Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Disease ; pathology ; therapy ; Coronary Restenosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Thrombosis ; pathology

Vulnerable plaques is the hot spot in the researching field of cardiovascular diseases. In this paper, literature about establishment of experimental vulnerable plaques model animals published recent years were briefly reviewed and introduced concretely the conception, significance of researching, histopathologic characteristics of various types model, model assessment and current status of research.
Animals ; Coronary Artery Disease ; pathology ; Coronary Vessels ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Coronary Disease ; blood ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Tongue ; pathology

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Disease ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Coronary Stenosis ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Fractional Flow Reserve, Myocardial

Aged ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnosis ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; diagnosis ; Coronary Vessels ; pathology ; Humans ; Male

In the preoperative evaluation before coronary artery bypass surgery, review of the coronary arteriogram is the most important step. Expected "normal" lumen diameter at a given coronary anatomic location is a basis for quantative estimation of coronary disease severity that could be more useful than the traditional "percent stenosis". The distribution and number of major coronary artery branches are determinants of number of bypass grafts needed. We reviewed the coronary artery anatomy in 174 adult patients who revealed no coronary pathology in angiographic studies done from September 1994 to June 1996. Quantative analysis was done in all cases by a single person using a Computerized System (Arripro 35(r)). The results were follows; 1) The mean diametre of left main coronary artery was 4.45 mm (range 2.74~6.72). The pattern of branching was bifurcation in 67.24%, trifurcation in 28.74% and quadrifurcation in 4.02% of the patients. 2) The mean diametre of left anterior descending artery was 3.17 mm (range 2.10~5.85), 2.79 (range 1.55~5.59) and 2.17 mm (range 1.37~3.81) in the proximal, mid, and the distal portions, respectively. The number of diagonal branches of left anterior artery was from one to four (mode=2). 3) The mean diametre of proximal and distal left circumflex artery were 3.17mm (range 1.74~4.89) and 2.19 mm (range 1.21~4.46). The number of obtuse marginal branches of left circumflex artery is from one to six (mode 2). 4) The mean diametre of proximal and distal right coronary artery, the posterior descending artery and the largest posterolateral branch were mean 3.51 mm (range 2.07~5.67), 2.09 mm (range 1.42~3.60), 2.09 mm (range 1.02~3.60) and 2.30 mm (range 1.39~4.39). 5) The right coronary artery dominant was 163 cases (93.68%) of the total 174 cases. 6) The large significant acute marginal artery was visualized in more than half of the people.
Adult ; Arteries ; Computer Systems ; Coronary Artery Bypass ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Pathology* ; Single Person ; Transplants

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic ; etiology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Disease ; complications ; physiopathology ; Coronary Vessel Anomalies ; etiology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Myocardium ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical and coronary angiographic features of patients with systemic vasculitis and coronary artery disease.

METHODFifteen patients (11 male) with systemic vasculitis and coronary artery diseases admitted to our hospital from January 1999 to October 2009 were reviewed.

RESULTSThere were 6 patients with Behcet's disease, 3 patients with Churg-Strauss syndrome, 2 patients with Takayasu arteritis, 1 patient with polyarteritis nodosa, 1 patient with microscopic polyangiitis, 1 patient with Wegner's granulomatosis and 1 patient with Kawasaki disease. Mean age of this cohort was (39.3 ± 11.9) years. Adverse coronary events occurred in 4 patients during the inactive phase of systemic vasculitis and in 9 patients during the active phase of systemic vasculitis. Twelve patients were hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction, 2 with angina pectoris and 1 with cardiac tamponade. There were 3 patients with acute left ventricular dysfunction and 3 patients with severe arrhythmias. Compared to patients in the inactive phase, patients in the active phase were younger [(32.4 ± 8.1) years vs. (47.0 ± 10.2) years], had less risk factors for atherosclerosis (1.2 ± 1.5 to 2.8 ± 1.7) and the time intervals between coronary artery disease and systemic vasculitis was shorter [0 - 7 years (average 1.6 years) to 3 - 30 years (average 17.7 years)]. Coronary angiography evidenced coronary stenosis or occlusions in 11 patients, coronary aneurysm and acute thrombosis in 1 patient, coronary aneurysms and occlusions in 1 patient and coronary spasm in 2 patients. LVEF measured by echocardiography was less than 50% in 8 patients.

CONCLUSIONPatients with various systemic vasculitis could develop severe coronary artery disease due to coronary stenosis/occlusion, aneurysma, thrombosis and coronary spasm.

Adult ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; complications ; pathology ; Coronary Vessels ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vasculitis ; complications ; pathology

OBJECTIVEIt is revealed that circulating fibrocytes are elevated in patients/animals with cardiac fibrosis, and this review aims to provide an introduction to circulating fibrocytes and their role in cardiac fibrosis.

DATA SOURCESThis review is based on the data from 1994 to present obtained from PubMed. The search terms were "circulating fibrocytes " and "cardiac fibrosis ".

STUDY SELECTIONArticles and critical reviews, which are related to circulating fibrocytes and cardiac fibrosis, were selected.

RESULTSCirculating fibrocytes, which are derived from hematopoietic stem cells, represent a subset of peripheral blood mononuclear cells exhibiting mixed morphological and molecular characteristics of hematopoietic and mesenchymal cells (CD34+/CD45+/collagen I+). They can produce extracellular matrix and many cytokines. It is shown that circulating fibrocytes participate in many fibrotic diseases, including cardiac fibrosis. Evidence accumulated in recent years shows that aging individuals and patients with hypertension, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and atrial fibrillation have more circulating fibrocytes in peripheral blood and/or heart tissue, and this elevation of circulating fibrocytes is correlated with the degree of fibrosis in the hearts.

CONCLUSIONSCirculating fibrocytes are effector cells in cardiac fibrosis.

Coronary Disease ; pathology ; Fibroblasts ; physiology ; Fibrosis ; pathology ; Heart Failure ; pathology ; Humans ; Hypertension ; pathology ; Myocardium ; pathology

Aged ; Coronary Disease ; Coronary Sinus ; pathology ; Female ; Heart Atria ; pathology ; Humans ; Middle Aged