Evaluation of patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in a Latin American tertiary center.

INTRODUCTION: Despite advancements in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) technology, sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains a persistent public health concern. Chagas disease (ChD), prevalent in Brazil, is associated with increased ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF) events and SCD compared to other cardiomyopathies. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included patients who received ICDs between October 2007 and December 2018. The study aims to assess whether mortality and VT/VF events decreased in patients who received ICDs during different time periods (2007-2010, 2011-2014, and 2015-2018). Additionally, it seeks to compare the prognosis of ChD patients with non-ChD patients. Time periods were chosen based on the establishment of the Arrhythmia Service in 2011. The primary outcome was overall mortality, assessed across the entire sample and the three periods. Secondary outcomes included VT/VF events and the combined outcome of death or VT/VF. RESULTS: Of the 885 patients included, 31% had ChD. Among them, 28% died, 14% had VT/VF events, and 37% experienced death and/or VT/VF. Analysis revealed that period 3 (2015-2018) was associated with better death-free survival (p = .007). ChD was the only variable associated with a higher rate of VT/VF events (p < .001) and the combined outcome (p = .009). CONCLUSION: Mortality and combined outcome rates decreased gradually for ICD patients during the periods 2011-2014 and 2015-2018 compared to the initial period (2007-2010). ChD was associated with higher VT/VF events in ICD patients, only in the first two periods.

Prognostic Evaluation of Chagasic and Non-Chagasic Patients Undergoing Pacemaker Implantation and Cardiac Resynchronization in a Tertiary Center. / Prognóstico de Pacientes Chagásicos e não Chagásicos Submetidos a Implante de Marca-passo e Ressincronizador Cardíaco em Centro Terciário.

BACKGROUND: Chagas cardiomyopathy (ChCC) is one of the causes of the implantation of pacemakers (PM) in many patients and has been associated with an adverse prognosis. OBJECTIVES: To compare the prognosis of the chagasic and non-chagasic populations undergoing PM and cardiac resynchronizer implantation. METHODS: Observational, retrospective study, which analyzed a cohort of patients who underwent implantation of these devices, in a tertiary center, from October 2007 to December 2017, comparing the chagasic group with non-chagasic patients. The non-parametric Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate patient survival. The significance level adopted in the statistical analysis was 5%. The primary outcome was mortality from any cause, while the secondary outcomes were the occurrence of hospitalization and the combination of hospitalization and death. RESULTS: A total of 911 patients were included, of which 23.4% had ChCC. In a Cox analysis adjusted for sex and age, Chagas disease (ChD) was not associated with an increased risk of death (HR: 1.14, CI:95%, 0.86-1.51, p=0.365), hospitalization (HR: 0.79, CI:95%, 0.61-1.04, p=0.09) or combined outcome of death and hospitalization (HR: 0.90, CI:95%, 0.72-1 .12, p=0.49). CONCLUSIONS: ChD was not associated with an increased risk of death, hospitalization, or combined outcome of death and hospitalization, even after adjustment for sex and age. These results contrast with those of previous studies and suggest changes in the quality of care of patients with cardiomyopathy.

FUNDAMENTO: A cardiomiopatia chagásica (CCh) é responsável pelo implante de marca-passo (MP) em muitos pacientes, tendo sido associada a prognóstico adverso. OBJETIVOS: Comparar o prognóstico da população chagásica e não chagásica submetida ao implante de MP e ressincronizador cardíaco. MÉTODOS: Estudo observacional, retrospectivo, que analisou coorte de pacientes submetidos a implante desses dispositivos, em centro terciário, de outubro 2007 a dezembro de 2017, comparando o grupo de pacientes chagásicos com os não-chagásicos. O método não paramétrico de Kaplan-Meier foi utilizado para calcular a sobrevida dos pacientes. O nível de significância adotado na análise estatística foi de 5%. O desfecho primário foi a mortalidade por qualquer causa, enquanto os desfechos secundários foram a ocorrência de internação e o desfecho combinado internação e morte. RESULTADOS: Um total de 911 pacientes foram incluídos, sendo que 23,4% apresentavam CCh. Em análise de Cox ajustada por sexo e idade, a doença de Chagas (dCh) não esteve associada ao risco aumentado de morte (HR: 1,14, IC:95%, 0,86-1,51, p=0,365), internação (HR: 0,79, IC:95%, 0,61-1,04, p=0,09) ou desfecho combinado morte e internação (HR: 0,90, IC:95%, 0,72-1,12, p=0,49). CONCLUSÕES: A dCh não se associou ao aumento do risco de morte, internação, ou desfecho combinado morte e internação, mesmo após ajuste para sexo e idade. Tais resultados se contrapõem aos de estudos prévios e sugerem modificação da qualidade do cuidado ao paciente cardiopata.

