Hypertension is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Antihypertensive treatment, particularly blockade of the renin-angiotensin system, contributes to prevent atherosclerosis-mediated cardiovascular events. Direct comparison of different antihypertensive treatments on atherosclerosis and particularly plaque stabilization is sparse. ApoE(-/-) mice with vulnerable (2-kidney,...

OBJECTIVES We studied the progression of coronary atherosclerosis over time as detected by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in relation to risk factors and plaque composition. BACKGROUND Studies using MDCT are limited to the assessment of the degree of stenosis without taking into consideration the plaque composition that is seen by MDCT. METHODS This study included 200 patients, co...

Dystrophic or ectopic mineral deposition occurs in many pathologic conditions, including atherosclerosis. Calcium mineral deposits that frequently accompany atherosclerosis are readily quantifiable radiographically, serve as a surrogate marker for the disease, and predict a higher risk of myocardial infarction and death. Accelerating research interest has been propelled by a clear need to under...

This is a brief review of the literature on coronary embolism and a case report of a very unique type of coronary embolus-a piece of calcium from a calcified aortic valve. Microscopic sections revealed that the calcium plaque was covered by endothelium which had grown out from the vessel wall, thus attaching it to the coronary artery. The patient lived approximately two months after the embolis...

Background and aimsHeterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Semi-automated plaque characterization (SAPC) by coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA) provides information regarding burden characterization. Our aim was to quantify characterize the of patients FH using SAPC analysis identify which factors are relat...

Radioautographic evidence using CaCl2 is presented to demonstrate that the aorta has an inherent ability to bind calcium ion regardless of age, sex or species. The binding occurs primarily in the intima and is not homogeneously distributed. Experiments with boiled aorta suggest that the primary substance responsible is collagen. The binding of calcium by the aorta has a marked effect upon the s...

We report two cases of band keratopathy who were treated with thick amniotic membrane that contained a basement membrane structure as a graft, after ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid chelation with trephination and blunt superficial lamellar keratectomy in the anterior stroma. In each case, basement membrane was destroyed and calcium plaque invaded into anterior stroma beneath Bowman's membrane. ...

Oral rinses which included (1) an acidic calcium phosphate solution containing 0.7 M Ca, 1.9 M PO4, and saturated with respect to CaHPO4 . 2H2O, and with a pH of 2.0, followed by (2) a 0.52 M fluoride solution, from NaF or SnF2, were provided to rats once daily for seven days. The investigation consisted of two studies: In the first study, the amounts of dental plaque on the tooth surfaces and ...

and the Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease in Masters Athletes To the Editor: The authors of the American Heart Association (AHA) Science Advisory “Recommendations for Preparticipation Screening and the Assessment of Cardiovascular Disease in Masters Athletes”1 are to be commended for their intent but criticized for their omission of electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) evaluation of calc...

Plakophilin-1 (PKP-1) is an armadillo family protein critical for desmosomal adhesion and epidermal integrity. In the autoimmune skin-blistering disease pemphigus vulgaris (PV), autoantibodies (IgG) target the desmosomal cadherin desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) and compromise keratinocyte cell-cell adhesion. Here, we report that enhanced expression of PKP-1 protects keratinocytes from PV IgG-induced loss o...