The effects of pregnancy in subjects with repaired tetralogy of Fallot.

BACKGROUND: Previous reports reveal inconsistent findings of right ventricular (RV) changes following pregnancy in subjects with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). METHODS: A two-center, retrospective cohort study which included women with rTOF who completed pregnancy that were matched to nulliparous women with rTOF by age at the time of baseline cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), RV ejection fraction (RVEF), and indexed RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDVi). Pre-pregnancy and postpartum cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) were analyzed and compared to sequential CMR of nulliparous subjects with rTOF. RESULTS: Thirty-six women with rTOF who completed pregnancy were matched to 72 nulliparous women with rTOF. Over a mean period of 3.1 years for the pregnancy group and 2.7 years for the comparison group, there was no significant change in the RVEDVi, RVEF, RV mass, pulmonary regurgitation severity, left ventricular (LV) volumes, LV ejection fraction (LVEF), or LV mass when comparing the baseline CMR and the follow-up CMR in either of the groups. There was a slight increase in RV indexed end-systolic volume (RVESVi) when comparing the baseline CMR and the follow-up CMR in the pregnancy group (68.93, SD 23.34 ml/m2 at baseline vs. 72.97, SD 25.24 mL/m2 at follow-up, P = .028). Using a mixed effects model for CMR parameters change over time; when adjusted for time between baseline and follow-up CMR there was no significant difference in rate of change between the pregnancy and comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS: Most ventricular remodeling parameters measured by CMR did not significantly change in subjects with rTOF who completed pregnancy or in nulliparous subjects with rTOF. In the pregnancy group, RVESVi is larger in those individuals who have undergone pregnancy without a significant change in ventricular function. These patients should be followed longitudinally to determine the long-term ventricular and clinical effects of pregnancy.

Prognostic value of myocardial deformation parameters for outcome prediction in tetralogy of Fallot.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of myocardial deformation parameters in adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) has not been well-elucidated. We therefore aimed to explore myocardial deformation parameters for outcome prediction in adults with rTOF using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). METHODS: Adults with rTOF and at least moderate pulmonary regurgitation were identified from an institutional prospective CMR registry. Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) global strains were recorded in longitudinal (GLS), circumferential (GCS), and radial (GRS) directions. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were defined as a composite of mortality, resuscitated sudden death, sustained ventricular tachycardia (>30 seconds), or heart failure (hospital admission >24 hours). In patients with pulmonary valve replacement (PVR), pre- and post-PVR CMR studies were analyzed to assess for predictors of complete RV reverse remodeling, defined as indexed RV end-diastolic volume (RVEDVi) <110 mL/m2. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) per unit change in absolute strain value associated with clinical outcomes and receiver operator characteristic curves were constructed with area under the curve (AUC) for select CMR variables. RESULTS: We included 307 patients (age 35 ± 13 years, 59% (180/307) male). During 6.1 years (3.3-8.8) of follow-up, PVR was performed in 142 (46%) and MACE occurred in 31 (10%). On univariate analysis, baseline biventricular ejection fraction (EF), mass, and all strain parameters were associated with MACE. After adjustment for LVEF, only LV-GLS remained independently predictive of MACE (OR 0.822 [0.693-0.976] p = 0.025). Receiver operator curves identified an absolute LV-GLS value less than 15 and LVEF less than 51% as thresholds for MACE prediction (AUC 0.759 [0.655-0.840] and 0.720 [0.608-0.810]). After adjusting for baseline RVEDVi, RV-GCS (OR 1.323 [1.094-1.600] p = 0.004), LV-GCS (OR 1.276 [1.029-1.582] p = 0.027) and LV-GRS (OR 1.101 [1.0210-1.200], p = 0.028) were independent predictors of complete remodeling post-PVR remodeling. CONCLUSION: Biventricular strain parameters predict clinical outcomes and post-PVR remodeling in rTOF. Further study will be necessary to establish the role of myocardial deformation parameters in clinical practice.

Automated biventricular quantification in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot using a 3D deep learning segmentation model.

