Echographic risk index and cerebral ischemic brain lesions in patients randomized to stenting versus endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid artery stenosis.

PURPOSE: It remains to be determined whether the impact of plaque characteristics on procedural risks differs between carotid artery stenting (CAS) and endarterectomy (CEA). We studied whether quantitative assessment of carotid plaque echolucency on ultrasound predicts the risk of embolism during CAS or CEA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 50 consecutive patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis randomized to CAS (n = 26) or CEA (n = 24) in the International Carotid Stenting Study (ICSS), semi-automated grayscale measurement of carotid plaques on baseline ultrasound was performed. We determined the grayscale median (GSM), percentage of echolucent plaque area, and a previously defined echographic risk index (ERI) calculated with the echolucent area and degree of stenosis. Brain MRI including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed within 7 days before and 3 days after treatment. The primary outcome was the presence of at least 1 new hyperintense DWI lesion (DWI+) after treatment. RESULTS: In the CAS group, DWI+ patients (n = 18) had a significantly higher ERI at baseline (mean 0.11 ±â€Š0.12) than patients without new lesions (n = 8; mean 0.03 ±â€Š0.01; p = 0.012). GSM (mean 26.7 ±â€Š18.7 versus 34.3 ±â€Š8.0, p = 0.16) and echolucent plaque area (mean 42.8 ±â€Š21.1 versus 31.2 ±â€Š8.2, p = 0.054) did not differ significantly. In the CEA group, there were no differences in plaque echogenity measurements between patients with (n = 2) and without DWI lesions (n = 22). CONCLUSION: Patients with echolucent plaques causing severe narrowing are at increased risk for cerebral embolism during CAS. Quantitative ultrasound plaque analysis, with ERI in particular, may add to clinical variables in identifying patients at risk for procedural stroke with CAS, but larger studies with clinical endpoints are needed.

Etiology of first-ever ischaemic stroke in European young adults: the 15 cities young stroke study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Risk factors for IS in young adults differ between genders and evolve with age, but data on the age- and gender-specific differences by stroke etiology are scare. These features were compared based on individual patient data from 15 European stroke centers. METHODS: Stroke etiology was reported in detail for 3331 patients aged 15-49 years with first-ever IS according to Trial of Org in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria: large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), cardioembolism (CE), small-vessel occlusion (SVO), other determined etiology, or undetermined etiology. CE was categorized into low- and high-risk sources. Other determined group was divided into dissection and other non-dissection causes. Comparisons were done using logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender, and center heterogeneity. RESULTS: Etiology remained undetermined in 39.6%. Other determined etiology was found in 21.6%, CE in 17.3%, SVO in 12.2%, and LAA in 9.3%. Other determined etiology was more common in females and younger patients, with cervical artery dissection being the single most common etiology (12.8%). CE was more common in younger patients. Within CE, the most frequent high-risk sources were atrial fibrillation/flutter (15.1%) and cardiomyopathy (11.5%). LAA, high-risk sources of CE, and SVO were more common in males. LAA and SVO showed an increasing frequency with age. No significant etiologic distribution differences were found amongst southern, central, or northern Europe. CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of IS in young adults has clear gender-specific patterns that change with age. A notable portion of these patients remains without an evident stroke mechanism according to TOAST criteria.

Optimizing the risk estimation after a transient ischaemic attack - the ABCDE⊕ score.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The risk of stroke after a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) can be predicted by scores incorporating age, blood pressure, clinical features, duration (ABCD-score), and diabetes (ABCD2-score). However, some patients have strokes despite a low predicted risk according to these scores. We designed the ABCDE+ score by adding the variables 'etiology' and ischaemic lesion visible on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) -'DWI-positivity'- to the ABCD-score. We hypothesized that this refinement increases the predictability of recurrent ischaemic events. METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study amongst all consecutive TIA patients in a university hospital emergency department. Area under the computed receiver-operating curves (AUCs) were used to compare the predictive values of the scores with regard to the outcome stroke or recurrent TIA within 90 days. RESULTS: Amongst 248 patients, 33 (13.3%, 95%-CI 9.3-18.2%) had a stroke (n = 13) or a recurrent TIA (n = 20). Patients with recurrent ischaemic events more often had large-artery atherosclerosis as the cause for TIA (46% vs. 14%, P < 0.001) and positive DWI (61% vs. 35%; P = 0.01) compared with patients without recurrent events. Patients with and those without events did not differ with regard to age, clinical symptoms, duration, blood pressure, risk factors, and stroke preventive treatment. The comparison of AUCs [95%CI] showed superiority of the ABCDE+ score (0.67[0.55-0.75]) compared to the ABCD(2) -score (0.48[0.37-0.58]; P = 0.04) and a trend toward superiority compared to the ABCD-score (0.50[0.40-0.61]; P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: In TIA patients, the addition of the variables 'etiology' and 'DWI-positivity' to the ABCD-score seems to enhance the predictability of subsequent cerebral ischaemic events.

Activation of electrical triggers of atrial fibrillation in hyperthyroidism.