Genome-wide association study for Chagas Cardiomyopathy identify a new risk locus on chromosome 18 associated with an immune-related protein and transcriptional signature.

BACKGROUND: Chronic Chagas Cardiomyopathy (CCC) usually develops between 10 and 20 years after the first parasitic infection and is one of the leading causes of end-stage heart failure in Latin America. Despite the great inter-individual variability in CCC susceptibility (only 30% of infected individuals ever present CCC), there are no known predictors for disease development in those chronically infected. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe a new susceptibility locus for CCC through a GWAS analysis in the SaMi-Trop cohort, a population-based study conducted in a Chagas endemic region from Brazil. This locus was also associated with CCC in the REDS II Study. The newly identified locus (rs34238187, OR 0.73, p-value 2.03 x 10-9) spans a haplotype of approximately 30Kb on chromosome 18 (chr18: 5028302-5057621) and is also associated with 80 different traits, most of them blood protein traits significantly enriched for immune-related biological pathways. Hi-C data show that the newly associated locus is able to interact with chromatin sites as far as 10Mb on chromosome 18 in a number of different cell types and tissues. Finally, we were able to confirm, at the tissue transcriptional level, the immune-associated blood protein signature using a multi-tissue differential gene expression and enrichment analysis. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We suggest that the newly identified locus impacts CCC risk among T cruzi infected individuals through the modulation of a downstream transcriptional and protein signature associated with host-parasite immune response. Functional characterization of the novel risk locus is warranted.

Prognóstico de Pacientes Chagásicos e não Chagásicos Submetidos a Implante de Marca-passo e Ressincronizador Cardíaco em Centro Terciário / Prognostic Evaluation of Chagasic and Non-Chagasic Patients Undergoing Pacemaker Implantation and Cardiac Resynchronization in a Tertiary Center

Resumo Fundamento: A cardiomiopatia chagásica (CCh) é responsável pelo implante de marca-passo (MP) em muitos pacientes, tendo sido associada a prognóstico adverso. Objetivos: Comparar o prognóstico da população chagásica e não chagásica submetida ao implante de MP e ressincronizador cardíaco. Métodos: Estudo observacional, retrospectivo, que analisou coorte de pacientes submetidos a implante desses dispositivos, em centro terciário, de outubro 2007 a dezembro de 2017, comparando o grupo de pacientes chagásicos com os não-chagásicos. O método não paramétrico de Kaplan-Meier foi utilizado para calcular a sobrevida dos pacientes. O nível de significância adotado na análise estatística foi de 5%. O desfecho primário foi a mortalidade por qualquer causa, enquanto os desfechos secundários foram a ocorrência de internação e o desfecho combinado internação e morte. Resultados: Um total de 911 pacientes foram incluídos, sendo que 23,4% apresentavam CCh. Em análise de Cox ajustada por sexo e idade, a doença de Chagas (dCh) não esteve associada ao risco aumentado de morte (HR: 1,14, IC:95%, 0,86-1,51, p=0,365), internação (HR: 0,79, IC:95%, 0,61-1,04, p=0,09) ou desfecho combinado morte e internação (HR: 0,90, IC:95%, 0,72-1,12, p=0,49). Conclusões: A dCh não se associou ao aumento do risco de morte, internação, ou desfecho combinado morte e internação, mesmo após ajuste para sexo e idade. Tais resultados se contrapõem aos de estudos prévios e sugerem modificação da qualidade do cuidado ao paciente cardiopata.

Abstract Background: Chagas cardiomyopathy (ChCC) is one of the causes of the implantation of pacemakers (PM) in many patients and has been associated with an adverse prognosis. Objectives: To compare the prognosis of the chagasic and non-chagasic populations undergoing PM and cardiac resynchronizer implantation. Methods: Observational, retrospective study, which analyzed a cohort of patients who underwent implantation of these devices, in a tertiary center, from October 2007 to December 2017, comparing the chagasic group with non-chagasic patients. The non-parametric Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate patient survival. The significance level adopted in the statistical analysis was 5%. The primary outcome was mortality from any cause, while the secondary outcomes were the occurrence of hospitalization and the combination of hospitalization and death. Results: A total of 911 patients were included, of which 23.4% had ChCC. In a Cox analysis adjusted for sex and age, Chagas disease (ChD) was not associated with an increased risk of death (HR: 1.14, CI:95%, 0.86-1.51, p=0.365), hospitalization (HR: 0.79, CI:95%, 0.61-1.04, p=0.09) or combined outcome of death and hospitalization (HR: 0.90, CI:95%, 0.72-1 .12, p=0.49). Conclusions: ChD was not associated with an increased risk of death, hospitalization, or combined outcome of death and hospitalization, even after adjustment for sex and age. These results contrast with those of previous studies and suggest changes in the quality of care of patients with cardiomyopathy.