Biomarker release after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients without established myocardial infarction as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance with late gadolinium enhancement.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the amount and pattern of cardiac biomarker release after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients without evidence of a new myocardial infarction (MI) after the procedure as assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). BACKGROUND: The release of myocardial necrosis biomarkers after PCI frequently occurs. However, the correlation between biomarker release and the diagnosis of procedure-related MI type 4a has been controversial. METHODS: Patients with normal baseline cardiac biomarkers who were referred for elective PCI were prospectively included. CMR with LGE was performed in all of the patients before and after the intervention. Measurements of troponin I (TnI) and creatine kinase MB fraction (CK-MB) were systematically performed before and after the procedure. Patients with a new LGE on the post-procedure CMR were excluded. RESULTS: Of the 56 patients with no evidence of a procedure-related MI as assessed by CMR after the PCI, 48 (85.1%) exhibited an elevation of TnI above the 99th percentile. In 32 patients (57.1%), the peak was greater than five times this limit. Additionally, 17 patients (30.4%) had a CK-MB peak above the 99th percentile limit, but this peak was greater than five times the 99th percentile in only two patients (3.6%). The median peak release of TnI was 0.290 (0.061-1.09) ng/mL, which was 7.25-fold higher than the 99th percentile. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to CK-MB, an abnormal release of TnI often occurs after an elective PCI procedure, despite the absence of a new LGE on CMR.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus and myocardial ischemic preconditioning in symptomatic coronary artery disease patients.

BACKGROUND: The influence of diabetes mellitus on myocardial ischemic preconditioning is not clearly defined. Experimental studies are conflicting and human studies are scarce and inconclusive. OBJECTIVES: Identify whether diabetes mellitus intervenes on ischemic preconditioning in symptomatic coronary artery disease patients. METHODS: Symptomatic multivessel coronary artery disease patients with preserved systolic ventricular function and a positive exercise test underwent two sequential exercise tests to demonstrate ischemic preconditioning. Ischemic parameters were compared among patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Ischemic preconditioning was considered present when the time to 1.0 mm ST deviation and rate pressure-product were greater in the second of 2 exercise tests. Sequential exercise tests were analyzed by 2 independent cardiologists. RESULTS: Of the 2,140 consecutive coronary artery disease patients screened, 361 met inclusion criteria, and 174 patients (64.2 ± 7.6 years) completed the study protocol. Of these, 86 had the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Among diabetic patients, 62 (72 %) manifested an improvement in ischemic parameters consistent with ischemic preconditioning, whereas among nondiabetic patients, 60 (68 %) manifested ischemic preconditioning (p = 0.62). The analysis of patients who demonstrated ischemic preconditioning showed similar improvement in the time to 1.0 mm ST deviation between diabetic and nondiabetic groups (79.4 ± 47.6 vs 65.5 ± 36.4 s, respectively, p = 0.12). Regarding rate pressure-product, the improvement was greater in diabetic compared to nondiabetic patients (3011 ± 2430 vs 2081 ± 2139 bpm x mmHg, respectively, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, diabetes mellitus was not associated with impairment in ischemic preconditioning in symptomatic coronary artery disease patients. Furthermore, diabetic patients experienced an improvement in this significant mechanism of myocardial protection.

Hypotheses, rationale, design, and methods for evaluation of ischemic preconditioning assessed by sequential exercise tests in diabetic and non-diabetic patients with stable coronary artery disease--a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic preconditioning is a powerful mechanism of myocardial protection and in humans it can be evaluated by sequential exercise tests. Coronary Artery Disease in the presence of diabetes mellitus may be associated with worse outcomes. In addition, some studies have shown that diabetes interferes negatively with the development of ischemic preconditioning. However, it is still unknown whether diabetes may influence the expression of ischemic preconditioning in patients with stable multivessel coronary artery disease. METHODS/DESIGN: This study will include 140 diabetic and non-diabetic patients with chronic, stable coronary artery disease and preserved left ventricular systolic function. The patients will be submitted to two sequential exercise tests with 30-minutes interval between them. Ischemic parameters will be compared between diabetic and non-diabetic patients. Ischemic preconditioning will be considered present when time to 1.0 mm ST-segment deviation is greater in the second of two sequential exercise tests. Exercise tests will be analyzed by two independent cardiologists. DISCUSSION: Ischemic preconditioning was first demonstrated by Murry et al. in dog's hearts. Its work was reproduced by other authors, clearly demonstrating that brief periods of myocardial ischemia followed by reperfusion triggers cardioprotective mechanisms against subsequent and severe ischemia. On the other hand, the demonstration of ischemic preconditioning in humans requires the presence of clinical symptoms or physiological changes difficult to be measured. One methodology largely accepted are the sequential exercise tests, in which, the improvement in the time to 1.0 mm ST depression in the second of two sequential tests is considered manifestation of ischemic preconditioning.Diabetes is an important and independent determinant of clinical prognosis. It's a major risk factor for coronary artery disease. Furthermore, the association of diabetes with stable coronary artery disease imposes worse prognosis, irrespective of treatment strategy. It's still not clearly known the mechanisms responsible by these worse outcomes. Impairment in the mechanisms of ischemic preconditioning may be one major cause of this worse prognosis, but, in the clinical setting, this is not known. The present study aims to evaluate how diabetes mellitus interferes with ischemic preconditioning in patients with stable, multivessel coronary artery disease and preserved systolic ventricular function.