BACKGROUND: Deep learning is the state-of-the-art approach for automated segmentation of the left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images. However, these models have been mostly trained and validated using CMR datasets of structurally normal hearts or cases with acquired cardiac disease, and are therefore not well-suited to handle cases with congenital cardiac disease such as tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). We aimed to develop and validate a dedicated model with improved performance for LV and RV cavity and myocardium quantification in patients with repaired TOF. METHODS: We trained a 3D convolutional neural network (CNN) with 5-fold cross-validation using manually delineated end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) short-axis image stacks obtained from either a public dataset containing patients with no or acquired cardiac pathology (n=100), an institutional dataset of TOF patients (n=96), or both datasets mixed. Our method allows for missing labels in the training images to accommodate for different ED and ES phases for LV and RV as is commonly the case in TOF. The best performing model was applied to all frames of a separate test set of TOF cases (n=36) and ED and ES phases were automatically determined for LV and RV separately. The model was evaluated against the performance of a commercial software (suiteHEART®, NeoSoft, Pewaukee, Wisconsin, US). RESULTS: Training on the mixture of both datasets yielded the best agreement with the manual ground truth for the TOF cases, achieving a median DICE similarity coefficient of (93.8%, 89.8%) for LV cavity and of (92.9%, 90.9%) for RV cavity at (ED, ES) respectively, and of 80.9% and 61.8% for LV and RV myocardium at ED. The offset in automated ED and ES frame selection was 0.56 and 0.89 frames on average for LV and RV respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between our model and the commercial software for LV quantification (two-sided Wilcoxon signed rank test, p<5%), while RV quantification was significantly improved with our model achieving a mean absolute error of 12ml for RV cavity compared to 36ml for the commercial software. CONCLUSION: We developed and validated a fully automatic segmentation and quantification approach for LV and RV, including RV mass, in patients with repaired TOF. Compared to a commercial software, our approach is superior for RV quantification indicating its potential in clinical practice.

Overview of the 87th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS2023)　- New Challenge With Next Generation.

The 87thAnnual Meeting of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS2023) was held in March 2023 in Fukuoka, Japan, marking the first in-person gathering after the COVID-19 pandemic. With the theme of "New Challenge With Next Generation" the conference emphasized the development of future cardiovascular leaders and technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). Notable sessions included the Mikamo Lecture on heart failure and the Mashimo Lecture on AI in medicine. Various hands-on sessions and participatory events were well received, promoting learning and networking. Post-event surveys showed high satisfaction among participants, with positive feedback on face-to-face interactions and the overall experience. JCS2023, attended by 17,852 participants, concluded successfully, marking a significant milestone in post-pandemic meetings, and advancing cardiovascular medicine.

Long-Term Renal Involvement in Association with Fontan Circulation.

Multiorgan dysfunction is a concern of Fontan patients. To clarify the pathophysiology of Fontan nephropathy, we characterize renal disease in the long-term observational study. Medical records of 128 consecutive Fontan patients [median age: 22 (range 15-37) years old] treated between 2009 and 2018 were reviewed to investigate the incidence of nephropathy and its association with other clinical variables. Thirty-seven patients (29%) showed proteinuria (n = 34) or < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (n = 7), including 4 overlapping cases. Ninety-six patients (75%) had liver dysfunction (Forns index > 4.21). Patients with proteinuria received the Fontan procedure at an older age [78 (26-194) vs. 56 (8-292) months old, p = 0.02] and had a higher cardiac index [3.11 (1.49-6.35) vs. 2.71 (1.40-4.95) L/min/m2, p = 0.02], central venous pressure [12 (7-19) vs. 9 (5-19) mmHg, p < 0.001], and proportion with > 4.21 of Forns index (88% vs. 70%, p = 0.04) than those without proteinuria. The mean renal perfusion pressure was lower in patients with a reduced eGFR than those without it [55 (44-65) vs. 65 (45-102) mmHg, p = 0.03], but no other variables differed significantly. A multivariable analysis revealed that proteinuria was associated with an increased cardiac index (unit odds ratio 2.02, 95% confidence interval 1.12-3.65, p = 0.02). Seven patients with severe proteinuria had a lower oxygen saturation than those with no or mild proteinuria (p = 0.01, 0.03). Proteinuria or a decreased eGFR differentially occurred in approximately 30% of Fontan patients. Suboptimal Fontan circulation may contribute to the development of proteinuria and reduced eGFR.

Hemodynamic Characteristics After Fontan Procedure in Patients with Down's Syndrome.

