Vicious Circle With Venous Hypertension, Irregular Flow, Pathological Venous Wall Remodeling, and Valve Destruction in Chronic Venous Disease: A Review.

Substantial advances occurred in phlebological practice in the last two decades. With the use of modern diagnostic equipment, the patients' venous hemodynamics can be examined in detail in everyday practice. Application of venous segments for arterial bypasses motivated studies on the effect of hemodynamic load on the venous wall. New animal models have been developed to study hemodynamic effects on the venous system. In vivo and in vitro studies revealed cellular phase transitions of venous endothelial, smooth muscle, and fibroblastic cells and changes in connective tissue composition, under hemodynamic load and at different locations of the chronically diseased venous system. This review is an attempt to integrate our knowledge from epidemiology, paleoanthropology and anthropology, clinical and experimental hemodynamic studies, histology, cell physiology, cell pathology, and molecular biology on the complex pathomechanism of this frequent disease. Our conclusion is that the disease is initiated by limited genetic adaptation of mankind not to bipedalism but to bipedalism in the unmoving standing or sitting position. In the course of the disease several pathologic vicious circles emerge, sustained venous hypertension inducing cellular phase transitions, chronic wall inflammation, apoptosis of cells, pathologic dilation, and valvular damage which, in turn, further aggravate the venous hypertension.

Positive correlation between persistence of medical nutrition therapy and overall survival in patients with head and neck cancer.

Background: Several factors can affect overall survival of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients, including characteristics of the cancer disease and response to treatments. However, patients' nutritional status and the effectiveness of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) can also impact overall survival. The primary goal of our research was to collect real-life data on the use of MNT in HNC patients and to specifically investigate the correlation between survival and the duration of uninterrupted (persistent) nutrition. Method: The data of this retrospective, analytical, cohort study was collected from electronic healthcare records from the Hungarian National Health Insurance Fund Management. Overall, 38,675 HNC patients' data of the period between 2012 and 2021 was used. We applied multi-step exclusions to identify patient groups accurately and to avoid biasing factors. Statistical analysis was done by the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test, and Cox regression analysis. Results: Throughout the investigated period 16,871 (64%) patients received MNT therapy out of 26,253 newly diagnosed patients (≥18 years). In terms of the persistence of MNT, we divided the patients into three groups (1-3; 4-6; ≥7-month duration of MNT). When comparing these groups, we found that patients receiving long-term (≥7 months) MNT had a significantly longer overall survival (p < 0.0001) than those who received MNT for a shorter duration, both in locally advanced and recurrent/metastatic cases. Conclusion: The main outcome of the study is that there is a positive correlation between the persistence of MNT and the overall survival in HNC patients when nutritional intervention lasts several months. It highlights the responsibility of the specialists during the patient journey to use MNT early and to continue its use for as long as it is beneficial to the patients.

[Effect of long-term medical nutrition therapy on the survival of head and neck cancer patients - based on real-world data]. / Hosszú távú orvosi felügyeletet igénylo táplálásterápia hatása a fej-nyak tumoros betegek túlélésére ­ valós bizonyítékú adatok alapján.

At the 45th Congress of ESPEN (The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism), we presented for the first time the initial results of our 2023 oncology research, in which we revealed positive correlations between the persistence of medical nutrition therapy and overall survival, in head and neck cancer patients. Patients who received longterm nutrition therapy (≥7 months) had a significantly longer survival (p<0.0001) than those who received only short-term nutrition therapy intervention, i.e., for 1-3 months. The aim, methodology and results of the Hungarian research aroused the interest of the congress participants; therefore, we also publish it in Hungarian in the form of a short notice.

Cells in Atherosclerosis: Focus on Cellular Senescence from Basic Science to Clinical Practice.

Aging is a major risk factor of atherosclerosis through different complex pathways including replicative cellular senescence and age-related clonal hematopoiesis. In addition to aging, extracellular stress factors, such as mechanical and oxidative stress, can induce cellular senescence, defined as premature cellular senescence. Senescent cells can accumulate within atherosclerotic plaques over time and contribute to plaque instability. This review summarizes the role of cellular senescence in the complex pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and highlights the most important senotherapeutics tested in cardiovascular studies targeting senescence. Continued bench-to-bedside research in cellular senescence might allow the future implementation of new effective anti-atherosclerotic preventive and treatment strategies in clinical practice.

