Artificial intelligence-analyzed computed tomography in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair.

BACKGROUND: Baseline right ventricular (RV) function derived from 3-dimensional analyses has been demonstrated to be predictive in patients undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVR). The complex nature of these cumbersome analyses makes patient selection based on established imaging methods challenging. Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven computed tomography (CT) segmentation of the RV might serve as a fast and predictive tool for evaluating patients prior to TTVR. METHODS: Patients suffering from severe tricuspid regurgitation underwent full cycle cardiac CT. AI-driven analyses were compared to conventional CT analyses. Outcome measures were correlated with survival free of rehospitalization for heart-failure or death after TTVR as the primary endpoint. RESULTS: Automated AI-based image CT-analysis from 100 patients (mean age 77 ± 8 years, 63% female) showed excellent correlation for chamber quantification compared to conventional, core-lab evaluated CT analysis (R 0.963-0.966; p < 0.001). At 1 year (mean follow-up 229 ± 134 days) the primary endpoint occurred significantly more frequently in patients with reduced RV ejection fraction (EF) <50% (36.6% vs. 13.7%; HR 2.864, CI 1.212-6.763; p = 0.016). Furthermore, patients with dysfunctional RVs defined as end-diastolic RV volume > 210 ml and RV EF <50% demonstrated worse outcome than patients with functional RVs (43.7% vs. 12.2%; HR 3.753, CI 1.621-8.693; p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Derived RVEF and dysfunctional RV were predictors for death and hospitalization after TTVR. AI-facilitated CT analysis serves as an inter- and intra-observer independent and time-effective tool which may thus aid in optimizing patient selection prior to TTVR in clinical routine and in trials.

Sleep apnea in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting: Impact on perioperative outcomes.

Sleep-disordered breathing is common in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Sleep-disordered breathing is associated with increased perioperative morbidity, arrhythmias (e.g. atrial fibrillation) and mortality. This study investigated the impact of sleep-disordered breathing on the postoperative course after coronary artery bypass grafting, including development of atrial fibrillation. This prospective single-centre cohort study included adults undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. All were screened for sleep-disordered breathing (polygraphy) and atrial fibrillation (electrocardiogram) preoperatively; those with known sleep-disordered breathing or atrial fibrillation were excluded. Endpoints included new-onset atrial fibrillation, duration of mechanical ventilation, time in the intensive care unit, and postoperative infection. Regression analysis was performed to identify associations between sleep-disordered breathing and these outcomes. A total of 508 participants were included (80% male, median age 68 years). The prevalence of any (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 5 per hr), moderate (apnea-hypopnea index = 15-30 per hr) and severe (apnea-hypopnea index > 30 per hr) sleep-disordered breathing was 52.9%, 9.3% and 10.2%, respectively. All-cause 30-day mortality was 0.98%. After adjustment for age and sex, severe sleep-disordered breathing was associated with longer respiratory ventilation support (crude odds ratio [95% confidence interval] 5.28 [2.18-12.77]; p < 0.001) and higher postoperative infection rates (crude odds ratio 3.32 [1.45-7.58]; p < 0.005), but not new-onset atrial fibrillation or mortality. New-onset atrial fibrillation was significantly associated with postoperative infection and prolonged hospital stay. The significant associations between sleep-disordered breathing and several adverse outcomes after coronary artery bypass grafting support the need for preoperative sleep-disordered breathing screening in individuals undergoing cardiac surgery.

