Mission Statement

The primary function of the Cardiovascular Pathology Research department is to provide pathology laboratory support to Texas Heart Institute research investigators. The department also provides specialized pathology and histology services (including TEM and SEM) on a fee-for-service basis to other investigators, institutions, and medical companies.

Research Projects

Projects include support for:

Cardiovascular Surgery Research

• Ventricular Assist Devices
• Off Pump Coronary Artery Bypass
• Heart Failure Models
• Heart Valves

Cardiology Research:

• Stem Cell projects
• Stent delivery systems
• Steerable Sheath Kit Design Validation
• Percutaneous Heart Valve Replacement Technique
• Gene therapy

St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital:

• Department of Pathology—TEM clinical support
• Department of Radiology—Percutaneous drug delivery system for treating hepatic tumors; MRI correlates of explanted hearts

Extramural:

• Histology and histopathology support for studies involving stents, valves, aneurysm coils, pacing leads, endovascular devices and lasers and for clinical biopsy programs.
• Clients include Baylor College of Medicine, Arbor Surgical Technologies, Inc., Medtronic, Inc., Cyberonics, Inc., Thoratec, and Spectranetics Corporation.

Definitions

What is the science of pathology?
Pathology is the study of the malfunctions and diseases of organ systems.

What is histology?
Histology is the study of the structure of cells and tissues using a microscope.

What is Electron Microscopy (Transmission, Scanning and Low-Vacuum Scanning)?
Electron microscopy studies cellular detail and tissue surfaces with the aid of an electron beam.

What is Image Analysis?
Computer-based programs are used to capture and analyze samples (measuring width and area) and record mean and standard deviation.

What are Preclinical Validation Studies (GLP)?
These studies follow Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) guidelines to evaluate drugs and devices prior to human trials.

What is Quality Assurance?
Quality Assurance procedures used in FDA GLP studies ensure that the integrity of studies is maintained.

Department Staff

L. Maximilian Buja, MD—Chief, Cardiovascular Pathology Research, THI

Fred J. Clubb, Jr., DVM, PhD—Professor in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University. Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Member of numerous professional organizations, including the Texas Society of Biomedical Research, American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, Scientists Center for Animal Welfare, and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Pamela Potts, BS—Manager of CV Pathology, Safety Officer for THI, Archivist for THI's GLP Studies. Member of various professional organizations, including the Society of Quality Assurance, Microscopy Society of America, National Society of Histotechnology, Texas Society of Histotechnology, and Texas Society of Microscopy.

Elizabeth Jacobi—Senior Research Technician

Barbara Molinari, HT (ASCP)—Senior Histotechnologist. Member of the National Society of Histotechnology and Texas Society of Histotechnology.

Ralph Nichols, HT (ASCP)—Electron Microscopy Coordinator. Member of the National Society of Histotechnology, Texas Society of Histotechnology, Microscopy Society of America and the Texas Society of Microscopy.

Deborah Vela, MD—Senior Research Scientist.  Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Michael Wang, BS—Research Assistant

Recent Publications

Bick RJ, Bagwell SH, Jones CE, Poindexter BJ, Buja LM, Youker KA, Grigore A, Clubb FJ, Radovancevic B, Frazier OH. Fluorescence imaging microscopy of cellular markers in ischemic versus non-ischemic cardiomyopathy following left ventricular unloading. Heart, Lung Transp 2005; Apr;24(4):454-61

G.V. Silva, S. Litovsky, J.A.R. Assad, A.L.S. Sousa, B.J. Martin, D. Vela, S.C. Coulter, J. Ling, J. Ober, W.K. Vaughn, R.V.C. Branco, E.M. Oliveira, R. He, Y.J. Geng, J.T. Willerson, E.C. Perin. Mesenchymal Stem Cells Differentiate into an Endothelial Phenotype, Enhance Vascular Density, and Improve the Heart Function in a Canine Ischemia Model. Circulation 2005;111(2):150-6

Bick RJ, Grigore AM, Poindexter BJ, Schnee PM, Nussmeier NA, Gregoric ID, Shah NA, Myers TJ, Buja LM, Frazier OH.  Left ventricular unloading with an assist device results in receptor relocalization as well as increased beta-adrenergic receptor numbers. Are these changes indications for outcome? J Card Surg. 2005;20:332-336.

Grigore A, Poindexter B, Vaughn WK, Nussmeier N, Frazier OH, Cooper JR, Gregoric ID, Buja LM, Bick RJ.  Alterations in alpha adrenoreceptor density and localization after mechanical left ventricular unloading with the Jarvik Flowmaker left ventricular assist device. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005;24:609-613.

Estrera AL, Porat EE, Aboul-Nasr R, Sin KY, Buja LM, Safi HJ. Primary lymphoma of the aorta presenting as a descending thoracic aortic aneurysm.  Ann Thorac Surg. 2005;80:1502-1504.

Buja LM.  Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury. (Review) Cardiovasc Path. 2005;14:170-175.

Thiene G, Becker AE, Buja LM, Fallon JT, McManus BM, Schoen FJ, Winters GL.  Toward a cardiovascular pathology training. Report on the forum held in Vancouver, March 6, 2004, Society for Cardiovascular Pathology. (Educational) Cardiovasc Path. 2005;14:312-319.

He R, Guo D-C, Estrera AL, Safi HJ, Huynh TT, Yin Z, Cao S-N, Lin J, Kurian T, Buja LM, Geng Y-J, Milewicz DM. Characterization of the inflammatory and apoptotic cells in the aortas of patients with ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2006;131:671-678.

Zhang Q, Madonna R, Shen W, Perin E, Angeli FS, Murad F, Yeh E, Buja LM, De Caterina R, Willerson JT, Geng Y-J. Stem cells and cardiovascular tissue repair: mechanism, methods, and clinical applications. J Cardiothorac Renal Res. 2006;1:3-14.

S.D. Gertz, P. Cherukuri, B.G. Bodmann, G. Gladish, W.T. Wilner, J.L. Conyers, I. Aboshady, M. Madjid, D. Vela, S. Lukovenkov, M. Papadakis, D. Kouri, R. Mohammadi, L. Frazier, A. Zarrabi, D. Elrod, J.T. Willerson, S.W. Casscells. Usefulness Of Multi-Detector Computed Tomography For Non-Invasive Evaluation Of Coronary Arteries In Asymptomatic Patients. Am J Cardiol. 2006; Jan 15;97(2):287-293.

Buja LM.  HHV-6 in cardiovascular pathology. In: Krueger GRF, Ablashi DV, eds. Perspectives in Medical Virology. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier B.V., 2006.

D. Vela, L.M. Buja, S. Litovsky. Understanding the Basics of Pathological Assessment in Experimental Models of Stem Cell Therapies. In: E. Perin, J.T. Willerson, (eds). A Simple Guide to Cardiac Cell Therapy, Chapter 7, pp. 67-80, Abingdon, UK: Taylor & Francis Medical Books, 2006.

S. Litovsky, D. Vela, M. Madjid, S.W. Casscells, J.T. Willerson. Adventitial and Periadventitial Fat is a Marker of Plaque Vulnerablity. In: R. Virmani, N. Jagat, L. Martin, J. Willerson, (eds).  Vulnerable Atherosclerotic Plaque: Strategies for Diagnosis and Management, Chapter 6, pp. 95-104, Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, 2006.

Accreditation

GLP Compliant Laboratory

Contact Information and Location

Department of Cardiovascular Pathology
Texas Heart Institute
Phone: 832-355-6524

Mailing Address:
MC 1-283
PO Box 20345
Houston, TX  77225-0345

Updated January 2007