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Price: EUR 185.00Authors: Nie, Chengli | Tao, Li | Chen, Jiangwei | Yang, Jianghu | Chen, Zihui | Huang, Wen
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Haemodynamics plays an important role in the development of vascular disease. There is currently a lack of studies evaluating the characteristics and affecting factors of the iliac vein haemodynamics in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to use 4D flow MRI to explore the haemodynamic characteristics of iliac veins and its affecting factors in an asymptomatic population. METHODS: Thirty consecutive volunteers without venous-related symptoms or signs underwent four-dimensional postprocessing of their MRI images. Relevant parameters, the demographic data, common iliac vein-inferior vena cava angle, iliac vein area, tortuosity, iliac vein mean flow, …mean velocity was computed and analysed. T tests and Spearman’s tests were used for analysing. A P value of 0.05 or less was considered significant. RESULTS: Height and iliac vein area were positively correlated with flow, while degree of stenosis, and common iliac-inferior vena cava angle were negatively correlated with that. Degree of stenosis was positively correlated with velocity, but the common iliac-inferior vena cava angle and iliac vein tortuosity were negatively correlated with that. The mean flow and velocity of iliac veins in females were lower than males. The mean flow and velocity of the left iliac veins were lower than those of the right. CONCLUSION: The height, gender, tortuosity, degree of stenosis, common iliac vein-inferior vena cava angle of the iliac vein are important factors that affect flow and velocity of the iliac veins. There were differences in haemodynamic parameters of the bilateral iliac veins. Show more
Keywords: Iliac vein, anatomy, haemodynamics, four-dimensional flow, magnetic resonance imaging
DOI: 10.3233/CH-242135
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Li, Wei-Wei | Guo, Ze-Ming | Wang, Bing-Cai | Liu, Qing-Quan | Zhao, Wen-An | Wei, Xiao-Lan
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the arteries, and its pathogenesis is related to endothelial dysfunction. It has been found that the protein convertase subtilin/kexin9 type (PCSK9) plays an important role in AS, but its specific mechanism is still unclear. METHODS: In this study, we first cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with 50 or 100μg/ml oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) for 24 hours to establish a coronary atherosclerosis cell model. RESULTS: The results showed that ox-LDL induced HUVEC injury and autophagy and upregulated PCSK9 protein expression in HUVECs in a concentration-dependent …manner. Silencing PCSK9 expression with siRNA inhibited ox-LDL-induced HUVEC endothelial dysfunction, inhibited the release of inflammatory factors, promoted HUVEC proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. In addition, ox-LDL increased the expression of LC3B-I and LC3B-II and decreased the expression of p62. However, these processes are reversed by sh-PCSK9. In addition, sh-PCSK9 can inhibit PI3K, AKT and mTOR phosphorylation and promote autophagy. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our research shows that silencing PCSK9 inhibits the PI3K/ATK/mTOR pathway to activate ox-LDL-induced autophagy in vascular endothelial cells, alleviating endothelial cell injury and inflammation. Show more
Keywords: PCSK9, atherosclerotic coronary, autophagy, endothelial cell, PI3K
DOI: 10.3233/CH-242172
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-13, 2024
Authors: Li, Yi-xiang | Li, Wen-jing | Xu, Yong-sheng | Jia, Lu-lu | Wang, Miao-miao | Qu, Meng-meng | Wang, Li-li | Lu, Xian-de | Lei, Jun-qiang
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using dual-layer spectral CT multi-parameter feature to predict microvascular invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 50 HCC patients who underwent multiphase contrast-enhanced spectral CT studies preoperatively. Combined clinical data, radiological features with spectral CT quantitative parameter were constructed to predict MVI. ROC was applied to identify potential predictors of MVI. The CT values obtained by simulating the conventional CT scans with 70 keV images were compared with those obtained with 40 keV images. RESULTS: 50 hepatocellular carcinomas were detected with 30 lesions (Group A) with microvascular …invasion and 20 (Group B) without. There were significant differences in AFP,tumer size, IC, NIC,slope and effective atomic number in AP and ICrr in VP between Group A ((1000(10.875,1000),4.360±0.3105, 1.7750 (1.5350,1.8825) mg/ml, 0.1785 (0.1621,0.2124), 2.0362±0.2108,8.0960±0.1043,0.2830±0.0777) and Group B (4.750(3.325,20.425),3.190±0.2979,1.4700 (1.4500,1.5775) mg/ml, 0.1441 (0.1373,0.1490),1.8601±0.1595, 7.8105±0.7830 and 0.2228±0.0612) (all p < 0.05). Using 0.1586 as the threshold for NIC, one could obtain an area-under-curve (AUC) of 0.875 in ROC to differentiate between tumours with and without microvascular invasion. AUC was 0.625 with CT value at 70 keV and improved to 0.843 at 40 keV. CONCLUSION: Dual-layer spectral CT provides additional quantitative parameters than conventional CT to enhance the differentiation between hepatocellular carcinoma with and without microvascular invasion. Especially, the normalized iodine concentration (NIC) in arterial phase has the greatest potential application value in determining whether microvascular invasion exists, and can offer an important reference for clinical treatment plan and prognosis assessment. Show more
Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, microvascular invasion, dual-layer spectral CT, energy spectrum curve, effective atomic number
DOI: 10.3233/CH-242175
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-17, 2024
Authors: Wang, Guojuan | Yin, Ci | Wang, Yanfang | Li, Qi | Yang, Dan | Wang, Peihua | Nie, Fang
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value of CEUS in atypical-enhanced PTC. METHODS: The clinical data, qualitative and quantitative parameters of CEUS in 177 Iso/hyper-enhanced thyroid nodules with definite pathological results were retrospectively analyzed in the Lanzhou University Second Hospital from June 2019 to January 2021. And the clinical value of CEUS in the diagnosis of atypical-enhanced PTC was assessed using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Among the 177 thyroid nodules, 59 were benign and 118 were PTC. There were significant differences in age, enhancement border, ring enhancement, speed of wash in, speed of wash out, enhancement …pattern, capsule interruption, time to peak, time to wash out, RT, TPH, and TTP (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed unclear enhancement border and concentric enhancement were independent risk factors for the diagnosis of atypical-enhanced PTC by CEUS. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of the model in diagnosing atypical-enhanced PTC were 88.1%, 71.2%, 86.0%, 75.0%, and 82.5%, respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.910. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of atypical-enhanced PTC can be better performed by enhancement characteristics and time intensity curve (TIC) of CEUS, which have a good clinical application value. Show more
Keywords: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound, papillary thyroid carcinoma, atypical
DOI: 10.3233/CH-242173
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-9, 2024
Authors: Wang, Ying | Tian, Xiao-Fan | Cheng, Juan | Xu, Xin-Liang | Cao, Jia-Ying | Dong, Yi | Dietrich, Christoph F.
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate pancreatic tissue stiffness and provide a normal reference shear wave velocity (SWV) value of pancreas from healthy adults by Virtual Touch Imaging Quantification (VTIQ) measurements. METHODS: Healthy adult volunteers without known history of hepatobiliary or pancreatic diseases were included. VTIQ elastography (Siemens ACUSON Sequoia, 5C-1 transducer) was used. SWV values were measured at the cephalic, corpus and tail of pancreas and replicated different operators’ obtained data. Subgroups were classified according to the volunteers’ gender, age, body mass index (BMI), depth of measurements and the echogenicity of the pancreas. RESULTS: From …February 2023 to July 2023, 33 healthy adult volunteers were included. The success rate of VTIQ measurements in cephalic, corpus and tail regions was 90.90 % (30/33), 96.97 % (32/33) and 90.90 % (30/33) respectively. The color elastograms of healthy adult pancreas showed uniform blue or simultaneously blue and green. The average SWV values were 0.97±0.26 m/s for cephalic, 0.91±0.24 m/s for corpus and 0.97±0.25 m/s for pancreatic tail respectively (P = 0.198). The mean SWV values of pancreas did not show significant difference with age, gender or depth (P > 0.05). BMI was an influence factor in the measurements of SWV values of cephalic and tail of pancreas (P < 0.05). Pancreas with hyperechoic parenchyma showed higher mean SWV values (P < 0.05). The intra-observer (ICC = 0.938 [95% CI: 0.869–0.971]) and the inter-observer (ICC = 0.887 [95% CI: 0.760–0.947]) agreements of VTIQ measurements were excellent. CONCLUSIONS: The mean SWV value of the pancreas in healthy adults was 0.96±0.20 m/s (range: 0.52–1.74 m/s). VTIQ technique can be used in pancreatic stiffness measurements with good reliability. Show more
Keywords: Shear wave velocity (SWV), ultrasound, pancreas, normal value, virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ)
DOI: 10.3233/CH-232092
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-10, 2024
Authors: Yan, Wentao | He, Xiuhua | Wang, Guanjun | Hu, Guochao | Cui, Bin
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor (vaspin) is an adipokine. It has been reported that decreased serum vaspin levels are significantly associated with stroke severity and prognosis. PURPOSE: This article aims to explore the theoretical feasibility of vaspin supplementation for cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. METHODS: The I/R mouse models were constructed by the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method, and the effects of vaspin on cerebral infarction, neurological function, angiogenesis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress were explored. To verify the mediation of ER stress in the regulation of vaspin, human brain microvascular …endothelial cells (HBMECs) were subjected to ER stress agonist tunicamycin in vitro . The impacts of vaspin and tunicamycin on oxygen glucose deprivation/ recovery (OGD/R)-induced cell viability, apoptosis, and angiogenesis were examined. RESULTS: Vaspin inhibited blood-brain barrier breakdown and infarction occurred in the brain tissue of the I/R mice. Vaspin also enhanced cerebral neovascularization and reduced the apoptosis. Additional tunicamycin increased the apoptosis of HBMECs and inhibited angiogenesis, reversing the protective effect of vaspin on cells. CONCLUSION: Together, this study reveals that vaspin supplementation reduces cerebral infarction and works against neurological dysfunction. It maintains the survival and angiogenesis capacity of HBMECs by inhibiting ER stress. Show more
