The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 2015
Comparative StudyEffects of azithromycin and tanomastat on experimental bronchiolitis obliterans.
Azithromycin has become a standard of care in therapy of bronchiolitis obliterans following lung transplantation. Matrix metalloprotease-9 broncho-alveolar lavage levels increase in airway neutrophilia and bronchiolitis obliterans. Interleukin-17 may play a role in lung allograft rejection, and interleukin-12 is downregulated in bronchiolitis obliterans. Whether these mechanisms can be targeted by azithromycin remains unclear. ⋯ The expression of interleukin-17 and matrix metalloprotease-9 in bronchiolitis obliterans may be attenuated by azithromycin, and the decrease in interleukin-12 expression was prevented by azithromycin. Combination of azithromycin with a matrix metalloprotease inhibitor is worth studying further because it prevented complete allograft fibrosis in this study.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 2015
Comparative StudyDiffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in preoperative assessment of non-small cell lung cancer.
Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) frequently shows heterogeneity of signal intensity (SI) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of our study was to examine the association of SI and DWI patterns with histology, tumor invasiveness, lymph node metastasis, and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) uptake in NSCLC. ⋯ The SI and heterogeneity of DWI reflect the histologic heterogeneity, tumor aggressiveness, and FDG-PET uptake in NSCLC.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 2015
Labetalol, nebivolol, and propranolol relax human radial artery used as coronary bypass graft.
Beta-blockers are a heterogeneous class of agents that are used in the treatment of many cardiovascular diseases, especially hypertension and atherosclerosis, and that are commonly prescribed after cardiac surgery. In the present study, the aim is to investigate the vasorelaxant effects of some common beta-adrenoceptor blockers on the human radial artery in vitro, as well as their relaxation mechanisms. ⋯ We speculated that the relaxant effect of labetalol, nebivolol, and propranolol was due partly to the Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels. In addition, the relaxation induced by nebivolol was largely related with nitric oxide release. Nebivolol, and partly propranolol, may provide significant therapeutic benefit, but labetalol can be a good alternative for coronary artery bypass grafting with radial artery use.
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The more extensive conflict of interest information will permit reviewers and editors to ensure the accuracy, balance,and lack of bias of papers accepted for publication. Therefore, a brief conflict statement will be published on the cover page and a more extensive description will be published at the end of the paper to allow concerned readers to make their own judgments about the quality of the information reported.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Apr 2015
Editorial Biography Historical ArticleHistorical perspectives of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery: Dr Wilfred G. Bigelow.