Coronary computed tomography angiography-derived total coronary plaque burden associated with subsequent cardiovascular outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of coronary plaque burden variables derived from coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) before patients underwent their first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedure and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) after PCI. METHODS: Patients who underwent CCTA before their first PCI were included retrospectively. A radiologist and a cardiologist analyzed CCTA images on a dedicated workstation. The coronary plaque burden variables included total plaque volume, total percent atheroma volume, volumes and fractions of total low-attenuation plaque, total fibrous plaque, and total calcified plaque. The primary outcomes were MACEs, a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and unscheduled coronary revascularization. RESULTS: A total of 230 patients were included in the final analysis. During a median follow-up of 4.8 years, 67 MACEs occurred. Total plaque volume, total percent atheroma volume, volumes of total low-attenuation plaque and total fibrous plaque but not their fractions were independent predictors for MACEs. Compared with the first tertiles, the hazard ratio of the third tertile of total plaque volume, total percent atheroma volume, total low-attenuation plaque volume, and total fibrous plaque volume were 2.06 (95% CI: 1.03-4.15), 2.15 (95% CI: 1.02-4.51), 3.04 (95% CI: 1.45-6.36), and 2.23 (95% CI: 1.11-4.46), respectively. Neither total calcified plaque volume nor fraction was associated with MACEs independently. CONCLUSION: Selected pre-PCI CCTA-derived variables, including total percent atheroma volume, volumes of total plaque, total low-attenuation plaque and total fibrous plaque, were significantly associated with MACEs after PCI, suggesting that CCTA before PCI reveals the residual risk after revascularization. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The coronary plaque burden variables derived from coronary computed tomography angiography before percutaneous coronary intervention are independently associated with major adverse cardiovascular events, which could be instrumental in optimizing patient management. KEY POINTS: Coronary plaque burden is associated with cardiovascular events in patients with coronary artery disease. Selected total plaque burden variables derived from coronary computed tomography angiography before percutaneous coronary intervention were associated with poor prognosis. Routine coronary computed tomography angiography before percutaneous coronary intervention might be helpful in reducing future risks.

Preoperative Quantitative Flow Ratio, Intraoperative Transit Time Flow Measurement Parameters, and Their Predictive Value for Short-Term Graft Failure After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the relationship between the preoperative quantitative flow ratio (QFR) and parameters of intraoperative transit time flow measurement (TTFM) are extremely rare. In addition, the predictive value of QFR and TTFM parameters for early internal mammary artery (IMA) failure after coronary artery bypass grafting still needs to be validated.Methods and Results: We retrospectively collected data from 510 patients who underwent in situ IMA grafting to the left anterior descending (LAD) artery at Fuwai Hospital. Spearman correlation coefficients between preoperative QFR of the LAD artery and intraoperative TTFM parameters of the IMA were -0.13 (P=0.004) for mean graft flow (Qm) and 0.14 (P=0.002) for the pulsatility index (PI). QFR and TTFM exhibited similar and good predictive value for early IMA failure (5.7% at 1 year), and they were better than percentage diameter stenosis (area under the curve 0.749 for QFR, 0.733 for Qm, 0.688 for PI, and 0.524 for percentage diameter stenosis). The optimal cut-off value of QFR was 0.765. Both univariate and multivariable regression analyses revealed that QFR >0.765, Qm ≤15 mL/min, and PI >3.0 independently contributed to early IMA failure. CONCLUSIONS: There were statistically significant correlations between preoperative QFR of the LAD artery and intraoperative TTFM parameters (Qm, PI) of the IMA. Preoperative QFR and intraoperative Qm and PI exhibited excellent predictive value for early IMA failure.

Combination therapy with PD-1 inhibition plus rapamycin and metformin enhances anti-tumor efficacy in triple negative breast cancer.

