Dilated left atrium and pulmonary veins in patients with calcified coronary artery: a potential contributor to the genesis of atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an important etiology of atrial fibrillation (AF). Coronary artery calcification is a marker of coronary atherosclerosis and coronary events. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether larger left atrium (LA) and pulmonary veins (PVs) were seen by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) scans in those patients with higher coronary calcium scores.

Fluvastatin reduces pulmonary vein spontaneous activity through nitric oxide pathway.

Introduction: Pulmonary veins (PVs) are the most important focus for the generation of atrial fibrillation. The HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) can reduce the occurrence of atrial fibrillation. The purposes of this study were to evaluate whether statins may inhibit the PV arrhythmogenic activity to prevent atrial arrhythmias from PVs and to investigate the link between fluvastatin, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity, mechanical activity, and electrical activity.

Increased Ca(2+) sparks and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) stores potentially determine the spontaneous activity of pulmonary vein cardiomyocytes.

Pulmonary veins (PVs) contain cardiomyocytes with spontaneous activity that may be responsible for PV arrhythmia. Abnormal Ca(2+) regulation is known to contribute to PV arrhythmogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether PV cardiomyocytes with spontaneous activity have different intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) transients, Ca(2+) sparks and responses to isoproterenol and ryanodine receptor modulators (magnesium and FK506) than do PV cardiomyocytes without spontaneous activity and left atrial (LA) cardiomyocytes.

Coronary calcium score from multislice computed tomography correlates with QT dispersion and left ventricular wall thickness.

Coronary calcium score is a marker of coronary atherosclerosis and is an important factor of cardiac events. Ventricular hypertrophy and QT dispersion increase the risk of cardiac events. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether coronary calcium score may be related to the changes of QT, QT dispersion, heart chamber size, and wall thickness.

The important role of pulmonary vein carina ablation as an adjunct to circumferential pulmonary vein isolation.

Objectives And Background: The success rate of achieving electrical isolation by circumferential pulmonary vein ablation (CPVA) varies from 32% to 88%. We carried out ablation at the pulmonary vein carina to evaluate the elimination rates of the pulmonary vein potentials (PVPs) after one round of CPVA had failed to eliminate all the PVPs in the patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Ninety-seven patients (75 males; mean age: 50 +/- 12 years; 15 with persistent AF and 82 with paroxysmal AF) who underwent catheter ablation were analyzed.

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for bilateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Objective: To review our experience of the treatment of bilateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Materials And Methods: Retrospective chart review was followed by an on-clinic or telephone interview. Patients were cared for by one thoracic surgeon in four medical centers or community hospitals in Northern and Central Taiwan.

Frequency analysis of the fibrillatory activity from surface ECG lead V1 and intracardiac recordings: implications for mapping of AF.

Aims: Fibrillatory waves observed in the surface electrograms may be a direct reflection of the electrophysiologic mechanism of the atrial fibrillation (AF). This study compared the fibrillatory waves in the surface ECG and the individual intracardiac mapping sites in different types of paroxysmal AF.

Methods And Results: Thirty patients with paroxysmal AF originating from the pulmonary veins (PVs) or superior vena cava (SVC) were enrolled.

Consistency of complex fractionated atrial electrograms during atrial fibrillation.

Background: Temporal variation in complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAEs) exists during atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objective: This study sought to quantify the variation in CFAEs using a fractionation interval (FI) algorithm and to define the shortest optimal recording duration required to consistently characterize the magnitude of the fractionation.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients undergoing AF mapping in the left atrium were studied.

Actual dose variation of parotid glands and spinal cord for nasopharyngeal cancer patients during radiotherapy.

Purpose: For intensity-modulated radiotherapy of nasopharyngeal cancer, accurate dose delivery is crucial to the success of treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the significance of daily image-guided patient setup corrections and to quantify the parotid gland volume and dose variations for nasopharyngeal cancer patients using helical tomotherapy megavoltage computed tomography (CT).

Methods And Materials: Five nasopharyngeal cancer patients who underwent helical tomotherapy were selected retrospectively.

Aging dilates atrium and pulmonary veins: implications for the genesis of atrial fibrillation.

Background: Aging plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF). The left atrium (LA) and pulmonary veins (PVs) are essential components for the genesis and maintenance of AF. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aging on the AF substrate and the initiator (PVs).

Impairment of the atrial substrates by chronic cigarette smoking in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Background: Smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The impact of smoking on the right and left atrial substrates is unknown.