TRI-SCORE and benefit of intervention in patients with severe tricuspid regurgitation.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Benefit of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) correction and timing of intervention are unclear. This study aimed to compare survival rates after surgical or transcatheter intervention to conservative management according to a TR clinical stage as assessed using the TRI-SCORE. METHODS: A total of 2,413 patients with severe isolated functional TR were enrolled in TRIGISTRY (1217 conservatively managed, 551 isolated tricuspid valve surgery, and 645 transcatheter valve repair). The primary endpoint was survival at 2 years. RESULTS: The TRI-SCORE was low (≤3) in 32%, intermediate (4-5) in 33%, and high (≥6) in 35%. A successful correction was achieved in 97% and 65% of patients in the surgical and transcatheter groups, respectively. Survival rates decreased with the TRI-SCORE in the three treatment groups (all P < .0001). In the low TRI-SCORE category, survival rates were higher in the surgical and transcatheter groups than in the conservative management group (93%, 87%, and 79%, respectively, P = .0002). In the intermediate category, no significant difference between groups was observed overall (80%, 71%, and 71%, respectively, P = .13) but benefit of the intervention became significant when the analysis was restricted to patients with successful correction (80%, 81%, and 71%, respectively, P = .009). In the high TRI-SCORE category, survival was not different to conservative management in the surgical and successful repair group (61% and 68% vs 58%, P = .26 and P = .18 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Survival progressively decreased with the TRI-SCORE irrespective of treatment modality. Compared to conservative management, an early and successful surgical or transcatheter intervention improved 2-year survival in patients at low and, to a lower extent, intermediate TRI-SCORE, while no benefit was observed in the high TRI-SCORE category.

Comparison of transcatheter leaflet-approximation and direct annuloplasty in tricuspid regurgitation.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter repair emerges as a treatment option in patients with tricuspid regurgitation (TR) and high surgical risk. AIMS: This study aimed to compare leaflet-based and annuloplasty-based transcatheter repair in patients with TR. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis consecutive patients undergoing either transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) or direct annuloplasty (AP) for relevant TR at 2 centers were compared with respect to baseline characteristics, procedural efficacy and safety (death, myocardial infarction, procedure or device-related cardiothoracic surgery, or stroke at 30 days). RESULTS: 161 patients (57% female, median age 79 [75-82] years) with comparable clinical baseline characteristics in the TEER (n = 87) and AP (n = 74) group were examined. Baseline TR grade was significantly less severe in the TEER compared to the AP group (torrential 9.2 vs. 31.1%, p = 0.001). Technical success and improvement of TR grades were not significantly different across groups. In analysis matched for baseline TR severity, reduction of TR grade to less than moderate was significantly more common in the AP group (47.8 vs. 26.1%, p = 0.031). Major or more severe bleeding occurred in 9.2% of TEER and 20.3% of AP patients (p = 0.049) without any fatal bleedings. Major adverse events (MAE) were similar across groups with four patients (4.7%) in the TEER group and five patients (6.9%) in the AP group (p = 0.733) and 6-month survival did not differ significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Differences observed between patients treated with TEER and AP provide first evidence for tailoring distinct transcatheter treatment techniques to individual patient characteristics.

Functional interaction of aortic valve and ascending aorta in patients after valve-sparing procedures.

Pressure recovery (PR) is essential part of the post stenotic fluid mechanics and depends on the ratio of EOA/AA, the effective aortic valve orifice area (EOA) and aortic cross-sectional area (AA). In patients with advanced ascending aortic aneurysm and mildly diseased aortic valves, the effect of AA on pressure recovery and corresponding functional aortic valve opening area (ELCO) was evaluated before and after valve-sparing surgery (Dacron graft implantation). 66 Patients with ascending aortic aneurysm (mean aortic diameter 57 +/- 10 mm) and aortic valve-sparing surgery (32 reimplantation technique (David), 34 remodeling technique (Yacoub)) were routinely investigated by Doppler echocardiography. Dacron graft with a diameter between 26 and 34 mm were implanted. EOA was significantly declined after surgery (3.4 +/- 0.8 vs. 2.6 +/- 0.9cm2; p < 0.001). Insertion of Dacron prosthesis resulted in a significant reduction of AA (26.7 +/- 10.2 vs. 6.8 +/- 1.1cm2; p < 0.001) with increased ratio of EOA/AA (0.14 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.40 +/- 0.1; p < 0.001) and pressure recovery index (PRI; 0.24 +/- 0.08 vs. 0.44 +/- 0.06; p < 0.0001). Despite reduction of EOA, ELCO (= EOA corrected for PR) increased from 4.0 +/- 1.1 to 5.0 +/- 3.1cm2 (p < 0.01) with reduction in transvalvular LV stroke work (1005 +/- 814 to 351 +/- 407 mmHg × ml, p < 0.001) after surgery. These effects were significantly better in patients with Yacoub technique than with the David operation. The hemodynamic findings demonstrate a valve-vessel interaction almost entirely caused by a marked reduction in the ascending AA with significant PR gain. The greater hemodynamic benefit of the Yacoub technique due to higher EOA values compared to the David technique was evident and may be of clinical relevance.