Immunotherapy using PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors has been proved to be effective in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), albeit only in a fraction of patients. Emerging evidences indicate mTOR blockade and metformin may re-orchestrate the immune system in tumors. Herein, in this study we aimed to evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of PD-1 monoclonal antibody with mTOR inhibitor rapamycin or with the anti-diabetic drug metformin. The status of PD-1/PD-L1 and mTOR pathway was determined through analyzing the TCGA and CCLE data in TNBCs as well as by detection at mRNA and protein level. The inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis by anti-PD-1 combined with rapamycin or with metformin was evaluated in allograft mouse model of TNBC. The effects of combination therapy on the AMPK, mTOR and PD-1/PD-L1 pathways were also evaluated. The combination treatment with PD-1 McAb and rapamycin/metformin had additive effects on suppression of tumor growth and distant metastasis in mice. Compared with the control group and the monotherapy, combined PD-1 McAb with either rapamycin or metformin exhibited more obvious effects on induction of necrosis, CD8+ T lymphocytes infiltrating and inhibition of PD-L1 expression in TNBC homograft. In vitro study showed either rapamycin or metformin not only decreased PD-L1 expression, but increased p-AMPK expression and therefore led to down-regulation of p-S6. In summary, combination of PD-1 antagonist with either rapamycin or metformin led to more infiltrating TILs and decreased PD-L1 resulting in enhanced antitumor immunity and blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Our results suggested such combination therapy may be a potential therapeutic strategy for TNBC patients.

Association of the bovine aortic arch and bicuspid aortic valve with thoracic aortic disease.

BACKGROUND: Both bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and bovine aortic arch (BA) are considered as markers of thoracic aortic disease (TAD). But the association between them is not yet clear. This study aimed to explore the potential association of BAV and BA with TAD. METHODS: The study involved 449 participants who underwent their first aortic valve replacement in Fuwai Hospital from June 2017 to March 2018. All patients underwent multidetector computed tomography and echocardiography before surgery. The clinical characteristics were recorded to analyze the association between BAV, BA, and TAD. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to identify the risk factors for TAD. RESULTS: BA accounted for 79.8% of the arch variants and was the most common aortic arch branching variant. BAV was present in 52.6% of the patients with BA and 38.1% of the patients with normal arch (NA). Among the 185 patients in the BAV subgroup, 50 had BA and 135 had NA. No significant differences were found in BAV anatomical phenotype, aortopathy phenotype, and valve function between BA and NA. The multivariate analysis showed that the presence of BAV and male sex were the risk predictors of TAD. BA was not a risk factor for TAD in either univariate or multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of BAV in patients with BA was significantly higher than that of NA, but the BAV phenotype and aortopathy were not related to BA. BAV was a risk factor for TAD, whereas BA was not associated with TAD.

Assessing the timing and the duration of exposure to air pollution on cardiometabolic biomarkers in patients suspected of coronary artery disease.

Air pollution can affect cardiometabolic biomarkers in susceptible populations, but the most important exposure window (lag days) and exposure duration (length of averaging period) are not well understood. We investigated air pollution exposure across different time intervals on ten cardiometabolic biomarkers in 1550 patients suspected of coronary artery disease. Daily residential PM2.5 and NO2 were estimated using satellite-based spatiotemporal models and assigned to participants for up to one year before the blood collection. Distributed lag models and generalized linear models were used to examine the single-day-effects by variable lags and cumulative effects of exposures averaged over different periods before the blood draw. In single-day-effect models, PM2.5 was associated with lower apolipoprotein A (ApoA) in the first 22 lag days with the effect peaking on the first lag day; PM2.5 was also associated with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) with significant exposure windows observed after the first 5 lag days. For the cumulative effects, short- and medium-term exposure was associated with lower ApoA (up to 30wk-average) and higher hs-CRP (up to 8wk-average), triglycerides and glucose (up to 6 d-average), but the associations were attenuated to null over the long term. The impacts of air pollution on inflammation, lipid, and glucose metabolism differ by the exposure timing and durations, which can inform our understanding of the cascade of underlying mechanisms among susceptible patients.

