Elevated levels of procoagulant microparticles in a patient with myocardial infarction, antiphospholipid antibodies and multifocal cardiac thrombosis

Circulating procoagulant microparticles (MP) are pathogenic markers of enhanced coagulability associated to a variety of disorders and released from stimulated vascular cells. When derived from endothelial cells, MP were found characteristic of thrombotic propensity in primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). The prothrombotic status of a patient with antiphospholipid antibodies (APL), a past history of mesenteric vein thrombosis and presenting myocardial infarction and extensive intracardiac thrombosis was examined by measurement of circulating procoagulant MP. MP of platelet and endothelial origins were highly elevated with respect to values detectable in patients with myocardial infarction and no history of APS (6- and 3-fold elevation, respectively) or in healthy volunteers (13- and 25-fold elevation, respectively). In this particular patient, with moderate APL titer, a drastic release of procoagulant MP could have contributed to thrombus growth and the development of extensive intracardiac thrombosis

Contact force sensing in ablation of ventricular arrhythmias using a 56-hole open-irrigation catheter: a propensity-matched analysis.

PURPOSE: The effect of adding contact force (CF) sensing to 56-hole tip irrigation in ventricular arrhythmia (VA) ablation has not been previously studied. We aimed to compare outcomes with and without CF sensing in VA ablation using a 56-hole radiofrequency (RF) catheter. METHODS: A total of 164 patients who underwent first-time VA ablation using Thermocool SmartTouch Surround Flow (TC-STSF) catheter (Biosense-Webster, Diamond Bar, CA, USA) were propensity-matched in a 1:1 fashion to 164 patients who had first-time ablation using Thermocool Surround Flow (TC-SF) catheter. Patients were matched for age, gender, cardiac aetiology, ejection fraction and approach. Acute success, complications and long-term follow-up were compared. RESULTS: There was no difference between procedures utilising either TC-SF or TC-STSF in acute success (TC-SF: 134/164 (82%), TC-STSF: 141/164 (86%), p = 0.3), complications (TC-SF: 11/164 (6.7%), TC-STSF: 11/164 (6.7%), p = 1.0) or VA-free survival (TC-SF: mean arrhythmia-free survival time = 5.9 years, 95% CI = 5.4-6.4, TC-STSF: mean = 3.2 years, 95% CI = 3-3.5, log-rank p = 0.74). Fluoroscopy time was longer in normal hearts with TC-SF (19 min, IQR: 14-30) than TC-STSF (14 min, IQR: 8-25; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Both TC-SF and TC-STSF catheters are safe and effective in treating VAs. The use of CF sensing catheters did not improve safety or acute and long-term outcomes, but reduced fluoroscopy time in normal heart VA

Verification of a hatchery protocol for green mussel Perna viridis spat production in the Philippines using industry-scale facilities

Hatchery seed production of mussels has been identified as a sustainable method to address the problem of low production due to insufficient seed supply. We conducted the first hatchery production trials of the Asian green mussel Perna viridis spats in the Philippines to demonstrate the feasibility of producing a sufficient and reliable seed supply for grow-out operations. However, results of small-scale experiments cannot be directly rolled-out commercially unless these are verified in bigger-scale facilities approximating those of commercial hatcheries. Thus, techniques on broodstock collection, spawning, and larval rearing, developed by the project in the laboratory during the experimental trials, were applied and verified in a production run using industry-scale tank facilities. Mature broodstocks collected from traditional mussel growing areas were successfully spawned in the hatchery. Eggs were fertilized, and these developed into D-hinged larvae, pediveliger, and metamorphosed into early spat before fully developing into the spat stage. Successful larval rearing up to the spat stage required the use of appropriate algal species and rates of feeding, close monitoring of larval stages, and water quality management. The survival from eggs to D-hinged larvae, D-hinged larvae to pediveliger, pediveliger to early spat, D-hinged larvae to early spat, and early spat (1 mm) to fully grown spat was 77, 64, 6.4, 3.1, and 72%, respectively. This study has established the feasibility of producing P. viridis in commercial-scale hatchery facilities

Genome-wide association analyses identify new Brugada syndrome risk loci and highlight a new mechanism of sodium channel regulation in disease susceptibility

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a cardiac arrhythmia disorder associated with sudden death in young adults. With the exception of SCN5A, encoding the cardiac sodium channel NaV1.5, susceptibility genes remain largely unknown. Here we performed a genome-wide association meta-analysis comprising 2,820 unrelated cases with BrS and 10,001 controls, and identified 21 association signals at 12 loci (10 new). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-heritability estimates indicate a strong polygenic influence. Polygenic risk score analyses based on the 21 susceptibility variants demonstrate varying cumulative contribution of common risk alleles among different patient subgroups, as well as genetic associations with cardiac electrical traits and disorders in the general population. The predominance of cardiac transcription factor loci indicates that transcriptional regulation is a key feature of BrS pathogenesis. Furthermore, functional studies conducted on MAPRE2, encoding the microtubule plus-end binding protein EB2, point to microtubule-related trafficking effects on NaV1.5 expression as a new underlying molecular mechanism. Taken together, these findings broaden our understanding of the genetic architecture of BrS and provide new insights into its molecular underpinnings

Genome-wide association analyses identify new Brugada syndrome risk loci and highlight a new mechanism of sodium channel regulation in disease susceptibility.

Brugada syndrome (BrS) is a cardiac arrhythmia disorder associated with sudden death in young adults. With the exception of SCN5A, encoding the cardiac sodium channel Na1.5, susceptibility genes remain largely unknown. Here we performed a genome-wide association meta-analysis comprising 2,820 unrelated cases with BrS and 10,001 controls, and identified 21 association signals at 12 loci (10 new). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-heritability estimates indicate a strong polygenic influence. Polygenic risk score analyses based on the 21 susceptibility variants demonstrate varying cumulative contribution of common risk alleles among different patient subgroups, as well as genetic associations with cardiac electrical traits and disorders in the general population. The predominance of cardiac transcription factor loci indicates that transcriptional regulation is a key feature of BrS pathogenesis. Furthermore, functional studies conducted on MAPRE2, encoding the microtubule plus-end binding protein EB2, point to microtubule-related trafficking effects on Na1.5 expression as a new underlying molecular mechanism. Taken together, these findings broaden our understanding of the genetic architecture of BrS and provide new insights into its molecular underpinnings

Syntactic structure and information structure: the acquisition of Portuguese clefts and be-fragments

International audienc

Syntactic structure and information structure: the acquisition of Portuguese clefts and be-fragments

International audienc

Syntactic structure and information structure: the acquisition of Portuguese clefts and be-fragments

International audienc

Facterus prédictifs de l'existance d'une ischénie myocardique silencieuse chez le patient diabétique. Intérêt de l'évaluation de la surface de l'oreillette gauche.

International audienc