Keywords: Vaspin, ER stress, I/R injury, OGD/R, microvascular endothelial cell
DOI: 10.3233/CH-232077
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-11, 2024
Authors: Magnusson, Marine M. M. | Schüpbach-Regula, Gertraud | Rieger, Juliane | Plendl, Johanna | Marin, Ilka | Drews, Barbara | Kaessmeyer, Sabine
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: Objective: BACKGROUND: The use of endothelial cell cultures has become fundamental to study angiogenesis. Recent advances in artificial intelligences (AI) offer opportunities to develop automated assessment methods in medical research, analyzing larger datasets. Objective: OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the application of AI with a manual method to morphometrically quantify in vitro angiogenesis. Objective: METHODS: Co-cultures of human microvascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts were incubated mimicking endothelial capillary-beds. An AI-software was trained for segmentation of endothelial capillaries on anti-CD31-labeled light microscope crops. Number of capillaries …and branches and average capillary diameter were measured by the AI and manually on 115 crops. Objective: RESULTS: The crops were analyzed faster by the AI than manually (3 minutes vs 1 hour per crop). Using the AI, systematically more capillaries (mean 48/mm2 vs 27/mm2 ) and branches (mean 23/mm2 vs 11/mm2 ) were counted than manually. Both methods had a strong linear relationship in counting capillaries and branches (r-capillaries = 0.88, r-branches = 0.89). No correlation was found for measurements of the diameter (r-diameter = 0.15). Objective: CONCLUSIONS: The present AI reduces the time required for quantitative analysis of angiogenesis on large datasets, and correlates well with manual analysis. Show more
Keywords: Artificial intelligence, HMVEC, machine learning, endothelial cells, angiogenesis
DOI: 10.3233/CH-242157
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2024
Authors: Bagherzadeh-Rahmani, Behnam | Marzetti, Emanuele | Karami, Esmail | Campbell, Bill I. | Fakourian, Ali | Haghighi, Amir Hossein | Mousavi, Seyyed Hossein | Heinrich, Katie M. | Brazzi, Luca | Jung, Friedrich | Baker, Julien S. | Patel, Darpan I.
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 6 weeks of resistance training (RT) combined with aerobic training (AT) and Tirzepatide supplementation on lipid profiles, insulin resistance, anthropometric characteristics and physical fitness in prediabetic obese soldiers. METHODS: 61 obese men were randomly divided into six groups: Placebo; Tirzepatide 5 mg (T5); Tirzepatide 2.5 mg (T2.5); Hypertrophy, Strength, Power-Circuit Training+Placebo (Ex+P); Hypertrophy, Strength, Power-Circuit Training+Tirzepatide 5 mg (Ex+T5); Hypertrophy, Strength, Power-Circuit Training+Tirzepatide 2.5 mg (Ex+T2.5). All training groups performed aerobic training (AT) after resistance training. Subjects trained for six weeks, three sessions per week. Before and after …the intervention period, the participants were evaluated for anthropometric measures, body composition [body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and fat mass (FM)], cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 max), and muscle strength (chest press 1RM and leg press 1RM). Blood biochemistry evaluations included triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin level and insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). To evaluate the differences between the groups, ANCOVA statistical method was used along with Bonferroni’s post hoc test, and the significance level was P < 0.05. RESULTS: Body weight, BMI, WC, FM, FBG, LDL-C, TC, TG and HOMA-IR were significantly decreased in Ex+P, Ex+T5 and Ex+T2.5 groups compared to Placebo, T5 and T2.5 groups. WHR significantly decreased in Ex+P, Ex+T5 and Ex+T2.5 groups compared to Placebo group. HDL-C, chest press and leg press significantly increased in Ex+P, Ex+T5 and Ex+T2.5 groups compared to Placebo, T5 and T2.5 groups. VO2 max significantly increased and insulin significantly decreased in Ex+P group compared to Placebo, T5 and T2.5 groups. FM, FBG and TG were significantly decreased in both the T2.5 and T5 groups compared to Placebo group. HOMA-IR, LDL-C and TC significantly decreased in the T5 group compared to Placebo group. Also, leg press significantly increased in Ex+P group compared to all other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Performing six weeks of combined resistance and aerobic training in the form of RT+AT alone is more effective than the simultaneous use of Tirzepatide on cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, and modulating insulin levels. Taking Tirzepatide in doses of 5 mg and 2.5 mg in combination with exercise training did not have a significant advantage over exercise training alone. Finally, taking Tirzepatide in doses of 5 mg or 2.5 mg in combination with exercise training is not significantly superior to each other. Show more
Keywords: Obesity, combined training, GIP, GLP-1, Tirzepatide
DOI: 10.3233/CH-242134
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2024
Authors: Mahesutihan, Madina | Yan, Ju | Midilibieke, Hasidaer | Yu, Li | Dawulin, Reyizha | Yang, Wen-Xian | Wulasihan, Muhuyati
