Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on ST-elevation myocardial infarction in a non-COVID-19 epicenter.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to study the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the presentation delay, severity, patterns of care, and reasons for delay among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a non-hot-spot region. BACKGROUND: COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced the activations for STEMI in epicenters like Spain. METHODS: From January 1, 2020, to April 15, 2020, 143 STEMIs were identified across our integrated 18-hospital system. Pre- and post-COVID-19 cohorts were based on March 23rd, 2020, whenstay-at-home orders were initiated in Ohio. We used presenting heart rate, blood pressure, troponin, new Q-wave, and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) to assess severity. Duration of intensive care unit stay, total length of stay, door-to-balloon (D2B) time, and radial versus femoral access were used to assess patterns of care. RESULTS: Post-COVID-19 presentation was associated with a lower admission LVEF (45 vs. 50%, p = .015), new Q-wave, and higher initial troponin; however, these did not reach statistical significance. Among post-COVID-19 patients, those with >12-hr delay in presentation 31(%) had a longer average D2B time (88 vs. 53 min, p = .033) and higher peak troponin (58 vs. 8.5 ng/ml, p = .03). Of these, 27% avoided the hospital due to fear of COVID-19, 18% believed symptoms were COVID-19 related, and 9% did not want to burden the hospital during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 has remarkably affected STEMI presentation and care. Patients' fear and confusion about symptoms are integral parts of this emerging public health crisis.

Impact of residual coronary atherosclerosis on transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: This study reports on the clinical effects of complete vs incompletely revascularized coronary artery disease on transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). BACKGROUND: There is a high prevalence of active coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients undergoing TAVR but preemptive revascularization remains controversial. METHODS: Patients were categorized into three cohorts: complete revascularization (CR), incomplete revascularization of a major epicardial artery (IR Major), and incomplete revascularization of a minor epicardial artery only (IR Minor). When feasible, SYNTAX scoring was performed for exploratory analysis. Analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: A total of 323 patients with active CAD were included. Adjusted outcomes showed that patients with IR Major had increased incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or revascularization compared with those in the CR cohort (HR 3.72, P = 0.048). No difference was noted in all-cause mortality or all-cause readmission rates. Exploratory secondary analysis with residual SYNTAX scores showed a significant interaction between disease burden and AMI/revascularization, as well as all-cause readmission. All-cause mortality remained unaffected based on residual SYNTAX scores. CONCLUSIONS: This is a retrospective single-center study reporting on pre-TAVR revascularization outcomes in patients with active CAD. In this analysis, we found that patients undergoing TAVR benefited from achieving complete revascularization to abate future incidence of AMI/revascularization. Despite this finding, all-cause mortality remained unaffected. Future efforts should focus on the role of functional assessment of the coronaries, as well as the long-term effects of complete revascularization in a larger patient cohort.

Safety of shorter length of hospital stay for patients undergoing minimalist transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the feasibility and predictors of early discharge after minimalist transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). BACKGROUND: Duration of hospitalization has a direct impact on overall cost of care, but the clinical impact of length of stay (LOS) in patients undergoing minimalist TAVR remains unclear. METHODS: We studied 268 patients who underwent minimalist TAVR. Short LOS (sLOS) was defined as post-procedural LOS ≤ 3 days and observed in 163 patients. Prolonged LOS (pLOS) was observed in 105 patients. Propensity score matching based on 39 variables yielded 54 pairs of patients in each group. We analyzed 30-day mortality, 30-day re-hospitalization and long-term survival data. Multivariate regression models were used to define predictors of sLOS. RESULTS: Thirty-day mortality was 0% versus 5.5% in the sLOS and pLOS groups, respectively (P = 0.08). Incidence of re-hospitalization was higher in pLOS (13% vs. 3.7%). sLOS was associated with lower odds ratio of minor vascular complication (OR 0.1 [95% CI: 0.01, 0.75], P = 0.05), any bleeding (OR 0.35 [95% CI: 0.14, 0.87], P = 0.02), blood transfusion (OR 0.27 [95% CI: 0.08, 0.81], P = 0.02), and new pacemaker implantation (OR 0.23 [95% CI: 0.1, 0.53], P < 0.001). Discharge to home had a significantly higher odd ratio for sLOS (OR 8.67 [95% CI: 3.59, 23.11], P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In appropriately selected patients, sLOS following minimalist TAVR approach in an experienced and high volume center is feasible and safe. Implementing such a strategy may reduce medical costs with the potential clinical benefit of early re-habilitation for the elderly TAVR population.

