0000000000051508
AUTHOR
Felix Gramley
Atrial fibrillation is associated with cardiac hypoxia.
BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common human arrhythmia, is responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality and may be promoted by selective atrial ischemia and atrial fibrosis. Consequently, we investigated markers for hypoxia and angiogenesis in AF. METHODS: Right atrial appendages (n=158) were grouped according to heart rhythm [sinus rhythm (SR) or AF]. The degree of fibrosis and microvessel density of all patients were determined morphometrically using Sirius-Red- and CD34/CD105-stained sections, respectively. Next, sections (n=77) underwent immunostaining to detect hypoxia- and angiogenesis-related proteins [hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)1 alpha, HIF2 alpha, vascular…
Hypoxia and myocardial remodeling in human cardiac allografts: a time-course study.
Background: Cardiac allografts are known to develop myocardial fibrosis, which may be a cause of progressive cardiac dysfunction. Apart from the renin‐angiotensin and transforming growth factor- system, hypoxia has been proposed as an important player in the pathogenesis of fibrosis, but its significance remains unclear. This study examines the degree of myocardial fibrosis, cellular remodeling and hypoxic signaling over a time-course of 10 years after human cardiac allograft transplantation. Methods: Serial right ventricular biopsies of 57 patients were collected in 6-month intervals after cardiac transplant surgery for a total of 10 years to allow a retrospective longitudinal analysis. Ov…