Identification of pathology-confirmed vulnerable atherosclerotic lesions by coronary computed tomography angiography using radiomics analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To explore whether radiomics-based machine learning (ML) models could outperform conventional diagnostic methods at identifying vulnerable lesions on coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA). METHODS: In this retrospective study, 36 heart transplant recipients with coronary heart disease (CAD) and end-stage heart failure were included. Pathological cross-section samples of 350 plaques were collected and coregistered to patients' preoperative CCTA images. A total of 1184 radiomic features were extracted from CCTA images. Through feature selection and stratified fivefold cross-validation, we derived eight radiomics-based ML models for lesion vulnerability prediction. An independent set of 196 plaques from another 8 CAD patients who underwent heart transplants was collected to validate radiomics-based ML models' diagnostic accuracy against conventional CCTA feature-based diagnosis (presence of at least 2 high-risk plaque features). The performance of the prediction models was assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The training group used to develop radiomics-based ML models contained 200/350 (57.1%) vulnerable plaques and the external validation group was composed of 67.3% (132/196) vulnerable plaques. The radiomics-based ML model based on eight radiomic features showed excellent cross-validation diagnostic accuracy (AUC: 0.900 ± 0.033). In the validation group, diagnosis based on conventional CCTA features demonstrated moderate performance (AUC: 0.656 [95% CI: 0.593 -0.718]), while the radiomics-based ML model showed higher diagnostic ability (0.782 [95% CI: 0.710 -0.846]). CONCLUSIONS: Radiomics-based ML models showed better diagnostic ability than the conventional CCTA features at assessing coronary plaque vulnerability. KEY POINTS: • CCTA has great potential in the diagnosis of vulnerable coronary artery lesions. • Radiomics model built through CCTA could discriminate coronary vulnerable lesions in good diagnostic ability. • Radiomics model could improve the ability of vulnerability diagnosis against traditional CCTA method, sensitivity especially.

Additional value of deep learning computed tomographic angiography-based fractional flow reserve in detecting coronary stenosis and predicting outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Deep learning (DL) has achieved great success in medical imaging and could be utilized for the non-invasive calculation of fractional flow reserve (FFR) from coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA) (CT-FFR). PURPOSE: To examine the ability of a DL-based CT-FFR in detecting hemodynamic changes of stenosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study included 73 patients (85 vessels) who were suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD) and received CCTA followed by invasive FFR measurements within 90 days. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) were compared between CT-FFR and CCTA. Thirty-nine patients who received drug therapy instead of revascularization were followed for up to 31 months. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE), unstable angina, and rehospitalization were evaluated and compared between the study groups. RESULTS: At the patient level, CT-FFR achieved 90.4%, 93.6%, 88.1%, 85.3%, and 94.9% in accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV, respectively. At the vessel level, CT-FFR achieved 91.8%, 93.9%, 90.4%, 86.1%, and 95.9%, respectively. CT-FFR exceeded CCTA in these measurements at both levels. The vessel-level AUC for CT-FFR also outperformed that for CCTA (0.957 vs. 0.599, P < 0.0001). Patients with CT-FFR ≤0.8 had higher rates of rehospitalization (hazard ratio [HR] 4.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-18.9) and MACE (HR 7.26, 95% CI 0.88-59.8), as well as a lower rate of unstable angina (HR 0.46, 95% CI 0.07-2.91). CONCLUSION: CT-FFR is superior to conventional CCTA in differentiating functional myocardial ischemia. In addition, it has the potential to differentiate prognoses of patients with CAD.

