In this and the next issue of CRM, you will find a selection of the best abstracts submitted to our annual Cardiovascular Revascularization Therapies (CRT) meeting, which was held February 11–13, 2008, in Washington, DC. The meeting has grown substantially in terms of content, and this year nearly 250 abstracts were submitted. Members of our editorial board and CRT faculty graded the abstracts on a scale from 1 to 10; and those with an average score of '6' or higher were selected for publication. The abstracts present a variety of interesting topics, and we hope to publish many of them as full-length manuscripts in upcoming issues.
There are fewer manuscripts in this issue due to the sheer volume of abstracts. The first of two clinical original articles comes to us from Kucukardali et al. who aimed to evaluate the relationship between the degree of coronary occlusion and plasma vascular endothelial growth factor level in patients with established coronary artery disease. The second, from Banerjee et al., sought to evaluate the reproducibility of plaque composition measurements as determined by intravascular ultrasound virtual histology in a clinical setting. In the first of two review articles, Tesfamariam summarizes the temporal events following intravascular device implants, including endothelial cell injury, platelet activation, receptor-mediated signaling events, platelet-rich thrombus formation, and the redundant platelet pathways, all of which may be potential therapeutic targets. Next, Kaluski et al. discuss the theoretical considerations that resulted in the conception of MGuard, an ultrathin polymer sleeve attached to the external surface of the stent, and the scientific data that supports the use of the innovation.
Two case reports also comprise this issue. Tigen et al. report the case of a 32-year-old male with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and with two simultaneous occluding fresh coronary thrombi in his left anterior descending coronary artery and its diagonal side branch. Then, Roy et al. describe the case of a 67-year-old gentleman who developed a coronary-cameral fistula after undergoing elective stent implantation in the left anterior descending artery, which was later successfully treated with covered stents. As you read previously, this issue's special feature is the first of two groups of select abstracts from CRT 2008. The second of which will appear in our next issue.
As always, we hope you find this issue interesting and thought provoking. In an ongoing effort to make CRM more visible and subsequently increase circulation, we ask that you mention us to your peers and talk to your institution's librarian about acquiring a subscription to CRM.
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