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Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a pathological condition resulting from atherosclerosis in the coronary arteries. IL17A has been shown to recruit and activate macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions, thereby participating in plaque destabilization. Currently, whether OLR1 and IL17A variants are involved in the pathogenesis of CAD is unclear. This case-control study aimed to investigate their roles in CAD etiology and prognosis.

Although most patients with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) undergo radical repair during infancy and childhood, patients remaining undiagnosed and untreated until adulthood can still be treated. These patients have either a previous palliative or natural collateral circulation to the lung or a mild form of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction. The aim of this study is to analyze the perioperative and long-term results of radical corrective procedures in patients who reached adult ages. Two hundred and seven patients with TOF underwent complete correction between 1985—and 2002, 64 (30.9%) of whom were aged 14 years or more. The mean age at corrective repair for this group was 20.6± 7.5 years (range 14 to 49 years). Only two patients had previous modified Blalock-Taussig shunts. In 44 patients (68.7%) besides infundibular resection, a transannular gluteraldehyde-treated pericardial patch was used to reconstruct right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). Only infundibular patching was used in 15 patients (23.4%) and infundibular muscular resection with primary closure of right ventricle was performed in five patients (7.8%). Hospital mortality was 3.1% with two patients. Four patients (6.2%) underwent reoperation because of recurrent ventricular septal defect (VSD) with/without residual obstruction or pulmonary regurgitation. All survivors were in NYHA class I (42) or II (17). Late mortality was recorded in two patients and 16-year actuarial survival was 89.2%± 4.9%. The significant negative predictors of late survival determined by univariate analysis were reoperation<0.018) and associated cardiac anomalies<0.011). Multivariate analysis showed that there was no negative predictor of late-term mortality. Corrective procedures in adult patients with TOF can be performed successfully compared to patients who underwent operation during infancy and childhood.(J Card Surg 2005;20:119-123) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photographs from a computed tomography and intraoperative views showing a posterior vascular tunnel with left aortic sinus and right atrium openings of a 31-year old female patient are presented.

We report the 5th case of pericardial cyst found to originate from epicardium. A 30- year-old woman with a history of rheumatic fever underwent open-heart surgery for severe aortic and mitral insufficiency. A cyst located over the left anterior descending coronary artery was detected during surgery. Excision of the cyst was performed with the patient on cardiopulmonary bypass, to avoid injury to the artery. Histologic examination showed the cyst to be lined by a single layer of benign mesothelial cells, which was consistent with a diagnosis of epicardial mesothelial cyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helicobacter pylori is thought to be related to atherosclerosis and aneurysm development. We aimed to detect virulance factors of H. pylori and examine the potential etiopathogenetic relationship between aortic aneurysm and H. pylori, 58 abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and 38 ascending aortic aneurysm (AsAA) cases and 57 Healty control group (HCG) were included. We investigated H. pylori IgG by ELISA and virulance factors by Western-Blot (WB) method. No difference was found between AAA (67.24%), AsAA (73.68%) and HCG (57.89%) for H. pylori IgG (p > 0.05). A significant difference was found between AsAA (78.95%) and HCG (57.89%) for H.pylori IgG (p < 0.05) by ELISA and a significant difference was found only between AsAA (100%) and HCG (37.5%) for H. pylori IgG in the 45-55 age group by WB. A statistically significant difference was found between AAA and AsAA for VacA and CagA + VacA and CagA + VacA + UreA antigens and also a significant difference was found between AsAA and HCG for CagA + UreA antigens (p < 0.05). Finally, we suggest that H. pylori VacA has a more important role than CagA in the development of two aneurysms especially in ruptured AAA. New extended studies detecting H. pylori DNA are needed to detect the aetiopathogenesis between aneurysm types and H. pylori.

A discrete subaortic membrane is an uncommon cause of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction in patients of advanced age. Here, a significant LVOT obstruction caused by a discrete membrane is reported in a 64-year-old woman. On echocardiographic examination the membrane had a cystic appearance. To the present authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of a cystic subaortic membrane.

Background: The use of an intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) catheter was retrospectively evaluated in terms of risk factors, insertion techniques, and complications in patients with low cardiac output., Methods: A total of 1036 patients (804 males, 232 females; mean age 53.4 years; range 16 to 75 years) received IABP support from 1985 to March 2002. Of these, 789 patients (76.1%) underwent open heart surgery, 247 patients (23.8%) developed low cardiac output during medical treatment. Insertion of IABP was performed via the femoral artery either percutaneously by the Seldinger technique in 897 patients (86.6%), or by direct surgical exposure in 88 patients (8.5%). Open surgical IABP insertion was performed through an 8 mm Dacron graft placed with an end-to-side anastomosis to the common femoral artery (88 patients) or to the ascending aorta (23 patients)., Results: The overall mortality rate was 35.1% (364 patients). Vascular complications were associated with IABP in 104 patients (10%), of which 57 patients (5.5%) required surgical treatment. Major complications were aortic arch dissection in two patients and paraplegia in two patients. Vascular complications tended to increase with female gender, older age, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease. The mean duration of IABP support in the presence of vascular complications was 7.8 days (range 5 hours to 77 days)., Conclusion: Application of unsheathed IABP and proper evaluation of peripheral circulation seem to decrease the incidence of vascular complications.