Whole-Blood Transcriptome Unveils Altered Immune Response in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients With Aortic Valve Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Aortic valve sclerosis (AVSc) presents similar pathogenetic mechanisms to coronary artery disease and is associated with short- and long-term mortality in patients with coronary artery disease. Evidence of AVSc-specific pathophysiological traits in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is currently lacking. Thus, we aimed to identify a blood-based transcriptional signature that could differentiate AVSc from no-AVSc patients during AMI. METHODS: Whole-blood transcriptome of AVSc (n=44) and no-AVSc (n=66) patients with AMI was assessed by RNA sequencing on hospital admission. Feature selection, differential expression, and enrichment analyses were performed to identify gene expression patterns discriminating AVSc from no-AVSc and infer functional associations. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the hazard ratios of cardiovascular events in AVSc versus no-AVSc patients. RESULTS: This cross-sectional study identified a panel of 100 informative genes capable of distinguishing AVSc from no-AVSc patients with 94% accuracy. Further analysis revealed significant mean differences in 143 genes, of which 30 genes withstood correction for age and previous AMI or coronary interventions. Functional inference unveiled a significant association between AVSc and key biological processes, including acute inflammatory responses, type I IFN (interferon) response, platelet activation, and hemostasis. Notably, patients with AMI with AVSc exhibited a significantly higher incidence of adverse cardiovascular events during a 10-year follow-up period, with a full adjusted hazard ratio of 2.4 (95% CI, 1.3-4.5). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying AVSc and provide potential prognostic insights for patients with AMI with AVSc. During AMI, patients with AVSc showed increased type I IFN (interferon) response and earlier adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Novel pharmacological therapies aiming at limiting type I IFN response during or immediately after AMI might improve poor cardiovascular outcomes of patients with AMI with AVSc.

Pyroptosis inhibitors MCC950 and VX-765 mitigate myocardial injury by alleviating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in acute myocardial hypoxia.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a prevalent cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Pyroptosis is an inflammatory form of programmed cell death that has been linked to various pathological conditions. However, its exact contribution to the onset and progression of heart injury in AMI has not yet fully elucidated. Herein, we established mouse AMI model by ligating the left anterior descending artery and performed transcriptome analysis during the early phase of AMI. Mouse HL-1 and human AC-16 cardiomyocytes were subjected to hypoxia to simulate ischemic injury in vitro. Our results revealed a significant activation of the inflammatory response at 3 h post-ligation, as confirmed by RNA sequencing. We identified the occurrence of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in the cardiac tissues of human cases with AMI, as well as in mouse models of AMI and hypoxia-induced cardiomyocytes, using immunohistochemistry staining and Western blotting assays. Concurrently, pharmacological inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis with MCC950 and VX-765 effectively decreased hypoxia-induced cardiomyocytes injury, while mitigating myocardial oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation caused by hypoxia. Moreover, the circulating levels of gasdermin D (GSDMD), the pyroptosis executor, were remarkably elevated in the plasma of mice with early AMI and in the supernatant of hypoxia-exposed cardiomyocytes in a time-dependent manner using ELISA and Western blotting. Furthermore, the change in circulating GSDMD positively correlated with Creatine Kinase-MB (CK-MB) in the plasma of early-stage AMI mouse. In summary, these findings indicated a critical role for NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in the progression of AMI, the administration of MCC950 and VX-765 may be attractive candidate therapeutic approaches for cardiac injury caused by acute hypoxia or even AMI. Additionally, the circulating GSDMD exhibits potential as a newly diagnostic biomarker for AMI.

