Alterations in the gut mycobiome with coronary artery disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a prevalent cardiovascular condition, and numerous studies have linked gut bacterial imbalance to CAD. However, the relationship of gut fungi, another essential component of the intestinal microbiota, with CAD remains poorly understood. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed fecal samples from 132 participants, split into 31 healthy controls and 101 CAD patients, further categorized into stable CAD (38), unstable angina (41), and acute myocardial infarction (22) groups. We conducted internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and 16S sequencing to examine gut fungal and bacterial communities. FINDINGS: Based on ITS1 analyses, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the dominant fungal phyla in all the groups. The α diversity of gut mycobiome remained unaltered among the control group and CAD subgroups; however, the structure and composition of the mycobiota differed significantly with the progression of CAD. The abundances of 15 taxa gradually changed with the occurrence and progression of the disease and were significantly correlated with major CAD risk factor indicators. The mycobiome changes were closely linked to gut microbiome dysbiosis in patients with CAD. Furthermore, disease classifiers based on gut fungi effectively identified subgroups with different degrees of CAD. Finally, the FUNGuild analysis further categorized these fungi into distinct ecological guilds. INTERPRETATION: In conclusion, the structure and composition of the gut fungal community differed from healthy controls to various subtypes of CAD, revealing key fungi taxa alterations linked to the onset and progression of CAD. Our study highlights the potential role of gut fungi in CAD and may facilitate the development of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CAD. FUNDING: This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82170302, 92168117, 82370432), National clinical key specialty construction project- Cardiovascular Surgery, the Reform and Development Program of Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine (No. Ggyfz202417, Ggyfz202308), the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 7222068); and the Clinical Research Incubation Program of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University (No. CYFH202209).

An examination of causal associations and shared risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in the East Asian population: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: One of the major contributors to disability and mortality among diabetics is cardiovascular disease (CVD), with coronary artery disease (CAD) as the most prevalent type. However, previous studies have provided controversial evidence linking diabetes to other types of CVDs, such as atrial fibrillation (AF). In addition, the risk factors that predispose people to the risk of diabetes and its complications differ across ethnicities, but the disease risk profiles in the East Asian population have been less investigated. Methods: The causal association between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and two types of CVDs (i.e., AF and CAD) in the East Asian population was first studied using Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Next, we examined the causal effect of 49 traits on T2D and CAD to identify their separate and shared risk factors in East Asians. A causal mediation analysis was performed to examine the role of T2D in mediating the relationship between the identified shared risk factors and CAD. Results: T2D was causally associated with CAD, but not AF, in East Asians. A screening of the risk factors indicated that six and 11 traits were causally associated with T2D and CAD, respectively, with suggestive levels of evidence. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was the only trait associated with both T2D and CAD, as revealed by the univariable MR analyses. Moreover, the causal association between ALP and CAD no longer existed after adjusting T2D as a covariable in the causal mediation study. Conclusion: Our study highlights the risk profiles in the East Asian population, which is important in formulating targeted therapies for T2D and CVDs in East Asians.

Risk factor analysis of acute kidney injury after one-stop hybrid coronary revascularization.

BACKGROUND: One-stop hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) combines coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures simultaneously. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication after CABG or PCI. This study explored the risk factors for developing AKI after one-stop HCR. METHODS: A total of 123 consecutive patients who underwent one-stop HCR between April 2018 and November 2020 were included in this single-center retrospective study. Postoperative AKI was observed in 11 patients (the AKI group), and 112 patients did not develop postoperative AKI (the non-AKI group). Baseline characteristics and perioperative variables were extracted from the electronic medical records and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Postoperative AKI occurred in 11 (8.9%) patients. Compared to patients who did not develop AKI, patients in the AKI group were older (71.0±9.5 vs. 64.1±9.2 years, P=0.019), had higher preoperative creatinine levels (92.6±16.8 vs. 69.8±14.4 mmol/L, P<0.001), experienced a greater volume of postoperative drainage on the first day {850 mL [410, 1,500] vs. 500 mL [321, 700], P=0.045}, had a higher proportion of chronic renal insufficiency (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) (36.4% vs. 7.1%, P=0.012), and had more perioperative transfusions (63.6% vs. 22.3%, P=0.007). Multivariate logistics analyses revealed that advanced age [odds ratio (OR) 5.44, P=0.014] and perioperative transfusions (OR 4.62, P=0.028) were independent risk factors for developing AKI after one-stop HCR. CONCLUSIONS: One-stop HCR did not increase the incidence of postoperative AKI in our center. Advanced age (≥75 years) and perioperative transfusions were independent risk factors for developing AKI after one-stop HCR. Further studies need to be conducted to confirm the risk factors of AKI after HCR procedures.

Predictive value of graft patency and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) based on Fourier transform (FFT).

BACKGROUND: Transit time flow measurement (TTFM) is widely used in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); however, its predictive value is unclear. We aimed to identify new factors to evaluate graft quality using fast Fourier transform (FFT). METHODS: Intraoperative and postoperative 2-year follow-up data of 114 patients undergoing CABG from January 2017 to December 2018 were collected. The TTFM waveform was transformed by FFT. Mean graft flow (MGF), pulse index, the amplitude of the main wave in FFT (H0), the amplitude of the first harmonic (H1), H0/H1, and the frequency of the first harmonic (P) were analyzed as predictors using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: The overall graft patency rate was 80.3%, and the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) was 14.9%. The results demonstrate that compared with the graft failure group, MGF, H0, and H1 were higher, but H1 and P were lower in the patent group. With univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, the decrease in H0 and H1 and the increase in P were independent risk factors for graft failure, while the decrease in MGF and the increase in H0/H1 were only statistically significant with a univariate analysis. In the cardiovascular events group, the increase in P was an independent risk factor. With a ROC curve analysis, MGF, H0, H1, H0/H1, and P predicted graft failure, while only P predicted cardiovascular events. None of the indicators showed predictive value for MACCEs. CONCLUSIONS: TTFM waveforms after FFT can be used to evaluate graft quality and cardiovascular events, but have no predictive value for MACCEs.