Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0162871 (abdominal aortic aneurysm)
 8,664 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Recent reports suggest an association between Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori bacteria and atherosclerosis. We studied 51 patients (mean age, 68.3 years) who underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery. For each patient we performed a microimmunofluorescence test for immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and IgM antibodies to C. pneumoniae specific antigen (TW-183). Anti-H. pylori antibodies were determined by means of an EIA-G test. Each aortic aneurysm surgical specimen was sampled into multiple sections of 0.3 cm2 each and frozen at -20 degrees C. Two samples of each aneurysm were used for a nested PCR with two sets of C. pneumoniae and two sets of H. pylori specific primers. Specimens were treated with a solution containing 20 mM Tris-HCl, Tween 20-Nonidet P-40 (0.5% [vol/vol] each), and 100 micrograms of proteinase K per ml and incubated at 60 degrees C for 1 h and at 98 degrees C for 10 min. DNA was extracted twice with phenol-chloroform-isoamylic alcohol and precipitated with sodium acetate-ethanol by standard methods. Forty-one patients were seropositive for C. pneumoniae with past-infection patterns in 32 patients (16 < or = IgG < 512; 32 < or = IgA < 256) and high antibody titers in 9 patients (IgG > or = 512). In 26 of 51 patients, C. pneumoniae DNA was detected in aortic aneurysm plaque specimens. Of these patients, 23 had a serologic past-infection pattern, 2 had an acute reinfection pattern, and 1 was seronegative. Forty-seven of 51 patients were seropositive for H. pylori. In all cases PCR showed no evidence of H. pylori presence in plaque specimens. This study provides data on a possible C. pneumoniae involvement in the pathogenesis of aortic aneurysm and additional evidence for an association between this agent and atherosclerosis. Conversely, notwithstanding a high H. pylori seroprevalence observed, our results tend to rule out the possibility of a direct involvement of H. pylori in atherosclerosis.
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PMID:Detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae but not Helicobacter pylori in atherosclerotic plaques of aortic aneurysms. 889 80

Homocysteine (Hcy) is a non-protein forming sulfur amino acid, synthesised from methionine (Met), whose metabolism is at the junction of two metabolic pathways: remethylation and transsulfuration. Increased Hcy serum concentration is a well established independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases and a known feature of end stage renal disease. Hcy plasma level is influenced by folate, vitamin B6 and genetic factors. Mutation C677T in gene encoding methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), an enzyme involved in Hcy remethylation has been associated with elevated Hcy in homozygous carriers (TT genotype). Several amino acids take part in metabolism of Hcy. There are abnormalities of concentration of the non essential and essential of amino acids in serum of patients treated with hemodialysis (HD). It is possible that these abnormalities of amino acids can change the Hcy metabolism. The aim of this study was the evaluation of some aspects of Hcy metabolism. We examined the MTHFR gene polymorphism and its relationship with plasma Hcy concentration. The plasma levels of total amino acids and amino acids connected with Hcy metabolism: methionine (Met), seryne (Ser), cysteine (Cyst) and tauryne (Tau) were evaluated in hemodialysis patients. The study was conducted in 71 (35 male, 36 female) patients, mean age 56.2 +/- 12.4 years. They were dialysed for a mean duration of 87.7 +/- 84.7 months (range 2-302). The control group (CG) in which Hcy and amino acids levels were examined consisted of 12 healthy subjects. Serum (EDTA) Hcy levels were measured by EIA-Hcy ELISA kit. The MTHFR gene polymorphism was evaluated by means of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amino acids were measured by chromatography in amino acid analyser AAA 400. Mean concentration of Hcy was significantly higher in patients than in CG (31.1 +/- 9.1 vs 11.9 +/- 2.9 mumol/L; p < 0.01). Genotype frequencies in patients were: 42.8% for CC, 48.5% for CT and 8.7% for TT. Mean concentration of Hcy were similar in above genotype groups: 31.2 +/- 9.4; 30.7 +/- 10.7; 32.8 +/- 5.1 mumol/L, respectively. We did not find any correlation between Hcy level and the mutation in gene coding for MTHFR in our study group of patients. Mean total amino acid concentrations were significantly lower in plasma patients than in CG: 3624.48 +/- 140.32 vs 4454.45 +/- 774.91 mumol/L; p < 0.05. Mean plasma level of Tau was significantly lower in patients than in CG: 93.01 +/- 43.73 vs 286.75 +/- 57.02 mumol/l; p < 0.01. Also mean plasma level of Ser was significantly lower in patients than in CG; 125.71 +/- 24.25 vs 233.61 +/- 44.55 mumol/L; p < 0.01. Mean concentration of Cys were significantly higher in hemodialysis patients than in CG: 100.82 +/- 43.53 vs 31.31 +/- 21.31 mumol/L; p < 0.01. Mean Met concentrations were not significantly different between two studied groups. We found significant positive correlation between plasma Hcy levels and plasma Cys level (r = 0491; p < 0.05). Also there was a significant positive correlation between plasma Hcy level and duration of hemodialysis (r = 5411; p < 0.05). We concluded that in our studied population of hemodialysis patients there was no significant association between mutation in the gene coding for MTHFR and hyperhomocysteinemia and hypercysteinemia. There are abnormalities of plasma level of amino acids which are take part in Hcy metabolism in hemodialysis patients.
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PMID:[Some aspects of homocysteine metabolism in hemodialysis patients]. 1268 44

