Search

Various studies have been conducted to evaluate the role of antiretroviral therapy in the onset of cardiovascular risk among HIV-1-infected patients, while fewer data are available regarding antiretroviral-naïve patients. Our objective was to evaluate the cardiovascular risk among naïve subjects examining traditional risk factors, immunovirologic parameters, assessing the Framingham risk score (FRS), and detecting the presence of subclinical carotid lesions by means of color Doppler ultrasonography. One hundred seventy-two antiretroviral-naïve patients underwent color Doppler ultrasonography. An intima-media thickness (IMT) greater than 0.9 mm and/or atherosclerotic plaques were considered pathologic findings. Demographic, immunovirologic data, and risk factors for cardiovascular disease were collected. The 10-year probability of acute coronary events was assessed by the FRS. The statistical analysis was performed using t test and chi(2), Fisher's test, and conditional multiple logistic. Thirty-six patients (20.9%) had lesions at ultrasonographic investigation. The presence of lesions was significantly related to male gender (p = 0.005), age (p = 0.003), sedentary life (p = 0.05), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) group C or CD4(+) less than 150 cells/mm(3), and viral load (VL) > 100,000 copies per milliliter (p = 0.04). The presence of subclinical carotid lesions showed a highly significant direct association with the estimated FRS (p < 0.002). The presence of subclinical atheromasic lesion results was also high among antiretroviral-naïve patients. FRS is highly predictive of the lesions, but also an advanced stage of disease plays a significant role. Our data support the hypothesis that HIV infection per se is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. We recommend an ultrasonographic assessment both among patients with FRS 6% or more and among those in advanced stage of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two experiments were performed to identify and compare the Basic Color Terms (BCTs) and the Basic Color Categories (BCCs) included in three dialects (Castilian, Mexican, and Uruguayan) of the Spanish language. Monolexemic Elicited lists were used in the first experiment to identify the BCTs of each dialect. Eleven BCTs appeared for the Spanish and the Mexican, and twelve did so for the Uruguayan. The six primary BCTs ( rojo "red," verde "green," amarillo "yellow," azul "blue," negro "black," and blanco "white") appeared in the three dialects. This occurred for only three derived BCTs ( gris "gray," naranja "orange," and rosa "pink") but not for the other five derived BCTs ( celeste "sky blue," marrón "brown," café "brown," morado "purple," and violeta "purple"). Color transitions were used in the second experiment for two different tasks. Extremes naming task was used to determine the relation between two different dialects' BCTs: equality, equivalence or difference. The results provided the first evidence for marrón "brown" and café "brown" being equivalent terms for the same BCC (brown in English) as is the case of morado "purple" and violeta "purple." Uruguayan celeste "sky blue" had no equivalent BCT in the other two dialects. Boundary delimitation task required the selection of the color in the boundary between two categories. The task was used to reasonably estimate the volume occupied by each BCC in the color space considering its chromatic area and lightness range. Excluding sky blue ( celeste "sky blue") and blue ( azul "blue"), the other BCCs color volumes were similar across the three dialects. Uruguayan sky blue and blue volumes conjointly occupied the portion of the color space corresponding to the Castilian and Mexican blue BCC. The fact that the BCT celeste "sky blue" only appeared in Uruguayan very probably derived from specific cultural factors (the use of the color in the flags and the arrival of an important number of Italian immigrants). Nevertheless, these cultural factors seem to nurture from a perceptive structuring of the color space, which nature is universal, as the boundaries of this category can be delimited from the responses of Spanish and Mexican participants.