Locally advanced breast cancer in Eastern European developing countries.

AIM: Breast cancer is known as the most frequent cancer type among women. In several developing countries advanced stage cases present an increase trend, despite the global provisions of screening for early detection. The aim was to investigate patients with locally advanced breast cancers, in a developing country from eastern Europe. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed, including patients diagnosed with breast cancer who underwent surgical intervention, during 2007-2017. Besides demographic data, surgical techniques were investigated. Within histopathological data tumor size, type and grade were examined. We also investigated lymph node status and patient's hormonal parameters. RESULTS: We examined 1008 patients diagnosed with benign and malignant mammary gland tumors over 11 years. After excluding benign tumors, inflammatory cancers, biopsies, recurrent breast cancers and initial stages, 125 patients remained eligible. Exulceration and hemorrhage were observed in 64 (51.2%) locally advanced cases. Resection of the pectoralis major muscle was realized in 12.8% due to tumoral infiltration. DISCUSSION: Locally advanced breast cancer represents approximately 5% in developed countries. Within our results, this rate was 27.9%. This discrepancy is given by the regular national mammary screening programs within several developed countries. CONCLUSIONS: In the developing countries locally advanced breast cancer presents a continuous increase and hemorrhagic exulcerated types are not uncommon. Due to the poor health education and sometimes inadequate health care in eastern Europe, just a few patients have benefited of neoadjuvant therapy and preoperative mammography was performed in a small number of patients. KEY WORDS: Brest Cancer, Locally Advanced.

Echocardiography Imaging of the Right Ventricle: Focus on Three-Dimensional Echocardiography.

Right ventricular function strongly predicts cardiac death and adverse cardiac events in patients with cardiac diseases. However, the accurate right ventricular assessment by two-dimensional echocardiography is limited due to its complex anatomy, shape, and load dependence. Advances in cardiac imaging and three-dimensional echocardiography provided more reliable information on right ventricular volumes and function without geometrical assumptions. Furthermore, the pathophysiology of right ventricular dysfunction and tricuspid regurgitation is frequently connected. Three-dimensional echocardiography allows a more in-depth structural and functional evaluation of the tricuspid valve. Understanding the anatomy and pathophysiology of the right side of the heart may help in diagnosing and managing the disease by using reliable imaging tools. The present review describes the challenging echocardiographic assessment of the right ventricle and tricuspid valve apparatus in clinical practice with a focus on three-dimensional echocardiography.

Atrial Cardiomyopathy in Valvular Heart Disease: From Molecular Biology to Clinical Perspectives.

This review discusses the evolving topic of atrial cardiomyopathy concerning valvular heart disease. The pathogenesis of atrial cardiomyopathy involves multiple factors, such as valvular disease leading to atrial structural and functional remodeling due to pressure and volume overload. Atrial enlargement and dysfunction can trigger atrial tachyarrhythmia. The complex interaction between valvular disease and atrial cardiomyopathy creates a vicious cycle of aggravating atrial enlargement, dysfunction, and valvular disease severity. Furthermore, atrial remodeling and arrhythmia can predispose to atrial thrombus formation and stroke. The underlying pathomechanism of atrial myopathy involves molecular, cellular, and subcellular alterations resulting in chronic inflammation, atrial fibrosis, and electrophysiological changes. Atrial dysfunction has emerged as an essential determinant of outcomes in valvular disease and heart failure. Despite its predictive value, the detection of atrial fibrosis and dysfunction is challenging and is not included in the clinical routine. Transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging are the main diagnostic tools for atrial cardiomyopathy. Recently published data have revealed that both left atrial volumes and functional parameters are independent predictors of cardiovascular events in valvular disease. The integration of atrial function assessment in clinical practice might help in early cardiovascular risk estimation, promoting early therapeutic intervention in valvular disease.

