Vessel Thickness Research Articles

Red light-green light: T-cell trafficking in cardiac and vascular inflammation.

Extravasation of T cells from the bloodstream into inflamed tissues requires interactions between T cells and vascular endothelial cells, a necessary step that allows T cells to exert their effector function during the immune response to pathogens and to sterile insults. This cellular cross talk involves adhesion molecules on both the vascular endothelium and the T cells themselves that function as receptor-ligand pairs to slow down circulating T cells. These will eventually extravasate into sites of inflammation when they receive the correct chemokine signals. Accumulation of T cells within the vascular wall can lead to vessel thickening and vascular disease, whereas T-cell extravasation into the myocardium often leads to cardiac chronic inflammation and adverse cardiac remodeling, hallmarks of heart failure. On the flip side, T-cell trafficking is required for pathogen clearance and to promote tissue repair after injury resulting from cardiac ischemia. Thus, a better understanding of the central players mediating these interactions may help develop novel therapeutics to modulate vascular and cardiac inflammation. Here, we review the most recent literature on pathways that regulate T-cell transendothelial migration, the last step leading to T-cell infiltration into tissues and organs in the context of vascular and cardiac inflammation. We discuss new potential avenues to therapeutically modulate these pathways to enhance or prevent immune cell infiltration in cardiovascular disease.

Abstract 10054: Super Resolution Deep Learning Reconstruction for Detection of In-Stent Restenosis

Introduction: Evaluation of in-stent-restenosis (ISR), especially of small stents, remains a challenge for computed tomography (CT) angiography. Hypothesis: To quantitatively define stent strut thickness and lumen vessel diameter at the stent site by deep learning reconstruction and compare this with conventional reconstruction strategies. Methods: We employed ultra-high-resolution CT (URCT) data to train a super resolution neural network (Precise IQ engine, or PIQE) and apply the network to current standard resolution CT (Forward projected model-based Iterative Reconstruction SoluTion, FIRST). We examined 166 stents in 85 consecutive patients who underwent CT and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) within three months of each other from 2019-2021 after percutaneous coronary intervention with coronary stent placement. The diagnostic accuracy for the presence of ISR was defined as percent diameter stenosis > 50% on ICA. All images were reconstructed with PIQE and FIRST and assessed by two blinded cardiovascular imagers. Results: Compared to FIRST, the full width at half maximum of the lumen was larger, and that of the strut was smaller in PIQE. Image quality score was significantly better in PIQE than in FIRST (4.2±1.1 vs. 2.7±1.2, P <0.01). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy for detection of ISR in PIQE were better than the FIRST (86.1, 89.5, 50.0, 98.1, and 89.2 vs. 80.6, 77.4, 30.2, 97.0, and 77.7, respectively); the differences were particularly pronounced in a group with < 3.0 mm stent diameter. Conclusions: PIQE provides superior image quality and diagnostic accuracy for ISR, even in stents with < 3.0 mm diameter.

Delivery of a peptide/microRNA blend via electrospun antimicrobial nanofibres for wound repair

