Clinical photon-counting CT in living patients detects intraplaque haemorrhage and thrombus in carotid plaques.

In this study of human carotid endarterectomy plaques (using 1128 regions of interest in a total of 10 plaques), we found that photon counting computed tomography (PCCT) can differentiate between attenuation and the spectral patterns of calcium, intra-plaque haemorrhage, thrombus, fibrosis, necrosis and lipid core. This is the first study to show the potential of PCCT in living patients using clinical routine acquisition settings, with many energy levels to detect atherosclerotic plaque features relevant for plaque rupture (which underlies most strokes and myocardial infarctions). Deepened knowledge of the atherosclerotic plaque features using non-invasive, high-resolution techniques as the recent PCCT is a crucial step towards detecting rupture-prone plaques and, thus, improve risk stratification for diagnosis, prevention or monitoring of therapeutic interventions.

Epigenetic biomarkers predict macrovascular events in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Prediction of incident macrovascular events (iMEs) in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains suboptimal. We aim to discover blood-based epigenetic biomarkers predicting iMEs in 752 newly diagnosed individuals with T2D, among whom 102 developed iMEs during follow-up. 461 DNA methylation sites, e.

IFNγ NKT-like cells are associated with increased incidence of atrial fibrillation in elderly women.

Aims: T cells are present in atrial tissue from atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. However, prospective studies of T cells and AF development are few. The current aim was to investigate if T-cell subsets are associated with the risk of developing AF.

3D Chiral Metal Halide Semiconductors.

Chiral metal halides are promising materials for nonlinear optics and spin-selective devices. Typically, chirality is introduced via large chiral organic cations, leading to low-dimensional structures and limitations in charge transport. Here, we design a family of chiral metal halides based on the relatively small ditopic /-3-aminoquinuclidine (3-AQ) cation, forming an (/-3AQ)-PbBr structure closely related to the 3D corner-sharing octahedral network of perovskites.

Low-fibre diet is associated with high-risk coronary plaque features.

Aims: Diet is a determinant of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) with coronary disease as predominant cause of pre-mature death. To analyse how diet was associated with coronary atherosclerosis, including plaque features.

Methods And Results: The cross-sectional population-based study using data from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study (SCAPIS) included 24 079 adults aged 50-64 years, recruited in 2013 to 2018 who were free of clinical cardiovascular disease.

Pediatric to adult care transfer in rare liver diseases: Recommendations based on insights from a European omnistakeholder event.

Background & Aims: The transfer journey from pediatric to adult care services of young people with rare liver diseases poses significant challenges and is an underexplored research area. This study examined the critical aspects of, and opportunities for, transfer journey management for these young people in Europe.

Methods: In total, 72 individuals, representing 13 countries, participated in an omnistakeholder workshop on 17-18 March 2023.

Immunotherapy for atherosclerosis.

Cardiovascular disease is the global number one cause of mortality and morbidity. The majority of cardiovascular diseases are caused by atherosclerosis, a lipid-driven, inflammatory disease of the middle- and large-sized arteries. The disease is characterized by the formation of atherosclerotic plaques throughout the arterial tree.

Atypical MEGDHEL Syndrome: A Milder Phenotype With Hepatic Presentation and Failure to Thrive Associated With a Homozygous Nonsense Variant of .

MEGDHEL syndrome, caused by a gene defect, is clinically defined as the association of 3-MGA-uria (MEG), deafness (D), hepatopathy (H), encephalopathy (E), and Leigh-like features (L). Clinical presentation typically begins in the neonatal period, with neurological symptoms becoming more evident by 2 years of age. Severe liver involvement has also been reported.

Characteristic immune cell interactions in livers of children with acute hepatitis revealed by spatial single-cell analysis identify a possible postacute sequel of COVID-19.

Background: A rise in paediatric cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin (AHUO) was observed in 2022, some requiring liver transplantation. A link to adeno-associated virus 2 infection and CD4T-cell mediated disease was reported in cohorts in the UK and USA but does not explain all cases.

