Traditional and emerging biomarkers in asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction\u2014promising non-coding rnas and exosomes as biomarkers in early phases of cardiac damage

Heart failure (HF) is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide and represents an escalating problem for healthcare systems. The identification of asymptomatic patients with underlying cardiac subclinical disease would create an opportunity for early intervention and prevention of symptomatic HF. Traditional biomarkers are very useful as diagnostic and prognostic tools in the cardiovascular field; however, their application is usually limited to overt cardiac disease. On the other hand, a growing number of studies is investigating the diagnostic and prognostic potential of new biomarkers, such as micro-RNAs (miRNA), long non-coding RNAs, and exosome cargo, because of their involvement in the early phases of cardiac dysfunction. Unfor-tunately, their use in asymptomatic phases remains a distant goal. The aim of this review is to gather the current knowledge of old and novel biomarkers in the early diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction in asymptomatic individuals

What the cardiologist needs to consider in the management of oncologic patients with stemi-like syndrome; A case report and literature review

In pre-hospital care, an accurate and quick diagnosis of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is imperative to promptly kick-off the STEMI network with a direct transfer to the cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab) in order to reduce myocardial infarction size and mortality. Aa atherosclerotic plaque rupture is the main mechanism responsible for STEMI. However, in a small percentage of patients, emergency coronarography does not reveal any significant coronary stenosis. The fluoropyrimidine agents such as 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) and capecitabine, widely used to treat gastrointestinal, breast, head and neck cancers, either as a single agent or in combination with other chemotherapies, can cause potentially lethal cardiac side effects. Here, we present the case of a patient with 5-FU cardiotoxicity resulting in an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with recurrent episodes of chest pain and ST-segment elevation.. Our case report highlights the importance of widening the knowledge among cardiologists of the side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, especially considering the rising number of cancer patients around the world and that fluoropyrimidines are the main treatment for many types of cancer, both in adjuvant and advanced settings

COVID-19-Related Myocarditis: Are We There Yet? A Case Report of COVID-19-Related Fulminant Myocarditis

There is increasing evidence of cardiac involvement in COVID-19 cases, with a broad range of clinical manifestations spanning from acute life-threatening conditions such as ventricular dysrhythmias, myocarditis, acute myocardial ischemia and pulmonary thromboembolism to long-term cardiovascular sequelae. In particular, acute myocarditis represents an uncommon but frightening complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Even if many reports of SARS CoV-2 myocarditis are present in the literature, the majority of them lacks histological confirmation of cardiac injury. Here, we report a case of a young lady, who died suddenly a few days after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, whose microscopic and genetics features suggested a direct cardiac involvement compatible with fulminant myocarditis

From brain to heart: Possible role of amyloid-\u3b2 in ischemic heart disease and ischemia-reperfusion injury

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is among the leading causes of death in developed countries. Its pathological origin is traced back to coronary atherosclerosis, a lipid-driven immuno-inflammatory disease of the arteries that leads to multifocal plaque development. The primary clinical manifestation of IHD is acute myocardial infarction (AMI),) whose prognosis is ameliorated with optimal timing of revascularization. Paradoxically, myocardium re-perfusion can be detrimental because of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), an oxidative-driven process that damages other organs. Amyloid-\u3b2 (A\u3b2) plays a physiological role in the central nervous system (CNS). Alterations in its synthesis, concentration and clearance have been connected to several pathologies, such as Alzheimer\u2019s disease (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). A\u3b2 has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of IHD and cerebral IRI. The purpose of this review is to summarize what is known about the pathological role of A\u3b2 in the CNS; starting from this evidence, we will illustrate the role played by A\u3b2 in the development of coronary atherosclerosis and its possible implications in the pathophysiology of IHD and myocardial IRI. Better elucidation of A\u3b2\u2019s contribution to the molecular pathways underlying IHD and IRI could be of great help in developing new therapeutic strategies. \ua9 2020 by the authors

The peculiar role of vitamin D in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases

Vitamin D is a hormone with both genomic and non-genomic actions. It exerts its activity by binding vitamin D receptor (VDR), which belongs to the superfamily of nuclear receptors and ligand-activated transcription factors. Since VDR has been found in various tissues, it has been estimated that it regulates approximately 3% of the human genome. Several recent studies have shown pleiotropic effects of vitamin D in various processes such as cellular proliferation, differentiation, DNA repair and apoptosis and its involvement in different pathophysiological conditions as inflammation, diabetes mellitus, and anemia. It has been suggested that vitamin D could play an important role in neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disorders. Moderate to strong associations between lower serum vitamin D concentrations and stroke and cardiovascular events have been identified in different analytic approaches, even after controlling for traditional demographic and lifestyle covariates. The mechanisms behind the associations between vitamin D and cerebrovascular and cardiologic profiles have been widely examined both in animal and human studies. Optimization of vitamin D levels in human subjects may improve insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function and lower levels of inflammatory markers. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that altered gene expression of VDR and 1,25D3-membrane-associated rapid response steroid-binding (1,25D3-MARRS) receptor influences the role of vitamin D within neurons and allows them to be more prone to degeneration. This review summarizes the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying vitamin D signaling and the consequences of vitamin D deficiency in neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disorders

The Role of Exercise-Induced Molecular Processes and Vitamin D in Improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cardiac Rehabilitation in Patients With Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) still affects millions of people worldwide despite great advances in therapeutic approaches in the cardiovascular field. Remarkably, unlike pathological hypertrophy, exercise leads to beneficial cardiac hypertrophy characterized by normal or enhanced contractile function. Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation improves cardiorespiratory fitness and, as a consequence, ameliorates the quality of life of patients with HF. Particularly, multiple studies demonstrated the improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) among patients with HF due to the various processes in the myocardium triggered by exercise. Exercise stimulates IGF-1/PI3K/Akt pathway activation involved in muscle growth in both the myocardium and skeletal muscle by regulating protein synthesis and catabolism. Also, physical activity stimulates the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway which regulates cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In addition, emerging data pointed out the anti-inflammatory effects of exercises as well. Therefore, it is of utmost importance for clinicians to accurately evaluate the patient’s condition by performing a cardiopulmonary exercise test and/or a 6-min walking test. Portable devices with the possibility to measure exercise capacity proved to be very useful in this setting as well. The aim of this review is to gather together the molecular processes triggered by the exercise and available therapies in HF settings that could ameliorate heart performance, with a special focus on strategies such as exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation

Effects of sars\u2010cov\u20102 on cardiovascular system: The dual role of angiotensin\u2010converting enzyme 2 (ace2) as the virus receptor and homeostasis regulator\u2010review

Angiotensin\u2010converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the entry receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus\u20102 (SARS\u2010CoV\u20102), the cause of Coronavirus Disease\u20102019 (COVID\u201019) in humans. ACE\u20102 is a type I transmembrane metallocarboxypeptidase expressed in vascular endothelial cells, alveolar type 2 lung epithelial cells, renal tubular epithelium, Leydig cells in testes and gastrointestinal tract. ACE2 mediates the interaction between host cells and SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 spike (S) protein. However, ACE2 is not only a SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 receptor, but it has also an important homeo-static function regulating renin\u2010angiotensin system (RAS), which is pivotal for both the cardiovascular and immune systems. Therefore, ACE2 is the key link between SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 infection, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and immune response. Susceptibility to SARS\u2010CoV\u20102 seems to be tightly associated with ACE2 availability, which in turn is determined by genetics, age, gender and comor-bidities. Severe COVID\u201019 is due to an uncontrolled and excessive immune response, which leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multi\u2010organ failure. In spite of a lower ACE2 expression on cells surface, patients with CVDs have a higher COVID\u201019 mortality rate, which is likely driven by the imbalance between ADAM metallopeptidase domain 17 (ADAM17) protein (which is required for cleavage of ACE\u20102 ectodomain resulting in increased ACE2 shedding), and TMPRSS2 (which is required for spike glycoprotein priming). To date, ACE inhibitors and Angio-tensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs) treatment interruption in patients with chronic comorbidities appears unjustified. The rollout of COVID\u201019 vaccines provides opportunities to study the effects of different COVID\u201019 vaccines on ACE2 in patients on treatment with ACEi/ARB

