Nomogram for hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism among patients with cardiovascular diseases.

BACKGROUND: Identifying venous thromboembolism (VTE) is challenging for patients with cardiovascular diseases due to similar clinical presentation. Most hospital-acquired VTE events are preventable, whereas the implementation of VTE prophylaxis in clinical practice is far from sufficient. There is a lack of hospital-acquired VTE prediction models tailored specifically designed for patients with cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to develop a nomogram predicting hospital-acquired VTE specifically for patients with cardiovascular diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with cardiovascular diseases admitted to internal medicine of Fuwai hospital between September 2020 and August 2021 were included. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression were applied to identify risk factors of hospital-acquired VTE. A nomogram was constructed according to multivariable logistic regression, and internally validated by bootstrapping. RESULTS: A total of 27,235 patients were included. During a median hospitalization of four days, 154 (0.57%) patients developed hospital-acquired VTE. Multivariable logistic regression identified that female sex, age, infection, pulmonary hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, acute coronary syndrome, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, immobility, central venous catheter, intra-aortic balloon pump and anticoagulation were independently associated with hospital-acquired VTE. The nomogram was constructed with high accuracy in both the training set and validation (concordance index 0.865 in the training set, and 0.864 in validation), which was further confirmed in calibration. Compared to Padua model, the Fuwai model demonstrated significantly better discrimination ability (area under curve 0.865 vs. 0.786, net reclassification index 0.052, 95% confidence interval 0.012-0.091, P = 0.009; integrated discrimination index 0.020, 95% confidence interval 0.001-0.039, P = 0.051). CONCLUSION: The incidence of hospital-acquired VTE in patients with cardiovascular diseases is relatively low. The nomogram exhibits high accuracy in predicting hospital-acquired VTE in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Association between multiple inflammatory biomarkers and remnant cholesterol levels in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention: A large-scale real-world study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Remnant cholesterol (RC) has garnered increasing attention recently due to its association with adverse cardiovascular events. However, the relationship between RC levels and inflammation remains unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate and compare the predictive value of multiple inflammatory biomarkers for high RC in patients with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Initially, a total of 10,724 consecutive individuals hospitalized for PCI at Fu Wai Hospital in 2013 were enrolled. Finally, 9983 patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy and drug-eluting stent were selected for analysis. The inflammatory biomarkers included high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), hs-CRP-to-albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), lymphocyte-to-hs-CRP ratio (LCR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). Patients were divided into higher RC and lower RC groups based on the median RC level. Multivariate logistic regression showed that hs-CRP (OR per SD: 1.254), CAR (OR per SD: 1.245), PLR (OR per SD: 1.139), and SII (OR per SD: 1.077) were associated with high RC (≥median), while LCR (OR per SD: 0.792) was associated with low RC (

Left main bifurcation stenting: impact of residual ischaemia on cardiovascular mortality.

AIMS: The present study sought to determine the rate and prognostic implications of post-procedural physiologically significant residual ischemia according to Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio (µQFR) after left main (LM) bifurcation percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Consecutive patients undergoing LM bifurcation stenting at a large tertiary care center between January 2014 and December 2016 with available post-PCI µQFR were included. Physiologically significant residual ischemia was defined by post-PCI µQFR values ≤0.80 in the left anterior descending (LAD) or left circumflex artery (LCX). The primary outcome was 3-year cardiovascular death. The major secondary outcome was 3-year bifurcation-oriented composite endpoint (BOCE). Among 1170 included patients with analyzable post-PCI µQFR, 155 (13.2%) had residual ischemia in either LAD or LCX. Patients with vs. those without residual ischemia had a higher risk of 3-year cardiovascular mortality [5.4% vs. 1.3%; adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 3.20, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-8.80]. The 3-year risk of BOCE was significantly higher in the residual ischemia group (17.8% vs. 5.8%; adjusted HR 2.79, 95% CI: 1.68-4.64), driven by higher incidence of the composite of cardiovascular death and target bifurcation-related myocardial infarction (14.0% vs. 3.3%; adjusted HR 4.06, 95% CI: 2.22-7.42). A significant, inverse association was observed between continuous post-PCI µQFR and the risk of clinical outcomes (per 0.1 µQFR decrease, HR of cardiovascular death 1.27, 95% CI: 1.00-1.62; HR of BOCE 1.29, 95% CI: 1.14-1.47). CONCLUSION: After angiographically successful LM bifurcation PCI, residual ischemia assessed by µQFR was identified in 13.2% of patients and was associated with higher risk of 3-year cardiovascular death, indicating the superior prognostic value of post-PCI physiological assessment.