Ambient air pollution, traffic proximity and coronary atherosclerotic phenotype in China.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with cardiovascular risk, potentially via atherosclerosis promotion. The disease mechanisms underlying these associations remain uncertain. OBJECTIVES: We aim to investigate the relationship of air pollution and traffic proximity with subclinical atherosclerosis, using coronary plaque phenotypes to gain insight into potential mechanisms. METHODS: Coronary plaque total and component volumes, high-risk plaque (HRP) appearance, and luminal stenosis were characterized by coronary computed tomography angiography in 2279 patients with atherosclerosis at baseline between 2014 and 2017. Annual average exposure to air pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) was estimated by air pollution models for individual participants. Multiple linear regression models were used to assess the association of each exposure with plaque phenotypes and coronary stenosis, controlling for potential confounders. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate associations with plaque vulnerability. RESULTS: The studied population was 60.2±9.2 years old. PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations were significantly associated with a 5.0% (95%CI: 0.3, 9.9%, per 15 µg/m3 increase for PM2.5), 12.0% (95%CI: 2.5, 22.5% per 20 µg/m3 for NO2) larger volume of non-calcified plaque, respectively. Increase in O3 concentration was associated with a 12.2% (95%CI: 2.2, 23.2%, per 5 µg/m3 O3) larger volume of calcified plaque and a 12.8% (95%CI: 0.9, 26.2%) greater lumen narrowing. Increased PM2.5 and NO2, was also associated with increase in HRP, determined by the napkin ring sign (odds ratio: 1.41 [95%CI: 1.10, 1.80] for PM2.5 and 1.78 [95%CI: 1.20, 2.63] for NO2) and positive remodeling index (OR: 1.11 [95%CI: 1.01, 1.21] for PM2.5 and 1.20 [95%CI: 1.02, 1.42] for NO2), respectively, indicating increased plaque vulnerability. CONCLUSION: Long-term exposures to air pollution were associated with greater plaque volume and luminal stenosis, and increased plaque vulnerability with attendant risk of plaque rupture and erosion.

Acute type B aortic intramural hematoma: the added prognostic value of a follow-up CT.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate prognostic significance of follow-up CT findings for initially medically treated type B aortic intramural hematoma (IMH). METHODS: We performed a retrospective pooled analysis of individual patient data, including baseline and follow-up CT characteristics. All enrolled patients were followed up for adverse aorta-related events, defined as a composite of aortic disease-related death and surgical or endovascular aortic repair. RESULTS: A total of 238 patients (73.9% men) were included, with a mean age of 58.1 ± 9.8 years. During follow-up, 83 patients (34.9%) experienced adverse aorta-related events, most of the events (83.1%) occurred within 1 month after follow-up CT imaging (n = 69). In the Cox regression model for predicting adverse aorta-related events, baseline maximal aortic diameter (MAD) (HR = 1.05, p = 0.008), ulcer-like projection (ULP) (HR = 2.47, p < 0.001), changes of maximal hematoma thickness (MHT) (HR = 1.22, p < 0.001), newly developed ULP (HR = 4.44, p < 0.001), and newly developed pleural effusion (HR = 2.46, p = 0.002) were powerful independent predictors. In combined predictive model for 1-month aortic events, baseline MHT ≥ 11.8 mm (OR = 4.39, p = 0.001), ULP (OR = 3.98, p < 0.001), changes of MHT (OR = 1.46, p < 0.001), newly developed ULP (OR = 9.27, p = 0.002), and newly developed pleural effusion (OR = 3.45, p = 0.015) were independent predictors. Besides, in patients with pleural effusion at baseline, resorption of pleural effusion was associated with adverse aorta-related events (HR = 0.36, p = 0.027) and 1-month aortic events (OR = 0.23, p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Follow-up CT findings provide strong and incremental prognostic information for initially medically treated type B IMH, which are helpful for risk estimates and decisions-making. KEY POINTS: • Follow-up CT provides strong and incremental prognostic information for initially medically treated type B aortic intramural hematoma. • Follow-up CT is highly recommended for type B intramural hematoma in patients who did not receive urgent invasive therapy. • Follow-up CT is helpful for risk estimates and decisions-making.