Genetic Characterization of Some Neoponera (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Populations Within the foetida Species Complex.

The foetida species complex comprises 13 Neotropical species in the ant genus Neoponera. Neoponera villosa Fabricius (1804) , Neoponera inversa Smith (1858), Neoponera bactronica Fernandes, Oliveira & Delabie (2013), and Neoponera curvinodis (Forel, 1899) have had an ambiguous taxonomic status for more than two decades. In southern Bahia, Brazil, these four species are frequently found in sympatry. Here we used Bayesian Inference and maximum likelihood analyses of COI and 16S mtDNA sequence data and conventional cytogenetic data together with observations on morphology to characterize sympatric populations of N. villosa, N. inversa, N. bactronica, and N. curvinodis. Our results showed marked differences in the karyotype of these ants. Both N. curvinodis and N. inversa have chromosome number of 2n = 30. Their chromosome composition, however, is distinct, which indicates that N. curvinodis is more closely related to N. bactronica. These four species clustered into three distinct groups. The close relationship between N. bactronica and N. curvinodis deserves further investigation since it has not been fully resolved here. Our results confirm that N. inversa, N. villosa, N. bactronica + N. curvinodis indeed represent four distinct taxa within the foetida species complex.

Evaluating the quality of implantation of percutaneous ventricular restoration device (Parachute®) by cardiac computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: The Parachute is a novel percutaneously implanted ventricular partitioning device (VPD) that has emerged as a safe and feasible treatment option for patients with heart failure following anterior wall myocardial infarction. VPD efficacy is likely dependent on optimal device placement, but to date there are no published data examining the effect of device positioning on patient outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively identified 32 patients successfully implanted with the Parachute device, all of whom underwent cardiac computed tomography (CCT) at baseline and after 6 months of follow-up. Patients were divided into two groups based on self-reported improvement in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class: "not improved NYHA" (n = 12) and "improved NYHA" (n = 20). There were significant differences between both groups with regard to device positioning on follow-up CCT. Compared to patients with "improved NYHA," patients with "not improved NYHA" had longer distances from device foot to left ventricular apex (8.0 ± 4.9 vs. 2.9 ± 4.6 mm; P = 0.01), and higher lateral angles (18.0 ± 14 vs. 9.1 ± 6.8 degrees; P = 0.02), respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups in landing zone (45.4 ± 7. vs. 45.1 ± 6.9 mm; P = 0.92) and inferior angle (14.0 ± 11.9 vs. 14.3 ± 10.1 degrees; P = 0.95). There was a numerically larger malapposition area in the "not improved NYHA" group (5.1 ± 4.5 vs. 3.2 ± 2.2 cm2; P = 0.12). CONCLUSION: Quality of Parachute implant impacted clinical outcome, these findings should be applied prospectively in helping operators to achieve optimal implant. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Altered Maturation Status and Possible Immune Exhaustion of CD8 T Lymphocytes in the Peripheral Blood of Patients Presenting With Acute Coronary Syndromes.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammation in response to oxidized lipoproteins is thought to play a key role in acute coronary syndromes (ACS), but the pattern of immune activation has not been fully characterized. We sought to perform detailed phenotypic and functional analysis of CD8 T lymphocytes from patients presenting with ACS to determine activation patterns and potential immunologic correlates of ACS. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We used polychromatic flow cytometry to analyze the cytokine production profiles of naïve, effector, and memory CD8 T cells in patients with ACS compared with control subjects with stable coronary artery disease. ACS was associated with an altered distribution of circulating CD8(+) T-cell maturation subsets with reduced proportions of naïve cells and expansion of effector memory cells. ACS was also accompanied by impaired interleukin-2 production by phenotypically naïve CD8 T cells. These results were validated in a second replication cohort. Naïve CD8 cells from patients with ACS also had increased expression of programmed cell death-1, which correlated with interleukin-2 hypoproduction. In vitro, stimulation of CD8 T cells with oxidized low-density lipoprotein was sufficient to cause programmed cell death-1 upregulation and diminished interleukin-2 production by naïve CD8 T cells. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory analysis, naïve CD8(+) T cells from patients with ACS show phenotypic and functional characteristics of immune exhaustion: impaired interleukin-2 production and programmed cell death-1 upregulation. Exposure to oxidized low-density lipoprotein recapitulates these features in vitro. These data provide evidence that oxidized low-density lipoprotein could play a role in immune exhaustion, and this immunophenotype may be a biomarker for ACS.

