Vessel Lesions Research Articles

Doctor Gimbal. Arteriosclerosis of the nervous system. “Modern. Clinic and Therapy, № 5, 1908

This disease in its mild forms can be found already at the age of 40-50 years. In etiology, in addition to lues and a solid group of moments associated with general constitutional suffering, a prominent role belongs to strong fluctuations in the affective area of ​​the patient's psyche. In the symptomatology of lesions of the head vessels, we found, in addition to objective data in general, atheromatosis of the arteries, apoplectic seizures, dizziness, headache, sleep disorders, slowing down and difficulty in thinking, a nested delimited nature of mental disorders, preservation of consciousness of the disease, oscillations during, its slow development and striking intolerance to alcohol.

Prognostic value of histopathological scoring and grading in patients with renal AA amyloidosis.

The amount and distribution pattern of amyloid deposits may contribute to renal function and outcome, given the great diversity of renal involvement in amyloidosis. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of histological characteristics of patients with biopsy-proven renal AA amyloidosis (AAA)on renal outcome. Renal biopsies of 37 patients with AAA were re-evaluated. The distribution pattern of glomerular amyloid (GA) deposits was classified, the extent of amyloid deposits in glomeruli, vessel, and interstitium and other histopathologic lesions were scored, and renal amyloid prognostic score (RAPS) was determined by summing all scores. Their potential prognostic relevance on renal outcome was investigated. GA and vascular amyloid (VA) deposits were noted in all cases, interstitial amyloid (IA) was detected in 70.2%. GA deposits were predominantly seen in diffuse mesengiocapillary fashions (class IV) (51.4%). GA class, the extent of GA, VA, IA deposit, and RAPS, as well as interstitial fibrosis (IF) and interstitial inflammation were correlated to renal function at diagnosis. During the median follow-up of 52months, 13 patients developed doubling of serum creatinine or end stage renal disease and they had a higher degree of GA and VA load (p = 0.03 and p = 0.042, respectively) as compared to the remaining patients. VA load, but not GA and RAPS grade, was associated with poor renal outcome (HR 3.016, 95% CI 1.45-6.25, p = 0.003). Baseline renal function is closely linked to the extent of AA amyloid deposit in renal parenchyma but only VA load was a predictor of renal outcome in AAA patients.

Effect of autological red bone marrow aspirates on the microcirculation in the lower extremities of patients with diabetic angiopathy

The lesion of the lower extremities vessels is one of the most dangerous complications of diabetes mellitus. The prognosis is bad in case of the development of critical ischemia.The aim of the study is to assess the effect of autological red bone marrow aspirates on the microcirculation in the soft tissues of the lower extremities of patients with diabetic angiopathy.The study included 36 patients with diabetic angiopathy of the lower limbs. The main group of 20 people consisted of the patients, whose treatment was added by revascularizing automyelotransplantation. The comparison group (16 people) included the patients who received standard complex conservative treatment.All patients underwent pulse oximetry on the 1st toe before the treatment start and within the control times. The painless walking distance was also assessed and the chronic arterial insufficiency stage was determined.In the main group, 18 patients retained their lower limbs, in the comparison group - 10 patients (pCox-Mantel = 0.015).There was an increase in the painless walking distance in 15 out of 18 patients in 3-6 months after treatment in the main group. There was no improvement in the comparison group. Chronic wounds healed in 4 out of 7 patients.The median SpO2 in the main group was 96 [92; 97] %, in the comparison group - 90 [88; 92] % (pMann_Whitney = 0.0035).The inclusion of revascularizing automyelotransplantation in the complex treatment of patients with diabetic angiopathy of the lower extremities contributes to the lower extremity preservation, as well as the relief of critical ischemia signs and the healing of chronic wounds.

Deep learning image reconstruction for improving image quality of contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT in abdomen.