Age- and Sex-Related Aortic Valve Dysfunction and Aortopathy Difference in Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart disease. Different distribution of valve dysfunction was found in patients with BAV in different age and sex groups, but related difference was not well established. The aim of our study is to investigate age- and sex-related clinical characteristics differences in patients with BAV.Six hundred twenty patients with BAV who had moderate or severe aortic valve dysfunction were included in the study. Basic clinical data and image data were recorded. Patients were classified into four different age groups: (A: ≤ 50 years old; B: 50-60 years old; C: 60-70 years old; D: > 70 years old). The sex-related clinical difference in different age groups was compared. Association between incidence of aortic valve dysfunction and age was evaluated.Male patients had more frequent aortic regurgitation (AR) in patients younger than 70 years old (A: 52.3% versus 20.0%, P = 0.012; B: 43.2% versus 17.8%, P < 0.001; C: 17.0 versus 2.6%, P = 0.002), whereas female patients were more likely to have aortic stenosis (AS) (A: 75.0% versus 34.1%, P = 0.001; B: 77.8% versus 37.0%, P < 0.001; C: 93.6% versus 69.8%, P < 0.001). Frequency of AR in male patients decreased with age, whereas frequency of AS increased. Trend test showed a significant difference in incidence of aortic valve dysfunction as age increased in male patients (AR, P < 0.001; AS, P < 0.001). No trend was found in female patients.Male patients with BAV present more often with moderate/severe AR at a young age, and the frequency of AR decreases with age. Female patients with BAV had more frequent AS at first presentation regardless of age.

MicroRNA-216a induces endothelial senescence and inflammation via Smad3/IκBα pathway.

Vascular endothelial senescence contributes to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD), but the mechanisms are yet to be clarified. We identified that microRNA-216a (miR-216a) significantly increased in senescent endothelial cells. The replicative senescence model of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was established to explore the role of miR-216a in endothelial ageing and dysfunction. Luciferase assay indicated that Smad3 was a direct target of miR-216a. Stable expression of miR-216a induced a premature senescence-like phenotype in HUVECs with an impairment in proliferation and migration and led to an increased adhesion to monocytes by inhibiting Smad3 expression and thereafter modulating the degradation of NF-κB inhibitor alpha (IκBα) and activation of adhesion molecules. Conversely, inhibition of endogenous miR-216a in senescent HUVECs rescued Smad3 and IκBα expression and inhibited monocytes attachment. Plasma miR-216a was significantly higher in old CAD patients (>50 years) and associated with increased 31% risk for CAD (odds ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval 1.03-1.66; P = .03) compared with the matched healthy controls (>50 years). Taken together, our data suggested that miR-216a promotes endothelial senescence and inflammation as an endogenous inhibitor of Smad3/IκBα pathway, which might serve as a novel target for ageing-related atherosclerotic diseases.

Prognostic value of coronary atherosclerosis progression evaluated by coronary CT angiography in patients with stable angina.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the progression of coronary atherosclerosis burden by coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and to demonstrate its association with the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). METHODS: We retrospectively studied patients with stable angina who had undergone repeat CCTA due to recurrent or worsening symptoms. Lipid-rich, fibrous, calcified and total plaque burden as well as coronary diameter stenosis were quantitatively analysed. The incidence of MACE during follow-up was determined. RESULTS: The final cohort consisted of 268 patients (mean age 52.9 ± 9.8 years, 71 % male) with a mean follow-up period of 4.6 ± 0.9 years. Patients with lipid-rich, fibrous, calcified and total plaque burden (%) progression, as well as coronary diameter stenosis (%) progression had a significantly higher incidence of MACE than those without (all p < 0.05). The progression of lipid-rich plaque (HR = 1.601, p = 0.021), total plaque burden (HR = 2.979, p = 0.043) and coronary diameter stenosis (HR = 4.327, p <0.001) were independent predictors of MACE (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients presenting with recurrent or worsening symptoms associated with coronary artery disease who have coronary atherosclerosis progression on CCTA are at an increased risk of future MACE. KEY POINTS: • Repeat CCTA can provide information regarding the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. • Coronary atherosclerosis progression at CCTA is independently associated with MACE. • CCTA findings could serve as incremental predictors of MACE.