Cardiac computed tomography assessment of the near term impact of percutaneous ventricular restoration therapy (parachute(®) ) on mitral valve geometry.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of current study is to assess the near term impact of percutaneous ventricular restoration therapy (PVR), Parachute(®) on mitral valve (MV) geometry by cardiac computed tomography (CCT). BACKGROUND: Recent data demonstrates the feasibility of PVR for treatment of post anterior myocardial infarction (MI) heart failure. Little is known, however, about the interaction of the device and left ventricular structures, particularly the MV apparatus. METHODS: This is a retrospective Core Laboratory analysis of Parachute Trials' CCT data. Patients with paired (before and after Parachute implant) CCT acquisitions were included into analysis. MV geometric parameters were measured. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients were included in the analysis. The mean time of follow-up CCT post procedure was 188 ± 52 days. There were significant reduction in tenting height (A1P1: -1.70 ± 1.89 mm, -17.40 ± 20.20%; A2P2: -1.43 ± 1.89 mm, -12.10 ± 15.00%; A3P3: -1.54 ± 1.58 mm, -15.50 ± 15.20%, P < 0.001), tenting volume (-0.93 ± 0.60 mm3, -22.00 ± 11.40%, P < 0.001), systolic interpapillary muscle distance (-2.22 ± 2.11 mm, -7.51 ± 7.23%, P < 0.001) and diastolic interpapillary muscle distance (-3.14 ± 2.20 mm, -8.46 ± 5.73%, P < 0.001) post PVR. CONCLUSIONS: In post anterior MI heart failure patients, PVR has favorable near term impact on MV geometry as assessed by CCT. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Scaling up the ex vivo expansion of human circulating CD34(+)progenitor cells with upregulation of angiogenic and anti-inflammatory potential.

BACKGROUND AIMS: The therapeutic application of CD34+ circulating progenitor cells (which includes endothelial progenitor cells) has been hampered by the quantity and quality of isolated circulating CD34(+) cells from the patient's peripheral blood. Our group had previously established a suspension culture system for human CD34(+) cells, with increased quantity and quality (QQ) of the angiogenic cell product. We successfully scaled up the expansion process with the use of culture bags because there is the need to move toward a dynamic and fully controlled bioreactor system to meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards and attain clinically meaningful cell doses in a time- and cost-effective way. METHODS: CD34(+) cells isolated from mobilized peripheral blood of healthy donors were expanded ex vivo for 7 days in QQ medium (serum-free) in cell culture bags (30 mL) and pre- and post-expansion cells were characterized by means of flow cytometry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction; angiogenic potential was assessed by use of the in vitro tube formation assay. RESULTS: Our data show effective expansion of the cultured population (7-fold) while maintaining the stem/progenitor content and increasing the endothelial population. Moreover, post-expanded cells showed higher tube formation capacity compared with pre-expanded cells. In addition, an upregulation of the anti-inflammatory gene expression and a downregulation of pro-inflammatory genes were observed, which suggests that the increase in angiogenic potential is not paired with an increase in the inflammatory profile. CONCLUSIONS: The QQ expansion method was successfully scaled up to cell culture bags and was able to meet GMP standards, with a higher in vitro angiogenic profile.

Differences determined by optical coherence tomography volumetric analysis in non-culprit lesion morphology and inflammation in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and stable angina pectoris patients.