Five-year cardiovascular outcomes in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with imatinib, dasatinib, or nilotinib: A cohort study using data from a large multinational collaborative network.

Background: Breakpoint cluster region-Abelson gene (BCR-ABL) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have revolutionized the treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). However, concern has arisen about the cardiac safety profile of these drugs. Objectives: This study aims to compare long-term risks of adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (ACE), heart failure or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50%, and venous thromboembolic events (VTE) in patients with CML treated with BCR-ABL TKIs, using data from a large multinational network. Methods: Patients aged ≥ 18 years with CML treated with imatinib, dasatinib, or nilotinib without prior cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease were included. We used propensity score matching to balance the cohorts. The 5-year cumulative incidences and hazard ratios were calculated. Results: We identified 3,722 patients with CML under treatment with imatinib (n = 1,906), dasatinib (n = 1,269), and nilotinib (n = 547). Patients with imatinib compared to dasatinib showed a higher hazard ratio (HR) for ACE (HR 2,13, 95% CI 1.15-3.94, p = 0.016). Patients with imatinib presented a lower HR than nilotinib for ACE (HR 0.50, 95% CI 0.30-0.83, p = 0.0074). In relation to heart failure or LVEF < 50%, patients with imatinib had a higher HR than dasatinib (HR 9.41, 95% CI 1.22-72.17, p = 0.03), but no significant difference was observed between imatinib and nilotinib (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.215-1.01, p = 0.064). Conclusion: In this retrospective study with a large number of patients with CML, those treated with nilotinib had a higher 5-year ratio of ACE, while patients with dasatinib showed a lower ratio than patients with imatinib. The ratio of heart failure was higher in patients with imatinib than in patients with dasatinib, but not when compared to nilotinib.

Hypotheses, rationale, design, and methods for prognostic evaluation of cardiac biomarker elevation after percutaneous and surgical revascularization in the absence of manifest myocardial infarction. A comparative analysis of biomarkers and cardiac magnetic resonance. The MASS-V Trial.