Patients with Down's syndrome (DS) are generally regarded as not being good candidates for the Fontan procedure. However, detailed hemodynamic changes over time are not fully clarified. A retrospective chart review of all patients with DS who underwent the Fontan procedure and 5 times that number of Fontan patients without DS performed in Fukuoka Children's Hospital and Kyushu University Hospital. Seven Fontan patients with DS were identified, and 35 Fontan patients without DS were recruited. During the mean observational periods of 14.7 years and 15.0 years (DS and non-DS, respectively) after the Fontan procedure, only one DS patient died. Central venous pressure (CVP) and transpulmonary pressure gradient significantly increased, and arterial oxygen saturation significantly decreased over time in DS patients after the Fontan procedure compared with those without DS. CVP in DS patients after the Fontan procedure increased over time compared with non-DS patients. Better management including the efficacy of Pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific therapy should be clarified in further studies.

Successful Total Management of Multi-Causative Sleep-Disordered Breathing Complicated with Patient with Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

Sleep-disordered breathing is one of the complications commonly seen in patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) due to multiple causes including complex underlying cardiac defects, cardiomegaly, previous thoracotomies, obesity, scoliosis, and paralysis of the diaphragm. It is often hard to determine its main cause and predict the efficacy of each treatment in its management. We herein report a 30-year-old woman after biventricular repair of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum diagnosed as sleep-related hypoventilation disorder. Simultaneous treatment targeting obesity, paralysis of the diaphragm, and cardiomegaly followed by respiratory muscle reinforcement through non-invasive ventilation resolved her sleep-related hypoventilation disorder. Such management for each factor responsible for the hypoventilation is expected to provide synergetic therapeutic efficacy and increase daily activity in a patient with ACHD.

Usefulness of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Infective Endocarditis in Patients With Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND: Infective endocarditis (IE) in patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) remains a diagnostic challenge due to difficulties in detecting endocardial lesions by echocardiography. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has shown good diagnostic performance in prosthetic valve IE. This study aimed to assess its additional diagnostic value in ACHD-associated IE and to characterize its advantages.Methods and Results:Overall, 22 patients with ACHD and clinical suspicion of IE were retrospectively studied. 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed in addition to conventional assessment based on the modified Duke criteria. The final IE diagnosis was determined by an expert team during a 3-month clinical course, resulting in 18 patients diagnosed with IE. Seven patients (39%) were diagnosed with definite IE only by initial echocardiography. An 18F-FDG PET/CT assessment revealed endocardial involvement in the other 9 patients, resulting in the diagnosis of definite IE in 16 in total (88%). Right-sided endocardial lesions were more common (n=12, 67%) but rarely identified by echocardiography, whereas 18F-FDG PET/CT revealed right-sided lesions in 9 patients. A negative 18F-FDG PET/CT (n=7, 39%) assessment was associated with a native valve IE (71% vs. 0%). In 4 patients who were identified with not-IE, neither echocardiography nor 18F-FDG PET/CT detected any suspicious cardiac involvement. CONCLUSIONS: In the diagnosis of ACHD-associated IE, characterized by right-sided IE, 18F-FDG PET/CT assessment should be useful.

Portosystemic venous shunt in the patients with Fontan circulation.

Portosystemic venous shunt (PSVS) is a vascular anomaly between the portal and systemic veins, resulting in several critical complications. Although PSVS is often associated with congenital heart diseases, the clinical association between Fontan circulation and PSVS has not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of Fontan patients with PSVS. Two hundred thirteen patients who underwent Fontan procedure are being followed up at Adult Congenital Heart Disease clinic in Kyushu University Hospital. Among them, 139 adult patients underwent cardiac catheterization between January 1, 2011 and September 30, 2019. Medical records were reviewed to investigate the laboratory, echocardiography, and cardiac catheterization findings, as well as clinical manifestations and outcomes. Eleven Fontan patients received the diagnosis of PSVS. The median age at cardiac catheterization was 25 (range 18-45) years. Fontan operation was performed using extracardiac conduit or lateral tunnel 22 (16-35) years previously. Ten patients presented with chronic heart failure [New York Heart Association class 2 (n = 5) and 3 (n = 5)]. The median level of peripheral oxygen saturation was 87 (70-95)%. Cardiac catheterization showed increased cardiac index [5.3 (2.72-14.3) L/min/m2] with or without high central venous pressure [18 (9-25) mmHg]. Although the pulmonary vascular resistance was within the normal range, the systemic vascular resistance was decreased [7.08 (1.74-18.6) Wood units]. Fontan patients complicated with PSVS had increased cardiac output. The presence of PSVS in Fontan circulation might be associated with unfavorable long-term outcome.