Long-term nutrition in patients candidate to neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments.

To improve outcomes, to decrease the rate of local recurrence and development of distant metastases neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies are employed in cancer patients in forms of radiation, chemo-, endocrine-, targeted-, and immunotherapy or their combination. Nutrition therapy plays important role in all phases of the cancer journey. From neoadjuvant therapy to prehabilitation, early postoperative nutrition, and long-term nutrition care during the adjuvant phase and survivorship determines the survival and quality of life of cancer patients. During the neoadjuvant phase patients may be in poor nutritional condition which can be aggravated by the applied oncological treatment. Beside this apparent threat this period also gives an excellent opportunity to maintain or even improve the nutritional status of the patients by nutrition therapy. After surgery the burdening effects of the operation may jeopardize the execution of adjuvant therapy. After early postoperative feeding a long-term nutrition strategy should be developed for cancer patients in order to avoid nutritional deterioration during the usually lengthy postoperative therapy. In this narrative review we discuss how preoperative nutritional status and medical nutrition therapy influence the results of surgery and after the operation what is the available evidence about nutritional status and outcome and the potentials to influence them by nutrition therapy.

Cellular Senescence, Aging and Non-Aging Processes in Calcified Aortic Valve Stenosis: From Bench-Side to Bedside.

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease. The incidence of AS increases with age, however, a significant proportion of elderly people have no significant AS, indicating that both aging and nonaging pathways are involved in the pathomechanism of AS. Age-related and stress-induced cellular senescence accompanied by further active processes represent the key elements of AS pathomechanism. The early stage of aortic valve degeneration involves dysfunction and disruption of the valvular endothelium due to cellular senescence and mechanical stress on blood flow. These cells are replaced by circulating progenitor cells, but in an age-dependent decelerating manner. When endothelial denudation is no longer replaced by progenitor cells, the path opens for focal lipid deposition, initiating subsequent oxidation, inflammation and micromineralisation. Later stages of AS feature a complex active process with extracellular matrix remodeling, fibrosis and calcification. Echocardiography is the gold standard method for diagnosing aortic valve disease, although computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance are useful additional imaging methods. To date, no medical treatment has been proven to halt the progression of AS. Elucidation of differences and similarities between vascular and valvular calcification pathomechanisms may help to find effective medical therapy and reduce the increasing health burden of the disease.

Seasonal changes in proportion of cardiac surgeries associated with diabetes, smoking and elderly age.

BACKGROUND: Seasonal variations in the ambient temperature may affect the exacerbation of cardiovascular diseases. Our primary objective was to evaluate the seasonality of the monthly proportion of cardiac surgeries associated with diabetes, smoking and/or elderly age at a tertiary-care university hospital in East-Central Europe with a temperate climate zone. As a secondary objective, we also assessed whether additional factors affecting small blood vessels (smoking, aging, obesity) modulate the seasonal variability of diabetes. METHODS: Medical records were analyzed for 9838 consecutive adult patients who underwent cardiac surgery in 2007-2018. Individual seasonal variations of diabetes, smoking, and elderly patients were analyzed monthly, along with the potential risk factors for cardiovascular complication. We also characterized whether pairwise coexistence of diabetes, smoking, and elderly age augments or blunts the seasonal variations. RESULTS: Seasonal variations in the monthly proportion of cardiac surgeries associated with diabetes, smoking and/or elderly age were observed. The proportion of cardiac surgeries of non-elderly and smoking patients with diabetes peaked in winter (amplitude of change as [peak-nadir]/nadir: 19.2%, p<0.02), which was associated with increases in systolic (6.1%, p<0.001) and diastolic blood pressures (4.4%, p<0.05) and serum triglyceride levels (27.1%, p<0.005). However, heart surgery in elderly patients without diabetes and smoking was most frequently required in summer (52.1%, p<0.001). Concomitant occurrence of diabetes and smoking had an additive effect on the requirement for cardiac surgery (107%, p<0.001), while the simultaneous presence of older age and diabetes or smoking eliminated seasonal variations. CONCLUSIONS: Scheduling regular cardiovascular control in accordance with periodicities in diabetes, elderly, and smoking patients more than once a year may improve patient health and social consequences. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03967639.