Characterization of Screen Failures Among Patients Evaluated for Transcatheter Tricuspid Valve Repair (TriSelect-Study).

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter tricuspid valve repair (TTVr) has significantly expanded treatment options for tricuspid regurgitation (TR). However, a sizeable proportion of patients are still declined for TTVr and little is known about their clinical characteristics and cardiac morphology. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize patients who screen fail for TTVr with respect to their clinical characteristics and cardiac morphology. METHODS: A total of 547 patients were evaluated for TTVr between January 2016 to December 2021 from 3 centers in the United States and Germany. Clinical records and echocardiographic studies were used to assess medical history and right ventricular (RV) and tricuspid valve (TV) characteristics. RESULTS: Median age was 80 (IQR: 74-83) years and 60.0% were female. Over half (58.1%) were accepted for TTVr. Of those who were deemed unsuitable for TTVr (41.9%), the most common exclusion reasons were anatomical criteria (56.8%). In the regression analysis, RV and right atrial size, TV coaptation gap, and tethering area were identified as independent screen failure predictors. Other rejection reasons included clinical futility (17.9%), low symptom burden (12.7%), and technical limitations (12.7%). Most of the excluded patients (71.6%) were managed conservatively with medical therapy, while a small number either proceeded to TV surgery (22.3%) or subsequently became eligible for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement in later available clinical trials in the United States (6.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of TTVr screen failure patients are excluded due to TV, right atrial, and RV enlargement. However, a significant proportion is excluded due to clinical futility. These identifiable anatomical and clinical characteristics emphasize the importance of earlier referral and intervention of TR and the need for continued innovation of Transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions.

Right coronary artery deformation and injury following tricuspid valve surgery.

Background: Due to its close anatomical proximity to the annular plane of the tricuspid valve (TV), the right coronary artery (RCA) is at risk of injury and distortion during surgical and interventional repair. Recently, reversible, non-flow limiting, purse-string like deformations of the RCA following percutaneous TV annuloplasty have been described. In contrast, there are only anecdotal reports on RCA deformation following conventional TV surgery. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing TV surgery in our hospital between 2009 and 2019 was performed including all patients who received a post-operative coronary angiography (POCA). Angiographic footage was reviewed for RCA affections. Results: A total of 1,383 patients underwent TV surgery (replacement and repair) for tricuspid regurgitation in our center. TV repair was performed in 1,248 (90.2%) patients and 135 (9.8%) patients underwent isolated TV surgery. Sixty-five patients (4.7%) underwent POCA within 48 h after surgery due to suspected myocardial ischemia, representing the final study population. Mean age was 70.3 ± 11.3 years, 56.3% were female. Mean EuroSCORE II was 9.8 ± 11.6%. Patients with the need for POCA due to suspected myocardial injury suffered from a higher mortality compared to event-free patients over the long-term follow up period (median 2.9 years) regardless of the observed coronary status. RCA affections were observed in 24 (36.9%) patients. A new RCA deformation without flow-impairment or vascular damage was found in 16 (24.6%) of the cases and was managed conservatively. There was no significantly worse outcome observed as compared to patients without RCA affections. Six (9.2%) patients showed an RCA deformation accompanied by subtotal occlusion. A complete RCA-occlusion was observed in 2 (3.1%) patients. Revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention could be successfully performed in these patients. RCA deformation occurred exclusively after TV repair while no cases were observed after TV replacement. Conclusion: Right coronary artery deformation without flow-limitation following surgical TV repair is a specific/typical phenomenon which might not impair patients' outcome and could be managed conservatively in most of the cases. RCA injury indicating further interventional therapy is a rare complication of TV surgery. However, the need for immediate POCA in general appears to be associated with a worsened intermediate-term outcome.