The preservation of internal iliac artery (IIA) flow during endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (er-AAA) remains a controversial area. Ectasia and aneurysmal disease of the iliac arteries represent a formidable challenge to the endovascular surgeon, particularly when aortic neck length and diameter are suitable for er-AAA. We describe a procedure to maintain arterial perfusion to the pelvis during er-AAA called retrograde endovascular hypogastric artery preservation (REHAP). This technique is particularly useful in the presence of common iliac artery (CIA) and internal iliac artery (IIA) aneurysms when pelvic perfusion to one IIA needs to be maintained. A Wallgraft is first placed from the IIA to the ipsilateral EIA followed by er-AAA using an aortouniiliac graft (AUI) and a femorofemoral bypass graft (BPG). This procedure represents one alternative to maintaining pelvic perfusion using standard endovascular and surgical techniques.
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PMID:Retrograde endovascular hypogastric artery preservation (REHAP) and aortouniiliac (AUI) endografting in the management of complex aortoiliac aneurysms. 1270 45

Strict morphologic criteria must be used for patient selection to achieve durable success with endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). The goal of this study was to assess morphologic suitability (MS) of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) for 2 currently approved bifurcated stent grafts and identify reasons for exclusion from EVAR. The authors reviewed the electronic charts of 1,795 consecutive patients who were diagnosed as having AAA between January 1999 and July 2001 at their institution. Three hundred and twenty patients had an AAA with a diameter of > or = 5.0 cm, measured on computed tomography (CT). The records of 301 patients, 254 men, 47 women, with a mean age of 74 years were available for review, and these patients constituted the study cohort. Criteria used for MS included a proximal neck length > or = 15 mm; neck diameter between 18 and 26 mm; neck angulation < or = 60 degrees ; common or external iliac artery (CIA or EIA) diameters of 7-16 mm and 8-13 mm, respectively, for AneuRx (Medtronic Ave, Santa Rosa, CA) and Ancure (Guidant Cardiac and Vascular Division, Menlo Park, CA) bifurcated grafts. AAAs were suitable for AneuRx device in 14% of patients (43 of 301; 95% CI = 11-19%) and for Ancure in 5% (16 of 301; 95% CI = 3.1-9%). The main reason for exclusion was an inadequate proximal aortic neck (73%). The neck was too short in 49.5%, too wide in 64% and badly angulated in 12% of the patients. Iliac artery morphology precluded EVAR with AneuRx and Ancure devices in 52% and 80%. Both CIAs were too wide for EVAR in 43% and 77%, respectively. When iliac artery diameter < or = 20 mm was accepted, iliac suitability for AneuRx increased from 49% to 70% and overall suitability increased from 14% to 20%. When more permissive criteria were used for MS (neck length > or = 10 mm, neck diameter < or = 30 mm, CIA < or = 20), 39% of patients became candidates for EVAR. More than three fourths of the patients with an AAA > or = 5.0 cm in size, seen in a tertiary referral center, are morphologically not suitable for EVAR using 2 currently approved bifurcated endografts. The main reasons for exclusion are a short or wide proximal aortic neck. Considerable changes in size of the devices and in proximal attachment techniques have to occur before most AAAs will be suitable for EVAR.
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PMID:Most patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm are not suitable for endovascular repair using currently approved bifurcated stent-grafts. 1549 36