BACKGROUND: While the current methodology for determining fibrous cap (FC) thickness of lipid plaques is based on manual measurements of arbitrary points, which could lead to high variability and decreased accuracy, it ignores the three-dimensional (3-D) morphology of coronary artery disease. OBJECTIVE: To compare, utilizing optical coherence tomography (OCT) assessments, volumetric quantification of FC, and macrophage detection using both visual assessment and automated image processing algorithms in non-culprit lesions of STEMI and stable angina pectoris (SAP) patients. METHODS: Lipid plaques were selected from 67 consecutive patients (1 artery/patient). FC was manually delineated by a computer-aided method and automatically classified into three thickness categories: FC < 65 µm (i.e., thin-cap fibroatheroma [TCFA]), 65-150 µm, and >150 µm. Minimum thickness, absolute categorical surface area, and fractional luminal area of FC were analyzed. Automated detection and quantification of macrophage was performed within the segmented FC. RESULTS: A total of 5,503 cross-sections were analyzed. STEMI patients when compared with SAP patients had more absolute categorical surface area for TCFA (0.43 ± 0.45 mm(2) vs. 0.15 ± 0.25 mm(2) ; P = 0.011), thinner minimum FC thickness (31.63 ± 17.09 µm vs. 47.27 ± 26.56 µm, P = 0.012), greater fractional luminal area for TCFA (1.65 ± 1.56% vs. 0.74 ± 1.2%, P = 0.046), and greater macrophage index (0.0217 ± 0.0081% vs. 0.0153 ± 0.0045%, respectively, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The novel OCT-based 3-D quantification of the FC and macrophage demonstrated thinner FC thickness and larger areas of TCFA coupled with more inflammation in non-culprit sites of STEMI compared with SAP.

Comparison of scanning electron microscopy and optical coherence tomography for imaging of coronary bifurcation stents.

BACKGROUND: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a new intracoronary imaging modality that has excellent resolution and image quality and has been used to image neointimal coverage after stent implantation. OCT has been compared to histologic, intravascular ultrasound, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. However, OCT has not been compared with SEM for imaging stent coverage over side branches. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare OCT with SEM in imaging neointimal coverage over stent struts bridging coronary side-branch ostia. METHODS: Using a balloon-overstretch in-stent restenosis model, we deployed 38 everolimus-eluting stents across coronary bifurcations in nine pigs. We performed OCT immediately after stenting and 4 weeks later; SEM was performed after euthanizing the pigs. OCT images of each stent were compared to the corresponding SEM image. RESULTS: We analyzed OCT frames (n=111) for strut-level neointimal coverage and compared them to corresponding SEM images. The concordance correlation coefficient was 0.809 (95%CI; 0.734-0.864) and 0.951 (95%CI; 0.930-0.966) for covered and uncovered struts, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In a non-atherosclerotic pig model, we showed strong agreement between OCT and SEM in imaging coverage of stent struts bridging side-branch ostia.

Shared monocyte subset phenotypes in HIV-1 infection and in uninfected subjects with acute coronary syndrome.

The mechanisms responsible for increased cardiovascular risk associated with HIV-1 infection are incompletely defined. Using flow cytometry, in the present study, we examined activation phenotypes of monocyte subpopulations in patients with HIV-1 infection or acute coronary syndrome to find common cellular profiles. Nonclassic (CD14(+)CD16(++)) and intermediate (CD14(++)CD16(+)) monocytes are proportionally increased and express high levels of tissue factor and CD62P in HIV-1 infection. These proportions are related to viremia, T-cell activation, and plasma levels of IL-6. In vitro exposure of whole blood samples from uninfected control donors to lipopolysaccharide increased surface tissue factor expression on all monocyte subsets, but exposure to HIV-1 resulted in activation only of nonclassic monocytes. Remarkably, the profile of monocyte activation in uncontrolled HIV-1 disease mirrors that of acute coronary syndrome in uninfected persons. Therefore, drivers of immune activation and inflammation in HIV-1 disease may alter monocyte subpopulations and activation phenotype, contributing to a pro-atherothrombotic state that may drive cardiovascular risk in HIV-1 infection.

Diagnostic accuracy of intravascular ultrasound-derived minimal lumen area compared with fractional flow reserve--meta-analysis: pooled accuracy of IVUS luminal area versus FFR.