Multi-parametric speckle tracking analyses to characterize cardiac amyloidosis: a comparative study of systolic left ventricular longitudinal myocardial mechanics.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CAM), the most common cardiac storage disease is associated with significant changes in left-ventricular (LV) morphology and function. To gain particular insights into LV systolic longitudinal myocardial mechanics we investigated seven parameters derived by speckle-tracking-echocardiography (STE) in patients with confirmed CAM (n = 59). The results were compared with those of individuals with healthy heart (n = 150) and another primary myocardial disease with also thickened myocardium and severe diastolic and systolic LV-dysfunction (symptomatic LV-non-compaction-cardiomyopathy, LV-NC, n = 30). In addition to standard echocardiographical measures, the STE-derived data were evaluated and documented utilizing polar-diagrams to obtain overviews of longitudinal myocardial mechanics of the entire LV. Compared with healthy individuals, patients with CAM and LV-NC showed significantly reduced LV-ejection-fraction (EF), global longitudinal systolic peak-strain, strain-rate, and displacement. Pre-systolic stretch-index, post-systolic index, and the EF/global peak-longitudinal-strain-ratio (EF/S) were increased. In contrast to healthy-hearts and the LV-NC group only patients with CAM demonstrated significantly reduced time-to-peak systolic longitudinal strain and time-to-peak strain-rate. Although the level of the segmental values in longitudinal mechanics was significantly different between the groups, comparable intraventricular baso-apical parameter-gradients were found for systolic longitudinal peak-strain and strain-rate, pre-systolic-stretch-index, post-systolic-index, and peak systolic displacement. Compared to ATTR-amyloidosis (ATTR-CAM), patients with AL-amyloidosis (AL-CAM) demonstrated significantly lower end-diastolic and end-systolic LV-volumes, LV-mass-indices, relative apical strain, time-to-peak systolic longitudinal strain, and time-to-peak longitudinal strain-rate. CAM and LV-NC demonstrated altered myocardial mechanics with significantly different STE-derived echocardiographical parameters. ATTR-amyloidosis and AL-amyloidosis had at least significantly different time-to-peak strain, time-to-peak strain-rate and relative apical sparing values.

High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I after coronary artery bypass grafting for post-operative decision-making.

AIMS: Current troponin cut-offs suggested for the post-operative workup of patients following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are based on studies using non-high-sensitive troponin assays or are arbitrarily chosen. We aimed to identify an optimal cut-off and timing for a proprietary high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) assay to facilitate post-operative clinical decision-making. METHODS AND RESULTS: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing elective isolated CABG at our centre between January 2013 and May 2019. Of 4684 consecutive patients, 161 patients (3.48%) underwent invasive coronary angiography after surgery, of whom 86 patients (53.4%) underwent repeat revascularization. We found an optimal cut-off value for peak hs-cTnI of >13 000 ng/L [>500× the upper reference limit (URL)] to be significantly associated with repeat revascularization within 48 h after surgery, which was internally validated through random repeated sampling with 1000 iterations. The same cut-off also predicted 30-day major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality after a median follow-up of 3.1 years, which was validated in an external cohort. A decision tree analysis of serial hs-cTnI measurements showed no added benefit of hs-cTnI measurements in patients with electrocardiographic or echocardiographic abnormalities or haemodynamic instability. Likewise, early post-operative hs-cTnI elevations had a low yield for clinical decision-making and only later elevations (at 12-16 h post-operatively) using a threshold of 8000 ng/L (307× URL) were significantly associated with repeat revascularization with an area under the curve of 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.88-0.95). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that for hs-cTnI, higher cut-offs than currently recommended should be used in the post-operative management of patients following CABG.

Human Coxsackie- and adenovirus receptor is a putative target of neutrophil elastase-mediated shedding.

