3D Printing for Cardiovascular Surgery and Intervention: A Review Article.

3D printing technology can be applied to practically every aspect of modern life, fulfilling the needs of people from various backgrounds. The utilization of 3D printing in the context of adult heart disease can be succinctly categorized into 3 primary domains: preoperative strategizing or simulation, medical instruction, and clinical consultations. 3D-printed model utilization improves surgical planning and intraoperative decision-making and minimizes surgical risks, and it has demonstrated its efficacy as an innovative educational tool for aspiring surgeons with limited practical exposure. Despite all the applications of 3D printing, it has not yet been shown to improve long-term outcomes, including safety. There are no data on the outcomes of controlled trials available. To appropriately diagnose heart disease, 3D-printed models of the heart can provide a better understanding of the intracardiac anatomy and provide all the information needed for operative planning. Experientially, 3D printing provides a wide range of perceptions for understanding lower extremity arteries' spatial geometry and anatomical features of pathology. Practicing cardiac surgery processes using objects printed using 3D imaging data can become the norm rather than the exception, leading to improved accuracy and quality of treatment. This study aimed to review the various applications of 3D printing technology in cardiac surgery and intervention.

Evaluation of De Ritis (AST/ALT), ALP/ALT, and AST/ALP ratios as prognostic factors in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Recently, stroke prognosis estimation has received much attention. This study investigates the prognostic role of aspartate transaminase/alanine transaminase (De Ritis, AAR), alkaline phosphatase/alanine transaminase (ALP/ALT), and aspartate transaminase/alkaline phosphatase (AST/ALP) ratios in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study involved patients who experienced their first-ever AIS between September 2019 and June 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were collected within the first 24 hours after admission. Functional and mortality outcomes were evaluated 90 days after hospital discharge in clinical follow-up. Functional outcome was assessed by a modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The correlation between the laboratory data and study outcomes was evaluated using univariate analysis. In addition, regression models were developed to evaluate the predictive role of AST/ALP, ALP/ALT, and AAR ratios on the study outcomes. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-seven patients (mean age 69.10 ± 13.55, 53.1% female) were included. According to univariate analysis, there was a weak association between 3-months mRS, and both AST/ALT (r = 0.222, P < 0.001), and AST/ALP (r = 0.164, P = 0.008). Subsequently, higher levels of these ratios and absolute values of AST, ALT, and ALP were reported in deceased patients. Based on regression models adjusted with co-variable (age, gender, underlying disease, and history of smoking) AST/ALT and AST/ALP ratios had a significant independent association with 3-month mRS (CI:1.37-4.52, p = 0.003, and CI: 4.45-11,547.32, p = 0.007, respectively) and mortality (CI: 0.17-1.06, adjusted R2 = 0.21, p = 0.007, and CI: 0.10-2.91, p = 0.035, adjusted R2 = 0.20, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated AST/ALP and AAR ratios at admission were correlated with poorer outcomes at 3 months in patients with first-ever AIS. Prospective studies in larger cohorts are required to confirm our findings and to evaluate further whether the AST/ALP and De Ritis ratios may represent a useful tool for determining the prognosis of AIS patients.

Expression Level of miR-34a in Tumor Tissue from Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: miR-34a has been shown to be involved in P53 regulation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the expression level of miR-34a in esophageal cancer and compare it with that of the normal marginal tissues. METHODS: Tumor and marginal tissues were obtained from 50 patients with esophageal cancer. After RNA extraction, expression level of miR-34a was determined using SYBR green master mix and real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: It was observed that there was a downregulation of miR-34a in tumoral tissue of esophageal patients in comparison to normal marginal tissues. Moreover, the expression level of miR-34a was correlated with clinicopathological specifications of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: miR-34a may be involved in the pathogenesis and development of esophageal cancer and have the potential to be used as a diagnostic and therapeutic marker in esophageal cancer.