Downregulation of microRNA-31 (miR-31) and microRNA-132 (miR-132) has been associated with delayed wound healing. Therefore, it was hypothesised that intracellular delivery of miR-31 and miR-132, both as individual and blend formulations, could promote tissue repair. The use of a blend could minimise potential toxicity and achieve synergistic effects, thus maximising the therapeutic effect. miR-31 and miR-132 were condensed with a 30-mer positively charged amphipathic peptide, RALA, to form nanocomplexes with an average size <200 nm and zeta-potential ≥10 designed to facilitate cellular internalisation. This enabled a fold increase in miR-31 and miR-132 expression of ≥100,000 in a murine fibroblast cell line (NCTC-929) and a skin human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT), with intracellular delivery >70% for individual and blend formulations. Moreover, incubation with the nanocomplexes increased the migration of HaCaT cells ≥25% at 4 and 8 h post-incubation, as well as downregulation of EMP-1 and RASA1 and HB-EGF and RASA1, target genes for miR-31 and miR-132, respectively. Electrospinning was then employed to produce an alginate/polyvinyl alcohol/ciprofloxacin nanofibrous wound patch to facilitate the controlled delivery of the nanocomplexes. Nanofibres were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde to improve stability in aqueous solvents, and they were proven to be biocompatible with antimicrobial activity without cellular attachment to avoid injury upon removal. RALA/miR nanoparticles were incorporated to the nanofibrous wound dressing and in vivo wound healing studies using C57BL/6J mice demonstrated a >60% acceleration in the wound closure rate at Day 7 post-wounding, a ≥1.5 increase in epidermal thickness, and a ≥2 increase in blood vessel count with respect to commercial and untreated controls. Taken together, this data proves that delivery of RALA/miR-31 and RALA/miR-132 from an alginate/polyvinyl alcohol/ciprofloxacin nanofibrous wound dressing constitutes an advanced therapy for wound healing, by accelerating wound closure and improving healed tissue quality. Statement of significanceIn this study, we report for the first time the use of the RALA peptide to deliver two miRNA 31 & 132 simultaneously from an electrospun patch. Both miRs have been shown to be downregulated in wounds and this study endeavoured to deliver a blend of the miRs from a nanofibre patch. Electrospinning was used to produce an alginate/polyvinyl alcohol/ciprofloxacin wound patch to enable controlled delivery of the miRs without cellular attachment to the wound with the added benefit of anti-microbial activity. Application of the nanofibre patch loaded with the blended RALA/miR nanoparticles demonstrated a synergistic effect with acceleration of wound closure rate, a significant increase in epidermal thickness and blood vessel count with respect to commercial and untreated controls.

Optimized convolutional neural network for glaucoma detection with improved optic-cup segmentation

Glaucoma is the foremost cause of permanent loss of visioahn; it develops slowly with no discernible sign. Early glaucoma recognition is critical because it might aid to slow the progression of the disease. Customary schemes are less precise and manual. As a result, automatic glaucoma analysis is required to identify glaucoma at the earliest with greater precision. The purpose here is to bring in a new scheme in which pre-processing is done using Gaussian filtering, which aids in the removal of unwanted noise in images. Then Optic Cup segmentation is performed using the Modified Level Set Algorithm. Followed by segmentation, the morphological features (disc area, cup area, and blood vessel), as well as non-morphological features (Color, Shape, and Modified LBP), are derived. The Blood vessel thickness is 5 to 100 micrometers. These features are then classified using the Optimized CNN framework, where the weights get optimized via the Self Adaptive Butterfly Optimization Algorithm (SA-BOA). The precision of the developed approach was 21.16%, 7.35%, 6.62%, 2.98%, 4.29%, 3.89%, 5.67%, 6.23%, 6.79%, and 1.63% better than the values obtained for conservative techniques Similarly, the adopted model's negative metrics show negligible values when compared to other models. Thus, the proposed method supremacy was validated successfully.

Proximal interruption of the pulmonary artery: A review of radiological findings.

Proximal interruption of the pulmonary artery (PIPA) has various clinical manifestations. This review focused on and summarized the clinical and radiological features of PIPA, based on relevant literature studies. The study included a total of 25 PIPA cases in the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center between January 2015 and December 2021. Conventional chest photographs and chest computed tomography angiography (CCTA) of patients with PIPA were analyzed and summarized. The radiological results showed that 17 cases were right-sided and 8 cases were left-sided PIPA. Additionally, the percentage of pulmonary hypoplasia on the affected side was 44%, 36% for pulmonary hypertension, 28% for the mosaic sign, 20% for subpleural cystic lucency shadow, 20% for subpleural serrated shadow, 20% for collateral vessel thickening, 16% for subpleural band-like parenchyma, 12% for pneumonia, and 56% for patent ductus arteriosus. The clinical manifestations of PIPA are non-specific. Awareness of this anomaly, based on radiological manifestations, particularly those observed on CCTA images, is important for ruling out alternative diagnoses and implementing appropriate management.

