Acute lower-extremity arterial thrombosis with immune thrombocytopenia.

We describe an acute lower-extremity arterial occlusion in a 30-year-old woman with immune thrombocytopenia and polycystic ovary syndrome. Thrombosis may be a complication of immune thrombocytopenia requiring careful management.

Toll-like receptor-4 is upregulated in plaque debris of patients with acute coronary syndrome more than Toll-like receptor-2.

Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by inflammation in the arterial wall. Atherogenesis is dependent on the innate immune response involving activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and the expression of inflammatory proteins, those may lead to acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We investigated the expression level of TLR-4 in ACS, as compared with TLR-2 and patients with stable angina.

Comparison of the reperfusion efficacy of thrombus aspiration with and without distal protection during primary percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

We evaluated a hypothesis that thrombus aspiration with distal protection is superior to simple thrombus aspiration in patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 176 consecutive patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction were enrolled in this study and assigned to either the thrombus aspiration group (A, n = 104) or the thrombus aspiration with distal protection group using a filter device system (A + DP, n = 72). We compared the angiographic reperfusion grade, left ventricular (LV) function, and clinical outcomes between the 2 groups.

Gender differences in factors influencing electrocardiographic findings of left ventricular hypertrophy in severe aortic stenosis.

We investigated gender differences in factors influencing the electrocardiographic (ECG) findings of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS). The functional and geometric responses of the left ventricle to chronic pressure overload, such as hypertension and AS, have been reported to be different between men and women. However, gender differences in the factors influencing the ECG findings of LVH in pressure overload remain unknown.

Clinical impact of coronary artery spasm in patients with no significant coronary stenosis who are experiencing acute coronary syndrome.

Background And Objective: To clarify the clinical features of coronary artery spasm (CAS) with no significant coronary stenosis in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in real practice.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational study of patients with suspected ACS (n=645) based on symptoms, electrocardiographic changes, and/or positive cardiac biomarkers and vasospastic angina (VSA, n=90). ACS patients were divided into two groups: (1) organic ACS (n=515), culprit lesion ≥75% coronary stenosis with/without thrombosis; (2) spastic ACS (n=70), coronary stenosis <75%, either with positive acetylcholine (ACh) test (n=51) or without ACh test but verified spontaneous spasm (n=19).

A case of giant left main coronary artery aneurysm in an elderly man.

Aneurysms of the left main coronary artery are rare and their optimal treatments remain unknown. A 64-year-old man without any symptoms was referred to our department for suspected coronary aneurysm. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated an aneurysm of the left main coronary artery.

Relationships between inflammatory mediators and coronary plaque composition in patients with stable angina investigated by ultrasound radiofrequency data analysis.

Inflammation has been recognized as a critical process in the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. Virtual Histology-intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS) has been reported to be a useful tool for tissue characterization of coronary atherosclerotic plaque. We investigated relationships between plaque composition and inflammation-related factors possibly contributing to atheromatous plaque formation and progression, since these are largely unknown.

Recurrence of pulmonary embolism in young man with retroperitoneal tumor despite insertion of temporary IVC filter.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a fatal disease that is very rare in young people. A 21-year-old man developed PE because of a retroperitoneal tumor. The inferior vena cava (IVC) was obstructed by the tumor, and thrombus existed in the right common iliac vein.

Lysophosphatidylcholine activates extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 through reactive oxygen species in rat vascular smooth muscle cells.

Lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) acts on vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) to produce a mitogenic response through the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2). In the present study, we examined the importance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lysoPC-stimulated ERK1/2 activation in cultured rat VSMCs. Treatment with lysoPC for 3 minutes caused a 2-fold increase in intracellular ROS that was blocked by the NADH/NADPH oxidase inhibitor, diphenylene iodonium (DPI).