Preoperative Threshold for Normalizing Right Ventricular Volume After Transcatheter Closure of Adult Atrial Septal Defect.

BACKGROUND: The latest guidelines recommend early intervention in adult atrial septal defect (ASD) patients with signs of right ventricular (RV) enlargement. However, the criteria of RV enlargement for optimal intervention remain unclear. We investigated the preoperative determinants for normalizing the RV volume after transcatheter closure of ASD in adults.Methods and Results:We retrospectively analyzed 52 ASD patients who underwent transcatheter closure. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) measured RV volume before and 1 year after the closure. The patients were divided into normalized (postoperative RV end-systolic volume index [RVESVI] <47 mL/m2and end-diastolic volume index [RVEDVI] <108 mL/m2) and non-normalized (postoperative RVESVI ≥47 mL/m2or RVEDVI ≥108 mL/m2) groups. Preoperative RVESVI was significantly smaller (72 mL/m2vs. 80 mL/m2) and RVEF was higher (56% vs. 51%) in the normalized group compared with the non-normalized group. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis for the normalization of postoperative RV volume showed that the preoperative threshold value of RVESVI was 75 mL/m2. In addition, multivariate analysis showed that preoperative RVESVI was an independent predictor for normalization of RV volume. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative RVESVI is an independent predictor for normalization of RV volume at 1 year after transcatheter closure of ASD in adults. Early intervention before RVESVI reaches 75 mL/m2may confer optimal timing for normalizing RV volume.

Elaborate evaluation of serial changes in electrocardiograms of atrial septal defects after transcatheter closure for a better understanding of the recovery process.

Serial changes of electrocardiograms (ECG) could be used to assess their clinical features in atrial septal defects (ASD) after transcatheter closure together with other clinical parameters. We retrospectively studied 100 ASD patients who underwent transcatheter closure. Complications of persistent atrial fibrillation occurred in five ASD patients, and they were excluded. We divided the other 95 patients according to PQ intervals before closure (normal: < 200 ms, n = 51; prolonged: ≥ 200 ms, n = 44) to evaluate their clinical characteristics and parameters such as echocardiography, chest X-rays, and brain natriuretic protein (BNP) levels. Individuals in the prolonged PQ group were significantly older, had higher incidences of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) and heart failure (HF) treated with more ß-blockers and diuretics, and with a higher tendency of NYHA functional classification and BNP levels than the normal PQ group. The prolonged PQ group also had a significantly higher incidence of complete right bundle branch block, wider QRS intervals, and larger cardiothoracic ratios in chest X-rays accompanied by larger right atrial-areas and larger left atrial dimensions in echocardiograms. Furthermore, the prolonged PQ intervals with less PQ interval shortening after transcatheter closure revealed that the patients were the oldest at the time of closures and showed less structural normalization of the right heart and left atrium after ASD closure. PAF and HF also occurred more frequently in this subgroup. These results suggested that the ASD patients with prolonged PQ intervals with less PQ shortening were accompanied by more advanced clinical conditions. Together with other clinical parameters, detailed analyses of ECG and their changes after closure could elucidate the clinical characteristics and status of ASD patients with transcatheter closure and were useful for predicting structural normalization after transcatheter closure.

Oxygen inhalation decreases the central venous pressure in adult patients late after Fontan operations.