New Findings in Early-Stage Keratoconus: Lamina Cribrosa Curvature, Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness, and Vascular Perfusion

PurposeOur aim was to investigate the involvement of posterior pole structures in eyes affected by keratoconus (KC). Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) were used to determine the status of lamina cribrosa (LC), peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), macular and peripapillary microvasculature. DesignObservational, cross-sectional, case-control analysis. MethodsSingle-center investigation involving patients with KC and healthy control subjects. Enrolled subjects underwent anterior segment OCT combined with Placido-disk topography, macular and optic nerve head swept-source OCT and swept-source OCTA scans, and 3D wide glaucoma module for peripapillary RNFL thickness measurement. The LC curvature index was used to express the degree of LC posterior bowing. We calculated the vessel density and vessel length density at the macular superficial capillary plexus, deep capillary plexus, choriocapillaris, and nerve radial peripapillary capillary plexus. ResultsOverall, 32 eyes with KC and an equal number of age- and axial length–matched control eyes were included in the analysis. Almost all (97%) of eyes with KC were classified as early stage. KC displayed a reduction in peripapillary RNFL thickness (104.8 ± 11.9 µm vs 110.7 ± 10.5 µm; P = .039) and nerve radial peripapillary capillary plexus vessel density (46.31% ± 3% vs 43.82% ± 4%; P = .006) when compared with control subjects; these differences were more evident in the temporal sector and were associated with a higher LC curvature index (9.9% ± 2.6% vs 8.48% ± 1.7%; P = .012). Mean macular superficial capillary plexus vessel density was 3 percentage points lower in eyes with KC than in healthy controls (P < .001). ConclusionEarly-stage KC may be characterized by a posterior bowing of the LC along with a subtle peripapillary RNFL thinning and vascular impairment. These findings support the hypothesis that KC may be a corneal manifestation of a more generalized “eye collagen disease.”

Prediction of First Ply Failure of Composite Pressure Vessels Under Internal Pressure: A review

Composite pressure vessels (i.e. types III and IV) are widely used for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, as storage cylinders to reduce the weight while maintaining high mechanical properties. These vessels can achieve 70-80% of weight saving, as compared to steel vessels (type I). So, prediction of first ply failure and burst pressure of these vessels is of great concern. Thus, this paper involved a review of literature regarding the first ply failure and burst pressure of composite pressure vessels (types III and IV). The review included the researches related to the simulation, mathematical modeling, and experimental analysis. The study focused on simulation-related research more than others due to the complexities of mathematical modeling of such problems in addition to the high cost of experimental tests. The results indicated that the stacking sequence of layers, vessel thickness and the type of selected composites were the main factors that mainly affect the vessel burst pressure performance. Accordingly, the optimization in the vessel structure (composite fabric architecture) parameters plays an important role in the performance of burst pressure. This in turn will lead to a high vessel durability, longer life-time and better prediction of burst pressure. Furthermore, the study showed that the prediction of first ply failure is more important than burst pressure knowledge of pressure vessels because it gives an initial prediction of vessel failure before the final failure occurrence. This in turn, may prevent the catastrophic damage of vessel.

SWI by 7T MR Imaging for the Microscopic Imaging Diagnosis of Astrocytic and Oligodendroglial Tumors.

Despite advances in molecular imaging, preoperative diagnosis of astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas can be challenging. In the present study, we assessed whether 7T SWI can be used to distinguish astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas and whether malignant grading of gliomas is possible. 7T SWI was performed on 21 patients with gliomas before surgery with optimization for sharp visualization of the corticomedullary junction. Scoring for cortical thickening and displacement of medullary vessels, characteristic of oligodendroglial tumors, and cortical tapering, characteristic of astrocytic tumors, was performed. Additionally, characteristics of malignancy, including thickening of the medullary veins, the presence of microbleeds, and/or necrosis were scored. Scoring for oligodendroglial (highest possible score, +3) and astrocytic (lowest score possible, -3) characteristics yielded a significant difference between astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas (mean, -1.93 versus +1.71, P < .01). Scoring for malignancy was significantly different among the World Health Organization grade II (n = 10), grade III (n = 4), and grade IV (n = 7) tumors (mean, 0.20 versus 1.38 versus 2.79). Cortical thickening was observed significantly more frequently in oligodendrogliomas (P < .02), with a sensitivity of 71.4% and specificity of 85.7%; observation of tapering of the cortex was higher in astrocytomas (P < .01) with a sensitivity of 85.7% and specificity of 100%. Visualization of the corticomedullary junction by 7T SWI was useful in distinguishing astrocytomas and oligodendrogliomas. Observation of tapering of the cortex was most sensitive and specific for diagnosing astrocytomas. Reliably predicting malignant grade was also possible by 7T SWI.