The Added Value of Atrial Strain Assessment in Clinical Practice.

Speckle tracking echocardiography has emerged as a sensitive tool to analyze myocardial function with improved diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value. Left atrial strain assessment has become a novel imaging method in cardiology with superior prognostic value compared to conventional left atrial volume indices. Left atrial function is divided into three phases, reservoir function being the most important. This review summarizes the added value of speckle tracking echocardiography derived left atrial strain assessment in clinical practice. Recently published data suggest the prognostic value of left atrial reservoir function in heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke and valvular heart disease. Furthermore, left atrial reservoir strain proved to be a predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the general population. Thus, routine assessment of left atrial function can be an optimal strategy to improve cardiovascular risk prediction and supplement the current risk prediction models.

Az alacsony testtömegindex és testtömegcsökkenés vizsgálata magyar tüdodaganatos betegek adatainak felhasználásával.

During oncological treatments, body mass index (BMI) and weight loss (WL) are important prognostic factors, but can be influenced by nutrition therapy. The aim of the study was to collect data on BMI and WL of patients with lung cancer and on the nutritional therapy influencing malnutrition. In our multicenter, retrospective study involving 1616 patients, data were collected using a questionnaire with 51 questions, and statistical analysis was performed with descriptive, and multivariate analysis methods with IBM SPSS 20 software. According to the method of Martin, based on BMI and WL, patients were ranked on a scale of 0 to 4 (grade 0 24.9%; grade 1 20.7%; grade 2 14.9%; grade 3 22.4%; grade 4 17.0%). Based on this data low BMI and WL may affect survival in 75.1%. In contrast, only 37.6% of patients received nutritional therapy, based on 47 different strategies. The data substituted into the prognostic matrix highlights that weight loss may shorten patients' survival. The 47 strategies indicate that the use of nutritional therapy is inconsistent throughout this patient cohort.

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure.

Transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the standard imaging method for atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) detection, for patient selection for transcatheter ASD/PFO closure, for intraoperative guidance and for long-term follow-up. The size, shape, location and the number of the atrial communications schould be determined. The accuracy of PFO detection can be improved by using agitated saline together with maneuvers to transiently increase the right atrial (RA) pressure. The appearance of microbubbles in the left atrium (LA) within 3 cardiac cycles after opacification of the RA is considered positive for the presence of an intracardiac shunt. Three dimensional TEE identifies further septal fenestrations and describes the dynamic morphology of ASD/PFO and atrial septal aneurysm. Follow-up evaluations with TTE is recommended at 1, 6, and 12 months after the procedure, with a subsequent evaluation every year. Previous studies showed an increased incidence of atrial arrhythmias early after device closure. Speckle tracking analysis may help to understand functional left atrial remodeling following percutaneous closure and its impact on atrial arrhythmias.

Dopamine Reverses Lung Function Deterioration After Cardiopulmonary Bypass Without Affecting Gas Exchange.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of dopamine on the adverse pulmonary changes after cardiopulmonary bypass. DESIGN: A prospective, nonrandomized clinical investigation. SETTING: A university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fifty-seven patients who underwent elective cardiac surgery that required cardiopulmonary bypass. INTERVENTIONS: Fifty-two patients were administered intravenous infusion of dopamine (3 µg/kg/min) for five minutes after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass; no intervention was applied in the other 105 patients. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Measurements were performed under general anesthesia and mechanical ventilation before cardiopulmonary bypass, after cardiopulmonary bypass, and after the intervention. In each protocol stage, forced oscillatory lung impedance was measured to assess airway and tissue mechanical changes. Mainstream capnography was performed to assess ventilation- and/or perfusion-matching by calculating the normalized phase-3 slopes of the time and volumetric capnograms and the physiologic deadspace. Arterial and central venous blood samples were analyzed to characterize lung oxygenation and intrapulmonary shunt. After cardiopulmonary bypass, dopamineinduced marked improvements in airway resistance and tissue damping, with relatively small decreases in lung tissue elastance. These changes were associated with decreases in the normalized phase-3 slopes of the time and volumetric capnograms. The inotrope had no effect on physiologic deadspace, intrapulmonary shunt, or lung oxygenation. CONCLUSION: Dopamine reversed the complex detrimental lung mechanical changes induced by cardiopulmonary bypass and alleviated ventilation heterogeneities without affecting the physiologic deadspace or intrapulmonary shunt. Therefore, dopamine has a potential benefit on the gas exchange abnormalities after weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass.