Inflammation in acute myocardial infarction: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Convergent experimental and clinical evidence have established the pathophysiological importance of pro-inflammatory pathways in coronary artery disease. Notably, the interest in treating inflammation in patients suffering acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is now expanding from its chronic aspects to the acute setting. Few large outcome trials have proven the benefits of anti-inflammatory therapies on cardiovascular outcomes by targeting the residual inflammatory risk (RIR), i.e. the smouldering ember of low-grade inflammation persisting in the late phase after AMI. However, these studies have also taught us about potential risks of anti-inflammatory therapy after AMI, particularly related to impaired host defence. Recently, numerous smaller-scale trials have addressed the concept of targeting a deleterious flare of excessive inflammation in the early phase after AMI. Targeting different pathways and implementing various treatment regimens, those trials have met with varied degrees of success. Promising results have come from those studies intervening early on the interleukin-1 and -6 pathways. Taking lessons from such past research may inform an optimized approach to target post-AMI inflammation, tailored to spare 'The Good' (repair and defence) while treating 'The Bad' (smouldering RIR) and capturing 'The Ugly' (flaming early burst of excess inflammation in the acute phase). Key constituents of such a strategy may read as follows: select patients with large pro-inflammatory burden (i.e. large AMI); initiate treatment early (e.g. ≤12 h post-AMI); implement a precisely targeted anti-inflammatory agent; follow through with a tapering treatment regimen. This approach warrants testing in rigorous clinical trials.

Injury minimization after myocardial infarction: focus on extracellular vesicles.

Despite improvements in clinical outcomes following acute myocardial infarction, mortality remains high, especially in patients with severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF <30%), emphasizing the need for effective cardioprotective strategies adjunctive to recanalization. Traditional cell therapy has shown equivocal success, shifting the focus to innovative cardioactive biologicals and cell mimetic therapies, particularly extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs, as carriers of non-coding RNAs and other essential biomolecules, influence neighbouring and remote cell function in a paracrine manner. Compared to cell therapy, EVs possess several clinically advantageous traits, including stability, ease of storage (enabling off-the-shelf clinical readiness), and decreased immunogenicity. Allogeneic EVs from mesenchymal and/or cardiac stromal progenitor cells demonstrate safety and potential efficacy in preclinical settings. This review delves into the translational potential of EV-based therapeutic approaches, specifically highlighting findings from large-animal studies, and offers a synopsis of ongoing early-stage clinical trials in this domain.

Cardiovascular hospitalizations and mortality among adults aged 25-64 years in the USA.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Declines in cardiovascular mortality have stagnated in the USA since 2011. There is growing concern that these patterns reflect worsening cardiovascular health in younger adults. However, little is known about how the burden of acute cardiovascular hospitalizations and mortality has changed in this population. Changes in cardiovascular hospitalizations and mortality among adults aged 25-64 years were evaluated, overall and by community-level income. METHODS: Using the National Inpatient Sample, age-standardized annual hospitalization and in-hospital mortality rates for acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, and ischaemic stroke were determined among adults aged 25-64 years. Quasi-Poisson and quasi-binominal regression models were fitted to compare outcomes between individuals residing in low- and higher-income communities. RESULTS: Between 2008 and 2019, age-standardized hospitalization rates for AMI increased among younger adults from 155.0 (95% confidence interval: 154.6, 155.4) per 100 000 to 160.7 (160.3, 161.1) per 100 000 (absolute change +5.7 [5.0, 6.3], P < .001). Heart failure hospitalizations also increased (165.3 [164.8, 165.7] to 225.3 [224.8, 225.8], absolute change +60.0 (59.3, 60.6), P < .001), as ischaemic stroke hospitalizations (76.3 [76.1, 76.7] to 108.1 [107.8, 108.5], absolute change +31.7 (31.2, 32.2), P < .001). Across all conditions, hospitalizations rates were significantly higher among younger adults residing in low-income compared with higher-income communities, and disparities did not narrow between groups. In-hospital mortality decreased for all conditions over the study period. CONCLUSIONS: There was an alarming increase in cardiovascular hospitalizations among younger adults in the USA from 2008 to 2019, and disparities between those residing in low- and higher-income communities did not narrow.

Promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation for myocardial regeneration in large mammals.