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: The progression and persistence of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI) are strongly linked to local inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. Cyclophilin A (CypA), a pro-inflammatory factor, is involved in various cardiovascular diseases. However, the role and mechanism of action of CypA in MI/RI are still not fully understood. METHODS: We used the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for bioinformatic analysis. We collected blood samples from patients and controls for detecting the levels of serum CypA using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. We then developed a myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury model in wild-type (WT) mice and Ppia …-/- mice. We utilized echocardiography, hemodynamic measurements, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining to determine the role of CypA in myocardial I/R injury. Finally, we conducted an in vitro study, cell transfection, flow cytometry, RNA interference, and a co-immunoprecipitation assay to clarify the mechanism of CypA in aggravating cardiomyocyte apoptosis. RESULTS: We found that CypA inhibited TXNIP degradation to enhance oxidative stress-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis during MI/RI. By comparing and analyzing CypA expression in patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease and in healthy controls, we found that CypA was upregulated in patients with Coronary Atmospheric Heart Disease, and its expression was positively correlated with Gensini scores. In addition, CypA deficiency decreased cytokine expression, oxidative stress, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in I/R-treated mice, eventually alleviating cardiac dysfunction. CypA knockdown also reduced H2 O2 -induced apoptosis in H9c2 cells. Mechanistically, we found that CypA inhibited K48-linked ubiquitination mediated by atrophin-interacting protein 4 (AIP4) and proteasomal degradation of TXNIP, a thioredoxin-binding protein that mediates oxidative stress and induces apoptosis. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the critical role CypA plays in myocardial injury caused by oxidative stress-induced apoptosis, indicating that CypA can be a viable biomarker and a therapeutic target candidate for MI/RI. Show more
Keywords: Cyclophilin A, inflammation, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, oxidative stress, thioredoxin-interacting proteins
DOI: 10.3233/CH-242142
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-24, 2024
Authors: Wen, Peng | Liu, Lei | Pan, Lili | Li, Xiukun
Article Type: Research Article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The primary aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic efficacy of elastography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the identification of breast lesions subsequent to the optimization and correction of the BI-RADS category 4 classification obtained through conventional ultrasound. The objective is to augment both the specificity and accuracy of breast lesion diagnosis, thereby establishing a reliable framework for reducing unnecessary biopsies in clinical settings. METHODS: A cohort comprising 50 cases of breast lesions classified under BI-RADS category 4 was collected during the period from November 2022 and November 2023. These cases were examined utilizing strain …elastography (SE), shear wave elastography (SWE), and CEUS. Novel scoring methodologies for ultrasonic elastography (UE) and CEUS were formulated for this investigation. Subsequently, the developed UE and CEUS scoring systems were used to refine and optimize the conventional BI-RADS classification, either in isolation or in conjunction. Based on the revised classification, the benign group was classified as category 3 and the suspected malignant group was classified as category 4a and above, with pathological results serving as the definitive reference standard. The diagnostic efficacy of the optimized UE and CEUS, both independently and in combination, was meticulously scrutinized and compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, with pathological findings as the reference standard. RESULTS: Within the study group, malignancy manifested in 11 cases. Prior to the implementation of the optimization criteria, 78% (39 out of 50) of patients underwent biopsies deemed unnecessary. Following the application of optimization criteria, specifically a threshold of≥8.5 points for the UE scoring method and≥6.5 points for the CEUS scoring method, the incidence of unnecessary biopsies diminished significantly. Reduction rates were observed at 53.8% (21 out of 39) with the UE protocol, 56.4% (22 out of 39) with the CEUS protocol, and 89.7% (35 out of 39) with the combined UE and CEUS optimization protocols. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic efficacy of conventional ultrasound BI-RADS category 4 classification for breast lesions is enhanced following optimized correction using UE and CEUS, either independently or in conjunction. The application of the combined protocol demonstrates a notable reduction in the incidence of unnecessary biopsies. Show more
Keywords: BI-RADS 4 categories, breast lesions, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, elastography, optimization correction, scoring method
DOI: 10.3233/CH-242216
Citation: Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation, vol. Pre-press, no. Pre-press, pp. 1-16, 2024
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