Fecal calprotectin is a novel biomarker to predict the clinical outcomes of patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysm.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a common cerebrovascular disease and the leading cause of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. Recent evidence suggests that gut microbiota is involved in the pathophysiological process of IA through the gut-brain axis. However, the role of gut inflammation in the development of IA has yet to be clarified. Our study aimed to investigate whether fecal calprotectin (FC) level, a sensitive marker of gut inflammation, is correlated with the development of IA and the prognosis of patients with ruptured IA (RIA). METHODS: 182 patients were collected from January 2022 to January 2023, including 151 patients with IA and 31 healthy individuals. 151 IA patients included 109 patients with unruptured IA (UIA) and 42 patients with RIA. The FC level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Other detailed information was obtained from an electronic medical record system. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, the FC levels in patients with IA were increased (P < 0.0001). Patients with RIA had significantly higher FC levels than UIA patients (P < 0.0001). Moreover, the FC level in RIA patients with unfavorable outcomes was higher than in RIA patients with favorable outcomes. Logistic regression analysis showed that the elevated FC level was an independent risk factor for a 3-month poor prognosis in patients with RIA (OR=1.005, 95% CI = 1.000 -1.009, P = 0.044). CONCLUSION: Fecal calprotectin level is significantly elevated in IA patients, especially those with RIA. FC is a novel biomarker of 3-month poor outcomes in RIA patients.

Homocysteine, hyperhomocysteinemia, and H-type hypertension.

Homocysteine (Hcy) is a sulphur-containing nonessential amino acid derived from the intermediate metabolites of methionine. Methionine is obtained from dietary proteins, such as poultry, meat, eggs, seafood, and dairy products. Abnormalities in Hcy metabolic pathways, deficiencies in dietary methionine, folate, and vitamins B12, B6, and B2 and genetic defects, polymorphisms, or mutations in Hcy metabolism-related enzymes may lead to an increase in plasma Hcy levels. Generally, a plasma Hcy level higher than 10 or 15 µmol/L has been defined as hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). An individual with essential hypertension complicated with HHcy is considered to have H-type hypertension (HTH). Currently, HHcy is considered a novel independent risk factor for various cardiovascular diseases. To provide a useful reference for clinicians, the research progress on Hcy, HHcy, and HTH in recent years was systematically reviewed here, with a focus on the source and metabolic pathways of Hcy, plasma Hcy levels and influencing factors, detection methods for plasma Hcy levels, relationship between Hcy concentration and hypertension, pathogenesis of HTH, cardiovascular complications of HTH, and treatment of HTH.

Sonographically guided hand kneading and compression for treatment of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sonographically guided hand kneading and compression for the treatment of femoral artery pseudoaneurysms after percutaneous intervention. METHODS: Twenty-four patients who had post-percutaneous intervention femoral artery pseudoaneurysms treated with sonographically guided compression from 2001 to 2004 and 2008 to 2009 were compared with 25 patients who had postintervention pseudoaneurysms treated with sonographically guided hand kneading and compression from 2005 to 2009. RESULTS: All 25 patients (100%) treated with 1-stage sonographically guided hand kneading and compression had pseudoaneurysm occlusion; the median treatment time was 10 minutes. Twenty-two of the 24 patients (91.7%) treated with conventional sonographically guided compression had pseudoaneurysm occlusion. One-stage compression was successful in 10 patients; 9 and 3 patients had pseudoaneurysm occlusion after 2 and 3 compression treatments, respectively. Two other patients who underwent compression treatment 3 and 4 times did not have pseudoaneurysm occlusion and required surgery. The median treatment time for sonographically guided compression was 30 minutes. The treatment time was significantly shorter for the hand-kneading and compression technique (P < .001), and significantly fewer procedures were needed (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Sonographically guided hand kneading and compression is as effective as sonographically guided compression alone for pseudoaneurysm occlusion after femoral artery percutaneous intervention and requires significantly less time to perform.

Differential effects of hyperhomocysteinemia on the lipid profiles and lipid ratios between patients with and without coronary artery disease: A retrospective observational study.

