Circulation
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Multicenter Study
Corticosteroids and outcome in children undergoing congenital heart surgery: analysis of the Pediatric Health Information Systems database.
Children undergoing congenital heart surgery often receive corticosteroids with the aim of reducing the inflammatory response after cardiopulmonary bypass; however, the value of this approach is unclear. ⋯ In this observational analysis of children undergoing congenital heart surgery, we were unable to demonstrate a significant benefit associated with corticosteroids and found that corticosteroids may be associated with increased morbidity, particularly in lower-risk patients.
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Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is among the complications of HIV infection. Combination antiretroviral therapy may influence the progression of HIV-related PH. Because Akt signaling is a potential molecular target of HIV protease inhibitors (HPIs), we hypothesized that these drugs altered monocrotaline- and hypoxia-induced PH in rats by downregulating the Akt pathway, thereby inhibiting pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation. ⋯ These results support an effect of HPIs on pulmonary vascular remodeling mediated by inhibition of Akt phosphorylation and consequently of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell proliferation.