Prediction of Reverse Remodeling at Cardiac MR Imaging Soon after First ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Results of a Large Prospective Registry

[EN] Conclusion: Assessment of infarct size and MVO with cardiac MR imaging soon after STEMI enables one to make a decision in the prediction of reverse remodeling. (C) RSNA, 2015Supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and FEDER (grant PI1400271) and the Generalitat Valenciana (grant PROMETEO/2013/007).Bodi, V.; Monmeneu, J.; Ortiz-Perez, J.; López-Lereu, M.; Bonanad, C.; Husser, O.; Minana, G.... (2016). Prediction of Reverse Remodeling at Cardiac MR Imaging Soon after First ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Results of a Large Prospective Registry. Radiology. 278(1):54-63. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2015142674S5463278

Incidence, Outcomes, and Predictors of Ventricular Thrombus after Reperfused ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction by Using Sequential Cardiac MR Imaging

[EN] Purpose: To characterize the incidence, outcomes, and predictors of left ventricular (LV) thrombus by using sequential cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Materials and Methods: Written informed consent was obtained from all patients, and the study protocol was approved by the committee on human research. In a cohort of 772 patients with STEMI, 392 (mean age, 58 years; range, 24-89 years) were retrospectively selected who were studied with cardiac MR imaging at 1 week and 6 months. Cardiac MR imaging guided the initiation and withdrawal of anticoagulants. Patients with LV thrombus at 6 months were restudied at 1 year. For predicting the occurrence of LV thrombus, a multiple regression model was applied. Results: LV thrombus was detected in 27 of 392 patients (7%): 18 (5%) at 1 week and nine (2%) at 6 months. LV thrombus resolved in 22 of 25 patients (88%) restudied within the first year. During a mean follow-up of 181 weeks 6 168, patients with LV thrombus displayed a very low rate of stroke (0%), peripheral embolism (0%), and severe hemorrhage (n = 1, 3.7%). LV ejection fraction (LVEF) less than 50% (P < .001) and anterior infarction (P = .008) independently helped predict LV thrombus. The incidence of LV thrombus was as follows: (a) nonanterior infarction, LVEF 50% or greater (one of 135, 1%); (b) nonanterior infarction, LVEF less than 50% (one of 50, 2%); (c) anterior infarction, LVEF 50% or greater (two of 92, 2%); and (d) anterior infarction, LVEF less than 50% (23 of 115, 20%) (P < .001 for the trend). Conclusion: Cardiac MR imaging contributes information for the diagnosis and therapy of LV thrombus after STEMI. Patients with simultaneous anterior infarction and LVEF less than 50% are at highest risk. (C) RSNA, 2017Study supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III and FEDER (CB16/11/00486, PI14/00271, PIE15/00013) and Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2013/007).Cambronero-Cortinas, E.; Bonanad, C.; Monmeneu, J.; López-Lereu, M.; Gavara-Doñate, J.; De Dios, E.; Rios, C.... (2017). Incidence, Outcomes, and Predictors of Ventricular Thrombus after Reperfused ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction by Using Sequential Cardiac MR Imaging. Radiology. 284(2):372-380. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2017161898S372380284

