The hallmarks of leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) are defects in the leukocyte adhesion process, marked leukocytosis and recurrent infections. These molecular and clinical manifestations result from an impaired step in the inflammatory process, namely, the emigration of leukocytes from the blood vessels to sites of infection, which requires adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelium. Over las...

Nicardipine is a potent coronary and systemic vasodilator without depression of ventricular function. We investigated the changes in local myocardial perfusion (LMP) according to the nicardipine administration after coronary reperfusion in a beating canine model. A Doppler probe was placed around the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) and thermal diffusion microprobe was implanted i...

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency-III (LAD-III) also called leukocyte adhesion deficiency-1/variant (LAD1v) is a rare congenital disease caused by defective integrin activation of leukocytes and platelets. Patients with LAD-III present with non-purulent infections and increased bleeding symptoms. We report on a novel integrin-dependent platelet dysfunction in two brothers with LAD-III syndrome caus...

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. It has been established that internal mammary arteries (IMA) are resistant to the development of atherosclerosis, whereas left anterior descending (LAD) coronary arteries are athero-prone. The contrasting properties of these two arteries provide an innovative strategy to identify the genes that play important roles in the de...

A 71-year-old female with diabetes mellitus, a recent history of failed percutaneous revascularization of the chronic left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in-stent occlusion, and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction presented with persisting Canadian Cardiovascular Society class III angina. Coronary angiography failed to visualize the complete course of distal LAD (Fig. 1A and...

Integrins are heterodimeric transmembrane receptors that mediate cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. Beta2-integrins are expressed exclusively in leukocytes and mediate many important functions in the immune system. Beta2-integrin genes are important in the pathologies of several diseases and genetic syndromes. These include Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency (LAD) and Systemic Lup...

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency II (LAD II), also known as congenital disorder of glycosylation IIc (CDG-IIc), is a human disease in which a defective GDP-fucose transporter (SLC35C1) causes developmental defects and an immunodeficiency that is based on the lack of fucosylated selectin ligands. Since the study of in vivo leukocyte trafficking in patients with LAD II is experimentally limited, we ...

A middle age woman with known ischemic heart disease and old stents in proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was admitted to Coronary Care Unit with acute coronary syndrome. The coronary angiography showed one vessel disease with significant restenosis within the previously implanted stents. The lesion was tough and remained undilatable despite high pressure balloon inflation....

UNLABELLED A 10-year-old boy with polysplenia syndrome was diagnosed with complex congenital heart disease, including common atrium, bilateral superior vena cava, complete atrioventricular canal defect, severe pulmonary stenosis, interrupted inferior vena cava, and patent ductus arteriosus. Previously, he underwent a bilateral bidirectional Glenn shunt operation with ligation of the patent duct...

A very fit 28-year-old Coloured athlete presented with an acute transmural anteroseptal and non-transmural anterolateral myocardial infarction (MI). He had no significant risk factors for coronary artery disease apart from moderate cigarette smoking. Cardiac catheterization 2 months later demonstrated a significant area of myocardial damage as well as a large mural thrombus, but the coronary ar...