0000000000174546
AUTHOR
Michael Amann
Power estimation for non-standardized multisite studies
A concern for researchers planning multisite studies is that scanner and T1-weighted sequence-related biases on regional volumes could overshadow true effects, especially for studies with a heterogeneous set of scanners and sequences. Current approaches attempt to harmonize data by standardizing hardware, pulse sequences, and protocols, or by calibrating across sites using phantom-based corrections to ensure the same raw image intensities. We propose to avoid harmonization and phantom-based correction entirely. We hypothesized that the bias of estimated regional volumes is scaled between sites due to the contrast and gradient distortion differences between scanners and sequences. Given this…
Large platelets but not putative endothelial progenitor cells are associated with low strut coverage after drug-eluting stent implantation
Objectives This study assessed whether different subsets of circulating endothelial and putative endothelial progenitor cells (CEC and EPC) correlate with stent strut coverage (SSC) using second generation optical coherence tomography (OCT). Background Due to the lack of imaging modalities with a resolution down to the magnitude of a few cells, the influence of EPC on endothelialisation of drug-eluting stents has not been assessed in patients. Methods In 37 patients, SSC of everolimus-eluting stents was assessed by OCT 5-7months after stent implantation. Different subsets of EPC (CD34(+)KDR(+), CD34(+)KDR(+)CD45(dim), CD133(+), CD3(+)CD31(+)), CEC (CD31(+)CD45(-)CD146(+)), and CD31(+)CD45(-…
TYPE II DIABETES MELLITUS HAS NO MAJOR INFLUENCE ON PLATELET MICRO–RNA EXPRESSION: RESULTS FROM MICRO–ARRAY PROFILING IN A COHORT OF 60 PATIENTS
Blood platelets represent pro–inflammatory mediators in the development of atherosclerosis. Diabetes mellitus as a major contributor to cardiovascular disease burden induces dysfunctional platelets. Platelets contain abundant miRNAs, which recently have been linked tightly to inflammation. While