Common Shared Pathogenic Aspects of Small Vessels in Heart and Brain Disease

Small-vessel disease (SVD), also known as microvascular endothelial dysfunction, is a disorder with negative consequences for various organs such as the heart and brain. Impaired dilatation and constriction of small vessels in the heart lead to reduced blood flow and ischemia independently of coronary artery disease (CAD) and are associated with major cardiac events. SVD is usually a silent form of subcortical vascular burden in the brain with various clinical manifestations, such as silent-lacunar-ischemic events and confluent white-matter hyperintensities. Imaging techniques are the main help for clinicians to diagnose cardiac and brain SVD correctly. Markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein, tumor-necrosis-factor α, and interleukin 6, provide insight into the disease and markers that negatively influence nitric-oxide bioavailability and promote oxidative stress. Unfortunately, the therapeutic approach against SVD is still not well-defined. In the last decades, various antioxidants, oxidative stress inhibitors, and superoxide scavengers have been the target of extensive investigations due to their potential therapeutic effect, but with unsatisfactory results. In clinical practice, traditional anti-ischemic and risk-reduction therapies for CAD are currently in use for SVD treatment

Long-term effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality

Since the very beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020, it was evident that patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) were at an increased risk of developing severe illness, and complications spanning cerebrovascular disorders, dysrhythmias, acute coronary syndrome, ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure, thromboembolic disease, stroke, and death. Underlying these was excessive systemic inflammation and coagulopathy due to SARS-COV-2 infection, the effects of which also continued long-term as evidenced by post-COVID-19 cardiovascular complications. The acute and chronic cardiovascular effects of COVID-19 occurred even among those who were not hospitalized and had no previous CVD or those with mild symptoms. This comprehensive review summarizes the current understanding of molecular mechanisms triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus on various cells that express the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, leading to endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, myocarditis, impaired coagulation, myocardial infarction, arrhythmia and a multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or Kawasaki-like disease

Persistence of vitamin D deficiency among Italian patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background and aims: Vitamin D deficiency is a common cardiovascular risk factor associated with the development of atherosclerosis. We evaluated changes in 25(OH)D concentrations in 1510 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) over a long observation period, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods and results: Patients were separated into four groups according to the year of enrolment, group 1 (2009–2010), group 2 (2014–2016), group 3 (2017–2019), and group 4 (2020–2022). The median 25(OH)D concentration in the overall cohort was 17.15 (10.3–24.7) ng/mL. The median plasma concentrations of 25(OH)D for groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 14.45 (7.73–22.58) ng/mL, 17.3 ng/mL (10.33–24.2), 18.95 (11.6–26.73) ng/mL and 19.05 (12.5–27.3) ng/mL, respectively. Although 25(OH)D levels increased over the years, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency remained high in each group (68.4%, 61.4%, 53.8%, and 52% respectively). Hypovitaminosis D was predicted by the season influence (OR:2.03, p < 0.0001), higher body mass index (OR:1.25; p = 0.001), diabetes mellitus (OR:1.54; p = 0.001), smoking (OR:1.47; p = 0.001), older age (OR:1.07; p = 0.008), higher triglycerides levels (OR:1.02; p = 0.01), and female gender (OR:1.3; p = 0.038). After multivariable adjustment, vitamin D ≤ 20 ng/mL was an independent predictor of mortality. Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent and persistent in patients with AMI despite a trend towards increasing 25(OH)D concentrations over the years. The frequent lockdowns did not reduce the levels of 25(OH)D in the fourth group. Low levels of 25(OH)D are an independent predictor of mortality