Hypertensive vascular and cardiac remodeling protection by allicin in spontaneous hypertension rats via CaMK Ⅱ/NF-κB pathway

Allicin is the main active component of Traditional Chinese medicine, garlic. It is widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases. Our previous studies have confirmed that allicin significantly reduces blood pressure in Spontaneous Hypertension Rats (SHRs). However, the reports studying the effect of allicin on vascular and cardiac remodeling caused by hypertension are few, with their underlying mechanism not being studied in detail or fully elucidated. In this study, we treated 12-week-old SHRs with allicin for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, allicin was shown to improve vascular and cardiac remodeling in SHRs, as evidenced by reduced cardiac left ventricular wall thickness, aortic vessel thickness, and reduced proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and increased expression of and smooth muscle 22α (SM 22α). Additionally, allicin reduced serum IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels, improved calcium homeostasis in cardiomyocytes, downregulated calcium transportation-related CaMK II and inflammation-related NF-κB and NLRP3, which were observed in smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes. Thus, we inferred that allicin protected hypertensive vascular and cardiac remodeling in Spontaneous Hypertensive Rats by inhibiting the activation of the CaMK II/ NF-κB pathway. This study also provided new mechanistic insights into the anti-hypertensive vascular and cardiac remodeling effects of allicin, highlighting its therapeutic potential.

Therapeutic Efficacy of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Versus Bone Marrow Stromal Cells for Irradiated Mandibular Fracture Repair.

Mesenchymal stem cells have immense potential in applications of bone healing and regeneration. However, few studies have evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in irradiated bone. The purpose of this study is to compare the ability of ASCs versus BMSCs to enhance healing outcomes in a murine model of irradiated mandibular fracture repair. Forty-eight isogenic male Lewis rats underwent radiation therapy followed by mandibular osteotomy with intraoperative placement of either ASCs or BMSCs. Animals were killed on postoperative day 40. Mandibles were analyzed for union rate, biomechanical strength, vascularity, and mineralization. Groups were compared at P < 0.05 significance. The ASC and BMSC groups demonstrated 92% and 75% union rates. Compared with the BMSC group, the ASC group demonstrated a trending increase in maximum load ( P = 0.095) on biomechanical strength analysis and a significant increase in vessel number ( P = 0.001), vessel thickness ( P = 0.035), and vessel volume fraction ( P = 0.007) on micro-computed tomography angiography analysis. No significant differences in bone mineralization were identified on micro-computed tomography analysis. This study demonstrates the superior therapeutic efficacy of ASCs over BMSCs in irradiated fracture healing as evidenced by union rate, vascular morphometry, and a trend in biomechanical strength. We posit that the robust vascular response induced by ASCs better recapitulates the sequence and synchronicity of physiologic bone healing compared with BMSCs, thereby improving the reliability of irradiated fracture repair.

