Chronic mesenteric ischemia is a rare condition that is caused by stenosis or occlusion of the mesenteric arteries and usually manifests as abdominal pain. While surgical revascularization has been the standard treatment for symptomatic patients, recent advances in interventional devices and techniques have made endovascular treatment feasible and effective. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stent placement is now recognized as a minimally invasive means of obtaining good long-term results with an acceptable recurrence rate; consequently, the technique is suggested for the primary treatment of chronic mesenteric ischemia. The present article discusses the indications and principles of endovascular treatment, and reviews the literature, with emphasis on short- and long-term outcomes, particularly morbidity and mortality rates.
Plasma phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) increases the circulating levels of proatherogenic lipoproteins, accelerates blood coagulation, and modulates inflammation. The role of PLTP in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) was investigated by using either a combination of mechanical and elastase injury at one site of mouse aorta (elastase model) or continuous infusion of angiotensin II in hyperlipidemic ApoE-knockout mice (Ang II model). With the elastase model, complete PLTP deficiency was associated with a significantly lower incidence and a lesser degree of AAA expansion. With the Ang II model, findings were consistent with those in the elastase model, with a lower severity grade in PLTP-deficient mice, an intermediate phenotype in PLTP-deficient heterozygotes, and a blunted effect of the PLTP-deficient trait when restricted to bone marrow-derived immune cells. The protective effect of whole-body PLTP deficiency in AAA was illustrated further by a lesser degree of adventitia expansion, reduced elastin degradation, fewer recruited macrophages, and less smooth muscle cell depletion in PLTP-deficient than in wild-type mice, as evident from comparative microscopic analysis of aorta sections. Finally, cumulative evidence supports the association of PLTP deficiency with reduced expression and activity levels of matrix metalloproteinases, known to degrade elastin and collagen. We conclude that PLTP can play a significant role in the pathophysiology of AAA.
Secondary prevention results in a decrease of specific IgE in latex-sensitized patients with hydrocephalus. This is due to medical more than home prophylaxis. Sensitization obviously occurs mainly in early childhood, thus primary prevention remains to be the main target.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.