Proteomic Characterization of Atherosclerotic Lesions In Situ Using Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Angioplasty Balloons-Brief Report.

BACKGROUND: Materials extracted from atherosclerotic arteries can disclose data about the molecular pathology of cardiovascular disease, but obtaining such samples is complex and requires invasive surgery. To overcome this barrier, this study investigated whether angioplasty balloons inflated during standard percutaneous coronary interventions retain proteins from treated (dilated) atherosclerotic lesions and whether proteomic analysis of this material could provide data on lesion protein profiles and distinguish between patients with stable and unstable coronary artery disease. METHODS: Patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and stable angina pectoris were subjected to routine percutaneous coronary interventions. All angioplasty balloons inflated in a coronary artery were collected. Proteins retained on the balloons were extracted and analyzed using shotgun proteomic analysis. RESULTS: Proteomics identified and quantified 1365 unique proteins captured on percutaneous coronary intervention balloons. Control balloons inflated in the ascending aorta showed minimal nonspecific protein binding, indicating specificity to the luminal region of atherosclerotic lesions of the diseased artery wall. Clustering and principal component analyses showed that ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and stable angina pectoris subjects could be separated by variations in protein content and abundance. We identified 206 proteins as differentially abundant between ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction and stable angina pectoris subjects. Pathway analysis indicated several enriched processes in the ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction group involved in neutrophil-mediated immunity and platelet activation. CONCLUSIONS: Disease-related proteins from coronary artery lesions adhere to angioplasty balloons and constitute a source of material for proteomic analysis. This approach can identify proteins and processes occurring in unstable coronary atherosclerotic lesions and suggest novel therapeutic approaches.

Comparison of 16 Serological SARS-CoV-2 Immunoassays in 16 Clinical Laboratories.

Serological assays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are needed to support clinical diagnosis and epidemiological investigations. Recently, assays for large-scale detection of total antibodies (Ab), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and IgM against SARS-CoV-2 antigens have been developed, but there are limited data on the diagnostic accuracy of these assays. This study was a Danish national collaboration and evaluated 15 commercial and one in-house anti-SARS-CoV-2 assays in 16 laboratories. Sensitivity was evaluated using 150 samples from individuals with asymptomatic, mild, or moderate COVID-19, nonhospitalized or hospitalized, confirmed by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT); samples were collected 13 to 73 days either from symptom onset or from positive NAAT (patients without symptoms). Specificity and cross-reactivity were evaluated in samples collected prior to the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic from >586 blood donors and patients with autoimmune diseases, cytomegalovirus or Epstein-Barr virus infections, and acute viral infections. A specificity of ≥99% was achieved by all total-Ab and IgG assays except one, DiaSorin Liaison XL IgG (97.2%). Sensitivities in descending order were Wantai ELISA total Ab (96.7%), CUH-NOVO in-house ELISA total Ab (96.0%), Ortho Vitros total Ab (95.3%), YHLO iFlash IgG (94.0%), Ortho Vitros IgG (93.3%), Siemens Atellica total Ab (93.2%), Roche Elecsys total Ab (92.7%), Abbott Architect IgG (90.0%), Abbott Alinity IgG (median 88.0%), DiaSorin Liaison XL IgG (median 84.6%), Siemens Vista total Ab (81.0%), Euroimmun/ELISA IgG (78.0%), and Snibe Maglumi IgG (median 78.0%). However, confidence intervals overlapped for several assays. The IgM results were variable, with the Wantai IgM ELISA showing the highest sensitivity (82.7%) and specificity (99%). The rate of seropositivity increased with time from symptom onset and symptom severity.

Utility of multiple rule out CT screening of high-risk atraumatic patients in an emergency department-a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Several large trials have evaluated the effect of CT screening based on specific symptoms, with varying outcomes. Screening of patients with CT based on their prognosis alone has not been examined before. For moderate-to-high risk patients presenting in the emergency department (ED), the potential gain from a CT scan might outweigh the risk of radiation exposure. We hypothesized that an accelerated "multiple rule out" CT screening of moderate-to-high risk patients will detect many clinically unrecognized diagnoses that affect change in treatment. METHOD: Patients ≥ 40 years, triaged as high-risk or moderate-to-high risk according to vital signs, were eligible for inclusion. Patients were scanned with a combined ECG-gated and dual energy CT scan of cerebrum, thorax, and abdomen. The impact of the CT scan on patient diagnosis and treatment was examined prospectively by an expert panel. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were included in the study, (53% female, mean age 73 years [age range, 43-93]). The scan lead to change in treatment or additional examinations in 37 (37%) patients, of which 24 (24%) were diagnostically significant, change in acute treatment in 11 (11%) cases and previously unrecognized malignant tumors in 10 (10%) cases. The mean size specific radiation dose was 15.9 mSv (± 3.1 mSv). CONCLUSION: Screening with a multi-rule out CT scan of high-risk patients in an ED is feasible and result in discovery of clinically unrecognized diagnoses and malignant tumors, but at the cost of radiation exposure and downstream examinations. The clinical impact of these findings should be evaluated in a larger randomized cohort.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor for risk prediction in patients admitted with acute chest pain.

