Target identification for the diagnosis and intervention of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques beyond 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography imaging: promising tracers on the horizon

Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries and atherosclerosis is the major cause of cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerotic lesions obstruct blood flow in the arterial vessel wall and can rupture leading to the formation of occlusive thrombi. Conventional diagnostic tools are still of limited value for identifying the vulnerable arterial plaque and for predicting its risk of rupture and of releasing thromboembolic material. Knowledge of the molecular and biological processes implicated in the process of atherosclerosis will advance the development of imaging probes to differentiate the vulnerable plaque. The development of imaging probes with high sensitivity and specificity in identifying high-risk atherosclerotic vessel wall changes and plaques is crucial for improving knowledge-based decisions and tailored individual interventions. Arterial PET imaging with F-18-FDG has shown promising results in identifying inflammatory vessel wall changes in numerous studies and clinical trials. However, due to its limited specificity in general and its intense physiological uptake in the left ventricular myocardium that impair imaging of the coronary arteries, different PET tracers for the molecular imaging of atherosclerosis have been evaluated. This review describes biological, chemical and medical expertise supporting a translational approach that will enable the development of new or the evaluation of existing PET tracers for the identification of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques for better risk prediction and benefit to patients

Особливості формування уролітів мешканців Дніпропетровської області

Предмет дослідження – морфологія та склад уролітів. Об'єктом досліджень були уроліти мешканців Дніпропетровської області. Мета роботи - вивчення особливостей формування уролітів мешканців Дніпропетровської області

Does Vascular Calcification Accelerate Inflammation?: A Substudy of the dal-PLAQUE Trial.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory condition with calcification apparent late in the disease process. The extent and progression of coronary calcification predict cardiovascular events. Relatively little is known about noncoronary vascular calcification. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated noncoronary vascular calcification and its influence on changes in vascular inflammation. METHODS: A total of 130 participants in the dal-PLAQUE (Safety and efficacy of dalcetrapib on atherosclerotic disease using novel non-invasive multimodality imaging) study underwent fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography at entry and at 6 months. Calcification of the ascending aorta, arch, carotid, and coronary arteries was quantified. Cardiovascular risk factors were related to arterial calcification. The influences of baseline calcification and drug therapy (dalcetrapib vs. placebo) on progression of calcification were determined. Finally, baseline calcification was related to changes in vascular inflammation. RESULTS: Age >65 years old was consistently associated with higher baseline calcium scores. Arch calcification trended to progress more in those with calcification at baseline (p = 0.055). There were no significant differences between progression of vascular calcification with dalcetrapib compared to that with placebo. Average carotid target-to-background ratio indexes declined over 6 months if carotid calcium was absent (single hottest slice [p = 0.037], mean of maximum target-to-background ratio [p = 0.010], and mean most diseased segment [p < 0.001]), but did not significantly change if calcification was present at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Across multiple arterial regions, higher age is consistently associated with higher calcium scores. The presence of vascular calcification at baseline is associated with progressive calcification; in the carotid arteries, calcification appears to influence vascular inflammation. Dalcetrapib therapy did not affect vascular calcification.The study was supported by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland. Some editorial assistance was provided by Prime Healthcare and was funded by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland. Partial support is acknowledged from NIH/NHLBI R01 HL071021 (ZAF). We thank Elisabetta Damonte for helping with statistical analyses.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.10.05

Bicuspid Aortic Valve Stenosis and the Effect of Vitamin K2 on Calcification Using F-Sodium Fluoride Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance:The BASIK2 Rationale and Trial Design

BASIK2 is a prospective, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial investigating the effect of vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7;MK7) on imaging measurements of calcification in the bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). BAV is associated with early development of CAVS. Pathophysiologic mechanisms are incompletely defined, and the only treatment available is valve replacement upon progression to severe symptomatic stenosis. Matrix Gla protein (MGP) inactivity is suggested to be involved in progression. Being a vitamin K dependent protein, supplementation with MK7 is a pharmacological option for activating MGP and intervening in the progression of CAVS. Forty-four subjects with BAV and mild–moderate CAVS will be included in the study, and baseline 18F-sodiumfluoride (18F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET)/ magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) assessments will be performed. Thereafter, subjects will be randomized (1:1) to MK7 (360 mcg/day) or placebo. During an 18-month follow-up period, subjects will visit the hospital every 6 months, undergoing a second 18F-NaF PET/MR after 6 months and CT after 6 and 18 months. The primary endpoint is the change in PET/MR 18F-NaF uptake (6 months minus baseline) compared to this delta change in the placebo arm. The main secondary endpoints are changes in calcium score (CT), progression of the left ventricularremodeling response and CAVS severity (echocardiography). We will also examine the association between early calcification activity (PET) and later changes in calcium score (CT)

Una combinación nueva en Erica (Ericaceae).

[EN] A new nomenclatural status and combination is proposed for Erica cinerea var. numidica. New data about the morphology, chorology and ecology of this taxon are given.[ES] Una combinación nueva en Erica (Ericaceae).- Se propone un nuevo estatus y combinación nomenclatural para Erica cinerea var. numidica. Se aportan nuevos datos sobre la morfología, corología y ecología de este taxón.This work has been supported by “Ajuts a grups de recerca consolidats: 2005SGR00344 and 2009SGR0439, Generalitat de Catalunya” and "Proyectos Intramurales de Incorporación del CSIC: 2009930I161".Peer reviewe

Dordt College 2003-2004 Catalog

Academic Catalog for 2003-04https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/academic_catalogs/1012/thumbnail.jp

EANM procedural guidelines for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy using cardiac-centered gamma cameras

Abstract An increasing number of Nuclear Medicine sites in Europe are using cardiac-centered gamma cameras for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS). Three cardiac-centered gamma cameras are currently the most frequently used in Europe: the D-SPECT (Spectrum Dynamics), the Alcyone (Discovery NM 530c and Discovery NM/CT 570c; General Electric Medical Systems), and the IQ-SPECT (Siemens Healthcare). The increased myocardial count sensitivity of these three cardiac-centered systems has allowed for a decrease in the activities of radiopharmaceuticals injected to patients for myocardial perfusion imaging and, consequently, radiation exposure of patients. When setting up protocols for MPS, the overall objective should be to maintain high diagnostic accuracy of MPS, while injecting the lowest activities reasonably achievable to reduce the level of radiation exposure of patient and staff. These guidelines aim at providing recommendations for acquisition protocols and image interpretation using cardiac-centered cameras. As each imaging system has specific design and features for image acquisition and analysis, these guidelines have been separated into three sections for each gamma camera system. These recommendations have been written by the members of the Cardiovascular Committee of EANM and were based on their own experience with each of these systems and on the existing literature

The complementary roles of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT for imaging of carotid atherosclerosis

Inflammation and neovascularization in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques are key features for severe clinical events. Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI and FDG PET are two noninvasive imaging techniques capable of quantifying plaque neovascularization and inflammatory infiltrate, respectively. However, their mutual role in defining plaque vulnerability and their possible overlap has not been thoroughly investigated. We studied the relationship between DCE-MRI and [supersript 18]F-FDG PET data from the carotid arteries of 40 subjects with coronary heart disease (CHD) or CHD risk equivalent, as a substudy of the dal-PLAQUE trial (NCT00655473)