AN EXAMINATION OF HEART PROTEINS BY TWO-DIMENSIONAL ELECTROPHORESIS

We examined specimens from explanted human hearts by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The protocol selected includes: (a) solubilization of the sample in a urea-detergent mix; (b) charge fractionation in the presence of urea and nonionic detergent on a pH 4-10 immobilized pH gradient; (c) size fractionation on a polyacrylamide concentration gradient in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate; and (d) staining with silver nitrate. The method is sensitive enough for analysis of biopsies in the 1-3 mg range (wet tissue). We saw, for explanted hearts, variations in the protein pattern with the site of sample dissection. Results are presented for 11 explanted human hearts: one control organ and 10 pathological samples. The recorded pathologies included dilatative cardiomyopathy (six cases), valvulopathy (one case), ischemic cardiopathy (two cases), and graft rejection (one case). The patterns for whole extracts as well as for cytoplasmic proteins and myofibril components are compared. Extensive individual variability was observed both between control and pathological cases and among the abnormal samples

Cinefluoroscopic identification of Bj\uf6rk-Shiley prosthetic heart valves

Numerous mechanical prostheses are currently utilized for heart valve replacement. Fluoroscopy is a useful technique to identify prosthetic valves, to evaluate their function and to follow-up the patients' condition. Scattered and contrasting data, however, have been reported about the radiographic appearance of Bj\uf6rk-Shiley heart valves. This study shows that each Bj\uf6rk-Shiley valve model has characteristic radiographic features that can be readily determined by fluoroscopic evaluation, leading to easy and accurate non-invasive identification

Esame clinico in Riabilitazione Respiratoria.

Trattato aggiornato sulle le valutazioni e le misure di outcome all'interno dei programmi di riabilitazione dedicati ai pazienti con patologie respiratorie a evoluzione disabilitante

Valve design characteristics and cine-fluoroscopic appearance of five currently available bileaflet prosthetic heart valves

Bileaflet prostheses are low profile, central flow orifice devices that show excellent hemodynamic performance and low thrombogenicity. Five models are currently used for heart valve replacement. Comprehensive and comparative studies regarding valve characteristics and functioning are lacking, making the updating and the familiarization by physicians and cardiologists with these prostheses difficult. We describe the valve design characteristics and evaluate the cine-fluoroscopic appearance and functioning of 387 bileaflet prostheses that have been implanted in 367 consecutive patients. The valve types are St Jude Medical (n = 69), Edwards-Duromedics (n = 74), Carbomedics (n = 1290) Sorin Bicarbon (n = 88) and Jyros (n = 27). The prostheses' fluoroscopic appearance was evaluated through multiple radiographic views (Siemens-Elema equipment with C-arm); the prostheses' functional evaluation was performed by obtaining the "tilting disk projection" (ie, with the radiographic beam parallel to both the valve ring plane and the tilting axis of disks) to calculate opening, closing, and travel angles of the disks. This study shows that each of the five bileaflet valves has distinctive design characteristics. Fluoroscopy is an easy, readily available, and useful technique that correctly identifies the prosthesis type and properly evaluates its functioning in the majority of cases