Immune-Based Pathogenesis of Sulfur Mustard; Much Still Need to Be Done!

EDITORIA

Cytomegalovirus Infection and Atherosclerosis: A Systematic Review

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is one of the most common infections that affects humans’ cardiovascular system. Although the literature includes controversial evidence for any correlation between CMV infection and arterial atherosclerosis, the majority of studies, especially those with larger patient population and stronger data stand for such a relationship. However, the number of prospective studies was very limited. So, we believe that future studies should be directed towards prospective studies investigating either the impact of CMV infection or antiviral treatment on atherosclerosis formation and advancement in different patient populations including patients undergoing CABG and/or patients with moderate atherosclerosis

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Cardiomyopathy: A Systematic Review

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has been associated with cardiac disease, including anatomical or functional disturbance to the heart. Cardiomyopathy (CMP) is one of these disturbances that have been associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. In this review article, several aspects of potential relationships between HIV infection and cardiomyopathy development have been issued. Most studies indicated increased prevalence, incidence and mortality rates for CMP in the HIV infected patients, especially in more advanced grades of the infection. CD4 cell count has been shown to be associated with both incidence and outcome of HIV-related CMP. In children, also similar findings have been observed with high incidence and mortality rates associated with CMP-HIV have been observed. However, prepartum CMP burden in HIV infected mothers was not different than that in HIV-negative ones. However, evidence about the effects of ART on the development and progression of HIV-related CMP was very controversial. While is some studies, no associations have been found in some others, ART has been associated with either a better or worse disease incidence or condition. We propose more studies with prospective approach and large patient populations to be conducted for better understanding of the effects of different ART agents on the incidence and outcome of HIV-related CMP

Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Associated Vascular Complications: A Literature Review

Interferon (IFN)-based therapy, the cornerstone for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, is generally considered to be the single most effective treatment strategy for this infection. Although most adverse effects of IFN therapy respond very well to the cessation of this drug, there are reports of serious irreversible adverse effects. This review article evaluates the adverse effects of IFN therapy in HCV-infected patients. We have undertaken an extensive search for articles regarding IFN and pegylated-IFN (PEG-IFN) therapy and their vascular complications using multiple sources that include PubMed, publishers’ websites, and Google Scholar. The prevalence of ocular disorders in the early period (first 8 weeks) after IFN administration was high with over half of the patients experiencing these adverse effects. Several authors strongly propose screening programs for retinopathy in the early period after IFN administration. Pulmonary hypertension due to IFN therapy is a serious side effect due to its irreversible nature in most patients. Patients who develop signs of acute abdomen up to months after IFN administration should be rapidly assessed for potential adverse effects of IFN. The literature suggests a broad spectrum of vascular injuries to different organs in humans as adverse effects of IFN therapy in HCV-infected patients

Clinical associations between renal dysfunction and vascular events: A literature review

Chronic kidney disease affects several other organs of the human body, and causes high levels of morbidity and mortality due to these effects. The cardiovascular system is probably the most vulnerable organ to a decrease in kidney function, and responds very fast to this effect. To the extent that, more kidney disease patients die of cardiovascular events than that of the original renal disease. Moreover, cerebrovascular events have been confirmed to increase, and to have inferior outcomes on the general population. In this review article, we aim to review studies investigating effects of renal disease on vascular events. Keywords: Renal Disease, Cardiovascular Disorders, Dialysis, Myocardial Infarction, Risk Factor </p

Efficacy and safety of conventional long acting β2- agonists: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is usually considered one of the leading causes of death worldwide, so finding proper therapeutic strategies for this disease is of high importance. In this meta-analysis, we reviewed the existing literature on the efficacy and safety of conventional long acting beta agonists (LABAs) in COPD patients. Methods: We searched MEDLINE and Google scholar to identify relevant articles. We limited data to double-blinded randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data of 14, 832 COPD subjects including 7540 patients under a &beta;2 agonist (cases) and 7292 taking placebo (controls) retrieved from 20 randomized controlled trials and were enrolled into this meta-analysis. Evaluated outcomes included overall mortality, exacerbations and tolerance to the drug. Results: The analysis of survival showed no significant difference between those taking LABAs or placebo (relative risk (RR): 0.945, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.821-1.088, P=0.432). Exacerbation rate, however, was significantly lower among the cases than among the controls (RR: 0.859, 95%CI: 0.800-0.922, p<0.001). Similar observation was detected in analyzing the rate of drug withdrawal in patients of the two groups with patients under placebo having significantly higher rate of drug discontinuation due to adverse events or disease symptoms (RR:0.821, 95% CI: 0.774-0.871; p<0.007). Conclusion: In conclusion, we found that the use of conventional LABA therapy in COPD patients is associated with a lower exacerbation rate of the disease as well as higher tolerance to the drug, but no survival advantage is expectable. Substitution of LABAs with new agents is recommended

Helicobacter Pylori Infection and Atherosclerosis: a Systematic Review

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a spiral-shaped gram negative bacterium that naturally colonizes the human gastric epithelium. In recent years, large evidence has come to the literature strongly proposing causal link between H. pylori and extra gastric disorders. Cardiovascular system is one of the extra gastric organs that can be affected by H. pylori infection. The first evidence suggestive of such an association comes from seroepidemiological evaluations, but histopathological and eradication studies have strongly confirmed existence of a causal association between H. pylori infection and cardiovascular events

Pediatric patients with renal disease and cardiovascular complications: A literature review

The cardiovascular burden of end stage renal disease (ESRD) in children has recently received more attention, and some authors have recommended that the origins of the increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality be found in childhood. In this comprehensive review of the literature, we aim to review the main and most recent studies evaluating cardiovascular risk factors in pediatric kidney disease patients. The literature suggests that ESRD, even in the pediatric population, is associated with a high rate of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and needs serious attention. Unfortunately, there is extreme scarcity of data on the efficacy of preventive strategies on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients with renal disease. Therefore, authors of the current article recommend future studies to be directed to find beneficial and/or potential harmful effects of different interventions conventionally used in this population, including lifestyle modifications and pharmaceutical therapy on cardiovascular indices. Moreover, the effects of these drugs on the renal function of children with minimal kidney disease should be evaluated. &nbsp; Keywords: Cardiovascular Complication, Children, Kidney Disease, Pediatrics&nbsp;</pre