Clinical prediction factors of nonchronic total occlusion lesion progression in patients with unstable angina receiving percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion lesions.

Background: In this study, we investigated clinical prediction factors of nonchronic total occlusion lesion (NCTOL) progression in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) lesions. Methods: In total, 450 patients with unstable angina (mean age = 57.1 ± 9.2 years) who underwent PCI for CTO lesions between January 2016 and December 2018 at Beijing Anzhen Hospital were enrolled in this study. A clinical and angiographic follow-up examination was performed 12 months postoperatively. The patients were divided into NCTOL progression (145 cases) and control (305 cases) groups based on the outcome of the 12-month angiographic follow-up. The clinical and angiographic features of the participants were analyzed. Results: The adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation (ADP-IPA) rate and levels of lipoprotein (a) (Lp(a)) in the NCTOL progression group were significantly higher than those in the control group (51.89 ± 14.81 vs. 39.63 ± 17.12, P < 0.01; 0.22 ± 0.26 vs. 0.14 ± 0.18, P < 0.05, respectively). Logistic regression showed that the ADP-IPA rate (odds ratio = 1.047, 95 % confidence interval: 1.014-1.082, P = 0.005) and Lp(a) (odds ratio = 11.972, 95 % confidence interval: 1.230-116.570, P = 0.033) were independent predictors of NCTOL progression. Partial correlation analysis demonstrated that the ADP-IPA rate was positively correlated with NCTOL progression (r = 0. 351, P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the boundary point of the ADP-IPA rate to predict NCTOL progression was 30 % (sensitivity, 86.2 %; specificity, 68.9 %). Conclusions: NCTOL progression is an important cause of recurrent PCI in patients with coronary artery disease after PCI for CTO lesions. The ADP-IPA rate is a useful predictor for NCTOL progression in patients with unstable angina who undergo PCI for CTO lesions.

Effect of dynamic platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio on the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma receiving chemoradiotherapy.

Systemic inflammatory load affects the long-term developmental outcomes in patients with malignancy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the dynamic levels of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) at different treatment stages on the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) undergoing chemoradiotherapy. This study included 168 patients who received chemoradiotherapy between 2012 and 2018. PLR levels at different treatment stages were calculated based on blood test results. The association between PLR and overall survival (OS) was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional regression models. The cutoff values of PLR before and after treatment of 168 patients with ESCC were 195.7 and 403.6, respectively. The 5-year OS rates of patients in the low and high pre-PLR groups were 42.1% and 21.7%, respectively. The overall 5-year OS rate of all patients was 27.1%. Multivariate analysis results showed that patient age (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.736; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.129-2.669; P = .012), alcohol consumption (HR = 1.622; 95%CI = 1.050-2.508; P = .029), T stage (HR = 12.483; 95%CI = 3.719-41.896; P < .001), pre-PLR (HR = 1.716; 95%CI = 1.069-2.756; P = .025), post-PLR (HR = 1.664; 95%CI = 1.106-2.503; P = .015) were independent factors of the prognosis of patients with ESCC. PLR at different treatment stages can be used to effectively evaluate the prognosis of patients with ESCC undergoing chemoradiotherapy.

Palmdelphin Deficiency Evokes NF-κB Signaling in Valvular Endothelial Cells and Aggravates Aortic Valvular Remodeling.

Palmd-deficient mice of advanced age manifest increased aortic valve peak velocity, thickened aortic valve leaflets, and excessive extracellular matrix deposition, which are key features of calcific aortic valve disease. PALMD is predominantly expressed in endothelial cells of aortic valves, and PALMD-silenced valvular endothelial cells are prone to oscillatory shear stress-induced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Mechanistically, PALMD is associated with TNFAIP3 interaction protein 1, a binding protein of TNFAIP3 and IKBKG in NF-κB signaling. Loss of PALMD impairs TNFAIP3-dependent deubiquitinating activity and promotes the ubiquitination of IKBKG and subsequent NF-κB activation. Adeno-associated virus-mediated PALMD overexpression ameliorates aortic valvular remodeling in mice with calcific aortic valve disease, indicating protection.

Cathepsin S inhibition in dendritic cells prevents Th17 cell differentiation in perivascular adipose tissues following vascular injury in diabetic rats.

In the context of diabetes mellitus (DM), the circulating cathepsin S (CTSS) level is significantly higher in the cardiovascular disease group. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the role of CTSS in restenosis following carotid injury in diabetic rats. To induce DM, 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin (STZ) in citrate buffer was injected intraperitoneally into Sprague-Dawley rats. After successful modeling of DM, wire injury of the rat carotid artery was performed, followed by adenovirus transduction. Levels of blood glucose and Th17 cell surface antigens including ROR-γt, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22, and IL-23 in perivascular adipose tissues (PVAT) were evaluated. For in vitro analysis, human dendritic cells (DCs) were treated with 5.6-25 mM glucose for 24 h. The morphology of DCs was observed using an optical microscope. CD4+ T cells derived from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cocultured with DCs for 5 days. Levels of IL-6, CTSS, ROR-γt, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-22 and IL-23 were measured. Flow cytometry was conducted to detect DC surface biomarkers (CD1a, CD83, and CD86) and Th17 cell differentiation. The collected DCs presented a treelike shape and were positive for CD1a, CD83, and CD86. Glucose impaired DC viability at the dose of 35 mM. Glucose treatment led to an increase in CTSS and IL-6 expression in DCs. Glucose-treated DCs promoted the differentiation of Th17 cells. CTSS depletion downregulated IL-6 expression and inhibited Th17 cell differentiation in vitro and in vivo. CTSS inhibition in DCs inhibits Th17 cell differentiation in PVAT tissues from diabetic rats following vascular injury.

