ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in prioritisation of National Health Service (NHS) resources to cope with the surge in infected patients. However, there have been no studies in the UK looking at the effect of the COVID-19 work pattern on the provision of cardiology services. We aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on cardiology services and clinical activity.MethodsWe analysed key performance indicators in cardiology services in a single centre in the UK in the periods prior to and during lockdown to assess reduction or changes in service provision.ResultsThere has been a greater than 50% drop in the number of patients presenting to cardiology and those diagnosed with myocardial infarction. All areas of cardiology service provision sustained significant reductions, which included outpatient clinics, investigations, procedures and cardiology community services such as heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation.ConclusionsAs ischaemic heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death nationally and globally, cardiology services need to prepare for a significant increase in workload in the recovery phase and develop new pathways to urgently help those adversely affected by the changes in service provision.

BACKGROUND. Allelotype studies have suggested that chromosome 1p is frequently lost in thyroid cancers, thus suggesting that there is an important tumor suppressor at this location. RIZ1 (PRDM2), located on 1p36, is a recently described tumor suppressor gene and is a member of the protein methyltransferase superfamily. RIZ1 expression is lost in a variety of tumors, primarily by means of epigenetic mechanisms that involve promoter hypermethylation.METHODS. RIZ1 expression was examined in a panel of thyroid tumor cell lines and primary thyroid tissues (14 normal, 19 benign, and 31 cancerous) by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Methylation status of the RIZ1 promoter was studied using bisulfite sequencing and methylation-specific PCR. RESULTS.The authors demonstrated that RIZ1 expression is lost in thyroid tumor cell lines and is also significantly reduced in thyroid carcinomas, when compared with normal thyroid tissues (P < .0001) and benign tumors (P ¼ .0003). The current study results also showed that loss of RIZ1 is mediated by aberrant cytosine methylation of the RIZ1 promoter. One hundred percent of carcinomas were methylated, compared with 33% of normal thyroid tissues (P ¼ .001). RIZ1 mRNA expression was significantly higher (P ¼ .02) in unmethylated (1.22 6 1.2, mean 6 standard deviation [SD]), compared with methylated tissues (0.37 6 0.42, mean 6 SD). Last, treatment with a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor led to reactivation of RIZ1 expression in cell lines that had negligible RIZ1 expression at baseline. CONCLUSIONS.The current study suggested an important role for RIZ1 expression in thyroid tumorigenesis and identified a potential novel therapeutic target for tumors unresponsive to other therapies.

Endovascular recanalization of mesenteric artery occlusion is both feasible and successful, provided careful planning is used.

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Objective: COVID-19 pandemic resulted in prioritisation of NHS resources to cope with the surge in infected patients. However, there have been no studies in the UK looking at the effect of COVID-19 work pattern on the provision of cardiology services. We aim to assess the impact of the pandemic on the cardiology services and clinical activity. Methods: We analysed key performance indicators in cardiology services in a single centre in the UK in the intervals prior and during the lockdown to assess for reduction or changes to service provisions. Results: There has been more than 50% drop in patients presenting to cardiology and those diagnosed with myocardial infarction. All cardiology service provisions sustained significant reductions which included outpatient clinics, investigations, procedures and cardiology community services such as heart failure and cardiac rehabilitation. Conclusion: As ischaemic heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death nationally and globally, cardiology services need to prepare for a significant increase in workload in the recovery phase and develop new pathways to urgently help those adversely affected by the changes in service provisions.