BACKGROUND: During viral-induced myocarditis, immune cells migrate towards the site of infection and secrete proteases, which in turn can act as sheddases by cleaving extracellular domains of transmembrane proteins. We were interested in the shedding of the Coxsackie- and adenovirus receptor (CAR) that acts as an entry receptor for both eponymous viruses, which cause myocarditis. CAR shedding by secreted immune proteases could result in a favourable outcome of myocarditis as CAR's extracellular domain would be removed from the cardiomyocytes' surface leading to decreased susceptibility to ongoing viral infections. METHODS AND RESULTS: In this work, matrix metalloproteinases and serine proteinases were screened for their proteolytic activity towards human CAR. Whereas matrix metalloproteinases, proteinase 3, and cathepsin G did not cleave human recombinant CAR or only within long incubation times, neutrophil elastase showed a distinct cleavage pattern of CAR's extracellular domain that was time- and dose-dependent. Neutrophil elastase cleaves CAR at its membrane-proximal immunoglobulin domain as we determined by nanoLC-MS/MS. Furthermore, neutrophil elastase treatment of cells reduced CAR surface levels as seen by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: With this study, we show that CAR might be a target for shedding by neutrophil elastase.

Left ventricular unloading during extracorporeal life support for myocardial infarction with cardiogenic shock: surgical venting versus Impella device.

OBJECTIVES: Patients in cardiogenic shock supported with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) may experience severe complications from reduced left ventricular (LV) unloading and increased cardiac afterload. These effects are usually modified by adding a percutaneous direct Impella vent or surgical LV vent on top of VA-ECMO in selected patients. However, direct comparisons between 2 LV unloading strategies in patients with cardiogenic shock due to myocardial infarction are lacking. Therefore, we sought to investigate the impact of these 2 different approaches. METHODS: We enrolled 112 patients treated with an Impella or surgical LV vent during VA-ECMO support between January 2014 and February 2020. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality. Secondary endpoints included rates of myocardial recovery or transition to durable mechanical circulatory support. Additionally, we assessed adverse events such as peripheral ischaemic complications requiring intervention, sepsis and ischaemic stroke. RESULTS: At 30 days, 38 patients in the Impella group (54%) and 26 patients in the surgical LV vent group (63%) had died (relative risk with Impella 0.78, 95% confidence interval 0.47-1.30; P = 0.35). Impella group and the surgical LV vent group differed significantly with respect to the secondary end points including rates of myocardial recovery (24% and 7%, respectively; P = 0.022) and rates of durable mechanical circulatory support (17% and 42%, P = 0.012). Complication rates were not statistically different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of Impella device as therapeutic unloading therapy during VA-ECMO did not significantly reduce 30-day mortality compared to surgical LV vent in patients with cardiogenic shock due to acute myocardial infarction.

Prognosis and Clinical Results after Coronary Artery Bypass Operation in Young Patients Aged <45 Years: Chances and Limitations of a New Therapy Option.

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the recommended type of revascularization procedure in patients with left main or three-vessel disease and is considered an alternative when percutaneous coronary intervention is not feasible. We evaluated registry data to obtain long-term outcome data.All patients ≤45 years in whom CABG was performed between 2009 and 2019 were selected from the Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, Germany. Cox regression analysis was applied to estimate the incidence risk of events after surgery.A total of 209 patients (81.8% male) were included. Mean (standard deviation) follow-up duration was 5.8 (3.1) years. The combined outcome of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or repeated revascularization occurred in 31 patients (14.8%). Estimated mean time to event was 8.5 (standard error: 0.22) years. By the end of the follow-up period, 8 patients (3.8%) had died, among whom 2 (1.0%) died within 1 month after surgery, 1 (0.5%) within 1 year, 1 (0.5%) within 2 years, and 4 (1.9%) after 2 years.Risk factors independently associated with postsurgery events were angina pectoris CCS (Canadian Cardiovascular Society) class IV (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 4.954; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.322-18.563; p = 0.018) and STS (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) score (adjusted HR: 1.152 per scoring point; 95% CI: 1.040-1.276; p = 0.007).After performing CABG in patients ≤45 years, event-free long-term outcomes were observed in the majority of patients. Presence of angina pectoris CCS class IV and higher STS scores were independently associated with adverse postsurgery events.

