The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jul 2010
The impact of bridge-to-transplant ventricular assist device support on survival after cardiac transplantation.
To determine the impact of bridge-to-transplant ventricular assist device support on survival after cardiac transplantation. ⋯ In patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, placement of a Heartmate I ventricular assist device as a bridge to a cardiac transplant is associated with an elevation in the pretransplant panel-reactive antibody and a decrease in 1- and 5-year survivals after cardiac transplantation.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jul 2010
Chronologic changes in P-wave characteristics after the Fontan procedure: the effect of surgical modification.
The Fontan-type procedure has undergone 2 major modifications, including intra-atrial baffling and extracardiac conduit. To clarify the effect of these modifications on arrhythmia propensity, we analyzed chronologic changes in P-wave characteristics after atriopulmonary connection, intra-atrial baffling, or extracardiac conduit. ⋯ After intra-atrial baffling, patients increasingly had prolonged P-wave duration and larger dispersion associated with sinus node dysfunction, suggesting a propensity to arrhythmia, although less progressive than seen in those undergoing atriopulmonary connection. In contrast, despite an equal prevalence of sinus node dysfunction after extracardiac conduit, the lack of important changes in P-wave characteristics over time suggests that the extracardiac conduit procedure is the preferred option for optimal rhythm prognosis.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Jul 2010
Loss of p53, rather than beta-catenin overexpression, induces survivin-mediated resistance to apoptosis in an esophageal cancer cell line.
Survivin, an important inhibitor of apoptosis, is overexpressed in esophageal cancer and negatively affects survival. The complex regulation of survivin transcription involves enhancement by beta-catenin and repression by p53. The purpose of this study is to test whether inhibition of beta-catenin or overexpression of p53 can decrease survivin expression and render esophageal cancer cells more susceptible to apoptosis. ⋯ Survivin plays a critical role in TE7 cell resistance to camptothecin-induced apoptosis. This effect is not dependent on beta-catenin expression. Overexpression of p53 decreases survivin transcription but does not decrease levels of survivin protein, suggesting posttranscriptional control of survivin expression.