Search results for " calcification"

The shell matrix of the freshwater mussel Unio pictorum (Paleoheterodonta, Unionoida). Involvement of acidic polysaccharides from glycoproteins in na…

2007

13 pages; International audience; Among molluscs, the shell biomineralization process is controlled by a set of extracellular macromolecular components secreted by the calcifying mantle. In spite of several studies, these components are mainly known in bivalves from only few members of pteriomorph groups. In the present case, we investigated the biochemical properties of the aragonitic shell of the freshwater bivalve Unio pictorum (Paleoheterodonta, Unionoida). Analysis of the amino acid composition reveals a high amount of glycine, aspartate and alanine in the acid-soluble extract, whereas the acid-insoluble one is rich in alanine and glycine. Monosaccharidic analysis indicates that the in…

Frequency and Characterization of Benign Lesions in Pancreatic Specimens of Patients Operated for the Suspicion of Pancreatic Cancer

2012

Context A final diagnosis of benign lesions is reported in up to 21% of patients who underwent duodenocephalopancreatectomy for neoplasia, whereas no data have yet been published for resection of the body-tail. Objective To investigate the frequency and to characterize the benign lesions mimicking a neoplasia in the head and in the body-tail of the pancreas. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all the pancreatic specimens collected from 2005 to 2011 in the database of the Institute of Pathology of Mainz. Patients with a final diagnosis excluding malignancy were analyzed by histological, clinical and imaging findings. Results Three-hundreds and 73 patients were identified. A final diagnosis …

Bisphosphonates and atherosclerosis: why?

2005

The increasing knowledge on bone calcification processes has revealed some similarities with vascular tissue, where calcifications of arteries and cardiac valves contribute to several cardiovascular problems, such as heart failure, systolic hypertension, and myocardial and peripheral ischemic disease. Bisphosphonates have been used extensively for over two decades for the treatment of diseases associated with excessive bone resorption, i.e., osteoporosis, osteolytic bone metastasis, hypercalcemia and Paget’s disease, by blocking osteoclastic function. Etidronate, pamidronate and clodronate has been shown to inhibit the development of experimental atherosclerosis, and proposed mechanisms fo…

Prognostic value of cardiac CT

2020

In the past decades, coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has become a powerful tool in the management of coronary artery disease. The diagnostic and prognostic value of CCTA has been extensively demonstrated in both large observational studies and clinical trials among stable chest pain patients. The quantification of coronary artery calcium score (CACS) is a well-established predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in asymptomatic subjects. Besides CACS, the main strength of CCTA is the accurate assessment of the individual total atherosclerotic plaque burden, which holds important prognostic information. In addition, CCTA, by providing detailed information on corona…

Heart involvement in rheumatoid arthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis.

2013

Abstract Objective The aim of our study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis of the current case–control studies about the valvular and pericardial involvement in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), asymptomatic for cardiovascular diseases. Methods Case–control studies were identified by searching PubMed (1975–2010) and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (1975–2010). Participants were adult patients with RA asymptomatic for cardiovascular diseases, and the outcome measure was the presence of cardiac involvement. Results Quantitative synthesis included 10 relevant studies out of 2326 bibliographic citations that had been found. RA resulted sign…

Focal hepatic intrinsically hyperattenuating lesions at unenhanced CT: Not always calcifications.

2021

Due to the growing use of CT, there has been an increase in the frequency of detecting focal liver lesions. Intrinsically hyperattenuating hepatic lesions or pseudolesions are not uncommon at unenhanced CT. Hyperattenuating hepatic lesions can be divided into non-calcified and calcified. Causes of intrinsic hyperattenuation include hemorrhage, thrombosis, and calcifications. Focal liver lesions can show hyperattenuation on unenhanced CT in case of severe liver steatosis. Recognition of etiologies associated with hyperattenuation on unenhanced CT can help the radiologist in characterizing focal liver lesions and pseudolesions. In this paper, we describe the spectrum of intrinsically hyperatt…

Corrigendum to: Are pancreatic calcifications specific for the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis? A multidetector-row CT analysis. [64 (9) 903–911]

2009

Shockwave intravascular lithoplasty for the treatment of calcified carotid artery stenosis: A very early single-center experience

2020

Endovascular treatment of calcified carotid disease represents one of the main challenges for the interventionalists. Plaque calcium load is one of the most important factors affecting the risk of procedural complications. A new tool called Shockwave intravascular lithotripsy (S-IVL; Shockwave Medical, Inc.) has been recently approved for the treatment of heavily calcified coronary and lower limb arteries but minimal data exist about the treatment of carotid arteries. We report our early experience of carotid stenting using S-IVL. We report two cases of symptomatic patients with severely calcified carotid artery diseases who were turned down for vascular surgeries. The first case was succes…

Prevalence of Vertebral Fractures and Their Prognostic Significance in the Survival in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Stages 3‒5 Not on Dialysis

2020

Background: The prevalence of vertebral fractures (VF) and their association with clinical risk factors and outcomes are poorly documented in chronic kidney disease (CKD) cohorts. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of VF in patients with non-dialysis dependent CKD (NDD-CKD), their value in predicting mortality and its correlation with parameters of bone mineral metabolism and vascular calcification. Materials and Methods: 612 NDD 3‒5 stage CKD patients participating in the OSERCE-2 study, a prospective, multicenter, cohort study, were prospectively evaluated and categorized into two groups according to presence or absence of VF at enrollment. VF were assessed with lateral r…

The role of osteoprotegerin in the crosstalk between vessels and bone: Its potential utility as a marker of cardiometabolic diseases

2018

International audience; Among the numerous molecules that are being studied for their potential utility as biomarkers of cardiovascular diseases, much interest has been shown in the superfamily of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors. Members of this family include osteoprotegerin (OPG) and its ligands, which are receptor activators of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). These signals may be expressed and regulated, and their functions could be involved in several physiological and pathological processes. The relationship between bone regulatory proteins and vascular biology has attracted attention, and it has been suggested that OPG may medi…