start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=24 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=1925 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20230118 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Are Non-Invasive Modalities for the Assessment of Atherosclerosis Useful for Heart Failure Predictions? en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Heart failure (HF) is becoming an increasingly common issue worldwide and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, making its prevention an important clinical goal. The criteria evaluated using non-invasive modalities such as coronary artery calcification, the ankle-brachial index, and carotid intima-media thickness have been proven to be effective in determining the relative risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Notably, risk assessments using these modalities have been proven to be superior to the traditional risk predictors of cardiovascular disease. However, the ability to assess HF risk has not yet been well-established. In this review, we describe the clinical significance of such non-invasive modalities of atherosclerosis assessments and examine their ability to assess HF risk. The predictive value could be influenced by the left ventricular ejection fraction. Specifically, when the ejection fraction is reduced, its predictive value increases because this condition is potentially a result of coronary artery disease. In contrast, using these measures to predict HF with a preserved ejection fraction may be difficult because it is a heterogeneous condition. To overcome this issue, further research, especially on HF with a preserved ejection fraction, is required. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=OsawaKazuhiro en-aut-sei=Osawa en-aut-mei=Kazuhiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyoshiToru en-aut-sei=Miyoshi en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of General Internal Medicine 3, Kawasaki Medical School General Medical Center kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= en-keyword=heart failure kn-keyword=heart failure en-keyword=coronary artery calcification kn-keyword=coronary artery calcification en-keyword=ankle-brachial index kn-keyword=ankle-brachial index en-keyword=carotid intima-media thickness kn-keyword=carotid intima-media thickness en-keyword=cardio-ankle vascular index kn-keyword=cardio-ankle vascular index END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=24 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=2926 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20230202 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Expression of Acetabular Labral Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Nerve Growth Factor Is Directly Associated with Hip Osteoarthritis Pain: Investigation by Immunohistochemical Staining en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=The acetabular labrum enhances hip joint stability and plays a key role in osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Labral nerve endings contribute to hip OA pain. Moreover, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are associated with pain. Consequently, we analysed VEGF and NGF expression levels in the labrum and their roles in OA. Labra obtained from OA patients were stained immunohistochemically, and labral cells were cultured and subjected to a reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to analyse VEGF and NGF mRNA expression. VEGF and NGF expression were compared in each region of the labrum. Correlations between VEGF and NGF expression and age, body mass index, Kellgren-Lawrence grade, Harris Hip Score, the visual analogue scale (VAS), and Krenn score were analysed, and the RT-PCR confirmed the findings. VEGF and NGF expression were high on the labral articular side, negatively correlated with the Krenn score, and positively correlated with the VAS in early OA. VEGF and NGF mRNA expression increased significantly in patients with severe pain and decreased significantly in severely degenerated labra. In early OA, VEGF and NGF expression in the acetabular labrum was associated with the occurrence of hip pain; therefore, these factors could be effective targets for pain management. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=SatoYoshihiro en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=Yoshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TetsunagaTomonori en-aut-sei=Tetsunaga en-aut-mei=Tomonori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamadaKazuki en-aut-sei=Yamada en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawamuraYoshi en-aut-sei=Kawamura en-aut-mei=Yoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaAki en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Aki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=OzakiToshifumi en-aut-sei=Ozaki en-aut-mei=Toshifumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Intelligent Orthopaedic System, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Medical Materials for Musculoskeletal Reconstruction, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=hip osteoarthritis (OA) kn-keyword=hip osteoarthritis (OA) en-keyword=acetabular labrum kn-keyword=acetabular labrum en-keyword=vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) kn-keyword=vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) en-keyword=nerve growth factor (NGF) kn-keyword=nerve growth factor (NGF) en-keyword=immunochemical staining kn-keyword=immunochemical staining END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=24 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=1921 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=202302 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Microcalcification and Tc-99m-Pyrophosphate Uptake without Increased Bone Metabolism in Cardiac Tissue from Patients with Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) is characterized by high Tc-99m-labeled bone tracer uptake in the heart. However, the mechanism of bone tracer uptake into the heart remains controversial. Since bone tracer uptake into metastatic bone tumors is thought to be associated with increased bone metabolism, we examined Tc-99m-pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy findings, endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) tissue findings, and the expression of bone metabolism-related genes in the EMB tissues in patients with ATTR-CA, amyloid light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA), and noncardiac amyloidosis (non-CA) in this study. The uptake of Tc-99m-PYP in the heart was significantly higher in the ATTR-CA patients than in the AL-CA and non-CA patients. A higher percentage of ATTR-CA EMB tissue showed von Kossa-positive microparticles: ATTR-CA, 62%; AL-CA, 33%; and non-CA, 0%. Calcified microparticles were identified using transmission electron microscopy. However, none of the osteogenic marker genes, osteoclastic marker genes, or phosphate/pyrophosphate-related genes were upregulated in the EMB samples from ATTR-CA patients compared to those from AL-CA and non-CA patients. These results suggest that active calcification-promoting mechanisms are not involved in the microcalcification observed in the heart in ATTR-CA. The mechanisms explaining bone tracer uptake in the heart, which is stronger than that in the ribs, require further investigation. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=MoriAtsushi en-aut-sei=Mori en-aut-mei=Atsushi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SaitoYukihiro en-aut-sei=Saito en-aut-mei=Yukihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakamuraKazufumi en-aut-sei=Nakamura en-aut-mei=Kazufumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=IidaToshihiro en-aut-sei=Iida en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkagiSatoshi en-aut-sei=Akagi en-aut-mei=Satoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=YoshidaMasashi en-aut-sei=Yoshida en-aut-mei=Masashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=TaniyamaMakiko en-aut-sei=Taniyama en-aut-mei=Makiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=MiyoshiToru en-aut-sei=Miyoshi en-aut-mei=Toru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=ItoHiroshi en-aut-sei=Ito en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Hospital kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Chronic Kidney Disease and Cardiovascular Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of General Medicine, Tamano Division, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=ATTR kn-keyword=ATTR en-keyword=Tc-99m-labeled bone scintigraphy kn-keyword=Tc-99m-labeled bone scintigraphy en-keyword=calcified microparticle kn-keyword=calcified microparticle END