From molecular and cellular perspectives, heart failure is caused by the loss of cardiomyocytes-the fundamental contractile units of the heart. Because mammalian cardiomyocytes exit the cell cycle shortly after birth, the cardiomyocyte damage induced by myocardial infarction (MI) typically leads to dilatation of the left ventricle (LV) and often progresses to heart failure. However, recent findings indicate that the hearts of neonatal pigs completely regenerated the cardiomyocytes that were lost to MI when the injury occurred on postnatal day 1 (P1). This recovery was accompanied by increases in the expression of markers for cell-cycle activity in cardiomyocytes. These results suggest that the repair process was driven by cardiomyocyte proliferation. This review summarizes findings from recent studies that found evidence of cardiomyocyte proliferation in 1) the uninjured hearts of newborn pigs on P1, 2) neonatal pig hearts after myocardial injury on P1, and 3) the hearts of pigs that underwent apical resection surgery (AR) on P1 followed by MI on postnatal day 28 (P28). Analyses of cardiomyocyte single-nucleus RNA sequencing data collected from the hearts of animals in these three experimental groups, their corresponding control groups, and fetal pigs suggested that although the check-point regulators and other molecules that direct cardiomyocyte cell-cycle progression and proliferation in fetal, newborn, and postnatal pigs were identical, the mechanisms that activated cardiomyocyte proliferation in response to injury may differ from those that regulate cardiomyocyte proliferation during development.

Identification of key biomarkers for predicting CAD progression in inflammatory bowel disease via machine-learning and bioinformatics strategies.

The study aimed to identify the biomarkers for predicting coronary atherosclerotic lesions progression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Related transcriptome datasets were seized from Gene Expression Omnibus database. IBD-related modules were identified via Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis. The 'Limma' was applied to screen differentially expressed genes between stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Subsequently, we employed protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and three machine-learning strategies to further screen for candidate hub genes. Application of the receiver operating characteristics curve to quantitatively evaluate candidates to determine key diagnostic biomarkers, followed by a nomogram construction. Ultimately, we performed immune landscape analysis, single-gene GSEA and prediction of target-drugs. 3227 IBD-related module genes and 570 DEGs accounting for AMI were recognized. Intersection yielded 85 shared genes and mostly enriched in immune and inflammatory pathways. After filtering through PPI network and multi-machine learning algorithms, five candidate genes generated. Upon validation, CTSD, CEBPD, CYP27A1 were identified as key diagnostic biomarkers with a superior sensitivity and specificity (AUC > 0.8). Furthermore, all three genes were negatively correlated with CD4+ T cells and positively correlated with neutrophils. Single-gene GSEA highlighted the importance of pathogen invasion, metabolism, immune and inflammation responses during the pathogenesis of AMI. Ten target-drugs were predicted. The discovery of three peripheral blood biomarkers capable of predicting the risk of CAD proceeding into AMI in IBD patients. These identified biomarkers were negatively correlated with CD4+ T cells and positively correlated with neutrophils, indicating a latent therapeutic target.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection: New Insights into This Not-So-Rare Condition.

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an uncommon but increasingly recognized cause of acute myocardial infarction (MI) among young and middle-aged women and is an important cause of pregnancy-associated MI. Over 90% of SCAD patients are women. Compared to patients with MI caused by atherosclerosis, SCAD patients have fewer cardiovascular risk factors but more often have systemic arteriopathy, most commonly fibromuscular dysplasia. Angiographically, SCAD is characterized by the presence of an intramural hematoma with or without an intimal tear. Accurate recognition of characteristic findings on coronary angiography is critical, as there are important differences in the acute and long-term management of MI caused by SCAD versus atherosclerosis. Acutely, most SCAD patients should be managed conservatively, since percutaneous revascularization is associated with more complications and SCAD-affected vessels usually heal without intervention. Randomized clinical trials and other prospective evaluations are needed, especially to clarify optimal treatment and prevention strategies.

