Prognostic Value of Biomarkers in Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy following Heart Transplantation: A Literature Review.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), also known as cardiac transplant vasculopathy, is a major determinant of long-term survival among cardiac transplantation recipients. Histologically, CAV is featured by diffuse, concentric thickening of the vascular wall, and primarily affects large and small epicardial coronary arteries, intramyocardial arteries, and veins. Owing to graft denervation, CAV typically follows an insidious course, and patients may not experience classic angina symptoms but instead present with progressive heart failure or ventricular arrhythmias. Recent studies on biomarkers have furthered the knowledge concerning the prediction and prognosis of CAV. Given its association with metabolic, thrombotic, inflammatory, and immunologic markers, CAV is likely to represent a complex multifactorial process that involves both immune-mediated and non-immune-mediated pathways. In order to identify the high-risk patients that would benefit from early intervention, future research is warranted to examine the usefulness of a biomarker panel in CAV risk stratification.

Betrixaban for first-line venous thromboembolism prevention in acute medically ill patients with risk factors for venous thromboembolism.

INTRODUCTION: Compared to other direct oral anticoagulants, betrixaban has a longer half-life, smaller peak-trough variance, minimal renal clearance, and minimal hepatic Cytochrome P (CYP) metabolism. The Acute Medically Ill VTE Prevention with Extended Duration Betrixaban (APEX) trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of extended duration betrixaban compared to standard duration enoxaparin in acutely ill hospitalized patients. Areas covered: This article describes the role of betrixaban in the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in acutely ill medical patients. This article provides a consolidated summary of the primary APEX study findings as well as prespecified and exploratory substudies. This article also provides a review of the results of studies in which other direct factor Xa inhibitors have been evaluated in an extended duration regimen in this patient population. Expert commentary: While previous agents have demonstrated that extended duration VTE prophylaxis can be efficacious, betrixaban is the first agent to demonstrate efficacy without an increase in major bleeding. The totality of the data from the APEX trial supports extended duration betrixaban for VTE prophylaxis in the acute medically ill patient population. As such, betrixaban has been approved in the USA for extended VTE prophylaxis in at-risk acute medically ill patients.