Correlation between retinal and optic nerve microvasculature and sensitivity in patients with multiple sclerosis with and without optic neuritis

Objective To correlate the retinal vascular affection (macula and Optic nerve head (ONH)) assessed with OCT-A and retinal sensitivity (macula and peripapillary) measured with microperimetry in patients with multiple sclerosis with and without optic neuritis. Patients and methods A total of 18 patients (18 eyes, six with antecedent attack of optic neuritis and 12 without) and 18 age-matched healthy controls (18 eyes) were included. OCT-A and microperimetry were used to evaluate retinal vasculature and sensitivity in the macular and peripapillary areas, respectively. Results Patients with MS (regardless of the presence of history of symptomatic optic neuritis) had lower vessel density, thickness, and sensitivity than controls. This decrease in the three parameters was correlated to some extent especially in the superior and parafoveal regions. Conclusion OCT-A and microperimetry could be considered as noninvasive tools for early diagnosis of neuroretinal affection in multiple sclerosis and monitoring of disease severity.

Acute effects of cigarette smoke on Endothelial Nitric Oxide synthase, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and aortic intima media thickness

Background. Cigarette smoking could induce endothelial dysfunction and the increase of circulating markers of inflammation by activation of monocytes. This can lead to increased intima media thickness (IMT) of entire blood vessels and result in acceleration of the atherosclerosis process. However, to our knowledge, little is known about the role of cigarette smoking in this atherosclerotic inflammatory process. The aim of this study is to explore the link between cigarette smoking and its effect on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). Methods. An experimental study with a post-test only controlled group design was used. We used 18 Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) randomly subdivided into two groups: group K (-) were not exposed to tobacco smoke, whereas group K (+) were exposed to smoke equivalent of more than 40 cigarettes for 28 days daily. After 28 days, samples were analyzed for e-NOS, VCAM-1 and aortic IMT. Results. Our results indicate that tobacco smoke can enhance the expression of VCAM-1 on rat cardiac vascular endothelial cells, resulting in a decreased expression of e-NOS level and increase of aortic IMT. Linear regression model found that eNOS level negatively correlated wiith aortic IMT (r2 = 0.584, β = -0.764, p &lt; 0.001), whereas VCAM-1 expression did not correlate with aortic IMT (r2 = 0.197, p = 0.065). Conclusion. Low e-NOS level and high VCAM-1 level observed after cigarette smoke exposure which may increase aortic IMT.

A predictive model for first-trimester pregnancy inception after IVF-ET based on multimodal ultrasound evaluation of endometrial receptivity

BackgroundIn-vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) is a commonly used assisted reproductive technology. Its success depends on many factors, including endometrial receptivity. Endometrial receptivity can be evaluated by ultrasound, endometrial biopsy, and magnetic resonance imaging. Compared with the latter two methods, ultrasound has the advantages of wide availability, non-invasiveness, and low cost. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging examines endometrial thickness, morphology, and blood vessels, which are associated with the success of embryo implantation. However, there are no reports of endometrial receptivity assessment by 3D ultrasound. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate endometrial receptivity using 3D ultrasound and construct a predictive model for first-trimester pregnancy inception following IVF-ET.MethodsWe performed a prospective observational study on infertile women who underwent IVF-ET between December 2019 and February 2021. These women had 3D ultrasound evaluations, measuring endometrial thickness, volume, pattern, morphology, peristalsis, uterine artery blood flow index, sub-endometrial blood flow index, and distribution pattern. We recorded the occurrence of first-trimester pregnancies in these women. Using Akaike information criterion (AIC) and backward stepwise regression, a first-trimester pregnancy prediction model was constructed based on the minimum AIC value and validated internally and externally.Results111 women were enrolled, with 103 included in the analysis. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses showed that endometrial thickness and vascularization flow index (VFI) were independent factors associated with the occurrence of a pregnancy. The final prediction model corresponding to the minimum AIC value (65.166) was Y = − 6.131–0.182endometrial thickness + 0.542endometrial volume + 4.374VFI + 0.132age. In the test set, modeling cohort, and external validation cohort, the model showed satisfactory differentiation, with C index of 0.841 (95%CI 0.699–0.817), 0.727 (95%CI 0.619–0.815), and 0.745 (95%CI 0.671–0.840), respectively. The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness of fit tests reported P = 0.865, 0.139, and 0.070, respectively, indicating a high agreement with the actual IVF-ET outcome. This model reached the highest diagnostic efficiency (sensitivity 88.9%, specificity 75%, Youden index 0.639) at a diagnostic cut-off value of ≥ 0.360.ConclusionsThe predictive model based on endometrial receptivity evaluations by 3D ultrasound had high diagnostic efficiency and could be a simple and effective tool to predict first-trimester pregnancy inception after IVF-ET.

