhis Mahmoud ◽  
Yaser Abajy Mohammad

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with acute coronary syndrome in comparison with normal individuals and study the correlation between these two conditions. We measured the plasma 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25-OH-D) levels in 60 patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) of both gender and in 30 age matched control individuals of both gender without any known cardiovascular or systemic diseases. The levels of 25-OH-D were measured by ELISA method and the results were statically analyzed to find out any possible correlation. We classified the cases according to their plasma 25(OH)D levels. 25(OH)D levels of ≥ 30 ng/ml were considered normal, levels < 30 and > 20 ng/ml were classified as insufficient, while levels of ≤ 20 ng/ml were classified as deficient. In the current study the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in the patients group was much higher than it was in the control group. Vitamin D deficiency was observed in 80% and insufficiency in 13% of total patients of ACS, there by bringing the total count to 93%. Whereas only 7% of the patients had adequate vitamin D levels. Thus, these results indicate the existence of a significant correlation between the vitamin D deficiency and ACS in comparison to healthy controls


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Süß ◽  
Johannes C.M. Schlachetzki

: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most frequent neurodegenerative disorder. Although proteinaceous aggregates of extracellular Amyloid-β (Aβ) and intracellular hyperphosphorylated microtubule- associated tau have long been identified as characteristic neuropathological hallmarks of AD, a disease- modifying therapy against these targets has not been successful. An emerging concept is that microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, are major players in AD pathogenesis. Microglia are longlived tissue-resident professional phagocytes that survey and rapidly respond to changes in their microenvironment. Subpopulations of microglia cluster around Aβ plaques and adopt a transcriptomic signature specifically linked to neurodegeneration. A plethora of molecules and pathways associated with microglia function and dysfunction has been identified as important players in mediating neurodegeneration. However, whether microglia exert either beneficial or detrimental effects in AD pathology may depend on the disease stage. : In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the stage-dependent role of microglia in AD, including recent insights from genetic and gene expression profiling studies as well as novel imaging techniques focusing on microglia in human AD pathology and AD mouse models.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1214
Author(s):  
Ji Tu ◽  
Jose Vargas Castillo ◽  
Abhirup Das ◽  
Ashish D. Diwan