BACKGROUND: Although the release of cardiac biomarkers after percutaneous (PCI) or surgical revascularization (CABG) is common, its prognostic significance is not known. Questions remain about the mechanisms and degree of correlation between the release, the volume of myocardial tissue loss, and the long-term significance. Delayed-enhancement of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) consistently quantifies areas of irreversible myocardial injury. To investigate the quantitative relationship between irreversible injury and cardiac biomarkers, we will evaluate the extent of irreversible injury in patients undergoing PCI and CABG and relate it to postprocedural modifications in cardiac biomarkers and long-term prognosis. METHODS/DESIGN: The study will include 150 patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) with left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) and a formal indication for CABG; 50 patients will undergo CABG with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB); 50 patients with the same arterial and ventricular condition indicated for myocardial revascularization will undergo CABG without CPB; and another 50 patients with CAD and preserved ventricular function will undergo PCI using stents. All patients will undergo CMR before and after surgery or PCI. We will also evaluate the release of cardiac markers of necrosis immediately before and after each procedure. Primary outcome considered is overall death in a 5-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes are levels of CK-MB isoenzyme and I-Troponin in association with presence of myocardial fibrosis and systolic left ventricle dysfunction assessed by CMR. DISCUSSION: The MASS-V Trial aims to establish reliable values for parameters of enzyme markers of myocardial necrosis in the absence of manifest myocardial infarction after mechanical interventions. The establishments of these indices have diagnostic value and clinical prognosis and therefore require relevant and different therapeutic measures. In daily practice, the inappropriate use of these necrosis markers has led to misdiagnosis and therefore wrong treatment. The appearance of a more sensitive tool such as CMR provides an unprecedented diagnostic accuracy of myocardial damage when correlated with necrosis enzyme markers. We aim to correlate laboratory data with imaging, thereby establishing more refined data on the presence or absence of irreversible myocardial injury after the procedure, either percutaneous or surgical, and this, with or without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Abnormal elevation of myocardial necrosis biomarkers after coronary artery bypass grafting without established myocardial infarction assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of peri-procedural myocardial infarction is complex, especially after the emergence of high-sensitivity markers of myocardial necrosis. METHODS: In this study, patients with normal baseline cardiac biomarkers and formal indication for elective on-pump coronary bypass surgery were evaluated. Electrocardiograms, cardiac biomarkers, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with late gadolinium enhancement were performed before and after procedures. Myocardial infarction was defined as more than ten times the upper reference limit of the 99th percentile for troponin I and for creatine kinase isoform (CK-MB) and by the findings of new late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance. We assessed the release of cardiac biomarkers in patients with no evidence of myocardial infarction on cardiac magnetic resonance. RESULTS: Of 75 patients referred for on-pump coronary bypass surgery, 54 (100%) did not have evidence of myocardial infarction on cardiac magnetic resonance. However, all had a peak troponin I above the 99th percentile; 52 (96%) had an elevation 10 times higher than the 99th percentile. Regarding CK-MB, 54 (100%) patients had a peak CK-MB above the 99th percentile limit, and only 13 (24%) had an elevation greater than 10 times the 99th percentile. The median value of troponin I peak was 3.15 (1.2 to 3.9) ng/mL, which represented 78.7 times the 99th percentile. CONCLUSION: In this study, different from CK-MB findings, troponin was significantly increased in the absence of myocardial infarction on cardiac magnetic resonance. Thus, CK-MB was more accurate than troponin I for excluding procedure-related myocardial infarction. These data suggest a higher troponin cutoff for the diagnosis of coronary bypass surgery related myocardial infarction. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN09454308 . Registered 08 May 2012.

Significant elevation of biomarkers of myocardial necrosis after coronary artery bypass grafting without myocardial infarction established assessed by cardiac magnetic resonance.

The release of myocardial necrosis biomarkers after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) frequently occurs. However, the correlation between biomarker release and the diagnosis of procedure-related myocardial infarction (MI) (type 5) has been controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the amount and pattern of cardiac biomarker release after elective OPCAB in patients without evidence of a new MI on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).Patients with normal baseline cardiac biomarkers referred for elective OPCAB were prospectively included. CMR with LGE was performed in all patients before and after interventions. Measurements of troponin I (cTnI) and creatine kinase MB fraction (CK-MB) were systematically performed before and after the procedure. Patients with new LGE on the postprocedure CMR were excluded.All of the 53 patients without CMR evidence of a procedure-related MI after OPCAB exhibited a cTnI elevation peak above the 99th percentile. In 48 (91%), the peak value was >10 times this threshold. However, 41 (77%) had a CK-MB peak above the limit of the 99th percentile, and this peak was >10 times the 99th percentile in only 7 patients (13%). The median peak release of cTnI was 0.290 (0.8-3.7) ng/mL, which is 50-fold higher than the 99th percentile.In contrast with CK-MB, considerable cTnI release often occurs after an elective OPCAB procedure, despite the absence of new LGE on CMR.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Prone Position

Abstract Mechanical ventilation in prone position is an alternative strategy for patients with acute respiratory discomfort syndrome (ARDS) to improve oxygenation in situations when traditional ventilation modalities have failed. However, due to the significant increase in ARDS cases during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the experimental therapeutic use of potentially arrhythmogenic drugs, cardiopulmonary resuscitation in this unusual position could be needed. Therefore, we will review the available scientific evidence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in prone position.