Preliminary Study on Retrograde Recanalization of Radial Artery Occlusion Through Distal Radial Artery Access: a Single-Center Experience.

PURPOSE: Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is an unresolved complication after transradial artery (TRA) puncture. The aim of this observational study was to assess the feasibility and safety of retrograde recanalization of RAO through distal transradial access (dTRA). METHODS: From June 2021 to March 2022, 28 consecutive patients with successful puncture and intubation through the dTRA in the anatomical snuffbox and RAO confirmed by angiography were enrolled. RESULTS: Among the 28 patients, 27 (96.4%) patients with RAO were successfully retrogradely recanalized through the dTRA and successfully underwent coronary angiography or coronary intervention. After the procedure, only 1 (3.7%) patient developed a forearm hematoma, and there were no other bleeding complications or nerve disorders. CONCLUSIONS: DTRA is a safe and feasible approach for retrograded recanalization of RAO, with a high procedure success rate and few complications.

Lipoprotein(a) is a new prognostic factor in patients with psoriasis and coronary artery disease: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of lipoprotein (Lp) (a) in patients who have suffered from coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been fully studied, and the results are inconsistent. This study was conducted to evaluate whether increased Lp(a) concentrations cause differences in clinical adverse outcomes in patients with psoriasis who have already suffered from CAD. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included consecutive patients with psoriasis and CAD between January 2017 and May 2022 in our hospital. The clinical records were collected, and comparisons were made between patients in the low Lp(a) and high Lp(a) groups. Cox proportional hazard analysis and log-rank tests were used to evaluate the association between variables. RESULTS: Among 295 patients, 148 patients were in the low Lp(a) group, and 147 were in the high Lp(a) group. These two groups did not differ significantly in age, gender or body mass index. Compared with the low Lp(a) group, the levels of platelet counts (P = 0.038) and high sensitivity C reactive protein (P = 0.012) were higher in the high Lp(a) group. Patients in the high Lp(a) group had higher total cholesterol levels (P = 0.029) and lower triglyceride levels (P = 0.037). Among the whole cohort, clinical adverse events were not correlated with Lp(a) concentrations after a median follow-up of 3 years. However, in the subgroup analysis, there were significant differences in all-cause death (log rank P = 0.036) and rehospitalization (log rank P = 0.037) between the two groups in patients with diabetes; a difference in rehospitalization (log rank P = 0.042) was also found between the two groups in men. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with psoriasis and CAD, high levels of Lp(a) were related to a poor prognosis, especially in patients with diabetes and in men. These results will provide valuable information for the risk stratification of patients with psoriasis and CAD.