Aim: To evaluate, in human immunodeficiency virus-hepatitis C virus co-infected patients, the impact of C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) antagonist maraviroc-based antiretroviral therapy on the carotid intima media thickness and on atheromasic plaques., Patients and Methods: In this pilot prospective study, 12 HIV-HCV co-infected patients underwent color-Doppler ultrasonography before and 48 weeks after switching to a dual therapy based on maraviroc plus protease inhibitors boosted with ritonavir. Changes of intima media thickness, inflammatory and endothelial adhesion biomarkers levels, Veterans Aging Cohort Study index and Framingham risk score were evaluated., Results: At baseline 11 (91.6%) patients showed pathological ultrasonographic findings. After 48 weeks, two patients showed an amelioration of intima media thickness. Of the remaining patients with plaques, four showed a reduction of the previously diagnosed plaque; no patients worsened., Conclusion: Our data suggest that CCR5 inhibition could reduce the development of atherosclerosis especially in the non-calcific stage and could play an important role in the blockade of atheromasic plaque progression., (Copyright© 2017, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Recent studies have reported an intricate interplay between affordance and mirror effects (the imitation of another agent) when participants attend to the concurrent presentation of an object and another agent interacting with it. In the present paper, we compare two experimental settings in which an observed action was presented as a prime for a task involving the categorization of a graspable object. In experiment 1a, the action depicted a reach and grasp gesture whereas in experiment 1b, only the reach phase was presented. This modification led to very different outcomes. Experiment 1a reflected the traditional imitation effect elicited by human motion. Conversely, experiment 1b showed the facilitation of contralateral responses. Affordance effects were found in experiment 1a only for the RVF. Our results support the view that motor simulation processes underlying imitation or joint actions are extremely sensitive to specific phase kinematics., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the role of stavudine in the onset of premature vascular lesions using an ultrasound color Doppler evaluation of the carotid vessels., Patients and Methods: A total of 266 patients were evaluated: 149 were treated with stavudine (group I) and 117 without stavudine (group II)., Results: Of the patients in group I, 41% exhibited vascular lesions vs. 26% in group II (p=0.0103). The two groups were further divided into subgroups Ia (stavudine and proteinase inhibitor, PI), Ib (stavudine and non-nucleotidic reverse transcriptase inhibitor, NNRTI), IIa (PI, without stavudine) and IIb (NNRTI without stavudine). A higher prevalence of lesions emerged in group Ia, while group IIa were at higher risk of developing vascular lesions than groups Ib and IIb., Conclusion: Although stavudine per se does not seem to determine damage of the epiaortic vessels, the association of a PI with stavudine is related to a significantly higher rate of lesions.

Vascular injuries resulting from blunt trauma are uncommon in the pediatric age. In children, there are particular factors that should be taken into account when vascular traumatic lesions are treated: small vessel size or vessel spasm, a higher risk of infection, a tendency for restenosis, and rapid body growth. The endovascular procedure is a minimally invasive, quick technique that restores blood flow immediately. The stent's fate is the Achille's heel of this technique; this is the reason why a careful follow-up and further studies are required.

Background: Various authors have hypothesized a role of Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. To better understand the possible role of this infection in the pathogenesis of epi-aortic lesions in HIV-1-positive patients, the presence of anti-Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies was evaluated in a group of individuals subjected to ultrasonography of the epi-aortic vessels., Patients and Methods: The presence of specific antibodies in 129 subjects was determined; 59 patients were HIV-1-positive, of whom 30 had carotid plaques and 29 were without lesions. The control group was composed of 70 subjects. All were subjected to ultrasonography of the epi-aortic vessels. IgG, IgM and IgA anti-C. pneumoniae antibodies were measured with micro-immunofluorescence and positive sera were tested for C. trachomatis and C. psittaci., Results: No subjects were positive for IgM. Both the IgA and IgG levels did not differ significantly in the three groups. The only highly significant variable was the use of protease inhibitors., Conclusion: Our data suggest that the damage to the carotid wall in HIV-1 patients was not due to C. pneumoniae.

The constant increase in the median age over 80 requires more and more care from vascular surgeons to obtain better results in the treatment of aortic degenerative diseases. In the last years a remarkable improvement in the procedures of endovascular surgery of abdominal aortic aneurysms has been reached. Actually different prostheses are available for the treatment of aortic aneurysms. The early results of these procedures are similar to the traditional surgical techniques, but at the moment long term results are not yet available. The Authors underline the importance of a long term follow up to allow a correct evaluation of physiopathological modifications in the aortic circulation.

Some problems of carotid body tumors regarding diagnosis and treatment are still controversial. From 1988 to 1998 we operated on 10 cervical paragangliomas in our Division of Vascular Surgery of Bari University. Three were bilateral and 2 were II Shamblin class. Seven tumors were considered familiar type (5 patients in the same family). Subadventitial dissection was performed in all cases after 4 vessel angiographies and Echo-dopplers. No complications occurred during the operation or post-operatively. Operative bleeding was reduced significantly by the use of subadventitial dissection which was accomplished in short times, thus avoiding more complicated and even hazardous techniques like clamping, sectioning or ligatures of the external carotid artery.

100 patients (pts) receiving CEA (carotid endarterectomy) were evaluated in this study. In some of them postoperative complications were observed, characterized by TIA (transient ischemic attack) and, mostly, by cerebral hyperperfusion. In only two of the pts investigated CEA needed the implantation of a shunt, due to the emergence of intolerance signs at carotid Clamping (C) evaluated by TCD (transcranial Doppler); the preoperative cerebral angiography in the two subjects in question did not show malformations of the circle of Willis. The hyperperfusive phenomenon and the absence of intracranial compensation flows during CEA seemed to be ascribed to a more or less severe impairment of cerebral reserve. Such impairment of the autoregulatory capacity seems to be crucial to the pathogenesis of hemodynamic stroke. Thus the indication to CEA, in pts with severe carotid disease, should take into account also the cerebral reserve (CR) impairment to prevent both thromboembolic and hemodynamic stroke. The predictive and diagnostic role of TCD turns out to be crucial in assessing and selecting pts candidate to CEA.