Stamp2 Protects From Maladaptive Structural Remodeling and Systolic Dysfunction in Post-Ischemic Hearts by Attenuating Neutrophil Activation.

The six-transmembrane protein of prostate 2 (Stamp2) acts as an anti-inflammatory protein in macrophages by protecting from overt inflammatory signaling and Stamp2 deficiency accelerates atherosclerosis in mice. Herein, we describe an unexpected role of Stamp2 in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) and characterize Stamp2's protective effects in myocardial ischemic injury. In a murine model of ischemia and reperfusion (I/R), echocardiography and histological analyses revealed a pronounced impairment of cardiac function in hearts of Stamp2-deficient- (Stamp2-/- ) mice as compared to wild-type (WT) animals. This difference was driven by aggravated cardiac fibrosis, as augmented fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation was observed which was mediated by activation of the redox-sensitive p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK). Furthermore, we observed increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Stamp2-/- hearts after I/R, which is the likely cause for p38 MAPK activation. Although myocardial macrophage numbers were not affected by Stamp2 deficiency after I/R, augmented myocardial infiltration by polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) was observed, which coincided with enhanced myeloperoxidase (MPO) plasma levels. Primary PMN isolated from Stamp2-/- animals exhibited a proinflammatory phenotype characterized by enhanced nuclear factor (NF)-κB activity and MPO secretion. To prove the critical role of PMN for the observed phenotype after I/R, antibody-mediated PMN depletion was performed in Stamp2-/- mice which reduced deterioration of LV function and adverse structural remodeling to WT levels. These data indicate a novel role of Stamp2 as an anti-inflammatory regulator of PMN and fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transdifferentiation in myocardial I/R injury.

Nitro-Oleic Acid (NO2-OA) Improves Systolic Function in Dilated Cardiomyopathy by Attenuating Myocardial Fibrosis.

Nitro-oleic acid (NO2-OA), a nitric oxide (NO)- and nitrite (NO2-)-derived electrophilic fatty acid metabolite, displays anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic signaling actions and therapeutic benefit in murine models of ischemia-reperfusion, atrial fibrillation, and pulmonary hypertension. Muscle LIM protein-deficient mice (Mlp-/-) develop dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), characterized by impaired left ventricular function and increased ventricular fibrosis at the age of 8 weeks. This study investigated the effects of NO2-OA on cardiac function in Mlp-/- mice both in vivo and in vitro. Mlp-/- mice were treated with NO2-OA or vehicle for 4 weeks via subcutaneous osmotic minipumps. Wildtype (WT) littermates treated with vehicle served as controls. Mlp-/- mice exhibited enhanced TGFß signalling, fibrosis and severely reduced left ventricular systolic function. NO2-OA treatment attenuated interstitial myocardial fibrosis and substantially improved left ventricular systolic function in Mlp-/- mice. In vitro studies of TGFß-stimulated primary cardiac fibroblasts further revealed that the anti-fibrotic effects of NO2-OA rely on its capability to attenuate fibroblast to myofibroblast transdifferentiation by inhibiting phosphorylation of TGFß downstream targets. In conclusion, we demonstrate a substantial therapeutic benefit of NO2-OA in a murine model of DCM, mediated by interfering with endogenously activated TGFß signaling.