To evaluate the usefulness of deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) to improve the image quality of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) of the abdomen, compared to hybrid iterative reconstruction (IR). This study included 40 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced DECT of the abdomen. Virtual monochromatic 40-, 50-, and 70-keV and iodine density images were reconstructed using three reconstruction algorithms, including hybrid IR (ASiR-V50%) and DLIR (TrueFidelity) at medium- and high-strength level (DLIR-M and DLIR-H, respectively). The standard deviation of attenuation in liver parenchyma was measured as image noise. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for the portal vein on portal venous phase CT was calculated. The vessel conspicuity and overall image quality were graded on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). The comparative scale of lesion conspicuity in 47 abdominal solid lesions was evaluated on a 5-point scale ranging from 0 (best) to -4 (markedly inferior). The image noise of virtual monochromatic 40-, 50 -, and 70-keV and iodine density images was significantly decreased by DLIR compared to hybrid IR (p < 0.0001). The CNR was significantly higher in DLIR-H and DLIR-M than in hybrid IR (p < 0.0001). The vessel conspicuity and overall image quality scores were also significantly greater in DLIR-H and DLIR-M than in hybrid IR (p < 0.05). The lesion conspicuity scores for DLIR-M and DLIR-H were significantly higher than those for hybrid IR in the virtual monochromatic image of all energy levels (p ≤ 0.001). DLIR improves vessel conspicuity, CNR, and lesion conspicuity of virtual monochromatic and iodine density images in abdominal contrast-enhanced DECT, compared to hybrid IR. • Deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) is useful for reducing image noise and improving the CNR of visual monochromatic 40-, 50-, and 70-keV images in dual-energy CT. • DLIR can improve lesion conspicuity of abdominal solid lesions on virtual monochromatic images compared to hybrid iterative reconstruction. • DLIR can also be applied to iodine density maps and significantly improves their image quality.

Current imaging techniques in large vessel vasculitis

Instrumental imaging modalities play an important role in the diagnosis, evaluation of treatment efficacy and early detection of recurrences in patients with large vessel systemic vasculitis (SV). There’s no currently available universal imaging modality yielding comprehensive information about large vessels regardless all spectacular progress in rheumatology with associated significant insights into SV pathogenesis, innovative therapeutic strategies and broadened diagnostic approaches. Therefore, standardization of instrumental methods in order to accurately assess the disease activity and recognize timely its’ relapse remains a pending issue in management of patients with large vessel SV.Published in 2018 the EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) guidelines highlighted a wide range of problems concerning visualization of large vessel lesions in SV, resultant from a systematic analysis of up-to-date scientific achievements and clinical experience. The intent of this publication is to summarize the potential of available imaging modalities for patients with large vessel SV in the context of main provisions in the EULAR guidelines and discuss some controversial issues

DBFU-Net: Double branch fusion U-Net with hard example weighting train strategy to segment retinal vessel.

BackgroundMany fundus imaging modalities measure ocular changes. Automatic retinal vessel segmentation (RVS) is a significant fundus image-based method for the diagnosis of ophthalmologic diseases. However, precise vessel segmentation is a challenging task when detecting micro-changes in fundus images, e.g., tiny vessels, vessel edges, vessel lesions and optic disc edges.MethodsIn this paper, we will introduce a novel double branch fusion U-Net model that allows one of the branches to be trained by a weighting scheme that emphasizes harder examples to improve the overall segmentation performance. A new mask, we call a hard example mask, is needed for those examples that include a weighting strategy that is different from other methods. The method we propose extracts the hard example mask by morphology, meaning that the hard example mask does not need any rough segmentation model. To alleviate overfitting, we propose a random channel attention mechanism that is better than the drop-out method or the L2-regularization method in RVS.ResultsWe have verified the proposed approach on the DRIVE, STARE and CHASE datasets to quantify the performance metrics. Compared to other existing approaches, using those dataset platforms, the proposed approach has competitive performance metrics. (DRIVE: F1-Score = 0.8289, G-Mean = 0.8995, AUC = 0.9811; STARE: F1-Score = 0.8501, G-Mean = 0.9198, AUC = 0.9892; CHASE: F1-Score = 0.8375, G-Mean = 0.9138, AUC = 0.9879).DiscussionThe segmentation results showed that DBFU-Net with RCA achieves competitive performance in three RVS datasets. Additionally, the proposed morphological-based extraction method for hard examples can reduce the computational cost. Finally, the random channel attention mechanism proposed in this paper has proven to be more effective than other regularization methods in the RVS task.