BACKGROUND: Elevated central venous pressure (CVP) and decreased arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) are the characteristics of patients after Fontan operations and determine morbidity and mortality in the long-term. Oxygen inhalation therapy theoretically increases SaO2 and may decrease the elevated CVP in these patients. However, there is no previous study to support this hypothesis. This study aimed to determine the acute effects of oxygen inhalation on the hemodynamics of adult patients late after Fontan operations using cardiac catheterization. METHODS: This study enrolled 58 consecutive adult patients (median age, 30 years; female, n = 24) who had undergone Fontan operations. We assessed the hemodynamic changes during oxygen inhalation (2 L/min) with a nasal cannula in cardiac catheterization. We divided the studied patients into two groups according to the reduction in CVP during oxygen inhalation using the median value: responders (>2 mmHg) and non-responders (≤2 mmHg). Clinical characteristics of the responders to oxygen inhalation were investigated with uni- and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: SaO2 increased from 93.3 % (91.3-94.5 %) to 97.5 % (95.2-98.4 %) (p < 0.001) and CVP decreased from 12 mmHg (11-14 mmHg) to 10 mmHg (9-12 mmHg) (p < 0.001) after oxygen inhalation. There was a weak but significant correlation between the increase in SaO2 and the decrease in CVP (R = 0.29, p = 0.025). Pulmonary blood flow increased from 4.1 L/min (3.5-5.0 L/min) to 4.4 L/min (3.7-5.3 L/min) (p = 0.007), while systemic blood flow showed no significant changes. A multivariate analysis revealed that high baseline CVP was associated with a larger decrease in CVP (>2 mmHg) after oxygen inhalation. CONCLUSIONS: Oxygen inhalation increased SaO2 and decreased CVP, especially in patients with high baseline CVP. Further studies with home oxygen therapy are needed to investigate the long-term effects of oxygen inhalation in adult patients who underwent Fontan operations.

Incremental value of machine learning for risk prediction in tetralogy of Fallot.

OBJECTIVE: Machine learning (ML) can facilitate prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). We sought to determine the incremental value of ML above expert clinical judgement for risk prediction in rTOF. METHODS: Adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) clinicians (≥10 years of experience) participated (one cardiac surgeon and four cardiologists (two paediatric and two adult cardiology trained) with expertise in heart failure (HF), electrophysiology, imaging and intervention). Clinicians identified 10 high-yield variables for 5-year MACE prediction (defined as a composite of mortality, resuscitated sudden death, sustained ventricular tachycardia and HF). Risk for MACE (low, moderate or high) was assigned by clinicians blinded to outcome for adults with rTOF identified from an institutional database (n=25 patient reviews conducted by five independent observers). A validated ML model identified 10 variables for risk prediction in the same population. RESULTS: Prediction by ML was similar to the aggregate score of all experts (area under the curve (AUC) 0.85 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.96) vs 0.92 (0.72 to 0.98), p=0.315). Experts with ≥20 years of experience had superior discriminative capacity compared with <20 years (AUC 0.98 (95% CI 0.86 to 0.99) vs 0.80 (0.56 to 0.93), p=0.027). In those with <20 years of experience, ML provided incremental value such that the combined (clinical+ML) AUC approached ≥20 years (AUC 0.85 (95% CI 0.61 to 0.95), p=0.055). CONCLUSIONS: Robust prediction of 5-year MACE in rTOF was achieved using either ML or a multidisciplinary team of ACHD experts. Risk prediction of some clinicians was enhanced by incorporation of ML suggesting that there may be incremental value for ML in select circumstances.

Risk Stratification for Sudden Cardiac Death in Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot.

There has been significant progress in the prevention of sudden cardiac death in repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Contemporary cohorts report greater survival attributable to improved surgical techniques, heart failure management, and proactive strategies for risk stratification and management of ventricular arrhythmias including defibrillator implantation and ablation technology. Over the last 25 years, our understanding of predictive risk factors has also improved from invasive and more limited measures to individualized risk prediction scores based on extensive demographic, imaging, electrophysiological, and functional data. Although each of these contemporary scoring systems improves prediction, there are important differences between the study cohorts, included risk factors, and imaging modalities that can significantly affect interpretation and implementation for the individual patient. In addition, accurate phenotyping of disease complexity and anatomic repair substantially modulates this risk and the mechanism of sudden death. Routine implementation of risk stratification within repaired tetralogy of Fallot management is important and directly informs primary prevention defibrillator implantation as well as consideration for proactive invasive strategies including ventricular tachycardia ablation and pulmonary valve replacement. Assessment and risk stratification by a multidisciplinary team of experts in adult congenital heart disease are crucial and critical. Although we have increased understanding, reconciliation of these complex factors for the individual patient remains challenging and often requires careful consideration and discussion with multidisciplinary teams, patients, and their families.

