Atrial and ventricular function in thalassemic patients with supra-ventricular arrhythmias

The aims of this study were to evaluate through Color Doppler Myocardial Imaging (CDMI) echocardiography if atrial or ventricular myocardial alterations could be detectable in patients with thalassemia major (THAL) and if these alterations could be considered as predictive elements for supra-ventricular arrhythmic events. Twenty-three patients with THAL underwent clinical and electrocardiographic evaluation; patients were grouped in THAL1 (9 with supra-ventricular arrhythmias) and THAL2 (14 without arrhythmias); 12 healthy subjects were considered as control group (C). We examined through conventional 2D Color Doppler echocardiography some morphological and functional parameters regarding left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function, and through CDMI the velocities at mitral annulus level, the regional LV and left atrial (LA) strain and strain rate. All THAL patients had LV dimension (p<0.05), LA area (p<0.01) and E/Em ratio (p<0.001) to be significantly higher than controls. The mitral annulus longitudinal velocities were significantly lower in THAL1 than in THAL2 (p<0.001); the E/Em ratio was higher in THAL1 than THAL2 (p<0.001). The THAL1 showed a lower systolic strain rate of atrial wall than THAL2 and C (p<0.05). The multiple regression highlighted a significantly inverse correlation among E/Em and atrial strain (p<0.02). CDMI showed both THAL subgroups had subtle systolic and diastolic left ventricular myocardial alterations, which could represent the onset of developing “iron cardiomyopathy” and are related to supra-ventricular arrhythmia. Monitoring these parameters in the THAL patients could contribute to decisions about follow-up and therapy

Gauge thresholds in the presence of oblique magnetic fluxes

We compute the one-loop partition function and analyze the conditions for tadpole cancellation in type I theories compactified on tori in the presence of internal oblique magnetic fields. We check open - closed string channel duality and discuss the effect of T-duality. We address the issue of the quantum consistency of the toroidal model with stabilized moduli recently proposed by Antoniadis and Maillard (AM). We then pass to describe the computation of one-loop threshold corrections to the gauge couplings in models of this kind. Finally we briefly comment on coupling unification and dilaton stabilization in phenomenologically more viable modelsComment: 34 pages, 2 figures; references added, major changes to the discussion of the model proposed by Antoniadis and Maillar

Atrial and ventricular function in thalassemic patients with supra-ventricular arrhythmias.

The aims of this study were to evaluate through Color Doppler Myocardial Imaging (CDMI) echocardiography if atrial or ventricular myocardial alterations could be detectable in patients with thalassemia major (THAL) and if these alterations could be considered as predictive elements for supra-ventricular arrhythmic events. Twenty-three patients with THAL underwent clinical and electrocardiographic evaluation; patients were grouped in THAL1 (9 with supra-ventricular arrhythmias) and THAL2 (14 without arrhythmias); 12 healthy subjects were considered as control group (C). We examined through conventional 2D Color Doppler echocardiography some morphological and functional parameters regarding left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function, and through CDMI the velocities at mitral annulus level, the regional LV and left atrial (LA) strain and strain rate. All THAL patients had LV dimension (p<0.05), LA area (p<0.01) and E/Em ratio (p<0.001) to be significantly higher than controls. The mitral annulus longitudinal velocities were significantly lower in THAL1 than in THAL2 (p<0.001); the E/Em ratio was higher in THAL1 than THAL2 (p<0.001). The THAL1 showed a lower systolic strain rate of atrial wall than THAL2 and C (p<0.05). The multiple regression highlighted a significantly inverse correlation among E/Em and atrial strain (p<0.02). CDMI showed both THAL subgroups had subtle systolic and diastolic left ventricular myocardial alterations, which could represent the onset of developing "iron cardiomyopathy" and are related to supra-ventricular arrhythmia. Monitoring these parameters in the THAL patients could contribute to decisions about follow-up and therapy

PRO-APOPTOTIC ANTI-NG2/CSPG4 ANTIBODIES AND THEIR USES FOR DISEASE THERAPY

The present invention relates to an antibody capable of binding with high-affinity and high selectivity to the ectodomain of the transmembrane proteoglycan (PG) NG2/CSPG4, preferably to discrete isoforms of said PG, preferably isoforms that may be generated by alternative splicing, and/or coding single nucleotide polymorphisms, and/or post-transcriptional and/or post-translational modifications. The 5 invention further relates to an anti-NG2/CSPG4 antibody possessing the ability to uniquely induce programmed cell death, exhibited as both canonical caspase-dependent apoptosis and authophagy, in NG2/CSPG4-expressing cancer cells. This action being manifested irrespectively of the coaction of other exogenously added factors. 10 Moreover, the present invention refers to a composition comprising the antibody of the invention, in its naked, encapsulated or genetically engineered form, as pharmaceutical excipient. A further aspect of the present invention refers to the anti-NG2/CSPG4 molecule, or any of its isoforms and fragments, provided as proteolytically generated peptides or 15 produced synthetically and/or recombinantly, for the treatment of apoptosis and/or autophagy-dependent diseases, including but not restricted to cancer

Atrial and ventricular function in thalassemic patients with

supra-ventricular arrhythmia

Clinical and echocardiographic predictors of long-term outcome of a large cohort of patients with bicuspid aortic valve.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease is the most common congenital cardiac malformation. The aim of the present article is to determine clinical and echocardiographic prognostic factors and provide a predictive model of outcome of a large cohort of patients with BAV. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 337 patients consecutively assessed for echocardiography at our Cardiology Department from 1993 to 2014. We considered aortic valve replacement, aortic surgery and cardiovascular death as a clinical combined end-point. Predictors of outcome were determined by Cox regression. RESULTS: Mean age was 29.2\u200a\ub1\u200a19.8 years, median 27.1 years. A total of 38.4% patients presented a history of hypertension. Mean duration of follow-up was 8.4\u200a\ub1\u200a6.1\u200ayears, range 0-21 years. A total of 73 patients underwent aortic valve replacement and/or aortic surgery during follow-up. Age at surgery was 45.2\u200a\ub1\u200a15.6 years. Seven patients died because of cardiovascular causes. At multivariate analysis, baseline clinical predictors were history of hypertension [hazard ratio (HR) 2.289, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.350-3.881, P\u200a=\u200a0.002], larger ascending aortic diameter (HR 2.537, 95% CI 1.888-3.410, P\u200a<\u200a0.001), moderate-to-severe aortic regurgitation (HR 2.266, 95% CI 1.402-3.661, P\u200a=\u200a0.001) and moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis (HR 2.807, 95% CI 1.476-5.338, P\u200a=\u200a0.002). A predictive model was created by integrating these four independent covariates. It allows the calculation of calculate a risk score for each patient, which helps better tailor appropriate treatment in BAV patients. CONCLUSION: At enrolment, history of hypertension, a wider aortic diameter, moderate-to-severe aortic regurgitation and aortic stenosis were independently correlated to combined end-point. Long-term follow-up showed low cardiovascular mortality (2.1%) and a high prevalence of cardiac surgery (21.6%)

Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Lipopolysaccharide as Mediators Between Gut Dysbiosis and Amyloid Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease

Metagenomic data support an association between certain bacterial strains and Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their functional dynamics remain elusive