Detecting Small Vessel Pathology in Cocaine Use Disorder.

BackgroundCocaine use is associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular accidents. Small vessel pathology has been linked to the risk of stroke in cocaine users, but can be challenging to detect on conventional magnetic resonance (MR) scans. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) scans permit better resolution of small vessel lesions.ObjectivesFLAIR scans are currently only acquired based on the subjective judgement of abnormalities on MR scans at face value. We sought to evaluate this practice and the added value of FLAIR scans for patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD), by comparing microbleeds detected by MR and FLAIR scans. We hypothesised that microbleeds are more pronounced in CUD patients, particularly so in participants who had been selected for a FLAIR scan by radiographers.MethodsSixty-four patients with CUD and 60 control participants underwent a brain scan. The MR of 20 CUD patients and 16 control participants showed indicators of cerebral infarction at face value and were followed up by a FLAIR scan. We determined the volume of microbleeds in both MR and FLAIR scans and examined associations with various risk factors.ResultsWhile MR lesion volumes were significantly increased in CUD patients, no significant differences in lesion volume were found in the subgroup of individuals who received a FLAIR.ConclusionThe current practice of subjectively evaluating MR scans as a basis for the follow-up FLAIR scans to detect vascular pathology may miss vulnerable individuals. Hence, FLAIR scans should be included as a routine part of research studies.

Correlation of Demographic and Biochemical Features with Histological Classification of Diabetic Nephropathy

Background: Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is a renal disease that leads to progressive renal failure across the world and it is among the most challenging of all renal diseases. The categorization of DN is centered on the lesions of glomeruli and exhibits varied morphological features. These patients outcome is also affected by evaluating the lesions of tubules, interstitium and renal vessels. Objective: The objective of this study was to apply the current pathological categorization of DN by Tervaert et al to evaluate the lesions of kidney in DN and to correlate clinical and histopathological features. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 10 years' duration from 2010-2019 at the Histopathology Department, Chughtai Institute of Pathology, Lahore. Fifty two cases of DN were included in the study. Parameters which were assessed included age, gender, duration of diabetes, 24 hours' urinary proteinuria, serum creatinine, histologic classes of diabetic nephropathy, Interstitial inflammation Score, interstitial fibrosis &amp; tubular Atrophy (IFTA) score, Arteriolar Hyalinosis (AH) score and large vessel arteriolosclerosis. Results: Out of 52 cases, 28 were males and 24 were females. Mean age of patients was 51.40 years. Mean duration of diabetes was 11.54 years. Mean serum creatinine level was 5.42 mg/dl. Mean proteinuria was 4.72 g/24 hours.&#x0D; The most frequent glomerular lesions were in Class III comprising 48% of all classes. Conclusion: There was a significant correlation of glomerular classes with serum creatinine levels and also with proteinuria. There was also correlation of IFTA with rising serum levels of creatinine and proteinuria.

Systematic review of atherectomy of inguinal arteries for atherosclerotic lesions.

Surgical endarterectomy represents the gold standard for the treatment of atherosclerotic lesions of the groin vessels. Endovascular treatment such as atherectomy with or without drug coated angioplasty (DCA) of the so called no stenting zones, i.e. inguinal and popliteal vessels, is gaining growing acceptance as alternative option to open surgery. This systematic review aims to scrutiny the current clinical evidence regarding atherectomy and DCA for the common artery (CFA). We conducted an exhaustive research in multiple platforms (Medline, PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Embase) on studies over atherectomy and angioplasty for inguinal atherosclerotic lesions published between 2000 and 2021. As search strategy we used a wide list of MeSH items, words, synonyms. Bibliographies of review articles were checked for further relating studies regarding atherectomy of CFA. A qualitative and quantitative data analysis was carried out. Fifteen studies were included in the qualitative review. Not all studies were focused only on atherectomy of inguinal vessels, despite including such treatment. Hence, data regarding this treatment were not exhaustive. A fairly homogeneous data analysis was possible in 7 of 15 studies. The remaining 8 studies were qualitatively analyzed but not included in the statistical analysis. In all 7 included studies directional atherectomy and DCA under filter protection were carried out. In this subgroup, overall, 497 patients were treated with atherectomy. Sixty-eight percent of the patients were males. Rutherford class from 1-3 dominated against 4-6 (63% vs. 37%). Mean technical success rate was 96%, with a primary and secondary patency rate of 92% and 98% respectively at one year. Procedure related vascular complications ranged from 1% to 6%. Current literature about atherectomy for inguinal arteries is scant, data are inhomogeneous and so are treatment modalities. Nevertheless, the results of this systematic review suggest that this endovascular strategy is feasible with good short and midterm results. Prospective trials with larger patient cohorts are necessary to confirm these preliminary results.

