Background: A significant proportion of heart failure (HF) patients have preserved ejection fraction (EF). Considering that inflammation and oxidative stress are involved in HF evolution, we investigated lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (LpPLA2), an enzyme involved in these pathophysiologic processes in relation to EF. Methods and results: The study included 208 HF patients and 20 healthy controls. HF patients with preserved EF (HFpEF) represented

Background: Systemic embolisation occurs in 22% to 50% of patients with infective endocarditis (IE). Up to 65% of embolic events (EE) involve the central nervous system which increases the mortality rate. Several echocardiographic studies have demonstrated higher embolic rates with the increase of vegetation (VEG) dimensions and mobility. Aim: To define echocardiographic parameters which can help in identifying patients with a high risk of EE and

Cells of the female reproductive tract are subject to hormonal control via sex steroid genomic receptors expressed at nuclear level. We previously showed that interstitial Cajal-like cells (ICLC) of human myometrium expressed estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER/PR). Our aim, based on these results, was to see if ER and/or PR could be found also in tubal ICLC. Indeed, we present here immunohistochemical evidence that ICLC of human Fallopian tube

Abstract In this study we tried to compare the efficacy and safety of betaxolol versus metoprolol immediately postoperatively in coronary artery bypass grafting patients and to determine whether prophylaxy for atrial fibrillation with betaxolol could reduce hospitalization and economic costs after cardiac surgery Our trial was open-label, randomized, multicentric enrolling 1352 coronary surgery patients randomized to receive betaxolol or metoprolol.