Prevalence of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Patients with Primary Mitral Regurgitation Undergoing Mitral Valve Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a frequent comorbidity in cardiac disease patients. Nevertheless, the prevalence and relationship between SDB and severe primary mitral regurgitation (PMR) has not been well investigated to date. METHODS: A cohort of 121 patients with significant PMR undergoing mitral valve surgery were prospectively enrolled and received a cardiorespiratory single night polygraphy screening using ApneaLink before surgery. Eighty-two of them underwent a follow-up examination including a follow-up single-night sleep study 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 65.3 ± 12.0 years. Sixty patients (49.6%) were female. The mean EuroSCORE II was 2.5 ± 2.4%. Initially, 91 (75.2%) patients presented with SDB, among whom 50.4% (46 patients, 38.0% of total cohort) were classified as moderate to severe. These patients tended to require significantly longer postoperative intensive care and mechanical ventilation. Among the 82 patients who completed follow-up exams, mitral valve surgery led to a significant reduction in relevant SDB (20.7%). The apnea-hypopnea index (from 11/h [4;18] to 4/h [3;14] (p = 0.04)), the oxygenation-desaturation index (from 8/h [3;18] to 5/h [3;12] (p = 0.008)) as well as the saturation time below 90% (from 32 min [13;86] to 18 min [5;36] (p = 0.005)), were all shown to be improved significantly. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of SDB is very high in patients with severe primary mitral regurgitation and may contribute to postoperative complications and prolonged intensive care. A significantly reduced but still high prevalence of SDB was observed 3 months after mitral valve surgery, highlighting the bidirectional relationship between SDB and heart failure.

Interatrial Thrombus in Left-Atrial Septal Pouch Prohibiting Transseptal Puncture for Percutaneous Mitral Valve Therapy.

An 82-year-old female patient with severe mitral regurgitation was referred for evaluation of percutaneous mitral valve repair. Transoesophageal echocardiography revealed a left-atrial septal pouch (LASP) with an echogenic structure. Following the heart-team decision, interventional therapy was therefore discarded. During surgery, a thrombus in the LASP was found and carefully resected. Afterward, conventional valve replacement with a biological 31-mm SJM-EPIC prosthesis (Abbott Structural Heart Devices, Santa Clara, CA) was performed. In the fast-evolving field of interventional mitral valve therapy, a trans-septal approach is the common strategy. Therefore, careful evaluation of the interatrial septum-which may contain thrombi with transoesophageal echocardiography before intervention-is of crucial importance.

Une patiente de 82 ans atteinte d'insuffisance mitrale grave a été orientée vers notre équipe pour évaluer la possibilité d'une réparation mitrale par voie percutanée. L'échocardiographie transœsophagienne a révélé une poche septale atriale gauche (PSAG) échogène. L'équipe de cardiologie a décidé d'écarter la possibilité d'un traitement interventionnel. Au cours de la chirurgie, un thrombus a été détecté dans la PSAG et soigneusement retiré. Par la suite, la valve a été remplacée de la manière classique par une bioprothèse SJM-EPIC de 31 mm (Abbott Structural Heart Devices, Santa Clara, CA). Dans le domaine en constante évolution du traitement interventionnel des troubles mitraux, l'approche trans-septale est la plus courante. Par conséquent, une évaluation rigoureuse du septum interauriculaire ­ où pourrait se trouver un thrombus ­ par échocardiographie transœsophagienne avant l'intervention est d'une importance capitale.

Myocardial adaptation as assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography after isolated mitral valve surgery for primary mitral regurgitation.

The risk of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) maladaptation after surgery for isolated primary mitral regurgitation (PMR) is poorly defined. We aimed to evaluate LV and RV contractile function using speckle-tracking analysis alongside with quantification of exercise tolerance in patients with PMR after mitral valve surgery. All consecutive patients with symptomatic PMR undergoing mitral valve surgery between July 2015 and May 2017 were prospectively enrolled. Sequential echocardiographic studies along with clinical assessment were performed before and three months after surgery. Mean age in 138 patients was 65.8 ± 12.7 years, 48.2% (66) of whom were female. Mean LV ejection fraction decreased from 57 ± 12% to 50 ± 11% (p < 0.001), LV global longitudinal strain deteriorated from -19.2 ± 4.1% to -15.7 ± 3.8% (p < 0.001), and mechanical strain dispersion increased from 88 ± 12 to 117 ± 115 ms (p = 0.004). There was a reduction in tricuspid annulus plane systolic excursion from 22 ± 5 mm to 18 ± 4 mm (p < 0.001), as well as a slight deterioration of RV free wall mean longitudinal strain from -16.9 ± 5.6% to -15.7 ± 4.1% (p = 0.05). The rate of moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation significantly decreased (p < 0.005). Regarding exercise tolerance, the New York Heart Association class improved (p < 0.001) and the walking distance increased (p < 0.001). During mid-term follow up after surgery for PMR, a deterioration of LV and RV contractile function measures could be observed. However, the clinical status, LV dimensions, and concomitant tricuspid regurgitation improved which in particular imply more effective RV contractile pattern.