De grands progrès ont été réalisés pour prévenir la mort subite d'origine cardiaque chez les patients ayant une tétralogie de Fallot réparée (TFr). Dans les cohortes contemporaines, l'amélioration du taux de survie peut être attribuée à l'évolution des techniques chirurgicales, à la prise en charge de l'insuffisance cardiaque et à la mise en place de stratégies proactives pour la stratification du risque d'arythmies ventriculaires et pour leur prise en charge, notamment par l'implantation de défibrillateurs et l'ablation. Au cours de 25 dernières années, les moyens utilisés pour caractériser les facteurs de risque à valeur prédictive sont passés de mesures limitées et invasives à l'établissement de scores individualisés basés sur de grands corpus de données démographiques, électrophysiologiques, fonctionnelles et d'autres issues de l'imagerie. Bien que chacun de ces systèmes contemporains d'évaluation du risque permette de raffiner notre capacité prédictive, des différences importantes entre les cohortes à l'étude, les facteurs de risque considérés et les modalités d'imagerie peuvent influencer l'interprétation des scores et les soins prodigués à un patient en particulier. De plus, la description phénotypique exacte de la complexité de la maladie et de la réparation anatomique permet de moduler la stratification du risque de mort subite d'origine cardiaque et son mécanisme possible. Il importe que la stratification du risque fasse partie intégrante de la prise en charge de la TFr puisqu'elle oriente directement le choix de mettre ou non en place un défibrillateur en prévention primaire, et qu'elle fasse partie de l'équation lorsque des stratégies invasives proactives, comme l'ablation de la tachycardie ventriculaire ou le remplacement de la valve pulmonaire, sont envisagées. La mesure et la stratification du risque par une équipe multidisciplinaire d'experts en cardiopathies congénitales sont donc des étapes cruciales. Même si les connaissances se sont affinées au fil du temps, il peut être difficile de faire la synthèse de ces facteurs complexes dans le cas d'un patient en particulier. C'est pourquoi il faut bien souvent se tourner vers l'équipe multidisciplinaire, le patient et ses proches pour évaluer rigoureusement les options.

Visibility of Pulmonary Valve and Pulmonary Regurgitation on Intracardiac Echocardiography in Adult Patients with Tetralogy of Fallot.

Pulmonary regurgitation (PR) is a risk factor for sudden cardiac death in adult patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). However, transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) cannot fully visualize the pulmonary valve (PV) and PR. We investigated whether intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) could visualize the PV and PR better than TTE. Thirty adult patients with TOF (mean age 33 ± 15 years) scheduled for cardiac catheterization underwent ICE. The visualization of PV and the severity of PR were classified into three grades. ICE depicted the PV better than TTE (ICE vs. TTE: not visualized, partially visualized, and fully visualized: n = 1 [3%], n = 13 [43%], and n = 16 [53%] vs. n = 14 [47%], n = 13 [43%], and n = 3 [10%], p < 0.001). Especially in patients after pulmonary valve replacement (PVR), the PV was more fully visualized by ICE. The assessment of PR by TTE underestimated the severity of PR in comparison to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (severe PR: 8 [28%] vs. 22 [76%], p = 0.004), while there was no discrepancy between the results of ICE and MRI (21 [72%] vs. 22 [76%], p = 1.000). In comparison to TTE, ICE can safely provide better visualization of the PV and PR in adults with TOF, especially in patients who have undergone PVR.

High-echoic line tracing of transthoracic echocardiography accurately assesses right ventricular enlargement in adult patients with atrial septal defect.

Accurate measurement of right ventricular (RV) size using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is important for evaluating the severity of congenital heart diseases. The RV end-diastolic area index (RVEDAi) determined using TTE is used to assess RV dilatation; however, the tracing line of the RVEDAi has not been clearly defined by the guidelines. This study aimed to determine the exact tracing method for RVEDAi using TTE. We retrospectively studied 107 patients with atrial septal defects who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and TTE. We measured the RVEDAi according to isoechoic and high-echoic lines, and compared it with the RVEDAi measured using CMR. The isoechoic line was defined as the isoechoic endocardial border of the RV free wall, whereas the high-echoic line was defined as the high-echoic endocardial border of the RV free wall more outside than the isoechoic line. RVEDAi measured using high-echoic line (high-RVEDAi) was more accurately related to RVEDAi measured using CMR than that measured using isoechoic line (iso-RVEDAi). The difference in the high-RVEDAi was 0.3 cm2/m2, and the limit of agreement (LOA) was - 3.7 to 4.3 cm2/m2. With regard to inter-observer variability, high-RVEDAi was superior to iso-RVEDAi. High-RVEDAi had greater agreement with CMR-RVEDAi than with iso-RVEDAi. High-RVEDAi can become the standard measurement of RV size using two-dimensional TTE.