Angiographic quantitative flow ratio-guided coronary intervention (FAVOR III China): a multicentre, randomised, sham-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Compared with visual angiographic assessment, pressure wire-based physiological measurement more accurately identifies flow-limiting lesions in patients with coronary artery disease. Nonetheless, angiography remains the most widely used method to guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In FAVOR III China, we aimed to establish whether clinical outcomes might be improved by lesion selection for PCI using the quantitative flow ratio (QFR), a novel angiography-based approach to estimate the fractional flow reserve. METHODS: FAVOR III China is a multicentre, blinded, randomised, sham-controlled trial done at 26 hospitals in China. Patients aged 18 years or older, with stable or unstable angina pectoris or patients who had a myocardial infarction at least 72 h before screening, who had at least one lesion with a diameter stenosis of 50-90% in a coronary artery with a reference vessel of at least 2·5 mm diameter by visual assessment were eligible. Patients were randomly assigned to a QFR-guided strategy (PCI performed only if QFR ≤0·80) or an angiography-guided strategy (PCI based on standard visual angiographic assessment). Participants and clinical assessors were masked to treatment allocation. The primary endpoint was the 1-year rate of major adverse cardiac events, a composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, or ischaemia-driven revascularisation. The primary analysis was done in the intention-to-treat population. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03656848). FINDINGS: Between Dec 25, 2018, and Jan 19, 2020, 3847 patients were enrolled. After exclusion of 22 patients who elected not to undergo PCI or who were withdrawn by their physicians, 3825 participants were included in the intention-to-treat population (1913 in the QFR-guided group and 1912 in the angiography-guided group). The mean age was 62·7 years (SD 10·1), 2699 (70·6%) were men and 1126 (29·4%) were women, 1295 (33·9%) had diabetes, and 2428 (63·5%) presented with an acute coronary syndrome. The 1-year primary endpoint occurred in 110 (Kaplan-Meier estimated rate 5·8%) participants in the QFR-guided group and in 167 (8·8%) participants in the angiography-guided group (difference, -3·0% [95% CI -4·7 to -1·4]; hazard ratio 0·65 [95% CI 0·51 to 0·83]; p=0·0004), driven by fewer myocardial infarctions and ischaemia-driven revascularisations in the QFR-guided group than in the angiography-guided group. INTERPRETATION: In FAVOR III China, among patients undergoing PCI, a QFR-guided strategy of lesion selection improved 1-year clinical outcomes compared with standard angiography guidance. FUNDING: Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and the National Clinical Research Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Fuwai Hospital.

Profile and outcomes of patients with mediastinal hematoma after cardiac catheterization: A retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive introduction of mediastinal hematoma. BACKGROUND: Mediastinal hematoma is a rare complication that is usually not considered in the differential diagnosis of chest pain after cardiac catheterization. METHODS: From January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2013, at Fuwai Hospital, 126,265 patients underwent coronary angiography (CAG); 121,215 of them underwent CAG via the radial artery. Ultimately, 10 patients with mediastinal hematoma due to cardiac catheterization were included. Patients' clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The incidences of mediastinal hematoma in cardiac catheterization and transradial cardiac catheterization were 0.79‱ and 0.74‱, respectively. A super slide hydrophilic guidewire was used in all 10 patients with mediastinal hematoma. These patients felt chest pain and dyspnea during/after the procedure, and computed tomography (CT) was used to diagnose mediastinal hematoma. Among them, two patients had a neck hematoma. The post-procedural hemoglobin level decreased substantially in all patients. Antiplatelet therapy was discontinued for 8-20 days in three patients without stents implanted, and then only oral aspirin was prescribed. Aspirin was transiently discontinued for 2 days in one patient undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. The others continued taking dual antiplatelet drugs. Two patients received blood transfusion. There was no case of stent thrombosis, and surgery was not indicated for any patient. No complication was observed after discharge during the 9.0 ± 2.5-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: CT should be performed as early as possible in patients with suspected mediastinal hematoma. The prognosis of mediastinal hematoma is usually good with early diagnosis and suitable therapy.

Predictors for adverse outcomes of patients with recanalized chronic total occlusion lesion.

