Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes Afford New Opportunities in Inherited Cardiovascular Disease Modeling

Fundamental studies of molecular and cellular mechanisms of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis are required to create more effective and safer methods of their therapy. The studies can be carried out only when model systems that fully recapitulate pathological phenotype seen in patients are used. Application of laboratory animals for cardiovascular disease modeling is limited because of physiological differences with humans. Since discovery of induced pluripotency generating induced pluripotent stem cells has become a breakthrough technology in human disease modeling. In this review, we discuss a progress that has been made in modeling inherited arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies, studying molecular mechanisms of the diseases, and searching for and testing drug compounds using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest vs. Antegrade Cerebral Perfusion in Cerebral Protection during the Surgical Treatment of Chronic Dissection of the Ascending and Arch Aorta

Circulatory arrest during aortic surgery presents a risk of neurological complications. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) vs. antegrade cerebral perfusion (ACP) in cerebral protection during the surgical treatment of chronic dissection of the ascending and arch aorta and to assess the quality-of-life (QoL) in the long-term postoperative period with respect to the used cerebral protection method. In a prospective, randomized study, 58 patients with chronic type I aortic dissection who underwent ascending aorta and aortic arch replacement surgery were included. Patients were allocated in two groups: 29 patients who underwent surgery under moderate hypothermia (24°C) combined with ACP and 29 patients who underwent surgery under DHCA (18°C) with craniocerebral hypothermia. The regional hemoglobin oxygen saturation (rSO2, %) were compared during surgery, neurological complications were analyzed during the early postoperative period, QoL was compared in the long-term postoperative period (1-year follow-up). During the early postoperative period, 37.9% of patients in the DHCA group exhibited neurological complications, compared with 13.8% of those in the ACP group (p 30%) was recorded (p < .05). QoL in the long-term period after surgery improved, but it was not dependent on the cerebral protection method used during surgery. ACP during aortic replacement demonstrated the most advanced properties of cerebral protection that can be evidenced by a lesser degree of neurological complications, compared with patients who underwent surgery under conditions of DHCA. QoL after surgery was not dependent on the cerebral protection method used during surgery

Outcomes of the Ross Procedure in the Pediatric Population

The Ross procedure (RP) is considered by many authors as the best option for aortic valve replacement in young children and adolescents. This paper presents the results of the immediate and late postoperative period (more than 5 years) after the RP among pediatric patients

The Ross Procedure in Patients among the Pediatric Population, Post Ten Years of Experience

The aim of the study was to analyze the results of the surgical treatment in pediatric patients who had undergone the Ross procedure.Material and Methods: The study involved 114 patients between 12 days to 18 years in age. The early and late (up to 5 years) results of the treatment were studied. The examination included echocardiography, catheterization of the cardiac chambers and angiocardiography. The case distribution of patients based on diagnosis was as follows: isolated aortic valve stenosis (IAVS) in 38 (33.3%) patients, aortic valve insufficiency (AVI) in 33 (28.9%), and combined heart defects in 56 patients (49.1%).Results: The death rate was 6.14% during the early postoperative period and 1.14% in the late postoperative period; the actuarial survival in the long-term was 98.86%. The complication rate was 51.5%. The most frequent complication was pericarditis (25.6%), whereas cardiac and respiratory failure occurred in 7.6% of the cases and cardiac arrhythmias in 6.1% of the cases. The average time spent in the intensive care unit was 3.48 ± 2.90 days; the hospitalization period on average was 24.70±10.87 days. After surgery, there was a tendency of the echocardiographic parameters to move toward normalization. The frequency of reoperation in the late period was 23.7%, the main reason for which being the conduit dysfunction in the position of the pulmonary artery (PA).Conclusion: The clinical efficacy of the Ross procedure in the treatment of aortic valve malformations in the pediatric group was confirmed. However, in some cases, the need to perform repeated operations due to the increase in the ring size and an increase in the neo-aortic insufficiency during the somatic growth process