INTRODUCTION: Although intravascular ultrasound minimal luminal area (IVUS-MLA) is one of many anatomic determinants of lesion severity, it has been proposed as an alternative to fractional flow reserve (FFR) to assess severity of coronary artery disease. OBJECTIVE: Pool the diagnostic performance of IVUS-MLA and determine its overall accuracy to predict the functional significance of coronary disease using FFR (0.75 or 0.80) as the gold standard. METHODS: Studies comparing IVUS and FFR to establish the best MLA cutoff value that correlates with significant coronary stenosis were reviewed from a Medline search using the terms "fractional flow reserve" and "ultrasound." DerSimonian Laird method was applied to obtain pooled accuracy. RESULTS: Eleven clinical trials, including two left main (LM) trials (total N = 1,759 patients, 1,953 lesions) were included. The weighted overall mean MLA cutoff was 2.61 mm(2) in non-LM trials and 5.35 mm(2) in LM trials. For non-LM lesions, the pooled sensitivity of MLA was 0.79 (95% CI = 0.76-0.83) and specificity was 0.65 (95% CI = 0.62-0.67). Positive likelihood ratio (LR) was 2.26 (95% CI = 1.98-2.57) and LR- was 0.32 (95% CI = 0.24-0.44). Area under the summary receiver operator curve for all trials was 0.848. Pooled LM trials had better accuracy: sensitivity = 0.90, specificity = 0.90, LR+ = 8.79, and LR- = 0.120. CONCLUSION: Given its limited pooled accuracy, IVUS-MLA's impact on clinical decision in this scenario is low and may lead to misclassification in up to 20% of the lesions. Pooled analysis points toward lower MLA cutoffs than the ones used in current practice.

Optimal intravascular ultrasound criteria for defining the functional significance of intermediate coronary stenosis: an international multicenter study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the ideal cut-off value of minimal lumen area (MLA) by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and its diagnostic performance to predict ischemia, using a large-scale, pooled analysis. METHODS: Eleven centers worldwide were invited to provide their clinical, IVUS and fractional flow reserve (FFR) data. A total of 881 lesions were enrolled. RESULTS: Angiographic % diameter stenosis (r = -0.373, p < 0.0001) and IVUS MLA (r = 0.289, p < 0.0001) correlated with FFR. Best cut-off value (BCV) of IVUS MLA to define the functional significance (FFR <0.8) was 2.75 mm(2) (AUC 0.646, 95% CI 0.609-0.684). When the diagnostic performance of IVUS MLA was tested according to the lesion location, BCV could be found only in lesions in the proximal artery and the mid-left anterior descending artery. Interestingly, Asians (n = 623) and Westerners (n = 258) showed different demographic and lesion characteristics as well as different BCVs to define ischemia. The BCV for the proximal/mid-left anterior descending artery lesions was 2.75 mm(2) (AUC 0.688, 95% CI 0.635-0.742) in Asians and 3.0 mm(2) (AUC 0.695, 95% CI 0.605-0.786) in Westerners. CONCLUSION: In this pooled analysis, an IVUS MLA of 2.75 mm(2) was the BCV to define the functional significance of intermediate coronary stenosis. However, when IVUS MLA is used to determine the functional significance, both the lesion and patient characteristics should be considered.

Genetic Differentiation in the Stingless Bee, Scaptotrigona xanthotricha Moure, 1950 (Apidae, Meliponini): a Species with Wide Geographic Distribution in the Atlantic Rainforest.

Stingless bees are important pollinators that are severely threatened by anthropic interference, resulting in a strong population decline. Scaptotrigona xanthotricha has a wide distribution in the Atlantic Rainforest, ranging from the northeastern state of Bahia to Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. To understand the genetic structure of S. xanthotricha, 12 species-specific microsatellite loci were analyzed in 42 colonies sampled throughout the species range. The results indicated 5 distinct clusters throughout the sampled area with high rates of genetic diversity, and the greatest diversity was found in southern Bahia. Greater differentiation was observed between samples from the extremes of the distribution, with an F ST value of 0.189 between cluster 1 and 5. The genetic differentiation analysis for all loci had an F ST value of 0.113, a result that is consistent with the analysis of molecular variance, which revealed 7.72% of the variation occurring between groups. The Mantel correlation between a genetic differentiation matrix and a geographic distance matrix (r = 0.184, P = 0.043) indicated a tendency toward increased differentiation with increased distance. This study revealed the profile of differentiation and distribution of genetic diversity in this species and indicates parameters that should be considered in future taxonomic revisions and activities for its management and conservation.