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM), earlier referred to as cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), is the most common and serious neurological disorder in the elderly population caused by chronic progressive compression or irritation of the spinal cord in the neck. The clinical features of DCM include localised neck pain and functional impairment of motor function in the arms, fingers and hands. If left untreated, this can lead to significant and permanent nerve damage including paralysis and death. Despite recent advancements in understanding the DCM pathology, prognosis remains poor and little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis. Moreover, there is scant evidence for the best treatment suitable for DCM patients. Decompressive surgery remains the most effective long-term treatment for this pathology, although the decision of when to perform such a procedure remains challenging. Given the fact that the aged population in the world is continuously increasing, DCM is posing a formidable challenge that needs urgent attention. Here, in this comprehensive review, we discuss the current knowledge of DCM pathology, including epidemiology, diagnosis, natural history, pathophysiology, risk factors, molecular features and treatment options. In addition to describing different scoring and classification systems used by clinicians in diagnosing DCM, we also highlight how advanced imaging techniques are being used to study the disease process. Last but not the least, we discuss several molecular underpinnings of DCM aetiology, including the cells involved and the pathways and molecules that are hallmarks of this disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Jeronimo Baza ◽  
C Salazar ◽  
M.J Perez Vyzcaino ◽  
L Nombela ◽  
P Jimenez Quevedo ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Systemic embolism to coronary arteries is one of the mechanisms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) of non-atherosclerotic cause. However, its clinical profile has not been properly established yet. Purpose To identify clinical predictors and angiographic characteristics of acute coronary syndromes caused by systemic embolism to a principal coronary artery (ACS-E), as well as to describe in-hospital mortality of these patients. Methods 40 patients with ACS-E, admitted between 2003 and 2018 in a tertiary hospital. Epidemiological, clinical and angiographic characteristics of these cases were compared with those from 4989 patients, attended for acute coronary syndrome of atherosclerotic cause (ACS-A) in the same hospital during the same period. Results Patients with ACS-E were younger (28% vs 10% were &lt;45 years old, p&lt;0.001) and had a higher proportion of women (43% vs 22%, p 0.003), atrial fibrillation (40% vs 5%, p&lt;0.001) and neoplasia (18% vs 7%, p 0.009). They had also undergone previous valvular surgery more frequently than patients with ACS-A (13% vs 0.5%, p&lt;0.001) and a higher proportion of them were under treatment with warfarin (15% vs 3%, p&lt;0.001). Variables identified as independent predictors of ACS-E in the multivariate analysis are shown in the table. Regarding clinical presentation, ST elevation AMI was more frequent in ACS-E cases (83% vs 67%, p 0.04). Patients with ACS-E did not present any significative stenosis in other vessels apart from the culprit one (number of other vessels with at least 1 severe stenosis was 0 in the ACS-E group vs 1.33 + 1 in the ACS-A arm, p&lt;0.001). PCI was attempted in 75% of the patients with ACS-E, resulting successful in 80% of the cases. On the other hand, 100% of SCA-A underwent PCI, with a success proportion of 99% (p&lt;0.001). In-hospital mortality in ACS-E group was 15% and 4% in the control group (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions ACS-E and ACS-A have different clinical and angiographic features. Atrial fibrillation, chronic warfarin treatment, previous valvular surgery, presence of any neoplasia and female sex are independent predictors for ACS-E. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Fukuyama ◽  
H Otake ◽  
F Seike ◽  
H Kawamori ◽  
T Toba ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The direct relationship between plaque rupture (PR) that cause acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and wall shear stress (WSS) remains uncertain. Methods From the Kobe University ACS-OCT registry, one hundred ACS patients whose culprit lesions had PR documented by optical coherence tomography (OCT) were enrolled. Lesion-specific 3D coronary artery models were created using OCT data. Specifically, at the ruptured portion, the tracing of the luminal edge of the residual fibrous cap was smoothly extrapolated to reconstruct the luminal contour before PR. Then, WSS was computed from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis by a single core laboratory. Relationships between WSS and the location of PR were assessed with 1) longitudinal 3-mm segmental analysis and 2) circumferential analysis. In the longitudinal segmental analysis, each culprit lesion was subdivided into five 3-mm segments with respect to the minimum lumen area (MLA) location at the centered segment (Figure. 1). In the circumferential analysis, we measured WSS values at five points from PR site and non-PR site on the cross-sections with PR. Also, each ruptured plaque was categorized into the lateral type PR (L-PR), central type PR (C-PR), and others according to the relation between the site of tearing and the cavity (Figure. 2). Results In the longitudinal 3-mm segmental analysis, the incidences of PR at upstream (UP1 and 2), MLA, and downstream (DN1 and 2) were 45%, 40%, and 15%, respectively. The highest average WSS was located in UP1 in the upstream PR (UP1: 15.5 (10.4–26.3) vs. others: 6.8 (3.3–14.7) Pa, p&lt;0.001) and MLA segment in the MLA PR (MLA: 18.8 (6.0–34.3) vs. others: 6.5 (3.1–11.8) Pa, p&lt;0.001), and the second highest WSS was located at DN1 in the downstream PR (DN1: 5.8 (3.7–11.5) vs. others: 5.5 (3.7–16.5) Pa, p=0.035). In the circumferential analysis, the average WSS at PR site was significantly higher than that of non-PR site (18.7 (7.2–35.1) vs. 13.9 (5.2–30.3) Pa, p&lt;0.001). The incidence of L-PR, C-PR, and others were 51%, 42%, and 7%, respectively. In the L-PR, the peak WSS was most frequently observed in the lateral site (66.7%), whereas that in the C-PR was most frequently observed in the center site (70%) (Figure. 3). In the L-PR, the peak WSS value was significantly lower (44.6 (19.6–65.2) vs. 84.7 (36.6–177.5) Pa, p&lt;0.001), and the thickness of broken fibrous cap was significantly thinner (40 (30–50) vs. 80 (67.5–100) μm, p&lt;0.001), and the lumen area at peak WSS site was significantly larger than those of C-PR (1.5 (1.3–2.0) vs. 1.4 (1.1–1.6) mm2, p=0.008). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the presence of peak WSS at lateral site, thinner broken fibrous cap thickness, and larger lumen area at peak WSS site were independently associated with the development of the L-PR. Conclusions A combined approach with CFD simulation and morphological plaque evaluation by using OCT might be helpful to predict future ACS events induced by PR. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Stengl ◽  
Bence Ágg ◽  
Miklós Pólos ◽  
Gábor Mátyás ◽  
Gábor Szabó ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a genetically determined systemic connective tissue disorder, caused by a mutation in the FBN1 gene. In MFS mainly the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and ocular systems are affected. The most dangerous manifestation of MFS is aortic dissection, which needs to be prevented by a prophylactic aortic root replacement. Main body The indication criteria for the prophylactic procedure is currently based on aortic diameter, however aortic dissections below the threshold defined in the guidelines have been reported, highlighting the need for a more accurate risk stratification system to predict the occurrence of aortic complications. The aim of this review is to present the current knowledge on the possible predictors of severe cardiovascular manifestations in MFS patients, demonstrating the wide range of molecular and radiological differences between people with MFS and healthy individuals, and more importantly between MFS patients with and without advanced aortic manifestations. These differences originating from the underlying common molecular pathological processes can be assessed by laboratory (e.g. genetic testing) and imaging techniques to serve as biomarkers of severe aortic involvement. In this review we paid special attention to the rapidly expanding field of genotype–phenotype correlations for aortic features as by collecting and presenting the ever growing number of correlations, future perspectives for risk stratification can be outlined. Conclusions Data on promising biomarkers of severe aortic complications of MFS have been accumulating steadily. However, more unifying studies are required to further evaluate the applicability of the discussed predictors with the aim of improving the risk stratification and therefore the life expectancy and quality of life of MFS patients.