The aging venous system: from varicosities to vascular cognitive impairment.

Aging-induced pathological alterations of the circulatory system play a critical role in morbidity and mortality of older adults. While the importance of cellular and molecular mechanisms of arterial aging for increased cardiovascular risk in older adults is increasingly appreciated, aging processes of veins are much less studied and understood than those of arteries. In this review, age-related cellular and morphological alterations in the venous system are presented. Similarities and dissimilarities between arterial and venous aging are highlighted, and shared molecular mechanisms of arterial and venous aging are considered. The pathogenesis of venous diseases affecting older adults, including varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency, and deep vein thrombosis, is discussed, and the potential contribution of venous pathologies to the onset of vascular cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases is emphasized. It is our hope that a greater appreciation of the cellular and molecular processes of vascular aging will stimulate further investigation into strategies aimed at preventing or retarding age-related venous pathologies.

Medical nutrition therapy of stroke patients with dysphagia ­ 2021 / A dysphagia táplálásterápiája stroke-betegek esetében - 2021.

Összefoglaló. A neurológiai betegek körében a dysphagia elofordulása gyakori, és több oka van. Az utóbbi évek kutatásai a közvetlen neurológiai kórokok (beleértve a gyakori stroke) szerepét is részletesen feltárták. Felismerték az ún. néma aspiráció jelentoségét: ez gyakran áll az (aspirációs) pneumonia hátterében, amely sokszor halálos szövodmény lehet. Az ún. poststroke pneumonia fogalma gyökeresen más értelmezésbe helyezte a stroke-ot követo tüdogyulladások megítélését, jellegzetessége alapján egyértelmuen a stroke közvetlen cerebralis hatásaként alakul ki. Egyértelmuvé vált a nyelészavar korai felismerésének és ellátásának szükségessége. A stroke-betegek megfelelo tápláltsági állapota az eredményes rehabilitációnak, a szövodményszám csökkentésének, a rövidebb kórházi kezelésnek, az alacsonyabb mortalitásnak a záloga. A dysphagia a betegség kimenetelének független elorejelzoje lehet, különösen az elso három hónapban. A nyelészavar malnutritióval, kiszáradással és a kórházi tartózkodás hosszabb idotartamával jár együtt, emeli a gyógyszerköltségeket. A stroke-beteg ellátásának egyik elso eleme a dysphagia szurése. Táplálásterápiára akkor szorul a stroke-beteg, amikor magas a kóros tápláltsági állapot kialakulásának kockázata, és per os táplálással nem fedezheto biztonságosan a megfelelo energia-, tápanyag- és folyadékbevitel. A táplálásterápia módját, eszközeit, az energia- és tápanyagbeviteli célértékeket az orvos határozza meg, az alapbetegség súlyosságától, a társbetegségektol és a laborértékektol függoen. Az étrend minden esetben individuális és progresszív, azaz alkalmazkodik a beteg állapotához és annak változásához. A dietetikus feladata a megfelelo diéta összeállítása mellett a beteg, a hozzátartozó és a kezeloszemélyzet oktatása, az állapot követése, a beteg tápláltsági állapotának, tápanyagbeviteli értékeinek gyakori elemzése, szükség esetén tápszerek ajánlása. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(40): 1601-1609. Summary. Among neurological patients, the incidence of dysphagia is common and has several causes. Research in recent years has explored the role of direct neurological pathogens (including frequent strokes). The frequency of 'silent aspiration', which often underlies (aspirational) pneumonia and can be a fatal complication, has been recently discovered. The concept of 'post-stroke pneumonia' has drastically changed the assessment of post-stroke pneumonia. Based on its characteristics, it clearly develops as a direct cerebral effect of stroke. The need for early detection and early care of swallowing disorder has become clear. Adequate nutritional status of stroke patients is the key to successful rehabilitation, reduction of complications, shorter hospitalization, and lower mortality. Dysphagia can be an independent predictor of disease outcome, especially in the first three months. Swallowing disorder is associated with malnutrition, dehydration and longer lengths of hospital stay, increasing drug costs. One of the first elements in the care of a stroke patient is screening for dysphagia. The stroke patient needs nutritional therapy when the risk for abnormal nutritional condition is high or if the condition is already present, or when oral nutrition does not safely cover adequate energy, nutrient and fluid intake. The method and means of nutritional therapy, the goals of energy and nutrient intake are determined by the doctor, depending on the severity of the underlying disease, comorbidities and laboratory values.The diet is individual and progressive in each case. The dietitian's task is not only to compile a proper diet, but also to educate the patients and relatives. The dietitian is responsible for monitoring the patient's nutritional status. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(40): 1601-1609.

