Publications

Properties of ATLASGAL compact sources located in the SEDIGISM science demonstration field, and properties of molecular clouds and complexes extracted from the 13CO(2-1) data covering the same field. The extraction of clouds was performed using the SCIMES algorithm (Colombo et al., 2015MNRAS.454.2067C). (2 data files).

Objectives This study sought to investigate the effect of endothelial shear stress (ESS) on neointimal formation following an Absorb bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) (Abbott Vascular, Santa Clara, California) implantation. Background Cumulative evidence, derived from intravascular ultrasound–based studies, has demonstrated a strong association between local ESS patterns and neointimal formation in bare-metal stents, whereas in drug-eluting stents, there are contradictory data about the effect of ESS on the vessel wall healing process. The effect of ESS on neointimal development following a bioresorbable scaffold implantation remains unclear. Methods Twelve patients with an obstructive lesion in a relatively straight arterial segment, who were treated with an Absorb BVS and had serial optical coherence tomographic examination at baseline and 1-year follow-up, were included in the current analysis. The optical coherence tomographic data acquired at follow-up were used to reconstruct the scaffolded segment. Blood flow simulation was performed on the luminal surface at baseline defined by the Absorb BVS struts, and the computed ESS was related to the neointima thickness measured at 1-year follow-up. Results At baseline, the scaffolded segments were exposed to a predominantly low ESS environment (61% of the measured ESS was <1 Pa). At follow-up, the mean neointima thickness was 113 ± 45 μm, whereas the percentage scaffold volume obstruction was 13.1 ± 6.6%. A statistically significant inverse correlation was noted between baseline logarithmic transformed ESS and neointima thickness at 1-year follow-up in all studied segments (correlation coefficient range −0.140 to −0.662). Mixed linear regression analysis between baseline logarithmic transformed ESS and neointima thickness at follow-up yielded a slope of −31 μm/ln(Pa) and a y-intercept of 99 μm. Conclusions The hemodynamic microenvironment appears to regulate neointimal response following an Absorb BVS implantation. These findings underline the role of the ESS patterns on vessel wall healing and should be taken into consideration in the design of bioresorbable devices.

A previous genome-wide association study in asthma revealed putative associations that merit further investigation. In this study, the genome-wide significant associations of SNPs at the 5% false discovery rate were examined in independent groups of severe asthmatics. The panel consisted of 397 severe asthmatic adults, 116 severe asthmatic children, and a collection of 207 family-trios with an asthmatic proband. Three SNPs in the PDCD4 gene (rs6585018:G>A, rs1322997:C>A, and rs34104444:G>A) were significantly associated with severe childhood asthma (P values: 0.003, 0.002, 0.004) and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels (P values: 0.034, 0.041, 0.052). In an independent group of 234 asthmatic children and 652 controls, PDCD4 SNPs rs1407696:T>G and rs11195360:T>C were associated with total IgE levels (P values: 0.006, 0.014). In silico analysis of PDCD4 locus showed that rs6585018:G>A had the potential to affect MYB transcription factor binding, shown to act as a PDCD4-transcription inducer. Electromobility shift assays and reporter assays revealed that rs6585018:G>A alters MYB binding thereby influencing the expression of PDCD4. SNPs within MYB itself confer susceptibility to eosinophilia and asthma. Our association between a variant MYB binding site in PDCD4 and the severest form of childhood asthma therefore suggests that PDCD4 is a novel molecule of importance to asthmatic inflammatory responses.

Background: Rates of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after functionally guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of coronary bifurcation lesions have not been specifically analysed. Methods: Patients from FIESTA registry (ClinicalTrials.govNCT01724957) with stable angina, bifurcation lesions in a coronary artery with diameter ≥ 2.5 mm and ≤ 4.5 mm and SB diameter≥2.0 mm were included in the analysis. Subjects with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, left main disease, hemodynamic instability were excluded. Provisional stenting was the default strategy in all patients. Fractional flow reserve (FFR) was performed using the PrimeWire or PrimeWire Prestige (Volcano Corp., USA). Bifurcation lesion with FFR above 0.80 were deferred from PCI. Follow-up for vital status at every 3-month period was performed and rates of MACE, including cardio-vascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction and stroke, were analyzed. Results: Overall 165 patients were included, mean age was 67±10 years, 66% males, 72 (44%) had functionally significant bifurcation lesions (FSL) and 93 (56%) were with non-significant lesions (nFSL). There were no differences (FSL vs. nFSL) regarding: dyslipidemia (88% vs 96%), diabetes (44% vs. 32%), smoking (52% vs 40%), previous MI (24% vs 15%), previous PCI (54% vs 49%), atrial fibrillation (17% vs 29%), PAD (10% vs. 9%), renal failure (29% vs 31%) – all p&gt;0.05. On a median follow-up of 34±14 months there were no differences between FSL and nFSL regarding rates of cardio-vascular death -12.5% (n=9/72) vs. 7.5% (n=7/93), p=0.4, MACEs - 13.9% (n=10/72)vs 8.6 (8/93), p=0.512. On multivariate Cox-regression analysis factors associated with occurrence of MACE were: presence of cancer OR 3.692, (CI 0.955-14.269); renal failure OR 2.550, (CI 0.961-6.767) SYNTAX ≥9 OR 1.836, (CI 0.490-6.874); SB RVD ≥ 2.4mm OR 2.546, (CI 0.708-9.160); SB BARI 13.5% OR 2.013, (CI 0.652-6.211); WBC≥7OR 3.647, (CI 0.824-16.134); Platelet count ≥ 256.106/ml OR 3.814, (CI 1.220-11.925). Conclusion: Less than a half of angiographically significant coronary bifurcation lesions were functionally significant requiring stent implantation. The rates of MACE were not-significantly different in deferred and treated stenoses up to 3 years follow-up.