Abstract TP107: Sex-differences In Intracranial Atherosclerosis Among Hypertensive Patients With Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: We hypothesized sex-differences in the prevalence of intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) among hypertensive patients with ischemic stroke due to ICAS. Methods: Subjects with ischemic stroke secondary to ICAS underwent MR vessel wall imaging (VWI) within 8 weeks of symptom onset. Demographic data, cardiovascular risk factors, and medication history were recorded. A neuroradiologist blinded to clinical history scored proximal (A1/M1/P1) and distal (A2/M2-3/P2) plaques involving the anterior/middle/posterior cerebral arteries. The most stenotic vessel lesion with wall thickening/enhancement and supplying the ischemic territory was defined as a culprit plaque. Continuous variables are summarized by medians and interquartile ranges. Chi square and Mann Whitney U-tests compared categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Results: Sixty-one subjects (male, N=42) with a diagnosis of hypertension and ischemic stroke due to ICAS were included. There were no significant sex-differences in demographic or cardiovascular risk factors except for smoking history (p=0.002). Hypertensive males with ischemic stroke due to ICAS had a significantly higher number of proximal plaques than females [males=8 (4, 10) vs females=5 (3, 7); p=0.03; Figure] but not distal plaques [males=3 (1, 5) vs females=2 (0, 5); p=0.33]. Among subjects on an anti-hypertensive prior to admission (N=35), males with ischemic stroke had a significantly higher proximal plaque burden than females [males=8 (4, 10) vs females=4 (3, 6); p=0.05]. The culprit plaque was proximal in 95% and 92% of cases in males and females treated for hypertension and with ischemic stroke, respectively. Conclusions: Attention to differential management of hypertension for males versus females may be warranted to reduce ischemic stroke risk given significantly higher proximal ICAS burden in hypertensive males than females despite medical treatment.

Aberrant stromal tissue factor localisation and mycolactone-driven vascular dysfunction, exacerbated by IL-1β, are linked to fibrin formation in Buruli ulcer lesions

Buruli ulcer (BU) is a neglected tropical disease caused by subcutaneous infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans and its exotoxin mycolactone. BU displays coagulative necrosis and widespread fibrin deposition in affected skin tissues. Despite this, the role of the vasculature in BU pathogenesis remains almost completely unexplored. We hypothesise that fibrin-driven ischemia can be an ‘indirect’ route to mycolactone-dependent tissue necrosis by a mechanism involving vascular dysfunction. Here, we tracked >900 vessels within contiguous tissue sections from eight BU patient biopsies. Our aim was to evaluate their vascular and coagulation biomarker phenotype and explore potential links to fibrin deposition. We also integrated this with our understanding of mycolactone’s mechanism of action at Sec61 and its impact on proteins involved in maintaining normal vascular function. Our findings showed that endothelial cell dysfunction is common in skin tissue adjacent to necrotic regions. There was little evidence of primary haemostasis, perhaps due to mycolactone-dependent depletion of endothelial von Willebrand factor. Instead, fibrin staining appeared to be linked to the extrinsic pathway activator, tissue factor (TF). There was significantly greater than expected fibrin staining around vessels that had TF staining within the stroma, and this correlated with the distance it extended from the vessel basement membrane. TF-induced fibrin deposition in these locations would require plasma proteins outside of vessels, therefore we investigated whether mycolactone could increase vascular permeability in vitro. This was indeed the case, and leakage was further exacerbated by IL-1β. Mycolactone caused the loss of endothelial adherens and tight junctions by the depletion of VE-cadherin, TIE-1, TIE-2 and JAM-C; all Sec61-dependent proteins. Taken together, our findings suggest that both vascular and lymphatic vessels in BU lesions become “leaky” during infection, due to the unique action of mycolactone, allowing TF-containing structures and plasma proteins into skin tissue, ultimately leading to local coagulopathy and tissue ischemia.