Left Ventricular Systolic Function Has Strong Independent Genetic Background from Diastolic Function: A Classical Twin Study.

Background and Objectives: No data are available on whether the heritability of left ventricle (LV) systolic and diastolic parameters are independent of each other. Therefore, our aim was to assess the magnitude of common and independent genetic and environmental factors defining LV systolic and diastolic function. Materials and Methods: We analyzed 184 asymptomatic twins (65% female, mean age: 56 ± 9 years). Transthoracic echocardiography was performed to measure LV systolic (global longitudinal and circumferential strain; basal and apical rotation) and diastolic (early diastolic velocity of mitral inflow and lateral mitral annulus tissue; deceleration time and early diastolic strain rate) parameters using conventional and speckle-tracking echocardiography. Genetic structural equation models were evaluated to quantify the proportion of common and specific genetic (Ac, As) and environmental factors (Ec, Es) contributing to the phenotypes. Results: LV systolic parameters had no common genetic or environmental heritability (Ac range: 0-0%; Ec range: 0-0%; As range: 57-77%; Es range: 24-43%). Diastolic LV parameters were mainly determined by common genetic and environmental effects (Ac range: 9-40%; Ec range: 11-49%; As range: 0-29%; Es range: 0-51%). Systolic parameters had no common genetic or environmental factors (Ac = 0%; Ec = 0%) with diastolic metrics. Conclusions: Systolic LV parameters have a strong genetic predisposition to any impact. They share no common genetic or environmental factors with each other or with diastolic parameters, indicating that they may deteriorate specifically to given effects. However, diastolic functional parameters are mainly affected by common environmental influences, suggesting that pathological conditions may deteriorate them equally. Estimation of the genetic and environmental influence and interdependence on systolic and diastolic LV function may help the understanding of the pathomechanism of different heart failure classification types.

