BACKGROUND Infection-induced thrombocytopenia (TCP) is an independent risk factor for death of patients with sepsis, but its mechanism is unknown. This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of TCP based on the relationship between TLR4 expression and platelet activation in septic patients. METHODS A total of 64 patients with sepsis were prospectively studied. Platelet count (PC), me...

OBJECTIVE Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vasculitic syndrome in children. CD40 ligand (CD40L) has been implicated in certain types of vasculitis. We proposed that CD40L expression might be correlated with coronary artery lesions in KD. METHODS Blood samples were collected from 43 patients with KD before intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment and 3 days afterward. Forty-three a...

OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to determine the predictive value of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). BACKGROUND Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A is a zinc-binding matrix metalloproteinase abundantly expressed in eroded and ruptured plaques and may serve as a marker of plaque destabilization. METHODS In 547 patients w...

BACKGROUND Severe injury induces an acute coagulopathy associated with increased mortality. This study compared the Thrombelastography (TEG) and biomarker profiles upon admission in trauma patients. METHODS Prospective observational study of 80 trauma patients admitted to a Level I Trauma Centre. Data on demography, biochemistry including standard coagulation tests, hematology, transfusions, ...

Background: Epidemiological studies on health effects of air pollution have consistently shown adverse cardiovascular effects. Toxicological studies have provided evidence for thrombogenic effects of particles. A prospective panel study in a susceptible population was conducted in Erfurt, Germany, to study the effects of daily changes in ambient particles on various blood cells and soluble CD40...

BACKGROUND Chemokines play an important role in atherogenesis and in ischemic injury and repair; however, prospective data on individual chemokines in unstable angina pectoris (UAP) are scarce. Therefore, we assessed chemokine patterns in a prospective cohort of patients with UAP. METHODS AND RESULTS Plasma samples of 54 patients with Braunwald class IIIB UAP were examined at baseline for 11 ...

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is produced by several cell types in the kidney and its expression is tightly regulated for the maintenance of normal renal physiology. Increases or decreases in its expression are associated with proteinuria and renal disease. Recently, we found that the expression of VEGF is markedly induced following interactions between CD40 ligand (CD40L) and CD40....

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Abciximab, a nonselective glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, was shown to reduce peri-interventional stroke rate in carotid stenting. We evaluated the effect of adjunct abciximab therapy on monocyte-platelet cross talk and neurological deficit in unprotected carotid stenting and compared its efficacy with distal filter protection. METHODS Fifty patients were randomized to...