This work presents results of a comprehensive analysis of the Lenz effect due to motion of artificial heart valves during magnetic resonance imaging. The interaction of rotating metallic heart valves with magnetic fields is studied by performing a time-domain analysis of the corresponding electromagnetic problem. We applied the finite element method (FEM) to solve the T − Ω formulation of Maxwe...

BACKGROUND Previous tissue engineering approaches to create heart valves have been limited by the structural immaturity and mechanical properties of the valve constructs. This study used an in vitro pulse duplicator system to provide a biomimetic environment during tissue formation to yield more mature implantable heart valves derived from autologous tissue. METHODS AND RESULTS Trileaflet hea...

Heart valve disease and pulmonary hypertension, in patients with carcinoid tumors and people who used the fenfluramine-phentermine combination for weight control, have been associated with high levels of serotonin in blood. The mechanism by which serotonin induces valvular changes is not well understood. We recently reported that increased oxidative stress is associated with valvular changes in...

BACKGROUND Tissue-engineered or decellularized heart valves have already been implanted in humans or are currently approaching the clinical setting. The aim of this study was to examine the migratory response of human monocytic cells toward decellularized porcine and human heart valves, a pivotal step in the early immunologic reaction. METHODS AND RESULTS Porcine and human pulmonary valve con...

Heart valve (HV) culture is one of the major Duke criteria for the diagnosis of definite infectious endocarditis (IE). However, previous series suggest that heart valve culture does not have good sensitivity (7.8 to 17.6%) and may be contaminated during manipulation. Our goal was to establish the value of routine cultures of heart valves in patients with and without IE. From 2004 to 2006, resec...

The present study documents the permeability characteristics of heart valvular endothelium to low-density lipoprotein (LDL), albumin, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Using quantitative autoradiography, LDL and albumin concentrations were measured within aortic valves of squirrel monkeys and rabbits after 30 minutes of in vivo circulation. The valvular concentration profiles were analyzed usin...

Percutaneous treatment of heart valves started 2 decades ago in patients with mitral stenosis. In such patients, a stable increase in the mitral valve area could be achieved with balloon dilatation. Complications were infrequent and the outcomes comparable to those obtained with surgery. We learned from this technique that it is possible to reach the heart valves from both the antegrade and ret...

Valve interstitial cells (VICs) are responsible for maintaining the structural integrity and dynamic behaviour of the valve. Telocytes (TCs), a peculiar type of interstitial cells, have been recently identified by Popescu's group in epicardium, myocardium and endocardium (visit www.telocytes.com). The presence of TCs has been identified in atria, ventricles and many other tissues and organ, but...

In a healthy individual both during exercise aswell as at rest all four heart chambers contract in a coordinated fashion, the valves function normally and the heart muscle is perfused uniformly by the coronary arteries. Disease states can result in abnormalities of valves, ventricular contraction, and reduced perfusion of the heart muscle. Nuclear cardiology is a very useful clinical tool which...

Percutaneous heart valves provide a promising future for patients refused surgery on the grounds of significant technical challenges or high risk for complications. Since the first human intervention more than 10 years ago, over 50 different types of valves have been developed. The CoreValve and Edwards SAPIEN valves have both experienced clinical trials and the latter has gained FDA approval f...