Percutaneous Transluminal Mitral Commissurotomy in Pregnant Women with Severe Mitral Stenosis.

Background: Mitral stenosis tends to worsen during pregnancy because of the increase in the cardiac output and the heart rate. In nonresponders to medical therapy, percutaneous transluminal mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) may be performed when there is a suitable valvular anatomy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and fetal outcomes of pregnant women with mitral stenosis who underwent PTMC. Methods: Thirty-one patients undergoing PTMC during pregnancy were enrolled in this study. The mitral valve area (MVA), the transmitral valve mean gradient (MVMG), and the severity of mitral regurgitation were assessed pre- and postprocedurally by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. The radiation time was measured during the procedure. The patients were followed up during pregnancy, and the neonates were monitored for weight, height, the head circumference, the birth Apgar score, and the adverse effects of radiation for at least 12 months. Results: PTMC was successfully performed on 29 (93.5%) patients. No maternal death or pulmonary edema was reported. The mean MVA significantly increased (from 0.73±0.17 cm2 to 1.28±0.24 cm2; P<0.001), and the mean MVMG significantly decreased (from 19.62±5.91 mmHg to 8.90±4.73 mmHg; P<0.001) after the procedure. A significant decrease in the systolic pulmonary artery pressure was also detected. Mitral regurgitation did not increase in severity in 16 (51.6%) patients. There was no significant relationship between the Apgar score, weight, height, and the head circumference at birth and at the radiation time. Conclusion: In our series, PTMC during pregnancy was a safe and effective procedure. Lowering the radiation time with low frame-count techniques confers a significant decrease in radiation-related complications.

COMPARE CPM-RMI Trial: Intramyocardial Transplantation of Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived CD133+ Cells and MNCs during CABG in Patients with Recent MI: A Phase II/III, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

This article published in Cell J (Yakhteh), Vol 20, No 2, Jul-Sep 2018, on pages 267-277, four affiliations (1, 4, 5, and 10) were changed based on authors request.

COMPARE CPM-RMI Trial: Intramyocardial Transplantation of Autologous Bone Marrow-Derived CD133+ Cells and MNCs during CABG in Patients with Recent MI: A Phase II/III, Multicenter, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: The regenerative potential of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (MNCs) and CD133+ stem cells in the heart varies in terms of their pro-angiogenic effects. This phase II/III, multicenter and double-blind trial is designed to compare the functional effects of intramyocardial autologous transplantation of both cell types and placebo in patients with recent myocardial infarction (RMI) post-coronary artery bypass graft. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a phase II/III, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial COMPARE CPM-RMI (CD133, Placebo, MNCs - recent myocardial infarction) conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki that assessed the safety and efficacy of CD133 and MNCs compared to placebo in patients with RMI. We randomly assigned 77 eligible RMI patients selected from 5 hospitals to receive CD133+ cells, MNC, or a placebo. Patients underwent gated single photon emission computed tomography assessments at 6 and 18 months post-intramyocardial transplantation. We tested the normally distributed efficacy outcomes with a mixed analysis of variance model that used the entire data set of baseline and between-group comparisons as well as within subject (time) and group×time interaction terms. RESULTS: There were no related serious adverse events reported. The intramyocardial transplantation of both cell types increased left ventricular ejection fraction by 9% [95% confidence intervals (CI): 2.14% to 15.78%, P=0.01] and improved decreased systolic wall thickening by -3.7 (95% CI: -7.07 to -0.42, P=0.03). The CD133 group showed significantly decreased non-viable segments by 75% (P=0.001) compared to the placebo and 60% (P=0.01) compared to the MNC group. We observed this improvement at both the 6- and 18-month time points. CONCLUSIONS: Intramyocardial injections of CD133+ cells or MNCs appeared to be safe and efficient with superiority of CD133+ cells for patients with RMI. Although the sample size precluded a definitive statement about clinical outcomes, these results have provided the basis for larger studies to confirm definitive evidence about the efficacy of these cell types (Registration Number: NCT01167751).

An Intracardiac Mass in a Pregnant Woman Presenting With Ventricular Tachycardia.

A pregnant patient presented with symptomatic ventricular tachycardia. Echocardiography revealed a large intramyocardial mass. Surgical resection was attempted in conjunction with cryoablation of the surrounding myocardial tissue. Histologic examination of the resected mass revealed cardiac neurofibroma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of cardiac neurofibroma in a pregnant patient in the absence of any neurocutaneous syndromes such as neurofibromatosis.

Feto-maternal outcomes of urgent open-heart surgery during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Cardiac surgery during pregnancy is rarely required and potentially increases feto-maternal mortality. The study aim was to evaluate pregnancy outcomes in females who underwent open-heart surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during pregnancy. METHODS: Between 1999 and 2014, a total of 16 pregnant women (mean age 27 ± 7 years; mean gestational age 13 ± 7.7 weeks) underwent urgent cardiac surgery using CPB. The preoperative diagnosis included prosthetic valve dysfunction in 12 women (five aortic, seven mitral), native valve endocarditis and critical aortic stenosis each in one woman, and intracardiac masses in two women. Eleven patients were in the first trimester, three in the second trimester, and two in the third trimester. A retrospective analysis was conducted that included maternal variables of age, gestational age, cardiac diagnosis, prior operations, surgical details, maternal morbidity and mortality and type of delivery, while fetal variables included incidence of low birth weight, prematurity, and fetal malformation. Patients were allocated to two groups: Group A (n = 9) included pregnant women with living neonates, while group B (n = 7) included pregnant women with an aborted fetus or dead neonate. All data were compared between the groups. RESULTS: There was no in-hospital maternal mortality. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding age, gestational age, previous cardiac operation, type of surgery, duration of operation, perfusion pressure and core temperature during CPB. The CPB time was longer in group B (110.3 ± 57.1 min) than in group A (62 ± 15.7 min) (p = 0.028), as was the aortic cross-clamp time (54.3 ± 27.2 min and 38.7 ± 9.3 min in groups A and B, respectively) (p = 0.014). Group B patients received higher doses of inotropes perioperatively. No congenital abnormalities were identified in any of the living neonates. CONCLUSION: The durations of CPB and aortic cross-clamping may not affect maternal outcome, but shorter CPB and aortic cross-clamp times led to better fetal outcomes. Increasing the perioperative dosage of inotropes may lead to a reduced fetal survival.