Overlapping Genetic Background of Coronary Artery and Carotid/Femoral Atherosclerotic Calcification.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Multivessel atherosclerosis and its genetic background are under-investigated, although atherosclerosis is seldom local and still causes high mortality. Alternative methods to assess coronary calcification (CAC) might incorporate genetic links between different arteries' atherosclerotic involvement, however, co-occurrences of coronary calcification have not been investigated in twins yet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We assessed the heritability of radio morphologically distinct atherosclerotic plaque types in coronary (non-enhanced CT, Agatston score), carotid, and femoral arteries (B-mode ultrasound) in 190 twin subjects (60 monozygotic, 35 dizygotic pairs). Four-segment scores were derived in order to assess the dissemination of the distinct plaque types in the carotid and femoral arteries taking bilaterality into account. We calculated the genetic correlation between phenotypically correlating plaque types in these arteries. RESULTS: CAC and dissemination of calcified plaques in the carotid and femoral arteries (4S_hyper) were moderately heritable (0.67 [95% CI: 0.37-1] and 0.69 [95% CI: 0.38-1], respectively) when adjusted for age and sex. Hypoechoic plaques in the carotid and femoral arteries showed no heritability, while mixed plaques showed intermediate heritability (0.50 [95% CI: 0-0.76]). Age and sex-adjusted phenotypic correlation between CAC and 4segm_hyper was 0.48 [95% CI: 0.30-0.63] and the underlying genetic correlation was 0.86 [95% CI: 0.42-1]. CONCLUSIONS: Calcification of atherosclerotic plaques is moderately heritable in all investigated arteries and significant overlapping genetic factors can be attributed to the phenotypical resemblance of coronary and carotid or femoral atherosclerotic calcification. Our findings support the idea of screening extracoronary arteries in asymptomatic individuals. We also propose a hypothesis about primarily carotid-coronary and femoral-coronary atherosclerosis as two distinct genetic predispositions to co-localization.

Effects of heat stress on the immune responses of chickens subjected to thermal manipulation in the pre-hatch period.

Heat stress affects the performance of poultry species and also induces immunosuppression. Chickens can be treated by thermal conditioning to have better heat stress tolerance. Our purpose was to determine the effect of acute heat stress on the immune response, i.e. antibody production against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and change in the proportion of leukocyte components, in chicks subjected to prenatal heat conditioning. Eighty as-hatched broiler chicks from the same parent stock were used: control (40 chicks incubated at 36.7 °C from days 18-20 of embryonic life) and thermally manipulated (TM) (40 chicks incubated at 38.4 °C from day 18-20 of embryonic life; 4 h/day). The chickens were exposed to heat stress: at day 19 (31 °C/8 h) and at day 35 (32 °C/10 h). The first heat stress (day 19) decreased the lymphocyte counts and significantly increased the heterophil counts (P < 0.05) in both treatments (from 34.25 to 55% in the controls and from 37 to 60.06% in the TM chicks). The second heat stress (day 35) did not alter the heterophil and lymphocyte profiles of the chickens. Before the heat stress, all of the chickens (control and TM) presented the same positive antibody titres to NDV vaccination. After the first heat stress, 50% of the control samples and 40% of samples from the TM chickens were negative. After the second heat stress, 80% of the TM samples were negative.

Genetic and environmental factors on heart rate, mean arterial pressure and carotid intima-media thickness: A longitudinal twin study.

BACKGROUND: Heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) are moderately heritable cardiovascular traits, but the environmental effects on the longitudinal change of their heritability have never been investigated. METHODS: 368 Italian and Hungarian twins (107 monozygotic, 77 dizygotic) underwent oscillometric measurement and B-mode sonography of bilateral carotid arteries in 2009/2010 and 2014. Within- -individual/cross-study wave, cross-twin/within-study wave and cross-twin/cross-study wave correlations were estimated, and bivariate Cholesky models were fitted to decompose the total variance at each wave and covariance between study waves into additive genetic, shared and unique environmental components. RESULTS: For each trait, a moderate longitudinal stability was observed, with within-individual/crosswave correlations of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.33-0.51) for HR, 0.34 (95% CI: 0.24-0.43) for MAP, and 0.23 (95% CI: 0.12-0.33) for cIMT. Cross-twin/cross-wave correlations in monozygotic pairs were all significant and substantially higher than the corresponding dizygotic correlations. Genetic continuity was the main source of longitudinal stability, with across-time genetic correlations of 0.52 (95% CI: 0.29-0.71) for HR, 0.56 (95% CI: 0.31-0.81) for MAP, and 0.36 (95% CI: 0.07-0.64) for cIMT. Overlapping genetic factors explained respectively 57%, 77%, and 68% of the longitudinal covariance of the HR, MAP and cIMT traits. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic factors have a substantial role in the longitudinal change of HR, MAP and cIMT; however, the influence of unique environmental factors remains relevant. Further studies should better elucidate whether epigenetic mechanisms have a role in influencing the stability of the investigated traits over time.