One-Stop Plasmonic Nanocube-Excited SERS Immunoassay Platform of Multiple Cardiac Biomarkers for Rapid Screening and Progressive Tracing of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Rapid and precise acute myocardial infarction (AMI) diagnosis is essential for preventing patient death. In addition, the complementary roles of creatine kinase muscle brain (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) cardiac biomarkers in the early and late stages of AMI demand their simultaneous detection, which is difficult to implement using conventional fluorescence and electrochemical technologies. Here, a nanotechnology-based one-stop immuno-surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection platform is reported for multiple cardiac indicators for the rapid screening and progressive tracing of AMI events. Optimal SERS is achieved using optical property-based, excitation wavelength-optimized, and high-yield anisotropic plasmonic gold nanocubes. Optimal immunoassay reaction efficiencies are achieved by increasing immobilized antibodies. Multiple simultaneous detection strategies are implemented by incorporating two different Raman reports with narrow wavenumbers corresponding to two indicators and by establishing a computational SERS mapping process to accurately detect their concentrations, irrespective of multiple enzymes in the human serum. The SERS platform precisely estimated AMI onset and progressive timing in human serum and made rapid AMI identification feasible using a portable Raman spectrometer. This integrated platform is hypothesized to significantly contribute to emergency medicine and forensic science by providing timely treatment and observation.

Collaborative CRISPR-Cas System-Enabled Detection of Circulating Circular RNA for Reliable Monitoring of Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the major causes of death worldwide, posing significant global health challenges. Circular RNA (circRNA) has recently emerged as a potential diagnostic biomarker for AMI, providing valuable information for timely medical care. In this work, a new electrochemical method for circRNA detection by engineering a collaborative CRISPR-Cas system is developed. This system integrates the unique circRNA-targeting ability with cascade trans-cleavage activities of Cas effectors, using an isothermal primer exchange reaction as the bridge. Using cZNF292, a circulating circRNA biomarker for AMI is identified by this group; as a model, the collaborative CRISPR-Cas system-based method exhibits excellent accuracy and sensitivity with a low detection limit of 2.13 × 10-15 m. Moreover, the method demonstrates a good diagnostic performance for AMI when analyzing whole blood samples. Therefore, the method may provide new insight into the detection of circRNA biomarkers and is expected to have great potential in AMI diagnosis in the future.

Regulatory T-cell frequency and function in acute myocardial infarction patients and its correlation with ventricular dysfunction.

A high percentage of patients with acute coronary syndrome develop heart failure due to the ischemic event. Regulatory T (Treg) cells are lymphocytes with suppressive capacity that control the immune response and include the conventional CD4+ CD25hi Foxp3+ cells and the CD4+ CD25var CD69+ LAP+ Foxp3- IL-10+ cells. No human follow-up studies focus on Treg cells' behavior after infarction and their possible relationship with ventricular function as a sign of postischemic cardiac remodeling. This study aimed to analyze, by flow cytometry, the circulating levels of CD69+ Treg cells and CD4+ CD25hi Foxp3+ cells, their IL-10+ production as well as their function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and its possible relation with ventricular dysfunction. We found a significant difference in the percentage of CD4+ CD25hi Foxp3+ cells and IL-10+ MFI in patients with AMI at 72 hours compared with the healthy control group, and the levels of these cells were reduced 6 months post-AMI. Regarding the suppressive function of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory cells, they were dysfunctional at 3 and 6 months post-AMI. The frequency of CD69+ Treg cells was similar between patients with AMI at 72 hours postinfarction and the control groups. Moreover, the frequency of CD69+ Treg cells at 3 and 6 months postischemic event did not vary over time. Treg cells play a role in regulating inflammation after an AMI, and its function may be compromised in this pathology. This work is the first report to evaluate CD69+ Foxp3- Treg cells in AMI patients.

Targeted ablation of the left middle cervical ganglion prevents ventricular arrhythmias and cardiac injury induced by AMI.