Lesion characteristics and procedural complications of chronic total occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with prior bypass surgery: A meta-analysis.

Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) accelerates the prevalence of native coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO), and this kind of CTO shows extensive challenging and complex atherosclerotic pathology. As a result, the procedural success rate of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is inferior to another kind of lesions. The present meta-analysis aims to compare the lesion characteristics and procedural complications of CTO-PCI in patients with or without prior CABG. A total of 8 studies, comprising of 13439 patients, published from inception to August 2021 were included in this meta-analysis. Results were pooled using random effects model and are presented as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). From the 13439 patients enrolled, 3349 (24.9%) patients had previous CABG and 10090 (75.1%) formed the control group in our analysis. For the clinical characteristic, compared to the non-CABG patients, prior CABG patients were older (OR, 3.98; 95% CI, 3.19-4.78; p < .001; I2 = 72%), had more male (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.14-1.49; p < .001; I2 = 6%), diabetes mellitus (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.36-1.73; p < .001; I2 = 37%), dyslipidemia (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.33-2.69; p < .001; I2 = 81%), hypertension (OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.46-2.41; p < .001; I2 = 71%), previous myocardial infarction (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.48-2.56; p < .001; I2 = 85%), and previous PCI (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.52-1.98; p < .001; I2 = 22%). Non-CABG patents had more current smoker (OR, .45; 95% CI, 0.27-0.74; p < .001; I2 = 91%). BMI (OR, -0.01; 95% CI, -0.07-0.06; p = .85; I2 = 36%) were similar in both groups. For lesions location, the right coronary artery (RCA) was predominant target vessel in both groups (50.5% vs 48.7%; p＝.49), although, the left circumflex (LCX) was more frequently CTO in the prior CABG group (27.3% vs 18.9%; p＜.01), while left anterior descending artery (LAD) in non-CABG ones (16.0% vs 29.1%; p＜0.01). For lesions characteristics, prior CABG patients had more blunt stump (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.46-2.00; p < .001; I2 = 40%), proximal cap ambiguity (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.28-1.64; p < .001; I2 = 0.0%), severe calcifications (OR, 2.91; 95% CI, 2.19-3.86; p < .001; I2 = 83%), more bending (OR, 3.07; 95% CI, 2.61-3.62; p < .001; I2 = 0%), lesion length > 20 mm (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.10-2.29; p = .01; I2 = 83%), inadequate distal landing zone (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.75-2.18; p＜.001; I2 = 0.0%), distal cap at bifurcation (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.46-1.88; p < .001; I2 = 0.0%), and higher J-CTO score (SMD, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.42-0.63; p < .001; I2 = 65%). But side branch at proximal entry (OR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.72-1.07; p = .21; I2 = 45%), in-stent CTO (OR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.86-1.14; p = .88; I2 = 0.0%), lack of interventional collaterals (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.55-1.15; p = .23; I2 = 78%), and previously failed attempt (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.48-1.11; p = .14; I2 = 89%) were similar in both groups. For complication, prior CABG patients had more perforation with need for intervention (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.36-2.69; p < 0.001; I2 = 34%), contrast-induced nephropathy (OR, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.31-8.78; p = .01; I2 = 0.0%). Non-CABG patents had more tamponade (OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.09-0.72; p = .01; I2 = 0.0%), and the major bleeding complication (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.57-2.44; p = .65; I2 = 0%) were no significant difference in both groups. In conclusion, Patients with prior CABG undergoing CTO-PCI have more complex lesion characteristics, though procedural complication rates were comparable.

Clinical and angiographic characteristics of patients with spontaneous reperfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

This study aims to investigate the clinical and angiographic characteristics of patients with spontaneous reperfusion in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).A total of 519 patients with STEMI were enrolled in this study, who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatments at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2015 to December 2018. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the TIMI flow grade before primary PCI, the non-spontaneous reperfusion group (TIMI flow grade 0-II) and the spontaneous reperfusion group (TIMI flow grade III). The incidence rate, the clinically relevant factors, and the features of the coronary angiographic lesions of spontaneous reperfusion from the 2 groups were recorded and analyzed.There were significant differences between the 2 groups in age, CTnI peak value, high thrombus burden, and locations of lesions in the distant of left anterior descending artery (LAD) (P = .000, .000, .002, .000, and .003, respectively). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in other clinic aspects including gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking history, hyperlipemia, angina pectoris history, culprit vessel distribution, lesion distribution in left circumflex artery (LCX) and right coronary artery (RCA), and collateral circulation (P > .05 for all).Compared to the patients without spontaneous reperfusion, patients with spontaneous reperfusion were younger in age, lower in CTnI peak value, and higher in thrombosis burden, with culprit lesions mostly located in the distant of LAD.