Sex-related differences in serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 screening non-calcified and mixed coronary atherosclerotic plaques in outpatients with chest pain.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the clinical feasibility of serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) for screening plaque composition as assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in outpatients with chest pain,and the effects of sex on this feasibility. Eight hundred and sixty-two consecutive outpatients with chest pain were divided into three groups according to the results of CCTA: non-plaque (NP, n = 474), calcified plaques (CPs, n = 179), non-calcified and mixed plaques (NCPs and MPs, n = 209). We found that serum MMP-9 levels were significantly higher in patients with NCPs and MPs compared to those with either NP or CPs, especially in women (649.7 ± 279.8 vs. 485.7 ± 231.6 ng/mL or 515.7 ± 274.5 ng/mL, P < 0.001). MMP-9 showed better identification of NCPs and MPs than other related factors and was an independent predictor for NCPs and MPs both in women and men. The receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated a substantial superiority in women with area under the curve of 0.75 (95% CI 0.69-0.82, P < 0.01), compared with men of 0.59 (95% CI 0.53-0.65, z = 3.71, P < 0.01). The diagnostic tests revealed a moderate risk of the presence of NCPs and MPs with MMP-9 ≥531.6 ng/mL in female patients.

Effects of statin therapy on progression of mild noncalcified coronary plaque assessed by serial coronary computed tomography angiography: A multicenter prospective study.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data assessing statin therapy in patients with nonobstructive coronary plaque on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). METHODS: Two hundred six consecutive patients with mild noncalcified plaque on CCTA were enrolled in this multicenter prospective observational study. Subjects were divided into 3 groups according to subsequent statin therapy: intensive statin therapy (n = 55), moderate statins (n = 85), and no statin (n = 66). Serial scans were performed after a median interval of 18 months. Low-attenuation plaque (LAP) volume, total plaque volume, and percent plaque volume were measured. RESULTS: The LAP volume, total plaque volume, and percent plaque volume showed significant regression among intensive-statin compared with no-statin group (annualized changes: -7.1 ± 13.1 vs 0.9 ± 12.7 mm(3), P< .001; -16.4 ± 35.0 vs 12.3 ± 32.4 mm(3), P< .001; and -6.2% ± 11.8% vs 3.5% ± 12.1%, P< .001, respectively). Progression of LAP volume, total plaque volume, and percent plaque volume was retarded among moderate-statin compared with no-statin group (annualized changes: -2.8 ± 7.6 vs 0.9 ± 12.7 mm(3), P= .041; -0.1 ± 25.6 vs 12.3 ± 32.4 mm(3), P= .014; and -1.8% ± 11.2% vs 3.5% ± 12.1%, P= .006, respectively). On multivariable model predicting change in total plaque volume, higher baseline LAP volume, moderate statin therapy, and intensive statin therapy were each independent predictors of plaque regression (standardized coefficients: baseline LAP volume -0.36, P< .001; moderate statin -0.21, P= .004; intensive statin -0.36, P< .001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that statin treatment can retard progression and even induce regression of mild noncalcified coronary plaque. Patients with greater baseline LAP volume are more likely to benefit from statin therapy.

[Influence of coronary CT angiography findings on prevention strategies of coronary artery disease].

OBJECTIVE: To explore impact of coronary CT angiography findings on preventive medical treatment and control of coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors. METHODS: Consecutive patients with atherosclerotic plaque detected by coronary CT angiography were enrolled in our study from September 2013 to December 2014, grouped as <50% stenosis and ≥ 50% stenosis.Baseline and follow-up data were recorded.Comparative analysis was performed both between stenosis groups and pre- and post-CT angiography data.Multivariable Logistic regression were preformed to investigate association between coronary CT angiography findings and subsequent medical therapies. RESULTS: Totally 160 patients were enrolled in our study, 99 were <50% stenosis and 61 were ≥ 50% stenosis.Significant reduction of total cholesterol (5.06 ± 1.04 vs 4.54 ± 1.09 mmol/L, P<0.01), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.16 ± 0.95 vs 2.60 ± 0.88 mmol/L, P<0.01), and triglyceride (1.66 (1.14, 2.28) vs 1.55(1.07, 2.05) mmol/L, P=0.004) were observed Pre- versus post-CT angiography. Compared to patients with <50% stenosis, patients with ≥ 50% stenosis demonstrated more significant reduction with regard to total cholesterol (-0.70 ± 0.94 vs -0.42 ± 0.96 mmol/L, P=0.035) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.78 ± 0.99 vs -0.43 ± 0.79 mmol/L, P=0.016). After CT angiography, aspirin (13.8% vs 65.6%, P<0.01) and statin (20.0% vs 71.9%, P<0.01) use were significantly increased, blood pressure medication (53.1% vs 63.1%, P=0.07) use showed no statistical differences. Adjusted for baseline risk factors and pretest medications, CT angiography findings were independently associated with increased post-CT angiography use of aspirin (adjusted OR (95% CI) : 3.58 (1.61-7.99), P=0.002) and statin (adjusted OR (95% CI) : 15.01 (4.40-51.22), P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Coronary CT angiography findings demonstrated direct impact on subsequent medical therapies and control of CAD risk factors, and offered important guidance for prevention strategies of CAD.