Anti-galectin-3 antibodies induce skin vascular inflammation via promoting local production of IL-1β in systemic lupus erythematosus

Vascular inflammation could occur in all organs and tissues in patients with systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE), of which skin is the most frequent one. Our previous research identified anti-galectin-3 (Gal3) antibodies (Abs) as an important mediator of lupus cutaneous vasculopathy. Herein, we showed that anti-Gal3 Abs dysregulated the function of vascular endothelial cells with higher transcript levels of IL-1β and increased expression of mature IL-1β. The enhanced production of IL-1β secreted by endothelial cells was dependent on NLRP3 inflammasome. Intradermal injection of anti-Gal3 Abs in mice induced local inflammation with perivascular infiltration of T cells and neutrophils, which was inhibited by IL-1β blockade. Induction of anti-Gal3 Abs in circulation by immunization of Gal3 antigen not only led to histopathologic changes in the skin, including focal keratinocytes vacuolization and thickening of blood vessels, but also a systemic autoimmune phenotype that involves autoantibody production and kidney damage. Intriguingly, local overexpression of IL-1β was primarily associated with skin lesions but not with other internal organs in mice. Finally, we showed that the serum levels of IL-1β were comparable between SLE patients and healthy donors. Whilst the expression of IL-1β was enriched in local area with perivascular inflammation in lupus skin lesion compared to healthy normal skin. The results strongly suggest that IL-1β plays an important role in mediating anti-Gal3 Ab-induced skin vascular inflammation and raised the prospect for using IL-1β blocking therapies to treat lupus cutaneous damage.

Correlation of vascular structural changes in a cadaveric model and obesity-related cardiovascular non-communicable diseases

IntroductionCarrying excess body weight is a vital risk factor for obesity-related chronic diseases affecting blood vessels. Obesity influences cardiovascular non-communicable diseases (NCDs) via vascular structural changes, which involve alterations in lipids, blood pressure, coagulation, fibrinolysis, and inflammation, leading to endothelial dysfunction due to vascular remodeling and stiffness. Small peripheral vessels are the first to be impacted; however, it is unclear whether this change is followed by microscopic changes in the aorta. ObjectivesTo determine the correlation of vascular structure with the incidence of NCDs and subcutaneous fat thickness and to study micro-scale changes in vascular structure, especially concerning collagen in the aorta, using a cadaveric model. MethodsTwenty-four cadaveric models were classified into a control group and an NCD group. The subcutaneous fat thickness was measured on the arm, anterior abdomen, and thigh. The aorta was collected and stained with hematoxylin, eosin, and Masson's trichrome for collagen evaluation. The vessel thickness was morphometrically analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to identify the extracellular matrix organization in the vessel. ResultsDisorganization of the extracellular matrix and fragments of the vascular wall were found in the NCDs group. The tunica intima of the NCDs group represented endothelial dysfunction with macrophage foam cells. The thickness of the tunica intima of the NCDs group slightly increased without being significantly different compared to control group with 144.63 ± 124.38 µm and 105.60 ± 27.49 µm, respectively. However, the thickness of tunica media of the NCDs group significantly decreased compared to control group with 956.58 ± 27.80 µm and 1167.43 ± 48.6 µm, respectively. Collagen deposits in the aortic wall significantly increased by 15% in the NCDs group especially in tunica media by 17.4% compared to control. The results showed a correlation between the amount of collagen fiber and subcutaneous fat on the thigh. ConclusionThere was a change toward irregular microstructural patterns and increased collagen fibers in NCDs. In addition, there was a correlation between collagen fiber density and the subcutaneous fat thickness of the thigh in cadavers with a history of NCDs.