Objectives The purpose of this study is to assess jailing of side branches (SB) by the everolimus-eluting, bioresorbable vascular scaffold (BVS) with 3-dimensional (3D) optical coherence tomography (OCT) reconstruction. Background Because BVS struts at the SB orifice are suspected of being bioresorbed and/or forming a neointimal bridge, OCT has been used to evaluate the struts in detail at that particular site. Our understanding of the 3D relationship of the strut and the SB orifice is limited by the use of 2-dimensional OCT images. Fourier-domain OCT enables reliable 3D reconstruction of coronary vessels. Methods The ABSORB Cohort B (A Clinical Evaluation of the Bioabsorbable Everolimus Eluting Coronary Stent System in the Treatment of Patients With de Novo Native Coronary Artery Lesions) trial is a multicenter single-arm trial to assess the safety and performance of the BVS. Fourier-domain OCT pullbacks (C7-XR system, LightLab Imaging Inc., Westford, Massachusetts) are obtained at pullback speed of 20 mm/s and 3D renderings are performed. The orifices of the SB are assessed visually. The area of SB orifice and the number of strut-free compartments delineated by the BVS struts are evaluated. Results Fifty-one OCT pullbacks were acquired: 33 pullbacks were imaged with Fourier-domain OCT and 27 treated segments had 46 side branches. Three-dimensional assessment was feasible in 87% (40 of 46) of pullbacks. The mean area of the SB orifice was 1.16 ± 1.02 mm2. The mean number of strut-free compartments was 2.0 ± 1.1. The classification of the overhanging struts is proposed. Conclusions This study demonstrates that 3D OCT reconstruction is feasible to evaluate the orifices of SB jailed with BVS. (ABSORB Clinical Investigation, Cohort B; NCT00856856)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by progressive airflow obstruction and a neutrophilic inflammation. Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) may be a marker of disease activity in a variety of lung diseases. We measured exhaled NO in patients with documented COPD and investigated whether the concentration of exhaled NO is related to the severity of disease as defined by lung function. We also investigated whether concentration of exhaled NO was different in COPD patients who received inhaled steroids compared with steroid-naı̈ve patients. We studied 13 current smokers with COPD, eight exsmokers with COPD, 12 patients with unstable COPD (exacerbation or severe disease), and 10 smokers with chronic bronchitis without airflow limitation. Exhaled NO levels were significantly higher in patients with unstable COPD (12.7 ± 1.5 ppb) than in other groups (p < 0.01). Exhaled NO levels were significantly higher in smokers with COPD than in smokers with chronic bronchitis (4.3 ± 0.5 versus 2.5 ± 0.5 ppb, p < 0.05), and were even higher in patients with COPD who had stopped smoking (6.3 ± 0.6 ppb, p < 0.01). Exhaled NO levels showed a significant negative correlation with their lung function assessed by % predicted FEV1 values (r = − 0.6, p < 0.001). Exhaled NO levels in patients treated with inhaled steroids were significantly higher compared with steroid-naı̈ve patients (8.2 ± 1.2 ppb versus 5 ± 0.4 ppb, p < 0.05), but the first group included more severe patients as assessed by lung function. We conclude that exhaled NO could serve as a useful, practical marker for monitoring disease activity in COPD.

At least two developmental responses necessary to prepare the fetal lung to serve as a gas-exchange organ, the release of surface-active material and the reabsorption of alveolar water, can be stimulated by beta-adrenergic agonists. The sensitivity of these responses increases dramatically in late gestation. beta-Adrenergic receptors can be identified by radioligand binding and are present in human fetal lung as early as 16 weeks of gestation. The temporal relationship of the increases in both pulmonary beta-receptors and plasma-free cortisol in the fetal rabbit during gestation suggests that endogenous glucocorticoids may cause increased concentration of pulmonary beta-receptors. Treatment of pregnant rabbits at 24 or 25 days of gestation results in precocious increases in both fetal lung beta-receptors and agonist-specific, high-affinity binding. The increase in receptor concentration with glucocorticoid is not dependent on other endocrine response inasmuch as 0.1 microM dexamethasone increases beta-receptor concentrations at 24 and 48 hours of incubation in cultures of fetal rabbit lung organ. This effect of glucocorticoid to increase beta-receptor concentration and high-affinity binding may explain the increased fetal pulmonary beta-adrenergic response at term and may be responsible in part for the reduction in neonatal respiratory syndrome seen after antenatal glucocorticoid therapy.

No abstract is provided for this article.

No abstract is provided for this article.