[Application feasibility of low tube voltage and lower iodine concentration contrast medium as well as iterative reconstruction in coronary computed tomography angiography].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of using lower iodine concentration (270 mgI/ml) contrast medium, lower X-ray tube voltage (100 kVp) and iterative reconstruction (IR) to reduce both iodine load and radiation dose but keep the image quality of coronary CT angiography (CCTA). METHODS: A total of 80 consecutive patients with suspected coronary artery disease were prospectively assigned to one of two groups via computer central system from January to May 2013. The control group (n = 40) was scanned using dual-source CCTA protocols of 120 kV, 370 mgI/ml Iopromide and filtered back projection reconstruction with a vascular algorithm (B26f). The study group (n = 40) was scanned using 100 kV, 270 mgI/ml Iodixanol and sinogram affirmed iterative reconstruction with a vascular algorithm (I26f). Other scan parameters and contrast injection protocol were similar between the two groups. Attenuation in the ascending aorta and coronary arteries along with image noise were measured. Images were reconstructed, measured and graded, and iodine load and effective radiation dose were calculated. RESULTS: The body mass index ((25.3 ± 3.0) kg/m² vs. (25.4 ± 3.0)kg/m², P = 0.852), image quality scores (4.70 ± 0.52 vs. 4.63 ± 0.59, P = 0.545), mean signal-to-noise ratios (22.2 ± 5.5 vs. 23.6 ± 5.8, P = 0.277), and contrast-to-noise ratios (35.6 ± 17.6 vs. 41.1 ± 17.6, P = 0.163) were similar between the control group and study group. Mean iodine loads were significantly reduced in the study group ((18.49 ± 0.75)g) compared to control group ((25.27 ± 0.94)g), P< 0.001). Mean effective radiation doses were also significantly reduced in the study group ((2.31 ± 0.73) mSv) compared to that in control group ((3.52 ± 1.16) mSv), P< 0.001). CONCLUSION: Use of low X-ray tube voltage and iterative reconstruction allows lower iodine load and effective radiation dose application at CCTA without image quality reduction.

Intramural coronary arterial course is associated with coronary arterial stenosis and prognosis of major cardiac events.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical significance of an intramural course (or bridging) of the coronary artery remains controversial. We investigated the relationship between intramural coronary arteries (ICAs) and coronary stenosis and prognosis of subjects with ICA. METHODS AND RESULTS: ICA and coronary stenosis were assessed by multidetector computed tomography coronary angiography. ICAs in the left anterior descending artery were studied, which were further classified as superficial (≤2 mm) or deep type (>2 mm). Coronary stenosis was classified as nonstenosis, insignificant stenosis (<50%), and significant stenosis (≥50%). A total of 261 subjects with ICA in left anterior descending artery were identified from 2318 enrolled subjects. Most of the ICAs (66.3%) were superficial. ICA was positively associated with insignificant stenosis, and the odds ratios were 2.055 (95% confidence interval, 1.405-3.007), 3.314 (1.818-6.039), and 1.640 (1.036-2.597) for overall, deep, and superficial ICA (all P<0.05), respectively. In the case of significant stenosis, ICA was negatively associated, and the odds ratios were 0.555 (0.416-0.739) and 0.413 (0.288-0.590) for overall and superficial ICA (both P<0.05), respectively, and 0.985 (0.611-1.588; P>0.05) for deep ICA type. The depth and location of ICA correlated with stenosis. The major cardiac events, including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and revascularization, were recorded during 3-year follow-up. ICA predicted a lower incidence of major cardiac events, especially superficial type; the adjusted hazard ratios were 0.585 (0.375-0.911; P=0.018) and 0.535 (0.300-0.954; P=0.034) for total and superficial type, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ICA, especially deep type, is positively associated with insignificant stenosis proximal to ICA. Meanwhile, ICA, especially superficial type, is negatively associated with significant stenosis proximal to ICA and predicts a better prognosis not only in normal subjects but also in patients with coronary artery disease.

