Cor et vasa 

About: Cor et vasa is an academic journal published by Česká kardiologická společnost. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Myocardial infarction. It has an ISSN identifier of 0010-8650. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 2288 publications have been published receiving 5629 citations. The journal is also known as: Journal of the Czech Society of Cardiology.

Aminorex and pulmonary hypertension. A review.

Abstract: There was an epidemic of chronic pulmonary hypertension in Austria, the Federal Republic of Germany and Switzerland, starting in 1967, peaking in 1968/69, and disappearing after 1972. The mechanism leading to pulmonary hypertension was chronic precapillary vascular obstruction due to plexogenic pulmonary arteriopathy. There was a close geographic as well as temporal relation of the epidemic to the marketing and intake of the appetite depressing drug aminorex fumarate (Menocil). 10 years after the epidemic, half of the patients have died, usually of right heart failure. Of those surviving, half present a definite regression of the pulmonary vascular obstruction. Average survival after the initial diagnosis was 3.5 years in those patients who died. Their PA pressure (+22%) and pulmonary arteriolar resistance (+40%) was higher at the onset of the observation period if compared with the corresponding values of the survivors; also the incidence of right heart failure was significantly higher (84 vs. 58%). Among the surviving patients, the only difference between those with an improved and those with a worsened haemodynamic situation was the age at the beginning of the weight-reducing treatment, those with a progression being 10 years older. The probability of survival after 10 years is considerably higher in chronic pulmonary hypertension of vascular origin (CPHVO) after aminorex than in "classical" primary pulmonary hypertension (CPHVO of unknown cause) and in CPHVO due to recurrent silent pulmonary thromboembolism. This difference in prognosis is an argument in favour of the identity of chronic pulmonary hypertension developing after the intake of the appetite depressing drug aminorex.

Monocyte adhesion to the endothelium is an initial stage of atherosclerosis development

Abstract: Patogeneze aterosklerotickeho plaku je dlouhodobý a velmi komplexni proces, jenž postihuje nejprve silně hemodynamicky namahane oblasti cev. Ackoli se klinicke komplikace projevuji větsinou až od středniho věku, prvni znamky tvorby plaku se objevuji již od velmi raneho dětstvi [1]. Přestože je endotel tvořen pouze jednou vrstvou buněk, hraje velice důležitou roli v rozvoji aterosklerozy. Endotel produkuje celou řadu bioaktivnich latek ovlivňujicich cevni tonus, buněcnou adhezi, zanět v cevni stěně, rezistenci vůci tvorbě trombu, ale i proliferaci buněk hladke svaloviny cev. Na uplnem pocatku tvorby aterosklerotickeho plaku dochazi k adhezi monocytů k endotelu a nasledne migraci do hlubsich vrstev cevni stěny. Později monocyty v cevni stěně diferencuji v makrofagy a při trvani patologických podminek dochazi k prohloubeni lokalniho zanětu a jejich postupne přeměně z tkaňových makrofagů v pěnove buňky.

Cardiac amyloidosis: A comprehensive review

Abstract: Cardiac amyloidosis is characterized by clinically significant extracellular amyloid infiltration of the heart that is usually, but not always, associated with the involvement of other organs depending on the type of amyloid. Cardiac involvement represents the most important prognostic factor especially in AL amyloidosis and thus early diagnosis of amyloid heart disease is of utmost importance influencing further management of the patients. This review aims to broadly discuss pathogenesis, manifestation and complex diagnostics of amyloidosis with the main focus on amyloid cardiomyopathy. Also, the summary of current therapeutic options that have great potential to improve existing poor prognosis of affected individuals is given.