Coronary microvascular dysfunction is common in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 infection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Microvascular disease is considered as one of the main drivers of morbidity and mortality in severe COVID-19, and microvascular dysfunction has been demonstrated in the subcutaneous and sublingual tissues in COVID-19 patients. The presence of coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) has also been hypothesized, but direct evidence demonstrating CMD in COVID-19 patients is missing. In the present study, we aimed to investigate CMD in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and to understand whether there is a relationship between biomarkers of myocardial injury, myocardial strain and inflammation and CMD. METHODS: 39 patients that were hospitalized with COVID-19 and 40 control subjects were included to the present study. Biomarkers for myocardial injury, myocardial strain, inflammation, and fibrin turnover were obtained at admission. A comprehensive echocardiographic examination, including measurement of coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR), was done after the patient was stabilized. RESULTS: Patients with COVID-19 infection had a significantly lower hyperemic coronary flow velocity, resulting in a significantly lower CFVR (2.0 ± 0.3 vs. 2.4 ± 0.5, p < .001). Patients with severe COVID-19 had a lower CFVR compared to those with moderate COVID-19 (1.8 ± 0.2 vs. 2.2 ± 0.2, p < .001) driven by a trend toward higher basal flow velocity. CFVR correlated with troponin (p = .003, r: -.470), B-type natriuretic peptide (p < .001, r: -.580), C-reactive protein (p < .001, r: -.369), interleukin-6 (p < .001, r: -.597), and d-dimer (p < .001, r: -.561), with the three latter biomarkers having the highest areas-under-curve for predicting CMD. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary microvascular dysfunction is common in patients with COVID-19 and is related to the severity of the infection. CMD may also explain the "cryptic" myocardial injury seen in patients with severe COVID-19 infection.

Coronary flow velocity reserve is reduced in patients with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise.

Coronary artery disease and cardiovascular mortality are increased in patients with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise. The exact cause of this increase remains unknown, but previous studies have indicated the presence of endothelial dysfunction in peripheral arteries and subclinical atherosclerosis in these patients. The present study aimed to clarify whether coronary microvascular dysfunction is also present in patients with exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise. A total of 95 patients undergoing exercise testing were consecutively enrolled. Flow-mediated vasodilatation and carotid intima-media thickness were measured using standardized methods. A transthoracic echocardiography examination was performed to measure coronary flow velocity reserve. Patients with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise had significantly lower coronary flow velocity reserve than the controls (2.06 (1.91-2.36) vs. 2.27 (2.08-2.72), p = 0.004), and this difference was caused by a reduction in hyperemic flow velocity (57.5 (51.3-61.5) vs. 62.0 (56.0-73.0), p = 0.004) rather than a difference in basal flow (26.5 (22.3-29.8) vs. 26.0 (24.0-28.8), p = 0.95). Patients with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise also had a significantly greater carotid intima-media thickness and significantly lower flow-mediated vasodilatation than controls. However, an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise remained a significant predictor of coronary microvascular dysfunction after adjusting for confounders (OR: 3.60, 95% CI: 1.23-10.54, p = 0.02). Patients with an exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise show signs of coronary microvascular dysfunction, in addition to endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis. This finding might explain the increased risk of coronary artery disease and cardiovascular mortality in these patients.

Cardiometabolic risk factors in Turkish children with hepatosteatosis.

Aslan A, Erdemli S, Durukan Günaydin G, Aslan M, Yazar RÖ, Kabaalioglu A, Agirbasli MA. Cardiometabolic risk factors in Turkish children with hepatosteatosis. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 714-722. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of cardiometabolic (CM) risk factors (impaired fasting glucose ( > 100 mg/dL), high blood pressure, overweight or obesity, high serum triglycerides (TG) and low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels) in children with hepatosteatosis detected by abdominal ultrasound. Children whom ultrasound examination revealed hepatic steatosis were included in the study. Medical records, anthropometric and biochemical parameters were reviewed for the presence of the CM risk factors. Presence of ≥3 risk factors was defined as metabolic syndrome (MS). One hundred and forty-eight children and adolescents (67 boys, 81girls, and mean age 12.1±2.7 years) with hepatosteatosis were included. Sonographic hepatosteatosis grades of 1, 2 and 3 were observed in 111 (75%), 33 (22.3%), and 4 (2.7%) subjects, respectively. MS was observed in 36 patients (24.3%). The number of CM risk factors and degree of hepatic steatosis were correlated (r=0.183, p=0.026). Serum TG levels in girls and age in boys were significantly associated with the presence of medium to severe hepatosteatosis (grades 2 or 3) (R2=.342, =.040 and R2=.538, p=.001, respectively). CM risk factors and MS are common in children with hepatosteatosis. The presence and grade of hepatosteatosis on ultrasound can be used as surrogate markers of MS and CM risk in children.

Takayasu Arteritis Presenting as Renovascular Hypertension and Renal Failure in a Patient with Factor VII Deficiency.

A 23-year-old female patient with factor VII (FVII) deficiency was admitted with severe hypertension and renal failure. Brachial arterial pressures were 230/120 and 220/115 mm/Hg on the right and left arms, respectively. There was no blood pressure difference between the arms. Renal artery Doppler ultrasonography revealed bilateral severe renal artery stenosis (RAS). Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging angiography (CE-MRA) revealed severe mural irregularities, contrast enhancement in the aorta and its branches, and long-segment stenosis starting in the abdominal aorta and extending into the proximal renal arteries. The diagnosis of Takayasu arteritis (TA) complicated by RAS in a patient with FVII deficiency was established. This is the first case of concomitant TA and factor VII deficiency in the literature. In conclusion, TA complicated with RAS should be kept in mind in the etiology of secondary hypertension, even when there is no blood pressure difference between the arms in patients. CE-MRA is an accurate, sensitive, and safe imaging method for diagnosing vasculitis, even in the early phases of the disease, and should be considered for evaluating the activity and response to treatment in patients with TA.

Levan based fibrous scaffolds electrospun via co-axial and single-needle techniques for tissue engineering applications.

This represents the first systematic study where levan polysaccharide was used to fabricate fibrous matrices by co-axial and single-needle electrospinning techniques. For this, hydrolyzed (hHL) and sulfated hydrolyzed (ShHL) Halomonas levan were chemically synthesized and used together with polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethyleneoxide (PEO) for the spinning process. In co-axially spun matrices, ultimate tensile strength (UTS) were found to increase with increasing ShHL concentration and elongation at break of PCL + ShHL matrices increased up to ten-fold when compared to PCL matrices. Similarly, in single-needle spun matrices, higher elongation at break values were obtained by blending HL and ShHL with PEO pointing to the effective energy absorbing features. Dense and fine fibers were characterized by FTIR and SEM. Cell viability and fluorescence imaging of L929 fibroblasts and HUVECs as well as heparin mimetic activity of the matrices pointed to their high potential to be used in decreasing neointimal proliferation and thrombogenicity of grafts and prosthesis.

Bone Deformities as a Complication of Giant Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm.

The contained rupture of thoracic aortic aneurysm and related bone deformities is a rare condition. The diagnosis is critical due to potential and fatal complications. Radiologic evaluation is required to show the location, extension, and complications. Herein we present the X-ray radiography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance images of a giant dissected and contained rupture of the thoracic aortic aneurysm. The aneurysm destructed the adjacent vertebrae and rib, resulting in compression of dural sac and spinal cord, and obliteration of the neural foramina. Our case demonstrates a gigantic expansion of an aneurysm (14 cm) with chronic skeletal complications.