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There was no difference in 30-day mortality after SAVR.

Patients with native-valve IE have a higher risk of death, ischaemic stroke, and early major bleeding after SAVR than matched patients without IE. Results confirm the high risk for complications of IE patients after SAVR and highlight the importance of vigorous prevention of both stroke and bleeding after SAVR in these patients.

Patients with native-valve IE have a higher risk of death, ischaemic stroke, and early major bleeding after SAVR than matched patients without IE. Results confirm the high risk for complications of IE patients after SAVR and highlight the importance of vigorous prevention of both stroke and bleeding after SAVR in these patients.

Percutaneous mitral valve repair (PMVR) is a therapeutic option for severe mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with heart failure due to differential aetiologies. However, only little is known about the safety and efficacy of this procedure in patients with amyloid cardiomyopathy.

Five patients with cardiac amyloidosis and moderate to severe or severe MR undergoing PMVR were analysed retrospectively and compared to seven patients with cardiac amyloidosis and severe MR without intervention. Clinical and functional data, renal function and cardiac biomarkers as well as established risk scores for cardiac amyloidosis were assessed. Primary endpoint was the reduction in MR one year after PMVR. Secondary endpoints were safety, overall mortality after 12months compared with the control group, as well as changes in clinical and functional parameters.

Amyloidosis risk assessment documented amyloid cardiomyopathy at an advanced stage in all patients. Emricasan Procedural, technical and device success of PMVR were all 100% and residual MR remained mild to moderate at 12months follow-up (P=.038 vs before PMVR). Differences in survival compared with the control (no PMVR) group pointed to a possible survival benefit in the PMVR group (P=.02).

PMVR is a feasible and safe procedure in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and might carry a possible survival benefit in this patient group.

PMVR is a feasible and safe procedure in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and might carry a possible survival benefit in this patient group.

The aetiology and pathogenesis of vulvar lichen sclerosus (LS), a chronic inflammatory disease, is not completely clear. It has been found that local cellular immune abnormalities play an important role in the immune mechanism of LS, mainly characterised by abnormal numbers of Langerhans cells in the epidermis and abnormal numbers of dermal T lymphocytes.

To evaluate the densities of Langerhans cells and T-lymphocyte subpopulations in vulvar LS.

The density of Langerhans cells in the epidermis, and CD3

, CD4

and CD8

T cells in the dermis of seven early-stage and eight late-stage cases of vulvar LS were detected with direct immunofluorescence, and compared with 15 normal controls.

The density of Langerhans cells in the late-stage group was significantly higher than in the normal group (P=0.001). The densities of CD3

, CD4

and CD8

T lymphocytes in both the early- and late-stage (deeper dermis) groups were higher than in the normal group (P<0.05). The ratio of CD4

/CD8

T lymphocytes in the early-stage and normal groups showed no significant difference (P=0.151), while the late-stage (deeper dermis) groups decreased significantly compared with early-stage, late-stage (upper dermis) and normal groups (P<0.001).

The densities of Langerhans cells, CD3

, CD4

and CD8

T cells, and the ratio of CD4

/CD8

T lymphocytes were different in different stages of LS, which supports the important role of cellular immunity in mechanisms of LS.

The densities of Langerhans cells, CD3+ , CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and the ratio of CD4+ /CD8+ T lymphocytes were different in different stages of LS, which supports the important role of cellular immunity in mechanisms of LS.

The aim of this study was to determine if the non-convulsant delta-opioid receptor (DOR) agonist, KNT-127, could inhibit migraine-associated endpoints.

The DOR has been identified as a therapeutic target for migraine. However, the development of delta agonists is limited as some ligands have seizurogenic properties, which may be related to their ability to induce receptor internalization. While both pro- and non-convulsant delta agonists can reduce migraine-associated allodynia, only the proconvulsant agonist, SNC80, has been shown to decrease cortical spreading depression (CSD). It is unclear if the ability of delta agonists to modulate cortical activity is related to the same signaling mechanisms that produce proconvulsant effects.

The effects of the non-convulsant delta agonist, KNT-127, were examined. Repetitive CSD was induced in female C57BL6/J (n=6/group) mice by continuous application of KCl and the effect of KNT-127/vehicle (Veh) on both local field potentials and optical intrinsic signals was graine effects of DOR agonists can be separated from their proconvulsant effects. This data provides valuable information for the continued development of delta agonists for the treatment of migraine.In sickle cell disease (SCD), cerebral oxygen delivery is dependent on the cerebral vasculature’s ability to increase blood flow and volume through relaxation of the smooth muscle that lines intracranial arteries. We hypothesised that anaemia extent and/or circulating markers of inflammation lead to concentric macrovascular arterial wall thickening, visible on intracranial vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging (VW-MRI). Adult and pediatric SCD (n = 69; age = 19.9 ± 8.6 years) participants and age- and sex-matched control participants (n = 38; age = 22.2 ± 8.9 years) underwent 3-Tesla VW-MRI; two raters measured basilar and bilateral supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) wall thickness independently. Mean wall thickness was compared with demographic, cerebrovascular and haematological variables. Mean vessel wall thickness was elevated (P less then 0·001) in SCD (1·07 ± 0·19 mm) compared to controls (0·97 ± 0·07 mm) after controlling for age and sex. Vessel wall thickness was higher in participants on chronic transfusions (P = 0·013).