Global medical education partnerships to expand specialty expertise: a case report on building neurology clinical and research capacity.

BACKGROUND: Neurological disorders are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan African, but resources for their management are scarce. Collaborations between training institutions in developed and resource-limited countries can be a successful model for supporting specialty medical education and increasing clinical and research capacity. CASE REPORT: This report describes a US National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) to enhance expertise in neurology, developed between Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Kampala, Uganda, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH, USA. This collaborative model is based on a successful medical education and research model that has been developed over the past two decades. The Ugandan and US teams have accumulated knowledge and 'lessons learned' that facilitate specialty expertise in neurological conditions, which are widespread and associated with substantial disability in resource-limited countries. Strengths of the model include a focus on community health care settings and a strong research component. Key elements include strong local leadership; use of remote technology, templates to standardize performance; shared exchanges; mechanisms to optimize sustainability and of dissemination activities that expand impact of the original initiative. Efficient collaborations are further enhanced by external and institutional support, and can be sequentially refined. CONCLUSION: Models such as the Makerere University College of Health Sciences - Case Western Reserve University partnership may help other groups initiate collaborative education programmes and establish successful partnerships that may provide the opportunity to expand to other chronic diseases. A benefit of collaboration is that learning is two-directional, and interaction with other international medical education collaborators is likely to be of benefit to the larger global health community.

The PARACHUTE IV trial design and rationale: percutaneous ventricular restoration using the parachute device in patients with ischemic heart failure and dilated left ventricles.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricle (LV) remodeling after anterior wall myocardial infarction leads to increased LV volumes, myocardial stress, and, ultimately, heart failure (HF). Patients have high morbidity and mortality risk, and treatment remains limited. Percutaneous ventricular restoration (PVR) therapy using the Parachute device, a fluoropolymer membrane stretched over a nitinol conical frame, is a novel approach to partition off the damaged myocardium. In the European and United States PARACHUTE feasibility trials, the observed rates of death or rehospitalization for HF were <17% at 12 months. These data compare favorably with historical data and support the need of a randomized trial to determine the clinical efficacy of PVR on outcomes for patients with ischemic HF. OBJECTIVE: To determine the safety and efficacy of PVR utilizing a LV partitioning device, Parachute, in a randomized clinical trial compared with optimal medical therapy. METHODS: This US pivotal trial is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01286116) and will randomly assign (1:1) 478 patients with New York Heart Association class III-IV ischemic HF, akinetic or dyskinetic LV wall abnormality, and ejection fraction between 15% and 35% to optimal medical therapy (control) versus Parachute device implantation in approximately 65 hospitals. The primary endpoint is death or rehospitalization for worsening HF. Sample size calculation assumes constant hazards and follow-up ≥12 months using an event-driven trial design. CONCLUSIONS: We reported the rational and design of the first multicenter randomized trial to test the efficacy of PVR using the Parachute device to treat patients with ischemic HF and dilated LV.

Frequency-domain optical coherence tomography assessment of very late vascular response after carotid stent implantation.

Intravascular optical coherence tomography is a high-resolution invasive imaging modality that allows the evaluation of vascular responses after stent implantation in a micron-scale level. We describe for the first time two patients with very late vascular response after carotid artery stenting that exhibit two different patterns of low-signal intensity (LSI), "ill-appearing" neointima: the first patient shows layered LSI neointima leading to stent restenosis, coupled with the presence of intraluminal thrombus, whereas the second patient demonstrates another pattern of non-restenotic LSI stent strut coverage, suggestive of lipid laden neointima (ie, "neoatherosclerosis"), recently associated with stent failure in coronary arteries.

Three-dimensional imaging of fibrous cap by frequency-domain optical coherence tomography.