Comparison of Clinical and Angiographic Profiles of Patients with or without Left Main Coronary Artery Disease

Background: Left main coronary artery disease constitutes highest risk lesion subset of CAD population. Flow dynamics and pathophysiology in the left main coronary artery are different from that of the other coronary arteries. So traditional risk factors might interact differently with left main artery resulting in different clinical and angiographic characteristics compared to others. Anatomic pattern evaluation in left main coronary artery disease is important in deciding best management options. However, their pattern and profiles were variably shown in different studies with discrepant Results suggesting geographic variation and lead to evaluation of characteristics in our own population. Better understanding this specific problem might lead to further improvement in its management. Methods: It was an observational cross-sectional study. Ninety-one adult coronary artery disease patients over the period of one year who underwent invasive coronary angiogram were studied. Study subjects were divided into two groups after coronary angiogram: Left main (Group 1) and Non-left main (Group 2) CAD. Demographic data, risk factor profiles and angiographic patterns of both groups were compared to see if any statistically significant difference present or not. Results: The mean age and standard deviation in group 1 is 55.2±9.4 and in group 2 is 55.5±12.9; the comparative analysis showed no statistically significant difference. Most of the patients were male 69 (76%) and the comparative study showed statistically significant differences (p=0.046) which showed left main disease tended to be higher in male. Majority (64%) had BMI in normal range with no significant difference. Among the risk factors comparison, diabetes and family history of CAD showed significant association with the left main cohort (p&lt;0.05). Non-ST elevated ACS was the most common presentation and significantly associated with the left main group (p&lt;0.05). On coronary angiogram, there were 80 patients (87.92%) who had no left main artery involvement while 11 patients (12.08%) had left main disease. The comparative study of coronary artery involvement among the two groups reveals no statistically significant differences (p&gt;0.05) but triple vessel disease was found more commonly than single and double vessel disease. Distal lesions (64%) were found more frequently than other types of left main stenosis followed by ostio-proximal lesion (36%). Conclusion: In the patients with left main coronary artery disease, male gender, diabetes mellitus, positive family history and presentation with non-ST elevation ACS were found to be significantly associated. Distal left main lesion and triple vessel disease were commonly found. University Heart Journal 2022; 18(1): 3-9

Association of Plaque Location and Vessel Geometry Determined by Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography With Future Acute Coronary Syndrome–Causing Culprit Lesions

