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@#Objective To analyze the assessment and maintenance of 125 donor hearts from brain death donation and explore the use of marginal donor hearts. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the evaluation, maintenance, operation and follow-up results of 125 donor hearts from April 2016 to August 2019. There were 98 males and 27 females at age of 6-50 (36.0±2.4) years. Results Twelve donor hearts were discarded due to unqualified evaluation after heart harvest. 113 patients of heart transplantation were performed with a double lumen venous anastomosis manner. The mean time of cold ischemia was 220.1±6.7 min. Four patients died within 30 days after operation. Postoperative right ventricular assist circulation was performed in 4 patients, intra-aortic balloon counterattack (IABP) in 12 patients and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in 12 patients. Marginal donors included 15 hepatitis B antigen positive donor hearts, 2 tricuspid regurgitation, 1 mitral regurgitation, 5 coronary calcification, 4 myocardial stunning and 2 severe weight mismatch. The results of follow-up (2 years) after marginal donor heart transplantation were satisfactory. Conclusion Improving the assessment and maintenance of donor hearts can improve the utilization rate of the heart, and the marginal donor heart transplantation needs long-term follow-up.
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<p><b>Objective</b>Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is thought to be a controlled metabolic process that is very similar to the formation of new bone. In patients with chronic renal failure (CRF), CAC is very common, and CAC severity correlates with the deterioration of renal function. We summarized the current understanding and emerging findings of the relationship between CAC and CRF.</p><p><b>Data Sources</b>All studies were identified by systematically searching PubMed, Embase, and CNKI databases for the terms "coronary calcification", "chronic renal failure", "vascular smooth muscle cell", and their synonyms until September 2017.</p><p><b>Study Selection</b>We examined the titles and abstracts of all studies that met our search strategy thoroughly. The full text of relevant studies was evaluated. Reference lists of retrieved articles were also scrutinized for the additional relevant studies.</p><p><b>Results</b>CRF can accelerate CAC progression. CRF increases the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, electrolyte imbalance (e.g., of calcium, phosphorus), parathyroid hormone, and uremic toxins and their ability to promote calcification. These factors, through the relevant signaling pathways, trigger vascular smooth muscle cells to transform into osteoblast-like cells while inhibiting the reduction of vascular calcification factors, thus inducing further CAC.</p><p><b>Conclusions</b>Coronary heart disease in patients with CRF is due to multiple factors. Understanding the mechanism of CAC can help interventionists to protect the myocardium and reduce the prevalence of coronary heart disease and mortality.</p>
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Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is associated with atherosclerotic complications. However, elevated CAC may not always imply a worse prognosis. Herein, we report the clinical evolution of long-term red wine (RW) drinkers in relation to CAC. We followed 200 healthy male habitual RW drinkers and compared them to 154 abstainers for a period of 5.5 years. The initial evaluation included coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), clinical, demographics, and laboratory data. CAC was quantified by the Agatston score. The follow-up process was conducted by telephone calls and/or hospital record review. The composite end-point of total death, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), or coronary revascularization (or major adverse cardiac event - MACE) was assessed. The RW drinkers ingested 28.9±15 g of alcohol/day for 23.4±12.3 years. They had higher high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein, but lower C-reactive protein than abstainers. Age, total cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and liver enzymes were similar. History of diabetes was lower among drinkers, but other risk factors were similar. However, drinkers had higher CAC than abstainers; the mean value was 131.5±362 in drinkers vs 40.5±320 in abstainers (P<0.001). The median and interquartile range were 15 (0.0-131.5) in RW drinkers and 1 (0.0-40.5) in abstainers (P=0.003). During the follow-up, MACE was significantly lower in drinkers than in abstainers, despite their higher CAC. The difference was driven mainly by AMI (0 vs 6; P<0.03). Greater CAC values in this setting did not predict worse prognosis. A possible underlying mechanism is lesion calcification, which leads to plaque stabilization and less clinical events.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Aged , Wine , Coronary Artery Disease/prevention & control , Alcohol Drinking , Vascular Calcification/prevention & control , Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging , Vascular Calcification/diagnostic imaging , Computed Tomography AngiographyABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the significance of coronary calcification and stenosis in elderly hypertensive patients by 16-row multi-sliced computed tomography (MSCT) and its association with peripheral arterial atherosclerosis and other target organ damages. Methods Sixty-four patients with hypertension (n=50) 76.1?6.5 years and normotensions (n=14) 73.4?6.8 years were enrolled. All patients underwent coronary calcification scan by MSCT and the coronary calcification score(CCS) was calculated as AJ130 and Volume. Fourty-four patients in the hypertensive group were subjected to MSCT enhanced scan for evaluation of coronary stenosis. Intima media thickness (IMT), atherosclerotic and calcified plaques in carotid and femoral arteries and ankle-brachial index (ABI) carotid and femoral arteries were measured by echosonography and echocardiography; Fasting plasma blood glucose, blood lipid series, insulin, HOMA-IR, hsCRP and morning urine albumin were determined. Results (1) Both AJ130 and Volume of left anterior descending artery(LAD), left circumflex artery(LCX) and the total calcification score were higher in the hypertensive group than those in the control group (P
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The authors investigated the relationship between anger and the calcification of the coronary artery in individuals with and without risk factors for coronary artery disease in Korea. Sixty-one subjects with risk factors of coronary artery disease and 31 subjects without risk factors were enrolled in this study. Electron Beam Computed Tomography was used to measure the calcium level of coronary artery. The anger expression scale was used to measure the anger levels. The anxiety, depression, hostility, and somatization subscales of the symptom checklist-90-revised (SCL-90-R) and the global assessment of recent stress (GARS) scale were used to assess the psychopathology and perceived stress. The logistic regression analysis results showed that only the anger-total score was significantly associated with the coronary calcification regardless of the risk factors. These results suggest that anger plays an important role in the calcification of the coronary artery.
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Anger , Calcinosis/etiology , Coronary Artery Disease/etiology , Lipids/blood , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Objective To identify a subset of patients with high probability of extensive calcification for further intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)examination.Methods The incidence,extent and distribution of calcification in stenosis site assessed with IVUS and its correlation with age,gender and coronary risk factors were analyzed in 88 patients undergoing balloon angioplasty. Results ①The incidence of calcification in stenosis site was 38.6%,52.9% of which showed a superficial pattern and only 4.5% had extensive calcification0.②Age was the most influencing factor of calcification,and the incidence of calcification was remarkarbly higher in patinents≥60 years old than in those <60 years old(61.9% vs 17.4%,P<0.001).③Among patients <60 years old,patients with calcification had a higher score of risk factors than those without calcification,suggesting that the risk factors play an important role in calcification in these patients <60 years old.Conclusions This study indicates that pre-intervention IVUS examination may be necessary in patients≥60 years old and in those<60 years old but with more than two risk factors.