Evaluation of associations between outflow morphology and rupture risk of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the outflow morphology and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture risk, to find risk factors for future prediction models. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 46 patients with ruptured AAAs and 46 patients with stable AAAs using a 1:1 match for sex, age, and maximum aneurysm diameter. The chi-square test, paired t-test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to compare variables. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate variables potentially associated with AAA rupture. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to assess the regression models. RESULTS: Ruptured AAAs had a shorter proximal aortic neck (median (interquartile range, IQR): 24.0 (9.4-34.2) mm vs. 33.3 (20.0-52.8) mm, p = 0.004), higher tortuosity (median(IQR): 1.35 (1.23-1.49) vs. 1.29 (1.23-1.39), p = 0.036), and smaller minimum luminal area of the right common iliac artery (CIA) (median (IQR): 86.7 (69.9-126.4) mm2 vs. 118.9 (86.3-164.1)mm2, p = 0.001) and left CIA (median(IQR): 92.2 (67.3,125.1) mm2 vs. 110.7 (80.12, 161.1) mm2, p = 0.010) than stable AAA did. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated significant associations of the minimum luminal area of the bilateral CIAs (odds ratio [OR] = 0.996, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.991-0.999, p = 0.037), neck length (OR = 0.969, 95 % CI 0.941-0.993, p = 0.017), and aneurysm tortuosity (OR = 1.031, 95 % CI 1.003-1.063, p = 0.038) with ruptured AAAs. The AUC of this regression model was 0.762 (95 % CI 0.664-0.860, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The smaller minimum luminal area of the CIA is associated with an increased risk of rupture. This study highlights the potential of utilizing outflow parameters as novel and additional tools in risk assessment. It also provides a compelling rationale to further intensify research in this area.

Performance of the 2019 ESC pre-test probability model in predicting obstructive coronary artery disease in a Chinese population using coronary computed tomography angiography outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The 2019 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines proposed a pre-test probability (PTP) model to determine the likelihood of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the prediction accuracy of this model has not yet been evaluated in Chinese populations. This study aimed to validate the 2019 ESC-PTP model in predicting CAD using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) outcomes in a Chinese population. METHODS: A total of 26,346 consecutive patients with suspected CAD who underwent CCTA were included. The 2019 ESC-PTP model and 2013 ESC-PTP model were calculated for each patient, considering age, sex, and the symptom of chest pain, and the patients were categorized into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. The predictive performance of the 2019 ESC-PTP model was evaluated by comparing it with the 2013 ESC-PTP model and the observed prevalence of CAD from CCTA. RESULTS: Among the 11,234 patients analyzed in the study, 1896 (16.9%) patients were found to have obstructive CAD from CCTA. The 2019 ESC-PTP model had better calibration compared to the 2013 ESC-PTP model. After categorization, 80.9% of patients (67.9% in men and 94.4% in women) were in the same risk category as in the 2019 ESC-PTP model, but the risks of younger patients (7.5% versus 2.5%; P â€‹< â€‹0.001) and patients with non-anginal chest pain (13.7% versus 8.2%; P â€‹< â€‹0.001) were underestimated in the 2019 ESC-PTP model. CONCLUSION: The 2019 ESC-PTP model demonstrated a good calibration in predicting CAD in a Chinese population who underwent CCTA, but it exhibited an underestimation of CAD probability in younger patients and patients with non-anginal chest pain.