Cardiac sympathetic overactivation is a critical driver in the progression of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The left middle cervical ganglion (LMCG) is an important extracardiac sympathetic ganglion. However, the regulatory effects of LMCG on AMI have not yet been fully documented. In the present study, we detected that the LMCG was innervated by abundant sympathetic components and exerted an excitatory effect on the cardiac sympathetic nervous system in response to stimulation. In canine models of AMI, targeted ablation of LMCG reduced the sympathetic indexes of heart rate variability and serum norepinephrine, resulting in suppressed cardiac sympathetic activity. Moreover, LMCG ablation could improve ventricular electrophysiological stability, evidenced by the prolonged ventricular effective refractory period, elevated action potential duration, increased ventricular fibrillation threshold, and enhanced connexin43 expression, consequently showing antiarrhythmic effects. Additionally, compared with the control group, myocardial infarction size, circulating cardiac troponin I, and myocardial apoptosis were significantly reduced, accompanied by preserved cardiac function in canines subjected to LMCG ablation. Finally, we performed the left stellate ganglion (LSG) ablation and compared its effects with LMCG destruction. The results indicated that LMCG ablation prevented ventricular electrophysiological instability, cardiac sympathetic activation, and AMI-induced ventricular arrhythmias with similar efficiency as LSG denervation. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that LMCG ablation suppressed cardiac sympathetic activity, stabilized ventricular electrophysiological properties and mitigated cardiomyocyte death, resultantly preventing ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias, myocardial injury, and cardiac dysfunction. Neuromodulation therapy targeting LMCG represented a promising strategy for the treatment of AMI.

Increased [18F]FDG uptake in the infarcted myocardial area displayed by combined PET/CMR correlates with snRNA-seq-detected inflammatory cell invasion.

Combined [18F]FDG PET-cardiac MRI imaging (PET/CMR) is a useful tool to assess myocardial viability and cardiac function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Here, we evaluated the prognostic value of PET/CMR in a porcine closed-chest reperfused AMI (rAMI) model. Late gadolinium enhancement by PET/CMR imaging displayed tracer uptake defect at the infarction site by 3 days after the rAMI in the majority of the animals (group Match, n = 28). Increased [18F]FDG uptake at the infarcted area (metabolism/contractility mismatch) with reduced tracer uptake in the remote viable myocardium (group Mismatch, n = 12) 3 days after rAMI was observed in the animals with larger infarct size and worse left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (34 ± 8.7 vs 42.0 ± 5.2%), with lower LVEF also at the 1-month follow-up (35.8 ± 9.5 vs 43.0 ± 6.3%). Transcriptome analyses by bulk and single-nuclei RNA sequencing of the infarcted myocardium and border zones (n = 3 of each group, and 3 sham-operated controls) revealed a strong inflammatory response with infiltration of monocytes and macrophages in the infarcted and border areas in Mismatch animals. Our data indicate a high prognostic relevance of combined PET/MRI in the subacute phase of rAMI for subsequent impairment of heart function and underline the adverse effects of an excessive activation of the innate immune system in the initial phase after rAMI.

Exploring the role of CBLB in acute myocardial infarction: transcriptomic, microbiomic, and metabolomic analyses.

BACKGROUND: Specific alterations in gut microbiota and metabolites have been linked to AMI, with CBLB potentially playing an essential role. However, the precise interactions remain understudied, creating a significant gap in our understanding. This study aims to address this by exploring these interactions in CBLB-intervened AMI mice using transcriptome sequencing, 16 S rDNA, and non-targeted metabolite analysis. METHODS: To probe the therapeutic potential and mechanistic underpinnings of CBLB overexpression in AMI, we utilized an integrative multi-omics strategy encompassing transcriptomics, metabolomics, and 16s rDNA sequencing. We selected these particular methods as they facilitate a holistic comprehension of the intricate interplay between the host and its microbiota, and the potential effects on the host's metabolic and gene expression profiles. The uniqueness of our investigation stems from utilizing a multi-omics approach to illuminate the role of CBLB in AMI, an approach yet unreported to the best of our knowledge. Our experimental protocol encompassed transfection of CBLB lentivirus-packaged vectors into 293T cells, followed by subsequent intervention in AMI mice. Subsequently, we conducted pathological staining, fecal 16s rDNA sequencing, and serum non-targeted metabolome sequencing. We applied differential expression analysis to discern differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differential metabolites, and differential microbiota. We performed protein-protein interaction analysis to identify core genes, and conducted correlation studies to clarify the relationships amongst these core genes, paramount metabolites, and key microbiota. RESULTS: Following the intervention of CBLB in AMI, we observed a significant decrease in inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber formation in the infarcted region of mice hearts. We identified key changes in microbiota, metabolites, and DEGs that were associated with this intervention. The findings revealed that CBLB has a significant correlation with DEGs, differential metabolites and microbiota, respectively. This suggests it could play a pivotal role in the regulation of AMI. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the potential of differentially expressed genes, metabolites, and microbiota in AMI regulation post-CBLB intervention. Our findings lay groundwork for future exploration of CBLB's role in AMI, suggesting potential therapeutic applications and novel research directions in AMI treatment strategies.

