Assessment of left ventricular torsion in long axis view in patients with chronic stenosis of coronary arteries.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular torsion is one of the most important biomechanical parameters of heart that routinely is measured in short axis view. A review of the literature has indicated that assessment of left ventricular torsion in short axis view has some limitations. In the present study, we evaluated whether torsion angle assessment in long axis view can be used as a diagnostic biomechanical marker in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: We assessed 20 males and 15 females who suffered from CAD and 24 healthy males and females. Two dimensional echocardiography images were scanned in cine loop format position throughout four cardiac cycles at basal and apical levels in the long axis view (4CH). Peak torsion angle in long axis view was obtained by speckle tracking method under block matching algorithm. RESULTS: In long axis view, peak torsion angle and time of peak torsion angle were similar in female (34.87±5.8˚, 287±18ms) and males (33.26±5.60˚, 295 22ms) while they were significantly decreased and increased in CAD patients (female: 24.91±3.5˚, 345±26ms and male: 24.15±2.16˚, 358±24 ms) in comparison to healthy subjects. The peak torsion angle reduction in CAD patients was a subsequent of reduced rotation angle of basal and apical levels (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The results showed that sex difference did not influence torsion angle of the left ventricle. It is concluded that left ventricular torsion assessment in long axis view has the potential to distinct patients with CAD from healthy subjects in routine echocardiography evaluation.

Efficient co-cultivation of human fibroblast cells (HFCs) and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSs) on gelatin/PLCL nanofiber.

In this study, we investigated whether the nanofibers produced by natural-synthetic polymers can probably promote the proliferation of co-cultured adipose-derived stem cells/human fibroblast cells (ADSs/HFCs) and synthesis of collagen. Nanofiber was fabricated by blending gelatin and poly (L-lactide co-ɛ-caprolactone) (PLCL) polymer nanofiber (Gel/PLCL). Cell morphology and the interaction between cells and Gel/PLCL nanofiber were evaluated by FESEM and fluorescent microscopy. MTS assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were applied to assess the proliferation of co-cultured ADSs/HFCs and the collagen type I and III synthesis, respectively. The concentrations of two cytokines including fibroblast growth factor-basic and transforming growth factor-ß1 were also measured in culture medium of co-cultured ADSs/HDCs using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay assay. Actually, nanofibers exhibited proper structural properties in terms of stability in cell proliferation and toxicity analysis processes. Gel/PLCL nanofiber promoted the growth and the adhesion of HFCs. Our results showed in contact co-culture of ADSs/HFCs on the Gel/PLCL nanofiber increased cellular adhesion and proliferation synergistically compared to non-coated plate. Also, synthesis of collagen and cytokines secretion of co-cultured ADSs/HFCs on Gel/PLCL scaffolds is significantly higher than non-coated plates. To conclude, the results suggest that Gel/PLCL nanofiber can imitate physiological characteristics in vivo and enhance the efficacy of co-cultured ADSs/HFCs in wound healing process.

Identification of the crucial parameters regarding the efficacy of ribavirin therapy in Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Recently, ribavirin has been suggested as a therapeutic approach in Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) patients; however, there are controversial findings about its efficacy. In the current study, a meta-analysis was systematically performed to assess the effectiveness of ribavirin administration regarding CCHF patient survival and to explore the most important influential parameters for its efficacy. METHODS: All of the outcomes of the clinically studied CCHF patients who were treated with ribavirin were included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 24 studies met our criteria. Although the studies did not have high quality there was no heterogeneity and publication bias across studies. The results indicated that the administration of ribavirin to CCHF patients significantly decreased the mortality rate (by 1.7-fold) compared with those who did not receive this medication. Furthermore, it was found that the prescription of ribavirin in the initial phase of disease was more effective, and a delay in the start of treatment resulted in a 1.6-fold increase in mortality rate. In addition, interventional therapy resulted in an ∼2.3-fold reduction in the mortality rate of those who received ribavirin along with corticosteroids compared with those who were treated with ribavirin monotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis reveals that ribavirin should be considered as a crucial antiviral drug in the therapeutic approach used for CCHF patients, especially in early phases of the disease. Additionally, it seems that the administration of corticosteroids alongside ribavirin can play an effective role in alleviation of the disease status, particularly in haemorrhagic phases.