This study aimed to investigate the differential effects of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) on lipid profiles and lipid ratios between patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and without CAD. The data of 872 CAD patients and 774 non-CAD controls were extracted from the information system of hospitalized patients. Serum homocysteine (Hcy), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein (Apo) AI, and ApoB concentrations were detected. HHcy was defined as a serum level of Hcy ≥ 15 µmol/L. The CAD patients had lower levels of HDL-C and ApoAI and higher levels of Hcy than the controls (P < .05). Serum TGs and HDL-C were negatively correlated with Hcy in controls. Serum HDL-C and ApoAI were negatively correlated with Hcy, and the ratios of TC/HDL-C, TG/HDL-C, LDL/HDL-C, and ApoB/ApoAI were positively correlated with Hcy in the CAD patients (P < .05). Although the trends for HHcy to decrease the lipid profiles were not different between the CAD and controls (Pinteraction > 0.05), CAD with HHcy had lower HDL-C and ApoAI levels than those of subjects with normal Hcy; controls with HHcy had lower TC, LDL-C, and ApoB levels than those of subjects with normal Hcy (P < .05). There were different HHcy trends affecting the ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL/HDL-C between the CAD patients and controls (Pinteraction for TC/HDL-C = 0.025; Pinteraction for LDL/HDL-C = 0.033). CAD patients with HHcy had a higher ratio of TC/HDL-C (P = .022) and LDL/HDL-C (P = .045) than those of patients with normal Hcy, but in the controls, the subjects with HHcy exhibited a trend toward a decreased ratio of TC/HDL-C (P = .481) and LDL/HDL-C (P = .303). There were differential effects of HHcy on the lipid ratios between CAD and non-CAD patients. HHcy was related to higher ratios of TC/HDL-C and LDL/HDL-C in patients with CAD.

Changes in Homocysteine Levels Affect Serum Lipid Response to Atorvastatin in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Retrospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVE: The present study investigated whether changes in serum homocysteine (Hcy) levels modify the effects of atorvastatin treatment on blood lipid parameters in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: A total of 159 patients with ACS who received regular, long-term treatment with 20 mg/d atorvastatin were included. Depending on the changes in Hcy parameters, they were divided into Hcy reduction (HR) and Hcy elevation (HE) groups. RESULTS: After long-term atorvastatin treatment, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein (Apo) B, and Hcy levels were decreased (P < .05), and the ApoAI level was increased (P < .01). Correlation and stratified analysis showed that Hcy or hyperhomocysteinemia was correlated with blood lipids. In both the HE and HR groups, the TC, LDL-C, and ApoB levels after treatment were lower than those before treatment (P < .01), and the ApoAI level was increased compared with that before treatment (P < .05). There was no difference in the reduction of TC, LDL-C, and ApoB levels or in the increase of ApoAI level (P interaction > .05) between the 2 groups. However, there was a clear opposite trend of the effect of atorvastatin on TG and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels between the HR and HE groups (P interaction < .05). In the HR group, the HDL-C level was increased (P < .05), and TGs were decreased compared with those before treatment (P < .01). Nevertheless, in the HE group, the HDL-C level was decreased (P < .05), and TGs (P < .05) were increased compared with those before treatment. CONCLUSION: The effects of atorvastatin on TGs and HDL-C depend on changes in Hcy levels. Patients with a reduced Hcy level after atorvastatin treatment had more favorable lipid parameters.

Electrocardiographic findings of Wellens syndrome due to coronary artery-pulmonary artery fistula.

A coronary artery fistula (CAF) is an abnormal connection between a coronary artery and any of the four cardiac chambers, the large vessels, or other vascular structures. Wellens syndrome is an ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction equivalent. Although both Wellens syndrome and CAFs have been reported in the literature, they have rarely been reported in the same patient. We herein report a case clinically diagnosed as Wellens syndrome by electrocardiography (ECG) findings; coronary angiography subsequently showed a fistula originating from the left anterior descending artery and draining into the pulmonary artery. The ECG findings then returned to normal after the fistula had been closed by controlled-release coils. These events confirmed that the abnormal ECG findings of Wellens syndrome were due to the CAF.