2020 ◽  
pp. 204748732094010
Author(s):  
Konstantinos C Koskinas ◽  
Baris Gencer ◽  
David Nanchen ◽  
Mattia Branca ◽  
David Carballo ◽  
...  

Aims The 2018 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) and 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) lipid guidelines recently updated their recommendations regarding proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-9 inhibitors (PCSK9i). We assessed the potential eligibility for PCSK9i according to the new guidelines in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Methods and results We analysed a contemporary, prospective Swiss cohort of patients hospitalised for acute coronary syndromes. We modelled a statin intensification effect and an incremental ezetimibe effect on low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels among patients who were not on high-intensity statins or ezetimibe. One year after the index acute coronary syndrome event, treatment eligibility for PCSK9i was defined as low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol of 1.4 mmol/l or greater according to ESC/EAS guidelines. For ACC/AHA guidelines, treatment eligibility was defined as low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol of 1.8 mmol/l or greater in the presence of very high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, defined by multiple major atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events and/or high-risk conditions. Of 2521 patients, 93.2% were treated with statins (53% high-intensity statins) and 7.3% with ezetimibe at 1 year, and 54.9% had very high-risk atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels less than 1.8 mmol/l and less than 1.4 mmol/l at 1 year were observed in 37.5% and 15.7% of patients, respectively. After modelling the statin intensification and ezetimibe effects, these numbers increased to 76.1% and 49%, respectively. The proportion of patients eligible for PCSK9i was 51% according to ESC/EAS criteria versus 14% according to ACC/AHA criteria. Conclusions In this analysis, the 2019 ESC/EAS guidelines rendered half of all post-acute coronary syndrome patients potentially eligible for PCSK9i treatment, as compared to a three-fold lower eligibility rate based on the 2018 ACC/AHA guidelines.


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