BACKGROUND: It is ill-defined which factors affect the prognosis of patients with recanalized chronic total occlusion (CTO). This study sought to investigate predictors for adverse outcome in such a cohort with long-time follow-up. METHODS: From 2010 to 2013, patients with successfully recanalized CTO were included. The primary endpoint was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction or target vessel revascularization (TVR). The secondary endpoints were TVR and target lesion revascularization (TLR). RESULTS: A total of 1987 patients were enrolled and 1806 (90.6%) subjects completed 5-year follow-up. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that age ≥ 75 years (HR,1.70; 95% CI, 1.09-2.64; P = .02), left ventricular ejection fraction <40% (HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.02-3.69; P = .04) and residual SYNTAX score (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04; P = .01) were predictors for the primary endpoint. Non-LAD CTO (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.23-2.70; P < .01), J-CTO score (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.11-1.54; P < .01) and residual SYNTAX score (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.04; P = .04) were independently related to TVR. Non-LAD CTO, high J-CTO score and residual SYNTAX score was also correlated with TLR. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced age, left ventricular dysfunction and residual SYNTAX score were predictors for composite cardiovascular events in patients with CTO after revascularization. Those with non-LAD CTO, high J-CTO and residual SYNTAX score had higher risk for revascularization.

Impact of public health emergency response to COVID-19 on management and outcome for NSTEMI patients in Beijing: A single-center historic control.

BACKGROUND: During coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, reducing the number of invasive procedure and choosing conservative medication strategy for patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) is unavoidable. Whether this relatively conservative strategy will impact in-hospital outcome for NSTEMI patients remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: The current study included all consecutive NSTEMI patients who visited the emergency department in Fuwai Hospital from February 1 to March 31, 2020 and all the NSTEMI patients in the same period of 2019 as a historical control. Very-high-risk patients were defined as clinical presentation of heart failure, cardiac shock, cardiac arrest, recurrent chest pain, and life-threatening arrhythmias. The primary outcome was in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as a composite of all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction, or heart failure. A total of 115 NSTEMI patients were enrolled since the outbreak of COVID-19, and a total of 145 patients were included in the control group. There was a tendency toward higher MACE risk in 2020 compared with 2019 (18.3% vs. 11.7%, p = .14). Among very-high-risk patients, early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) strategy in 2019 was associated with reduced MACE risk compared with delayed PCI in 2020 (60.6% [20/33] in 2020 vs. 27.9% [12/43] in 2019, p = .01). CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 pandemic results in a significant reduction in immediate/early PCI and a trend toward higher adverse event rate during hospitalization, particular in very-high-risk patients.

Angiographic characteristics and long-term outcomes of single-vessel chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with and without previous myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the angiographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) among patients with and without a history of myocardial infarction (MI). BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of CTO and myocardial viability are different in cases with or without previous MI. However, the lesion characteristics and clinical outcomes are unclear for these two groups. METHODS: We reviewed consecutive patients who underwent single-vessel CTO PCI from 2010 to 2013. Patients were classified according to their history of MI. Acute procedural results were classified as optimal recanalization, suboptimal recanalization, or technical failure. The primary endpoint was the 5 year rate of cardiac death. RESULTS: We identified 2,191 eligible patients, including 859 patients (39.2%) with previous MI. The overall technical success rate was 74.4%. Relative to the non-MI group, the MI group had a larger reference vessel diameter (3.0 ± 0.5 vs. 2.9 ± 0.4 mm, p = .002), a lower proportion of Werner grade ≥ 1 collateral circulation (65.4 vs. 79.2%, p < .001), a higher proportion of optimal recanalization (63.1 vs. 58.6%, p = .006), and a higher 5-year rate of cardiac death (3.9 vs. 2.1%, p = .02). In the MI group, suboptimal recanalization was associated with a significantly higher 5-year rate of spontaneous MI, relative to optimal recanalization and technical failure (11.7 vs. 4.6 vs. 4.1%, p = .006). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with CTO and previous MI had a larger reference vessel diameter, lower level of collateral circulation, and higher proportion of optimal recanalization. However, suboptimal recanalization in these patients was associated with an increased risk of spontaneous MI.