CONTEXT: A shortening of the atrial refractory period has been considered as the main mechanism for the increased risk of atrial fibrillation in hyperthyroidism. However, other important factors may be involved. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to determine the activity of abnormal supraventricular electrical depolarizations in response to elevated thyroid hormones in patients without structural heart disease. PATIENTS AND DESIGN: Twenty-eight patients (25 females, three males, mean age 43+/-11 yr) with newly diagnosed and untreated hyperthyroidism were enrolled in a prospective trial after exclusion of heart disease. Patients were followed up for 16 +/- 6 months and studied at baseline and 6 months after normalization of serum TSH levels. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The incidence of abnormal premature supraventricular depolarizations (SVPD) and the number of episodes of supraventricular tachycardia was defined as primary outcome measurements before the start of the study. In addition, heart rate oscillations (turbulence) after premature depolarizations and heart rate variability were compared at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS: SVPDs decreased from 59 +/- 29 to 21 +/- 8 per 24 h (P = 0.003), very early SVPDs (so called P on T) decreased from 36 +/- 24 to 3 +/- 1 per 24 h (P < 0.0001), respectively, and nonsustained supraventricular tachycardias decreased from 22 +/- 11 to 0.5 +/- 0.2 per 24 h (P = 0.01) after normalization of serum thyrotropin levels. The hyperthyroid phase was characterized by an increased heart rate (93 +/- 14 vs. 79 +/- 8 beats/min, P < 0.0001) and a decreased turbulence slope (3.6 vs. 9.2, P = 0.003), consistent with decreased vagal tone. This was confirmed by a significant decrease of heart rate variability. CONCLUSION: Hyperthyroidism is associated with an increased supraventricular ectopic activity in patients with normal hearts. The activation of these arrhythmogenic foci by elevated thyroid hormones may be an important causal link between hyperthyroidism and atrial fibrillation.

The cells of monocyte-macrophage lineage in mice with the 2-month polyethylene implantation.

End-point-attached heparinized polyethylene (H-PE) was implanted for 2 months into the peritoneum of C57B1/6 mice. The proliferation of bone marrow cells (BMCs) from implanted and non-implanted mice was investigated in M-CSF supplemented medium, in the presence or absence of macrophage-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The mAb HC 7.67.B, recognizing a surface determinant on immature monocytoid cells, inhibited the proliferation of BMCs from H-PE implanted mice without any influence on the proliferation of BMCs from non-implanted animals. The peritoneal macrophages from H-PE implanted mice demonstrated enhanced production of fibronectin (Fn) in comparison to the macrophages from non-implanted animals. Our results suggest changes in the differentiation of murine monocyte-macrophage lineage in the mice bearing H-PE implants for 2 months.

[Usefulness of the microcolorimetric method of XTT reduction for evaluation of intracellular killing of pathogens]. / Przydatnosc mikrokolorymetrycznej metody redukcji XTT do oceny wewnatrzkomórkowego zabijania patogenów.

The aim of this study was to evaluate a XTT assay in testing the killing activity of mouse phagocytes in vitro. Live microorganisms converted XTT to water soluble orange formazan in the presence of CQ. Absorption of formazan measured at 492 nm was directly related to the number of viable cells. The percentage of staphylococci killed by granulocytes and macrophages was 10-40% (1 h- and 2 h-respectively), in the cultures containing 10 bacteria/phagocyte. Killing of Candida albicans (1-3 blastospors/phagocyte) was seen after 2 h of incubation. The percentage of Listeria and Mycobacterium killed by phagocytes depended on pathogenicity of the tested strains. The bactericidal activity of phagocytes estimated in the XTT assay and by the CFU method was quite similar.

Biomaterial-associated infection with Candida albicans in mice.

Candida yeasts are frequently isolated from patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis peritonitis or other biomaterial-associated infections. The mouse model of candidal peritonitis was used to study the interaction of Candida cells with end-point attached heparinized polyethylene (H-PE) and with polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) or macrophages (M phi). Two Candida strains differing in cell surface hydrophobicity and in expression of fibronectin (Fn) binding were used for the study. Cells of both Candida strains adhered at higher numbers to H-PE surfaces preadsorbed with Fn or with human dialysis fluid (HDF) than to non-modified H-PE, supporting a role of Fn in mediating adhesion. C. albicans 4016 cells expressing low hydrophobicity and low binding of soluble Fn demonstrated stronger adhesion to PMNs than the more hydrophobic C. albicans 3248 yeasts, which express high binding of soluble Fn. However, C. albicans 4016 cells were more resistant to phagocytic killing and were hardly eradicated in intraperitoneally infected mice. The animals depleted in PMNs by treatment with CY were neither able to eradicate C. albicans 3248 (rapidly eliminated by normal mice) nor C. albicans 4016 yeasts (with a tendency to persist in the tissues of normal mice).

The influence of long-lasting implantation on the function of phagocytes towards staphylococci.

A mouse model of peritoneal staphylococcal infection in mice implanted with heparinized polyethylene (H-PE) was used in this study. The binding of staphylococci and fibronectin (Fn) to biomaterial surface was estimated in vitro and in vivo. The activity of phagocytes from the animals non-implanted or implanted for 7 days or 2 months with H-PE was determined on the basis of bactericidal activity, nitric oxide (NO) and Fn production.