Correlation between Pregnancy Outcome and Placental Pathology in COVID-19 Pregnant Women.

Background Vertical transmission of several viruses during pregnancy has been shown to cause adverse fetal outcomes. The question about the possibility of a similar outcome in association with SARS-CoV-2 has been raised in recently published articles. Indeed, the rate of transmission through the placenta to the fetus reported in women with COVID-19 has been shown to form a minority. The aim of this study was to explore the possible histopathological changes in the placenta of pregnant women with COVID-19 after delivery and those changes in the umbilical cord. Methods A case-control study including a total of 50 full-term pregnant women with COVID-19 and 60 control pregnant females. Histopathological evaluation of placental tissues and umbilical cords were reported. Results The main findings in the umbilical cord were increased thickness of vessels, thrombus formation, endothelins, and narrow lumen; except for the increased thickness of blood vessels, these findings were more frequently seen in women with COVID-19, in comparison with control women in a significant manner (p < 0.05). Increased thickness of blood vessels was more significantly observed in the control group compared to the COVID-19 group (p < 0.01). Findings of the placenta included avascular villi, fibrin, thrombosis, and meconium macrophage in various combinations. Except for fibrin as the sole findings, all other findings including combinations were more frequently encountered in the study group in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion Pregnant women with COVID-19 have significant pathological alterations in the placenta and umbilical cord. These findings reflect the capability of SARS-CoV-2 in causing immunological reactions to the placenta, either directly or indirectly, and these pathologies may be linked to the higher rate of adverse neonatal outcomes and maternal admission to the intensive care unit.

Choroidal Changes in Blood Flow in Patients with Intermediate AMD after Oral Dietary Supplement Based on Astaxanthin, Bromelain, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid, Lutein, and Antioxidants.

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of oral administration of the combination of astaxanthin (AXT), lutein, folic acid, vitamin D3, and bromelain with antioxidants on choroidal blood flow in patients with age-related intermediate macular degeneration (AMD). Materials and Methods: Patients affected by intermediate AMD and treated with daily oral nutritional supplement with AXT, bromelain, vitamin D3, folic acid, lutein, and antioxidants for a period of at least 6 months were included in this retrospective study. A control group homogenous for age and sex was also included in the analysis. All participants underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) evaluation. Outcome measures were choroidal thickness (CHT) and choriocapillary vessel density (CCVD) after six months of AXT assumption. Results: CCVD values showed statistically significant difference between cases and controls at baseline (p < 0.001) and in the cases during follow-up (p < 0.001). The CHT measurements showed statistically significant difference between cases and controls (p = 0.002) and in the cases during follow-up (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The combined use of structural OCT and OCTA allows for a detailed analysis in vivo of perfusion parameters of the choriocapillaris and choroid and evaluation of changes of choroidal blood flow after oral nutritional supplements that affect blood flow velocity.

Association of self-reported snoring with decreased retinal thickness and vessel density.

Purpose: Self-reported snoring has been reported to influence nerves and vessels. However, there are few direct evidences of snoring related to nerves and microvessels defects. Therefore, we evaluated the association of self-reported snoring with retinal structure and microcirculation. Methods: A total of 2,622 participants were recruited from the Jidong eye cohort study (JECS). Physical examinations, laboratory tests, and questionnaires were recorded. We also used optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to assess the retinal structure and microvascular network. Snoring was defined as “never,” “occasionally,” and “frequently or more severe” according to self-reported frequency. Results: The prevalence of snoring were 84.6% (n = 983) and 45.0% (n = 657) in males and females, respectively. Compared with never snoring group, the retinal thickness increased in “occasionally” (p < 0.001) and “frequently or more severe” groups (p = 0.001), while no difference was found between snoring groups (p = 0.14). Superficial retinal capillary plexus (RCP) vessel density was lower in “frequently or more severe” group than in “never” (p < 0.001) and “occasionally” snoring groups (p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, “frequently or more severe” snoring was significantly associated with thinner total retinal thickness [β = −2.79 (95% CI: −5.27, −0.30)] and lower superficial RCP vessel density [β = −0.71 (95% CI: −1.19, −0.23)]. Conclusion: Our research showed self-reported snoring was associated with thinner retinal thickness and lower superficial RCP vessel density. The findings of our study emphasize the need for self-reported snoring assessments in determining retinal structure and microcirculation impairment.