Thirty-day and 5-year results of percutaneous coronary intervention for in-stent restenotic chronic total occlusion lesions: Data from 2,659 consecutive patients.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the procedure success rate and clinical outcomes of in-stent restenotic chronic total occlusion (ISR-CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: Few studies have reported the short- and long-term clinical outcomes of ISR-CTO PCI. METHOD: Patients who underwent ISR-CTO (n = 212) or de-novo CTO (n = 2,447) PCI at Fuwai Hospital from 2010 to 2013 were enrolled. Thirty-day and 5-year clinical outcomes were analyzed. The primary outcome was the incidence of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and heart failure at follow-up. The secondary outcome was the recanalization result (reasonable, suboptimal, or failed recanalization). RESULTS: ISR-CTO PCI had a higher rate of suboptimal recanalization than de-novo CTO PCI (p < .01). The syntax score before PCI (odds ratio (OR): 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.10; p = .002) and occlusion length ≥ 20 mm (OR: 2.70:95% CI: 1.46-4.98; p = .001) were predictors of suboptimal recanalization in ISR-CTO PCI. Cardiac death (p = .03) and 30-day all-cause mortality (p = .05) were higher among patients who underwent ISR-CTO PCI. The ISR-CTO group had a higher rate of MI (p = .07) at 5 years. Suboptimal recanalization (hazard ratio: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.13-5.83; p = .025) was an independent predictor of long-term major adverse events in ISR-CTO. CONCLUSIONS: Suboptimal recanalization, 30-day cardiac death, and long-term MI rates are higher for ISR-CTO PCI than de-novo CTO PCI. Suboptimal recanalization is an independent predictor of long-term major adverse events after ISR-CTO PCI.

Long-term clinical outcomes in transradial versus transfemoral access for left main percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The present study compared 10-year clinical outcomes between transradial access (TRA) and transfemoral access (TFA) for left main (LM) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). BACKGROUND: There are limited data regarding the long-term safety and efficacy of TRA for LM PCI. METHODS: This retrospective study evaluated consecutive patients who underwent unprotected LM PCI between January 2004 and December 2008 at Fu Wai Hospital. The exclusion criteria were age of less than 18 years and presentation with acute myocardial infarction. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCE), which was defined as a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and any revascularization at the 10-year follow-up. RESULTS: Among 913 eligible patients, TRA was used for 417 patients (45.7%) and TFA was used for 496 patients (54.3%). The 30-day clinical outcomes were similar between the two groups. Results from the 10-year follow-up revealed that MACCE occurred in 180 patients (46.7%) from the TRA group and in 239 patients (51.2%) from the TFA group (log-rank p = .3). The TRA and TFA groups also had low and comparable cumulative rates of all-cause death (14.6% vs. 17.3%, log-rank p = .56) and cardiac death (7.9% vs. 9.1%, log-rank p = .7). CONCLUSION: The present study revealed no significant differences in long-term clinical outcomes when TRA or TFA were used for LM PCI.

Association of symptom status, myocardial viability, and clinical/anatomic risk on long-term outcomes after chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the association of less-certain indication of chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention (CTO-PCI) with subsequent clinical outcomes. BACKGROUND: The impact of patient symptoms, myocardial viability, and clinical and anatomic risk on long-term outcomes is underdetermined. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing CTO-PCI at a large-volume single center between 2010 and 2013 were included. Central adjudication was used to assess the appropriateness of three prespecified indications. The primary outcome was the 5-year composite endpoint of death or myocardial infarction (MI). RESULTS: Of 2,659 patients with 2,735 CTO lesions, the 348 (13.1%) asymptomatic patients, 164 (6.2%) patients without viable myocardium in the CTO territory, and 306 (11.5%) patients in whom the Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery Score II favored coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) had higher 5-year death or MI compared with the rest patients in each category (12.0% vs. 8.6%, p = .04; 16.3% vs. 8.5%, p < .0001; 12.2% vs. 8.6%, p = .03), respectively. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that without symptom (hazard ratio: 1.51; 95% confidence interval: 1.06-2.15; p = .02), non-viable myocardium in CTO territory (hazard ratio: 1.77; 95% confidence interval: 1.16-2.72; p = .009), and deemed more favorable for CABG (hazard ratio:1.54; 95% confidence interval: 1.04-2.28; p = .03), but not the technical success (hazard ratio:0.85; 95% confidence interval: 0.62-1.18; p = .34), were independent predictors for the primary endpoint. CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort of CTO-PCI, those who were asymptomatic, non-viable myocardium in the CTO territory, or deemed more favorable for CABG were associated with higher risk of long-term mortality or MI.

Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Unprotected Left Main Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Large Single-Centre Experience.

AIMS: This study sought to report the 10-year clinical outcomes of patients who underwent unprotected left main (LM) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a large centre. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 913 consecutive patients who underwent unprotected LM PCI from January 2004 to December 2008 at Fu Wai Hospital were retrospectively analysed; the mean age was 60.0 ± 10.9 years, females accounted for 22% of patients, diabetes was present in 27.7% of patients, and an LM bifurcation lesion occurred in 82.9% of patients. During the median follow-up of 9.7 years, major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) occurred in 25.6% (234) of patients, and the rates of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, and stroke were 14.9%, 11.0%, and 7.1%, respectively. Cardiac death occurred in only 7.9% of patients. The estimated event rate was 41.9% for death/myocardial infarction/any revascularization and 45.9% for death/MI/stroke/any revascularization. Definite/probable stent thrombosis occurred in 4.3% (39) of patients. According to the subgroup analysis, IVUS-guided PCI was associated with less long-term MACCEs. Further multivariate analysis identified that age and LVEF<40% were the only independent predictors for 10-year death. Age, LVEF<40%, creatinine clearance, and incomplete revascularization were independent predictors for death/MI, while a two-stent strategy, diabetes, a transradial approach, and the use of bare metal stents (BMSs) or first-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs) were not. CONCLUSIONS: Unprotected LM PCI in a large cohort of consecutive patients in a single large centre demonstrated favourable long-term outcomes up to 10 years even with the use of BMSs and first-generation of DESs.

The relationship between ß1 -adrenergic and M2 -muscarinic receptor autoantibodies and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

NEW FINDINGS: What is the central question of this study? The concentrations of ß1 -adrenergic receptor and M2 -muscarinic receptor autoantibodies in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients and the relationship between the cardiac autoantibodies and clinical manifestations of HCM have rarely been reported. What is the main finding and its importance? We found that the concentrations of the two autoantibodies in HCM patients were significantly higher than those in control subjects. Furthermore, we found that the concentrations of the two autoantibodies could reflect myocardial injury and diastolic dysfunction in HCM patients to some extent and might be involved in the occurrence of arrhythmia. These findings might be valuable in exploration of the mechanisms of occurrence and progression of HCM. ABSTRACT: Increasing attention is being given to the role of immunological mechanisms in the development of heart failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the concentration of serum ß1 -adrenergic receptor autoantibody (ß1 -AAb) and M2 -muscarinic receptor autoantibody (M2 -AAb) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and the relationship between ß1 -AAb, M2 -AAb and clinical indices. One hundred and thirty-four patients with HCM were recruited consecutively into the HCM group. Forty healthy subjects were assigned as the normal controls (NCs). Serum samples were collected to measure the concentrations of ß1 -AAb and M2 -AAb by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The clinical data of HCM patients were collected. The serum concentrations of ß1 -AAb and M2 -AAb of HCM patients were significantly higher than those of NCs. In HCM patients, those with a left atrial diameter ≥50 mm or moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation had significantly higher concentrations of the two autoantibodies. Patients with a history of syncope had higher concentrations of ß1 -AAb. Female patients and patients with a family history of sudden cardiac death or atrial fibrillation had higher concentrations of M2 -AAb. Maximal wall thickness, interventricular septum thickness and resting left ventricular outflow tract gradient were positively correlated with log ß1 -AAb or log M2 -AAb in HCM patients. In conclusion, the serum concentrations of ß1 -AAb and M2 -AAb of HCM patients were significantly higher than those of NCs. Being female, syncope, a family history of sudden death, atrial fibrillation, left atrial diameter ≥50 mm, moderate-to-severe mitral regurgitation, maximal wall thickness, interventricular septum thickness and resting left ventricular outflow tract gradient may affect the concentrations of the two autoantibodies.

