Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia requiring medical treatment and has been associated with enhanced atrial fibrosis and heart failure (HF). Relaxin (RLX), an antifibrosis and antiinflammatory peptide hormone, may be used to evaluate atrial fibrosis and is associated with HF occurrence in AF. We aimed to clarify the clinical significance of RLX level in patients with AF.We m...

a 25 year-old man presented with pain, swelling, and intermittent drainage from distal lateral aspect of his left knee three months after undergoing isolated acl reconstruction with arthroscopic hamstring autograft and endobottom technique. his surgeon at that time tried to eliminate the pathology through arthroscopic wash out in two attempts. however, the pain, edema, and discharge recurred af...

BACKGROUND Nonpharmacological ventricular rate control in atrial fibrillation (AF) without producing atrioventricular (AV) block remains a clinical challenge. We investigated the hypothesis that autologous dermal fibroblast (ADF) injection into the AV nodal area would reduce ventricular response during AF without causing AV block. METHODS AND RESULTS Fourteen pigs underwent electrophysiology ...

BACKGROUND We sought to determine the relationship between the size of the left atrial isolated surface area (ISA) after pulmonary vein antrum isolation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) and rhythm outcome during a 12-month follow-up. METHODS AND RESULTS One hundred one consecutive patients with paroxysmal AF (mean age, 59±11 years; median [range] AF history, 36 [24-96] months; mean lef...

PURPOSE To analyze the autofluorescence (AF) properties of pinguecula using cobalt-blue and yellow filters and to investigate the nature and pathogenesis of pingueculae using histochemical and immunohistochemical staining. METHODS Fifty pingueculae in 40 patients were included in this study. AF of the pingueculae was observed and analyzed using a cobalt-blue filter with an additional yellow f...

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common form of arrhythmia that is associated with increased risk of stroke and mortality. Detecting AF before the first complication occurs is a recognized priority. No previous studies have examined the feasibility of undertaking AF screening using a telehealth surveillance system with an embedded cloud-computing algorithm; we address this issue in this...

BACKGROUND Experimental and clinical studies have shown the importance of inflammation in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF). The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AF in correlation with the inflammatory process. RAAS inhibition may have important therapeutic value in limiting AF. The aim of this study was the correlation ...

PURPOSE Left ventricular (LV) filling pressure affects atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence. We investigated the relationship between diastolic dysfunction and AF recurrence after cardioversion, and whether LV filling pressure was predictive of AF recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-six patients (mean 58±12 years) with newly diagnosed persistent AF were retrospectively enrolled. We exclude...

BACKGROUND Diagnosis of atrial fibrillation (AF) can be difficult, requiring cumbersome investigations. We aimed to determine the association of established whole-blood gene expression scores with prevalent AF and to evaluate their performance for the identification of AF in a SIRS (Steroids in Cardiac Surgery) trial cohort. METHODS AND RESULTS Whole-blood, transcriptome-wide gene expression ...