CPHEN-017: Comprehensive phenotyping of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) on peripheral human neutrophils.

With the recent discovery of their ability to produce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), neutrophils are increasingly appreciated as active participants in infection and inflammation. NETs are characterized as large, web-like networks of DNA and proteins extruded from neutrophils, and there is considerable interest in how these structures drive disease in humans. Advancing research in this field is contingent on developing novel tools for quantifying NETosis. To this end, we have developed a 7-marker flow cytometry panel for analyzing NETosis on human peripheral neutrophils following in vitro stimulation, and in fresh circulating neutrophils under inflammatory conditions. This panel was optimized on neutrophils isolated from whole blood and analyzed fresh or in vitro stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or ionomycin, two known NET-inducing agonists. Neutrophils were identified as SSChighFSChighCD15+CD66b+. Neutrophils positive for amine residues and 7-Aminoactinomycin D (7-AAD), our DNA dye of choice, were deemed necrotic (Zombie-NIR+7-AAD+) and were removed from downstream analysis. Exclusion of Zombie-NIR and positivity for 7-AAD (Zombie-NIRdim7-AAD+) was used here as a marker of neutrophil-appendant DNA, a key feature of NETs. The presence of two NET-associated proteins - myeloperoxidase (MPO) and neutrophil elastase (NE) - were utilized to identify neutrophil-appendant NET events (SSChighFSChighCD15+CD66b+Zombie NIRdim7-AAD+MPO+NE+). We also demonstrate that NETotic neutrophils express citrullinated histone H3 (H3cit), are concentration-dependently induced by in vitro PMA and ionomycin stimulation but are disassembled with DNase treatment, and are present in both chronic and acute inflammation. This 7-color flow cytometry panel provides a novel tool for examining NETosis in humans.

Outcomes of Patients Transferred to Tertiary Care Centers for Treatment of Cardiogenic Shock: A Cardiogenic Shock Working Group Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Consensus recommendations for cardiogenic shock (CS) advise transfer of patients in need of advanced options beyond the capability of "spoke" centers to tertiary/"hub" centers with higher capabilities. However, outcomes associated with such transfers are largely unknown beyond those reported in individual health networks. OBJECTIVES: To analyze a contemporary, multicenter CS cohort with the aim of comparing characteristics and outcomes of patients between transfer (between spoke and hub centers) and nontransfer cohorts (those primarily admitted to a hub center) for both acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS) and heart failure-related HF-CS. We also aim to identify clinical characteristics of the transfer cohort that are associated with in-hospital mortality. METHODS: The Cardiogenic Shock Working Group (CSWG) registry is a national, multicenter, prospective registry including high-volume (mostly hub) CS centers. Fifteen U.S. sites contributed data for this analysis from 2016-2020. RESULTS: Of 1890 consecutive CS patients enrolled into the CSWG registry, 1028 (54.4%) patients were transferred. Of these patients, 528 (58.1%) had heart failure-related CS (HF-CS), and 381 (41.9%) had CS related to acute myocardial infarction (AMI-CS). Upon arrival to the CSWG site, transfer patients were more likely to be in SCAI stages C and D, when compared to nontransfer patients. Transfer patients had higher mortality rates (37% vs 29%, < 0.001) than nontransfer patients; the differences were driven primarily by the HF-CS cohort. Logistic regression identified increasing age, mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, and higher number of vasoactive drugs prior to or within 24 hours after CSWG site transfer as independent predictors of mortality among HF-CS patients. Conversely, pulmonary artery catheter use prior to transfer or within 24 hours of arrival was associated with decreased mortality rates. Among transfer AMI-CS patients, BMI > 28 kg/m2, worsening renal failure, lactate > 3 mg/dL, and increasing numbers of vasoactive drugs were associated with increased mortality rates. CONCLUSION: More than half of patients with CS managed at high-volume CS centers were transferred from another hospital. Although transfer patients had higher mortality rates than those who were admitted primarily to hub centers, the outcomes and their predictors varied significantly when classified by HF-CS vs AMI-CS.