Elevated lymphatic vessel density measured by Lyve-1 expression in areas of replacement fibrosis in the ventricular septum of patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM).

Lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) contributes to fibrosis in patients with myocardial infarction. However, the role of LMVD in the process of myocardial fibrosis in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) patients is unclear. We studied LMVD in ventricular septal (VS) samples from 52 individuals (42 was HOCM patients who underwent a transaortic extended septal myectomy, and 10 traffic accident victims), and examined the relationships between the LMVD stained immunohistochemically with lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor (LYVE-1) antibodies, collagen volume fraction (CVF), and clinical characteristics. Compared with traffic accident victims, LMVD was significantly increased in VS of HOCM patients (132.0 ± 49.0 VS 57.8 ± 48.8/mm2, p = 0.000). HOCM patients with syncope had higher level of LMVD than without syncope [166.7 (131.0-201.1) VS 116.4 (80.7-152.1)/mm2, p = 0.017], and LMVD were positively correlated with Log (CVF) (r = 0.431, p = 0.004). On multiple variables regression analysis, LMVD was independently associated with Log (CVF) (r = 0.379, p = 0.009) and syncope (r = 0.335, p = 0.020). In conclusions, the LYVE-1-positive lymphatics have close associations with VS fibrosis in HOCM patients.

The Effective and Safe Way to Use Crusade Microcatheter-Facilitated Reverse Wire Technique to Solve Bifurcated Lesions with Markedly Angulated Target Vessel.

OBJECTIVES: We aim to present a new way to introduce reverse wire in crusade microcatheter-facilitated reverse wire technique to solve markedly angulated bifurcated lesions. BACKGROUND: Markedly angulated coronary bifurcation lesions are still one of the considerable challenges of treatment with percutaneous coronary intervention especially with severe proximal stenosis. Microcatheter-facilitated reverse wire technique improved the efficacy of crossing a guide wire to such an extremely angulated complex targeted vessel. However, there has been a debate regarding what kind of curve was the best to introduce reverse guide wire in this technique. METHODS: We analyzed 7 patients who were admitted to Fuwai Hospital and underwent antegrade wiring which failed. Crusade microcatheter-facilitated reverse wire technique with simple short tip one round curve was used successfully to solve in all 7 bifurcation lesions. We investigated the bifurcation lesion's characteristics and details of the reverse wire technique procedures. RESULTS: All 7 bifurcations exhibit both a smaller take-off angle and a larger carina angle and severe proximal significant stenosis. After having suitable size of balloon predilation, reverse wire with simple short distal one curve was delivered to distal segment of targeted vessel successfully. We performed all PCI procedures without any complications and no major adverse cardiac event was observed during hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: In solving markedly angulated bifurcated lesions, especially with severe proximal stenosis, crusade microcatheter-facilitated reverse wire technique with simple short tip one curve is an effective and safe way of wiring.

