RESUMO
Background: The aortic root is an aggregate of various components that connects the left ventricle to the aorta. The most predominant pathologies have been associated with the dilation of the aortic root leading to aneurysms. Aim: This study is designed to measure the role of systemic morbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and body mass index (BMI) on the dimension of the aortic root. Materials and Methods: Participants were volunteers of African descent who were recruited during and after an organized health fair by the medical students' body from All Saints University, School of Medicine. 169 participants consisting of 62 males and 107 females with ages ranging from 9 to 84 years agreed to volunteer by signing the consent after which a questionnaire was administered and a preliminary clinical procedure was used to check for blood pressure (BP), blood glucose (BG), and BMI. The measurement of the aortic root was carried out by an experienced single investigator who was not aware of the purpose of measurements, using a DUS-5000 ultrasound machine (Miami, Florida, USA) at a low-frequency micro-convex transducer preset to "adult cardiac" with a default frequency of 4 MHz. Results: Among the participants, 35.03%, 47.80%, and 29.11% had normal BP, BG, and BMI readings, respectively. The Chi-squared analysis identified a significant correlation between the diameter of the aortic annulus (AA) and BMI. Diastolic BP is also correlated with the diameter of the AA. Sinus of Valsalva (SV) showed an unusual correlation with BG as opposed to BP and BMI. Conclusion: The disparity in how a systemic factor individually correlates with the AA and the SV is not clear. The study targets to provide educational concept in this regard.
RésuméContexte: La racine aortique est un agrégat de divers composants qui relie le ventricule gauche à l'aorte. Les pathologies les plus prédominantes ont été associées à la dilatation de la racine aortique conduisant à des anévrismes. But: Cette étude est conçue pour mesurer le rôle des morbidités systémiques telles que l'hypertension, le diabète et l'indice de masse corporelle (IMC) sur la dimension de la racine aortique. Matériel et méthodes: Les participants étaient des volontaires d'origine africaine qui ont été recrutés pendant et après une foire organisée de la santé par le corps des étudiants en médecine de l'école de médecine All Saints University. 169 participants, soit 62 hommes et 107 femmes âgés de 9 à 84 ans, ont accepté de faire du bénévolat en signant le consentement après l'administration du questionnaire et en utilisant une procédure clinique préliminaire pour vérifier la tension artérielle, la glycémie (glycémie), et BMI. La mesure de la racine aortique a été effectuée par un chercheur expérimenté qui ne connaissait pas le but des mesures, en utilisant une échographe DUS-5000 (Miami, Floride, USA) à un transducteur micro-convexe basse fréquence préréglé à "adultcardiac" avec une fréquence par défaut de 4 MHz. Résultats: Parmi les participants, 35,03%, 47,80% et 29,11% avaient respectivement des valeurs normales de BP, de BG et de BMI. L'analyse du khi carré a mis en évidence une corrélation significative entre le diamètre de l'anneau aortique (AA) et l'IMC. La pression artérielle diastolique est également corrélée avec le diamètre de l'AA.Sinus de Valsalva (SV) a montré une corrélation inhabituelle avec BG par opposition à BP et BMI. CONCLUSION: La disparité dans la façon dont un facteur systémique est individuellement corrélé avec l'AA et le SV n'est pas clair. L'étude vise à fournir un concept éducatif à cet égard.
Assuntos
Aorta/anatomia & histologia , Diabetes Mellitus/diagnóstico por imagem , Hipertensão/diagnóstico por imagem , Seio Aórtico/diagnóstico por imagem , Ultrassonografia , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Aorta/diagnóstico por imagem , Pressão Sanguínea , Índice de Massa Corporal , Criança , Diabetes Mellitus/fisiopatologia , Feminino , Humanos , Hipertensão/fisiopatologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Fatores Sexuais , Seio Aórtico/fisiopatologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Adulto JovemRESUMO
The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by Shinya Yamanaka in 2006 was heralded as a major breakthrough of the decade in stem cell research. The ability to reprogram human somatic cells to a pluripotent embryonic stem cell-like state through the ectopic expression of a combination of embryonic transcription factors was greeted with great excitement by scientists and bioethicists. The reprogramming technology offers the opportunity to generate patient-specific stem cells for modeling human diseases, drug development and screening, and individualized regenerative cell therapy. However, fundamental questions have been raised regarding the molecular mechanism of iPSCs generation, a process still poorly understood by scientists. The efficiency of reprogramming of iPSCs remains low due to the effect of various barriers to reprogramming. There is also the risk of chromosomal instability and oncogenic transformation associated with the use of viral vectors, such as retrovirus and lentivirus, which deliver the reprogramming transcription factors by integration in the host cell genome. These challenges can hinder the therapeutic prospects and promise of iPSCs and their clinical applications. Consequently, extensive studies have been done to elucidate the molecular mechanism of reprogramming and novel strategies have been identified which help to improve the efficiency of reprogramming methods and overcome the safety concerns linked with iPSC generation. Distinct barriers and enhancers of reprogramming have been elucidated, and non-integrating reprogramming methods have been reported. Here, we summarize the progress and the recent advances that have been made over the last 10 years in the iPSC field, with emphasis on the molecular mechanism of reprogramming, strategies to improve the efficiency of reprogramming, characteristics and limitations of iPSCs, and the progress made in the applications of iPSCs in the field of disease modelling, drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Additionally, this study appraises the role of genomic editing technology in the generation of healthy iPSCs.