2024
Intimomedial tears of the aorta heal by smooth muscle cell-mediated fibrosis without atherosclerosis
Hassab A, Hur D, Vallabhajosyula P, Tellides G, Assi R. Intimomedial tears of the aorta heal by smooth muscle cell-mediated fibrosis without atherosclerosis. JCI Insight 2024, 9: e172437. PMID: 38592807, PMCID: PMC11141924, DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.172437.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDepartment of SurgerySmooth muscle cellsCellular response to injuryResponse to injuryImmunofluorescence confocal microscopyVessel wall repairPrimary lesionAscending aortaConduit functionAneurysmal diseaseDense fibrosisRadiological signsMural hematomaTear progressionMuscle cellsNon-hemorrhagicErythrocyte extravasationWall repairAortaTear completionInduce atherosclerosisHealed lesionsScattered leukocytesMinimal injuryConclusionThese findings
2022
Variability in surveillance practice for patients with diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valve syndrome
Kahler-Quesada A, Vallabhajosyula I, Yousef S, Mori M, Amabile A, Assi R, Geirsson A, Vallabhajosyula P. Variability in surveillance practice for patients with diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valve syndrome. Scientific Reports 2022, 12: 22009. PMID: 36539583, PMCID: PMC9768129, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25571-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBicuspid aortic valveTertiary care centerAortic valveCare centerCardiovascular specialistsBicuspid aortic valve syndromeAortic pathologySurveillance imagingDisease progressionPatientsBivariate analysisEchocardiogramGuide interventionDiagnosisHigher proportionValveSurveillance practicesUrgent needGuidelinesValvulopathySpecialistsSurgeryValvularSyndromeFollowGrowth rate of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms in a non-referral-based population
Weininger G, Mori M, Yousef S, Hur DJ, Assi R, Geirsson A, Vallabhajosyula P. Growth rate of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms in a non-referral-based population. Journal Of Cardiothoracic Surgery 2022, 17: 14. PMID: 35109884, PMCID: PMC8812194, DOI: 10.1186/s13019-022-01761-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAneurysm growth rateAortic dilatationAortic aneurysmStudy populationCT scanInitial aneurysm sizeTrue natural historyPatients age 50High-risk patientsMedian time intervalLarge institutional databaseThoracic aortic aneurysmComputed tomography scanAortic aneurysm diseaseRisk patientsAortic sizeInstitutional databaseTomography scanAneurysm diseaseRadiologic diagnosisAneurysm sizeBackgroundPrior studiesAge 50PatientsNatural history
2021
Development and Validation of a Predictive Model to Identify Patients With an Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
Mori M, Gan G, Deng Y, Yousef S, Weininger G, Daggula KR, Agarwal R, Shang M, Assi R, Geirsson A, Vallabhajosyula P. Development and Validation of a Predictive Model to Identify Patients With an Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2021, 10: e022102. PMID: 34743563, PMCID: PMC8751931, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.121.022102.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsThoracic aortic aneurysmAortic aneurysmPatient riskTomography scanHigher body surface areaTertiary care centerAortic valve diseaseHistory of arrhythmiaAvailable clinical informationBody surface areaScreening of patientsCross-sectional studyRisk prediction algorithmAscending Thoracic Aortic AneurysmsLogistic regression modelsClinical characteristicsAortic dissectionUnique patientsValve diseaseC-statisticFemale sexThoracic aortaCare centerComorbidity variablesMultivariable modelQuantitative not qualitative histology differentiates aneurysmal from nondilated ascending aortas and reveals a net gain of medial components
Yousef S, Matsumoto N, Dabe I, Mori M, Landry AB, Lee SR, Kawamura Y, Yang C, Li G, Assi R, Vallabhajosyula P, Geirsson A, Moeckel G, Humphrey JD, Tellides G. Quantitative not qualitative histology differentiates aneurysmal from nondilated ascending aortas and reveals a net gain of medial components. Scientific Reports 2021, 11: 13185. PMID: 34162971, PMCID: PMC8222259, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92659-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMedial degenerationAortic aneurysmSporadic thoracic aortic aneurysmMedial cell numberCommon histopathological findingThoracic aortic aneurysmSmooth muscle cellsAortic dilatationHistopathological findingsAscending aortaHistopathological criteriaAneurysmal wallLumen dilatationClinical diagnosisMuscle cellsAneurysmsAortaDegenerationDilatationMural cellsMarked overlapElastic lamellaeMedial componentCell numberMedial tissue
2019
Invited Commentary
Assi R, Desai ND. Invited Commentary. The Annals Of Thoracic Surgery 2019, 108: 457. PMID: 30980817, DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2019.03.025.Commentaries, Editorials and LettersResection of noncoronary sinus segment in a nonaneurysmal root: To do or not to do
Assi R, Milewski RK, Bavaria JE, Vallabhajosyula P. Resection of noncoronary sinus segment in a nonaneurysmal root: To do or not to do. Journal Of Thoracic And Cardiovascular Surgery 2019, 157: e321. PMID: 30798957, DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcvs.2019.01.036.Commentaries, Editorials and Letters
2013
The mouse aortocaval fistula recapitulates human arteriovenous fistula maturation
Yamamoto K, Protack CD, Tsuneki M, Hall MR, Wong DJ, Lu DY, Assi R, Williams WT, Sadaghianloo N, Bai H, Miyata T, Madri JA, Dardik A. The mouse aortocaval fistula recapitulates human arteriovenous fistula maturation. AJP Heart And Circulatory Physiology 2013, 305: h1718-h1725. PMID: 24097429, PMCID: PMC3882542, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00590.2013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsArteriovenous fistulaMaturation failureHigh-resolution Doppler ultrasoundArteriovenous fistula maturationFirst animal modelMature arteriovenous fistulaSmooth muscle cellsHuman AVF maturationAVF maturationAortocaval fistulaAVF failureFistula maturationImmediate thrombosisVenous adaptationExcellent patencyDoppler ultrasoundAnimal modelsDay 21Human patientsNeedle punctureDay 42Muscle cellsFistulaArterial environmentFailure