Aims Cardiac remodeling occurs in the infarcted heart (MI). The underlying regulatory mechanisms are under investigation. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) is a family of growth factors that stimulates cell growth, differentiation and migration. Herein, we sought to determine whether PDGF is involved in cardiac repair/remodeling following MI. Methods and Results The temporal and spatial expression of PDGF isoforms (A, B, C and D) and PDGF receptor (PDGFR)-α and β as well as cell types expressing PDGF were examined in the infarcted rat heart. Sham-operated rats served as controls. We found that the normal myocardium expressed all PDGF isoforms, and cell types expressing PDGF were primarily interstitial cells. Following MI, PDGF-A and D were significantly increased in the infarcted myocardium during 6 weeks of the observation period and cells expressing PDGF-A and D were primarily endothelial cells, macrophages and myofibroblasts (myoFb). PDGF-B and C expression was, however, reduced in the infarcted heart. In the noninfarcted myocardium, PDGF-D expression was increased in the late stage of MI and cells expressing PDGF-D were predominantly fibroblasts. Both PDGFR-α and β were significantly increased in the infarcted myocardium in the early and late stages of MI and in the noninfarcted myocardium in the late stage of MI. Conclusions Enhanced PDGF-A, PDGF-D and PDGFR are coincident with angiogenesis, inflammatory and fibrogenic responses in the infarcted myocardium, suggesting their regulation on cardiac repair. Elevated PDGF-D in the noninfarcted myocardium suggests its involvement in the development of interstitial fibrosis that appears in the late stage of MI.

Background: The cost of eyeglasses is variably covered by medical insurance and thus is a significant barrier for patients in lower socioeconomic classes. We wanted to evaluate the efficacy of Recycle Vision (RV) at LAC+USC Medical Center, a monthly clinic run by volunteer medical students that provides free donated eyeglasses. Methods: A convenience sample of 30 patients were surveyed from August 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Patients’ prescriptions were matched with available eyeglasses based on spherical equivalent and axis of astigmatism using Winglasses software algorithm; patients selected glasses from these options based on subjective improvement of vision. All participants consented to a phone follow-up survey 1 month after initial visit to gauge satisfaction with glasses and rate difficulty in completing daily activities pre- and post-RV visit on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the greatest), with a 100% response rate. Results: Of the 30 study participants, 90% received eyeglasses from RV, with reported improvement in ease of daily activities of 3.96. 67% of respondents stated that if RV clinic did not exist, they would not have obtained glasses elsewhere; cost was the most commonly (70%) cited barrier. Upon follow-up, average likelihood of patients referring friends/family to RV was 4.07 (SD 1.14). Conclusion: The majority of RV patients received free eyeglasses and had subsequent improvement in their quality of life. This pilot study demonstrates that programs offering free eyeglasses can effectively correct refractive error and can offer a practical public health solution to improve functionality for underserved populations.

Objective: Patients with subglottic stenosis (SGS) present with varied degree of breathing complaints. The dyspnea index (DI) is a 10-question patient-reported outcome measure designed to measure the severity of upper airway obstruction. We set out to determine whether pulmonary function tests or clinician-reported degree of stenosis best predicted DI scores. Methods: Thirty patients with SGS were retrospectively reviewed over a 6-year period. One visit from each patient was included. Data including peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), body-mass index (BMI), clinician-reported degree of stenosis, and DI scores were reviewed. Multiple linear regression was performed to determine how degree of stenosis and PEFR % predicted the variation in DI score. Results: PEFR % better predicted DI scores compared to degree of stenosis (partial correlation −0.32 vs 0.17). After stepwise elimination, PEFR % remained in the regression and was significantly associated with DI scores ( F[1, 29] = 9.38, P = .005). BMI did not demonstrate a linear relationship with DI scores and was not included in the regression ( r = −.02). The PEFR % unstandardized coefficient was −0.25 (95% CI: −0.42 to −0.08, P = .005). The model predicts that a 4% increase in the PEFR % results in a 1-point decrease in the DI score (95% CI: −1.68 to −0.32). Conclusion: This study suggests that pulmonary function tests may be a better in-office measure to substantiate the severity of symptoms in patients with SGS.

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