BACKGROUND: Plasma concentrations of soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) predict mortality in several clinical settings, but the long-term prognostic importance of suPAR in chest pain patients admitted on suspicion of non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTEACS) is uncertain. METHODS: suPAR concentrations were measured on admission in 449 consecutive chest pain patients in a single center between January 3, 2005, and February 14, 2006. Patients were followed for all-cause mortality from discharge until July 28, 2011. RESULTS: The diagnoses at discharge comprised high-risk NSTEACS [non-ST elevation myocardial infarction or unstable angina with electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities] in 77 patients (17.2%) and low-risk NSTEACS without evidence of myocardial ischemia in 257 (57.2%) of patients. Another 115 (25.6%) of patients received other diagnoses. During a median follow-up of 5.7 years (range, 0.01-6.6 years) there were 162 (36.1%) deaths. suPAR was predictive of mortality independent of age, sex, smoking, final diagnosis for the hospitalization, comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, previous myocardial infarction, and heart failure), and variables measured on the day of admission (renal function, inflammatory markers, and markers of myocardial ischemia) with a hazard ratio (95% CI) of 1.93 (1.48-2.51) per SD increase in log-transformed suPAR, P < 0.0001. The use of suPAR improved the predictive accuracy of abnormal ECG findings and increased troponin concentrations regarding all-cause mortality (c statistics, 0.751-0.805; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: suPAR is a strong predictor of adverse long-term outcomes and improves risk stratification beyond traditional risk variables in chest pain patients admitted with suspected NSTEACS.

Myocardial hypertrophy after pulmonary regurgitation and valve implantation in pigs.

BACKGROUND: Patients may suffer from right ventricular (RV) failure and malignant cardiac arrhythmias after late pulmonary valve replacement correcting pulmonary regurgitation (PR). But the underlying mechanisms of the refractory arrhythmias are not well understood. METHODS: The aim of present study was to characterize the RV myocardium after percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) in a porcine model after severe PR for 3months. RV histology was evaluated with morphometric methods and RV function was assessed with electrophysiology, echocardiography, and biochemical measures: The results were compared with age-matched sham-operated animals. RESULTS: At euthanasia, RV weight was increased compared to sham-animals, median 127 g (115-137) vs. 71 g (69.5-76.5), p=0.0007. RV myocyte diameters corrected for individual variation with the RV/LV ratio were enlarged, 1.06 (1.02-1.13) vs. 0.84 (0.80-0.91), p=0.0006. There were no excess collagen tissue (RV/LV ratio), p=0.77. Electrophysiological stimulation resulted in RV arrhythmia in 67% of the animals compared to 25% in the sham-operated animals, but this difference was not statistically significant, p=0.28. Echocardiography revealed geometrical dilation in end-systolic RV area, mean ± SD, 11.8 ± 4.9 cm(2) vs. 6.0 ± 3.5 cm(2), p=0.05, and end-diastolic area, 23.3 ± 10.4 cm(2) vs. 12.7 ± 2.5 cm(2), p=0.08. RV anterior free wall thickness was not increased, 0.7 ± 0.2 cm vs. 0.7 ± 0.1 cm, p=0.66. Echocardiographic functional parameters and plasma natriuretic peptides were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: The RV does not completely recover after three months of PR with persistent myocardial hypertrophy one month after PPVI. Future studies should address whether RV chamber and cellular hypertrophy, without fibrosis or interventional scar tissue, may be substrate for arrhythmia.

Effects of chronic severe pulmonary regurgitation and percutaneous valve repair on right ventricular geometry and contractility assessed by tissue Doppler echocardiography.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary regurgitation (PR) following repair of right ventricular (RV) outflow obstruction is related to slowly progressive RV dilatation and heart failure and will eventually require surgical intervention, but optimal timing of pulmonary valve replacement is challenging. Tissue Doppler based quantification of RV contractility may offer additional information in the management of these patients. METHODS: In a porcine animal model free PR was induced by percutaneous stenting of the pulmonary valve orifice (N = 23). After 1, 2, or 3 months of free PR percutaneous pulmonary valve replacement (PPVR) was performed. Tissue Doppler derived measures of global and regional myocardial contractility were obtained by transthoracic echocardiography, and compared to a sham-operated control group (N = 9). RESULTS: Free PR is associated with RV dilatation (RV end-diastolic area increased from 15 ± 3 to 23 ± 7 cm(2) /m(2) , P < 0.0001) and a decrease in RV fractional area change from 62 ± 10% to 57 ± 12%, P = 0.08, with no impact of duration of free PR. The isovolumic acceleration, regional strain, and strain rate were unchanged after free PR and after PPVR. No consistent relation of echocardiographic measures of contractility and response to PPVR could be identified. CONCLUSION: Echocardiographic measures of RV contractility remained unchanged, despite significant RV remodeling following chronic PR and PPVR persistently induced significant recovery in the majority of the animals. These results may imply that Tissue Doppler based measures of RV contractility may not be sufficiently sensitive to be a suitable adjunct to conventional echocardiography in the follow-up of patients with free PR in order to optimize timing of valve replacement.