Objective: To determine the intrahepatic immune cell interactions in the inflamed liver and a possible contribution of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Alternative Complement Pathway in Carotid Atherosclerosis: Low Plasma Properdin Levels Associate With Long-Term Cardiovascular Mortality.

Background: Complement activation may promote atherosclerosis. Yet, data on the to which extent complement, and more specifically the alternative complement pathway, is activated in patients with carotid atherosclerosis and related to adverse outcome in these patients, are scarce.

Methods And Results: We measured, by ELISA, plasma levels of factor D, properdin, C3bBbP (C3 convertase), and factor H in patients with advanced carotid atherosclerosis in a (n=324) and in a (n=206) cohort in relation to adverse outcome (mean follow-up 7.

Dysregulation of MMP2-dependent TGF-ß2 activation impairs fibrous cap formation in type 2 diabetes-associated atherosclerosis.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with cardiovascular disease, possibly due to impaired vascular fibrous repair. Yet, the mechanisms are elusive. Here, we investigate alterations in the fibrous repair processes in type 2 diabetes atherosclerotic plaque extracellular matrix by combining multi-omics from the human Carotid Plaque Imaging Project cohort and functional studies.

Shedding of membrane complement inhibitors CD59 and CD46 into the circulation is associated with poor prognosis in acute coronary syndrome patients: a cohort study.

Introduction: The role of the complement inhibitory proteins CD46 and CD59 in the immune response to an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is unknown. We investigated the relationships between the shedding of CD46 and CD59 into the circulation, reflected by plasma levels of soluble CD46 and CD59, and the risk for post-ACS complications.

Methods: We measured plasma sCD46 and sCD59 in a cohort of 546 ACS patients within 24 h after hospital admission, and after 6-weeks in a subgroup of 114 patients.

An organic-organometallic CO-releasing material comprising 4,4'-bipyridine and molybdenum subcarbonyl building blocks.

Over the past two decades, following the discovery of the important biological roles of carbon monoxide (CO), metal carbonyl complexes have been intensively studied as CO-releasing molecules (CORMs) for therapeutic applications. To improve the properties of "bare" low molecular weight CORMs, attention has been drawn to conjugating CORMs with macromolecular and inorganic scaffolds to produce CO-releasing materials (CORMAs) capable of storing and delivering large payloads of the gasotransmitter. A significant obstacle is to obtain CORMAs that retain the beneficial features of the parent CORMs.

Self-Report Tool for Identification of Individuals With Coronary Atherosclerosis: The Swedish CardioPulmonary BioImage Study.

Background: Coronary atherosclerosis detected by imaging is a marker of elevated cardiovascular risk. However, imaging involves large resources and exposure to radiation. The aim was, therefore, to test whether nonimaging data, specifically data that can be self-reported, could be used to identify individuals with moderate to severe coronary atherosclerosis.

Reservoir-excess pressure parameters are independently associated with NT-proBNP in older adults.

Aims: Parameters derived from reservoir-excess pressure analysis have been demonstrated to predict cardiovascular events. Thus, altered reservoir-excess pressure parameters could have a detrimental effect on highly-perfused organs like the heart. We aimed to cross-sectionally determine whether reservoir-excess pressure parameters were associated with N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in older adults.

ADAM-17 Activity and Its Relation to ACE2: Implications for Severe COVID-19.

There is a lack of studies aiming to assess cellular a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-17 (ADAM-17) activity in COVID-19 patients and the eventual associations with the shedding of membrane-bound angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (mACE2). In addition, studies that investigate the relationship between ACE2 and ADAM-17 gene expressions in organs infected by SARS-CoV-2 are lacking. We used data from the Massachusetts general hospital COVID-19 study (306 COVID-19 patients and 78 symptomatic controls) to investigate the association between plasma levels of 33 different ADAM-17 substrates and COVID-19 severity and mortality.

Prognostic Markers in Pediatric Acute Liver Failure.

Introduction: Acute liver failure (ALF), although rare in children, is a complex progressive pathology, with multisystem involvement and high mortality. Isolated variables or those included in prognostic scores have been studied, to optimize organ allocation. However, its validation is challenging.