Methods: This study included 88 patients (age 50 +/- 13 years, M/F = 71/17) who underwent four pulmonary veins isolation (PVI) for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF).

Electrophysiological characteristics and catheter ablation in patients with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is often associated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the relationship between PSVT and AF is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics in patients with PSVT and AF, and to demonstrate the origin of the AF before the radiofrequency (RF) ablation of AF.

Thoracic vein arrhythmias.

The thoracic veins are important foci for the genesis of ectopic atrial tachycardia and play a critical role in the pathophysiology of paroxysmal and permanent atrial fibrillation. The pulmonary veins have the highest arrhythmogenic activity and other venous structures (eg, superior vena cava, coronary sinus and ligament of Marshall) have also been shown arrhythmogenic potential. Thoracic veins contain cardiomyocytes with distinct electrical activities and complex anatomical structures.

Characteristics and outcome in patients receiving multiple (more than two) catheter ablation procedures for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

Background: The features of multiple catheter ablation procedures for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) are unknown. We aimed to investigate the electrophysiologic characteristics and the clinical outcomes in the patients with AF who received more than two ablation procedures.

Methods: The study consisted of 15 consecutive patients (age 48 +/- 14 years, 10 males) who had undergone three to five (3.

Improved survival with adjuvant external-beam radiation therapy in lymph node-negative pancreatic cancer: a United States population-based assessment.

Background: Although chemoradiation often is administered as an adjuvant to pancreatic cancer surgery, recent reports have disputed the benefit of radiation therapy. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of adjuvant radiation therapy in patients with locally confined, lymph node-negative (N0) pancreatic cancer.

Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry was used to identify patients who had undergone cancer-directed surgery for N0 pancreatic adenocarcinoma between 1988 and 2003.

Aging increases pulmonary veins arrhythmogenesis and susceptibility to calcium regulation agents.

Background: Aging and pulmonary veins (PVs) play a critical role in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation. Abnormal Ca(2+) regulation and ryanodine receptors are known to contribute to PV arrhythmogenesis.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether aging alters PV electrophysiology, Ca(2+) regulation proteins, and responses to rapamycin, FK-506, ryanodine, and ouabain.

The role of left atrial muscular bundles in catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation.

Objectives: We sought to investigate the imaging of the left atrial (LA) muscular bundle and the relationship between the bundle and inducibility of tachyarrhythmia after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).

Background: Noninducibility is used as a clinical end point of atrial substrate ablation after PVI. However, little is known about the role of the LA muscular bundles in tachyarrhythmia after PVI.

Biatrial substrate properties in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: The atrial substrate plays an important role in the maintenance of atrial fibrillation (AF). Further investigation of the biatrial substrate may be helpful for understanding the mechanism of AF. The aim of this study was to investigate the properties of right and left atrial (RA and LA) substrate in AF patients and their impact on the catheter ablation.

Helical tomotherapy for radiotherapy in esophageal cancer: a preferred plan with better conformal target coverage and more homogeneous dose distribution.

We compare different radiotherapy techniques-helical tomotherapy (tomotherapy), step-and-shoot IMRT (IMRT), and 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT)-for patients with mid-distal esophageal carcinoma on the basis of dosimetric analysis. Six patients with locally advanced mid-distal esophageal carcinoma were treated with neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery. Radiotherapy included 50 Gy to gross planning target volume (PTV) and 45 Gy to elective PTV in 25 fractions.

Calmodulin kinase II inhibition prevents arrhythmic activity induced by alpha and beta adrenergic agonists in rabbit pulmonary veins.

The autonomic nervous system and calcium regulation play important roles in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation. Calmodulin regulates the calcium homeostasis and may mediate the proarrhythmic effects of autonomic nervous agents. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of beta- and alpha-adrenoceptor agonists on the pulmonary vein electrical activity and evaluate whether calmodulin kinase II inhibitors may change the effects of the adrenoceptor agonists on the pulmonary vein arrhythmogenesis.

Effect of a selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, celecoxib, on the reproductive function of female mice.

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine if long-term use of a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor affects fertility or ovulation in female mice.

Methods: Twenty-four female mice, 25 days of age, were given a selective COX-2 inhibitor: 3 mg/kg celecoxib (n = 8), 5 mg/kg celecoxib (n = 8),or placebo (n = 8) in a random fashion. Eight female mice, 10-11 weeks old, given 3 mg/kg celecoxib (n = 4) or placebo (n = 4) were subjected to continuous mating studies.