Recent studies demonstrated that the expression of coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is implicated in the pathophysiology of myocarditis. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between active and borderline myocarditis and CAR expression in endomyocardial tissues, and analyze the association between CAR expression and treatment response. An analytic, cross-sectional, retrospective study was performed in 26 patients with myocarditis and 10 control subjects without heart disease. Myocardial biopsies were obtained and CAR transcription was measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. The association between CAR mRNA levels and the response to immunosuppressive or conventional therapy (treatment responders, n=17; non-responders, n=9) or with the type of histological myocarditis (active myocarditis, n=16; borderline myocarditis, n=10) was analyzed. CAR transcription levels were significantly lower (P=0.012) in patients with myocarditis compared with controls, and a significant decrease was observed (P=0.023) in CAR mRNA levels among patients with borderline myocarditis compared with the no myocarditis group. Patients responding to therapy exhibited higher CAR mRNA levels (P=0.036) compared with patients not responding to treatment, as evaluated based on clinical and echocardiographic criteria (immunosuppressive therapy, n=8; conventional therapy, n=1). Myocarditis in non-responders was associated with fewer clinical manifestations and lower CAR mRNA levels. A significant difference was only found regarding the use of oral steroids in patients with active myocarditis who responded to treatment (P=0.02), with no difference in borderline myocarditis. In conclusion, the transcriptional level of CAR is low in the endomyocardial tissue of patients with myocarditis, and it is lower in borderline myocarditis and in non-responder patients. These findings may enable early identification of patients who may benefit from treatment and timely determination of prognosis.

Pericarditis constrictiva y arteria coronaria única: Una rara presentaciónConstrictive pericarditis and single coronary artery: Rare presentation La pericarditis constrictiva es la etapa final de un proceso inflamatorio que involucra con mayor asiduidad la capa parietal del pericardio y causa constricción. Las enfermedades autoinmunes son la etiología más frecuente 1 . La artritis reumatoide es un trastorno autoinmune sistémico de etiología desconocida. Se caracteriza por sinovitis crónica que afecta principalmente las articulaciones y también la membrana serosa del pericardio. La participación extraarticular es vista en los enfermos con genes HLA-DR1 y DR4 2,3 . El diagnóstico de pericarditis constrictiva requiere de la

Liposarcomas represent the second most common type of soft tissue sarcomas after malignant fibrous histiocytoma. There are four histological subtypes according to the World Health Organization: well-differentiated (atypical lipomatous) liposarcoma, dedifferentiated, myxoid (round-cell) liposarcoma (ML), and pleomorphic liposarcoma 1 . Their primary anatomical sites of origin from liposarcomas are the retroperitoneum in 25-50% and the lower limbs in 25-35%. The most frequent distant sites for metastasis arising from ML include lungs, retroperitoneum, abdominal cavity, and chest wall 1 . ML accounts for 30-50% of all liposarcomas, with a peak incidence between the third and the fifth decade of life, being more frequent in males than females, exhibiting an overall metastatic rate of 30%. Interestingly, it has an expansive growth pattern, with less aggressive infiltrative behavior, thus, causing frequently obstructive clinical syndromes at the main site of metastasis, however, metastatic intracardiac soft tissue sarcomas represent an extremely rare clinical

Liposarcomas represent the second most common type of soft tissue sarcomas after malignant fibrous histiocytoma. There are four histological subtypes according to the World Health Organization: well-differentiated (atypical lipomatous) liposarcoma, dedifferentiated, myxoid (round-cell) liposarcoma (ML), and pleomorphic liposarcoma 1 . Their primary anatomical sites of origin from liposarcomas are the retroperitoneum in 25-50% and the lower limbs in 25-35%. The most frequent distant sites for metastasis arising from ML include lungs, retroperitoneum, abdominal cavity, and chest wall 1 . ML accounts for 30-50% of all liposarcomas, with a peak incidence between the third and the fifth decade of life, being more frequent in males than females, exhibiting an overall metastatic rate of 30%. Interestingly, it has an expansive growth pattern, with less aggressive infiltrative behavior, thus, causing frequently obstructive clinical syndromes at the main site of metastasis, however, metastatic intracardiac soft tissue sarcomas represent an extremely rare clinical