Microvascular Rarefaction and Myocardial Fibrosis in Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) is a myocardial disease characterized by fibrosis and microvascular ischemia. Microvessels play a critical role in myocardial fibrosis in HOCM. However, it remains unclear whether or not myocardial fibrosis is associated with microvascular density (MVD) changes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a reduction in MVD is related to myocardial fibrosis in HOCM cardiac samples. METHODS: We analyzed MVD and fibrosis in myectomy left ventricular (LV) septal wall specimens from 53 HOCM patients. Control myocardium from the LV septal wall was collected at autopsy of 9 individuals who died of noncardiac causes. RESULTS: The fibrosis ratio (% area) in HOCM was higher and the MVD was lower than that in control subjects (i.e., 12.7 ± 10.0 vs. 4.0 ± 1.4%, p = 0.012, and 480.9 ± 206.7 vs. 1,425 ± 221/mm2, p < 0.001). Patients with mild fibrosis had a higher MVD than patients with moderate fibrosis (i.e., 568.2 ± 214.8 vs. 403.2 ± 167.8/mm2, p = 0.006) and patients with severe fibrosis (i.e., 568.2 ± 214.8 vs. 378.6 ± 154.0/mm2, p = 0.024). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was found between myocardial fibrosis and MVD in HOCM patients (r = -0.40, p = 0.003), which was also found in mild fibrosis (r = -0.40, p = 0.043), moderate fibrosis (r = -0.50, p = 0.024), and severe fibrosis (r = -0.24, p = 0.61), although no significant differences were observed in severe fibrosis. Additionally, we demonstrated that late gadolinium enhancement was negatively correlated with MVD (r = -0.37, p = 0.03) and positively correlated with fibrosis (r = 0.44, p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: HOCM patients had a higher myocardial fibrosis ratio and a lower MVD. The severity of myocardial fibrosis was negatively correlated with MVD in HOCM. These findings showed that a reduced MVD may contribute to myocardial fibrosis in HOCM.

Left ventricular remodeling in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients with atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common complication in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The mechanisms of AF is associated with left atrial (LA) structural remodeling in HCM patients. However, the impact of left ventricular (LV) remodeling on the presence of AF in HCM patients has not been evaluated yet. We sought to investigate effect of LV remodeling on the presence of AF assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in HCM patients. METHODS: A total of 394 HCM patients were enrolled into this study, including HOCM patients (n = 293) and NOHCM patients (n = 101). Patients were divided into HCM with AF (50) and HCM without AF (n = 344). Data were collected from hospital records. RESULTS: LA diameter and LV remodeling index (LVRI) were significantly higher in HCM patients with AF than that of HCM patients without AF (46.6 ± 7.4 mm versus 39.9 ± 8.0 mm, p < 0.001, and 1.46 ± 0.6 versus 1.2 ± 0.4, p = 0.002, respectively). HCM patients with AF were older than HCM patients without AF (53.6 ± 11.7 years versus 47.7 ± 13.6 years, p = 0.002). Additionally, LVRI positively correlated to LA size (r = 0.12, p = 0.02). In a multivariable logistic regression analysis, when adjusting for age and LV end diastolic mass index, LVRI and LA size remained an independent determinant of AF in HCM patients (OR = 4.7, p = 0.001 and OR = 1.13, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: HCM patients with AF showed significantly more LA diameter, LVRI and age than HCM patients without AF. LVRI and LA size were strong independent predictor of AF in HCM, suggesting LV remodeling may contribute to the occurrence of AF in HCM patients.

Characterization of Non-coding Regions in B Mating Loci of Agrocybe salicacola Groups: Target Sites for B Mating Type Identification.

Agrocybe salicacola is a delicious and cultivable mushroom. It is important to understand this species' inherent characteristics, especially to elucidate the constitution and segregation of mating genes. In this study, two compatible B mating loci in strain YAASM0711 of A. salicacola were cloned from the monokaryons, and sequence and phylogeny analyses showed two conserved genes encoding pheromone receptors maybe lost mating activity, which determined by comparing with those of other mushrooms. In the conserved regions of mating loci, partial insertion/deletion fragments made non-coding regions posses polymorphisms, and monokaryotic strains of different mating types were distinguished from each other according to the amplification profile of variable regions, which suggested mating loci were integrally assigned to offspring strains during mitosis in A. salicacola. As our known, it is the first to develop molecular markers for B mating-type identification using variable non-coding fragments of mating loci in basidiomycetes.