Histopathological data correlated the presence of thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) with adverse cardiovascular events. Intravascular optical coherence tomography (iOCT) is currently the only imaging modality with sufficiently high axial resolution (∼15 µm) that allows direct fibrous-cap (FC) assessment in vivo. iOCT quantification of TCFA has been validated, but the assessment of a single cross-sectional image does not depict the complexity of the atherosclerotic plaque. We present two cases that illustrate the importance of three-dimensional volumetric quantification of the FC capitalizing on the properties of frequency-domain iOCT.

Frequency-domain optical coherence tomography assessment of unprotected left main coronary artery disease-a comparison with intravascular ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate safety and feasibility of imaging unprotected left main (ULM) using frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). BACKGROUND: IVUS has been used to assess and guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of ULM disease. FD-OCT offers 10-fold higher axial resolution than IVUS and its high-speed image acquisition obviates the need for proximal balloon occlusion. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 35 consecutive patients with ULM disease. FD-OCT and IVUS assessments were attempted pre- and post-PCI and compared in regards to safety, ability to image the region of interest (ROI), number of pullbacks, volume of contrast and ability to detect malapposition, dissection, and thrombus. RESULTS: Patients were followed for 1 year when FD-OCT imaging was repeated. FD-OCT required more repeated pullbacks to image the ROI compared to IVUS. Mean lumen and stent areas were similar between FD-OCT and IVUS (11.24 ± 2.66 vs. 10.85 ± 2.47 mm(2) , P = 0.13 and 10.44 ± 2.33 vs. 10.49 ± 2.32 mm(2) , P = 0.82, respectively), whereas imaged stent length was shorter with FD-OCT. Malapposition areas and volumes were larger and more edge dissections were detected by FD-OCT. There were no clinical adverse events and no complications associated with FD-OCT at baseline and 1-year follow-up. All dissections were healed, whereas stent malapposition was still detected at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: FD-OCT assessment of ULM is feasible and safe. Direct comparisons with IVUS reveal that FD-OCT achieved imaging completeness less often, whereas it was more sensitive in detecting malapposition and edge dissections, and similar to IVUS in the assessment of lumen and stent dimensions.

Impact of different stent alloys on human vascular response to everolimus-eluting stent: an optical coherence tomography study: the OCTEVEREST.

BACKGROUND: New generation drug-eluting stents (DES) incorporate thinner struts and novel alloys to improve clinical performance. Nevertheless, the impact of novel stent materials and designs on human vascular response to DES remains elusive. We sought to evaluate the in-vivo coronary artery response to platinum-chromium (PtCr) versus cobalt-chromium (CoCr) stents featuring the same durable polymer and antiproliferative drug by optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 42 patients with de novo lesions in native coronary vessels was treated with PtCr-everolimus eluting stent (EES; n = 21) or CoCr-EES (n = 21). Angiography, intravascular ultrasound, and OCT were performed at the index procedure and 6-month follow-up. PtCr-EES and CoCr-EES had similar concentric expansion (stent eccentricity index; median 0.91 vs. 0.90, respectively, P = 0.47) and very low rate of strut malapposition (median 1.15 vs. 1.80%, P = 0.92) at post implantation. Proportion of struts embedded in tissue was lower in PtCr-EES compared to CoCr-EES (median 2.67 vs. 15.23%, P < 0.001). The primary prespecified end point, the percentage of uncovered struts per patient at 6 months follow-up, was 8.46% [interquartile range (IQR) = 3.05-17.26] in PtCr-EES and 5.88% (IQR = 1.35-13.27) in CoCr-EES (P = 0.36), whereas malapposed struts were observed in 0.00% (IQR = 0.00-0.25) versus 0.48% (IQR = 0.00-1.44), respectively, (P = 0.10). Strut-level neointimal thickness did not differ between the two platforms (median 0.09 vs. 0.08 mm, P = 0.49). CONCLUSIONS: Acute and mid-term responses to EES using PtCr or CoCr platforms were similar, with concentric stent expansion, low malapposition, similar strut coverage and limited amount of neointima. Conversely, at postprocedure, PtCr-EES had fewer embedded struts compared with CoCr-EES.