Distinct plaque locations and vessel geometric features predispose to altered coronary flow hemodynamics. The association between these lesion-level characteristics assessed by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) and risk of future acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unknown. To examine whether CCTA-derived adverse geometric characteristics (AGCs) of coronary lesions describing location and vessel geometry add to plaque morphology and burden for identifying culprit lesion precursors associated with future ACS. This substudy of ICONIC (Incident Coronary Syndromes Identified by Computed Tomography), a multicenter nested case-control cohort study, included patients with ACS and a culprit lesion precursor identified on baseline CCTA (n = 116) and propensity score-matched non-ACS controls (n = 116). Data were collected from July 20, 2012, to April 30, 2017, and analyzed from October 1, 2020, to October 31, 2021. Coronary lesions were evaluated for the following 3 AGCs: (1) distance from the coronary ostium to lesion; (2) location at vessel bifurcations; and (3) vessel tortuosity, defined as the presence of 1 bend of greater than 90° or 3 curves of 45° to 90° using a 3-point angle within the lesion. Association between lesion-level AGCs and risk of future ACS-causing culprit lesions. Of 548 lesions, 116 culprit lesion precursors were identified in 116 patients (80 [69.0%] men; mean [SD], age 62.7 [11.5] years). Compared with nonculprit lesions, culprit lesion precursors had a shorter distance from the ostium (median, 35.1 [IQR, 23.6-48.4] mm vs 44.5 [IQR, 28.2-70.8] mm), more frequently localized to bifurcations (85 [73.3%] vs 168 [38.9%]), and had more tortuous vessel segments (5 [4.3%] vs 6 [1.4%]; all P < .05). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, an increasing number of AGCs was associated with a greater risk of future culprit lesions (hazard ratio [HR] for 1 AGC, 2.90 [95% CI, 1.38-6.08]; P = .005; HR for ≥2 AGCs, 6.84 [95% CI, 3.33-14.04]; P < .001). Adverse geometric characteristics provided incremental discriminatory value for culprit lesion precursors when added to a model containing stenosis severity, adverse morphological plaque characteristics, and quantitative plaque characteristics (area under the curve, 0.766 [95% CI, 0.718-0.814] vs 0.733 [95% CI, 0.685-0.782]). In per-patient comparison, patients with ACS had a higher frequency of lesions with adverse plaque characteristics, AGCs, or both compared with control patients (≥2 adverse plaque characteristics, 70 [60.3%] vs 50 [43.1%]; ≥2 AGCs, 92 [79.3%] vs 60 [51.7%]; ≥2 of both, 37 [31.9%] vs 20 [17.2%]; all P < .05). These findings support the concept that CCTA-derived AGCs capturing lesion location and vessel geometry are associated with risk of future ACS-causing culprit lesions. Adverse geometric characteristics may provide additive prognostic information beyond plaque assessment in CCTA.

Could Selective Re-look Angiography Improve the Outcome of Cardiogenic Shock in Patients Under Veno-arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator?

It is not well studied whether a secondary look by angiography (Re-Ang) after fixing the culprit lesion would be beneficial or not in cardiogenic shock (CS) supported by veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator (VA-ECMO). This study was a retrospective observational one that looked at 5-year data from a single tertiary center. Patients were grouped according to the need of Re-Ang during the VA-ECMO course into 2 groups. The indications to perform Re-Ang were loss of pulse pressure, drop in ejection fraction or velocity time integral, resistant arrhythmia, or new electrocardiographic changes suggestive of ischemia. Out of 150 patients with cardiogenic shock screened, 30 patients were enrolled in our study. Re-Ang was done in 10 patients only. In 80% of them, positive findings were found in terms of new significant stenosis (3 patients), stent restenosis (1 patient), stent thrombosis (3 patients), and patent stent(s) with intervention to the remaining lesions in other vessels (1 patient). Neither successful weaning from VA-ECMO nor mortality was statistically different between both groups. Our set indications for Re-Ang were effective in finding a possible new culprit for a conceivable coronary intervention.

Comparison of vascular endothelialgrowth factor expression between lesional and non-lesional skin in patients with morphea: a dermoscopy-guided immunohistochemical study.

Morphea is an inflammatory fibrosing disease, initiated by vascular injury resulting in increased collagen formation and decreased collagen degradation. This study was designed to evaluate the role of angiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the vascular changes which are dermoscopically evident in morphea lesions, compared with that in non-lesional skin, by assessing its expression immunohistochemically on tissue blood vessels. Twenty patients with morphea were subjected to clinical and dermoscopic examinations. Two skin biopsies from lesional and non-lesional skin were obtained and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemically with VEGF. Dermoscopic examination showed linear blood vessels in 90% of the lesions. No significant difference in the number of VEGF-stained and unstained blood vessels, was observed between the lesional and non-lesional skin (p = 0.475 and 0.191, respectively). A weak inverse correlation was found between the total number of blood vessels positive for VEGF and the disease duration, (r = - 0.48; p = 0.032). Significant differences were found between different stages of morphea and total number of blood vessels negative for VEGF, (p = 0.017). In conclusion, VEGF immunostaining, which represents the newly formed blood vessels, showed no difference between lesional and non-lesional skin in patients with morphea. Thus, the dermoscopically observable blood vessels in lesions compared with non-lesional skin are not due to angiogenesis, but rather due to the thinning and atrophy of the overlying epidermis in morphea cases, rendering the blood vessels more obvious.

