Cardiac Manifestations of Systemic Lupus Erythematous: An Overview of the Incidence, Risk Factors, Diagnostic Criteria, Pathophysiology and Treatment Options.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex connective tissue disease that can potentially affect every organ of the human body. In some cases, SLE may present with diverse cardiac manifestations including pericarditis, myocarditis, valvular disease, atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and arrhythmias. Heart disease in SLE is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. It is unclear whether traditional treatments for coronary artery disease significantly impact mortality in this population. Current therapeutic agents for SLE include glucocorticoids, hydroxychloroquine, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, and B cell-directed therapies. This article will provide a comprehensive review and update on this important disease state.

COVID-19 Vaccine Intention among Rural Residents in Mexico: Validation of a Questionnaire.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the scientific community and the pharmaceutical industry to develop new vaccines, in an attempt to reach herd immunity and stop the SARS-CoV-2 from spreading. However, to ensure vaccination among the general population, COVID-19 vaccine intention must be measured. So far, no studies have focused on rural residents in Latin America, which represent approximately 20% of the population of this geographical region. In this study, we present the validation of a self-developed questionnaire, which was validated in a pilot study with 40 Spanish-speaking Mexican rural residents in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. In this study, we describe the chronological validation of the questionnaire, including the assessment of its internal consistency and temporal reliability, which we measured with the Cronbach's alpha and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, respectively. After the psychometrical analysis, we were able to validate a 20-item questionnaire, which intends to assess vaccine intention among the rural population. Aiming to develop a comprehensive policy and vaccination strategies, we hope this instrument provides valuable insight regarding COVID-19 vaccination willingness across rural communities in Mexico and Latin America. Finally, if we want to reach worldwide herd immunity, it is important to understand rural residents' position towards COVID-19 vaccination.

Impact of Timing on the Functional Recovery Achieved With Platelet Supplementation After Treatment With Ticagrelor.

BACKGROUND: American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines advise waiting 5 to 7 days before operating on P2Y12 inhibitor-treated acute coronary syndrome patients, to allow dissipation of its antiplatelet effects. Platelet transfusion is often used to restore hemostasis during operations, but its effectiveness and optimal timing are unclear. We investigated the degree of functional gains obtained from platelet supplementation after loading and maintenance of dual antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor and the influence of timing on this strategy. METHODS AND RESULTS: After baseline platelet testing (Multiplate Analyzer and VerifyNow), cardiovascular disease patients (n=20; 56.9±7.9 years; 65% men; 75% diabetic) received dual antiplatelet therapy as a single loading dose (ticagrelor 180 mg plus aspirin 325 mg) and as daily/maintenance treatment for 5 to 7 days (maintenance therapy: ticagrelor 90 mg BID plus aspirin 81 mg QD). At 4, 6, 24, and 48 hours from (last) dosing, patients' blood samples were supplemented with concentrated platelets from healthy donors in vitro, raising platelet counts by 0% (unsupplemented control), 25%, 50%, and 75%, and the function retested. Reactivity in supplemented samples was compared with respective 0% sample and with the pretreatment baseline. Results under loading dose and maintenance therapy regimens were nearly identical. Platelet reactivity was higher (P<0.05) in nearly all supplemented samples versus respective controls. Aggregations with supplementation were 59% to 79% of baseline at 24 hours and equal to baseline at 48 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Platelet reactivity of ticagrelor-treated patients can be restored using concentrated platelets after a loading dose/maintenance therapy in a time-dependent manner under in vitro testing. Although statistically significant improvements are evident 6 hours after (last) dosing, ≥24 hours maybe needed for clinically meaningful restoration in platelet function. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02201394.

Antithrombotic potency of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in type-2 diabetic patients with cardiovascular disease.

Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus [T2DM] is associated with increased platelet reactivity and hypo-response to antiplatelet drugs. Ticagrelor, with its faster and more potent antiplatelet effects, was shown to reduce adverse events more than clopidogrel in the overall CAD patient population of PLATO trial, but the benefits did not reach statistical significance in the T2DM subgroup. To better understand these findings, we compared the antithrombotic effects of ticagrelor versus with clopidogrel in T2DM patients with cardiovascular disease. In a randomized, 2 treatment-sequence, crossover-design, T2DM patients (n=20, 57±8 years, 60 % male) received a loading-dose [LD] plus one week of daily-therapy [DT] of clopidogrel or ticagrelor. Treatment effects were assessed by measuring thrombus formation (Badimon Chamber) and platelet aggregation (Multiple Electrode Aggregometry (MEA) Analyzer and VerifyNow®) at 2- and 6-hour post-LD and on Day-7 of DT, in comparison with pre-treatment baseline. After 2 weeks of washout, patients switched to the second treatment under identical testing conditions. Ticagrelor significantly reduced thrombus formation versus baseline at 2- and 6-hour post-LD and Day-7 of DT (33 %, 40 % and 31 %, respectively, p<0.01 for all) whereas thrombus reductions with clopidogrel were much lower and significant only at 6-hour post-LD (16 %, 20 % and 17 %, respectively). Antithrombotic effect of ticagrelor at 6-hour was significantly stronger than clopidogrel (p<0.05). Platelet aggregation (MEA and VerifyNow®) was inhibited by both treatments but effects of ticagrelor were significantly stronger at each time-point. Ticagrelor exhibits a faster and more potent antithrombotic effect than clopidogrel in T2DM patients with cardiovascular disease, supporting its use in this population.