Left Ventricular Unloading Using Intra-Aortic Entrainment Pumping Before Reperfusion Reduces Post-AMI Infarct Size.

BACKGROUND: Anterior myocardial infarction standard of care prioritizes swift coronary reperfusion. Recent studies show left ventricular (LV) unloading with transvalvular axial-flow pumps for 30 minutes before reperfusion (versus immediate reperfusion) reduces 28-day infarct size. Intra-aortic entrainment pumping, using hardware located away from the heart to provide support throughout the cardiac cycle, reduce effective systemic vascular resistance, and augment visceral blood flow and pressure, may reproduce this benefit with reduced risk. This study characterized hemodynamic effects of unloading before and during reperfusion using intra-aortic entrainment pumping and investigated whether unloading reduced anterior myocardial infarction (AMI) scar size. METHODS AND RESULTS: Yorkshire swine were subjected to 90 minutes of left anterior descending artery balloon occlusion and randomly assigned to immediate reperfusion (n=6) versus 30 minutes unloading before reperfusion followed by 120 minutes further unloading (n=7). Unloading was achieved using percutaneous entrainment pumping in the descending aorta. The AMI model matches that used in recent transvalvular pumping studies. Mortality before randomization was 22%. After randomization, mortality was 36% for immediate reperfusion and 0% for unloading. Unloading showed immediate hemodynamic benefit that increased through reperfusion and continued support, leading to distinct differences in cardiac function between groups after 30 minutes of reperfusion. Unloading increased stroke volume and cardiac efficiency at this timepoint relative to pre-occlusion baseline and reduced 28-day LV scar size by 37-45%. CONCLUSIONS: We present the first preclinical data showing extra-cardiac LV unloading before coronary reperfusion using intra-aortic entrainment pumping decreases 28-day infarct size. Extra-cardiac unloading to reduce LV scar size may provide an alternative to transvalvular pumping with potential advantages including reduced risk.

Proteomic analysis of plasma proteins from patients with cardiac rupture after acute myocardial infarction using TMT-based quantitative proteomics approach.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac rupture (CR) is a rare but catastrophic mechanical complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) that seriously threatens human health. However, the reliable biomarkers for clinical diagnosis and the underlying signaling pathways insights of CR has yet to be elucidated. METHODS: In the present study, a quantitative approach with tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to characterize the differential protein expression profiles of patients with CR. Plasma samples were collected from patients with CR (n = 37), patients with AMI (n = 47), and healthy controls (n = 47). Candidate proteins were selected for validation by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: In total, 1208 proteins were quantified and 958 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. The difference in the expression levels of the DEPs was more noticeable between the CR and Con groups than between the AMI and Con groups. Bioinformatics analysis showed most of the DEPs to be involved in numerous crucial biological processes and signaling pathways, such as RNA transport, ribosome, proteasome, and protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, as well as necroptosis and leukocyte transendothelial migration, which might play essential roles in the complex pathological processes associated with CR. MRM analysis confirmed the accuracy of the proteomic analysis results. Four proteins i.e., C-reactive protein (CRP), heat shock protein beta-1 (HSPB1), vinculin (VINC) and growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), were further validated via ELISA. By receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, combinations of these four proteins distinguished CR patients from AMI patients with a high area under the curve (AUC) value (0.895, 95% CI, 0.802-0.988, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the value of comprehensive proteomic characterization for identifying plasma proteome changes in patients with CR. This pilot study could serve as a valid foundation and initiation point for elucidation of the mechanisms of CR, which might aid in identifying effective diagnostic biomarkers in the future.