Safety and efficacy of drug-coated balloon for peripheral artery revascularization-A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The relative merits of the drug-coated balloon (DCB) versus uncoated balloon (UCB) angioplasty in endovascular intervention for patients with symptomatic lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) remains controversial. Online databases were queried with various combinations of keywords to identify relevant articles. Net adverse events (NAEs) and its components were compared using a random effect model to calculate unadjusted odds ratios (ORs). A total of 26 studies comprising 26,845 patients (UCB: 17,770 and DCB: 9075) were included. On pooled analysis, DCB was associated with significantly lower odds of NAE (OR: 0.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36-0.61), vessel restenosis (OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.37-0.57), major amputation (OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.47-99), need for repeat target lesion (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.31-0.47) and target vessel revascularization(OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.47-0.81) compared with UCB. Similarly, the primary patency rate was significantly higher in patients undergoing DCB angioplasty (OR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.19-1.75), while the odds for all-cause mortality (OR: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.85-1.09) were not significantly different between the two groups. A subgroup analysis based on follow-up duration (6 months vs. 1vs. 2 years) followed the findings of the pooled analysis with few exceptions. The use of DCB in lower extremity PAD intervention is associated with higher primary patency, lower restenosis, lower amputation rate, and decreased need for repeat revascularization with similar all-cause mortality as compared to UCB.

The Significance of Apolipoprotein-A in the Long-Term Death of Patients with STEMI.

Objective To analyze apolipoprotein-A for its predictive value for long-term death in individuals suffering from acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction following percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods We selected patients suffering from acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who underwent emergency PCI at the Affiliated Hospital of Putian University from January 2017 to August 2019. The patients were divided into a high-Apo-A group and low-Apo-A group, and we observed all-cause deaths of patients in the 2 groups within 2 years. Results The ROC curve analysis indicated the best critical value for predicting 2-year mortality as 0.8150 (area under the curve was 0.626, sensitivity 75.1%, and specificity 51.9%). There was no statistical difference among the two groups in gender, age, lesion vessel, and comorbidities. The two groups had statistically significant differences in apolipoprotein-B/A, high-density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein-A, and hypersensitivity C-reactive protein. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between apolipoprotein-A and hypersensitive C-reactive protein. The results of the 24-month analysis indicated the incidence of all-cause mortality as higher in the low-Apo-A group, and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed the same trend. Conclusion Apolipoprotein-A can predict the potential for long-term mortality among individuals having acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Baseline predictors for subretinal fibrosis in neovascular age-related macular degeneration

To find baseline predictors for subretinal fibrosis (SF) in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Forty-five eyes of 45 participants with treatment-naïve nAMD were consecutively enrolled and treated according to a standardized treat-and-extend protocol. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), color fundus photography and fluorescein angiography as well as novel imaging modalities polarization-sensitive OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA) were performed to detect SF after 1 year and find baseline predictors for SF development. Baseline OCTA scans were evaluated for quantitative features such as lesion area, vessel area, vessel junctions, vessel length, vessel endpoints and mean lacunarity. Additionally, the type of macular neovascularization, the presence of subretinal fluid, intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM), retinal hemorrhage as well as best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were evaluated. After 12 months 8 eyes (18%) developed SF. Eyes with SF had worse baseline BCVA (p = .001) and a higher prevalence of IRF (p = .014) and SHRM at baseline (p = .017). There was no significant difference in any of the evaluated quantitative OCTA parameters (p > .05) between eyes with and without SF. There were no quantitative baseline microvascular predictors for SF in our study. Low baseline BCVA, the presence of IRF and SHRM, however, are easily identifiable baseline parameters indicating increased risk.

Comprehensive Risk Analysis of the Wingspan Stent in Relation to Target Vessels.