Technetium Tc 99m tilmanocept fails to detect sentinel lymph nodes in endometrial cancer

BackgroundTechnetium Tc 99m tilmanocept is a synthetic radiotracer specifically designed for sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping that has been FDA-approved in breast cancer, melanoma, and head and neck cancer. No published studies exist for the use of this radiotracer in endometrial cancer. ObjectiveThe primary objective was to determine the detection rate of bilateral SLNs in endometrial cancer with the concurrent use of technetium Tc 99m tilmanocept and ICG. MethodsAn open-label, single cohort, prospective feasibility study was conducted with participants receiving preoperative cervical injections of technetium Tc 99m tilmanocept followed by subsequent imaging and SPECT/CT. Intraoperative ICG injections were administered for all patients with near-infrared imaging used to visualize lymphatic vessels and nodes. A laparoscopic gamma counter was used to detect radioactive SLN intraoperatively. ResultsAll six evaluated patients had FIGO grade 1 or 2 endometrioid histology. Stage IA/IB were in 33% and 66% of patients, respectively. Tilmanocept did not map any SLN in the first six patients but instead showed retention of the tracer in the cervical stroma, leading to study discontinuation for futility. ICG mapped bilateral SLN in all patients with the most common location being the external iliac region, followed by the obturator and common iliac areas. All patients had CD206 positive staining throughout the full wall thickness of ectocervix, transformation zone, endocervix, and lymphatic vessels. No patients experienced adverse events. ConclusionTechnetium Tc 99m tilmanocept did not detect SLN in early stage endometrial cancers and is unlikely to improve bilateral detection rate compared to ICG alone. ICG remains a standard technique for SLN detection in low stage, low grade endometrial cancer.

Histological and hemodynamic characterization of corpus luteum throughout the luteal phase in pregnant and non-pregnant buffalos in relation to nitric oxide levels based on its anatomical determination.

This study aims to compare the complete growth and development of corpus luteum (CL) in domestic buffalos from day 5 until day 40 after ovulation either in pregnant or non-pregnant animals and whether luteal vascularity (LV) with progesterone (P4) and nitric oxide (NO) could determine luteal functionality or not. Pluriparous buffalos (Bubalus bubalis) were categorized as pregnant (n = 6) or non-pregnant (n = 9) after pregnancy check at day 25. Animals were subjected to ultrasound analysis to determine the CL area (cm2) and LV. Blood sampling was performed following the Doppler examination. Ovarian tissue samples from non-pregnant buffalo genitalia (n = 18) and early pregnant buffalo genitalia (n = 3) were collected from great abattoirs. Luteal Doppler indices were lower in the pregnant group, while peak systolic velocity (PSV) was increased (p < 0.05) in the same pregnant females. Both P4 and NOMs were elevated (p < 0.05) in the pregnant group. There was a positive correlation (p < 0.01) between P4 and CL PSV. Based on our macroscopical examination, the CL of non-pregnant buffalos was classified into four stages. Histologically, stage I showed that CL was covered by a highly vascularized connective tissue (CT) capsule. It consisted of small and large lutein cells, whereas stage II was similar to stage I except for the presence of numerous fibroblast cells and vacuolated cells. Stage III was characterized by increasing the number of collagen fibers and the thickness of the blood vessels. Stage IV revealed thickening of the CT capsule and septae, regressed capillaries and arterioles, in addition to shrunken degenerated lutein cells. CL of pregnant buffalos revealed the same structure as CL at stage II. CL area was increased in the pregnant group. The collective data suggested that evaluation of the luteal artery could be extremely helpful to determine the potential benefits of colored and pulsed Doppler in CL vascularization assessment in both luteal and early pregnancy phases.