ABSTRACT
Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is involved in the repair of various tissues.As a key transcription factor in IL-6 pathway, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) is required for heart protection.By inducing STAT3 activation, IL-6 signaling pathway could repair the cardiac damage in the healing process of many kinds of heart diseases, including cardiac injury, myocarditis and heart failure.Therefore, researches on the effect of IL-6/STAT3 pathway on heart repair has potential therapeutic implications for heart diseases.
ABSTRACT
Non-compaction of ventricular myocardium (NVM),a rare congenital and inherited cardiomyopathy,is characterized by prominent trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses in communication with the ventricular cavity.NVM has diverse clinical presentations without specificity,of which the major characteristics are cardiac insufficiency,arrhythmias and thrombosis.Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging are necessary technologies to diagnose NVM.Symptomatic therapy is the only choice for most patients.Furthermore,if medical treatment fails,the heart transplantation could be performed.As a whole,NVM has a high mortality and entirely different prognosis,however,the prognosis of asymptomatic patients is relatively good.
ABSTRACT
Non-compaction of ventricular myocardium (NVM), a rare congenital and inherited cardiomyopathy, is characterized by prominent trabeculations and deep intertrabecular recesses in communication with the ventricular cavity.NVM has diverse clinical presentations without specificity, of which the major characteristics are cardiac insufficiency, arrhythmias and thrombosis.Echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging are necessary technologies to diagnose NVM.Symptomatic therapy is the only choice for most patients.Furthermore, if medical treatment fails, the heart transplantation could be performed.As a whole, NVM has a high mortality and entirely different prognosis, however, the prognosis of asymptomatic patients is relatively good.
ABSTRACT
Toll - like receptors represents the first line of defense against foreign pathogens and play an essen-tial role in the innate immune response. Toll - like receptor 9(TLR9)is a major receptor mediating CpG DNA signal transduction,which can not only resist inflammation but also induce inflammatory damage. Studies show that the activa-tion of TLR9 which mediated by endogenous nucleic acid released during viral myocarditis (VMC)can cause the heart damage and be involved in the process of VMC. Further study on the role of TLR9 signal in VMC will provide a theoreti-cal foundation for further revealing the pathogenesis of VMC and seeking effective treatment.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the ECG features in children with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and related factors for the occurrence of arrhythmia secondary to DCM.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Data from 68 children with DCM from January 1998 to March 2011 were studied. The children were classified into three groups: severe arrhythmia (n=42), non-severe arrhythmia (n=20) and non-arrhythmia (n=6). Left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVED), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Abnormal ECG results were found in all of the 68 children with DCM. Sinus tachycardia (91%) and ectopic pulsatile (86%) were common. LVED in the severe arrhythmia group (74±6 mm) was greater than that in the non-severe arrhythmia group (65±4 mm; P<0.05) and non-arrhythmia group (61±3 mm; P<0.05). LVED in the non-severe arrhythmia group was also greater than that in the non-arrhythmia group (P<0.05). LVEF and LVFS in the severe arrhythmia group were (30±11)% and (22±4)%, respectively, which were lower than those in the non-severe arrhythmia group［(37±12)% and (28±5)%, respectively］and non-arrhythmia group［(45±9)% and (34±7)%, respectively］(P<0.05). There were also significant differences in the LVEF and LVFS between the non-severe arrhythmia and non-arrhythmia groups (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The common abnormal ECG findings are sinus tachycardia and ectopic pulsatile in children with DCM. Arrhythmia is one of the main clinical manifestations of DCM. The occurrence of arrhythmia is associated with the left ventricular size and heart function.</p>