Sex-Specific Influence of the SCARB1 Rs5888 SNP on the Serum Lipid Response to Atorvastatin in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown that there are sex differences in blood lipid levels and lipid responses to statins. Previous studies have shown that the rs5888 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SCARB1) gene is associated with serum lipid levels in a sex-specific manner. The present study was undertaken to detect the sex-specific influence of the SCARB1 rs5888 SNP on the serum lipid response to atorvastatin in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A total of 158 unrelated ACS patients (108 males, 50 females) were enrolled, and all patients received atorvastatin 20 mg/daily after PCI. Genotyping of the rs5888 SNP was performed by polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing. Serum lipid profiles were determined before treatment and after an average follow-up time of one year. RESULTS: The baseline serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein (Apo)AI levels were higher in females than in males (P<0.05). After treatment with atorvastatin, serum TC, LDL-C, and ApoB were decreased, and ApoAI was increased (P<0.05). The effects of atorvastatin on serum lipid levels were different between males and females, and females had greater decreases in TC, LDL-C and ApoB levels than males (P<0.05). The genotypic frequencies of the rs5888 SNP were not different between males and females. The atorvastatin response was not associated with the rs5888 SNP in males (P > 0.05). Nonetheless, in female individuals carrying the rs5888 T-allele, we observed a greater reduction in TC, LDL-C, and ApoB levels after the use of 20 mg/day atorvastatin (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that the SCARB1 rs5888 T-allele was associated with a greater reduction in serum TC, LDL-C, and ApoB after atorvastatin treatment in female patients with ACS undergoing PCI.

Safety and efficacy of different therapeutic strategies in the endovascular treatment of anterior cerebral artery aneurysms with different features: A single centre experience.

BACKGROUND: Outcomes of endovascular treatment of anterior cerebral artery (ACA) aneurysms are still not well-characterized. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to review the clinical effect, procedure-related complications and follow-up outcomes and to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment of ACA aneurysms in our center experience. METHODS: From August 2014 to August 2018, a total of 75 consecutive patients with 77 ACA aneurysms were treated via the endovascular approach after providing informed consent. A retrospective review of the clinical, radiological, and endovascular details of these patients was conducted. RESULTS: The mortality and the morbidity in this study were 4% and 9.3%, respectively. Compared with A1 and A2 aneurysms, intraoperative rupture was more common in A3 aneurysms (P = 0.029). Difference between the ruptured and unruptured aneurysms in the distribution of therapeutic strategy (P = 0.003) and immediate embolization degree (P = 0.004) was also significant. Statistical analysis demonstrated that the larger aneurysm (P = 0.031) was, the greater the ratio of aneurysm size to parent artery diameter (P = 0.029) was, the more likely the unruptured aneurysms were to occur ischemic events. Higher Hunt-Hess grade (P = 0.0066) was an independent risk factor for poor clinical outcome. CONCLUSION: Endovascular treatment is feasible and effective for ACA aneurysms.

Flat-detector computed tomography PBV map in the evaluation of presurgical embolization for hypervascular brain tumors.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative embolization of hypervascular brain tumors is frequently used to minimize intraoperative bleeding. OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy of embolization using flat-detector CT (FDCT) parenchymal blood volume (PBV) maps before and after the intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients with hypervascular brain tumors prospectively received pre- and postprocedural FDCT PBV scans using a biplane system under a protocol approved by the institutional research ethics committee. Semiquantitative analysis, based on region of interest measurements of the pre- and post-embolization PBV maps, operating time, and blood loss, was performed to assess the feasibility of PBV maps in detecting the perfusion deficit and to evaluate the efficacy of embolization. RESULTS: Preoperative embolization was successful in 18 patients. The relative PBV decreased significantly from 3.98±1.41 before embolization to 2.10±2.00 after embolization. Seventeen patients underwent surgical removal of tumors 24 hours after embolization. The post-embolic tumor perfusion index correlated significantly with blood loss (ρ=0.55) and operating time (ρ=0.60). CONCLUSIONS: FDCT PBV mapping is a useful method for evaluating the perfusion of hypervascular brain tumors and the efficacy of embolization. It can be used as a supplement to CT perfusion, MRI, and DSA in the evaluation of tumor embolization.

Efficacy of implantable cardioconverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy compared with combined therapy in survival of patients with heart failure: a meta-analysis.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) monotherapies with CRT-ICD combined therapy. Databases were searched to identify studies that compared CRT or ICD alone with CRT-ICD combined therapy in patients with heart failure. The primary outcome was rate of death for any cause, and secondary outcomes included rate of death or hospitalization due to heart failure or any cause. Nine studies with 7679 patients were included. Combined data of ICD and CRT monotherapies found that there was a higher risk of all-cause death (odds ratio [OR] 1.348, P < 0.001) and death or hospitalization from heart failure (OR 1.368, P < 0.001) with monotherapy compared with CRT-ICD combined therapy. No significant difference was observed between mono and combined therapy groups for risk of death or hospitalization from any cause (OR 1.292, P = 0.083). Compared with ICD or CRT monotherapy, CRT-ICD therapy had favorable outcomes regarding all-cause death and the risk of hospitalization or death due to heart failure.