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Additional file 1: Table S1. Spearman correlation analysis between log furin and covariates.

Additional file 2. Questionnaire on cardiovascular risk factors of female physicians.

Additional file 1. The 52 participating centers of this study.

Background Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has recently been acknowledged as an unconventional risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and characterized by poor prognosis, which may be due to atherosclerotic plaque characteristics. We conducted this study to observe coronary plaque characteristics in coronary artery disease patients with concomitant SCH. Methods Patients with coronary artery disease were enrolled in the study and divided into an SCH group (patients, n = 26; plaques, n = 35) and a non-SCH group (patients, n = 52; plaques, n = 66). They were divided 1: 2 according to propensity-matched analysis including age, diabetes mellitus, gender, CAD severity and culprit vessel. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging was performed on all patients, and images were analyzed by two independent investigators. Lipid-rich plaques (LRP), the precursor of vulnerable plaques, were defined as having more than one quadrant occupied with lipid pool. Maximum lipid arcs were simultaneously recorded. Fibrotic plaques and calcific plaques were also identified. The presence of coronary dissection, plaque erosion, thrombus, macrophage, calcific nodule, thin-cap fibroatheroma and micro channel were all noted. Results The ratio of LRP in SCH group was significantly higher than that in non-SCH group (54% vs. 30.3%, P = 0.037). That was the case as well for the maximum lipid arcs value (181.5° ± 61.6° vs. 142.1° ± 35.9°, P = 0.046). While thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) was detected, no difference was identified between the two groups in either TCFA ratio (20% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.579) or fibrous cap thickness (57.5 ± 14.0 vs. 63.5 ± 10.7 µm, P = 0.319). Other OCT characteristics such as dissection, plaque erosion, thrombus, macrophage shadow and calcific nodule were also similar. Conclusion Higher ratio of LRP with greater lipid arc in SCH patients may be related to the plaque instability and poor prognosis in CAD patients with SCH.

The coronary artery calcification score and pericardial fat volume have recently been reported to be strongly associated with the severity and presence of coronary atherosclerosis. However, no studies have explored the outcome of phased progression of atherosclerosis by non-contrast computed tomography in asymptomatic people in China. The population-based cohort study in outcome of phased progression of atherosclerosis in China (PERSUADE), an observational, longitudinal and prospective cohort study in a target population of healthy subjects based in Jidong Oilfield (China), prospectively analyzes the outcome of phased progression of atherosclerosis by non-contrast computed tomography in healthy population. The results of this study are expected to be of value for utilizing noninvasive imaging combine with traditional cardiovascular risk factors to create a risk stratification and find pertinent biomarkers associated with the outcome of phased progression of atherosclerosis in healthy people, thereby could help to establish a more personalized treatment of clinical practice.

Background The vasovagal reflex syndrome (VVRS) is common in the patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, prediction and prevention of the risk for the VVRS have not been completely fulfilled. This study was conducted to develop a Risk Prediction Score Model to identify the determinants of VVRS in a large Chinese population cohort receiving PCI. Methods From the hospital electronic medical database, we identified 3550 patients who received PCI (78.0% males, mean age 60 years) in Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 1, 2000 to August 30, 2016. The multivariate analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were performed. Results The adverse events of VVRS in the patients were significantly increased after PCI procedure than before the operation (all P< 0.001). The rate of VVRS [95% confidence interval (CI)] in patients receiving PCI was 4.5% (4.1%–5.6%). Compared to the patients suffering no VVRS, incidence of VVRS involved the following factors, namely female gender, primary PCI, hypertension, over two stents implantation in the left anterior descending (LAD), and the femoral puncture site. The multivariate analysis suggested that they were independent risk factors for predicting the incidence of VVRS (all P < 0.001). We developed a risk prediction score model for VVRS. ROC analysis showed that the risk prediction score model was effectively predictive of the incidence of VVRS in patients receiving PCI (c-statistic 0.76, 95% CI: 0.72–0.79, P < 0.001). There were decreased events of VVRS in the patients receiving PCI whose diastolic blood pressure dropped by more than 30 mmHg and heart rate reduced by 10 times per minute (AUC: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.81–0.87, P < 0.001). Conclusion The risk prediction score is quite efficient in predicting the incidence of VVRS in patients receiving PCI. In which, the following factors may be involved, the femoral puncture site, female gender, hypertension, primary PCI, and over 2 stents implanted in LAD.

Background Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is significantly associated with the formation and composition of coronary atherosclerotic plaque, cardiac events and the clinical prognosis of coronary heart disease. But, whether increased EAT deposition may affect the incidence of in-stent restenosis (ISR) is currently unclear. This study used coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as a mean to investigate whether increased EAT volume was associated with ISR. Methods A total of 364 patients who underwent 64-slice CCTA examination for the evaluation of suspected coronary artery disease, and subsequently underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the first time, and then accepted coronary angiography (CA) follow-up for ISR examination in one year, were retrospectively included in this study. EAT volume was measured by CCTA examination. CA follow-up was obtained between 9 and 15 months. ISR was defined as ≥ 50% luminal diameter narrowing of the stent segment or peri-stent segment. EAT volume was compared between patients with and without ISR and additional well-known predictors of ISR were compared. Results EAT volume was significantly increased in patients with ISR compared with those without ISR (154.5 ± 74.6 mL vs. 131.0 ± 52.2 mL, P < 0.001). The relation between ISR and EAT volume remained significant after adjustment for conventional cardiovascular risk factors and angiographic parameters. Conclusions EAT volume was related with ISR and may provide additional information for future ISR.

In recent decades, the outcomes of coronary heart disease (CHD) have markedly improved, which can be partly attributed to the use of novel drugs (especially statins and antiplatelet drugs) and partly to the evolution of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). From percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty to bare-metal stent and then to drug-eluting stent, every step of PCI is attractive to interventional cardiologist, great progress has been made for patients with CHD. In the past few years, some successor devices for treating CHD have emerged. Undoubtedly, drug-coated balloon (DCB), which was recommended by 2014 ESC Guidelines on myocardial revascularization, is a "shining star" among them. DCB involves a semi-compliant angioplasty balloon coated with an anti-proliferative agent that can exert antirestenotic efficacy by permeating into the vessel wall during balloon contact. This review discusses the conception and merits, preclinical data, emerging clinical indications, and results from clinical trials of this novel interventional technology. Although DCB has shown authentic efficacy in the treatment of in-stent restenosis, its use in de novo coronary lesions is still in dispute. Hence, concerns and the future direction of DCB are also covered in this paper.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients experience complications after surgery. We studied oxidative stress scavenging by porous Se@SiO

PCR primers used in this study. Table S2. Synthesized oligonucleotides in this study. (DOCX 17 kb)