To facilitate understanding for the safe use of the Wingspan stent, a comprehensive literature analysis was conducted, and incidence rates of 30-day stroke or death before and after the Stenting versus Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent Stroke in Intracranial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) trial were compared. We also investigated the associations between 30-day stroke or death rate and four lesion vessels, the internal carotid artery (ICA), middle cerebral artery (MCA), basilar artery (BA), and vertebral artery (VA). We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases. The incidence rates of 30-day stroke or death in pre- and post-SAMMPRIS were compared using forest plots and funnel plots. Thirty studies (15 before and 15 after the SAMMPRIS) were identified, comprising 2071 patients. Post-SAMMPRIS studies showed lower incidence rates of 30-day stroke or death compared to the pre-SAMMPRIS studies (8.5% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.014). The odds ratio of 30-day stroke or death of the post-SAMMPRIS group compared to that of the pre-SAMMPRIS group was 0.64 (95% confidence interval: 0.45-0.92, p = 0.014). The average 30-day stroke or death rates of overall, pre-, and post-SAMMPIS studies were 1.1%, 1.1%, and 1.1% for ICA; 6.2%, 8.8%, and 5.3% for MCA; 0.9%, 6.0%, and 2.7% for VA; and 13.5%, 15.1%, and 12.5% for BA, respectively. The post-SAMMPRIS study group showed significantly lower event rates for the treatment of MCA and VA than the pre-SAMMPRIS group did (p = 0.003 and p = 0.006, respectively). The incidence rates of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke were 3.5% and 2.0%, respectively. This systematic surveillance study indicated that the modification of the indications for use based on the results of the SAMMPRIS trial for the Wingspan stent was effective in reducing 30-day stroke or death.

STATE OF AUTONOMIC REGULATION AND CEREBROVASCULAR REACTIVITY IN PATIENTS WITH HEADACHE WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION.

The aim: A comprehensive assessment of the state of the autonomic nervous system and cerebrovascular reactivity of the cerebral blood flow in the patients with the headache accompanied by arterial hypertension (AH) and somatoform autonomic dysfunction (SAD). Materials and methods: We conducted the clinical, autonomic regulation and Doppler sonography examination of 124 young patients (18-45 years old), including 51 men and 73 women in the conditions of the clinical base of the Kharkiv Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education in 2018-2021. All patients with cephalgias were divided into three groups: with AH stage II (Group I - 41 patients), AH stage I (Group II - 40 patients), SAD (Group III - 43 patients). The control group consisted of 50 patients of the corresponding gender and age. Results: The intensity of cephalalgia in patients with SAD was maximum. The autonomic tone (AT) was changed in 68.5%examined patients. It had a pronounced shift towards sympathicotonia. According to the visual analogue scale the maximum intensity of cephalgias was against the sympathicotonia. In the groups with organic lesions of the cerebral vessels the latent period delay was registered with the progression of the organic pathology. The regularity was revealed - the shortening of the evoked skin sympathetic potentials latency with the severity of cephalalgia, which can be interpreted as an increase in ergotropic effects with the realisation of the pain syndrome. The obtained data on the state of the AT indicate the depletion of the ergotropic processes with the progression of cerebral ischemia with a known increase in parasympathicotonia. In the patients of SAD group the CrCO2 and KrFNTvalues were significantly increased, in AH stage I group they slightly exceeded the standard values , in AH stage II group they were reduced. The reactivity to the orthostatic loads and functional metabolic test in all groups exceeded the control values. Conclusions: 1. The cephalgic syndrome is one of the main symptoms of the autonomic dysfunction and arterial hypertension; the frequency and intensity of the headache increases with the hyperreactivity of the sympathetic system. 2. The SSP data indicate that the sympathetic activity triggers and maintains the pain syndrome, and can also be realized in the form of arterial hypertension. 3. The dysfunction of the central link of the GSR indicates the instability of the autonomous regulation, the work of the limbic-reticular complex, which is clinically manifested by the changes in the cerebral vascular tone. 4. The cerebrovascular hyperreactivity as a sign of the search for the optimal sanogenetic variant of the cerebral hemodynamics in patients with SAD and AH stage I occurs predominantly due to the vasodilatory component. 5. In the patients with AH stage II the vasoconstrictor reactions are observed with the depletion of the vasodilation reserves, which is a marker of the autoregulation failure.