Coenzyme Q10 Reduces Ethanol-Induced Apoptosis in Corneal Fibroblasts

Dilute ethanol (EtOH) is a widely used agent to remove the corneal epithelium during the modern refractive surgery. The application of EtOH may cause the underlying corneal fibroblasts to undergo apoptosis. This study was designed to investigate the protective effect and potential mechanism of the respiratory chain coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an electron transporter of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and a ubiquitous free radical scavenger, against EtOH-induced apoptosis of corneal fibroblasts. Corneal fibroblasts were pretreated with CoQ10 (10 µM) for 2 h, followed by exposure to different concentrations of EtOH (0.4, 2, 4, and 20%) for 20 s. After indicated incubation period (2–12 h), MTT assay was used to examine cell viability. Treated cells were further assessed by flow cytometry to identify apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the change in mitochondrial membrane potential were assessed using dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate/2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein (DCFH-DA/DCF) assays and flow-cytometric analysis of JC-1 staining, respectively. The activity and expression of caspases 2, 3, 8, and 9 were evaluated with a colorimetric assay and western blot analysis. We found that EtOH treatment significantly decreased the viability of corneal fibroblasts characterized by a higher percentage of apoptotic cells. CoQ10 could antagonize the apoptosis inducing effect of EtOH. The inhibition of cell apoptosis by CoQ10 was significant at 8 and 12 h after EtOH exposure. In EtOH-exposed corneal fibroblasts, CoQ10 pretreatment significantly reduced mitochondrial depolarization and ROS production at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min and inhibited the activation and expression of caspases 2 and 3 at 2 h after EtOH exposure. In summary, pretreatment with CoQ10 can inhibit mitochondrial depolarization, caspase activation, and cell apoptosis. These findings support the proposition that CoQ10 plays an antiapoptotic role in corneal fibroblasts after ethanol exposure

Complex Evolutionary History of the Aeromonas veronii Group Revealed by Host Interaction and DNA Sequence Data

Aeromonas veronii biovar sobria, Aeromonas veronii biovar veronii, and Aeromonas allosaccharophila are a closely related group of organisms, the Aeromonas veronii Group, that inhabit a wide range of host animals as a symbiont or pathogen. In this study, the ability of various strains to colonize the medicinal leech as a model for beneficial symbiosis and to kill wax worm larvae as a model for virulence was determined. Isolates cultured from the leech out-competed other strains in the leech model, while most strains were virulent in the wax worms. Three housekeeping genes, recA, dnaJ and gyrB, the gene encoding chitinase, chiA, and four loci associated with the type three secretion system, ascV, ascFG, aexT, and aexU were sequenced. The phylogenetic reconstruction failed to produce one consensus tree that was compatible with most of the individual genes. The Approximately Unbiased test and the Genetic Algorithm for Recombination Detection both provided further support for differing evolutionary histories among this group of genes. Two contrasting tests detected recombination within aexU, ascFG, ascV, dnaJ, and gyrB but not in aexT or chiA. Quartet decomposition analysis indicated a complex recent evolutionary history for these strains with a high frequency of horizontal gene transfer between several but not among all strains. In this study we demonstrate that at least for some strains, horizontal gene transfer occurs at a sufficient frequency to blur the signal from vertically inherited genes, despite strains being adapted to distinct niches. Simply increasing the number of genes included in the analysis is unlikely to overcome this challenge in organisms that occupy multiple niches and can exchange DNA between strains specialized to different niches. Instead, the detection of genes critical in the adaptation to specific niches may help to reveal the physiological specialization of these strains

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Cloning and molecular characterization of two mosquito iron regulatory proteins

Iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) control the synthesis of various proteins at the translational level by binding to iron responsive elements (IREs) in the mRNAs. Iron, infection, and stress can alter IRP/IRE binding activity. Insect messenger RNAs for ferritin and succinate dehydrogenase subunit b have IREs that are active translational control sites. We have cloned and sequenced cDNAs encoding proteins from the IRP1 family for the mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae. Both deduced amino acid sequences show substantial similarity to human IRP1 and Drosophila IRP1A and IRP1B, and all of the residues thought to be involved in aconitase activity and iron–sulfur cluster formation are conserved. Recombinant A. aegypti IRP1 binds to transcripts of the IREs of mosquito or human ferritin subunit mRNAs. No significant change in A. gambiae IRP1 messenger RNA could be detected during the various developmental stages of the life cycle, following iron loading by blood feeding, or after bacterial or parasitic infections. These data suggest that there is no change in gene transcription. Furthermore, bacterial challenge of A. gambiae cells did not change IRP1 protein levels. In contrast, IRP1 binding activity for the IRE was elevated following immune induction. These data show that changes in IRP1/IRE binding activity occur as part of the insect immune response