DD Genotype and Atherosclerosis in Overweight Menopausal Women

Abstract Background Sex-specific pathology of coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been recognized. Women with obstructive or nonobstructive CAD associated with traditional risk factors have similar events; no studies have explored both populations in association with genetic markers. Objective To evaluate the DD genotype in overweight menopausal women and its association with CAD and traditional risk factors. Method This cross-sectional study included 356 menopausal women who underwent coronary angiography as CAD assessment. The patients' DNA was extracted and polymorphisms were detected with a single polymerase chain reaction assay. Two groups were formed based on luminal lesions (normal [n = 134] or pathological [n = 222]) with a cutoff value > 30%, considering overweight and age. The chi-square test, Student's t-test, and multivariate logistic regression were performed as appropriate (p < 0.05) using the following variables: overweight, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking status, sedentary lifestyle, and a family history of CAD. Results The mean age of the sample was 63 + 8 years, and the mean BMI was 28 + 5 kg/m2. The DD genotype was slightly more prevalent in the pathological group (30.2% vs. 21.6%, p = 0.079), but this significantly changed when BMI > 25 was considered (33% vs. 18%, p = 0.012). In multivariate analysis with two threshold levels (> 50 and > 60 years), diabetes was significantly associated with CAD in both models (p = 0.021 vs. 0.009) but the genotype was only associated with younger age (p = 0.034). Conclusion These data support an association between atherosclerosis and the renin-angiotensin system in overweight menopausal women that is dependent on the age at which the ischemic event occurs.

Conservative strategy for treatment of stable coronary artery disease.

Patients with coronary artery disease vary widely in terms of prognosis, which is mainly dependent on ventricular function. In relation to the major outcomes of death and myocardial infarction, it is not clear in the literature if an invasive strategy of myocardial revascularization is superior to a conservative strategy of optimized medical therapy. Moreover, with the exception of patients with left main coronary disease, this similarity in prognosis also occurs in different subgroups of patients.

Recurrent angina caused by coronary subclavian steal syndrome confirmed by positron emission tomography.

Coronary subclavian steal syndrome is a rare cause of recurrent angina after coronary artery bypass grafting. Identification of the myocardial ischemic region is crucial because it guides revascularization interventions to improve symptoms and myocardial ischemia. Positron emission computed tomography (PET) with rubidium might be a helpful tool because it identifies ischemia, localizes more precisely the ischemic region, and evaluates coronary flow reserve. Here, we report a case of recurrence of angina after coronary artery bypass grafting caused by an obstruction in the left subclavian artery and consequently by coronary steal syndrome confirmed by PET.

A case of mid-apical obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treated with a transapical myectomy approach: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetic cardiac disease characterized by marked variability in morphological expression and natural history. The hypertrophic myocardium is often confined to the septum or lateral wall of the left ventricle, but it can also be encountered in the middle or apical segments of the myocardium. Treatment is based on medical therapy. Others therapies, such as embolization of the septal artery or ventriculomyectomy, are indicated in special situations. Surgery is the standard treatment, and it is classically done via a transaortic approach; however, in cases in which the hypertrophic myocardium is confined to mid-apical segments, a transapical approach is an option. Only a few cases of mid-apical obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treated with a myectomy using a transapical approach have been reported in the English-language literature. In this report, we present a case of a patient with mid-apical obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy treated using this new approach. CASE PRESENTATION: A 63-year-old Caucasian woman presented with a history of chest pain and shortness of breath causing significant limitations on her daily life activities. She had a history of coronary artery disease. Her physical examination was unremarkable. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed normal systolic function and significant concentric left ventricular hypertrophy that was greater in the mid-apical region. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging confirmed significant hypertrophy of the median segments of the left ventricle. The patient had persistent symptoms despite receiving optimized medical treatment, and a surgical approach was indicated. As a myectomy using transaortic technique was thought to be difficult to perform in her case, a transapical approach was used. No complications occurred, and her symptoms resolved. CONCLUSION: A transapical myectomy should be taken into consideration for patients with mid-apical obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that is refractory to medical treatment.

Síndome pós-parada cardíaca fisiopatologia e manejo terapêutico / Síndome cardiac arrest pathophysiology and therapeutic management

Desde o advento da reanimação cardiorrespiratória, há mais de 50 anos uma maior proporção de pacientes vítimas de uma parada cardiorrespiratória tem atingido o retorno da circulação espontânea. Todavia, a maioria dos sobreviventes morre nos primeiros dias de internação nas unidades de terapia intensiva. Esta situação não se alterou nas últimas décadas...