@article{3139730,
    title = "In vivo aortic valve thermal heterogeneity in patients with nonrheumatic
aortic valve stenosis",
    author = "Toutouzas, Konstantinos and Drakopoulou, Maria and Synetos, Andreas and and Tsiamis, Eleftherios and Agrogiannis, George and Kavantzas, Nikolaos and and Patsouris, Eustratios and Iliopoulos, Dimitris and Theodoropoulos, and Stergios and Yacoub, Magdi and Stefanadis, Christodoulos",
    journal = "Journal of the American College of Cardiology",
    year = "2008",
    volume = "52",
    number = "9",
    pages = "758-763",
    publisher = "EXCERPTA MEDICA INC-ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC",
    issn = "0735-1097, 1558-3597",
    doi = "10.1016/j.jacc.2008.04.057",
    keywords = "aortic valve; inflammation thermography",
    abstract = "Objectives We investigated in vivo in aortic valve stenosis (AVS)
whether there is: 1) thermal heterogeneity within the valve leaflets; 2)
temperature difference between the leaflets and the ascending aortic
wall; and 3) a possible correlation between heat production,
inflammation, and neoangiogenesis.
Background Histological studies have demonstrated a potential role of
inflammation and neoangiogenesis in AVS.
Methods We examined 96 leaflets scheduled for aortic valve replacement.
Twenty-five patients had AVS, and 7 had aortic valve insufficiency
(AVI). Temperature measurements were performed right before hypothermic
cardioplegia. Temperature difference (Delta T) was assigned as the mean
temperature of each leaflet minus the temperature of the aortic wall.
Histological, immunohistological analysis, and vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) immunoreactivity was performed.
Results Significant thermal heterogeneity was recorded within the
leaflets of AVS, compared with AVI (1.52 +/- 1.35 degrees C vs. 0.13 +/-
0.11 degrees C, p < 0.01). In AVS Delta T was greater in all leaflets
compared with the AVI group (p < 0.01). Leaflets of AVS had increased
inflammatory cell infiltration, calcium deposit, and anti-VEGF
expression compared with AVI (p < 0.01).
Conclusions Thermal heterogeneity is increased in AVS and correlates
with inflammatory mononuclear cell infiltration, expression of
pro-inflammatory cytokines and neoangiogenic factors."
}