Machine Learning for Prediction of Adverse Cardiovascular Events in Adults With Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot Using Clinical and Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Variables.

BACKGROUND: Existing models for prediction of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) after repair of tetralogy of Fallot have been limited by modest predictive capacity and limited applicability to routine clinical practice. We hypothesized that an artificial intelligence model using an array of parameters would enhance 5-year MACE prediction in adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. METHODS: A machine learning algorithm was applied to 2 nonoverlapping, institutional databases of adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot: (1) for model development, a prospectively constructed clinical and cardiovascular magnetic resonance registry; (2) for model validation, a retrospective database comprised of variables extracted from the electronic health record. The MACE composite outcome included mortality, resuscitated sudden death, sustained ventricular tachycardia and heart failure. Analysis was restricted to individuals with MACE or followed ≥5 years. A random forest model was trained using machine learning (n=57 variables). Repeated random sub-sampling validation was sequentially applied to the development dataset followed by application to the validation dataset. RESULTS: We identified 804 individuals (n=312 for development and n=492 for validation). Model prediction (area under the curve [95% CI]) for MACE in the validation dataset was strong (0.82 [0.74-0.89]) with superior performance to a conventional Cox multivariable model (0.63 [0.51-0.75]; P=0.003). Model performance did not change significantly with input restricted to the 10 strongest features (decreasing order of strength: right ventricular end-systolic volume indexed, right ventricular ejection fraction, age at cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging, age at repair, absolute ventilatory anaerobic threshold, right ventricular end-diastolic volume indexed, ventilatory anaerobic threshold % predicted, peak aerobic capacity, left ventricular ejection fraction, and pulmonary regurgitation fraction; 0.81 [0.72-0.89]; P=0.232). Removing exercise parameters resulted in inferior model performance (0.75 [0.65-0.84]; P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In this single-center study, a machine learning-based prediction model comprised of readily available clinical and cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging variables performed well in an independent validation cohort. Further study will determine the value of this model for risk stratification in adults with repared tetralogy of Fallot.

Nanoparticle-Mediated Simultaneous Targeting of Mitochondrial Injury and Inflammation Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Background The opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore and inflammation cooperatively progress myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, which hampers therapeutic effects of primary reperfusion therapy for acute myocardial infarction. We examined the therapeutic effects of nanoparticle-mediated medicine that simultaneously targets mitochondrial permeability transition pore and inflammation during IR injury. Methods and Results We used mice lacking cyclophilin D (CypD, a key molecule for mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening) and C-C chemokine receptor 2 and found that CypD contributes to the progression of myocardial IR injury at early time point (30-45 minutes) after reperfusion, whereas C-C chemokine receptor 2 contributes to IR injury at later time point (45-60 minutes) after reperfusion. Double deficiency of CypD and C-C chemokine receptor 2 enhanced cardioprotection compared with single deficiency regardless of the durations of ischemia. Deletion of C-C chemokine receptor 2, but not deletion of CypD, decreased the recruitment of Ly-6Chigh monocytes after myocardial IR injury. In CypD-knockout mice, administration of interleukin-1ß blocking antibody reduced the recruitment of these monocytes. Combined administration of polymeric nanoparticles composed of poly-lactic/glycolic acid and encapsulating nanoparticles containing cyclosporine A or pitavastatin, which inhibit mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and monocyte-mediated inflammation, respectively, augmented the cardioprotection as compared with single administration of nanoparticles containing cyclosporine A or pitavastatin after myocardial IR injury. Conclusions Nanoparticle-mediated simultaneous targeting of mitochondrial injury and inflammation could be a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of myocardial IR injury.