Impact of device landing zone calcification patterns on paravalvular regurgitation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement with different next-generation devices.

OBJECTIVE: Residual paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) has been associated to adverse outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This study sought to evaluate the impact of device landing zone (DLZ) calcification on residual PVR after TAVR with different next-generation transcatheter heart valves. METHODS: 642 patients underwent TAVR with a SAPIEN 3 (S3; n=292), ACURATE neo (NEO; n=166), Evolut R (ER; n=132) or Lotus (n=52). Extent, location and asymmetry of DLZ calcification were assessed from contrast-enhanced CT imaging and correlated to PVR at discharge. RESULTS: PVR was ≥moderate in 0.7% of S3 patients, 9.6% of NEO patients, 9.8% of ER patients and 0% of Lotus patients (p<0.001), and these differences remained after matching for total DLZ calcium volume. The amount of DLZ calcium was significantly related to the degree of PVR in patients treated with S3 (p=0.045), NEO (p=0.004) and ER (p<0.001), but not in Lotus patients (p=0.698). The incidence of PVR ≥moderate increased significantly over the tertiles of DLZ calcium volume (p=0.046). On multivariable analysis, calcification of the aortic valve cusps, LVOT calcification and the use of self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) prostheses emerged as predictors of PVR. CONCLUSIONS: The susceptibility to PVR depending on the amount of calcium was mainly observed in self-expanding TAVI prostheses. Thus, DLZ calcification is an important factor to be considered in prosthesis selection for each individual patient, keeping in mind the trade-off between PVR reduction, risk of new pacemaker implantation and unfavourable valve ha emodynamics.

Naturally occurring variants in the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of the human Coxsackie- and adenovirus receptor have no impact on virus internalisation.

The Coxsackie- and adenovirus receptor (CAR) mediates homophilic cell-cell contacts and susceptibility to both human pathogenic viruses through its membrane-distal immunoglobulin domain. In the present study, we screened five missense variants of the human CAR gene for their influence on adenovector or Coxsackievirus entry into Chinese hamster ovary cells. The CAR variants facilitated virus internalisation to a similar extent as wild type CAR. This underlines CAR's presumed invariance and essential physiological role in embryogenesis.

Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients With Pre-Existing Mechanical Mitral Valve Prostheses.

OBJECTIVES: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has become standard therapy for aortic stenosis patients with intermediate or high operative risk. Treatment of patients with pre-existing mechanical mitral valve replacement (MVR) is challenging due to possible interference between the TAVI prosthesis and MVR. We present our single-center experience with this special patient cohort. METHODS: A total of 1960 patients underwent TAVI at our institution between 2009 and March 2018; of these, 16 patients had pre-existing mechanical MVR. Device success and adverse events were analyzed according to the Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 criteria. Patients were followed for at least 12 months. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 81.5 ± 4.4 years. The patients had a mean logistic EuroScore of 37.1 ± 13.5% and STS score of 7.1 ± 3.2%. Successful valve deployment was achieved in all patients, peri-interventional stroke rate was 0.0%, and permanent pacemaker was implanted in 2 patients (12.5%). Two patients experienced major complications, with blockage of the MVR disc in 1 patient and annulus rupture in 1 patient. Hence, 30-day mortality was 12.5% and 1-year mortality was 25.0%. CONCLUSION: TAVI in patients with mechanical MVR is challenging and requires careful preparation and choice of TAVI device. Repositionable and retrievable devices seem to be a safer option.