Additive effect of admission hyperglycemia on left ventricular stiffness in patients following acute myocardial infarction verified by CMR tissue tracking.

BACKGROUND: Stress hyperglycemia occurs frequently in patients following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and may aggravate myocardial stiffness, but relevant evidence is still lacking. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the impact of admission stress hyperglycemia on left ventricular (LV) myocardial deformation in patients following AMI. METHODS: A total of 171 patients with first AMI (96 with normoglycemia and 75 with hyperglycemia) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) examination were included. AMI patients were classified according to admission blood glucose level (aBGL): < 7.8 mmol/L (n = 96), 7.8-11.1 mmol/L (n = 41) and ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (n = 34). LV strains, including global radial/circumferential/longitudinal peak strain (PS)/peak systolic strain rate (PSSR)/peak diastolic strain rate (PDSR), were measured and compared between groups. Further, subgroup analyses were separately conducted for AMI patients with and without diabetes. Multivariate analysis was employed to assess the independent association between aBGL and LV global PS in AMI patients. RESULTS: LV global PS, PSSR and PDSR were decreased in radial, circumferential and longitudinal directions in hyperglycemic AMI patients compared with normoglycemic AMI patients (all P < 0.05). These differences were more obvious in patients with diabetes than those without diabetes. AMI patients with aBGL between 7.8 and 11.1 mmol/L demonstrated significant decreased radial and longitudinal PS, radial PSSR, and radial and longitudinal PDSR than those with aBGL < 7.8 mmol/L (all P < 0.05). AMI patients with aBGL ≥ 11.1 mmol/L showed significantly decreased PS, PSSR and PDSR in all three directions than those with aBGL < 7.8 mmol/L, and decreased longitudinal PSSR than those with aBGL between 7.8 and 11.1 (all P < 0.05). Further, aBGL was significantly and independently associated with radial (ß = - 0.166, P = 0.003) and longitudinal (ß = 0.143, P = 0.008) PS. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglycemia may exacerbate LV myocardial stiffness in patients experienced first AMI, leading to reduction in LV strains. aBGL was an independent indicator of impaired LV global PS in AMI patients. Blood glucose monitoring is more valuable for AMI patients with diabetes.

Correlation of circulating fibroblast growth factor 21 levels with inflammatory factors and the degree of coronary artery stenosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a secreted protein that plays an important role in atherosclerosis and pathological cardiac remodeling. However, the correlation between FGF21 and the degree of coronary artery stenosis and its potential role in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain unclear. We examined whether changes in FGF21 levels in AMI correlate with the degree of coronary artery stenosis and the levels of inflammatory factors, and preliminarily investigated the effects of FGF21 on inflammatory factor levels and myocardial injury in rats with AMI. METHODS: Serum levels of FGF21 and inflammatory factors in the AMI group and control group were measured, and the correlation between FGF21 and clinical indicators and inflammatory factors was analyzed. The effects of FGF21 on cardiac function and inflammatory response were evaluated through echocardiography and measurement of inflammatory factors. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that neutrophil percentage (NEUT%, odds ratio [OR]: 1.232; 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.028-1.477; p = 0.024) and FGF21 levels (OR: 2.063; 95 % CI: 1.187-3.586; p = 0.01) had independent effects on AMI. Spearman's rank correlation test showed that FGF21 levels were positively correlated with leukocyte count, NEUT%, neutrophil count, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and Gensini scores (p < 0.01), but negatively correlated with lymphocyte count (p < 0.01). FGF21 levels in myocardial tissues and serum levels of FGF21, IL-6, TNF-a, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in AMI rats than in the sham-operated group (p < 0.01). After overexpression of FGF21, serum levels of IL-6, TNF-a, and MCP-1 in rats were significantly decreased (p < 0.01), and cardiac function improved significantly. CONCLUSIONS: FGF21 levels were independently associated with AMI and may be related to the severity of coronary artery stenosis. Overexpression of FGF21 reduced serum inflammatory factor levels and improved cardiac function in AMI rats.